Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: coagulans strain P38, which also achieved an acceptable productivity of 2. 40 g/[L h] [42]. There is no doubt that these studies have facilitated the commercialization of l-lactic acid production. However, the overall concentration and productivity of most systems for l-lactic acid production remain low, which cannot satisfy the requirements for large-scale industrial production. In the present study, our engineered strain RH15 was found to be an efficient producer for l-lactic acid production, and both the concentration and the productivity were competitive with most reported cases. Therefore, the efficient glucose and xylose utilization of the engineered B. licheniformis RH15 indicates its potential as a platform for producing other value chemicals or biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. Table 4 Overview of l-lactic acid production from lignocellulose-derived sugarsFull size table ConclusionIn this study, for the first time, B. licheniformis was engineered to produce l-lactic acid from lignocellulose-derived sugars. The glucose metabolic pathway was reconstructed to eliminate the CCR via abolishing the PTS system and activating the galactose transport route (GalP). The xyl operon was optimized to increase the xylose uptake rate by screening for the rate-limiting enzyme, xylose isomerase, in thermophilic bacteria. This “dual-channel” process enabled the engineered strain RH15 to produce l-lactic acid from glucose and xylose simultaneously. When the lignocellulosic hydrolysate was used as the substrate, 99. 3 g/L l-lactic acid was produced, with a productivity of 2. 48 g/[L h] and an optical purity of 99. 7%. Thus, the engineered strain can serve as an efficient platform for chemical production from lignocellulosic biomass. This strategy might also be used to engineer other important strains to use inexpensive lignocellulose-derived sugars. Change history06 April 2018The authors are retracting this 27. 71. 8. 120. 6. 54. 27. 4580. Microbiol. 2014;80(20):6458–64. 4. 22. 9. 70. 4. Springerplus. 2012;1:43. 80. 9. J Biotechnol.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Some countries mandate biodiversity offsets as part of environmental regulation. [SEP] Text: Many of the countries in our survey lack provisions that guide the monitoring of impacts and mitigation measures, and the few cases that do require monitoring typically require short monitoring periods. Lack of enforcement of environmental policies related to offsets is a common problem [58], [67]. The requirement of solid monitoring processes is the first step to address these issues and will need to be key component of any mitigation policies if they are to promote sustainable development. ConclusionOur results indicated that all the surveyed countries have national-level Assessment laws or regulations and most enable the use of offsets but only Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru explicitly require their implementation. While several countries may have quite detailed offset policies, most countries do not seem to have strong requirements regarding impact avoidance which could undermine the use of offsets. While the most recent frameworks (those from Colombia and Peru) show more adherence to the theoretical recommendations we outlined there are still some principles that have not been included in most country level frameworks. In some cases, this may be due to the lack of scientific agreement on how to address certain issues in practice. To ensure that the use of offsets advances biodiversity conservation going forward it will be necessary to develop further guidance on how best to: (1) ensure conformance with the mitigation hierarchy; (2) identify the most environmentally preferable offsets within a landscape context; (3) determine appropriate mitigation replacement ratios; and (4) ensure appropriate time and effort is given to monitor offsets performance. Despite these shortcomings most countries have a strong foundation from which to develop policy for biodiversity offsets. In addition to these issues the Business and Program, by far the largest multi-stakeholder effort to examine biodiversity offsets, stresses the importance to ensure that offsets involve stakeholder participation, the fair and equitable distribution of offsets benefits and use of traditional knowledge in offset design. While we agree these are important issues they were not included in our analysis given our focus on the theoretical scientific issues involved in offset design. Although policies and regulatory guidance alone will not deliver conservation value without regulatory oversight and implementation capacity. The effectiveness of an offset program demands a responsible administrative entity with firm requirements for adequate oversight, performance accountability, and process transparency and fairness.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Severe weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change. [SEP] Text: Baklanov, A. , C. S. B. Grimmond, D. Carlson, D. Terblanche, X. Tang, V. Bouchet, B. Lee, and G. Langendijk et al. 2018. From urban meteorology, climate and environment research to integrated city services. 23: 330–341. 2021. Cascading risks: Understanding the 2021 winter blackout in Texas. & 77: 2106. CAISO (System Operator). 2021. What is a Flex Alert? Accessed 10 Jan 2023. CMA (Administration). 2022. Combined intensity of heat wave events has reached the strongest since 1961 according to BCC (Centre). Accessed 23 Jan 2023. Clancy, N. ,. Knopman, K. V. Patel, and L. Dixon. 2022. Grant Program: Incorporating hazard risk and social equity into decisionmaking processes. Center: (Research and Development Center) operated by Rand under contract with the Department of Homeland Security. Accessed 28 Jan 2023. EFFIS (System). 2022. System’s estimates of fires for European Union. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. Eurostat. 2022. Where does our energy come from? Accessed 23 Jan 2023. IPCC (on Climate Change). 2021. Summary for policymakers. change 2021: The physical science basis. Contribution of I to the Report of the on Climate Change, ed. V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S. L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, et al. , 3−32. Cambridge, UK and New York, USA: Press. IPCC (on Climate Change). 2022. Summary for policymakers. change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of II to the Report of the on Climate Change, ed. H. -O. Pörtner, D. C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E. S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, et al. , 3–33. Cambridge, UK and New York, USA: Press. Kovats, S. , T.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: Biosynthesis of fragrance 2-phenylethanol from sugars by Pseudomonas putida access Published: 02 April 2024 Biosynthesis of fragrance 2-phenylethanol from sugars by Pseudomonas putida Patricia Godoy1, Zulema Udaondo2, Estrella Duque1 & …Juan L. Ramos1 Show authors Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 2. The two strains without the pPE-1 plasmid did not produce 2-PE as expected (not shown). We found that the P. putida CM12-5 (pPE-1) and P. putida CM12-5Δgcd (xylABE) (pPE-1) produced about 50 ppm 2-PE when glucose was the growth substrate (Fig. 2). However, with xylose, negligible 2-PE accumulated, i. e. , less than 3 ppm was detected in the culture medium (not shown). When glucose and xylose were present simultaneously, a production level of 2-PE similar to that obtained with glucose alone was achieved (Fig. 2). These strains accumulated low amounts of phenylalanine in the culture medium (< 3 ppm) under all growth conditions (not shown), which suggests that almost all phenylalanine produced intracellularly was channeled towards 2-PE production. Fig. 2Production of 2-PE in the presence of glucose (open bars) or mixture of glucose:xylose (closed bars) as the C source. P. putida CM12-5 (pPE-1) and CM12-5Δgcd (xylABE) (pPE-1) cells were grown overnight with glucose as the C source. The cultures were then washed and diluted to DO660 of 0. 1 diluted in fresh medium with glucose (0. 5% w/v) or glucose:xylose (0. 375% w/v:0. 125% w/v) as the C source, and 2-PE production was measured after 24 h incubation.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Some countries mandate biodiversity offsets as part of environmental regulation. [SEP] Text: A comparative study with reference to the European Union, and especially the UK. 20: 191–225 View 28. Espinoza G, (2001) Review of Assessment in of and the Caribbean. Methodology, Results, and Trends. Espinoza G, Alzina V, editors Santiago de Chile: Inter-Bank (IDB) - Center for Development Studies. 29. (2006) de los Sistemas de Evaluación de en Centroamérica. San Jose, Costa Rica. Available: Accessed 2014 Aug 5. 30. Sanchez-Triana E, (2007) A of in Latin America. of the for Impact Assessment. p. 100. 31. Saborio-Coze A, Flores-(2009) Review of environmental impact assessment and monitoring of aquaculture in Latin America. Rome. 32. Business and Programme (BBOP) (2012) Standard on Biodiversity Offsets. Washington, D. C. Available: Accessed 2014 Aug 5. 33. (2010) Policy development for biodiversity offsets: a review of offset frameworks. 45: 165–176 View 34. -Gulland EJ (2013) Biodiversity offsets in theory and practice. Oryx 47: 369–380 View 35. Saenz S, Walschburger T, González JC, León J, McKenney B, et al. (2013) Development by Design in Colombia: with Conservation Outcomes. PLoS One 8: e81831 View 36. Saenz S, Walschburger T, González J, León J, McKenney B, et al. (2013) A Framework for Implementing and Offsets in Colombia: A Perspective. Sustainability 5: 4961–4987 View 37. (2013) Programa de Compensación Ambiental por Cambio de Uso del Suelo en terrenos Forestales. Available: Accessed 2013 Dec 20. 38. Tanaka A, (2010) Biodiversity offsets that enable strategic ecological restorations - Current situation of institutionalizing biodiversity offset in various countries and its implications to Japan [in Japanese]. Mag 59: 18–25. View 39. Consultancy (2013) Government policies on biodiversity offsets. Available: Accessed 2014 Aug 4. 40. de (2013) Mitigation in Impact Assessment. . 6.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Severe weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change. [SEP] Text: Wolf, and B. Menne. 2004. Heatwave of August 2003 in Europe: Provisional estimates of the impact on mortality. Eurosurveillance 8(11): 2409. Raymond, C. , T. Matthews, R. M. Horton. 2020. The emergence of heat and humidity too severe for human tolerance. 6(19): 1838. Robbert, B. , and A. Lesnikowski. 2018. Adaptation: The neglected dimension of polycentric climate governance? . climate change: Polycentricity in action? , ed. A. Jordan, D. Huitema, H. van Asselt, and J. Forster, 303–319. Cambridge, UK: Press. 2004. The role of increasing temperature variability in European summer heatwaves. Nature 427(6972): 332–336. 2020. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. Statista. 2022b. Distribution of electricity generation in California by source 2020. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. Tang, X. , K. Sassa, G. P. Brasseur, J. Cullmann, and Z. Fang. 2021. Collaboration in MHEWS through an integrated way. and reducing landslide disaster risk, ed. K. Sassa, M. Mikoš, S. Sassa, P. T. Bobrowsky, K. Takara, and K. Dang, 479–497. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 2022. COP27 reaches breakthrough agreement on new “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries. Accessed 28 Jan 2023. United Nations. 2015. Paris Agreement. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. WMO (Organization). 2019. Guidance on integrated urban hydro-meteorological, climate and environmental services, Volume I: Concept and methodology. WMO-No. 1234. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. WMO (Organization). 2022a. United in Science 2022a: A multi-organization high-level compilation of the most recent science related to climate change, impacts and responses. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. WMO (Organization). 2022b. Early warning systems must protect everyone within five years. