Hydric physiology and ecology of a federally endangered desert lizard.

Animals can respond to extreme climates by behaviourally avoiding it or by physiologically coping with it. We understand behavioural and physiological thermoregulation, but water balance has largely been neglected. Climate change includes both global warming and changes in precipitation regimes, so improving our understanding of organismal water balance is increasingly urgent.

Defect-Healed Carbon Nanomembranes for Enhanced Salt Separation: Scalable Synthesis and Performance.

Carbon nanomembranes (CNMs), with a high density of subnanometer channels, enable superior salt separation performance compared to conventional membranes. However, defects that occur during the synthesis and transfer processes impede their technical realization on a macroscopic scale. Here, we introduce a practical and scalable interfacial polymerization method to effectively heal defects while preserving the subnanometer pores within CNMs.

Sub-Nanometer Depth Profiling of Native Metal Oxide Layers Within Single Fixed-Angle X-Ray Photoelectron Spectra.

Many metals form nanometer-thin self-passivating oxide layers upon exposure to the atmosphere, which affects a wide range of interfacial properties and shapes the way how metals interact with their environment. Such native oxide layers are commonly analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which provides a depth-resolved chemical state and compositional analysis either by ion etching or modeling of the electron escape depths. The latter is commonly used to calculate the average thickness of a native oxide layer.

Nanofibers are a matter of perspective: effects of methodology and subjectivity on diameter measurements.

Nanofibers are currently among the most researched nanomaterials in materials science. Various high-resolution microscopy techniques are used for morphological investigations, with the diameter as primary characteristic. Since methodological factors influencing the diameter distribution are usually ignored, numerical values can hardly be compared across different or even within single studies.

Scalable Synthesis of Carbon Nanomembranes from Amorphous Molecular Layers.

Nanoporous carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) created by self-assembled monolayers ideally combine a high water flux and precise ion selectivity for molecular separation and water desalination. However, their practical implementation is often challenged by the availability of large epitaxial substrates, limiting the membrane up-scaling. Here, we report a scalable synthesis of CNMs from poly(4-vinylbiphenyl) (PVBP) spin-coated on SiO/Si wafers.

Shrub density effects on the presence of an endangered lizard of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, California.

Positive associations between animals and foundational shrub species are frequent in desert ecosystems for shelter, resources, refuge, and other key ecological processes. Herein, we tested the impact of the density of the shrub species on the presence and habitat use of the federally endangered lizard species, . To do this, we used a 3-year radio telemetry dataset and satellite-based counts of shrub density across sites at the Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County, CA.

Hard carbon microspheres with bimodal size distribution and hierarchical porosity hydrothermal carbonization of trehalose.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an efficient thermochemical method for the conversion of organic feedstock to carbonaceous solids. HTC of different saccharides is known to produce microspheres (MS) with mostly Gaussian size distribution, which are utilized as functional materials in various applications, both as pristine MS and as a precursor for hard carbon MS. Although the average size of the MS can be influenced by adjusting the process parameters, there is no reliable mechanism to affect their size distribution.

OPA1 Regulates Lipid Metabolism and Cold-Induced Browning of White Adipose Tissue in Mice.

Mitochondria play a vital role in white adipose tissue (WAT) homeostasis including adipogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, and lipolysis. We recently reported that the mitochondrial fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) is required for induction of fatty acid oxidation and thermogenic activation in brown adipocytes. In the current study we investigated the role of OPA1 in WAT function in vivo.

Seizing the moment: The opportunity and relevance of the California Conservation Genomics Project to state and federal conservation policy.

Conservation science and environmental regulation are sibling constructs of the latter half of the 20th century, part of a more general awakening to humanity's effect on the natural world in the wake of 2 world wars. Efforts to understand the evolution of biodiversity using the models of population genetics and the data derived from DNA sequencing, paired with legal and political mandates to protect biodiversity through novel laws, regulations, and conventions arose concurrently. The extremely rapid rate of development of new molecular tools to document and compare genetic identities, and the global goal of prioritizing species and habitats for protection are separate enterprises that have benefited from each other, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for each.

Reference genome of the California glossy snake, Arizona elegans occidentalis: A declining California Species of Special Concern.

The glossy snake (Arizona elegans) is a polytypic species broadly distributed across southwestern North America. The species occupies habitats ranging from California's coastal chaparral to the shortgrass prairies of Texas and southeastern Nebraska, to the extensive arid scrublands of central México. Three subspecies are currently recognized in California, one of which is afforded state-level protection based on the extensive loss and modification of its preferred alluvial coastal scrub and inland desert habitat.

Thickness-Varied Carbon Nanomembranes from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

Despite the prospects of intrinsically porous planar nanomaterials in separation applications, their synthesis on a large scale remains challenging. In particular, preparing water-selective carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) from self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) is limited by the cost of epitaxial metal substrates and molecular precursors with specific chemical functionalities. In this work, we present a facile fabrication of CNMs from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are drop-cast onto arbitrary supports, including foils and metalized films.

Mass Transfer in Boronate Ester 2D COF Single Crystals.

