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At least 343 records · Page 19

In Operando Analysis of Diffusion in Porous Metal‐Organic Framework Catalysts

Abstract The potential to exert atomistic control over the structure of site‐isolated catalyst sites, as well as the topology and chemical environment of interstitial pore spaces, has inspired efforts to apply porous metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as catalysts for fine chemical synthesis. In analogy to enzyme‐catalyzed reactions, MOF catalysts have been proposed as platforms in which substrate confinement could be used to achieve chemo‐ and stereoselectivities that are orthogonal to solution‐phase catalysts. In order to leverage the tunable pore topology of MOFs to impact catalyst selectivity, catalysis must proceed at interstitial catalyst sites, rather than at solvent‐exposed interfacial sites. This Minireview addresses challenges inherent to interstitial MOF catalysis by 1) describing the diffusional processes available to sorbates in porous materials, 2) discussing critical factors that impact the diffusion rate of substrates in porous materials, and 3) presenting in operando experimental strategies to assess the relative rates of substrate diffusion and catalyst turnover in MOF catalysis. It is anticipated that the continued development of in operando tools to evaluate substrate diffusion in porous catalysts will advance the application of these materials in fine chemical synthesis.

Gao, Wen‐Yang↗

Metal‐Organic Framework (MOF) Morphology Control by Design

Abstract Exerting morphological control over metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) is critical for determining their catalytic performance and to optimize their packing behavior in areas from separations to fuel gas storage. A mechanism‐based approach to tailor the morphology of MOFs is introduced and experimentally demonstrated for five cubic Zn 4 O‐based MOFs. This methodology provides three key features: 1) computational screening for selection of appropriate additives to change crystal morphology based on knowledge of the crystal structure alone; 2) use of additive to metal cluster geometric relationships to achieve morphologies expressing desired crystallographic facets; 3) potential for suppression of interpenetration for certain phases.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Precise Control of Dissipative Self-assembly by Light and Electricity

Nature-inspired synthetic dissipative self-assemblies have attracted much attention recently. However, it remains a major challenge to achieve precise control over dissipative supramolecular assembly structures and functions of self-contained systems. Here we combine light and electricity as two clean, and spatiotemporally addressable fuels to provide precise control over the morphology for dissipative self-assembly of a perylene bisimide glycine (PBIg) building block in a self-contained solution. In this design, electrochemical oxidation provides the positive fuel to activate PBIg self-assembly while photoreduction supplies the negative fuel to deactivate the system for disassembly. Further, through programming the two counteracting fuels, we demonstrated the control of PBIg self-assembly into a variety of assembly morphologies in a self-contained system. In addition, by exerting light and electrical dual fuels simultaneously, we could create an active homeostasis exhibiting dynamic instability, leading to morphological change to asymmetric assemblies with curvatures. Such precise control over self-assembly of self-contained systems may find future applications in programming complex active materials as well as formulating pharmaceutical reagents with desired morphologies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Synthesis and Characterization of Gold Clusters Ligated with 1,3-Bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)propane

In this multidisciplinary study we combine chemical reduction synthesis of novel gold clusters in solution with high-resolution analytical mass spectrometry (MS) to gain insight into the composition of the gold clusters and how their size, ionic charge state and ligand substitution influences their gas-phase fragmentation pathways. Ultra small cationic gold clusters ligated with 1,3-bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)propane (DCPP) were synthesized for the first time and introduced into the gas phase using electrospray ionization (ESI). Mass-selected cluster ions were fragmented employing collision induced dissociation (CID) and the product ions were analysed using MS. The solutions were found to contain the multiply charged cationic gold clusters Au9L43+, Au13L53+, Au6L32+, Au8L32+ and Au10L42+ (L = DCPP). The gas-phase fragmentation pathways of these cluster ions were examined systematically employing CID combined with MS. In addition, CID experiments were performed on related gold clusters of the same size and ionic charge state but capped with 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (DPPP) ligands containing phenyl functional groups at the two phosphine centers instead of cyclohexane rings. It is shown that this relatively small change in the molecular substitution of the two phosphine centers in diphosphine ligands (C6H11 versus C6H5) exerts a pronounced influence on the size of the species that are preferentially formed in solution during reduction synthesis as well as the gas-phase fragmentation channels of otherwise identical gold cluster ions. The mass spectrometry results indicate that in addition to the length of the alkyl chain between the two phosphine centers, the substituents at the phosphine centers also play a crucial role in determining the composition, size and stability of diphosphine ligated gold clusters synthesized in solution.

