Article
Microbiology
Dayu Zou, Hongliang Li, Ping Du, Bin Wang, Hua Lin, Hongbin Liu, Jianfang Chen, Meng Li
Summary: This study revealed and quantified the composition and abundance of the sedimentary archaeal community based on the 16S rRNA genes off the Changjiang River Estuary. The community composition was found to be distinct between hypoxia and non-hypoxia regions, with Thaumarchaeota and Bathyarchaeota dominating in non-hypoxia and hypoxia samples, respectively.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Wenyue Liang, Tiantian Yu, Liang Dong, Zhongjun Jia, Fengping Wang
Summary: Bathyarchaeota has been found to have the ability to fix carbon, as its abundance increased 15.3 times after long-term cultivation with lignin and sodium bicarbonate. Through DNA separation, it was confirmed that Bathyarchaeota DNA contained C-13, indicating its carbon fixation capacity.
SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dirk Jong, Lisa Broder, Tommaso Tesi, Kirsi H. Keskitalo, Nikita Zimov, Anna Davydova, Philip Pika, Negar Haghipour, Timothy I. Eglinton, Jorien E. Vonk
Summary: Arctic rivers are increasingly affected by thawing permafrost, and the fate of permafrost-derived organic carbon (OC) depends on complex processes along the source-to-sink system. A study on the Kolyma River and East Siberian Sea investigates the composition and degradation state of riverine OC compared to marine sediments. The results suggest that old permafrost-OC is mainly associated with sediments, while autochthonous primary production contributes to particulate OC.
Article
Soil Science
Guohua Dai, Shanshan Zhu, Yue Cai, Erxiong Zhu, Yufu Jia, Chengjun Ji, Zhiyao Tang, Jingyun Fang, Xiaojuan Feng
Summary: Plant and microbial residues are the main sources of soil organic carbon (SOC). This study found that forests have lower microbial necromass in SOC compared to grasslands, indicating a higher contribution of plant-derived components to forest SOC. Plant-derived lignin phenols do not play a major role in SOC accumulation, while leaf- and root-derived hydrolysable lipids make up a higher proportion of SOC in forests. Soil pH, reactive iron and aluminum contents, and lignin oxidation are factors that influence the accumulation of plant lipids and SOC in forest soils.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chun -Ping Li, Ya-Qi Wu, Li-Xin Gao, Da-Quan Zhang, Zhong-Xun An
Summary: Lignin, as a carbon precursor, can be used to produce high-performance capacitive deionization electrode materials. This study prepares nanofibers with mesoporous fracture structure from depolymerized lignin, improving ion storage and adsorption performance, and providing a simple and efficient strategy for lignin-based carbon fiber conversion.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jia-Ling Li, Li Duan, Ying Wu, Manzoor Ahmad, Ling-Zi Yin, Xiao-Qing Luo, Xin Wang, Bao-Zhu Fang, Shan-Hui Li, Li-Nan Huang, Jia-Xue Wu, Xiao-Zhen Mou, Pandeng Wang, Wen-Jun Li
Summary: Estuaries play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle by transforming and burying terrestrial organic carbon (TerrOC). However, the specific taxa and degradation processes involved in TerrOC transformation and degradation in estuaries are largely unknown. In this study, sediment samples from the Pearl River Estuary in China were analyzed using analytical chemistry, metagenomics, and bioinformatics methods. The study identified diverse bacterial and archaeal taxa, including previously unknown lignin degraders, and determined the spatial distribution patterns of lignin degradation pathways genes. The study also found significant correlations between abundance of certain metabolic pathways genes and degree of lignin oxidation and vegetation source. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the microbial ecology of TerrOC degradation in estuaries.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Belen Franco-Cisterna, Anni Glud, Laura A. Bristow, Arka Rudra, Hamed Sanei, Mie H. S. Winding, Torkel G. Nielsen, Ronnie N. Glud, Peter Stief
Summary: This study investigates the kinetics of microbial degradation of krill carcasses and the potential links to lower trophic levels in polar marine food webs. The results show that aerobic microbial respiration and the release of dissolved organic carbon are the main pathways of carbon loss from the carcasses. Ammonium release generally contributes the most to carcass nitrogen loss. The study also reveals anoxic conditions inside krill carcasses, allowing anaerobic nitrogen cycling through denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). The findings suggest that krill carcasses play a role in sustaining benthic food webs in the Arctic.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Aurin M. Vos, Robert-Jan Bleichrodt, Koen C. Herman, Robin A. Ohm, Karin Scholtmeijer, Heike Schmitt, Luis G. Lugones, Han A. B. Wosten
Summary: The white button mushroom fungus employs a novel lignocellulose degradation strategy by synchronizing the activity of its mycelium over large distances through hyphae fusion. This cyclic degradation process involves deconstruction of lignin, (hemi-) cellulose, and microbial cell wall polymers, along with an increase in respiration rate and uptake of degradation products for efficient substrate degradation.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wangda Qu, Chen Liang, Zizhu Zhao, Pengyu Hu, Zhongyi Ma
Summary: This work presents a simple method to convert lignin into carbon foam materials. By solely heating lignin, carbon foam with porous structures can be produced. Different morphologies and properties of lignin foam can be obtained by modifying the heating profile or fractionating the lignin. The resulting lignin-derived carbon foams possess well porous structures and other attractive properties.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jiayu Niu, Xiufen Li, Xiguang Qi, Yueping Ren