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. Yalew, S. G. , M. T. H.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: This is in accordance with low l-Phe accumulation in the culture medium when the CM12-5 strain was grown with fructose instead of glucose as the sole C source (not shown). This may be due to the high phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and energy requirements for the fructose intake through the PTS active transport system [35, 36]. The lower yield agrees with the fact that glucose and fructose were not consumed completely after 48 h; in fact, on average, only 30% of glucose was depleted, while 5% of the fructose was consumed (not shown). Table 3 2-PE production from corn syrup (CS) in Pseudomonas putida CM12-5 derivative strainsFull size tableTherefore, industrial substrates such as corn syrup (1G substrate), and corn stover and sugar-cane straw hydrolysates (2G substrates) are suitable for using in 2-PE production in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way; however, amongst its components, glucose is preferably consumed over fructose or xylose, and the presence fructose may slow this process down. DiscussionThe interest in the development of technology for green chemistry increased after a series of studies revealed that nearly two thirds of all chemical products in use could be made through the fermentation of sugars obtained from seeds (i. e. , corn, wheat, and others), plant residues, organic waste and lignin [37,38,39,40]. The OECD and other agencies are aiming to transition 30% of the total petrochemical industry to renewable sources by 2050 [41,42,43,44]. Several research groups have put great effort into developing Pseudomonas putida as a chassis for the biochemical production of aromatic compounds because of its metabolic properties, and its ability to tolerate stress and high concentrations of solvents [24, 33, 45,46,47,48,49]. Our specific overall aim is the construction of solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas strains that can perform optimally and achieve high yields of industrially valuable chemicals, such as 2-PE, trans-cinnamic acid and styrene. We have estimated that these cell factories can reduce CO2 emissions by about 90% compared to current petrochemical-based methods. In this study, the molecular basis for 2-PE production when Pseudomonas is used as a chassis were analyzed.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Some countries mandate biodiversity offsets as part of environmental regulation. [SEP] Text: IntroductionBiodiversity offsets (hereafter, BOs) are conservation activities implemented to compensate for the residual adverse impacts on biodiversity caused by development projects in one place by creating “equivalent gains else-where” (Apostolopoulou and Adams 2017). The goal of BOs is to achieve ‘no net loss’ (hereafter NNL) and preferably a net gain (hereafter NG) of biodiversity with respect to species composition, habitat structure, ecosystem function and people’s use and cultural values associated with biodiversity (BBOP 2009a). BOs are implemented in a number of forms across the globe, under names such as compensatory mitigation, mitigation banking, habitat banking, species banking, conservation banking, biodiversity banking, and wetland mitigation (Lapeyre et al. 2015). The growing popularity of biodiversity offsetting (Bull and Strange 2018) has led to the development of a widely recognized definition and best-practice guidelines (BBOP 2009b). Despite this, there are many inconsistencies and variations in how BOs and its encompassing concepts are interpreted and consequently implemented by different stakeholders (Brownlie and Botha 2009; Bull et al. 2013; Maron et al. 2018). However, there are no empirical studies exploring these various interpretations. BOs analysis tends to be based on the assumption that there is a commonly agreed and consistent interpretation and use of the concept, but this may not be the case in practice. For example, Bull and Strange (2018) identified only one biodiversity offset project in Uganda, the Kalagala biodiversity offset, in their mapping of the global implementation of BOs. In their study, all projects aiming at completely compensating for all environmental impacts (to achieve ‘no net loss’) resulting from a development activity were classified as BOs. These can be considered purpose-based BOs, as their classification is based on the presence of clearly defined objectives aimed at achieving NNL. This is irrespective of actual attainment of the stipulated NNL goals, that would constitute what would be considered outcome-based BOs. However, there exists a wide range of conservation compensatory initiatives in Uganda that are locally considered to be BOs (Nabanyumya et al. 2017) despite the lack of the NNL goal. An investigation of BO practices in Brazil (Souza and Sánchez 2018) revealed that key legislation governing BOs do not require demonstrating NNL.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Meteorologists use satellite data to track storms and predict weather. [SEP] Text: As the forecast maps change over time, the color coding helps forecasters track the flow of aerosol-laden air toward or away from the surface, as well as the smoke plume’s horizontal trajectory. Wind field vectors are plotted as white arrows to show wind direction and speed. The maps also show areas where precipitation is forecast since rain or snow can remove aerosol p2. Static representation of 48-hour aerosol trajectories from eIDEA showing transport of aerosol-rich air into the northern U. S. plains states on 7 May 2016 at 15:00 UTC. The trajectories, represented by magenta and pink lines, originate at locations of high VIIRS aerosol optical depth (red, orange, and yellow shading in top middle of image). The trajectories show the direction of transport (south–southeast and then curving to the west); the magenta color indicates that aerosol-rich air will remain close to the surface. White arrows are wind vectors at 850-millibar atmospheric pressure. Credit: eIDEA The trajectories forecast, presented on eIDEA as a dynamic animation, recalculates images in 3-hour increments; Figure 2 shows a snapshot from 7 May at 15:00 Time (UTC) as a representative example. The magenta and pink lines show the south and southeastward movement of the aerosol-rich plume, located over southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba on 6 May (red, orange, and yellow region). The magenta and pink colors of the trajectory lines indicate that the smoke plume would remain close to Earth’s surface as it moved into eastern and Iowa on 7 May. aerosol observations from eIDEA demonstrate that the trajectory predictions were accurate. Figure 3 shows plumes of high AOT associated with smoke from the Fort McMurray fire over the northern plains on 7 May. This transported smoke blanketed the ground surface; fine particulate matter exceeded Standards (NAAQS) across Iowa, Minnesota, eastern Nebraska, and (Figure 4). Locations where smoke affected ground-level air quality are evident from this eIDEA display, which overlays daily average fine particulate matter concentrations (PM2. 5) from the U. S. Agency’s (EPA) AirNow network onto a map of the area. Fig. 3.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: These compounds affect the viability of some microorganisms used for biotransformation of 2G substrates [20, 58, 59]. In this context, P. putida DOT-T1E has been shown to grow in the presence of > 50, 25 and 25 mM of furfural, 3-hydroxymethylfurfural and syringic acid, respectively, in agreement with the high tolerance of this strain to toxic compounds, although their combination enhanced toxicity. DOT-T1E and its derivatives thrive at maximal rate with up to 3% (w/v) of lignocellulose substrates, and adaptative evolution assays (ALE) in our lab ended with evolved clones adapted to tolerate up to 11% (w/v) lignocellulosic substrates (Juan L. Ramos, unpublished results). We are focusing our efforts on enhancing the intracellular production of l-Phe as a primary substrate for the synthesis of aromatic compounds and the evolution of the strain to thrive with a wide range of C-sources and tolerance to substrates, products and possible toxicants in industrial wastes to further identify and engineer possible bottlenecks for 2-PE production. We strongly support the idea that P. putida DOT-T1E could become an efficient microbial cell factory for the production of aromatic compounds from agro-industrial waste material. ConclusionsPetrochemicals exacerbate environmental issues by necessitating substantial energy inputs for their production, contributing to carbon emissions, and directly or indirectly causing pollution. In contrast, we have identified P. putida DOT-T1E as a promising biorefinery for the sustainable and environmentally friendly production of aromatic compounds, specifically 2-PE, from various sugars. This approach stands in contrast to conventional chemical methods. The strains CM12-5 and CM12-5Δgcd, designed to overproduce l-phenylalanine, demonstrated the capability to convert this amino acid into 2-PE upon the expression of Ehrlich pathway genes from plasmid pPE-1. The intracellular concentration of l-phenylalanine was identified as a critical limiting factor in 2-PE production.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Some countries mandate biodiversity offsets as part of environmental regulation. [SEP] Text: Largely, the efficacy of BOs is questioned. There is insufficient evidence from the field that NNL/NG can be achieved, with several assessments reporting that offsets ultimately lead to biodiversity loss (Maron et al. 2012; Curran et al. 2014; Thorn et al. 2018). The impediments are created by several challenges including: lack of a single metric that can be used to accurately measure losses and gains in biodiversity; defining requirements for demonstrating achievement of NNL; demonstrating equivalence between biodiversity components that differ in type, location, time or ecological context; uncertainty of how long development impacts will last and whether the offset will last for an equivalent time period; and uncertainty of whether the offset benefits will be realized (Bull et al. 2013). Considerations regarding peoples’ use and cultural values associated to biodiversity have also been reported absent in biodiversity offset discussions (Apostolopoulou and Adams 2017) and implementation (Bidaud et al. 2018). According to Griffiths et al. (2019) there is limited knowledge on how to ensure these are fully compensated. The limitations of the BOs measure have instilled various perceptions among stakeholders. BOs have been deemed technically unrealistic (Walker et al. 2009) and largely implemented without appropriate scientific backing (Burgin 2008). To some, BOs cannot achieve NNL in practice (Hayes and Morrison-Saunders 2007; Souza and Sánchez 2018). The concept of NNL is also considered flawed, without practical realizations and merely a buzz phraseFootnote 1 (Burgin 2008; Walker et al. 2009; Maron et al. 2018). To increase chances of attaining the NNL outcome, Gardner et al. (2013) recommend strict adherence and implementation of the measures along the mitigation hierarchy, which enables avoidance of un-offsetable impacts and minimization of residual impacts. Biodiversity offsetting in UgandaBiodiversity offsetting is a relatively new conservation measure in Uganda. The country’s first encounter with the measure was when the Government of Uganda (GoU) was required to implement the Kalagala offset. This was a condition to attain a development loan from the (WB) in order to implement the project (IPN 2002, 2009; 2007).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Meteorologists use satellite data to track storms and predict weather. [SEP] Text: VIIRS aerosol optical thickness (AOT) measurements are overlaid with VIIRS true-color imagery (RGB) from eIDEA for 7 May 2016. The red, orange, and yellow areas indicate high AOT associated with smoke plumes from the Fort McMurray fire that were transported into the northern plains of the United States. Clouds (white areas) block the measurement of AOT, so there are no AOT measurements in these areas. Credit: e2. 