Competition between Hydrogen Evolution and Carbon Dioxide Reduction on Copper Electrodes in Mildly Acidic Media

Catalysis and Surface Chemistr

Bayesian inference for thermal response test parameter estimation and uncertainty assessment

The effective ground thermal conductivity and borehole thermal resistance constitute information needed to design a ground-source heat pump (GSHP). In situ thermal response tests (TRTs) are considered reliable to obtain these parameters, but interpreting TRT data by a deterministic approach may result in significant uncertainties in the estimates. In light of the impact of the two parameters on GSHP applications, the quantification of uncertainties is necessary. For this purpose, in this study, we develop a stochastic method based on Bayesian inference to estimate the two parameters and associated uncertainties. Numerically generated noisy TRT data and reference sandbox TRT data were used to verify the proposed method. The posterior probability density functions obtained were used to extract the point estimates of the parameters and their credible intervals. Following its verification, the proposed method was applied to in situ TRT data, and the relationship between test time and estimation accuracy was examined. The minimum TRT time of 36 h recommended by ASHRAE produced an uncertainty of ~ ± 21% for effective thermal conductivity. However, the uncertainty of estimation decreased exponentially with increasing TRT time, and was ± 8.3% after a TRT time of 54 h, lower than the generally acceptable range of uncertainty of ± 10%. Based on the obtained results, a minimum TRT time of 50 h is suggested and that of 72 h is expected to produce sufficiently accurate estimates for most cases.This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) (KAKENHI, grant numbers 26709041 and P16074)

Expressional regulation of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6, peach (Prunus persica) dormancy-associated MADS-box genes, by low temperature and dormancy-breaking reagent treatment

The present study investigated the expressional regulation of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6, two of the six peach (Prunus persica) dormancy-associated MADS-box genes, in relation to lateral bud endodormancy. PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 were originally identified as homologues of Arabidopsis SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE/AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 identified in the EVERGROWING locus of peach. Furthermore, PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 have recently been suggested to be involved in terminal bud dormancy. In this study, seasonal expression analyses using leaves, stems, and lateral buds of high-chill and low-chill peaches in field conditions indicated that both genes were up-regulated during the endodormancy period and down-regulated with endodormancy release. Controlled environment experiments showed that the expression of both PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 were up-regulated by ambient cool temperatures in autumn, while they were down-regulated by the prolonged period of cold temperatures in winter. A negative correlation between expression levels of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 and bud burst percentage was found in the prolonged cold temperature treatment. Application of the dormancy-breaking reagent cyanamide to endo/ecodormant lateral buds induced early bud break and down-regulation of PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 expression at the same time. These results collectively suggest that PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 may function in the chilling requirement of peach lateral buds through growth-inhibiting functions for bud break

Bayesian inference of structural error in inverse models of thermal response tests

For the design of ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs), two design parameters, namely the ground thermal conductivity and borehole thermal resistance are estimated by interpreting thermal response test (TRT) data using a physical model. In most cases, the parameters are fitted to the measured data assuming that the chosen model can fully reproduce the actual physical response. However, two significant sources of error make the estimation uncertain: random error from experiments and structural bias error that describes the discrepancy between the model and actual physical phenomena. Generally, these two error sources are not evaluated separately. As a result, the suitability of selected models to correctly infer parameters from TRTs are not well understood. In this study, the Bayesian calibration framework proposed by Kennedy and O'Hagan is employed to estimate the GSHP design parameters and quantify the random and structural errors in the inference. The calibration framework enables us to examine structural errors in the commonly used infinite line source model arising due to the conditions in which the TRT takes place. Two in situ TRT datasets were used: TRT1, influenced by contextual disturbances from the outdoor environment, and TRT2, influenced by a strong groundwater flow caused by heavy rainfall. We show that the Bayesian calibration framework is able to quantify the structural errors in the TRT interpretation and therefore can yield more accurate estimates of design parameters with full quantification of uncertainties

Fungal microbiota from rain water and pathogenicity of Fusarium species isolated from atmospheric dust and rainfall dust

In order to determine the presence of Fusarium spp. in atmospheric dust and rainfall dust, samples were collected during September 2007, and July, August, and October 2008. The results reveal the prevalence of airborne Fusarium species coming from the atmosphere of the South East coast of Spain. Five different Fusarium species were isolated from the settling dust: Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, F. equiseti, F. dimerum, and F. proliferatum. Moreover, rainwater samples were obtained during significant rainfall events in January and February 2009. Using the dilution-plate method, 12 fungal genera were identified from these rainwater samples. Specific analyses of the rainwater revealed the presence of three species of Fusarium: F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum and F. equiseti. A total of 57 isolates of Fusarium spp. obtained from both rainwater and atmospheric rainfall dust sampling were inoculated onto melon (Cucumis melo L.) cv. Piñonet and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. San Pedro. These species were chosen because they are the main herbaceous crops in Almeria province. The results presented in this work indicate strongly that spores or propagules of Fusarium are able to cross the continental barrier carried by winds from the Sahara (Africa) to crop or coastal lands in Europe. Results show differences in the pathogenicity of the isolates tested. Both hosts showed root rot when inoculated with different species of Fusarium, although fresh weight measurements did not bring any information about the pathogenicity. The findings presented above are strong indications that long-distance transmission of Fusarium propagules may occur. Diseases caused by species of Fusarium are common in these areas. They were in the past, and are still today, a problem for greenhouses crops in Almería, and many species have been listed as pathogens on agricultural crops in this region. Saharan air masses dominate the Mediterranean regions. The evidence of long distance dispersal of Fusarium spp. by atmospheric dust and rainwater together with their proved pathogenicity must be taken into account in epidemiological studies