Summary: A novel Bacillus strain, identified as Brevibacillus thermoruber, showed excellent lignin degradation ability and produced important precursors for humus formation in composting. The results of this study provide new insights into the biodegradation pathway of lignin in different stages of composting, offering a potential method to accelerate the composting process.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Danyu Huang, Ning Chen, Yuan Lin, Chenghao Ge, Xiaolei Wang, Dixiang Wang, Changyin Zhu, Guodong Fang, Dongmei Zhou
Summary: This study found that carbon materials have significant effects on the cycling of iron and the production of hydroxyl radicals in paddy soils. Under anoxic conditions, carbon materials facilitate the reduction of trivalent iron in soils, while under oxygenation, they promote the oxidation of active divalent iron, resulting in higher yield of hydroxyl radicals. This provides a new insight for remediation strategies in agricultural fields contaminated with organic pollutants.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Manuel Penas-Garzon, Wael H. M. Abdelraheem, Carolina Belver, Juan J. Rodriguez, Jorge Bedia, Dionysios D. Dionysiou
Summary: Novel carbon microspheres supported TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared for pharmaceutical degradation in water. Lignin, a biomass byproduct, was transformed into carbon microspheres and coated with TiO2, resulting in superior catalytic performance. The photocatalyst showed efficient degradation of pharmaceuticals under solar light.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jyun-Ting Lee, Meng-Chin Lin, Jyh Ming Wu
Summary: In this study, MoS2 nanoflowers (NFs)/carbon fiber was synthesized to develop a piezocatalytic filter that can easily recycle decomposed wastewater without generating secondary pollutants. The filter demonstrated a high efficiency in decomposing organic pollutants in wastewater and can be reused multiple times. The MoS2/carbon fiber catalyst exhibits piezoelectric potential, triggering electron-hole pair separation under the internal electric field. This piezocatalytic filter is advantageous for its reusability and recyclability, preventing secondary pollution and adverse effects on water bodies during practical high-flux wastewater treatment.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yiyue Zhang, Changchun Yan, Haijun Liu, Shengyan Pu, Huilun Chen, Beihai Zhou, Rongfang Yuan, Fei Wang
Summary: The study compared the impacts of white ash and black ash on soil biological and abiotic indicators, finding that both can increase the bioavailability of arsenic and chromium in soil, with the increasing trend of bioavailable arsenic potentially limited by calcium in white ash treatment. Additionally, different types of wood ash inputs into soils can cause differences in microbial taxa.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jianying Liu, Da-Wei Li, Yang Ding, Tiantian Ge, Weifang Chen, Chih-An Huh, Meixun Zhao
Summary: This study found that the relocation of the Huanghe outlet reduced the transport of terrestrial organic carbon to the southern Yellow Sea, leading to a decrease in terrigenous source contributions to sedimentary organic carbon. However, after 1950 AD, the contribution of terrestrial organic carbon to sedimentary organic carbon increased, possibly due to increased contributions from the old Huanghe delta erosion and Korean rivers.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sarah Coffinet, Lukas Muehlena, Julius S. Lipp, Micha Weil, Cajetan Neubauer, Tim Urich, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs
Summary: Butanetriol and pentanetriol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (BDGTs and PDGTs) are recently discovered membrane lipids in anoxic environments with unique backbones. This study reveals that these lipids are produced by methyl transfer from an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) intermediate in Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis. The increase of a doubly methylated compound in the stationary phase of M. luminyensis and in sediment samples from the Mediterranean Sea suggests a potential relationship between backbone methylation and microbial activity.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
R. Wilson, M. King, N. M. H. Butler, D. C. Carroll, T. P. Frazer, M. J. Duff, A. Higginson, R. J. Dance, J. Jarrett, Z. E. Davidson, C. D. Armstrong, H. Liu, S. J. Hawkes, R. J. Clarke, D. Neely, R. J. Gray, P. McKenna
Summary: This study investigates the impact of spatial-intensity distribution on the interaction between high power laser pulses and solid targets, finding that the spatial-intensity contrast parameter strongly influences the laser energy coupling to fast electrons. It suggests that for multi-petawatt pulses, spatial-intensity contrast may be as important as temporal-intensity contrast.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Conor Davidson, Zheng-Ming Sheng, Thomas Wilson, Paul McKenna
Summary: The Weibel instability is investigated in three different scenarios and the growth rates are determined numerically. It is found that the maximum growth rates for counterstreaming beams are smaller than those for the beams in the same range of density ratios and beam energies. The maximum growth rate for the electron-positron beam case is slightly greater than that for the electron-proton beam case. A non-monotonic relation is observed between the maximum Weibel instability growth rates and the electron-positron beam energy.
