Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fushan Wen, Xiaoli Huang, Yajie Li, Le Pang, Yuan Xu, Tao Zhang
Summary: Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation using a pinecone-shaped graphite-phase carbon nitride (PCN) catalyst supported with MoS2 nanosheets was designed and studied. The catalyst exhibited excellent performance in the photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (PNRR) due to its large specific surface area and enhanced visible light absorption. The PCN loaded with 5 wt % MoS2 nanosheets (MS5%/PCN) showed a PNRR efficiency of 279.41 μmol g(-1) h(-1), which was significantly higher than other catalysts tested. The unique pinecone-like structure of MS5%/PCN improved light absorption and facilitated uniform loading of MoS2 nanosheets. The presence of MoS2 nanosheets also enhanced light absorption ability and reduced impedance, while efficiently adsorbing and reducing nitrogen (N2).
Article
Ecology
Molly A. Moynihan, Nathalie F. Goodkin, Kyle M. Morgan, Phyllis Y. Y. Kho, Adriana Lopes dos Santos, Federico M. Lauro, David M. Baker, Patrick Martin
Summary: Despite low N-2 fixation rates, coral-associated diazotrophs supply a significant portion of the holobiont's nitrogen demand, particularly in the endolithic community. The activity of diazotrophs is mainly controlled by oxygen, with endolithic microbes playing a major role in coral nitrogen cycling.
Article
Plant Sciences
Samuel T. Wilson, Mathieu Caffin, Angelicque E. White, David M. Karl, B. Palenik
Summary: The study investigates the effect of different gas conditions on hydrogen production by cyanobacteria, highlighting the potential of the argon-induced hydrogen production method in evaluating nitrogenase activity. Additionally, comparison of hydrogen production under air and argon gas conditions revealed the efficiency of electron usage during nitrogen fixation process.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiong Yuan, Junnian Wei, Dehui Deng, Zhang-Jie Shi, Ping Chen, Zhenfeng Xi
Summary: This review discusses the advances and challenges in electrochemical nitrogen fixation, aiming to inspire further research in this field.
SCIENCE CHINA-CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gao-Xiang Wang, Xueli Wang, Yang Jiang, Wang Chen, Chunxiao Shan, Peng Zhang, Junnian Wei, Shengfa Ye, Zhenfeng Xi
Summary: Electrophilic functionalization of N2 moieties in metal dinitrogen complexes is challenging, and efficient conversion of N2 into diazenido and hydrazido species is still a great obstacle. In this study, we provide a detailed investigation on the reaction intricacies, revealing fleeting diazenido intermediates and long-lived hydrazido products. Both the first and second electrophilic functionalization steps show quantitative conversions at low temperatures. Based on these findings, large-scale and near-quantitative preparation of all hydrazido species is achieved.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Annalena Gaertner, Uhut S. Karaca, Maximilian Rang, Myron Heinz, Philipp D. Engel, Ivo Krummenacher, Merle Arrowsmith, Alexander Hermann, Alexander Matler, Anna Rempel, Robert Witte, Holger Braunschweig, Max C. Holthausen, Marc-Andre Legare
Summary: We present a comprehensive study on the fixation and reductive coupling of dinitrogen with low-valent boron compounds, combining computational and experimental approaches. The results demonstrate that the selectivity of nitrogen fixation or coupling can be controlled by steric bulk or reaction conditions, enabling the synthesis of nitrogen chains as needed. Furthermore, we elucidate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of intermediates and products of the reaction using high-level computational methods.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Aya Eizawa, Kazuya Arashiba, Hiromasa Tanaka, Asuka Konomi, Kazunari Yoshizawa, Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Summary: In this study, dimolybdenum complexes with quaterphenylene-bridged PNP-type pincer ligands were designed and synthesized based on DFT calculations. The results showed that these complexes exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the synthesis of ammonia from dinitrogen under ambient conditions using samarium diiodide as a reductant and water as a proton source.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Aya Eizawa, Kazuya Arashiba, Hiromasa Tanaka, Asuka Konomi, Kazunari Yoshizawa, Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Summary: Dimolybdenum complexes bearing 3,3'''-(1,1':3',1'':3'',1'''-quaterphenylene)-bridged pyridine-based PNP-type pincer ligand were designed and prepared based on DFT calculations. These complexes serve as effective catalysts for the conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia under ambient reaction conditions, using samarium diiodide as a reductant and water as a proton source.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Quinton J. Bruch, Santanu Malakar, Alan S. Goldman, Alexander J. M. Miller
