Mussel-Inspired Nanocellulose Coating for Selective Neodymium Recovery.

Neodymium (Nd) is one of the most in-demand rare earth elements (REEs) for developing the next generation of magnetic medical devices and clean energy. Eco-friendly and sustainable nanotechnology for REE recovery may be highly suitable to address the limited global supply while minimizing the environmental footprints of current practice, such as solvent extraction. Here, we present a novel one-step mussel-inspired nanocellulose coating (MINC) using bifunctional hairy cellulose nanocrystals (BHCNC), bearing dialdehyde and dicarboxylate groups.

Predictable and stable epimutations induced during clonal plant propagation with embryonic transcription factor.

Clonal propagation is frequently used in commercial plant breeding and biotechnology programs because it minimizes genetic variation, yet it is not uncommon to observe clonal plants with stable phenotypic changes, a phenomenon known as somaclonal variation. Several studies have linked epigenetic modifications induced during regeneration with this newly acquired phenotypic variation. However, the factors that determine the extent of somaclonal variation and the molecular changes underpinning this process remain poorly understood.

A transposon surveillance mechanism that safeguards plant male fertility during stress.

Although plants are able to withstand a range of environmental conditions, spikes in ambient temperature can impact plant fertility causing reductions in seed yield and notable economic losses. Therefore, understanding the precise molecular mechanisms that underpin plant fertility under environmental constraints is critical to safeguarding future food production. Here, we identified two Argonaute-like proteins whose activities are required to sustain male fertility in maize plants under high temperatures.

A new role for histone demethylases in the maintenance of plant genome integrity.

Histone modifications deposited by the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) play a critical role in the control of growth, development, and adaptation to environmental fluctuations of most multicellular eukaryotes. The catalytic activity of PRC2 is counteracted by Jumonji-type (JMJ) histone demethylases, which shapes the genomic distribution of H3K27me3. Here, we show that two JMJ histone demethylases in , EARLY FLOWERING 6 (ELF6) and RELATIVE OF EARLY FLOWERING 6 (REF6), play distinct roles in H3K27me3 and H3K27me1 homeostasis.

137Cs Dosimeter Irradiation Facilities: Calibration Frequency, Precision, and Accuracy.

Many dosimeter and instrument calibration sources, especially Cs irradiators permanently installed in facilities, are infrequently calibrated since their geometry is not subject to large variation, their mechanisms are simple, and their operation can be visibly error-free for decades. Only decay corrections are needed to know delivered doses at fixed locations once a thorough characterization of such facilities is completed. For one such Cs source, however, collected current values in a span of a few days were found to drop significantly.

Design of Interrogation Protocols for Radiation Dose Measurements Using Optically-Stimulated Luminescent Dosimeters.

Optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeters are capable of being interrogated multiple times post-irradiation. Each interrogation removes a fraction of the signal stored within the optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeter. This signal loss must be corrected to avoid systematic errors in estimating the average signal of a series of optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeter interrogations and requires a minimum number of consecutive readings to determine an average signal that is within a desired accuracy of the true signal with a desired statistical confidence.

Quantification of Shear Wave Scattering From Far-Surface Defects via Ultrasonic Wavefield Measurements.

Nondestructive evaluation methods rely on prior knowledge of the expected interaction of ultrasonic waves with defects to inform detection and characterization decisions. Wavefield imaging, which refers to the measurement of signals originating from a spatially fixed source on a 2-D rectilinear grid, can be applied to visualize the effect of a subsurface scatterer on surface-measured wave motion. Here, obliquely incident shear waves are directed at the far surface of a plate containing a through-hole using the well-known angle-beam ultrasonic inspection method.

Impact of long-term medical conditions on the outcomes of psychological therapy for depression and anxiety.

Background: Long-term conditions often coexist with depression and anxiety.

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of stepped-care psychological therapies for patients with long-term conditions.

Method: Data from 28 498 patients were analysed using regression to model depression (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)) and anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7)) outcomes.

Nutrient supplements boost yeast transformation efficiency.

Efficiency of yeast transformation is determined by the rate of yeast endocytosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of introducing amino acids and other nutrients (inositol, adenine, or p-aminobenzoic acid) in the transformation medium to develop a highly efficient yeast transformation protocol. The target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) kinase signalling complex influences the rate of yeast endocytosis.

Health status of New Zealand European, Maori, and Pacific patients with diabetes at 242 New Zealand general practices.

Objective: To compare the care and health status of different ethnic groups attending general practices with diabetes.

Method: We analysed information about 13,281 patients with any type of diabetes, collected by 242 general practices in the first visit of the Southlink Independent Practitioner Association's Get Checked program. These patients constituted about 60% of patients with diabetes in the South Island of New Zealand.

Hospital admissions in diabetic and non-diabetic patients: a case-control study.

Aim: To examine differences in morbidity and rates of hospital admission between diabetes patients and patients without diabetes in New Zealand.

Methods: A 1,123 and 11,325 patients with Types 1 and 2 diabetes in the Southlink Health diabetes register were identified. Types 1 and 2 diabetes patients were matched with non-diabetic patients drawn from primary care patient registers.