JOURNAL OF PLASMA PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Cosimo Kropp, Julius Lipp, Anna Lena Schmidt, Christina Seisenberger, Mona Linde, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Patrick Babinger
Summary: As a characteristic feature of Archaea, ether lipids are found in their cell membranes. However, Bacteria have also been found to possess Archaea-like ether lipids, although with some differences in composition. YvoF, an acetyltransferase, has been identified in both Bacillales (Bacteria) and Halobacteria (Archaea), suggesting a shared mechanism for lipid modification. Acetylated diether lipids have been discovered in the Halobacterial species Haloferax volcanii and Halobacterium salinarum, which may have implications for the polarity of lipid headgroups and potentially unknown biological effects.
Article
Microbiology
Xin Huang, Xuan Liu, Yarong Xue, Bingcai Pan, Lei Xiao, Shuijuan Wang, Mark A. Lever, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Fumio Inagaki, Changhong Liua
Summary: This study demonstrates a new pathway for methane production by wood-rot fungi, which is dependent on halomethanes instead of methanogenic archaea. These findings provide new insights into methane research and contribute to the understanding of the processes involved and their ecological implications.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Correction
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Clara Sena, David L. Parkhurst, Frank J. J. Tepley, Fuqing Jiang, Cees van der Land, Francisco J. R. C. Coelho, Vanessa Oliveira, Mark A. Lever, Osamu Ishizuka, Richard Arculus
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Clara Sena, David L. Parkhurst, Frank J. Tepley III, Fuqing Jiang, Cees van der Land, Francisco J. R. C. Coelho, Vanessa Oliveira, Mark A. Lever, Osamu Ishizuka, Richard Arculus
Summary: This study investigated the sediment accumulation and diagenesis of the Amami-Sankaku Basin in the Philippine Sea, focusing on the chemical reactions and mineral formation processes. Analyses of porewater and sediment samples revealed the major elements, trace elements, radiogenic isotope ratios, and taxonomic identification of archaeal classes and bacterial orders. A numerical model was developed to simulate the long-term diagenesis, showing the dissolution of volcanic ash and the formation of different minerals. The results contribute to our understanding of the chemical processes and element distribution in this sedimentary sequence.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
K. Makur, B. Ramakrishna, S. Krishnamurthy, K. F. Kakolee, S. Kar, M. Cerchez, R. Prasad, K. Markey, M. N. Quinn, X. H. Yuan, J. S. Green, R. H. H. Scott, P. McKenna, J. Osterholz, O. Willi, P. A. Norreys, M. Borghesi, M. Zepf
Summary: Bulk electron temperatures are calculated for thin Cu targets irradiated by the petawatt class Vulcan laser, from the K alpha yield obtained using highly oriented pyrolytic graphite crystals. Cu-K alpha emission studies have been used to probe the bulk electron temperature. A 30-80 eV core temperature extends homogeneously over distances up to ten times the laser focal spot size. Energy shifting has been observed due to different ionization states produced for different temperatures in the plasma. Polarization dependencies of plasma temperature are observed through the production of x-rays in different targets. 2D PIC simulations were performed to measure the polarization dependency of bulk electron temperature, which supports our experimental results. This paper could be of importance in understanding the different behavior of laser coupling at different polarizations and their role in x-ray production.
PLASMA PHYSICS AND CONTROLLED FUSION
(2023)
Article
Optics
M. J. V. Streeter, C. Colgan, C. C. Cobo, C. Arran, E. E. Los, R. Watt, N. Bourgeois, L. Calvin, J. Carderelli, N. Cavanagh, S. J. D. Dann, R. Fitzgarrald, E. Gerstmayr, A. S. Joglekar, B. Kettle, P. Mckenna, C. D. Murphy, Z. Najmudin, P. Parsons, Q. Qian, P. P. Rajeev, C. P. Ridgers, D. R. Symes, A. G. R. Thomas, G. Sarri, S. P. D. Mangles
Summary: A variational convolutional neural network model was created to predict the electron spectrum generated by a GeV-class laser wakefield accelerator. An ensemble of trained networks was used to provide an estimation of the uncertainty of the prediction. This model offers insights into the scaling of electron beam properties due to stochastic fluctuations.
