Points for energy renovation (PointER): A point cloud dataset of a million buildings linked to energy features.

Rapid renovation of Europe's inefficient buildings is required to reduce climate change. However, evaluating buildings at scale is challenging because every building is unique. In current practice, the energy performance of buildings is assessed during on-site visits, which are slow, costly, and local. This paper presents a building point cloud dataset that promotes a data-driven, large-scale understanding of the 3D representation of buildings and their energy characteristics. We generate building point clouds by intersecting building footprints with geo-referenced LiDAR data and link them with attributes from UK's energy performance database via the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN). To mimic England's building stock's features well, we select one million buildings from a range of rural and urban regions, of which half a million are linked to energy characteristics. Building point clouds in new regions can be generated with our published open-source code. The dataset enables novel research in building energy modeling and can be easily expanded to other research fields by adding building features via the UPRN or geo-location.

Accuracy of quantum chemistry structures of chiral tag complexes and the assignment of absolute configuration.

The absolute configuration of a molecule can be established by analysis of molecular rotational spectra of the analyte complexed with a small chiral molecule of known configuration. This approach of converting the analyte enantiomers, with identical rotational spectra, into diastereomers that can be distinguished spectroscopically is analogous to chiral derivatization in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. For the rotational chiral tag method, the derivatization uses noncovalent interactions to install the new chiral center and avoids complications due to possible racemization of the analyte when covalent chemistry is used. The practical success of this method rests on the ability to attribute assigned rotational spectra to specific geometries of the diastereomeric homochiral and heterochiral tag complexes formed in the pulsed jet expansion that is used to introduce samples into the microwave spectrometer. The assignment of a molecular structure to an experimental rotational spectrum uses quantum chemistry equilibrium geometries to provide theoretical estimates of the spectrum parameters that characterize the rotational spectrum. This work reports the results of a high-sensitivity rotational spectroscopy study of the complexes formed between (3)-butyn-2-ol and verbenone. The rotational spectra of four homochiral and four heterochiral complexes are assigned. In addition, the 14 distinct, singly-substituted 13C isotopomer spectra of five of these species are assigned in natural abundance. Analysis of these spectra provides direct structural characterization of the complexes through determination of the carbon atom position coordinates. This data set is used to benchmark quantum chemistry calculations of candidate equilibrium geometries of the chiral tag complexes. The quantum chemistry calculations are limited to methods commonly used in the field of rotational spectroscopy. It is shown that the accuracy of the structures from quantum chemistry provides a high-confidence assignment of cluster geometries to the observed spectra. As a result, a high-confidence determination of the analyte (verbenone) absolute configuration is achieved.

Magnetic Ordering in a High-Spin Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer.

The development of open-shell organic molecules that magnetically order at room temperature,which can be practically applied, remains a grand challenge in chemistry, physics, and materials science. Despite the exploration of vast chemical space, design paradigms for organic paramagnetic centers generally result in unpaired electron spins that are unstable or isotropic. Here, a high-spin conjugated polymer is demonstrated, which is composed of alternating cyclopentadithiophene and benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c']bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole heterocycles, in which macromolecular structure and topology coalesce to promote the spin center generation and intermolecular exchange coupling. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is consistent with spatially localized spins, while magnetic susceptibility measurements show clear anisotropic spin ordering and exchange interactions that persist at room temperature. The application of long-range π-correlations for spin center generation promotes remarkable stability. This work offers a fundamentally new approach to the implementation of this long-sought-after physical phenomenon within organic materials and the integration of manifold properties within emerging technologies.

Broadband infrared photodetection using a narrow bandgap conjugated polymer.

