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Rhodosporidium toruloides has emerged as an excellent option for microbial lipid production due to its ability to accumulate up to 70 % of lipids per cell dry weight, consume multiple substrates such as glucose and xylose, and tolerate toxic compounds. Despite the potential of Rhodosporidium toruloides for high lipid yields, achieving these remains is a significant hurdle. A comprehensive review is essential to thoroughly evaluate the advancements in processes and technologies to enhance lipid production in R. toruloides. The review covers various strategies for enhancing lipid production like co-culture, adaptive evolution, carbon flux analysis, as well as different modes of fermentation. This review will help researchers to better understand the recent developments in technologies for sustainable and scalable lipid production from R. toruloides and simultaneously emphasize the need for developing an efficient and sustainable bioprocess. [Display omitted] • Rhodosporidium toruloidesaccumulate high lipids, ideal for biofuel production. • Different fermentation modes to enhance lipid production. • Synergetic effects of co-culturing on lipid accumulation. • Carbon flux analysis and adaptive laboratory evolution improve strain efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose There is currently no universally accepted grading system for describing retinal hemorrhages (RH) in abusive head trauma (AHT). The purpose of this study was to devise and evaluate a novel grading system and descriptive nomenclature for RH in AHT for clinical and research purposes. Methods A traumatic hemorrhagic retinopathy (THR) grading system was developed for assessing and quantitatively analyzing retinal findings in abusive head trauma. The criteria for the THR grade included the extent, spread, and morphology of RH. Extent was classified as region 1 (posterior pole) or region 2 (peripheral). Spread, based on number of retinal hemorrhages, was classified as mild (10 or fewer RH), moderate (more than 10 RH) and severe (more than half of involved regions covered by RH). Morphology was classified by its intraretinal or extraretinal involvement. Two independent graders calculated the THR grade from RetCam images of 38 eyes of 19 patients <3 years of age with retinal hemorrhages associated with head injury. Grading was performed on two separate occasions. Intra- and interobserver reliability was assessed with Spearman correlation coefficient ( r ) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results There was a high level of intraobserver agreement across both assessments (97% agreement [Spearman r = 0.997; P < 0.0001] and 100% agreement [Spearman r = 1.0; P < 0.0000]). Intraclass correlation (ICC, 0.995; 95% CI, 0.991-0.997; P < 0.0001) confirmed a very high level of agreement overall. Conclusions The traumatic hemorrhagic retinopathy grading system demonstrated excellent intraobserver and interobserver reliability. The nomenclature is easily understood and may be useful in medical records and medicolegal reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In infants with intracranial hemorrhage, the most common cause of intraocular hemorrhages is abusive head trauma. Terson syndrome is rare in infants, and the retinal findings, although not well reported in the literature, are generally limited to the posterior pole. We report a case of a 7-month-old boy who developed ipsilateral, extensive preretinal and intraretinal hemorrhage after subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Retinal hemorrhages (RH) in babies in the absence of severe trauma or a medical cause have been strongly associated with abusive head trauma (AHT). We examined the pattern of RH in accidental head injury and AHT objectively using widefield retinal imaging. Methods A total of 118 infants and children 1-36 months of age admitted with head injuries at two centers were included in this prospective, consecutive, comparative cohort study. Dilated fundus examination was performed with indirect ophthalmoscopy and widefield imaging. Designation of AHT was made using predetermined criteria independent of retinal findings. Retinal images were graded by two independent observers. Results There were 21 cases of AHT. RH were present in 14 cases (66%); macular retinoschisis or retinal folds, in 8 (38%). There were 86 cases of accidental head injuries, with RH present in 2 (2%); there were none with retinal folds or retinoschisis. In cases of head injury with intracranial hemorrhage, the positive likelihood ratio of AHT with RH was 5.7 (95% CI, 2.6-12.00) and negative likelihood ratio was 0.26 (95% CI, 0.11-0.62). A severe, panretinal pattern with multilayered hemorrhages was the most specific for