Johnson, Grant E.↗

Compensatory grazing by Daphnia generates a trade‐off between top‐down and bottom‐up effects across phytoplankton taxa

Abstract Trade‐offs among traits that shape different components of fitness determine the potential for species to coexist in communities and the regulation of ecosystem productivity by consumers vs. resources. We compared functional and structural traits of 14 species of freshwater phytoplankton to test the influence of life history (exponential growth rate, r, and asymptotic density, K), cell volume, cellular fatty acid ( FA ) biochemistry, and stoichiometry (cellular C:N and C:P ratios) on grazing and growth rate of Daphnia consumers. Grazers exerted the strongest top‐down effects on algae with the highest C:N and C:P, and lower levels of FA unsaturation. In contrast, the grazer's growth rate was most associated with phytoplankton species’ FA unsaturation and chain length. Different traits were related to grazing rate and trophic transfer efficiency, and as a result, the grazing rate on a particular phytoplankton taxon was unrelated to the grazers’ growth rate. The best nutrient competitors (those with high C:N, C:P, and K, which previous experiments showed had lower minimum requirements for nutrients) were most heavily affected by grazing, but did not contribute the most to grazer growth. Our results indicate that Daphnia increase their food consumption rate in order to compensate for low stoichiometric food quality. Strong competitors with low nutrient demands may therefore be subject to the most intense grazing by individual consumers but not support greater production of higher trophic levels.

Mandal, Shovon↗

Invasions eliminate the legacy effects of substrate history on microbial nitrogen cycling

Abstract Changes in substrate quality driven by climate, land use, or other forms of global change may represent a strong selective force on microbial communities. Invasion of new taxa into a community through dispersal, evolution, or recolonization could impact the outcome of this environmental selection. Here, we simulated substrate change with a trait‐based model of microbial litter decomposition (DEMENTpy) to assess the legacy effects of past substrate quality and the impact of selection by a new substrate on community decomposition activity. Simulations were run with different levels of invasion, including invasion from communities long‐adapted to the new substrate. Legacy effects were evident with substrate change for native communities differing in composition. Protein was the only substrate that exerted a strong enough selective force to affect community composition. Legacy effects disappeared when invaders came from substrates similar to the new substrate. Together, our simulations demonstrate that substrate quality changes associated with global change can lead to legacy effects on substrate degradation. In decomposing plant litter, such legacy effects can occur if substrate inputs shift to higher protein content and if invasion is low.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Reduced snow cover alters root‐microbe interactions and decreases nitrification rates in a northern hardwood forest

Abstract Snow cover is projected to decline during the next century in many ecosystems that currently experience a seasonal snowpack. Because snow insulates soils from frigid winter air temperatures, soils are expected to become colder and experience more winter soil freeze‐thaw cycles as snow cover continues to decline. Tree roots are adversely affected by snowpack reduction, but whether loss of snow will affect root‐microbe interactions remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to distinguish and attribute direct (e.g., winter snow‐ and/or soil frost‐mediated) vs. indirect (e.g., root‐mediated) effects of winter climate change on microbial biomass, the potential activity of microbial exoenzymes, and net N mineralization and nitrification rates. Soil cores were incubated in situ in nylon mesh that either allowed roots to grow into the soil core (2 mm pore size) or excluded root ingrowth (50 μm pore size) for up to 29 months along a natural winter climate gradient at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH ( USA ). Microbial biomass did not differ among ingrowth or exclusion cores. Across sampling dates, the potential activities of cellobiohydrolase, phenol oxidase, and peroxidase, and net N mineralization rates were more strongly related to soil volumetric water content ( P < 0.05; R 2 = 0.25–0.46) than to root biomass, snow or soil frost, or winter soil temperature ( R 2 < 0.10). Root ingrowth was positively related to soil frost ( P < 0.01; R 2 = 0.28), suggesting that trees compensate for overwinter root mortality caused by soil freezing by re‐allocating resources towards root production. At the sites with the deepest snow cover, root ingrowth reduced nitrification rates by 30% ( P < 0.01), showing that tree roots exert significant influence over nitrification, which declines with reduced snow cover. If soil freezing intensifies over time, then greater compensatory root growth may reduce nitrification rates directly via plant‐microbe N competition and indirectly through a negative feedback on soil moisture, resulting in lower N availability to trees in northern hardwood forests.

