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At least 91 records · Page 5

The ages of globular cluster stars - Effects of rotation on pre-main-sequence, main-sequence, and turnoff evolution

Evolutionary sequences for low-metallicity stars (Z ranging from 0.001 to 0.0001) to study the effects of internal stellar rotation on the evolutionary time scales in the pre-main sequence, the main sequence (MS), and around the MS turnoff. Although a substantial amount of angular momentum remains in the interior, rotation is only a minor perturbation on the structure and ages of globular cluster stars. Even models with large initial angular momenta have MS lifetimes that are within 1 percent of those of standard models of the same mass and composition. Therefore, rotation does not affect age estimates of globular clusters from isochrone fitting. Furthermore, the models suggest that because rotation is not likely to affect horizontal-branch (HB) morphology, it does not affect significantly age estimates from the Delta-V method. Nevertheless, the internal angular momentum in the models is consistent with observations of surface rotational velocities on the HB, which require the preservation of a large reservoir of internal angular momentum.

Deliyannis, Constantine P.↗

Detection of Abrin-Like and Prepropulchellin-Like Toxin Genes and Transcripts Using Whole Genome Sequencing and Full-Length Transcript Sequencing of Abrus precatorius

The sequenced genome and the leaf transcriptome of a near relative of Abrus pulchellus and Abrus precatorius was analyzed to characterize the genetic basis of toxin gene expression. From the high-quality genome assembly, a total of 26 potential coding regions were identified that contain genes with abrin-like, pulchellin-like, and agglutinin-like homology, with full-length transcripts detected in leaf tissue for 9 of the 26 coding regions. All of the toxin-like genes were identified within only five isolated regions of the genome, with each region containing 1 to 16 gene variants within each genomic region (<1 Mbp). The Abrus precatorius cultivar sequenced here contains genes which encode for proteins that are homologous to certain abrin and prepropulchellin genes previously identified, and we observed substantial diversity of genes and predicted gene products in Abrus precatorius and previously characterized toxins. This suggests diverse toxin repertoires within Abrus , potentially the results of rapid toxin evolution.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Preparation of Nucleic Acid Libraries for Personalized Sequencing Systems Using an Integrated Microfluidic Hub Technology (Seventh Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting 2012)

Kamlesh (Ken) Patel from Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, California) presents "Preparation of Nucleic Acid Libraries for Personalized Sequencing Systems Using an Integrated Microfluidic Hub Technology " at the 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting held in June, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Complete Genome Sequence of Pelosinus sp. Strain UFO1 Assembled Using Single-Molecule Real-Time DNA Sequencing Technology

Pelosinus fermentans strain R7 was isolated from Russian kaolin clays as the type strain and it can reduce Fe(III) during fermentative growth (1). Draft genome sequences for P. fermentans R7 and four strains from Hanford, Washington, USA, have been published (2–4). The P. fermentans 16S rRNA sequence dominated the lactate-based enrichment cultures from three geochemically contrasting soils from the Melton Branch Watershed, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA (5) and also at another stimulated, uraniumcontaminated field site near Oak Ridge (6). For the current work, strain UFO1 was isolated from pristine sediments at a background field site in Oak Ridge and characterized as facilitating U(VI) reduction and precipitation with phosphate (7).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Deletion of the Clostridium thermocellum recA gene reveals that it is required for thermophilic plasmid replication but not plasmid integration at homologous DNA sequences

Abstract A limitation to the engineering of cellulolytic thermophiles is the availability of functional, thermostable (≥ 60 °C) replicating plasmid vectors for rapid expression and testing of genes that provide improved or novel fuel molecule production pathways. A series of plasmid vectors for genetic manipulation of the cellulolytic thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii has recently been extended to Clostridium thermocellum, another cellulolytic thermophile that very efficiently solubilizes plant biomass and produces ethanol. While the C. bescii pBAS2 replicon on these plasmids is thermostable, the use of homologous promoters, signal sequences and genes led to undesired integration into the bacterial chromosome, a result also observed with less thermostable replicating vectors. In an attempt to overcome undesired plasmid integration in C. thermocellum, a deletion of recA was constructed. As expected, C. thermocellum ∆recA showed impaired growth in chemically defined medium and an increased susceptibility to UV damage. Interestingly, we also found that recA is required for replication of the C. bescii thermophilic plasmid pBAS2 in C. thermocellum, but it is not required for replication of plasmid pNW33N. In addition, the C. thermocellum recA mutant retained the ability to integrate homologous DNA into the C. thermocellum chromosome. These data indicate that recA can be required for replication of certain plasmids, and that a recA-independent mechanism exists for the integration of homologous DNA into the C. thermocellum chromosome. Understanding thermophilic plasmid replication is not only important for engineering of these cellulolytic thermophiles, but also for developing genetic systems in similar new potentially useful non-model organisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Draft Genome Sequence of Mentha longifolia and Development of Resources for Mint Cultivar Improvement

