Crack Length of Elastomeric Sealants and Their Service Life in Contrasting Canadian Climates: Effects of Climate Change.

The longevity of polymer-based sealant and jointing products, including elastomers, significantly depends on the level of exposure to sunlight and joint movement. These factors are particularly crucial in the application of polymers in construction due to their susceptibility to degradation under environmental conditions. For instance, diurnal cycles of contraction and dilation, arising from daily temperature fluctuations, impose significant stress on sealants and joints, impacting their durability over time.

Climate data for building simulations with urban heat island effects and nature-based solutions.

As cities face a changing climate, buildings will be subjected to increasing energy demand, heat stress, thermal comfort issues, and decreased service life. Therefore, evaluating building performance under climate change is essential for maintaining sustainable and resilient communities. To better prepare building simulation climate data with urban effects, a computationally efficient approach is used to generate "urbanized" data, where the city's unique signature is obtained through the dynamic Weather Research and Forecasting model for the Ottawa, Canada region.

Evolution of the local climate in Montreal and Ottawa before, during and after a heatwave and the effects on urban heat islands.

The heatwave event to which the Ontario-Quebec area was subjected in 2018 resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. In this study, an investigation was conducted on how this heatwave affected the respective urban heat islands (UHIs) in Montreal and Ottawa. The modelled urban climates were compared before, during and after the heatwave using a Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model having a 1 km spatial resolution.

Using a high-throughput, whole-cell hydrogenase assay to identify potential small molecule inhibitors of [NiFe]-hydrogenase.

[NiFe]-hydrogenases are used by several human pathogens to catalyze the reversible conversion between molecular hydrogen and protons and electrons. Hydrogenases provide an increased metabolic flexibility for pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and Helicobacter pylori, by allowing the use of molecular hydrogen as an energy source to promote survival in anaerobic environments. With the rise of antimicrobial resistance and the desire for novel therapeutics, the [NiFe]-hydrogenases are alluring targets.

A whole-cell, high-throughput hydrogenase assay to identify factors that modulate [NiFe]-hydrogenase activity.

[NiFe]-hydrogenases have attracted attention as potential therapeutic targets or components of a hydrogen-based economy. [NiFe]-hydrogenase production is a complicated process that requires many associated accessory proteins that supply the requisite cofactors and substrates. Current methods for measuring hydrogenase activity have low throughput and often require specialized conditions and reagents.

Bimodal Nickel-Binding Site on [NiFe]-Hydrogenase Metallochaperone HypA.

[NiFe]-hydrogenase enzymes catalyze the reversible oxidation of hydrogen at a bimetallic cluster and are used by bacteria and archaea for anaerobic growth and pathogenesis. Maturation of the [NiFe]-hydrogenase requires several accessory proteins to assemble and insert the components of the active site. The penultimate maturation step is the delivery of nickel to a primed hydrogenase enzyme precursor protein, a process that is accomplished by two nickel metallochaperones, the accessory protein HypA and the GTPase HypB.

Mechanism of Selective Nickel Transfer from HypB to HypA, Escherichia coli [NiFe]-Hydrogenase Accessory Proteins.

[NiFe]-hydrogenase enzymes catalyze the reversible reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen and serve as a vital component of the metabolism of many pathogens. The synthesis of the bimetallic catalytic center requires a suite of accessory proteins, and the penultimate step, nickel insertion, is facilitated by the metallochaperones HypA and HypB. In Escherichia coli, nickel moves from a site in the GTPase domain of HypB to HypA in a process accelerated by GDP.

[NiFe]-Hydrogenase Maturation.

[NiFe]-hydrogenases catalyze the reversible conversion of hydrogen gas into protons and electrons and are vital metabolic components of many species of bacteria and archaea. At the core of this enzyme is a sophisticated catalytic center comprising nickel and iron, as well as cyanide and carbon monoxide ligands, which is anchored to the large hydrogenase subunit through cysteine residues. The production of this multicomponent active site is accomplished by a collection of accessory proteins and can be divided into discrete stages.

Martial Art Training and Cognitive Performance in Middle-Aged Adults.

Cognitive performance includes the processes of attention, memory, processing speed, and executive functioning, which typically declines with aging. Previous research has demonstrated that aerobic and resistance exercise improves cognitive performance immediately following exercise. However, there is limited research examining the effect that a cognitively complex exercise such as martial art training has on these cognitive processes.

H(2)azapa: a versatile acyclic multifunctional chelator for (67)Ga, (64)Cu, (111)In, and (177)Lu.

Preliminary experiments with the novel acyclic triazole-containing bifunctional chelator H2azapa and the radiometals (64)Cu, (67)Ga, (111)In, and (177)Lu have established its significant versatile potential as an alternative to 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) for metal-based radiopharmaceuticals. Unlike DOTA, H2azapa radiolabels quantitatively with (64)Cu, (67)Ga, (111)In, and (177)Lu in 10 min at room temperature. In vitro competition experiments with human blood serum show that (64)Cu remained predominantly chelate-bound, with only 2% transchelated to serum proteins after 20 h.