Sorensen, Patrick O.↗

Climate change and invasion may synergistically affect native plant reproduction

Global change drivers can interact in synergistic ways, yet the interactive effect of global change drivers, such as climatic warming and species invasions, on plant pollination are poorly represented in experimental studies. We paired manipulative experiments to probe two mechanistic pathways through which plant invasion and warming may alter phenology and reproduction of native plant species. In the first, we tested how experimental warming (+1.7°C) modulated flowering phenology and how this affected flowering overlap between a native plant (Dracophyllum subulatum) and an invasive plant (Calluna vulgaris L.). In the second experiment, we explored how variation in the ratio of native to invasive flowers, and the overall quantity of resources in a floral patch, affected the reproduction of the native species. We hypothesized that the flowering overlap of native and invasive plants would be altered by warming, given that invading plants typically exhibit greater phenological plasticity than native plants. Further, we hypothesized that pollination of native plant flowers would decrease in floral patches dominated by invasive plant flowers, but that this effect would depend on total floral density in the patch. As predicted, the invasive plant had a stronger phenological response to experimental warming than the native plant, resulting in increased flowering overlap between the native the invasive plants. There was a four-fold increase in the number of native flowers co-flowering with high densities of invasive flowers suggesting native plant competition for pollinators with invasive plants under a warmed climate. In the second experiment, we found depressed seed masses of the native species in high density floral patches that were dominated by invasive flowers relative to high density floral patches dominated by native flowers. At low floral densities, seed mass of native plants was unaffected by invasion. Together, these results demonstrate that by increasing their phenological overlap, warming may enhance the magnitude of existing competition for pollination exerted by an invasive plant on a native plant, particularly in plant patches with high floral density. Finally, our results illustrate a novel pathway through which global change drivers can operate synergistically to alter an important ecosystem service: pollination.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Study of Inhibition, Reactivation and Aging Processes of Pesticides Using Graphene Nanosheets/Gold Nanoparticles-Based Acetylcholinesterase Biosensor

Organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides exert their toxicity via attacking the hydroxyl moiety of serine in the 'active site' of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In this paper we developed a stable AChE biosensor based on self-assembling AChE to graphene nanosheet (GN)-gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) nanocomposite electrode for investigation of inhibition, reactivation and aging processes of different pesticides. It is confirmed that pesticides can inhibit AChE in a short time. OPs poisoning is treatable with oximes while carbarmates exposure is insensitive to oximes. The proposed electrochemical approach thus provides a new simple tool for comparison of pesticide sensitivity and guide of therapeutic intervention.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Seasonal and flow-driven dynamics of particulate and dissolved mercury and methylmercury in a stream impacted by an industrial mercury source

Abstract Sediments and floodplain soils in the East Fork Poplar Creek watershed (Oak Ridge, TN, USA) are contaminated with high levels of mercury (Hg) from an industrial source at the headwaters. Although baseflow conditions have been monitored, concentrations of Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) during high-flow storm events, when the stream is more hydrologically connected to the floodplain, have yet to be assessed. The present study evaluated baseflow and event-driven Hg and MeHg dynamics in East Fork Poplar Creek, 5 km upstream of the confluence with Poplar Creek, to determine the importance of hydrology to in-stream concentrations and downstream loads and to ascertain whether the dynamics are comparable to those of systems without an industrial Hg source. Particulate Hg and MeHg were positively correlated with discharge (r2 = 0.64 and 0.58, respectively) and total suspended sediment (r2 = 0.97 and 0.89, respectively), and dissolved Hg also increased with increasing flow (r2 = 0.18) and was associated with increases in dissolved organic carbon (r2 = 0.65), similar to the dynamics observed in uncontaminated systems. Dissolved MeHg decreased with increases in discharge (r2 = 0.23) and was not related to dissolved organic carbon concentrations (p = 0.56), dynamics comparable to relatively uncontaminated watersheds with a small percentage of wetlands (<10%). Although stormflows exert a dominant control on particulate Hg, particulate MeHg, and dissolved Hg concentrations and loads, baseflows were associated with the highest dissolved MeHg concentration (0.38 ng/L) and represented the majority of the annual dissolved MeHg load. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1386–1400. Published 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US Government work, and as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Transient Copper Exposure During Embryogenesis and Temperature Affect Developmental Rate, Survival, and Fin Regeneration in Japanese Medaka ( Oryzias latipes )