Summary: This study demonstrates the electrochemical N-2 binding and splitting capabilities of a molybdenum complex, and investigates the reaction pathways and intermediates involved. Electrochemical kinetic analysis, spectroelectrochemical monitoring, and computational studies reveal two concurrent reaction pathways.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Shouqin Sun, Thomas H. DeLuca, Jun Zhang, Genxu Wang, Xiangyang Sun, Zhaoyong Hu, Wenzi Wang, Wei Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the ability of non-nodulating pioneer plants to obtain atmospheric N-2 on newly exposed glacial till. The results from acetylene reduction assay and N-15(2) gas incorporation methods showed that non-nodulating pioneer plants can acquire atmospheric N-2, with higher values in leaves compared to twigs and roots. High-throughput amplification sequencing of nifH genes revealed a variety of diazotrophic communities in pioneer plant tissues. The N-2 fixation rate was correlated with species diversity, indicating the contribution of different diazotrophs to N-2 fixation activity.
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mona Abdelazim, Mohamed N. ElGabry, Mohamed M. Gobashy, Mohamed H. Khalil, Hesham M. Hussein
Summary: An inversion technique was used to analyze seismic activity in the Gulf of Aqaba, revealing different stress regimes in the Eilat basin, Aragonese basin, and Dakar basin. The study found an active strike-slip regime in the Eilat basin, an extensional regime in the Dakar basin, and the coexistence of both regimes in the Aragonese basin. The orientations of the minimum principal stress in the three basins were similar, indicating horizontal extension.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Etai Landou, Boaz Lazar, Julie LaRoche, Katja Fennel, Ilana Berman-Frank
Summary: Dinitrogen (N-2) fixation in the oligotrophic waters of the northern Gulf of Aqaba was investigated using in situ incubations and amplicon sequencing. The study found that N-2 fixation rates were generally low, with non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs being the dominant contributors. During summer stratification, N-2 fixation rates accounted for a significant portion of new production, while during winter mixing, N-2 fixation rates were higher but made up a smaller proportion of new production. Overall, nitrogen sources for new production in the Gulf were mainly from cross-thermocline turbulent diffusion and vertical mixing.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Honghao Chu, Shisheng Zheng, Yang Li, Kuanda Xu, Qingshui Hong, Tangyi Li, Wenju Ren, Shunning Li, Zongwei Mei, Feng Pan
Summary: By tuning the exposure of BiVO4 {010} facets, enhanced N-2 photofixation performance has been achieved for the first time.
Article
Biology
Kshitij Tandon, Francesco Ricci, Joana Costa, Monica Medina, Michael Kuhl, Linda L. Blackall, Heroen Verbruggen
Summary: Currently, our understanding of the coral holobiont microbiomes is biased towards the coral tissue, neglecting the diversity of the coral skeleton microbiome. Through genomic analysis of the coral skeletons of Porites lutea and Isopora palifera, we found a wide range of stress response genes and genes involved in maintaining host association in the skeleton microbiomes. The skeletal microbiome also plays important roles in metabolic processes such as nitrogen fixation and nitrate reduction.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shun Suginome, Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Summary: Organonitrogen compounds play a vital role in our lives, with ammonia serving as the primary nitrogen source. While ammonia is currently produced from dinitrogen and dihydrogen using the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, research into the direct synthesis of organonitrogen compounds from N2 using transition metal complexes is still in its early stages.
