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Abstract Background The extreme environment of the International Space Station (ISS) puts selective pressure on microorganisms unintentionally introduced during its 20+ years of service as a low-orbit science platform and human habitat. Such pressure leads to the development of new features not found in the Earth-bound relatives, which enable them to adapt to unfavorable conditions. Results In this study, we generated the functional annotation of the genomes of five newly identified species of Gram-positive bacteria, four of which are non-spore-forming and one spore-forming, all isolated from the ISS. Using a deep-learning based tool—deepFRI—we were able to functionally annotate close to 100% of protein-coding genes in all studied species, overcoming other annotation tools. Our comparative genomic analysis highlights common characteristics across all five species and specific genetic traits that appear unique to these ISS microorganisms. Proteome analysis mirrored these genomic patterns, revealing similar traits. The collective annotations suggest adaptations to life in space, including the management of hypoosmotic stress related to microgravity via mechanosensitive channel proteins, increased DNA repair activity to counteract heightened radiation exposure, and the presence of mobile genetic elements enhancing metabolism. In addition, our findings suggest the evolution of certain genetic traits indicative of potential pathogenic capabilities, such as small molecule and peptide synthesis and ATP-dependent transporters. These traits, exclusive to the ISS microorganisms, further substantiate previous reports explaining why microbes exposed to space conditions demonstrate enhanced antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the microorganisms isolated from ISS we studied have adapted to life in space. Evidence such as mechanosensitive channel proteins, increased DNA repair activity, as well as metallopeptidases and novel S-layer oxidoreductases suggest a convergent adaptation among these diverse microorganisms, potentially complementing one another within the context of the microbiome. The common genes that facilitate adaptation to the ISS environment may enable bioproduction of essential biomolecules need during future space missions, or serve as potential drug targets, if these microorganisms pose health risks. Video Abstract

Distribution Static Compensator (D-STATCOM) is a shunt compensation device used to improve electric power quality in distribution systems. It is well-known that D-STATCOM is a nonlinear, semi-defined and time-varying system. Therefore, control of D-STATCOM by the conventional control techniques is very difficult task. In this paper, the control of D-STATCOM is carried out by the neuro-fuzzy controller (NFC) which has non-linear and robust structure. For this aim, an experimental setup based on three-level H-bridge inverter is constructed. Phase angle control method is used for control of D-STATCOM's output reactive power. Control algorithm for this experimental setup is prepared in MATLAB/Simulink and downloaded to DS1103 controller card. A Mamdani type NFC is designed for control of D-STATCOM's reactive current. Output of NFC is integrated to increase tracking performance of controller in steady state. The performance of D-STATCOM is experimentally evaluated by changing reference reactive current as on-line. The experimental results show that the proposed controller gives very satisfactory performance under different loading conditions.

Mutational profiles of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have established that a relatively small number of genetic aberrations, including SF3B1 and SRSF2 spliceosome mutations, lead to specific phenotypes and prognostic subgrouping. We performed a multi-omics factor analysis (MOFA) on two published MDS cohorts of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and CD34 + cells with three data modalities (clinical, genotype, and transcriptomics). Seven different views, including immune profile, inflammation/aging, retrotransposon (RTE) expression, and cell-type composition, were derived from these modalities to identify the latent factors with significant impact on MDS prognosis. SF3B1 was the only mutation among 13 mutations in the BMMNC cohort, indicating a significant association with high inflammation. This trend was also observed to a lesser extent in the CD34 + cohort. Interestingly, the MOFA factor representing the inflammation shows a good prognosis for MDS patients with high inflammation. In contrast, SRSF2 mutant cases show a granulocyte-monocyte progenitor (GMP) pattern and high levels of senescence, immunosenescence, and malignant myeloid cells, consistent with their poor prognosis. Furthermore, MOFA identified RTE expression as a risk factor for MDS. This work elucidates the efficacy of our integrative approach to assess the MDS risk that goes beyond all the scoring systems described thus far for MDS.

Container terminals are essential for handling the growing container traffic resulting from global trade. Operation managers must either increase the number of handling components or improve the efficiency of existing equipment to meet the increasing demand. This paper employs the response surface methodology to obtain the optimal number of yard trucks (YTs) and rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. First, a two-level full factorial design was employed to fit first-order regression models and assess the effects of the variables. Then, the second-order models were constructed with a central composite design to further explore the influence of key parameters on the response variables. The Derringer-Suich method was applied to identify the optimal levels of performance criteria such as operation time and cost. According to the implementation results, the average operation time was reduced from 303.25 minutes to 286.25 minutes, reflecting a 5.6 % improvement in operational efficiency. Furthermore, the total operating costs decreased by $315.72, from $2,331.59 to $2,015.87. This 13.5 % improvement highlights the operational cost advantages achieved by optimizing resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cysteine S–H bonds have a spectroscopically convenient stretching frequency of ∼2550 cm−1. However, their cross section is low, and the band can be strongly broadened in heterogeneous environments, making detection very challenging. With two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) setups achieving ever higher sensitivities in recent years, systematic use of the weak cysteine sulfhydryls (Cys–SHs) absorption band is now within reach, even at low millimolar protein concentrations. Here, we demonstrate the capabilities of Cys–SH as an intrinsic 2D-IR label in pyruvate oxidase from E. coli, an enzyme with ten cysteines in its native sequence. 1D-IR measurements on the wild-type and individual cysteine knock-out variants show that two such residues have especially narrow SH signatures, caused by their intrahelical hydrogen bonding. 2D-IR analysis of these bands reveals an extraordinarily high anharmonicity (∼110 cm−1) and a long vibrational lifetime (∼4 ps). This allows monitoring spectral diffusion via center line slope analysis for up to 10 ps—separately for both the ground and excited states. The unique spectroscopic features and its ease of introduction make Cys–SH a useful IR spectroscopic label. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]