Mission-based hull-form and propeller optimization of a transom stern destroyer for best performance in the sea environment

An overview is presented of the activities conducted within the NATO STO Task Group AVT-204 to “Assess the Ability to Optimize Hull Forms of Sea Vehicles for the Best Per- formance in a Sea Environment.” The objective is the development of a greater understanding of the potential and limitations of the hydrodynamic optimization tools. These include low- and high-fidelity solvers, automatic shape modification methods, and multi-objective optimiza- tion algorithms, and are limited here to a deterministic application. The approach includes simulation-based design optimization methods from different research teams. Analysis tools include potential flow and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation solvers. Design modifica- tion tools include global modification functions, control point based methods, and parametric modelling by hull sections and basic curves. Optimization algorithms include particle swarm optimization, sequential quadratic programming, genetic and evolutionary algorithms. The ap- plication is the hull-form and propeller optimization of the DTMB 5415 model for significant conditions, based on actual missions at sea

Research gaps and future needs for allergen prediction in food safety

The allergenicity and protein risk assessments in food safety are facing new challenges. Demands for healthier and more sustainable food systems have led to significant advances in biotechnology, the development of more complex foods, and the search for alternative protein sources. All this has increased the pressure on the safety assessment prediction approaches anchored into requirements defined in the late 90's. In 2022, the EFSA's Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms published a scientific opinion focusing on the developments needed for allergenicity and protein safety assessments of new products derived from biotechnology. Here, we further elaborate on the main elements described in this scientific opinion and prioritize those development needs requiring critical attention. The starting point of any new recommendation would require a focus on clinical relevance and the development of a fit-for-purpose database targeted for specific risk assessment goals. Furthermore, it is imperative to review and clarify the main purpose of the allergenicity risk assessment. An internationally agreed consensus on the overall purpose of allergenicity risk assessment will accelerate the development of fit-for-purpose methodologies, where the role of exposure should be better clarified. Considering the experience gained over the last 25 years and recent scientific developments in the fields of biotechnology, allergy, and risk assessment, it is time to revise and improve the allergenicity safety assessment to ensure the reliability of allergenicity assessments for food of the future

Strong Activity Changes Observable during the First Pretreatment Cycles of Trimetallic PtNiMo/C Catalysts

Pt‐based alloy catalysts supported on carbon are commonly characterized for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity using the rotating disk electrode technique (RDE). Within this study, we show exemplarily for PtNiMo/C catalysts that the applied pretreatment influences strongly the determined activity. The classically employed descriptor of unchanged cyclic voltammetry response is insufficient to portrait completed surface restructuring, and gives an incorrect impression that stable activity can be determined. This might be one of the reasons for the strongly deviating activities reported in literature. Following the changes in activity during pretreatment also with in‐situ FTIR and online dissolution measurements gives insights to an up to now largely overseen high activity of the trimetallic catalysts. A maximum activity of 0.57 mA cmPt−2 at 0.95 VRHE is reached quickly during the first six cycles and decreases slowly subsequently. The maximum activity and change of activity over the cycle number is affected by the scan rate and electrolyte refreshing, while the gas atmosphere plays only a minor role. This exemplary study might be important for Pt alloy catalysts in general.An up to now unknown activity development is achieved during the pretreatment of alloyed trimetallic PtNiMo/C catalysts. In addition to the recording of steady state CVs under electrochemical cleaning cycles, insight into the unconditioned specific activity of the catalyst reveals a sharp increase during the first five to eight cycles and a further decrease at higher cycle numbers. image European Research Council (ERC)Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)China Scholarship Council (CSC)National Natural Science Foundation of China http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Shanghai Cooperation Organization Science and Technology Partnership Projec

Inferring the Regulatory Network of the miRNA-mediated Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Melon

[EN] Background: MiRNAs have emerged as key regulators of stress response in plants, suggesting their potential as candidates for knock-in/out to improve stress tolerance in agricultural crops. Although diverse assays have been performed, systematic and detailed studies of miRNA expression and function during exposure to multiple environments in crops are limited. Results: Here, we present such pioneering analysis in melon plants in response to seven biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Deep-sequencing and computational approaches have identified twenty-four known miRNAs whose expression was significantly altered under at least one stress condition, observing that down-regulation was preponderant. Additionally, miRNA function was characterized by high scale degradome assays and quantitative RNA measurements over the intended target mRNAs, providing mechanistic insight. Clustering analysis provided evidence that eight miRNAs showed a broad response range under the stress conditions analyzed, whereas another eight miRNAs displayed a narrow response range. Transcription factors were predominantly targeted by stressresponsive miRNAs in melon. Furthermore, our results show that the miRNAs that are down-regulated upon stress predominantly have as targets genes that are known to participate in the stress response by the plant, whereas the miRNAs that are up-regulated control genes linked to development. Conclusion: Altogether, this high-resolution analysis of miRNA-target interactions, combining experimental and computational work, Illustrates the close interplay between miRNAs and the response to diverse environmental conditions, in melon.The authors thank Dr. A. Monforte for providing melon seeds and Dra. B. Pico (Cucurbits Group - COMAV) for providing melon seeds and Monosporascus isolate respectively. This work was supported by grants AGL2016-79825-R, BIO2014-61826-EXP (GG), and BFU2015-66894-P (GR) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (co-supported by FEDER). The funders had no role in the experiment design, data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Sanz-Carbonell, A.; Marques Romero, MC.; Bustamante-González, AJ.; Fares Riaño, MA.; Rodrigo Tarrega, G.; Gomez, GG. (2019). Inferring the Regulatory Network of the miRNA-mediated Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Melon. BMC Plant Biology. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-1679-0S117Zhang B. MicroRNAs: a new target for improving plant tolerance to abiotic stress. J Exp Bot. 2015;66:1749–61.Zhu JK. Abiotic stress signaling and responses in plants. Cell. 2016;167:313–24.Bielach A, Hrtyan M, Tognetti VB. Plants under stress: involvement of auxin and Cytokinin. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;4(18):7.Zarattini M, Forlani G. 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Helium diffraction study of pentacene films on Au(111)

WOS: 000331614300009Here we present a helium atom diffraction study of pentacene films on Au(1 1 1) surface prepared by supersonic molecular beam deposition. Though investigated parameter space was limited no significant difference between the films prepared by different deposition energies was observed. Completion of monolayer coverage was confirmed by simultaneous helium scattering and quartz crystal resonance frequency shift measurements during pentacene film growth on the gold electrode of a quartz resonator. Monolayer films were found to adopt a (6 x 3) unit cell which was also observed for pentacene monolayers on Ag(1 1 1). However no ordered multilayer film structure could be observed which is in contrast with the previous Ag(1 1 1) studies. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [209T084]; Scientific Research Projects Commission of Ahi Evran UniversityAhi Evran University [PYO 4001 13 003]This work was supported by TUBITAK grant no. 209T084 and was partially supported by Scientific Research Projects Commission of Ahi Evran University (Project No.: PYO 4001 13 003)