Isolation and identification of microsatellite repeat motifs from the Epinephelus fuscoguttatus genome

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus belongs to one of the largest serranidae fish family. Genetic information regarding existing fish populations in the wild is crucial for the conservation, particularly since the species is listed under the IUCD Red List due to intense fishing. Microsatellites of E. fuscoguttatus were isolated using streptavidin-biotin enrichment method. In total, 378 microsatellites were identified and characterized. Of these 378 total microsatellites, 46 (12.2%) were mononucleotides, 175 (46.3%) were dinucleotides, 109 (28.8%) were trinucleotides, 36 (9.5%) were tetranucloetides, 7 (1.9%) were pentanucleotides, 4 (1.1%) were hexanucleotides and 1 (0.3%) was a heptanucleotide. The most abundant microsatellite present in E. fuscoguttatus was the dinucleotide motif, (AC)n.Key words: Enrichment, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, microsatellite, diversity

Cross-linked single-walled carbon nanotube aerogel electrodes via reductive coupling chemistry

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) anions can be cross-linked by a dielectrophile to form covalent, carbon-bonded organogels. Freeze-drying produces cryogels with low density (2.3 mg cm−3), high surface area (766 m2 g−1), and high conductivity (9.4 S m−1), showing promise as supercapacitor electrodes. Counterion concentration controls debundling, grafting ratio, as well as all the resulting properties

The use of time resolved aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition in mapping metal oxide thin film growth and fine tuning functional properties

Time resolved analysis of a thin film has allowed, for the first time, analysis of how thin film growth occurs and changes over time by aerosol assisted CVD. This method has also allowed tuning of the materials' functional properties. In this report a hydrophobic and highly photocatalytic TiO2/SnO2 system is studied, which exhibits surface segregation of SnO2 and thus the novel formation of a natural hetero-junction charge transfer system. The time resolved samples were investigated by a variety of methods. The films were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis). Functional properties were investigated by photo-activity measurements and water contact angles before and after UV irradiation. The generation of representative samples at different times during the deposition sequence permitted changes in crystal structure, relative concentrations of atoms, and surface morphology to be linked intrinsically to changes in functional properties

Dopant stability in multifunctional doped TiO 2's under environmental UVA exposure

We present a UV irradiation study of three nanomaterials which have been investigated and published by peer review previously, specifically tantalum, tungsten and phosphorus doped TiO2. These nanomaterials have been previously synthesised, characterised and designed with specific applications in mind, from photo-catalysts to transparent conducting oxides (TCO's) for use in solar cells and touchscreens. We show in this work, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that under sustained levels of environmental UVA Irradiation (0.42 mW cm−2) Ta5+ and W6+ substitutional doped TiO2 exhibits little to no variation in dopant concentration and distribution as a function of irradiation time. Interestingly P5+ and P3− co-doped TiO2 experiences a pronounced and nuanced change in dopant distribution and concentration across the surface through to the bulk as a function of irradiation time. Combined with our previous work with nitrogen doped TiO2, whereby 28 days of environmental UVA irradiation causes interstitial dopant loss and the attrition of functional properties, these results demonstrate that much is still to be understood regarding dopant stability in metal oxides such as TiO2 under environmental conditions

Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis and Optical Properties of Nb2O5 thin films with Hybrid Functional Theoretical Insight into Band Structure and Band Gaps

Nb2O5 is an important material able to exist in many polymorphs with unique optical properties and morphologies that are dependent on the synthetic route. Here we report a novel ambient-pressure chemical vapor deposition route to Nb2O5 via aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The amorphous as-deposited films were annealed in air to obtain the the three most stable crystal structures: orthorhombic, tetragonal, and monoclinic. The films were thoroughly characterized for their material properties, and an in-depth study into the optical properties was carried out using state-of-the-art hybrid functional theory that allowed more insight into the optical properties of the materials