HIGH POWER LASER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
T. C. Wilson, Z-M Sheng, P. McKenna, B. Hidding
Summary: Simultaneous self-focusing and compression of ultrashort weakly-relativistic Laguerre-Gaussian laser pulses in dense plasma is studied. A theoretical model is developed and particle-in-cell simulations are conducted to examine the physics in detail. Rapid self-focusing and compression are observed, followed by the formation of post-soliton structures and filamentation. Burst of MeV electrons are also observed at points of collapse.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Moritz Muschick, Eliane Jemmi, Nicholas Lengacher, Stephanie Hansch, Nathan Wales, Mary A. Kishe, Salome Mwaiko, Jorunn Dieleman, Mark Alexander Lever, Walter Salzburger, Dirk Verschuren, Ole Seehausen
Summary: Tropical freshwater lakes are well-known for their biodiversity, and the East African Great Lakes in particular are famous for their cichlid fishes. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that fish fossils from tropical lake sediments contain endogenous ancient DNA (aDNA), providing valuable information on the evolutionary trajectories and diversity of these fish taxa. The preservation and success rates of aDNA differ between investigated lakes, possibly due to differences in oxygenation.
Article
Optics
B. Loughran, M. J. V. Streeter, H. Ahmed, S. Astbury, M. Balcazar, M. Borghesi, N. Bourgeois, C. B. Curry, S. J. D. Dann, S. DiIorio, N. P. Dover, T. Dzelzainis, O. C. Ettlinger, M. Gauthier, L. Giuffrida, G. D. Glenn, S. H. Glenzer, J. S. Green, R. J. Gray, G. S. Hicks, C. Hyland, V. Istokskaia, M. King, D. Margarone, O. McCusker, P. McKenna, Z. Najmudin, C. Parisuana, P. Parsons, C. Spindloe, D. R. Symes, A. G. R. Thomas, F. Treffert, N. Xu, C. A. J. Palmer
Summary: The combination of high repetition-rate (HRR) lasers and machine learning allows for automated and high-fidelity parameter scans, revealing the influence of laser intensity on target pre-heating and proton generation. By controlling the laser wavefront and target position, the maximum proton energy can be optimized through closed-loop Bayesian optimization, achieving equivalent performance with only 60% of the laser energy compared to manually optimized laser pulses. This demonstration of automated optimization of laser-driven proton beams is a crucial step towards gaining deeper physical insight and constructing future radiation sources.
HIGH POWER LASER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Optics
J. Goodman, M. King, E. J. Dolier, R. Wilson, R. J. Gray, P. McKenna
Summary: The optimum parameters for generating synchrotron radiation in intense laser pulse interactions with planar foils are determined using Bayesian optimization and Gaussian process regression. By maximizing the synchrotron yield and simultaneously mitigating bremsstrahlung emission, the effects of laser pulse angle-of-incidence and polarization on radiation generation are explored in 2D and 3D simulations. These results provide valuable insights for experimental design in quantum electrodynamics-plasma regimes and demonstrate the effectiveness of machine learning-based optimization techniques.
HIGH POWER LASER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Physics, Nuclear
Martin King, Robbie Wilson, Ewan F. J. Bacon, Ewan J. J. Dolier, Timothy P. P. Frazer, Jack Goodman, Ross J. J. Gray, Paul McKenna
Summary: The advent of multi-petawatt lasers has made it easier to access the relativistic transparency regime of laser-plasma interactions. Experimental and numerical studies have shown that relativistic self-induced transparency (RSIT) can lead to promising particle acceleration, radiation generation, and optical phenomena. New physics induced by RSIT, including intense light with higher order spatial modes and higher harmonics, and spatially-structured and temporally-varying polarization states, has been observed.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL A
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
O. McCusker, H. Ahmed, A. McIlvenny, P. Martin, S. Ferguson, J. Green, J. Jarrett, M. King, S. Zhai, P. McKenna, S. Kar, M. Borghesi
Summary: This study investigates multi-species ion acceleration from ultra-thin foils through experiments and simulations. The results show differences in acceleration dynamics for different species, and two main mechanisms, target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) and radiation pressure acceleration (RPA), are identified. The analysis of accelerating fields provides insights into the effects of different mechanisms on each species.
PLASMA PHYSICS AND CONTROLLED FUSION
(2023)
