CultCube: Experiments in autonomous in-orbit cultivation on-board a 12-Units CubeSat platform.

The feasibility and design of the CultCube 12U CubeSat hosting a small Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) for the autonomous cultivation of a small plant in orbit is described. The satellite is aimed at running experiments in fruit plants growing for applications in crewed vehicles for long-term missions in space. CultCube is mainly composed of a pressurized vessel, constituting the outer shell of the ECLSS, and by various environmental controls (water, nutrients, air composition and pressure, light, etc.

The Critical Raw Materials in Cutting Tools for Machining Applications: A Review.

A variety of cutting tool materials are used for the contact mode mechanical machining of components under extreme conditions of stress, temperature and/or corrosion, including operations such as drilling, milling turning and so on. These demanding conditions impose a seriously high strain rate (an order of magnitude higher than forming), and this limits the useful life of cutting tools, especially single-point cutting tools. Tungsten carbide is the most popularly used cutting tool material, and unfortunately its main ingredients of W and Co are at high risk in terms of material supply and are listed among critical raw materials (CRMs) for EU, for which sustainable use should be addressed.

Evaluation of automotive shredder residues (ASR) landfill behavior through lysimetric and traditional leaching tests.

With regards to European waste catalog, automotive shredder residues (ASR) can be classified both as a hazardous or non-hazardous waste according to its hazardous properties (H1-H14). It is thus important to carry out an adequate chemical-physical characterization to identify the presence and concentration of those substances able to give, to this extremely heterogeneous material, the hazardousness character of. The issue of waste characterization, to identify the proper site for appropriate waste disposal, is based, according to the relevant laws, to the use of leaching tests.

Determination of In Vitro and In Vivo Activities of Plant Carotenoid Cleavage Oxygenases.

Carotenoid cleavage products, apocarotenoids, are biologically active compounds exerting important functions as chromophore, hormones, signaling molecules, volatiles, and pigments. Apocarotenoids are generally synthesized by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) that comprise a ubiquitous family of enzymes. The activity of plant CCDs was unraveled more than 20 years ago, with the characterization of the maize VP14, the first identified CCD.

MoS coated CoS nanocomposites as counter electrodes in Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells.

Expensive Pt counter electrodes remain an obstacle for the commercialization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Therefore, research focusing on low-cost alternative counter electrode materials has been considered important for their commercialization. Here, the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells has been performed utilizing CoS and MoS coated CoS nanocomposite materials as the counter electrode, which are synthesized via a hydrothermal route involving low-cost precursor materials.

Melanin: A Greener Route To Enhance Energy Storage under Solar Light.

The development of technologies integrating solar energy conversion and energy storage functions is critical for limiting the anthropogenic effects on climate change and preventing possible energy shortages related to the increase of the world population. In our work, we explored the possibility to integrate the conversion and storage functions within the same multifunctional biosourced material. We identified the redox-active, quinone-based, melanin pigment, featuring a broadband absorption in the UV-vis region, as the ideal candidate for such an exploration.

UGT709G1: a novel uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of picrocrocin, the precursor of safranal in saffron (Crocus sativus).

Saffron, a spice derived from the dried red stigmas of Crocus sativus, is one of the oldest natural food additives. The flowers have long red stigmas, which store significant quantities of the glycosylated apocarotenoids crocins and picrocrocin. The apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway in saffron starts with the oxidative cleavage of zeaxanthin, from which crocins and picrocrocin are derived.

Citric Acid Tunes the Formation of Antimicrobial Melanin-Like Nanostructures.

Nature has provided a valuable source of inspiration for developing high performance multifunctional materials. Particularly, catechol-containing amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) has aroused the interest to design hybrid multifunctional materials with superior adhesive ability. DOPA oxidative polymerization mediated by either melanogenic enzymes or an alkaline environment involving catechol intermolecular cross-linking, ultimately leads to melanin oligomers.

Multi-species transcriptome analyses for the regulation of crocins biosynthesis in Crocus.

Background: Crocins are soluble apocarotenoids that mainly accumulate in the stigma tissue of Crocus sativus and provide the characteristic red color to saffron spice, in addition to being responsible for many of the medicinal properties of saffron. Crocin biosynthesis and accumulation in saffron is developmentally controlled, and the concentration of crocins increases as the stigma develops. Until now, little has been known about the molecular mechanisms governing crocin biosynthesis and accumulation.

Tin-Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide and NaLiNiMnO as Electrode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

A tin-decorated reduced graphene oxide, originally developed for lithium-ion batteries, has been investigated as an anode in sodium-ion batteries. The composite has been synthetized through microwave reduction of poly acrylic acid functionalized graphene oxide and a tin oxide organic precursor. The final product morphology reveals a composite in which Sn and SnO₂ nanoparticles are homogenously distributed into the reduced graphene oxide matrix.

The Specialized Roles in Carotenogenesis and Apocarotenogenesis of the Phytoene Synthase Gene Family in Saffron.

stigmas are the main source of crocins, which are glucosylated apocarotenoids derived from zeaxanthin cleavage that give saffron its red color. Phytoene synthase (PSY) mediates the first committed step in carotenoid biosynthesis in plants. Four genes encoding functional enzymes were isolated from saffron.

Chiral Selectivity of Porphyrin-ZnO Nanoparticle Conjugates.

Recognition of enantiomers is one of the most arduous challenges in chemical sensor development. Although several chiral systems exist, their effective exploitation as the sensitive layer in chemical sensors is hampered by several practical implications that hinder stereoselective recognition in solid state. In this paper, we report a new methodology to efficiently prepare chiral solid films, by using a hybrid material approach where chiral porphyrin derivatives are grafted onto zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Electronic and optical properties of metal decorated nitrogen-doped vacancy defects in graphene.

