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Xylanases from thermophilic fungi have a wide range of commercial applications in the bioconversion of lignocellulosic materials and biobleaching in the pulp and paper industry. In this study, an endoxylanase from the thermophilic fungus Rasamsonia composticola(XylRc) was produced using waste wheat bran and pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSB) in solid-state fermentation. The enzyme was purified, biochemically characterized, and used for the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse. XylRc was purified 30.6-fold with a 22% yield. The analysis using sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a molecular weight of 53 kDa, with optimal temperature and pH values of 80 °C and 5.5, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography suggests that the enzyme is an endoxylanase and belongs to the glycoside hydrolase 10 family. The enzyme was stimulated by the presence of K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Co2+and remained stable in the presence of the surfactant Triton X-100. XylRc was also stimulated by organic solvents butanol (113%), ethanol (175%), isopropanol (176%), and acetone (185%). The Kmand Vmaxvalues for oat spelt and birchwood xylan were 6.7 ± 0.7 mg/mL, 2.3 ± 0.59 mg/mL, 446.7 ± 12.7 µmol/min/mg, and 173.7 ± 6.5 µmol/min/mg, respectively. XylRc was unaffected by different phenolic compounds: ferulic, tannic, cinnamic, benzoic, and coumaric acids at concentrations of 2.5–10 mg/mL. The results of saccharification of PSB showed that supplementation of a commercial enzymatic cocktail (Cellic® CTec2) with XylRc (1:1 w/v) led to an increase in the degree of synergism (DS) in total reducing sugar (1.28) and glucose released (1.05) compared to the control (Cellic® HTec2). In summary, XylRc demonstrated significant potential for applications in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis, making it an attractive alternative for producing xylooligosaccharides and xylose, which can serve as precursors for biofuel production.

The expense of cellulase enzymes is the main barrier to the enzymatic saccharification of biomass. Numerous tactics, such as the utilizing inexpensive lignocellulosic substrates as well as economically feasible fermentation techniques for the production of the enzyme may reduce the cost of cellulases. The present investigation was aimed to improve cellulase production employing potential cellulolytic soil fungi, Aspergillus stellatusNFCCI 5299 using wheat bran as substrate. Employing response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD), the most efficient process parameters were determined. The ideal conditions for the synthesis of carboxy methyl cellulase (CMCase) and filter paper cellulase activity (FPase) were 6 days of incubation, inoculum size of 4 mycelial disc, 125 rpm of agitation, and 3.5% of wheat bran. The significant mycelial development and enzymatic digestion of wheat bran were discovered by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The findings suggested that it can be practicable to use wheat bran as substrate under submerged fermentation utilizing AspergillusstellatusNFCCI 5299 for efficient cellulase production.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a growing concern in the paper and nonwoven industry, as current research provides alarming results regarding the abundance and persistence of these substances from food packaging producers. It was reported that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been detected in blood serum of thousands of individuals originating from food packaging that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In addition, 20–56% of all products tested had detectable levels that immensely contribute to dietary exposure. Paper mills are also a significant source of exposure due to environmental contamination surpassing emission regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency by over 100,000 parts per trillion. These studies exemplify the necessity for paper-based product producers to not only abide by regulations but also demonstrate the implementation of remediation efforts. With current research on novel remediation techniques and increased restrictions surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance usage for water repellency, decreased contamination and exposure will be achieved throughout the world. This article serves as a brief review that focuses on the nonwoven manufacturing sector, which includes pulp, paper, and tissue related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the environment and drinking water sources. This review addresses the statistical evaluation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance levels throughout the world from paper and nonwoven product manufacturing, along with remediation methods and legislation to reduce contamination and exposure. To the best of our ability, this important and sensitive subject area has been researched extensively. However, many data gaps are present within the field, and limited studies have been conducted contributing to this brief review, which highlights the importance of further studies surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the paper and nonwoven sectors. This article encompasses all available information in the paper and nonwoven sector regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that can be used for reference by the general public and by manufacturers in the nonwoven production industry.