5 concentration measurements from the AirNow network are represented as colored dots. The colors of the dots match the colors of EPA’s Index (AQI). values represent particulate concentrations in excess of the daily NAAQS. The 24-hour average PM2. 5 concentrations on 7 May in the northern plains (Figure 4) ranged from in northwestern Iowa and metropolitan Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minn. , to in metropolitan Omaha and Lincoln, Neb. , and Bismarck, N. D. This event lasted only 1 day, with PM2. 5 concentrations dropping down into the safer range across the northern plains on 8 May. Fig. 4. An eIDEA image for 7 May 2016 showing VIIRS true-color imagery (RGB) overlaid with colored dots representing daily PM2. 5 (fine particulates) Index values from U. S. EPA’s AirNow network. Red and orange dots in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and indicate exceedances of the PM2. 5 Standard (NAAQS). Smoke plumes from the Fort McMurray wildfire are visible as gray wispy features, and clouds are bright white. Credit: ein eIDEA’s launched NOAA’s Environmental Satellite–R Series (GOES-R) geostationary weather satellite, now known as GOES-16. The eIDEA website will be updated to include new aerosol products derived from GOES-16 data as soon as they become available sometime in late summer or early autumn of 2017. GOES-16 is the first in the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing satellites. It has a sensor similar to VIIRS, called the Imager (ABI), that will routinely provide aerosol observations every 15 minutes over the full disk of the Earth, covering North and South America, and every 5 minutes over the CONUS.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: The introduction of a mutant variant of chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydratase, bypassed feedback inhibition by aromatic amino acids, and significantly enhanced l-phenylalanine production and, consequently, boosted 2-PE yields. Furthermore, the application of random mutagenesis led to strains exhibiting elevated l-phenylalanine production, resulting in increased 2-PE production. In the realm of industrial applications, we explored the use of agricultural waste substrates such as corn stover, sugar cane straw, and corn syrup as potential carbon sources. Regardless of the waste source, glucose was the preferred sugar for 2-PE biosynthesis. To sum up, our study underscores the potential of microbial biorefineries, particularly those employing P. putida, as an environmentally sustainable alternative for producing valuable aromatic compounds like 2-PE. The implementation of strain engineering and the utilization of agricultural waste substrates are pivotal strategies identified for enhancing production efficiency and mitigating environmental impact. Materials and methodsChemicalsl-Phenylalanine (99%), 2-phenylethanol (99%), phenylacetaldehyde (90%), shikimic acid (99%), sodium phenylpyruvate (powder), chorismic acid barium salt (≥ 80%), o-toluic acid (99%), m-toluic acid (99%), p-fluoro-dl-phenylalanine (FPA) (98%), ViscozymeR l-cellulolytic enzyme mixture and ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Merck). Acetonitrile (HPLC grade), d-( +)-xylose and d-( +)-glucose were provided by VWR Chemicals (France). Strains, plasmids and growth conditionsStrains and plasmids used in this study are shown in Table 4. Pseudomonas DOT-T1E is a solvent-tolerant strain that was originally isolated from a wastewater treatment plant [8]. Pseudomonas putida CM12-5 is a DOT-T1E derivative that produced phenylalanine and it was previously described [24]. To make P. putida CM12-5 able to use xylose as a C-source, a derivative of this strain, bearing and xylE genes from E.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Some countries mandate biodiversity offsets as part of environmental regulation. [SEP] Text: According to the practitioners, equivalence in what is lost and gained cannot be attained, but rather, negotiations are made over what is restored or conserved in place of what has been lost. Biodiversity compensatory activities implemented during offsetting ultimately results into loss of some biodiversity components. Biodiversity quantifying frameworks are increasingly formulated and used to demonstrate equivalence in biodiversity losses and gains, especially between different kinds of biodiversity. However, the use of biodiversity quantifying frameworks was not reported, discussed, or reflected upon by the practitioners. The partitioners instead envisioned strict fungibility during offsetting. According to Karlsson and Edvardsson Björnberg (2020, p. 4), the measure does not aim for strict fungibility, but rather, recognizes the inevitable loss of biodiversity components during biodiversity exploitation and aims at making up for the lost values as far as possible. This could depict a bias towards in-kind offsetting as the ideal form of biodiversity offsetting among the practitioners, or a lack of knowledge and capacity in using quantifying measures to operationalize the BOs measure. Besides, there is no established methodology to calculate biodiversity gains and losses at the project and country level. The BOs trainings and workshops that have been carried out in the country have not constituted topics relating to biodiversity quantification measures. There is thus a need to train practitioners in the use of biodiversity quantifying frameworks to improve design and implementation of BOs. Practitioner’s perception that BOs cannot achieve NNL has resulted into exemption of and a laxity in incorporating NNL targets in biodiversity offset projects in Uganda. BOs in the country encompass any conservation measure agreed upon by stakeholders to be an offset. They have been classified based on the purpose; as measures to compensate for residual development impacts, rather than the outcome; as measures that have fully compensated for residual development impacts of the initiatives. Consequently, there is lack of a clear boundary between BOs measures and other mitigation and compensatory measures (Darbi et al. 2009). These findings are not exceptional for Uganda, as several BOs projects have also been reported to lack the NNL goal (Souza and Sánchez 2018; Weissgerber et al. 2019; Silva et al. 2019). According to Brownlie et al. (2013), implementation of BOs that do not fully compensate for residual biodiversity impacts is the most common scenario, and it is anticipated to continue that way.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: Log in or to journalnew issue alertsGet alerts Enter your Email address: Subscribe to e2008. | DOI: 10. 1519/JSC. 0b013e31816a84f5 use of a backward (false) step to initiate forward movement has been regarded as an inferior starting technique and detrimental to sprinting performance over short distances as it requires additional time to be completed, but little evidence exists to support or refute this claim. Therefore, we recruited 27 men to examine the temporal differences among three standing starts that employed either a step forward (F) or a step backward (B) to initiate movement. An audio cue was used to mark the commencement of each start and to activate the subsequent timing gates. Three trials of each starting style were performed, and movement (0 m), 2. 5 m, and 5 m times were recorded. Despite similar performances to the first timing gate (0. 80 and 0. 81s for F and B, respectively), utilizing a step forward to initiate movement resulted in significantly slower sprint times to both 2. 5 and 5 m (6. 4% and 5. 3%, respectively). Furthermore, when the movement times were removed and performances were compared between gates 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, all significant differences were seen before reaching a distance of only 2. 5 m. The results from this investigation question the advocacy of removing the false step to improve an athlete's sprint performance over short distances. In fact, if the distance to be traveled is as little as 0. 5 m in the forward direction, adopting a starting technique in which a step backward is employed may result in superior performance. ability to accelerate over short distances is of paramount importance to success in many sports (1,13) Because of the paucity of empirical evidence, however, conflicting views remain with regard to the most advantageous starting style (9). Investigators have placed a great deal of effort toward improving our understanding of the sprint start but have focused primarily on the kinetics and kinematics associated with blocks starts (10-12,15,16), making the transference to field-based sports, where athletes begin from a standing position, somewhat problematic (9,13). This fact motivated the present research, with the objective being to provide further insight into the possible mechanical advantages and sprint performance differences associated with various standing starts.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: Bose – to Plastics and BiofuelsSep 8, 2021 | & Share 0 Reddit +1 0 LinkedIn 0 Email Voxygen was widely available in Earth’s atmosphere, ancient microbes looked to other elements to obtain electrons for photosynthesis. Some of these microbes are called ‘photoferroautotrophs’ – which can take up electrons from iron available in their surrounding environment and use them to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) into biomolecules. In their research, Bose and her team at in St Louis, explore the mechanisms these microbes exploit to produce biomolecules, using the electrons they take in. Their discoveries are leading to sustainable new ways to produce both plastic and fuel – and could soon prove to reduce our reliance on the compounds derived from crude oil. Microorganisms have evolved a bewildering array of techniques to obtain nutrients from their surrounding environments. As biologists learn more about these methods, their potential use in our technology is now looking increasingly promising. Perhaps one of the most fascinating of these feeding methods is called ‘microbial electrosynthesis’. The process can be controlled using devices named ‘microbial electrochemical cells’ powered by electricity, in which oppositely-charged electrodes are placed in a charge-carrying electrolyte. By attaching themselves to the device’s negatively-charged cathode, photoautotrophic microbes that feed through microbial electrosynthesis can use the abundant incoming electrons to catalyse biochemical photosynthesis reactions, and convert CO2 into value-added multi-carbon compounds. By exploiting these behaviours, Bose and her team at hope that they can mitigate some of humanity’s most environmentally-damaging activities, including plastic use. However, many improvements are needed before these techniques can be rolled out on industrial scales. In their research, and her team explore this issue in detail, drawing from the latest advances in chemistry, microbiology, and materials science. : Sean Garcia, WashingtonUniversity in St. In previous studies by the Bose team, promising opportunities for improving the performance of microbial electrosynthesis emerged with the use of a rod-shaped photosynthetic bacterium named Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1) – which takes up electrons using a surface protein system called Pio.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: And while the connection between the two is clear in a general sense, the impact of added growth on the unvalued input is not. Worse, to the extent that further growth depletes the biodiversity we depend on it is counted as adding to national income. And since the benefits of avoiding the depletion of biodiversity often accrue to others (either in full or in part) there is little incentive for individuals or governments to invest in its conservation. 3. 