Ultraviolet Radiation Induced Dopant Loss in a TiO2 Photocatalyst

Doped TiO2 has been studied with intense interest in recent decades because of its ability to utilize visible wavelengths and enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic processes. Thus, as a class of materials, it is of significant interest for use in environmental ambient energy utilization applications. Using a popular and well-studied form of doped TiO2 (nitrogen doped) as an example, we show how 28 days of UVA irradiation which is identical in intensity with solar conditions is sufficient to cause the UV induced surface segregation and eventual loss of nitrogen dopant species in TiO2. This is evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy. The loss of interstitial nitrogen dopants correlates with the eventual permanent loss of photocatalytic activity and visible light absorption. The UV induced loss of dopants in a metal oxide is unprecedented and represents a potential problem where the environmental use of doped metal oxides in applications is concerned

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Global variation in anastomosis and end colostomy formation following left-sided colorectal resection

Background End colostomy rates following colorectal resection vary across institutions in high-income settings, being influenced by patient, disease, surgeon and system factors. This study aimed to assess global variation in end colostomy rates after left-sided colorectal resection. Methods This study comprised an analysis of GlobalSurg-1 and -2 international, prospective, observational cohort studies (2014, 2016), including consecutive adult patients undergoing elective or emergency left-sided colorectal resection within discrete 2-week windows. Countries were grouped into high-, middle- and low-income tertiles according to the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Factors associated with colostomy formation versus primary anastomosis were explored using a multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model. Results In total, 1635 patients from 242 hospitals in 57 countries undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were included: 113 (6·9 per cent) from low-HDI, 254 (15·5 per cent) from middle-HDI and 1268 (77·6 per cent) from high-HDI countries. There was a higher proportion of patients with perforated disease (57·5, 40·9 and 35·4 per cent; P < 0·001) and subsequent use of end colostomy (52·2, 24·8 and 18·9 per cent; P < 0·001) in low- compared with middle- and high-HDI settings. The association with colostomy use in low-HDI settings persisted (odds ratio (OR) 3·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·35 to 7·57; P = 0·008) after risk adjustment for malignant disease (OR 2·34, 1·65 to 3·32; P < 0·001), emergency surgery (OR 4·08, 2·73 to 6·10; P < 0·001), time to operation at least 48 h (OR 1·99, 1·28 to 3·09; P = 0·002) and disease perforation (OR 4·00, 2·81 to 5·69; P < 0·001). Conclusion Global differences existed in the proportion of patients receiving end stomas after left-sided colorectal resection based on income, which went beyond case mix alone

Observation of triple J/ψ meson production in proton-proton collisions

Data availability: Tabulated results are provided in the HEPData record for this analysis71. Release and preservation of data used by the CMS Collaboration as the basis for publications is guided by the CMS policy as stated in CMS data preservation, re-use and open access policy.Code availability: The CMS core software is publically available at https://github.com/cms-sw/cmssw.Copyright . Protons consist of three valence quarks, two up-quarks and one down-quark, held together by gluons and a sea of quark-antiquark pairs. Collectively, quarks and gluons are referred to as partons. In a proton-proton collision, typically only one parton of each proton undergoes a hard scattering – referred to as single-parton scattering – leaving the remainder of each proton only slightly disturbed. Here, we report the study of double- and triple-parton scatterings through the simultaneous production of three J/ψ mesons, which consist of a charm quark-antiquark pair, in proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. We observed this process – reconstructed through the decays of J/ψ mesons into pairs of oppositely charged muons – with a statistical significance above five standard deviations. We measured the inclusive fiducial cross-section to be 272+141−104(stat)±17(syst)fb, and compared it to theoretical expectations for triple-J/ψ meson production in single-, double- and triple-parton scattering scenarios. Assuming factorization of multiple hard-scattering probabilities in terms of single-parton scattering cross-sections, double- and triple-parton scattering are the dominant contributions for the measured process.SCOAP3.Change history: 27 February 2023A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-01992-