The genus Mentha encompasses species cultivated for their essential oils, which are formulated into a vast array of consumer products. Desirable oil characteristics and resistance to the fungal disease Verticillium wilt are top priorities for the mint industry. However, cultivated mints have complex polyploid genomes and are sterile. Breeding efforts, therefore, require the development of genomic resources for fertile mint species. Here, we present draft de novo genome and plastome assemblies for a wilt-resistant South African accession of Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds., a diploid species ancestral to cultivated peppermint and spearmint. The 353 Mb contained 35,597 predicted protein-coding genes, including 292 disease resistance gene homologs, and nine genes determining essential oil characteristics. A genetic linkage map ordered 1,397 genome scaffolds on 12 pseudochromosomes. Over two million simple sequence repeats were identified, which will aid molecular marker development. The M. longifolia genome is a valuable resource for both metabolic engineering and molecular breeding. This is exemplified by employing the genome sequence to clone and functionally characterize promoters in a peppermint cultivar, and demonstrating the utility of a glandular trichome-specific promoter to increase expression of a biosynthetic gene, thereby modulating essential oil composition.

Aromatic Plant, Essential Oil, Genome, Mint, Verti↗

Rapid wavefield forecasting for earthquake early warning via deep sequence to sequence learning

We propose a deep learning model, WaveCastNet, to forecast high-dimensional wavefields. WaveCastNet integrates a convolutional long expressive memory architecture into a sequence-to-sequence forecasting framework, enabling it to model long-term dependencies and multiscale patterns in both space and time. By sharing weights across spatial and temporal dimensions, WaveCastNet requires significantly fewer parameters than more resource-intensive models such as transformers, resulting in faster inference times. Crucially, WaveCastNet also generalizes better than transformers to rare and critical seismic scenarios, such as high-magnitude earthquakes. Here, we show the ability of the model to predict the intensity and timing of destructive ground motions in real time, using simulated data from the San Francisco Bay Area. Furthermore, we demonstrate its zero-shot capabilities by evaluating WaveCastNet on real earthquake data. Our approach does not require estimating earthquake magnitudes and epicenters, steps that are prone to error in conventional methods, nor does it rely on empirical ground-motion models, which often fail to capture strongly heterogeneous wave propagation effects.

Geophysics↗

A compendium of multi-omic sequence information from the Saanich Inlet water column

Marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are widespread regions of the ocean that are currently expanding due to global warming. While inhospitable to most metazoans, OMZs are hotspots for microbial mediated biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, contributing disproportionately to marine nitrogen loss and climate active trace gas production. Our current understanding of microbial community responses to OMZ expansion is limited by a lack of time-resolved data sets linking multi-omic sequence information (DNA, RNA, protein) to geochemical parameters and process rates. Here, we present six years of time-resolved multi-omic observations in Saanich Inlet, a seasonally anoxic fjord on the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada that undergoes recurring changes in water column oxygenation status. This compendium provides a unique multi-omic framework for studying microbial community responses to ocean deoxygenation along defined geochemical gradients in OMZ waters.

Hawley, Alyse K. (ORCID:0000000235164043)↗

Investigating Deposition Sequence During Synthesis of Pd/Al2O3 Catalysts Modified with Organic Monolayers

Modification of supported metal catalysts with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been shown to improve selectivity and turnover frequencies (TOFs) for many catalytic reactions. However, these benefits are often accompanied by a decrease in overall mass activity due to partial blocking of active sites by the monolayers. Therefore, a potential method for increasing site accessibility is to deposit the active metal (e.g., Pd) after deposition of a SAM modifier on the support material. In this work, Pd/Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized using both a conventional, "metal-first" sequence in which the phosphonic acid (PA) SAM was deposited on Pd/Al2O3 and a "SAM-first" technique in which the ligands were deposited onto the support prior to deposition of the metal. Although metal-first catalysts showed a significant increase in TOF during benzyl alcohol HDO, they exhibited only a modest increase in overall mass activity due to a decrease in the number of active sites. Meanwhile, SAM-first catalysts showed similar improvements in TOF and toluene selectivity but exhibited significantly improved HDO rates compared to metal-first catalysts. The rate increase was attributed to reduced site blocking as evidenced by CO chemisorption measurements. Additionally, analysis of catalysts having high Pd loadings using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that SAM-first catalysts generally resulted in lower average particle sizes than traditionally modified and unmodified catalysts, suggesting that precoating the support surface with PAs changes the way that Pd is deposited during incipient wetness, leading here to improved activity.

catalytic reactions↗

EVIDENCE FOR THE UNIVERSALITY OF PROPERTIES OF RED-SEQUENCE GALAXIES IN X-RAY- AND RED-SEQUENCE-SELECTED CLUSTERS AT z ∼ 1