2 Moving beyond GDPFaced with the obvious limitations of GDP, many countries are now looking for alternative ways of measuring social and economic health, including adjustments to measures like GDP and the development of alternative indicators. Box 1. What’s wrong with GDP? [23]. GDP treats crime, divorce, and natural disasters as economic gain. GDP counts all monetary transactions as positive. So, crime, divorce, and natural disasters, like fires and hurricanes, are all counted as economic progress. GDP ignores the non-market economy of households and communities. GDP ignores all activities that take place outside the market economy, including volunteer and home-based work such as childcare and elder care. GDP treats the depletion of natural capital as income. GDP treats the depletion of both natural and man-made capital as income rather than depreciation. So the more a country depletes its natural resources the more it adds to GDP. GDP increases with polluting activities and then again with clean-ups. GDP counts pollution as a double benefit to society by first including the economic activity that leads to pollution and then the cost of clean-ups. GDP takes no account of income distribution. GDP ignores income inequality. In the U. S. GDP has grown more than seven-fold since 1980 [24]. GDP presents this growth as a benefit to all, yet the country’s three richest men now own more wealth than the bottom half of the country combined [25]. 3. 2. 1 GDP adjustmentsA basic problem with GDP and other conventional measures is that they are measures of output, not welfare. A true measure of welfare would rise when societies are better off and decline when they are worse off [26]. One of the limitations of GDP as a welfare indicator is that it does not take account of the depletion of either natural or man-made capital. As a result, spending to replace worn-out machinery is treated as income even though it adds nothing to the existing stock of machinery.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: To initiate forward movement from a stationary standing position, the center of mass must be positioned anterior to the base of support (feet) (6). This is achieved in one of two ways: a rotation of the body about the ankle joint, thereby shifting the center of mass forward, or by displacing the support area behind the center of mass (placing one foot backward) (6). However, if we consider a tennis player sprinting from the baseline to pick up a drop shot, a baseball player reacting to a shallow fly ball, or a basketball player attempting to make a steal, they all initiate forward movement from a variation of the athletic ready position that is characteristic of their respective sport (feet parallel) (8,14). With the exception of a stoppage in play, the chaotic nature of most sports rarely allows an athlete to set his/her position before the initiation of forward movement; therefore, most athletes are forced to accelerate from a variation of this parallel foot position. From this parallel stance, an athlete may choose to initiate movement via a repositioning of their center of mass (lean and step forward - parallel start) or their feet (step backward - false start). Intuitively, the use of a backward step to accelerate forward seems counterproductive and has led to the belief that an athlete should eliminate this unnecessary movement to produce a more time-efficient start (6). However, if the time taken to achieve the backward step does not exceed the time required to shift the center of mass forward, then perhaps the false step is not counterproductive and an athlete may see a performance benefit by employing a backward step to initiate forward movement. Comparing the parallel and false starts, Kraan et al. (9) found that stepping backward resulted in significantly greater horizontal force and power production at push off via a contribution from the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). This result led the investigators to conclude that the fastest start achieved from a standing position was in fact one that allows a paradoxical step backward; however, this was stated without any empirical support from sprint times over set distances. Consequently, it remains unclear as to whether there are performance benefits from this increased force production, what the minimal sprint distance is to exploit these benefits, and how long can they be maintained. Therefore, the primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the movement (0 m), 2. 5 m, and 5 m times between standing starts employing a step forward and a step backward to initiate movement.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: As a result, more of the electrons captured by TIE-1 went towards the specific production of n-butanol – increasing the electron yield of the biofuel without a need to increase the cell’s electricity consumption significantly. : Sean Garcia, in St. Away from Today, even as the call to end our reliance on fossil fuels and unsustainable plastics grow increasingly urgent, humanity’s use of these hydrocarbons continues to grow. Through their studies, and her team have now shown how microbial electrosynthesis could be exploited to address these issues – producing both sustainable biofuels and bioplastics through TIE-1-driven CO2 fixation. Alongside its sustainability, the widespread use of biodegradable PHB is highly desired in medical applications – with a biocompatibility that makes it suitable for procedures including drug delivery and reconstructive surgery. Industrial-scale manufacturing of bioplastics and biofuels using microbial electrosynthesis can be achieved using the electricity produced by solar panels – creating a fully sustainable cycle. Ultimately, by exploiting a microbial metabolism that evolved in the distant past, and her team now hope that new methods will emerge that can address some of the most pressing problems of our time. E-book the researchers Arpita BoseDepartment of Biologyin studies the mechanisms that microbes use to survive, and how they can be exploited to address issues related to energy production, pollution, and sustainability. After completing her PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana, she worked as a research associate at institutions including MIT and Harvard University, before founding her own lab at in in 2015. In her world-leading research, aims to engineer microbial systems for the sustainable production biochemicals and bioenergy, and to tackle issues including the treatment of contaminated water and soil. She also aims to learn more about how microbial phenomena shape our planet, and possibly others. E: abose@wustl. eduW: Tahina RanaivoarisoaDepartment of Biologyin joined the laboratory of in 2015 and is now the laboratory manager. Prior to the role, he was a at the Ambatovy mining project in Madagascar, which he joined after completing his Masters’ degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Louis in 2009.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: Neergheen-dela Cruz, T, et al. Bio-diversity, drug discovery, and the future of global health: Introducing the biodiversity to biomedi-cine consortium, a call to action. J [Internet]. 2017 Dec [cited 2021 Jun 29];(7)2:020304. Available from: doi: Economic reasons for conserving wild nature. Science. 2002 Aug 09; (297)5583:950-953 DOI: 10. 1126/science. 107394734. Open Data. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2010 US$) [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 29]. Available from: BLS. 2020. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Product [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. . International experiences with green GDP [Internet]. Statistics Norway. 2006. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: ISSN 0806-205637. Talbarth J, Webb, J. Genuine progress indicator [Internet]. Series. 2014. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from:. For the common good: redirecting the economy toward community, the environment, and a sustainable future. Boston: Beacon Press; 2012. 39. . Beyond GDP: Measuring and achieving global genuine progress [Internet]. EcolEcon. 93(5):57-68. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: Almond, R, Grooten M. , Petersen, T. (Eds). Living planet report 2020 - Bending the curve of biodiversity loss [Internet]. Gland, Switzerland, WWF. 2020. [cited 2021 Jun 29]. Available from: OECD. [Internet]. 2021. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. CASSE. [Internet]. Center for the Advancement of the Economy. 2021. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Kenton, Will. Steady-[Internet]. Investopedia. 2020. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Raworth, K Doughnut economics : seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist [Internet]. London: House; 2017. 45. Hardner, J, Rice R. Rethinking green consumerism. SciAm. 2002 May. 287:89-95. 46. . Conservation agreements as a tool to generate direct incentives for biodiversity conservation. Biodiversity.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: Approach to the movement from a standing position is initiated in one of two ways: by rotating the body about the ankle joint or by taking a step backward (6). To assess the effect that either starting strategy has on sprinting performance, athletic men from various sporting backgrounds performed three 5-m sprints employing three different standing starts. An audio cue was used to initiate movement and trigger the timing system with the aim of capturing sprint times at the 0-, 2. 5-, and 5-m lines. A between-start comparison was conducted for each distance recorded, including or excluding the time taken to the first gate. Subjects Twenty-seven men of an athletic background volunteered to participate in this study. Each individual cited previous involvement in an organized running-related sport; however, no one competed at the national level. They were 22. 1 ± 2. 9 years of age, 180. 1 ± 6. 6 cm tall, and weighed 76. 1 ± 7. 7 kg. The investigation was approved by the human ethics committee of University, and all participants gave their informed consent before data collection. The three standing starts employed for the purpose of this investigation are shown in Figure 1. The false start began with participants placing both feet directly behind the starting line. On the audio command, the first movement was a step backward with the right foot. Subjects were permitted to raise their left foot as the right went back, permitting that the first step forward was also with the right foot. This protocol was used to maintain consistency between all starting styles. The parallel start began in the same manner as the false start (both feet directly behind the starting line), but on the audio command, participants were required to adopt a technique in which they rotated their bodies about the ankle joints, shifting their center of mass forward, to allow the first step to be forward with the right foot. No movement backward with either foot was permitted. A split stance starting posture was used as a control condition to allow comparisons with the false start to be made, as it involved a similar displacement of the support area before the commencement of forward movement. All starts required that the subject be absolutely still before the sounding of the audio buzzer. Figure 1: (A) Starting position of parallel and false start. (B) Starting position of split start and representative of the backward step for the false start. (C) First forward step for all each start.