New Class of Ni‐Rich Cathode Materials Li[NixCoyB1−x−y]O2 for Next Lithium Batteries

A new class of layered cathodes, Li[Ni_xCo_yB_1?x?y]O₂ (NCB), is synthesized. The proposed NCB cathodes have a unique microstructure in which elongated primary particles are tightly packed into spherical secondary particles. The cathodes also exhibit a strong crystallographic texture in which the a–b layer planes are aligned along the radial direction, facilitating Li migration. The microstructure, which effectively suppresses the formation of microcracks, improves the cycling stability of the NCB cathodes. The NCB cathode with 1.5 mol% B delivers a discharge capacity of 234 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C and retains 91.2% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles (compared to values of 229 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C and 78.8% for pristine Li[Ni_0.9Co_0.1]O₂). This study shows the importance of controlling the microstructure to obtain the required cycling stability, especially for Ni‐rich layered cathodes, where the main cause of capacity fading is related to mechanical strain in their charged state.     

Construction of a Model Culture System of Human Colonic Microbiota to Detect Decreased Lachnospiraceae Abundance and Butyrogenesis in the Feces of Ulcerative Colitis Patients

Compositional alteration of the gut microbiota is associated with ulcerative colitis (UC). Here, a model culture system is established for the in vitro human colonic microbiota of UC, which will be helpful for determining medical interventions. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing confirms that UC models are successfully developed from fecal inoculum and retain the bacterial species biodiversity of UC feces. The UC models closely reproduce the microbial components and successfully preserve distinct clusters from the healthy subjects (HS), as observed in the feces. The relative abundance of bacteria belonging to the family Lachnospiraceae significantly decreases in the UC models compared to that in HS, as observed in the feces. The system detects significantly lower butyrogenesis in the UC models than that in HS, correlating with the decreased abundance of Lachnospiraceae. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae does not correlate with disease activity (defined as partial Mayo score), suggesting that Lachnospiraceae persists in UC patients at a decreased level, irrespective of the alteration in disease activity. Moreover, the system shows that administration of Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI restores butyrogenesis in the UC model. Hence, the model detects deregulation in the intestinal environment in UC patients and may be useful for simulating the effect of probiotics.     

Recombinant mussel adhesive protein as a gene delivery material

Efficient target gene delivery into eukaryotic cells is important for biotechnological research and gene therapy. Gene delivery based on proteins, including histones, has recently emerged as a powerful non-viral DNA transfer technique. Here, we investigated the potential use of a recombinant mussel adhesive protein, hybrid fp-151, as a gene delivery material, in view of its similar basic amino acid composition to histone proteins, and cost-effective and high-level production in Escherichia coli. After confirming DNA binding affinity, we transfected mammalian cells (human 293T and mouse NIH/3T3) with foreign genes using hybrid fp-151 as the gene delivery carrier. Hybrid fp-151 displayed comparable transfection efficiency in both mammalian cell lines, compared to the widely used transfection agent, Lipofectamine 2000. Our results indicate that this mussel adhesive protein may be used as a potential protein-based gene-transfer mediator.     

Acoustic sequences in non‐human animals: a tutorial review and prospectus

Animal acoustic communication often takes the form of complex sequences, made up of multiple distinct acoustic units. Apart from the well‐known example of birdsong, other animals such as insects, amphibians, and mammals (including bats, rodents, primates, and cetaceans) also generate complex acoustic sequences. Occasionally, such as with birdsong, the adaptive role of these sequences seems clear (e.g. mate attraction and territorial defence). More often however, researchers have only begun to characterise – let alone understand – the significance and meaning of acoustic sequences. Hypotheses abound, but there is little agreement as to how sequences should be defined and analysed. Our review aims to outline suitable methods for testing these hypotheses, and to describe the major limitations to our current and near‐future knowledge on questions of acoustic sequences. This review and prospectus is the result of a collaborative effort between 43 scientists from the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, signal processing, machine learning, quantitative linguistics, and information theory, who gathered for a 2013 workshop entitled, ‘Analysing vocal sequences in animals’. Our goal is to present not just a review of the state of the art, but to propose a methodological framework that summarises what we suggest are the best practices for research in this field, across taxa and across disciplines. We also provide a tutorial‐style introduction to some of the most promising algorithmic approaches for analysing sequences. We divide our review into three sections: identifying the distinct units of an acoustic sequence, describing the different ways that information can be contained within a sequence, and analysing the structure of that sequence. Each of these sections is further subdivided to address the key questions and approaches in that area. We propose a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive approach to studying sequences, with the goal of clarifying research terms used in different fields, and facilitating collaboration and comparative studies. Allowing greater interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate the investigation of many important questions in the evolution of communication and sociality.     

