Three research priorities for just and sustainable urban systems: Now is the time to refocus

Now is the time to refocus efforts in urban research and design. A changing climate and extreme weather events are presenting unique challenges to urban systems around the world. These challenges illuminate the social barriers that accompany disruptive events such as resource inequities and injustices. In this perspective, we provide three research priorities for just and sustainable urban systems that help to address these matters. The three research priorities are: (1) social equity and justice, (2) circularity, and (3) digital twins. Conceptual context and future research directions are provided for each. For social equity and justice, the future directions are mandatory equity analysis and inclusionary practices, understanding and reconciling historical injustices, and intentional integration with diverse community stakeholders. For circularity applications, they are better metrics for integration, more robust evaluation frameworks, and dynamic modeling at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Future directions for digital twins include developing principles to reduce complexity, integrating model and system components, and reducing barriers to data access. These research priorities are core to meeting several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (i.e., 1—No Poverty, 8—Decent Work and Economic Growth, 10—Reduced Inequalities, and 11—Sustainable Cities and Communities). Useful social and technical matters are discussed throughout, where we highlight the importance of prioritizing localized research efforts, provide guidance for community-engaged research and co-development practices, and explain how these priorities interact to align with the evolving field of industrial ecology.     

Enrichment of adeno-associated virus serotype 5 full capsids by anion exchange chromatography with dual salt elution gradients

Adeno-associated virus-based gene therapies have demonstrated substantial therapeutic benefit for the treatment of genetic disorders. In manufacturing processes, viral capsids are produced with and without the encapsidated gene of interest. Capsids devoid of the gene of interest, or “empty” capsids, represent a product-related impurity. As a result, a robust and scalable method to enrich full capsids is crucial to provide patients with as much potentially active product as possible. Anion exchange chromatography has emerged as a highly utilized method for full capsid enrichment across many serotypes due to its ease of use, robustness, and scalability. However, achieving sufficient resolution between the full and empty capsids is not trivial. In this work, anion exchange chromatography was used to achieve empty and full capsid resolution for adeno-associated virus serotype 5. A salt gradient screen of multiple salts with varied valency and Hofmeister series properties was performed to determine optimal peak resolution and aggregate reduction. Dual salt effects were evaluated on the same product and process attributes to identify any synergies with the use of mixed ion gradients. The modified process provided as high as ≥75% AAV5 full capsids (≥3-fold enrichment based on the percent full in the feed stream) with near baseline separation of empty capsids and achieved an overall vector genome step yield of >65%.     

An affinity label for the regulatory dithiol of ribulose-5-phosphate kinase from maize (Zea mays).

Ribulose-5-phosphate kinase from maize (Zea mays) can exist in either a reduced, active form or an oxidized, inactive form. Reduced ribulose-5-phosphate kinase is rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by the dichlorotriazine dye Reactive Red 1 (Procion Red MX-2B), but the irreversible inactivation of the oxidized form of ribulose-5-phosphate kinase occurs at only 0.05% of this rate. The rate of inactivation of the reduced enzyme by Reactive Red 1 (apparent bimolecular rate constant 10(4)M-1 X s-1 at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C) is several orders of magnitude greater than previous estimates of the rates of dye-mediated inactivation of other enzymes. The dye-dependent inactivation of the reduced enzyme is inhibited by Hg2+ or p-mercuribenzoate (thiol reagents that reversibly inhibit ribulose-5-phosphate kinase activity), or by ATP and ADP, the nucleotide substrates of the enzyme. Hydrolysed Reactive Red 1, which does not inactivate the enzyme, is a reversible inhibitor of ribulose-5-phosphate kinase. This inhibition is competitive with respect to ATP (Ki approximately 0.5 mM). The dye appears to act as an affinity label for the ATP/ADP-binding site by preferentially arylating a thiol residue generated during the reductive activation of the enzyme that is achieved by dithiothreitol or thioredoxin in vitro or during illumination of leaves.     

Two cDNA clones coding for the legumin protein of Pisum sativum L. contain sequence repeats

The sequence of two cDNA clones coding for the whole of the -subunit and most of the -subunit of legumin are presented together with a considerable amount of protein sequence data to confirm the predicted amino acid sequence. A unique feature shown by these cDNAs is the presence of three 56 base pair tandem repeats in the region encoding the C terminal of the polypeptide. The tandem repeats are also exhibited in the predicted polypeptide sequence as three 18 amino acid repeats which contain extremely high proportions of polar, mainly acidic, residues. The new sequences are compared to the previously published sequence of some shorter legumin cDNAs (Nature 295: 76–79). In the region where the sequences overlap, the previous cDNAs differ from the new ones by only a few base substitutions but most of the repeated region is not present though the sequences on either side are. The possibility that the absence of the repeats may reflect the difference between two types of legumin gene, rather than an artefact of the cloning of the cDNAs, is discussed.     