Combined environmental stressors that an organism experiences can have both immediate and lasting consequences. In this paper we exposed medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos to sublethal copper sulfate (CuSO 4 ) (0, 10, and 100 ppb) in combination with different rearing temperatures (27, 30, and 33°C) to assess acute and latent effects on development, growth, and regenerative capacity. Embryos exposed to CuSO 4 and/or higher temperatures hatched significantly earlier. At 4 months post-exposure, fish exposed to low levels of CuSO 4 during development had higher survival, while fish exposed to both 100 ppb CuSO 4 and 33°C temperatures had significantly lower survival. Additionally, a sex-specific effect of embryonic CuSO 4 exposure was observed as female mass decreased with increasing copper dose. We also assessed caudal fin regenerative capabilities in both embryo-exposed fish at 4 months of age and adult medaka that were exposed to 0, 10, and 100 ppb CuSO 4 at room temperature during a 14- day trial. Whereas fin regeneration was unaffected by adult exposure to copper, fish transiently exposed during embryogenesis displayed an initial increase in fin growth rate and an increased incidence of abnormal fin morphology following regrowth. Collectively, these data suggest that developmental copper exposure has the potential to exert long lasting impacts to organismal growth, survival, and function.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

Buoyant currents arrested by convective dissolution

[1] When carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) dissolves into water, the density of water increases. This seemingly insubstantial phenomenon has profound implications for geologic carbon sequestration. In this work we show, by means of laboratory experiments with analog fluids, that the up–slope migration of a buoyant current of CO 2 is arrested by the convective dissolution that ensues from a fingering instability at the moving CO 2 –groundwater interface. We consider the effectiveness of convective dissolution as a large–scale trapping mechanism in sloping aquifers, and we show that a small amount of slope is beneficial compared to the horizontal case. We review the development and coarsening of the fingering instability along the migrating current and predict the maximum migration distance of the current with a simple sharp–interface model. We show that convective dissolution exerts a powerful control on CO 2 plume dynamics and, as a conclusion, on the potential of geologic carbon sequestration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Red Raspberry Phenols Inhibit Angiogenesis: A Morphological and Subcellular Analysis Upon Human Endothelial Cells

ABSTRACT Polyphenols are a class of natural compounds whose potential as antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐angiogenesis has been reported in many pathological conditions. Red raspberry extract, rich in polyphenols, has been reported to exert anti‐inflammatory effects and prevent cell proliferation in distinct animal models. However, the signaling pathways involved remain unknown. Herein, we used human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) to determine the influence of red raspberry phenolic compound extract concentrations, ranging from 10 to 250 µg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mL, on endothelium viability (MTS assay), proliferation (BrdU incorporation), migration (injury assay), and capillary‐like structures formation (Matrigel assay). Protein expression in cell lysates was determined by Western blot analysis. We showed that red raspberry extracts reduced cell viability (GI 50 = 87,64 ± 6,59 μg GAE/mL) and proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner. A significant abrogation of cells ability to migrate to injured areas, even at low concentrations, was observed by injury assay. Cell assembly into capillary‐like structures on Matrigel also decreased in a dose dependent‐manner for higher extract concentrations, as well as the number of branching points per unit of area. Protein expression analysis showed a dose‐dependent decrease in Phospho‐VEGFR2 expression, implying abrogation of VEGF signaling activity. We also showed for the first time that red raspberry phenolic compounds induce the rearrangement of filamentous actin cytoskeleton, with an isotropy increase found for higher testing concentrations. Taken together, our findings corroborate the anti‐angiogenic potential of red raspberry phenolic compounds and provide new insights into their mode of action upon endothelium. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1604–1612, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sousa, M.↗