Photodetection spanning the short-, mid-, and long-wave infrared (SWIR-LWIR) underpins modern science and technology. Devices using state-of-the-art narrow bandgap semiconductors require complex manufacturing, high costs, and cooling requirements that remain prohibitive for many applications. We report high-performance infrared photodetection from a donor-acceptor conjugated polymer with broadband SWIR-LWIR operation. Electronic correlations within the π-conjugated backbone promote a high-spin ground state, narrow bandgap, long-wavelength absorption, and intrinsic electrical conductivity. These previously unobserved attributes enabled the fabrication of a thin-film photoconductive detector from solution, which demonstrates specific detectivities greater than 2.10 × 109 Jones. These room temperature detectivities closely approach those of cooled epitaxial devices. This work provides a fundamentally new platform for broadly applicable, low-cost, ambient temperature infrared optoelectronics.

EARLY FLOWERING 3 and Photoperiod Sensing in Brachypodium distachyon.

The proper timing of flowering, which is key to maximize reproductive success and yield, relies in many plant species on the coordination between environmental cues and endogenous developmental programs. The perception of changes in day length is one of the most reliable cues of seasonal change, and this involves the interplay between the sensing of light signals and the circadian clock. Here, we describe a Brachypodium distachyon mutant allele of the evening complex protein EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3). We show that the elf3 mutant flowers more rapidly than wild type plants in short days as well as under longer photoperiods but, in very long (20 h) days, flowering is equally rapid in elf3 and wild type. Furthermore, flowering in the elf3 mutant is still sensitive to vernalization, but not to ambient temperature changes. Molecular analyses revealed that the expression of a short-day marker gene is suppressed in elf3 grown in short days, and the expression patterns of clock genes and flowering time regulators are altered. We also explored the mechanisms of photoperiodic perception in temperate grasses by exposing B. distachyon plants grown under a 12 h photoperiod to a daily night break consisting of a mixture of red and far-red light. We showed that 2 h breaks are sufficient to accelerate flowering in B. distachyon under non-inductive photoperiods and that this acceleration of flowering is mediated by red light. Finally, we discuss advances and perspectives for research on the perception of photoperiod in temperate grasses.

Mutations in the predicted DNA polymerase subunit POLD3 result in more rapid flowering of Brachypodium distachyon.

The timing of reproduction is a critical developmental decision in the life cycle of many plant species. Fine mapping of a rapid-flowering mutant was done using whole-genome sequence data from bulked DNA from a segregating F2 mapping populations. The causative mutation maps to a gene orthologous with the third subunit of DNA polymerase δ (POLD3), a previously uncharacterized gene in plants. Expression analyses of POLD3 were conducted via real time qPCR to determine when and in what tissues the gene is expressed. To better understand the molecular basis of the rapid-flowering phenotype, transcriptomic analyses were conducted in the mutant vs wild-type. Consistent with the rapid-flowering mutant phenotype, a range of genes involved in floral induction and flower development are upregulated in the mutant. Our results provide the first characterization of the developmental and gene expression phenotypes that result from a lesion in POLD3 in plants.

HDA9-PWR-HOS15 Is a Core Histone Deacetylase Complex Regulating Transcription and Development.

Histone deacetylases remove acetyl groups from histone proteins and play important roles in many genomic processes. How histone deacetylases perform specialized molecular and biological functions in plants is poorly understood. Here, we identify HIGH EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENES 15 (HOS15) as a core member of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) HISTONE DEACETYLASE9-POWERDRESS (HDA9-PWR) complex. HOS15 immunoprecipitates with both HDA9 and PWR. Mutation of HOS15 induces histone hyperacetylation and methylation changes similar to hda9 and pwr mutants. HOS15, HDA9, and PWR are coexpressed in all organs, and mutant combinations display remarkable phenotypic resemblance and nonadditivity for organogenesis and developmental phase transitions. Ninety percent of HOS15-regulated genes are also controlled by HDA9 and PWR HDA9 binds to and directly represses 92 genes, many of which are responsive to biotic and abiotic stimuli, including a family of ethylene response factor genes. Additionally, HOS15 regulates HDA9 nuclear accumulation and chromatin association. Collectively, this study establishes that HOS15 forms a core complex with HDA9 and PWR to control gene expression and plant development.