Article
Microbiology
Ugo Marzocchi, Stefano Bonaglia, Anastasija Zaiko, Grazia M. Quero, Irma Vybernaite-Lubiene, Tobia Politi, Aurelija Samuiloviene, Mindaugas Zilius, Marco Bartoli, Ulisse Cardini
Summary: The study reveals that zebra mussels significantly enhance nitrogen cycling to the water column in the shallow sediment of the lagoon through the release of ammonium and stimulation of DNRA, as well as exhibiting a unique N2 fixation capacity associated with the mussel's holobiont.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Simon M. Dittami, Enrique Arboleda, Jean-Christophe Auguet, Arite Bigalke, Enora Briand, Paco Cardenas, Ulisse Cardini, Johan Decelle, Aschwin H. Engelen, Damien Eveillard, Claire M. M. Gachoni, Sarah M. Griffiths, Tilmann Harder, Ehsan Kayal, Elena Kazamia, Francois H. Lathier, Monica Medina, Ezequiel M. Marzinelli, Teresa Maria Morganti, Laura Nunez Pons, Soizic Prado, Jose Pintado, Mahasweta Saha, Marc-Andre selosse, Derek Skillings, Willem Stock, Shinichi Sunagawa, Eve Toulza, Alexey Vorobev, Catherine Leblanc, Fabrice Not
Summary: Host-microbe interactions are crucial in marine ecosystems, and the holobiont concept suggests that a host and its associated microbiota should be studied together to understand their biology, ecology, and evolution. Deeper understanding of these complex systems requires further technological and conceptual advances.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeremy Carlot, Mohsen Kayal, Hunter S. Lenihan, Simon J. Brandl, Jordan M. Casey, Mehdi Adjeroud, Ulisse Cardini, Alexandre Merciere, Benoit Espiau, Diego R. Barneche, Alessio Rovere, Laetitia Hedouin, Valeriano Parravicini
Summary: Sea-level rise is predicted to have major impacts on tropical coastlines, with coral reefs playing a key role in protecting against ocean waves by producing calcium carbonate. Recent research shows that recovering reefs may produce more calcium carbonate than previously estimated, thanks to the contribution of juvenile corals. However, recruitment failures following large-scale bleaching events could compromise the buffering effect of highly productive juvenile corals.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Sairah Malkin, Ulisse Cardini
Article
Plant Sciences
Stephanie B. Helber, Gabriele Procaccini, E. Fay Belshe, Alex Santillan-Sarmiento, Ulisse Cardini, Stefanie Broehl, Michael Schmid, Hauke Reuter, Mirta Teichberg
Summary: Posidonia oceanica, a key foundation species in the Mediterranean, is vulnerable to high coastal nutrient inputs and warming temperatures. Our study found that nutrient addition during warmer than usual summers can have exacerbated effects on seagrass populations, especially in areas already under anthropogenic pressure, leading to reductions in seagrass coverage. The additional nutrient supply had deleterious effects, with significant decreases in cover in fertilized plots, particularly in high impacted sites.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Dallal Chergui, Soraya Akretche-Kelfat, Lynda Lamoudi, Mamoon Al-Rshaidat, Farida Boudjelal, Hamid Ait-Amar
Summary: Fermentation using GHARS and MECH DEGLA date varieties can yield high amounts of citric acid, with optimal production conditions at initial pH 3.0, temperature 30 degrees C, incubation period of 8 days, and methanol content of 4%.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mindaugas Zilius, Darius Daunys, Marco Bartoli, Ugo Marzocchi, Stefano Bonaglia, Ulisse Cardini, Giuseppe Castaldelli
Summary: The study investigates how three dominant macrofauna taxa in the oligotrophic ore Estuary shape nitrogen cycling in bioturbated sediments of the northern Baltic Sea. These taxa play important roles in benthic metabolism and N-cycling, both directly and indirectly through sediments bioturbation. Overall, their functions promote nutrient reutilization at the benthic level, limiting net losses and effluxes to the bottom water.