Synanthropy of Wild Mammals as a Determinant of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Asian–Australasian Region

Humans create ecologically simplified landscapes that favour some wildlife species, but not others. Here, we explore the possibility that those species that tolerate or do well in human-modified environments, or 'synanthropic' species, are predominantly the hosts of zoonotic emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). We do this using global wildlife conservation data and wildlife host information extracted from systematically reviewed emerging infectious disease literature. The evidence for this relationship is examined with special emphasis on the Australasian, South East Asian and East Asian regions. We find that synanthropic wildlife hosts are approximately 15 times more likely than other wildlife in this region to be the source of emerging infectious diseases, and this association is essentially independent of the taxonomy of the species. A significant positive association with EIDs is also evident for those wildlife species of low conservation risk. Since the increase and spread of native and introduced species able to adapt to human-induced landscape change is at the expense of those species most vulnerable to habitat loss, our findings suggest a mechanism linking land conversion, global decline in biodiversity and a rise in EIDs of wildlife origin.     

Changes in pathogenesis-related proteins in pepper plants with regard to biological control of phytophthora blight with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paenibacillus illinoisensis</Emphasis>

To evaluate the biocontrol effectiveness of chitinase-producing bacterium, Paenibacillus illinoisensis strain KJA-424 against pathogenic strain of Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants, growth response and kinetics of pathogen related (PR) proteins were estimated after inoculation with P. capsici (P), and with a combination of P. capsici and strain KJA-424 cell culture (P+A). Fresh weight and chlorophyll content in shoots at P+A-treated plants significantly increased by 23.4 and 34.2%, respectively after 7days of inoculation, compared to P-treated plants. Root mortality in P+A-treated plants was significantly reduced compared to P-treated plants. Seven days after inoculation, the activities of -1,3-glucanase, cellulase and chitinase in P-treated roots had decreased by 54.8, 36.5 and 52.8%, respectively, compared to P+A-treated roots, while those in P-treated leaves increased by 22.8, 36.3 and 23.8%, respectively, compared to those in P+A-treated leaves. The activities of -1,3-glucanase, cellulase and chitinase in roots are negatively correlated with root mortality. All these results suggest that the inoculation of an antagonist, P. illinoisensis alleviates root mortality, reduction of PR proteins in roots, and activates of PR proteins in leaves infected by P. capsici.     

Why does the bud-galling sawfly,Euura mucronata,attack long shoots?

Summary The bud-galling sawfly, Euura mucronata, attacked longer shoot length classes on its host, Salix cinerea, more frequently than shorter shoots. Shoot length accounted for 76 to 93 percent of the variance in number of galls per 100 shoots in three habitats: forest, watermeadow, and lakeside. The reasons for this pattern were addressed with studies on shoot length in relation to: 1. Number of resources (buds) per shoot; 2. Success in establishment of larvae in galls; 3. Gall size and resources per gall; and 4. Survival of larvae after establishment as influenced by plant resistance and natural enemy attack. The most important factors proved to be success in establishment of larvae, with percent of variance accounted for ranging from 57 to 77 percent in three of four sites where relationships were significant, and survival after establishment of larvae, with variance accounted for ranging from 40 to 54 percent in the same three sites. The pattern of survival was dictated by plant resistance and not by natural enemies. These two additive factors resulted in a general relationship across all sites of increasing emergence of fully developed larvae per cohort as shoot length increased, accounting for 78 percent of the variance. These adaptive advantages to attacking longer shoots are sufficient to account for the pattern of increased probability of shoots being attacked as they increase in length.