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineers have developed synthetic organisms that can produce pharmaceuticals or biofuels from simple sugars. [SEP] Text: His roles in Dr Bose’s lab include designing and directing experiments involving Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 to produce bioplastics and biofuels. Alongside these roles, Ranaivoarisoa is responsible for training students on laboratory techniques. E: ranaivoarisoao@wustl. eduW: Rajesh SinghDepartment of Biologyin joined the laboratory of in 2016 as a postdoctoral research associate and is now a staff scientist. His research centres around investigating microbial diversity in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and studying how these microbes shape the ecology and environment. received his PhD from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio where he studied mineral/metal-microbe interactions, highlighting the potential implications of microbes in metal bioremediation. In the Bose lab, he is responsible for designing and conducting geomicrobiological experiments using freshwater and marine phototrophs to bring new insights on their role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements such as iron and carbon. E: rsingh24@wustl. eduW: Karthikeyan RengasamyDepartment of Biologyin is a staff scientist in the Bose lab. He received his PhD in microbial electrochemical technology from the in India. He has acquired experience in the characterisation of electroactive biofilms using various electrochemical analytical techniques to understand microbial electron transfer. Currently, is working on various novel aspects of photosensitive microbes with charged electrodes. His research focuses on understanding electromicrobiology under different environments including light, dark, fresh water, sea water and various wetland soils. E: karthikeyanrengasamy@wustl. edu joined the Bose lab in 2015 as a research assistant. She received her PhD in Energy, Environment & Chemical engineering from in St. Louis in 2020. Her research in the Bose lab focused on investigating the possibility of using sustainable and naturally abundant resources to synthesise carbon-neutral biofuels with a purple non-sulfur bacterium. She also developed novel genetic engineering tools with high efficiency and accuracy. Currently, is a scientist at Amyris. Inc, working on designing and constructing genetically modified yeast for target molecule production from sustainable resources using metabolic engineering techniques. E: bai@amyris.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: of Mojavset for offset siting in the To demonstrate Mojavset, we evaluated proposed solar projects in the region, as defined by Goudey and Smith [30] (Fig 1). This test case is purely a demonstration; future offset planning and analyses should be vetted through the appropriate processes and channels, with official data, species priorities, and offset requirements. Mojave ecological subsection is a 1. 27 million hectare region in the western region of the DRECP boundary (Fig 1). The region is more populated than other areas within the DRECP planning region, and contains the cities of Lancaster, Palmdale, and Barstow, among others. Local land use authority is divided among three county planning agencies, multiple urban incorporated areas, and state and federal agencies. Much of the region is modified from natural condition by human action, and a high proportion of the area is within Stoms et al. ’s ecologically “highly degraded condition” class [5]. The area still contains a high level of native biodiversity, however, and the juxtaposition of a high concentration of proposed solar projects and numerous species covered under the or listed as sensitive or of special concern [31], makes this a particularly interesting and potentially useful study area to test Mojavset. Proposed utility scale solar projects maintains information detailing the location and size of existing and proposed utility scale (>1MW) solar facilities ( We queried this database to determine the location and size of potential facilities for our offset analysis and demonstration. 71 USSED projects are proposed within the ecological subsection, with an estimated total capacity of just less than 3500 MW of power and covering 15,331 ha (Table 1, Fig 3). Proposed projects are still in the planning and permitting phases, and actual project boundaries were not available at the time of this study. To approximate their footprint we created circular impact sites with area equal to the reported area, centered on the reported coordinates. This approximation likely captures the scale of impacts from the proposed projects, but will not represent the final impacts with the accuracy required for mitigation. Furthermore, our footprint approximation will not fully represent the actual cumulative impacts of all aspects of USSED activities [1, 2, 32]. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 3. Proposed solar development sites. ecological subsection with species richness and proposed utility scale solar development locations.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: pairs of dual-beam infrared timing lights () with a beam height of 0. 6 and 0. 9 m from the ground (Figure 1) were positioned 0, 2. 5, and 5 m from the start line. The starting line was located 0. 5 m behind the first timing light to prevent any extraneous movement from prematurely breaking the beams (7). measuring height and weight and signing the informed consent, participants completed a general warm-up consisting of 10 minutes of light jogging and dynamic stretching. They were then familiarized with the three starting styles that were to be used during the investigation and asked to perform five submaximal 5-m sprints progressing in intensity from 50% to 90% maximal effort with a self-selected starting style. All sprints were performed indoors on a rubberized surface and required participants to wear an athletic running shoe. Kraan et al. (9) stated that initiating forward movement with a backward step is instinctive for up to 95% of individuals; therefore, to ensure that participants were adopting their natural backward step and to avoid any influence of the parallel start, the first sprinting style used for all participants was the false start. The order of the two remaining starting styles (parallel and split) was randomized for all participants. Each subject was required to perform a minimum of three 5-m maximal effort sprints for each starting style with the last two being recorded for analyses. Approximately 90 seconds' rest was given between each trial and 3 minutes' rest between each starting style. If the trial was not completed according to the descriptions outlined above or if the participant attempted to anticipate the starting buzzer, then an additional trial was completed after a subsequent 90 seconds of rest. All trials were initiated with a buzzer (Equipment) that also commenced the timing gates. This was used as a means of capturing the reaction and movement times before crossing the first timing gate. Means and standard deviations are used throughout as measures of centrality and spread of data. Within-subject reliability of the sprint times (0, 2. 5, and 5 m) for each starting style was evaluated using coefficients of variation (CV). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to identify relationships among the different starts. A two-factor (distance × start) repeated-measures ANOVA with Holm-Sidak post hoc comparisons was used to determine significant differences among conditions. Statistical significance for all tests was set at an α level of 0.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: CRISPR is a widely used tool in synthetic biology for editing the DNA of organisms with precision. [SEP] Text: group established aCas9 gene editing system in human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSPCs) which allowed for long-term CCR5 ablation. Mice transplanted with these CCR5-deleted HSPCs exhibited lasting HIV-1 resistance in vivo [19]. Another study found editing of co-receptors CCR5 and CXCR4 by -Cas9 to protect CD4+ T cells from HIV-1 infection in vitro [20]. Although another group was able to successfully transplant and achieve long-term engraftment of -edited HSPCs into a patient, they were only able to disrupt 5% of CCR5 function. This unexpected result hinted at unanticipated factors in in vivo editing, thus halting the study for fear of harm to patient health [21, 22]. Despite the lack of complete understanding of the CCR5 gene and incomplete pre-clinical testing proving CCR5 gene manipulation to be benign, some have already jumped ahead to human genome manipulation. Last year, Jiankui He, a researcher at the of Science and Technology in Guandong, China announced the birth of twins whose genomes he had manipulated by -Cas9 to have non-functional CCR5. This editing was made in an effort to protect the infants against HIV infection. This unregulated experiment immediately generated massive concern over the moral impact of this human experiment and earned universal condemnation for advancing to human experimentation without adequate safety precautions and assessments. While the use of -Cas9 technology as a eugenics tool is morally confounding and difficult to justify given the human health, evolution, and social equality implications; it is naïve to say that -Cas9 will not be used by futures parents and scientist to give an advantageous foundation to their children. Thus, the best course of action that global summits on genome editing can produce are exact allowances and restrictions for genome editing and specific punishments for both the researcher and the local/federal governments responsible for enforcing regulations. Inherited disease caused by specific point mutations may be the most realistic targets for germline alternation. For instance, correcting the point mutation causing the glutamine to valine mutation in sickle cell disease could free future generation from the constant threat of pain crises and eliminate the risk of acute chest and stroke that often claim these patients’ lives.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: By understanding the importance of biodiversity, implementing sustainable conservation practices, and recognizing its role as a human life savior, we can work towards a harmonious coexistence with the diverse life forms that share our planet. It is our collective responsibility to protect and preserve the intricate web of life that sustains us all. In the intricate tapestry of Earth's ecosystems, our journey through recent advancements in biodiversity conservation reveals a promising landscape where technology, sustainability, and a shared commitment to coexistence intertwine. The quest to unveil the marvels of biodiversity has taken us through the realms of artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and genetic technologies, showcasing their transformative potential in safeguarding our planet's rich biological heritage. As we navigate the complexities of conservation, it becomes evident that a multidimensional approach is essential. Technological innovations, from AI-driven solutions to the precision of remote sensing, offer unprecedented tools for monitoring and protecting biodiversity. Yet, these tools must be wielded with responsibility, guided by sustainable practices, community engagement, and a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of all living organisms. 45–47 Sustainability emerges as a guiding principle, with a focus on preserving critical habitats and fostering partnerships with local communities. The intricate balance of biodiversity requires a holistic strategy that transcends species-specific interventions, safeguarding entire ecosystems and ensuring the well-being of both nature and humanity. In the face of climate change, biodiversity proves to be not only a victim but a key player in mitigation efforts. The carbon-sequestering capacities of diverse ecosystems underscore their vital role in stabilizing our planet's climate. Simultaneously, the intrinsic value of biodiversity becomes apparent in its contributions to medicinal discoveries and global food security, reinforcing its status as a life savior for humanity. biodiversity plays a multifaceted and indispensable role in ensuring global food security. Through diverse examples and statistics, it's evident that biodiversity contributes significantly to agricultural productivity, resilience, and nutritional diversity. Pollinator biodiversity enhances crop yields, agroforestry systems improve soil fertility and water retention, genetic diversity in crop breeding develops stress-resistant varieties, and sustainable fisheries maintain marine ecosystems and livelihoods. Additionally, crop and livestock diversification strategies, coupled with traditional knowledge and sustainable practices, bolster food availability and resilience. It beckons us to witness the beauty, understand the importance, and actively participate in the conservation of Earth's diverse and interconnected web of life.