Article
Ecology
Monica Medina, David M. Baker, David A. Baltrus, Gordon M. Bennett, Ulisse Cardini, Adrienne M. S. Correa, Sandie M. Degnan, Gregor Christa, Eunsoo Kim, Jingchun Li, David R. Nash, Ezequiel Marzinelli, Michele Nishiguchi, Carlos Prada, Melissa S. Roth, Mahasweta Saha, Christopher I. Smith, Kevin R. Theis, Jesse Zaneveld
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johanna Berlinghof, Friederike Peiffer, Ugo Marzocchi, Marco Munari, Grazia M. Quero, Laura Dennis, Christian Wild, Ulisse Cardini
Summary: Ocean acidification can impact seagrass holobionts by altering plant physiology and the composition of epiphytic communities. However, our understanding of the role of epiphytes in seagrass productivity under environmental changes is limited. In this study, Posidonia oceanica leaves were collected from CO2 vents to investigate their adaptation to ocean acidification. The results showed that leaves from the vent site had higher epiphytic cover and biomass, as well as increased net primary production compared to leaves from the ambient site. Epiphytes contributed significantly to the productivity of seagrass leaves, highlighting their important role in the holobiont response to ocean acidification.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jeremy Carlot, Heloise Rouze, Diego R. Barneche, Alexandre Merciere, Benoit Espiau, Ulisse Cardini, Simon J. Brandl, Jordan M. Casey, Gonzalo Perez-Rosales, Mehdi Adjeroud, Laetitia Hedouin, Valeriano Parravicini
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between physiological rates and colony size in coral colonies, and finds that calcification rates increase with decreasing colony size in different coral taxa. However, photosynthesis and respiration rates remain constant across different sizes of coral colonies. The study also reveals a correlation between the demographic dynamics of coral genera and the ratio between net primary production and calcification rates.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ulisse Cardini, Lazaro Marin-Guirao, Luis M. Montilla, Ugo Marzocchi, Salvatore Chiavarini, Juri Rimauro, Grazia Marina Quero, Jillian M. Petersen, Gabriele Procaccini
Summary: This study demonstrates that the nested interactions between lucinid bivalves and seagrass can enhance the functioning of seagrass ecosystems. Contaminated sediments can improve the photosynthetic efficiency of seagrass, and the presence of lucinid bivalves further enhances this trend and promotes plant growth.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Nanne van Hoytema, Jasper M. de Goeij, Niklas A. Kornder, Yusuf El-Khaled, Dick van Oevelen, Laura Rix, Ulisse Cardini, Vanessa N. Bednarz, Malik S. Naumann, Fuad A. Al-Horani, Christian Wild
Summary: Coral reefs in the northern Red Sea experience strong seasonality and this study aimed to quantify the seasonal carbon fluxes in these reefs. The study used incubations and linear inverse models to assess the carbon cycling. The results showed that the coral reef ecosystem was heterotrophic throughout the seasons and sponge communities played a significant role in carbon cycling.
Review
Respiratory System
Ahmad R. Alsayed, Abdullah Al-Dulaimi, Mohammad Alkhatib, Mohammed Al Maqbali, Mohammad A. A. Al-Najjar, Mamoon M. D. Al-Rshaidat
Summary: Pneumocystis jirovecii is a human-specific fungus causing PCP, with symptoms often being nonspecific. Patients with co-occurring COVID-19 and PCP present a diagnostic challenge, as it can be difficult to differentiate between the two infections.
EXPERT REVIEW OF RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ahmad R. Alsayed, Anas Abed, Heba A. Khader, Laith M. H. Al-Shdifat, Luai Hasoun, Mamoon M. D. Al-Rshaidat, Mohammad Alkhatib, Malek Zihlif
Summary: This review provides an overview of the respiratory microbiome and its potential relationship with respiratory disease pathogenesis. The lack of strong evidence supporting the correlation between the respiratory microbiome and disease pathogenesis is currently a major challenge in considering it as a novel therapeutic target. Further studies, especially prospective studies, are needed to identify other drivers of microbiome diversity and understand the changes in the lung microbiome and its potential association with disease and medications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mamoon M. D. Al-Rshaidat, Shaima Al-Sharif, Assem Al Refaei, Nour Shewaikani, Ahmad R. Alsayed, Yaser M. Rayyan
Summary: This study evaluates the potential of immune cell ratios in the diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs). The results show that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocytes (PLR) have high sensitivity and specificity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), while mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) has high sensitivity and specificity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Regression analysis identifies five different combinations that are significant in the diagnosis of CD and UC. The clinical application of immune cell ratios, inflammatory markers, and their combinations, along with patients' history and physical examination findings, can provide easier, faster, and more cost-effective diagnosis of IBDs.
PHARMACY PRACTICE-GRANADA
(2023)