Unlike graphene and similar structures, 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) exhibit intrinsic porosity with a high areal density of well-defined and uniform openings. Given the pore size adjustability, 2D COFs are likely to outperform artificially perforated inorganic layers with respect to their prospects in membrane separation. Yet, exploring the mass transport in 2D COFs is hidden by the lack of laterally extended free-standing membranes.

Protein Nanopore Membranes Prepared by a Simple Langmuir-Schaefer Approach.

Filtration through membranes with nanopores is typically associated with high transmembrane pressures and high energy consumption. This problem can be addressed by reducing the respective membrane thickness. Here, a simple procedure is described to prepare ultrathin membranes based on protein nanopores, which exhibit excellent water permeance, two orders of magnitude superior to comparable, industrially applied membranes.

OPA1 deletion in brown adipose tissue improves thermoregulation and systemic metabolism via FGF21.

Adrenergic stimulation of brown adipocytes alters mitochondrial dynamics, including the mitochondrial fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1). However, direct mechanisms linking OPA1 to brown adipose tissue (BAT) physiology are incompletely understood. We utilized a mouse model of selective OPA1 deletion in BAT (OPA1 BAT KO) to investigate the role of OPA1 in thermogenesis.

Thermal ecology of the federally endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard ().

Recognizing how climate change will impact populations can aid in making decisions about approaches for conservation of endangered species. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard () is a federally endangered species that, despite protection, remains in extremely arid, hot areas and may be at risk of extirpation due to climate change. We collected data on the field-active body temperatures, preferred body temperatures and upper thermal tolerance of .

Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy.

Helium ion microscopy (HIM) offers the opportunity to obtain direct views of biological samples such as cellular structures, virus particles, and microbial interactions. Imaging with the HIM combines sub-nanometer resolution, large depth of field, and high surface sensitivity. Due to its charge compensation capability, the HIM can image insulating biological samples without additional conductive coatings.

Fusing subnational with national climate action is central to decarbonization: the case of the United States.

Approaches that root national climate strategies in local actions will be essential for all countries as they develop new nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. The potential impact of climate action from non-national actors in delivering higher global ambition is significant. Sub-national action in the United States provides a test for how such actions can accelerate emissions reductions.

Carbon Nanomembranes from Aromatic Carboxylate Precursors.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) serve as convenient platform for fabricating carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) of extended lateral dimensions. Highly porous CNMs are emerging as interesting materials for membrane technologies as they exhibit selectivity for water permeation and, owing to their reduced dimensionality, promise increased energy efficiency compared to established systems. In the present study terphenylcarboxylate SAMs, prepared on silver underpotential deposited on Au and irradiated by 100 eV electrons, were successfully converted into free-standing CNMs.

Shrub and vegetation cover predict resource selection use by an endangered species of desert lizard.

Globally, no species is exempt from the constraints associated with limited available habitat or resources, and endangered species in particular warrant critical examination. In most cases, these species are restricted to limited locations, and the relative likelihood of resource use within the space they can access is important. Using Gambelia sila, one of the first vertebrate species listed as endangered, we used resource selection function analysis of telemetry and remotely sensed data to identity key drivers of selected versus available locations for this species in Carrizo Plain National Monument, USA.

In the surf zone: Reproductive strategy of the calico surfperch (Amphistichus koelzi) in a comparative context.

We examined the reproductive life history of calico surfperch (Amphistichus koelzi), including mating season, pregnancy, gestation and multiple paternity utilizing restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. Furthermore, we compared the mating season of calico with barred (Amphistichus argenteus), walleye (Hyperprosopon argenteum) and silver (Hyperprosopon ellipticum) surfperches to determine if the timing of reproduction is divergent within and between the genera. In calico surfperch, the mating season occurs from October to November, and females gestate from December to May.

Ultrahigh Ionic Exclusion through Carbon Nanomembranes.

The collective "single-file" motion of water molecules through natural and artificial nanoconduits inspires the development of high-performance membranes for water separation. However, a material that contains a large number of pores combining rapid water flow with superior ion rejection is still highly desirable. Here, a 1.

Shrubs indirectly increase desert seedbanks through facilitation of the plant community.

The mechanisms supporting positive ecological interactions are important. Foundation species can structure desert biodiversity by facilitating seedbanks of annual plants, but the direct and indirect mechanisms of shrub effects on seedbank have not been experimentally decoupled. We conducted the first test of shrubs increasing seedbank densities through direct effects on the seedbank (i.

Historical Population Size Change and Differentiation of Relict Populations of the Endangered Giant Kangaroo Rat.

From a conservation management perspective it is important to understand how genetic diversity is partitioned across a species' range, including 1) identification of evolutionarily distinct units versus those recently isolated through anthropogenic activities and 2) the relative genetic contributions among components of fragmented (meta)populations. To address these questions, we investigated the phylogeography and metapopulation structure among relict populations of the endangered giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) in the highly altered San Joaquin Desert Ecosystem. This keystone species underwent a ~97% range reduction over the past century, resulting in a current range that is highly fragmented, with 2 dominant northern and southern populations occurring 150 km apart.