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: 05. ANOVAs and Pearson correlations were analyzed with SigmaStat 3. 1 (Inc. , Richmond, CA). inter-trial variability for each starting style is shown in Table 1. Greatest variation in the times (CV 6. 24-8. 71%) was observed from the beginning of the audio cue to the first light. Less variation was noted as the distance from the starting line increased and reaction time became less influential on total time. Table 1: Coefficient of variation (%) based on sprint times for each starting style at each distance. No significant differences in time taken to the first timing gate were observed between the false and parallel starting styles, although both starts took significantly longer than the split start (see Table 2). At 2. 5 and 5 m, there were significant differences among all starts, as initiating forward movement with a backward step was found to be quicker than stepping forward (parallel was 6. 4% slower at 2. 5 m and 5. 3% slower at 5 m compared with the false start). Table 2: Mean (SD) sprint times for each starting style at each distance. When the movement time was removed (time to the first timing gate) and only the time between each successive gate was examined, the false start was not significantly different from the split start at any distance; however, the times were significantly less than for the parallel start for 0-2. 5 and 0-5 m (parallel was 15. 0% slower for 0-2. 5 and 9. 5% slower from 0-5). However, there were no significant differences among any of the starts in the time taken to sprint from 2. 5 to 5 m (see Table 2). Pearson correlations were used to identify the relationship among the various starts at the three distances. As can be observed from the correlation matrix (see Table 3), there were no significant correlations among any start regardless of whether movement time was included (see Table 3). The only significant correlations were found within the starting styles between distances. Table 3: Pearson correlation matrix between starting styles and distances. use of a backward step to accelerate forward has been regarded as an inferior starting style because intuitively it seems counterproductive to an athlete's performance (6). However, this conjecture is based on the assumption that the time required to complete the backward step is greater than that to adjust the position of the center of mass and step forward.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: CRISPR is a widely used tool in synthetic biology for editing the DNA of organisms with precision. [SEP] Text: CrossrefPubMed2015. Modeling of the human alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma Pax3-Foxo1 chromosome translocation in mouse myoblasts using -Cas9 nuclease. PLoS Genet. 11(2): e1004951. CrossrefPubMed2004. Identification of a highly potent and selective DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibitor (NU7441) by screening of chromenone libraries. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 14(24): 6083–6087. CrossrefPubMed2016. Accelerated homology-directed targeted integration of transgenes in Chinese hamster ovary cells viaCas9 and fluorescent enrichment. Biotechnol. Bioeng. Crossref2011. CtIP promotes microhomology-mediated alternative end joining during class-switch recombination. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 18(1): 75–79. CrossrefPubMed2016. A scalable strategy for high-throughput GFP tagging of endogenous human proteins. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. CrossrefPubMed2015. Precise correction of the dystrophin gene in duchenne muscular dystrophy patient induced pluripotent stem cells by TALEN and -Cas9. Rep. 4(1): 143–154. CrossrefPubMed2014. Optimization of genome engineering approaches with theCas9 system. PLoS One, 9(8): e105779. CrossrefPubMed2010. The mechanism of double-strand DNA break repair by the nonhomologous DNA end-joining pathway. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 79: 181–211. CrossrefPubMedWeb of Science2014. Enhanced homology-directed human genome engineering by controlled timing ofCas9 delivery. Elife, 3: e04766. CrossrefPubMed2014. Prevention of muscular dystrophy in mice byCas9-mediated editing of germline DNA. Science, 345(6201): 1184–1188. CrossrefPubMed2014. In vivo engineering of oncogenic chromosomal rearrangements with theCas9 system. Nature, 516(7531): 423–427. CrossrefPubMed2013. RNA-guided human genome engineering via Cas9.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: (Reference Monbiot2014) observes, offsetting reframes the issue of conservation: ‘those who believe they can protect nature by adopting this frame are stepping into a trap their opponents have set’. Here, we identify four ways in which offsetting achieves such a reframing of biodiversity and its conservation and we explore the ways it changes the options for conservation by bringing in and disallowing certain kinds of arguments. Reframing biodiversity conservation Offsetting reframes non-human nature as a score of isolated biodiversity units In offsetting, biodiversity and ecosystems are defined, valued and characterized in terms of quantitative units or credits that are used to represent selected ecosystem attributes and are considered exchangeable across space and time (e. g. DEC, 2006; Defra, 2013). The selection of units of measurement, currencies and rules for exchanges between different sites has proven inherently challenging (Tucker et al. , and Rayment2013). The attempt to design simple and practical offset metrics has often made them highly reductionist (e. g. the simple habitat area ratio based metrics widely used in Germany and the USA, and more sophisticated metrics such as the Hectares offsetting scheme initially developed in Victoria; Tucker et al. , and Rayment2013; IEEP, 2014). In the UK concerns have been raised that the offsetting process will resemble a fast ‘box-ticking exercise’ that is inadequate to assess a site's year-round biodiversity (Kinver, Reference Kinver2013). The creation of offset metrics to represent ecological losses and gains through numerical scores (Environment Bank, 2013a) involves a narrowing of focus to isolated parts of an ecosystem. This narrowing is fundamental to offsetting calculations and reproduces the reductionist myth of simplicity (Levins & Lewontin, and Lewontin1980). This is inherently unsatisfactory and impoverishes both the advance of theory and conservation practice because it traps ecology in reductionist strategies involving a continuous retreat from the study of intrinsically complex systems (Levins & Lewontin, and Lewontin1980). Ecosystems are dialectically composed, dynamic, multi-layered systems that do not form simple mappable units (Boitani et al. , Reference Boitani, Mace and Rondinini2015), and biodiversity is non-interchangeable in terms of type, space and time (Walker et al. , Reference Walker, Brower, Stephens and Lee2009).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: The results from the current investigation provide opposition for this notion as the false and parallel starts achieved near-identical times to the first timing gate (Table 2). In fact, when the distance to be covered was just 3 m (second timing gate), using a backward step reduced the sprint time by 100 ms or 6. 0% (Tables 2 and 3). A 6% reduction in the time to cover a short distance may have a considerable impact on athletic performance when movement time is a critical factor. When an athlete adopts a false starting style by repositioning their base of support, forward movement of the center of mass is either temporarily suspended or slowed until the horizontal impulse generated from the backward step is large enough to elicit forward movement. As a result, the total false start movement time recorded by the first timing gate is composed of reaction time, and positive (forward) and negative (backward) movement time, compared with just reaction time and positive movement time when the parallel start is initiated via a displacement of the center of mass. Therefore, if both starts require the same distance to be traveled to the first gate (50 cm) but do not result in significantly different movement times, as in the current study, then it can be inferred that the use of a backward step resulted in a subsequent increase in the horizontal velocity of the center of mass at the first timing gate (0 m). If the use of a backward step does increase the horizontal velocity of the center of mass at the first timing gate, further improvements to performance should be expected at the second timing gate. This is precisely what was observed; the false start was 90 ms faster (p < 0. 01) between gates 1 and 2 (0-2. 5 m) despite the near-identical times at gate 1 (see Table 2). However, it is assumed that the reaction times for both starts were similar, which may or may not be the case, but was outside the scope of this investigation and is a possible limitation. The significant difference between the false and parallel starts was maintained at the 5-m mark (100 ms or 5. 0%) (see Table 2), but the times between 2. 5 and 5 m were not significantly different (Table 2). This would suggest that any mechanical advantage gained via a step backward is utilized before traveling 2. 5 m, although any reduction in this first 2. 5 m is maintained for the remainder of the sprint. Kraan et al.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: CRISPR is a widely used tool in synthetic biology for editing the DNA of organisms with precision. [SEP] Text: Gene editing in filamentous fungi and oomycetes using -Cas technology Go to 66. Sharpening gene editing toolbox in Arabidopsis for plants Go to 67. Development of a DNA double-strand break-free base editing tool in Corynebacterium glutamicum for genome editing and metabolic engineering Go to 68. Indel locations are determined by template polarity in highly efficient in vivoCas9-mediated HDR in Atlantic salmon Go to 69. Back to Basics: Application of the Principles of Bioethics to to 70. Successful correction of factor V deficiency of patient‐derived iPSCs byCas9‐mediated gene editing Go to 71. /Cas9 gene drive technology to control transmission of vector‐borne parasitic infections Go to 72. Homology-Choice in Response toCas9 Induced-to 73. Zebrafish: A Model to to 74. Strategies in for Go to 75. ‐Cas systems in oral microbiome: From immune defense to physiological regulation Go to 76. Gene therapy and genome editing for primary immunodeficiency diseases Go to 77. Genetic engineering of Hoxb8-immortalized hematopoietic progenitors – a potent tool to study macrophage tissue migration Go to 78. in to 79. New biomarkers and therapeutic strategies in acute lymphoblastic leukemias: Recent advances Go to 80. ofCas9 Technology: Universal or Boosted? Go to 81. Reduced and Factories in Bioprocesses: Towards a Go to 82. Genome Editing: of Research and Application to Go to 83. kr: an easy and efficient strategy for generating conditional knockout of essential genes in cells Go to 84. Strategies for End Joining-Editing in to 85. Diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of leukodystrophies Go to 86. Reading and writing: the evolution of molecular pain genetics Go to 87. for Diseases—Current Standing, Opportunities and to 88. No genome is an island: toward a 21st century agenda for evolution Go to 89. Advances in engineered trans -acting regulatory RNAs and their application in bacterial genome engineering Go to 90. Genome-Editing Technologies: Concept, Pros, and Cons of Various Genome- for Go to 91. /Editing and Breeding in to 92.