Functional Characterization and Molecular Cloning of the K+-dependent Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger in Intact Retinal Cone Photoreceptors

Light-dependent changes in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ are much faster in the outer segment of cone than rod photoreceptors in the vertebrate retina. In the limit, this rate is determined by the activity of an electrogenic Na+/Ca2+ exchanger located in the outer segment plasma membrane. We investigate the functional properties of the exchanger activity in intact, single cone photoreceptors isolated from striped bass retina. Exchanger function is characterized through analysis both of the electrogenic exchanger current and cytoplasmic free Ca2+ measured with optical probes. The exchanger in cones is K+ dependent and operates both in forward and reverse modes. In the reverse mode, the K+ dependence of the exchanger is described by binding to a single site with K1/2 about 3.6 mM. From the retina of the fish we cloned exchanger molecules bassNCKX1 and bassNCKX2. BassNCKX1 is a single class of molecules, homologous to exchangers previously cloned from mammalian rods. BassNCKX2 exists in four splice variants that differ from each other by small sequence differences in the single, large cytoplasmic loop characteristic of these molecules. We used RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) of individual cells to identify the exchanger molecule specifically expressed in bass single and twin cone photoreceptors. Each and every one of the four bassNCKX2 splice variants is expressed in both single and twin cones indistinguishably. BassNCKX1 is not expressed in cones and, by exclusion, it is likely to be an exchanger expressed in rods

Rigenerazione urbana e percorsi di innovazione / Urban Regeneration and Innovation Paths

This essay introduces urban regeneration concepts with a smart city perspective, and elaborates around the possible transformations of the city towards new design, management, and intelligent controls. It compares the innovative ferment of many cities in the world, with their differences and peculiarities, sometimes with their entropy, caused by simply assuming product innovation, without a consistent social and cultural framework. Smart City has impressively introduced the data issue in the city, not only as a cognitive element for improving the urban design, but as a widespread, accessible information on elements, infrastructure, city places. The transition from the sustainable city to the smart city has its focus on data availability, and has its matrix of success on the economy linked to data. In recent years smart city concepts have been very popular for the industry, who joined cities in their efforts towards a new information and communication society, who devised the Internet of Things, and pulsed the augmented-reality to develop and spread knowledge on a city scale. The industry is looking for innovative solutions to address new markets, in rapid evolution. European cities can provide genuine demonstration platforms: living labs as demo-zones to test full scale applications; to compare, to measure them in their socal and economic impacts; to propose sustainable and self-sufficient innovation to the internal market and to the emerging economies. Intelligent districts, decentralized renewable sources, eco-building, info-mobility, new vehicles, smart grids, decentralized solutions are areas of research and development with an innovatory impact on our urban fabric, but at the same time on our government and professional structures, on our education and research systems. Data networks that are available, chaotic, but good enough are disruptive technologies, unthinkable in the past, to support decisions, strategies, lines of action

City of Redlands Safe Routes to Schools Shadow Mapping

The City of Redlands seeks to improve the tree canopy coverage over key pedestrian zones with the intention of providing more shade to pedestrians in support of the Safe Routes to School Program. An analysis of the current canopy and the shaded sidewalks allowed city planners to distinguish those areas that are both “walkable” and in need of more shade. LIDAR data can generate a detailed and accurate measurement of the city’s canopy index, and was used to determine the total shadow coverage of trees and buildings. Overlaid with priority sidewalks, this map identified pedestrian zones in need of shade. The results allow the City of Redlands to more clearly understand the current canopy near school zones, and determine areas with a deficit of shade coverage

Synthesis, Application and Protein Nanomaterial Interactions of Selected Nanofiber, Nanoparticle and Nanoarray

Nanomaterials have been a hot research topic for past decades due to their unique optical, electronic, catalytic and mechanical properties. This dissertation aims to investigate selected aspects of nanomaterial synthesis, application and protein nanomaterial interactions. We target to improve nanomaterials synthesis, explore their novel applications and study their potential hazardous. Chapter 1 describes new hydrothermal synthesis of carbon nanofibers from cellulose nanocrystals. The described hydrothermal synthesis from cellulose is an environmentally friendly method that has commercial potential for inexpensive production of carbon nanofibers. Chapter 2 describes the application of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) stabilized 2D AgNP array for measuring changes of bulk refractive index and sensing of selected volatile organic compound (VOC). The PMMA stabilized 2D AgNP array gives linear response to bulk refractive index changes and can be re-used after rinsing with water. Responsive polymer films were spin-coated on PMMA stabilized 2D AgNP array to fabricate the nanocomposite films. These nanocomposite films exhibit sharp coherent plasmon coupling, spectra position of which is affected by the changes of local dielectric environment when interacting with VOC vapors. Chapter 3 describes studies related to the interaction of AgNP and AuNP with cytoskeleton protein (actin and tubulin), immune system protein (complementary component 3) and plasma protein (albumin and fibronegen). The nanoparticle protein interaction is influenced by both nanoparticle and protein sizes. The work presented here establishes basic knowledge related to nanomaterial synthesis and their advanced applications