AHT. Conclusions Our imaging study confirmed that RH in infants with head injury have a high positive likelihood ratio for AHT. A severe hemorrhagic retinopathy, particularly in association with perimacular folds or macular retinoschisis, has the highest positive predictive value for AHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topic: To review systematically the diagnostic accuracy of various ocular signs for pediatric abusive head trauma (AHT). Clinical Relevance: Intraocular hemorrhages (IOH), perimacular retinal folds, traumatic retinoschisis and optic nerve sheath hemorrhages have been reported as cardinal signs of AHT. The evidence base supporting the accuracy of this interpretation, however, has not been systematically reviewed. Methods: A systematic keyword search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews was conducted for original studies reporting ocular findings in AHT. Articles were graded using a checklist for systematic reviews of diagnostic accuracy. Results: The initial search yielded 971 articles, of which 55 relevant studies were graded, and 20 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The overall sensitivity of IOH for AHT was 75% and their specificity was 94%. Intraretinal hemorrhage at the posterior pole was the most common finding, although extensive, bilateral, and multilayered IOH were the most specific for AHT. Optic nerve sheath hemorrhages had a sensitivity and specificity for AHT of 72% and 71%, respectively. Traumatic retinoschisis and perimacular retinal folds were reported in 8% and 14% of AHT, respectively, but were not reported in other conditions. Conclusions: Prospective, consecutive studies confirm that IOH in infants—particularly bilateral, extensive, and multilayered—are highly specific for AHT. Optic nerve sheath hemorrhages are significantly more common in AHT than in other conditions, in autopsy studies. Traumatic retinoschisis and perimacular folds are present in a minority of AHT, but rarely seen in other conditions. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Membrane-traversing peptides offer opportunities for targeting intracellular proteins and oral delivery. Despite progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying membrane traversal in natural cell-permeable peptides, there are still several challenges to designing membrane-traversing peptides with diverse shapes and sizes. Conformational flexibility appears to be a key determinant of membrane permeability of large macrocycles. We review recent developments in the design and validation of chameleonic cyclic peptides, which can switch between alternative conformations to enable improved permeability through cell membranes, while still maintaining reasonable solubility and exposed polar functional groups for target protein binding. Finally, we discuss the principles, strategies, and practical considerations for rational design, discovery, and validation of permeable chameleonic peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently modeled transient receptor potential (TRP) channels using the Gestalt Domain Detection Algorithm-Basic Local Alignment Tool (GDDA-BLAST), which derives structural, functional, and evolutionary information from primary amino acid sequences using phylogenetic profiles (Ko, K. D., Hong, Y., Chang, G. S., Bhardwaj, G., van Rossum, D. B., and Patterson, R. L. (2008) Physics Arch. Quant. Methods arXiv:0806.2394v1). Herein we test our functional predictions for the TRP_2 domain of TRPC3; a domain of unknown function that is conserved in all TRPC channels. Our functional models of this domain identify both lipid binding and trafficking activities. In this study, we reveal: (i) a novel structural determinant of ion channel sensitivity to lipids, (ii) a molecular mechanism for the difference between diacylglycerol (DAG)-sensitive and DAG-insensitive TRPC subfamilies, and (iii) evidence that TRPC3 can comprise part of the vesicle fusion machinery. Indeed, the TRPC3 TRP_2 domain mediates channel trafficking to the plasma membrane and binds to plasma membrane lipids. Further, mutations in TRP_2, which alter lipid binding, also disrupt the DAG-mediated fusion of TRPC3-containing vesicles with the plasma membrane without disrupting SNARE interactions. Importantly, these data agree with the known role of DAG in membrane destabilization, which facilitates SNARE-dependent synaptic vesicle fusion (Villar, A. V., Goni, F. M., and Alonso, A. (2001) FEBS Lett. 494, 117-120 and Goni, F. M., and Alonso, A. (1999) Prog. Lipid Res. 38, 1-48). Taken together, functional models generated by GDDA-BLAST provide a computational platform for deriving domain functionality, which can have in vivo and mechanistic relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]