The isolation and physiological analysis of mutants of the moss,Physcomitrella patens,which over-produce gametophores

We have compared the effects of cycloheximide (CHI) and two other rapid and effective inhibitors of protein synthesis, pactamycin and 2-(4-methyl-2,6-dinitroanilino)-N-methyl proprionamide (MDMP), on protein synthesis, respiration, auxin-induced growth and H⁺-excreation of Avena sativa L. coleoptiles. All three compounds inhibit protein synthesis without affecting respiration. The effectiveness of the inhibitors against H⁺-excretion and growth correlates with their ability to inhibit protein synthesis. Both CHI and MDMP inhibit auxin-induced H⁺-excretion after a latent period of 5–8 min, and inhibit growth after a 8–10-min lag. These results support the idea that continued protein synthesis is required in the initial stages of the growth-promoting action of auxin.Abbreviations CHI cycloheximide - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide - FC fusicoccin - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - MDMP 2-(4-methyl-2,6-dinitroanilino)-N-methyl proprionamide     

Heparin-inhibitable lectins: Marked similarities in chicken and rat

Extracts of young rat lung contain a heparin-inhibitable lectin that closely resembles one recently purified from chicken liver. Both lectins interact with heparin and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and were purified by gel filtration on Sepharose CL-2B followed by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose. They both behave as high molecular weight aggregates that can be dissociated into two peptides with apparent molecular weights of 13,000 and 16,000 by gel electrophoresis in SDS. Samples of purified lectin contained up to 20% DNA by weight, and the degree of lectin aggregation and hemagglutination activity was greatly reduced by treatment with micrococcal nuclease without inhibiting heparin-binding activity. Association of lectin with DNA is an artifact of homogenization in high salt, since only 2% of the lectin is found associated with a purified nuclear fraction.     

Should intake of carbon monoxide be used as a guide to intake of other smoke constituents?

The relation between blood carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) and plasma nicotine concentrations was studied in a group of 12 smokers smoking cigarettes of three levels of standard delivery. While the intake of carbon monoxide from a single cigarette was unrelated to the intake of nicotine, presmoking "trough" concentrations of the two substances (reflecting longer-term exposure) were highly correlated. Various other measures of nicotine exposure were at best only moderately correlated with blood nicotine concentrations. Thus trough COHb concentrations might be used to provide a reliable indication of the exposure to nicotine of individual smokers smoking the same type of cigarette, and of the relative exposure to nicotine of populations smoking cigarettes of different standard deliveries.     

Adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate in higher plants: Isolation and characterization of adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate from Kalanchoe and Agave.

The activity of the putative ketogenic beta-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase from mitochondria of rat liver increases with starvation, during neonatal life, and after the injection of glucagon. These changes are associated with alteration in ketonaemia. The changes in activities of this species of thiolase are not associated with significant alterations in the apparent affinity (Km) for the ketogenic substrate, acetyl-CoA. These results support a role for thiolase in the regulation of ketogenesis.     

The isolation and preliminary characterisation of auxotrophic and analogue resistant mutants of the moss, Physcomitrella patens

Summary Eighteen nutritional mutants have been isolated in the haploid, monoecious moss, Physcomitrella patens: five nicotinic acid auxotrophs, four p-aminobenzoic acid auxotrophs, four adenine auxotrophs, two amino acid requiring mutants and three nitrate non-utilising mutants. Seventeen of them were obtained using total isolation; one was isolated selectively. Strains resistant to the amino acid analogues, D-serine and p-fluorophenyl-alanine, and the purine analogue, 8-azaguanine, have been selected. Many of the auxotrophs are self-sterile. Crosses between auxotrophic strains have been effected and the progeny analysed. No linkage has been detected. Nicotinic acid auxotrophy has resulted from mutation in at least two genes. Self-sterility segregates as a pleiotropic effect of four mutations which produce nutritional dependence. A diploid strain has been obtained by aposporus regeneration from a hybrid sporophyte and the phenotypes of progeny resulting from the self-fertilisation of this strain have been analysed.