Rigenerazione urbana e percorsi di innovazione / Urban Regeneration and Innovation Paths

This essay introduces urban regeneration concepts with a smart city perspective, and elaborates around the possible transformations of the city towards new design, management, and intelligent controls. It compares the innovative ferment of many cities in the world, with their differences and peculiarities, sometimes with their entropy, caused by simply assuming product innovation, without a consistent social and cultural framework. Smart City has impressively introduced the data issue in the city, not only as a cognitive element for improving the urban design, but as a widespread, accessible information on elements, infrastructure, city places. The transition from the sustainable city to the smart city has its focus on data availability, and has its matrix of success on the economy linked to data. In recent years smart city concepts have been very popular for the industry, who joined cities in their efforts towards a new information and communication society, who devised the Internet of Things, and pulsed the augmented-reality to develop and spread knowledge on a city scale. The industry is looking for innovative solutions to address new markets, in rapid evolution. European cities can provide genuine demonstration platforms: living labs as demo-zones to test full scale applications; to compare, to measure them in their socal and economic impacts; to propose sustainable and self-sufficient innovation to the internal market and to the emerging economies. Intelligent districts, decentralized renewable sources, eco-building, info-mobility, new vehicles, smart grids, decentralized solutions are areas of research and development with an innovatory impact on our urban fabric, but at the same time on our government and professional structures, on our education and research systems. Data networks that are available, chaotic, but good enough are disruptive technologies, unthinkable in the past, to support decisions, strategies, lines of action

Technology and development requirements for advanced coal conversion systems

A compendium of coal conversion process descriptions is presented. The SRS and MC data bases were utilized to provide information paticularly in the areas of existing process designs and process evaluations. Additional information requirements were established and arrangements were made to visit process developers, pilot plants, and process development units to obtain information that was not otherwise available. Plant designs, process descriptions and operating conditions, and performance characteristics were analyzed and requirements for further development identified and evaluated to determine the impact of these requirements on the process commercialization potential from the standpoint of economics and technical feasibility. A preliminary methodology was established for the comparative technical and economic assessment of advanced processes

Structural investigation and Anti-Stokes emission of scandium oxide nanocrystals activated with trivalent erbium

The structural and emission (Stokes and anti-Stokes) properties of Sc2O3: Er3+ nanocrystals doped with 0.1, 1, and 10 mol % Er3+ were investigated. The nanocrystalline powders were characterized using X-ray scattering as well as transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The samples showed a very porous, open microstructure with the particles having a narrow distribution of sizes (10-60 nm). Furthermore, the mechanisms responsible for the anti-Stokes emission (lambda(exc) = 980 nm) were elucidated. We observed that the processes responsible for populating the green (H-2(11/2), S-4(3/2)) and red (F-4(9/2)) emitting states were dependent upon the concentration of the dopant ion. In 0.1 mol % nanocrystalline Sc2O3: Er3+, upconversion was determined to occur via excited state absorption while in the 10 mol % sample, energy transfer upconversion was the dominant mechanism. An enhancement of the red anti-Stokes emission from the F-4(9/2) --> I-4(15/2) transition was observed in Sc2O3: Er3+ nanocrystals as a function of Er3+ concentration. This was the result of two independent processes responsible for directly populating the F-4(9/2) state and bypassing the green emitting levels (H-2(11/2) and S-4(3/2)). Furthermore, the red enhancement was found to be more pronounced compared to identically doped Y2O3: Er3+ nanocrystals. An explanation for this phenomenon is presented and discussed

Community-Driven Metadata Standards for Agricultural Microbiome Research

Accelerating the pace of microbiome science to enhance crop productivity and agroecosystem health will require transdisciplinary studies, comparisons among datasets, and synthetic analyses of research from diverse crop management contexts. However, despite the widespread availability of crop-associated microbiome data, variation in field sampling and laboratory processing methodologies, as well as metadata collection and reporting, significantly constrains the potential for integrative and comparative analyses. Here we discuss the need for agriculture-specific metadata standards for microbiome research, and propose a list of “required” and “desirable” metadata categories and ontologies essential to be included in a future minimum information metadata standards checklist for describing agricultural microbiome studies. We begin by briefly reviewing existing metadata standards relevant to agricultural microbiome research, and describe ongoing efforts to enhance the potential for integration of data across research studies. Our goal is not to delineate a fixed list of metadata requirements. Instead, we hope to advance the field by providing a starting point for discussion, and inspire researchers to adopt standardized procedures for collecting and reporting consistent and well-annotated metadata for agricultural microbiome research