We present a first principles study of the stability, and of the electronic and optical properties of graphene with nitrogen doped vacancies. Moreover, we use the vacancies as anchoring sites for Mg, Zn, Pd al Pt atoms and vary the concentration of defects. Decoration of the defects with metal atoms produces semi-metallic systems for any studied size of the cell, with linear bands crossing at the Fermi level.

Differential accumulation of pelargonidin glycosides in petals at three different developmental stages of the orange-flowered gentian (Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca).

Corolla color in Gentiana lutea L. exhibits a yellow/orange variation. We previously demonstrated that the orange petal color of G.

Trends and inter-relationships of ground-level ozone metrics and forest health in Lithuania.

Lithuania is representative of maritime to continental climate, no water limitation, and moderate ground-level ozone (O) pollution. We investigated the trends of meteorological variables and O and how these environmental conditions associate with tree health from 2001 onward. Ozone metrics for forest protection, based on Accumulated O exposure Over a Threshold of X ppb (AOTX) or on Phytotoxic O Dose over a Y threshold (PODY), were modeled at nine ICP-Forests plots over the time period 2001-2014.

Tacking the vector of Xylella fastidiosa: geo-statistical analysis of long-term field observations on host plants influencing the distribution of Phylaenus spumarius nymphs.

The meadow froghopper, Philaenus spumarius L., is endemic in Italy and was not considered a harmful species until 2014, when the olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS) showed up in Apulia (southern Italy). It was immediately suspected and then verified as the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium responsible for the disease.

Semen Quality and Sperm DNA Integrity in Patients With Severe Active Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Effects of Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha Inhibitors.

Background And Aims: The impact of severe inflammation on semen quality, including sperm DNA integrity, in men with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] is unknown, as are the potential effects of anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] therapy. We investigated the influence of severe active IBD and anti-TNF-alpha treatment on semen quality.

Methods: We prospectively included 20 patients admitted with severe active IBD.

Rationalization of hydrogen production by bulk g-CN: an in-depth correlation between physico-chemical parameters and solar light photocatalysis.

The aim of this work is the systematic study of the photocatalytic activity of bulk graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) in relation with the physical-chemical, structural and optical properties of the semiconductor. Fourteen g-CN samples have been prepared by thermal condensation starting from three different precursor (melamine, dicyandiamide and urea) and exploring various temperatures (in the range 500-700 °C). The materials obtained have been deeply characterized by high resolution scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption measurements (BET method), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

An empirical model for the evaluation of the dissolution rate from a DNAPL-contaminated area.

This paper investigates dynamic variation in the morphologic distribution of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), which take into account the coupled mass transfer. Experiments were carried out in a 2D tank representing a reconstructed aquifer model. DNAPL dissolution rates were investigated over a wide range of DNAPL saturations, several source configurations, and different hydraulic conditions.

Analysis of Polycaprolactone Microfibers as Biofilm Carriers for Biotechnologically Relevant Bacteria.

Polymeric electrospun fibers are becoming popular in microbial biotechnology because of their exceptional physicochemical characteristics, biodegradability, surface-to-volume ratio, and compatibility with biological systems, which give them a great potential as microbial supports to be used in production processes or environmental applications. In this work, we analyzed and compared the ability of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, Brevundimonas diminuta, and Sphingobium fuliginis to develop biofilms on different types of polycaprolactone (PCL) microfibers. These bacterial species are relevant in the production of biobased chemicals, enzymes, and proteins for therapeutic use and bioremediation.

Eumelanin Coating of Silica Aerogel by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Deposition of a 5,6-Dihydroxyindole Thin Film.

Eumelanin integration in silica aerogel (SA) was achieved via supercritical adsorption of 5,6-dyhydroxyindole (DHI) from CO₂. Notably, after the supercritical treatment, DHI evolved towards spontaneous polymerization, which resulted in uniform pigment development over the SA. The new material was characterized for its morphological and physicochemical properties, disclosing the formation of a eumelanin-like coating, as confirmed by UV⁻vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.

Bioinspired hybrid eumelanin-TiO antimicrobial nanostructures: the key role of organo-inorganic frameworks in tuning eumelanin's biocide action mechanism through membrane interaction.

Intrinsic biocide efficacy of eumelanins can be markedly enhanced through a templated formation in the presence of a TiO-sol, leading to hybrid TiO-melanin nanostructures. However, mechanisms and processes behind biocide activity still remain poorly understood. This paper discloses the fundamental mechanism of action of these systems providing mechanistic information on their peculiar interaction with strains.

14 MeV Neutrons for Mo/Tc Production: Experiments, Simulations and Perspectives.

Background: the gamma-emitting radionuclide Technetium-99m (Tc) is still the workhorse of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) as it is used worldwide for the diagnosis of a variety of phatological conditions. Tc is obtained from Mo/Tc generators as pertechnetate ion, which is the ubiquitous starting material for the preparation of Tc radiopharmaceuticals. Mo in such generators is currently produced in nuclear fission reactors as a by-product of U fission.

Modelling study of soil C, N and pH response to air pollution and climate change using European LTER site observations.

Current climate warming is expected to continue in coming decades, whereas high N deposition may stabilize, in contrast to the clear decrease in S deposition. These pressures have distinctive regional patterns and their resulting impact on soil conditions is modified by local site characteristics. We have applied the VSD+ soil dynamic model to study impacts of deposition and climate change on soil properties, using MetHyd and GrowUp as pre-processors to provide input to VSD+.