We study the slope, intercept, and scatter of the color–magnitude and color–mass relations for a sample of 10 infrared red-sequence-selected clusters at z ∼ 1. The quiescent galaxies in these clusters formed the bulk of their stars above z ≳ 3 with an age spread Δt ≳ 1 Gyr. We compare UVJ color–color and spectroscopic-based galaxy selection techniques, and find a 15% difference in the galaxy populations classified as quiescent by these methods. We compare the color–magnitude relations from our red-sequence selected sample with X-ray- and photometric-redshift-selected cluster samples of similar mass and redshift. Within uncertainties, we are unable to detect any difference in the ages and star formation histories of quiescent cluster members in clusters selected by different methods, suggesting that the dominant quenching mechanism is insensitive to cluster baryon partitioning at z ∼ 1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

ACTINN: automated identification of cell types in single cell RNA sequencing

Abstract Motivation Cell type identification is one of the major goals in single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Current methods for assigning cell types typically involve the use of unsupervised clustering, the identification of signature genes in each cluster, followed by a manual lookup of these genes in the literature and databases to assign cell types. However, there are several limitations associated with these approaches, such as unwanted sources of variation that influence clustering and a lack of canonical markers for certain cell types. Here, we present ACTINN (Automated Cell Type Identification using Neural Networks), which employs a neural network with three hidden layers, trains on datasets with predefined cell types and predicts cell types for other datasets based on the trained parameters. Results We trained the neural network on a mouse cell type atlas (Tabula Muris Atlas) and a human immune cell dataset, and used it to predict cell types for mouse leukocytes, human PBMCs and human T cell sub types. The results showed that our neural network is fast and accurate, and should therefore be a useful tool to complement existing scRNA-seq pipelines. Availability and implementation The codes and datasets are available at https://figshare.com/articles/ACTINN/8967116. Tutorial is available at https://github.com/mafeiyang/ACTINN. All codes are implemented in python. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Ma, Feiyang (ORCID:0000000262600787)↗

A Modified Sequence-to-point HVAC Load Disaggregation Algorithm

This paper presents a modified sequence-to-point (S2P) algorithm for disaggregating the heat, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) load from the total building electricity consumption. The original S2P model is convolutional neural network (CNN) based, which uses load profiles as inputs. We propose three modifications. First, the input convolution layer is changed from 1D to 2D so that normalized temperature profiles are also used inputs to the S2P model. Second, a drop-out layer is added to improve adaptability and generalizability so that the model trained in one area can be transferred to other geographical areas without labelled HVAC data. Third, a fine-tuning process is proposed for areas with a small amount of labelled HVAC data so that the pre-trained S2P model can be fine-tuned to achieve higher disaggregation accuracy (i.e., better transferability) in other areas. The model is first trained and tested using smart meter and sub-metered HVAC data collected in Austin, Texas. Then, the trained model is tested on two other areas: Boulder, Colorado and San Diego, California. Simulation results show that the proposed modified S2P algorithm outperforms the original S2P model and the support-vector machine based approach in accuracy, adaptability, and transferability.

Ye, Kai↗

Inter-slice bidirectional registration-based segmentation of the prostate gland in MR and CT image sequences

Purpose: Accurate segmentation and volume estimation of the prostate gland in magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) images are necessary steps in diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of prostate cancer. This paper presents an algorithm for the prostate gland volume estimation based on the semiautomated segmentation of individual slices in T2-weighted MR and CT image sequences. Methods: The proposedInter-Slice Bidirectional Registration-based Segmentation (iBRS) algorithm relies on interslice image registration of volume data to segment the prostate gland without the use of an anatomical atlas. It requires the user to mark only three slices in a given volume dataset, i.e., the first, middle, and last slices. Next, the proposed algorithm uses a registration algorithm to autosegment the remaining slices. We conducted comprehensive experiments to measure the performance of the proposed algorithm using three registration methods (i.e., rigid, affine, and nonrigid techniques). Results: The results with the proposed technique were compared with manual marking using prostate MR and CT images from 117 patients. Manual marking was performed by an expert user for all 117 patients. The median accuracies for individual slices measured using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) were 92% and 91% for MR and CT images, respectively. The iBRS algorithm was also evaluated regarding user variability, which confirmed that the algorithm was robust to interuser variability when marking the prostate gland. Conclusions: The proposed algorithm exploits the interslice data redundancy of the images in a volume dataset of MR and CT images and eliminates the need for an atlas, minimizing the computational cost while producing highly accurate results which are robust to interuser variability.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Complete genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain Co1-6, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium of Calendula officinalis

The genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain Co1-6, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) with broad-spectrum antagonistic activities against plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria and nematodes, consists of a single 3.9 Mb circular chromosome. The genome reveals genes putatively responsible for its promising biocontrol and PGP properties.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