ADP‐Induced Ca 2+ Signaling and Proliferation of Rat Ventricular Myofibroblasts Depend on Phospholipase C‐Linked TRP Channels Activation Within Lipid Rafts

Nucleotides released during heart injury affect myocardium electrophysiology and remodeling through P2 purinoceptors activation in cardiac myofibroblasts. ATP and UTP endorse [Ca 2+ ] i accumulation and growth of DDR‐2/α‐SMA‐expressing myofibroblasts from adult rat ventricles via P2Y 4 and P2Y 2 receptors activation, respectively. Ventricular myofibroblasts also express ADP‐sensitive P2Y 1 , P2Y 12 , and P2Y 13 receptors as demonstrated by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and western blot analysis, but little information exists on ADP effects in these cells. ADP (0.003–3 mM) and its stable analogue, ADPßS (100 μM), caused fast [Ca 2+ ] i transients originated from thapsigargin‐sensitive internal stores, which partially declined to a plateau sustained by capacitative Ca 2+ entry through transient receptor potential (TRP) channels inhibited by 2‐APB (50 μM) and flufenamic acid (100 μM). Hydrophobic interactions between G q/11 ‐coupled P2Y purinoceptors and TRP channels were suggested by prevention of the ADP‐induced [Ca 2+ ] i plateau following PIP 2 depletion with LiCl (10 mM) and cholesterol removal from lipid rafts with methyl‐ß‐cyclodextrin (2 mM). ADP [Ca 2+ ] i transients were insensitive to P2Y 1 , P2Y 12 , and P2Y 13 receptor antagonists, MRS2179 (10μM), AR‐C66096 (0.1 μM), and MRS2211 (10μM), respectively, but were attenuated by suramin and reactive blue‐2 (100 μM) which also blocked P2Y 4 receptors activation by UTP. Cardiac myofibroblasts growth and type I collagen production were favored upon activation of MRS2179‐sensitive P2Y 1 receptors with ADP or ADPßS (30 μM). In conclusion, ADP exerts a dual role on ventricular myofibroblasts: [Ca 2+ ] i transients are mediated by fast‐desensitizing P2Y 4 receptors, whereas the pro‐fibrotic effect of ADP involves the P2Y 1 receptor activation. Data also show that ADP‐induced capacitative Ca 2+ influx depends on phospholipase C‐linked TRP channels opening in lipid raft microdomains. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1511–1526, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Certal, Mariana↗

Multi‐model analysis of climate impacts on plant photosynthesis in China during 2000–2015

Abstract Differences, arising from differences in gross primary production (GPP) model structures and driving forces, have fuelled arguments concerning interannual changes of GPP in China since 2000. To better investigate the interannual variability of GPP and its covariance with climate factors in China, this study adopted a multi‐model analysis based on three GPP models (i.e., Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon flux model [TEC], Breathing Earth System Simulator model [BESS], and MOD17 GPP model). The results show that annual GPP in China increased by 0.021–0.057 Pg C year −1 from 2000 to 2015 attributable to atmospheric‐CO 2 fertilization effects and favourable climate change, that is, increasing precipitation ( P r ) and temperature ( T a ). However, northern China and southern China had a large difference in the amplitude of these GPP changes; annual GPP increased by 0.017–0.039 Pg C year −1 in northern China but only 0.001–0.018 Pg C year −1 in southern China. Northern China and southern China occupy contrasting climate zones and this contrast produced different interannual variability of GPP through different mechanisms. Northern China has a dry climate with GPP changes sensitive to P r . As a result, more P r along with higher T a in northern China produced the strong uptrend of GPP from 2000 to 2015. In contrast, southern China has a wet climate with its GPP sensitive to solar radiation and T a . For the interval of 2000–2015, decreasing radiation plus drought exerted a negative influence on GPP in southern China. This study highlights the diverse mechanisms in which climate change affects GPP in dry and wet climate zones. A robust multi‐model analysis is preferred to reduce uncertainties arising from a single GPP model and its driving data.

Yan, Hao↗