Photonic crystals with bright colors have shown great potential application in bio-sensing, anti-counterfeiting, and smart wear. Different methods are used to construct photonic crystals on fabrics using different raw materials. However, building photonic crystals on fibers or fabrics with vibrant colors and good stability is still challenging. Various strategies have been used to increase the stability (e.g. wash, bend, friction stability, and so on) of the photonic crystal coatings on the fabrics or fibers. Therefore, this paper reviews great efforts to construct photonic crystal-coated materials, the methods to increase the stability of photonic crystal coatings on the fabrics, and their possible applications. The summarization of this review may lay the foundation for the construction of photonic crystals on fabrics with high color fastness and application in fabric coloring.

Abstract: Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has gained wide clinical acceptance as a powerful diagnostic tool in the non-invasive evaluation of vascular disorders and has became the method of choice for the assessment of aortic pathology. In addition, recent advances in computed tomography (CT) technology improve the image quality and diagnostic performance of the procedure in the abdominal vascular system. In this paper, we briefly review the CTA technique and describe the main applications of abdominal CTA.

Abstract: Orthotopic liver transplantation is a widely accepted treatment for end-stage liver disease and selected cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite surgical progresses, biliary complications after transplantation remain a serious cause of morbidity, mortality, and graft dysfunction or failure in recipients. Early complications occur within a few weeks after transplantation and are mainly represented by bile leakage. Late complications, which become evident from 3 months to years, include strictures, stones, intraductal debris or sludge formation, kinking and ampullary dysfunction. Donor-to-recipient common bile duct disproportion has been reported as a borderline condition. Diagnosis is challenging because of the low specificity of clinical and biologic findings. Sonography does not provide projectional images of the biliary tract or direct evaluation of the anastomoses. Moreover, direct cholangiographic procedures have an unacceptable rate of complications to be used in patients with low clinical suspicion. Magnetic resonance cholangiography is a safe and accurate tool, playing an increasing role in the diagnosis and management of biliary complications. Heavily T2-weighted images provide panoramic, detailed evaluation of the biliary tract, showing biliary complications as a variable combination of bile duct dilatation, strictures, filling defects, fluid collections and peculiar morphologic changes, as described in this paper.

Abstract: Enteric drainage is now the preferred method of pancreatic transplantation. This technique results in long- term good control of diabetes. In this paper, we discuss the postoperative radiological anatomy and complications.

The receptor-like kinase (RLK) FERONIA (FER), located on the plasma membrane, belongs to the Catharanthus roseusRLK1-like kinase family (CrRLK1L) and participates in widespread biological processes in plants in a context-dependent fashion. Genetic studies in Arabidopsisillustrated the versatile roles that FER plays in fertilization, vegetative growth, defense and stress responses, cell-wall homeostasis, as well as protein synthesis. These studies also helped to identify genes and signal pathways involved in FER signal transduction. Despite increasingly larger numbers of studies discussing how FER senses its ligand, Rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) peptides, and further regulates downstream factors, few have shown the mechanisms of how FER mediates the specific regulation of downstream signals in context of the phosphorylation of its cytoplasmic domain. As understanding this would help in better understanding the diversity and complexity of FER function, this paper aims to review the roles of FER in regulating different signal outputs from the view of the role of its cytoplasmic domain.

Plant diseases severely reduce crop yields and threaten global food security. Broad-spectrum resistance (BSR) is a desirable trait because it confers resistance against more than one pathogen species or the majority of races/strains of the same pathogen. To control plant diseases, breeders have selected BSR to reduce disease occurrence and prolong the life-span of newly released cultivars in the last several decades (Mundt, Phytopathology 108(7):792–802, 2018). Although effective, breeding of BSR cultivars in crop plants is still time-consuming and technically challenging. Recently, new gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 have dramatically accelerated the process of plant breeding and provided an approach for rapidly creating new varieties with BSR and other beneficial traits (Borrelli et al., Front Plant Sci 9:1245, 2018). In addition, close surveillance of pathogen populations in the field can provide useful information for the deployment of appropriate resistance genes in the target regions. In this mini-review, we focus on the significance and application of the exciting results from two recent companion papers published in Nature Biotechnologythat provide new strategies to develop crop plants with BSR against pathogens through targeted promoter editing of susceptibility genes in plants as well as pathogen population monitoring.