Complete Genome Sequence and Comparative Analysis of the Wild-type Commensal Escherichia coli Strain SE11 Isolated from a Healthy Adult

We sequenced and analyzed the genome of a commensal Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain SE11 (O152:H28) recently isolated from feces of a healthy adult and classified into E. coli phylogenetic group B1. SE11 harbored a 4.8 Mb chromosome encoding 4679 protein-coding genes and six plasmids encoding 323 protein-coding genes. None of the SE11 genes had sequence similarity to known genes encoding phage- and plasmid-borne virulence factors found in pathogenic E. coli strains. The comparative genome analysis with the laboratory strain K-12 MG1655 identified 62 poorly conserved genes between these two non-pathogenic strains and 1186 genes absent in MG1655. These genes in SE11 were mostly encoded in large insertion regions on the chromosome or in the plasmids, and were notably abundant in genes of fimbriae and autotransporters, which are cell surface appendages that largely contribute to the adherence ability of bacteria to host cells and bacterial conjugation. These data suggest that SE11 may have evolved to acquire and accumulate the functions advantageous for stable colonization of intestinal cells, and that the adhesion-associated functions are important for the commensality of E. coli in human gut habitat

Genome Comparison and Phylogenetic Analysis of Orientia tsutsugamushi Strains

Orientia tsutsugamushi (OT) is an obligate intracellular bacterium belonging to the family Rickettsiaceae and is the causative agent of scrub typhus, or Tsutsugamushi disease. The complete genome sequences of two OT strains (Boryong and Ikeda) have recently been determined. In the present study, we performed a fine genome sequence comparison of these strains. Our results indicate that although the core gene set of the family Rickettsiaceae is highly conserved between the two strains, a common set of repetitive sequences have been explosively amplified in both genomes. These amplified repetitive sequences have induced extensive genome shuffling and duplications and deletions of many genes. On the basis of the results of the genome sequence comparison, we selected 11 housekeeping genes and carried out multilocus sequence analysis of OT strains using the nucleotide sequences of these genes. This analysis revealed for the first time the phylogenetic relationships of representative OT strains. Furthermore, the results suggest the presence of an OT lineage with higher potential for virulence, which may explain the clinical and epidemiological differences between ‘classic’ and ‘new’ types of Tsutsugamushi disease in Japan

Phase-matched multi-layer based polarisation-independent spot-size converter for silicon nanowire

The efficient coupling of optical power from a silicon nanowire (NW) to an optical fibre is challenging for both the quasi-TE and quasi-TM polarisations. Here, we propose a polarisation-independent spot-size converter (PI-SSC) based on phase-matched multi-layer waveguides for efficient coupling between a silicon NW and an optical fibre for both the polarisations. The fabrication process of the proposed PI-SSC is compatible with the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process. The optimisation for the proposed PI-SSC is studied by using a numerically efficient algorithm, combining a rigorous H-field based full-vectorial finite element method (VFEM) and the least squares boundary residual (LSBR) method. The simulation results show that using an eleven-layer based PI-SSC, the coupling losses between a silicon NW and a lensed fibre of radius 2 μm can be reduced to only 0.34 dB and 0.25 dB for the quasi-TE and quasi-TM polarisations, respectively. Furthermore, the output multi-layer is horizontally tapered, which further reduces the coupling loss for both the polarisations and the end face is easy to be polished

Initial results from Phase 2 of the international urban energy balance model comparison

Urban land surface schemes have been developed to model the distinct features of the urban surface and the associated energy exchange processes. These models have been developed for a range of purposes and make different assumptions related to the inclusion and representation of the relevant processes. Here, the first results of Phase 2 from an international comparison project to evaluate 32 urban land surface schemes are presented. This is the first large-scale systematic evaluation of these models. In four stages, participants were given increasingly detailed information about an urban site for which urban fluxes were directly observed. At each stage, each group returned their models' calculated surface energy balance fluxes. Wide variations are evident in the performance of the models for individual fluxes. No individual model performs best for all fluxes. Providing additional information about the surface generally results in better performance. However, there is clear evidence that poor choice of parameter values can cause a large drop in performance for models that otherwise perform well. As many models do not perform well across all fluxes, there is need for caution in their application, and users should be aware of the implications for applications and decision making

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory mechanisms in uveitis

The eye, as currently viewed, is neither immunologically ignorant nor sequestered from the systemic environment. The eye utilises distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms to preserve tissue and cellular function in the face of immune-mediated insult; clinically, inflammation following such an insult is termed uveitis. The intra-ocular inflammation in uveitis may be clinically obvious as a result of infection (e.g. toxoplasma, herpes), but in the main infection, if any, remains covert. We now recognise that healthy tissues including the retina have regulatory mechanisms imparted by control of myeloid cells through receptors (e.g. CD200R) and soluble inhibitory factors (e.g. alpha-MSH), regulation of the blood retinal barrier, and active immune surveillance. Once homoeostasis has been disrupted and inflammation ensues, the mechanisms to regulate inflammation, including T cell apoptosis, generation of Treg cells, and myeloid cell suppression in situ, are less successful. Why inflammation becomes persistent remains unknown, but extrapolating from animal models, possibilities include differential trafficking of T cells from the retina, residency of CD8(+) T cells, and alterations of myeloid cell phenotype and function. Translating lessons learned from animal models to humans has been helped by system biology approaches and informatics, which suggest that diseased animals and people share similar changes in T cell phenotypes and monocyte function to date. Together the data infer a possible cryptic infectious drive in uveitis that unlocks and drives persistent autoimmune responses, or promotes further innate immune responses. Thus there may be many mechanisms in common with those observed in autoinflammatory disorders