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: No single surrogate (or even a series of them) can entirely capture biodiversity, since not all biodiversity attributes are measurable, and therefore it is impossible to guarantee that no biodiversity is lost (and thus that Loss is actually achieved; BBOP, 2012b; Bull et al. , Reference Bull, Suttle, Gordon, Singh and Milner-Gulland2013; Gardner et al. , Reference Gardner, von Hase, Brownlie, Ekstrom, Pilgrim and Savy2013). The use of reductionist metrics is common in conservation but the way they are used in offsetting is distinctive in several critical ways. Firstly, offsetting metrics incorporate assumptions about future states of nature, both in terms of future rates of loss (which conservation action can be predicted to slow; Seagle, Reference Seagle2012) and in terms of the potential of ecological restoration. In reframing biodiversity as fully replaceable and re-creatable by human action, offsetting deliberately confuses the state of ecological restoration science and practice with its aspiration. Restoration ecology has advanced greatly in sophistication but it is ‘not a magic bullet that provides instant ecosystems of the desired type’ (Menz et al. , Reference Menz, Dixon and Hobbs2013). Techniques such as the relocation of soils from on the route of the HS2 high-speed train in the UK are at best experimental (HS2, 2013) and many studies have proven that the majority of offsets do not deliver what they promise (e. g. Kettlewell et al. , and Fay2008). Secondly, as a standard procedure, offsetting conflates the state of nature with other factors, for example applying crude multipliers to address issues such as time lags between biodiversity loss and future gain in an offset site (Eftec, IEEP et al. , 2010; HS2, 2013), or the distance between the development and offset sites (IEEP, 2014). Such calculations raise fundamental problems of incommensurability because such issues cannot possibly be adequately addressed by simply increasing the number of credits required to offset the damage caused in a development site. Thirdly, the crude reductionism of offsetting metrics is not a technical issue that more scientific data can resolve. On the contrary, it is a defining characteristic of the offsetting logic itself.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: (9) reported that the use of a backward step allowed for the generation of greater force and power at push off, and the results from this study suggest that this additional force may be partly responsible for the superior sprint performance over 5 m. Further investigation into the kinetics and kinematics associated with the first few steps may provide additional insight into the mechanical advantages associated with a backward step. The split start served as a control condition for the current study because it allowed each participant to displace his support area to a position behind their center of mass before the initiation of forward movement. This start allowed for a horizontal impulse to be generated immediately after the starting cue, without having to displace the center of mass or take a step backward, therefore reducing the movement time to the first gate (see Table 2). However, with the exception of a stoppage in play, athletes will rarely find themselves with an opportunity to adopt this starting posture (6), consequently reducing its practical significance. Furthermore, Kraan et al. (9) found the split start to be less effective than the false start in terms of generating horizontal force and power at push off, perhaps because of the absence of a SSC action. Although the split start was significantly faster than both other starts to each timing gate, the difference between it and the false start was a result of a reduction in movement time to reach the first gate (see Table 2). When the initial movement time was removed from the sprint performance over 5 m, only 30 ms separated the false from the split starting style (p > 0. 05). Surprisingly, there seems to be no relationship in sprinting performance among any of the three starting styles even over a short distance such as 5 m (see Table 3). These findings imply that each starting style is characterized by its own specific kinetic and kinematic demands (i. e. , technique and strength/power characteristics). Therefore, if the false start is viewed as the optimal starting style for an athlete's respective sport, then the kinetics and kinematics of the backward step need to be analyzed and subsequently enhanced for sprint performance and thus for athletic performance to improve. Using the SSC has shown to improve performance compared with concentric-only movements (2-5,9); therefore, with proper training, the false start may have the potential to result in superior sprint performance to the split start over certain distances, although this contention requires additional investigation.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: CRISPR is a widely used tool in synthetic biology for editing the DNA of organisms with precision. [SEP] Text: Javascript is disabled in your browser. Please enable Javascript to view PeerJ. Related research -genome editing in human iPSCs with -CAS9 by co-targeting ATP1a1 View 10. 7717/peerj. 9060 Published 2020-05-01 Accepted 2020-04-04 Received 2020-02-17 iPSCs, Genome editing, ATP1A1, Stem cells, Disease models Copyright © 2020 Liu et al. is an open access 2020. Enhanced genome editing in human iPSCs with -CAS9 by co-targeting ATP1a1. PeerJ 8:e9060 The authors have chosen to make the review history of this 1. The introduced mutation confers resistance to cardiac glycosides, which can then be used to select successfully targeted cells. Using this system, we introduced different formats of donor DNA for homology-directed repair (HDR), including single-strand DNAs, double-strand DNAs, and plasmid donors. We achieved a 35-fold increase in HDR when using plasmid donor with a 400 bp repair template. We further co-targeted ATP1A1 and a second locus of interest to determine the enrichment of mutagenesis after cardiac glycoside selection. Through this approach, INDEL rate was increased after cardiac glycoside treatment, while HDR enrichment was only observed at certain loci. Collectively, these results suggest that a plasmid donor with a 400 bp repair template is an optimal donor DNA for targeted substitution and co-targeting ATP1A1 with the second locus enriches for mutagenesis events through cardiac glycoside selection in human iPSCs. genome editing technology provides researchers with a powerful tool to investigate the function of genes in nearly any species. By using programmable nucleases to cut the genome, researchers can mutate or correct the genes of interest for further investigation. Although there are still concerns about safety issues, such technologies may pave the way to develop new therapies for cancer treatment or genetic diseases (Cornu, Mussolino & Cathomen, 2017; Fu et al. , 2013; Hsu et al. , 2013; Ihry et al. , 2018; Pattanayak et al. , 2013).

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: The promise of offsetting to resolve the longstanding conflicts between economic development and conservation (Bull & Brownlie, and Brownlie2016) reproduces the classic ‘win–win’ scenario of sustainable development and depends significantly on the reductionism of its metrics. Offsetting is useful precisely because the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its methodologies make the quantification of losses and gains in planning more straightforward, less costly and less time consuming than alternative approaches (e. g. Defra, 2013). The purpose of offsetting is not conservation as such, but to ‘give greater certainty for businesses’ in their development planning (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, p. 4). Current international best practice in offsetting (Gordon et al. , Reference Gordon, Bull, Wilcox and Maron2015) is represented by the Business and Programme launched by Forest Trends, an organization created to promote market-based approaches to conservation and bridge ‘traditional divides’ between industry, donors and environmental groups (Forest Trends, 2015). Ecosystems are sliced into biodiversity units precisely to simplify the measurement of development impacts, and these units are purposefully separated from their ecological context through functional and spatial abstraction (Robertson, Reference Robertson2004; Sullivan, Reference Sullivan2013a; see also Bumpus & Liverman, and Liverman2008, about carbon offsets) to become equivalent and thus to allow their exchange across space and time. Interestingly, Robertson (Reference Robertson2006, p. 384) notes that the ‘rapid assessment methods’ that are currently used in wetland mitigation banking in the USA are the descendants of much more complex rapid assessment methods developed in the early 1980s, when wetland banking was performed only non-commercially. Offsetting therefore champions mechanistic reductionism to quantify biodiversity in a way that makes it possible to speak about it ‘in business terms’ (Baker, Reference Baker2014) and make non-human nature something ‘that capital can see’ (Robertson, Reference Robertson2006). Offsetting removes the place specificity of nature In its representation of non-human nature as biodiversity units, offsetting explicitly reframes the links between biodiversity, conservation and place at the most fundamental level by reworking nature's specific relation to place. Location is critical to biodiversity both in biogeographical terms (biodiversity reflects the geophysical context; Comer et al.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: While comparing the first step kinetics associated with stepping backward or forward, Kraan et al. (9) found that 95% of the sprint trials completed, independent of the starting style that the athlete was instructed to use, were performed with a backward step. This finding provides support for the argument that displacing the support area and taking a step backward is instinctive to most athletes, whereas a great deal of practice may be required to perfect a forward step. Similar results were seen during the present study, although the percentage of trials performed incorrectly was not recorded. Despite the fact that it may be instinctive, it would be interesting to conduct a longitudinal study that looked at the performance of a parallel start with sufficient practice. Would performance improve? Would movement time and the subsequent 2. 5- and 5-m times remain inferior to the false start? Conversely, are the benefits associated with the false start attributable to the positioning of the support area behind the center of mass and the SSC? The results from this study failed to justify the elimination of a backward step to accelerate forward. In fact, they provide clear support for the use of this paradoxical movement to improve sprint performance over distances as short as 2. 5 m. If an athlete is able to travel 50 cm just as quickly with a step backward but can also improve his horizontal velocity and therefore any subsequent sprint time, is there any practical application for using a parallel start? The results from the current investigation suggest that if the distance to be traveled in a straight line is greater than 0. 5 m, there may not be any advantage to using a forward step; however, the degree of transference to performance over longer distances and different surfaces remains unclear. The findings from this study may have been different had each participant been well trained with the parallel start, but it is possible that the superior performance is a result of the mechanical advantages associated with shifting the support area vs. the center of mass. With a parallel start, the center of mass must be repositioned in front of the feet before a horizontal force can be developed. This delay, in combination with the absence of a SSC action, may not be conducive to improving an athlete's acceleration over short distances, thus resulting in an increased movement time. If an athlete were able to stop play and set their position, then perhaps a split start could result in superior performance.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: CRISPR is a widely used tool in synthetic biology for editing the DNA of organisms with precision. [SEP] Text: The most widely used technologies to introduce double-strand breaks (DSBs) are zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and the RNA-guided cluster regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas9 (-Cas9) system (Joung & Sander, 2013; Sander & Joung, 2014; Urnov et al. , 2010). ZFNs and TALENs link endonuclease catalytic domains to DNA-binding proteins to generate DSBs. Alternatively, the -Cas9 system uses small guide RNAs that are paired with target DNA to induce DSBs by Cas9. -Cas9 appears to be more flexible, efficient, and easier to design, when compared to the other two systems (Gaj, Gersbach & Barbas 3rd, 2013). Generating DSBs at the target site activates two primary endogenous DNA repair mechanisms in mammalian cells (Valerie & Povirk, 2003). The most frequent repair pathway is non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which is based on the direct ligation of two DNA ends without the need for a homologous template (Kanaar, Hoeijmakers & Van Gent, 1998). This error-prone mechanism can create an insertion or deletion of bases in the genome (INDEL), which may disrupt gene expression by introducing frameshift mutations. This methodology has been an important tool for deleting genes of interest across many species (Bapteste & Philippe, 2002; Belinky, Cohen & Huchon, 2010; Luan et al. , 2013). Homology-directed repair (HDR) is a more precise mechanism that is based on DNA recombination between genomic DNA and the homologous template (Johnson & Jasin, 2001). HDR allows the genomic sequences to be modified based on the introduced repair template. Utilizing HDR machinery for genome editing provides advantages for genome engineering due to the accuracy and predictable nature of the mutation. Numerous studies have applied this genome editing strategy to therapeutic approaches (Deverman et al. , 2018; Shim et al. , 2017; WareJoncas et al. , 2018).