An ortholog of CURLY LEAF/ENHANCER OF ZESTE like-1 is required for proper flowering in Brachypodium distachyon.

Many plants require prolonged exposure to cold to acquire the competence to flower. The process by which cold exposure results in competence is known as vernalization. In Arabidopsis thaliana, vernalization leads to the stable repression of the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C via chromatin modification, including an increase of trimethylation on lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). Vernalization in pooids is associated with the stable induction of a floral promoter, VERNALIZATION 1 (VRN1). From a screen for mutants with a reduced vernalization requirement in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon, we identified two recessive alleles of ENHANCER OF ZESTE-LIKE 1 (EZL1). EZL1 is orthologous to A. thaliana CURLY LEAF 1, a gene that encodes the catalytic subunit of PRC2. B. distachyon ezl1 mutants flower rapidly without vernalization in long-day (LD) photoperiods; thus, EZL1 is required for the proper maintenance of the vegetative state prior to vernalization. Transcriptomic studies in ezl1 revealed mis-regulation of thousands of genes, including ectopic expression of several floral homeotic genes in leaves. Loss of EZL1 results in the global reduction of H3K27me3 and H3K27me2, consistent with this gene making a major contribution to PRC2 activity in B. distachyon. Furthermore, in ezl1 mutants, the flowering genes VRN1 and AGAMOUS (AG) are ectopically expressed and have reduced H3K27me3. Artificial microRNA knock-down of either VRN1 or AG in ezl1-1 mutants partially restores wild-type flowering behavior in non-vernalized plants, suggesting that ectopic expression in ezl1 mutants may contribute to the rapid-flowering phenotype.

POWERDRESS interacts with HISTONE DEACETYLASE 9 to promote aging in Arabidopsis.

Leaf senescence is an essential part of the plant lifecycle during which nutrients are re-allocated to other tissues. The regulation of leaf senescence is a complex process. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we uncovered a novel and the pivotal role of Arabidopsis HDA9 (a RPD3-like histone deacetylase) in promoting the onset of leaf senescence. We found that HDA9 acts in complex with a SANT domain-containing protein POWERDRESS (PWR) and transcription factor WRKY53. Our genome-wide profiling of HDA9 occupancy reveals that HDA9 directly binds to the promoters of key negative regulators of senescence and this association requires PWR. Furthermore, we found that PWR is important for HDA9 nuclear accumulation. This study reveals an uncharacterized epigenetic complex involved in leaf senescence and provides mechanistic insights into how a histone deacetylase along with a chromatin-binding protein contribute to a robust regulatory network to modulate the onset of plant aging.

A selected group of large common fragile site genes have decreased expression in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas.

The common fragile sites (CFSs) are large regions of profound genomic instability found in all individuals. The frequent deletions and other alterations in these regions in multiple cancers has led to the discovery of a number of extremely large genes contained within these regions and several of the large CFS genes have already been demonstrated to function as tumor suppressors involved in the formation of many different cancers. To study the large CFS genes in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), we did RNA seq analysis from 11 head and neck cancer patients. This revealed that there are six large CFS genes which consistently had decreased expression in the tumor samples compared to their matched normal tissues. These six genes are PARK2, DLG2, NBEA, CTNNA3, DMD, and FHIT. PARK2 and FHIT are located within the two most frequently expressed CFSs and both have been demonstrated to function as tumor suppressors, while the other large genes are found to have frequent alterations in multiple cancers. Validation experiments using real time PCR indicated that over 60% of OPSCC tumors showed decreased expression for all six genes. Both HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCCs had similar proportions with loss of expression of these genes. Our results suggest that this selected group of large genes might serve as potential tumor suppressors involved in the development of OPSCCs. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the decreased expression observed is due to genomic instability within the CFS regions or the selection for alterations of specific large CFS genes.