Generation and detection of very high frequency acoustic waves in solids Final report

Techniques for generation and detection of very high frequency acoustic waves in solid

Extreme accumulation of nucleotides in simulated hydrothermal pore systems

We simulate molecular transport in elongated hydrothermal pore systems influenced by a thermal gradient. We find extreme accumulation of molecules in a wide variety of plugged pores. The mechanism is able to provide highly concentrated single nucleotides, suitable for operations of an RNA world at the origin of life. It is driven solely by the thermal gradient across a pore. On the one hand, the fluid is shuttled by thermal convection along the pore, whereas on the other hand, the molecules drift across the pore, driven by thermodiffusion. As a result, millimeter-sized pores accumulate even single nucleotides more than 108-fold into micrometer-sized regions. The enhanced concentration of molecules is found in the bulk water near the closed bottom end of the pore. Because the accumulation depends exponentially on the pore length and temperature difference, it is considerably robust with respect to changes in the cleft geometry and the molecular dimensions. Whereas thin pores can concentrate only long polynucleotides, thicker pores accumulate short and long polynucleotides equally well and allow various molecular compositions. This setting also provides a temperature oscillation, shown previously to exponentially replicate DNA in the protein-assisted PCR. Our results indicate that, for life to evolve, complicated active membrane transport is not required for the initial steps. We find that interlinked mineral pores in a thermal gradient provide a compelling high-concentration starting point for the molecular evolution of life

Method for Selecting Improvement Measures for Discrete Production Environments Using an Extended Energy Value Stream Model

AbstractImproving energy efficiency in discrete manufacturing environments has been one of the key goals of recent research and industrial activities in production management, leading to a large and still increasing amount of different methodologies and improvement measures in that field (here called “Solution Elements”). Despite the growing interest, most of these are rarely applied, or are implemented in an improper manner instead of identifying and realizing the most appropriate ones from a holistic, factory wide perspective. For coping with these challenges a flexible, multi criteria and multi step selection process is introduced by which the applicability of solution elements is evaluated for a specific discrete production environment. The selection process is based on an approach taking multiple criteria derived from the current (as-is) situation in a factory as well as from user preferences into account. For data gathering an extended energy value stream approach is utilized that allows the derivation of value stream specific energy and cost drivers. The approach was tested in an industrial use-case, which is introduced in this paper

The Hindgut Microbiome of Grazing Horses

The hindgut microbiome plays an essential role in horses consuming forage-based diets high in fiber, such as pasture. The equine hindgut harbors a large microbial community that ferments dietary fiber and produces by-products which provide a substantial portion of daily energy requirements. Despite the importance in nutrition and health, research evaluating the hindgut microbiome of grazing horses is relatively limited. Grazing horse microbiome research has primarily focused on inter-diet comparisons with mixed diets including concentrates as well as with other forms of forage. Recent research has begun to explore responses of the gut microbiome to different pasture forage species and relationships with horse metabolism. Further research is needed to unravel the complex relationships between pasture management practices, impacts on the hindgut microbiome, and horse health outcomes. The objective of this presentation will be to discuss recent research and highlight future research needs and opportunities related to the microbiome of the grazing horse

Why Might Bacterial Pathogens Have Small Genomes?

Bacteria that cause serious disease often have smaller genomes, and fewer genes, than their nonpathogenic, or less pathogenic relatives. Here, we review evidence for the generality of this association, and summarise the various reasons why the association might hold. We focus on the population genetic processes that might lead to reductive genome evolution, and show how several of these could be connected to pathogenicity. We find some evidence for most of the processes having acted in bacterial pathogens, including several different modes of genome reduction acting in the same lineage. We argue that predictable processes of genome evolution might not reflect any common underlying process