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: , and Heller2015) and in cultural terms (biodiversity in situ reflects historical human management or impact, and is reflected in extant cultural values). Estimations of conservation value have long recognized the importance of history, culture and place in conservation sites (e. g. criteria of typicality, recorded history, position in an ecological or geographical unit, and intrinsic appeal; Ratcliffe, Reference Ratcliffe1977). In offsetting, the biological and social characteristics of places are treated only as representative of a standard category that can be replicated in the offset site (for example the Australian government argues that offsets can in some circumstances also compensate for adverse impacts on heritage values; Commonwealth of Australia, 2012). Thus although the need to consider the cultural or social values of biodiversity is often recognized by the advocates of offsetting (e. g. DEC, 2006; BBOP, 2012a), such factors are typically absent in technical debates. The abstracted biodiversity units used in offset metrics (e. g. Tucker et al. , and Rayment2013) take no account of the cultural or historical importance of place and the social ties between communities and particular habitats and ecosystems. This is not, however, just a technical limitation of the metrics in use but rather a consequence of the way the core logic of offsetting reframes nature's place. By denying social history to landscapes, offsetting promotes a techno-managerial vision for conservation (Adams, Reference Adams2015; c. f. Asafu-Adjaye et al. , Reference Asafu-Adjaye, Blomqvist, Brand, Brook, de Fries and Ellis2015) and frames the latter within a ‘flat world’ (Friedman, Reference Friedman2005), where exchanges of ecological losses and gains can be separated from their ecological, cultural, socio-economic and political context. Offsetting often involves a notional trade with offset sites far from the development sites (e. g. Robertson, Reference Robertson2000; see also the EU discussion on offset trades across national borders; European Commission, 2013). In the process, cultural engagements with place are disrupted or lost, and public access to conservation sites, biodiversity and more generally to green spaces may be changed (lost in one place, gained somewhere else) or restricted (e. g. if an accessible habitat is replaced with one under strict protection; Seagle, Reference Seagle2012).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: If this is not the case and they are starting from a parallel stance variation, then the next best way to initiate forward movement is with a step in the opposite direction. 1. Baker, D and Nance, S. The relation between running speed and measures of strength and power in professional rugby league players. J Res 13: 230-235, 1999. | Text | CrossRef 2. Bobbert, MF. Dependence of human squat jump performance on the series elastic compliance of the triceps surae: a simulation study. J 204: 533-542, 2001. | PubMed 3. Bobbert, MF and Casius, LJR. Is the effect of a countermovement on jump height due to active state development? 37: 440-446, 2005. | Text | PubMed | CrossRef 4. and Ruder, H. Contribution of muscle series elasticity to maximum performance in drop jumping. J 22: 3-13, 2006. | PubMed | CrossRef 5. and Luhtahen, P. The combined effect of elastic energy and myoelectrical potentiation during stretch shortening cycle exercise. Scand 114: 557-565, 1982. | PubMed | CrossRef 6. Brown, TD and Vescovi, JD. Is stepping back really counterproductive? J 26: 42-44, 2004. | Text | CrossRef 7. and Hooper, SL. The reliability of ten meter sprint time using different starting techniques. J Res 20: 246-251, 2006. 8. and Hewett, TE. Gender differences in the kinematics of unanticipated cutting in young athletes. 37: 124-129, 2005. | Text | PubMed | CrossRef 9. and Storm, J. Starting from standing: why step backwards? J Biomech 34: 211-215, 2001. 10. Mero, A and Komi, PV. Reaction time and electromyographic activity during a sprint start. 61: 73-80, 1990. | PubMed | CrossRef 11. and Komi, PV. Effects of muscle-tendon length on joint moment and power during sprint starts. J 24: 165-173, 2006. 12. Mero, A, Luhtanen, P, and Komi, P. A biomechanical study of the sprint start. 5: 20-28, 1983. 13. and Coutts, AJ. Kinematic determinants of early acceleration in field sport athletes.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: CRISPR is a widely used tool in synthetic biology for editing the DNA of organisms with precision. [SEP] Text: In order to generate the amino-acid substitution allele, we designed a 153 single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODN) with the sequences that replace glutamine with arginine at position 118 and asparagine with aspartic acid at position 129 (Fig. 1A). After transfecting both sp-Cas9-gRNA (px459-ATP1A1-intron4) and donor template into the cells and treating these cells with a high dose of digoxin, we collected the surviving clones for genotyping (Fig. 1B). Using primers outside the targeted homology arms to perform PCR (out-out PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, we observed that all the cells that were resistant to digoxin or ouabain were successfully repaired through HDR, and both heterozygous and homozygous mutations were identified (Fig. 2A). The genotype was confirmed by genomic sequencing. In order to determine the optimum dosage of digoxin and ouabain, we performed a dose–response assay of both drugs on wild-type and ATP1A1 homozygous mutant iPSCs. We effectively eliminated all wild-type iPSCs at 1 µM after 72 h of exposure. In contrast to the parental iPSCs, homozygous ATP1A1 mutant iPSCs survived in the presence of either drug and were indistinguishable from untreated cells (Figs. 2B–2F). These results demonstrate that cardiac glycosides can be used to effectively identify HDR-driven mutations at the endogenous ATP1A1 locus. Figure 1: Design ofCas9 targeting ATP1A1. (A) The design of ATP1A1 guide RNA and single-stranded oligonucleotide (ssODN) donor. Guide RNA was designed to target intron 4 of the ATP1A1 gene. The expected cut site is 3–4′ nucleotides upstream of the Motif (PAM) sequence and 20 nucleotides downstream of the exon 4 region. The donor template was designed to introduce nucleotide substitutions that result in the replacement of Glutamine with Arginine (Q118R) and Asparagine with Aspartic acid (N129D). The EcoRI cut site was introduced to allow identification of positive clones.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Biodiversity offsetting aims to balance development with conservation efforts. [SEP] Text: Under the surface of an apparently technical process to calculate equivalence, offsetting in fact establishes a new policy frame that has the potential to create outcomes that are socially and spatially uneven (as there are always specific winners and losers to such exchanges of environmental goods and bads; e. g. Ruhl & Salzman, and Salzman2006; Sullivan, Reference Sullivan2013a). Even though offset metrics may calculate the importance of the places lost only in terms of ecological units, they do so by portraying nature as external to society and by ignoring any links between people and nature, the result is a total remaking of places (both in the development and the offset sites) in a way that reflects an increasing social reproduction of non-human nature driven by specific corporative interests and not by concerns over socio-environmental and spatial justice. Offsetting reframes conservation as an exchange of credits Biodiversity offsetting is a part of the fundamental shift in the way we think about non-human nature towards the economic valuation of ecosystem services and natural capital (Sukhdev et al. , Reference Sukhdev, Wittmer, Miller, Helm and Hepburn2014; c. f. on Natural Capital, 2015). In the language of offsetting, pre-existing conservation sites are reframed as territories providing ecosystem services (ten Kate et al. , Reference ten Kate, Bishop and Bayon2004) and ecological credits are framed as products owned by prospective ‘sellers’ who are in turn advised how to know better the ‘value’ of their product when selling it to prospective ‘buyers’ (Roberts & Waage, and Waage2007). Conservation activities are thus becoming part of confidential commercial transactions over land for the creation of offset sites (Agreements, Ecosystem Marketplace, 2015). While the translation of nature from the scientific language of ecosystems into the financial language of capital is generic, reflecting the wider shift towards neoliberal approaches to conservation (Büscher et al. , Reference Büscher, Sullivan, Neves, Igoe and Brockington2012; Apostolopoulou & Adams, and Adams2015), offsetting is quite specific in its dependence on a market-based frame for conservation. Offsetting reframes conservation action as an exchange of ecological credits, where numerical scores that are considered equivalent in both ecological and monetary terms represent nature lost, saved or recreated.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Microclimates can create variations in weather over short distances. [SEP] Text: for the Bulletin of the of of Atmospheric and Journal of of of Journal of the and Forecasting Weather, Climate, and in Sign up Sign in Sign up for the Bulletin of the of of Atmospheric and Journal of of of Journal of the and Forecasting Weather, Climate, and 1. Introduction2. Precipitation dataset and mean3. The diurnal precipitation cycle and its phase propagation4. Discussion on diurnal propagation and nocturnal precipitation peaks5. Conclusions 850. Bonner, W. D. , 1968: Climatology of the low-level jet. Mon. Wea. Rev. , 96, 833– 850. )| falseSearch 4146. Carbone, R. E. , and J. D. Tuttle 2008: Rainfall occurrence in the U. S. warm season: The diurnal cycle. J. Climate, 21, 4132– 4146. )| falseSearch 2056. Carbone, R. E. , J. D. Tuttle D. Ahijevych and S. B. Trier 2002: Inferences of predictability associated with warm season precipitation episodes. J. Atmos. Sci. , 59, 2033– 2056. )| falseSearch 3103. doi:10. 1029/2008JD011103. Chen, G. , W. Sha and T. Iwasaki 2009: Diurnal variation of precipitation over southeastern China: Spatial distribution and its seasonality. J. Geophys. Res. , 114, D13103. doi:10. 1029/2008JD011103. )| falseSearch 6402. Dai, A. , F. Giorgi and K. E. Trenberth 1999: Observed and model simulated precipitation diurnal cycle over the contiguous United States. J. Geophys. Res. , 104, 6377– 6402. )| falseSearch 744. Dai, A. , X. Lin and K-L. Hsu 2007: The frequency, intensity, and diurnal cycle of precipitation in surface and satellite observations over low- and mid-latitudes. Climate Dyn. , 29, 727– 744. )| falseSearch 507. Higgins, R. W. , Y. Yao E. S. Yarosh J. E. Janowiak and K. C.

Output: pass