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Previous studies have shown that kidney transplant recipients with a high body mass index (BMI) have inferior graft and patient outcomes compared to patients with a lower BMI. We hypothesized that there would be secular improvements in outcomes among high BMI recipients. We used data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to determine whether obesity affects patient and graft outcomes following kidney transplantation in the modern immunosuppressive era. The study sample consisted of 69,749 recipients from 1987 to 1999 and 197,986 recipients from 2000 to 2016. BMI values were categorized into 11 tiers: below 18 kg/m2, from 18 to 36 kg/m2 at 2 kg/m2-unit increments, and above 36 kg/m2. We created multivariate models to evaluate the independent effect of BMI on graft and patient outcomes, adjusting for factors known to affect graft success and patient survival. Overall graft and patient survival has improved for all BMI categories. Cox regression modeling hazard ratios showed that the relative risk for graft loss, patient death, and patient death with a functioning graft in the modern immunosuppressive era (2000 to 2016) has significantly decreased compared to the earlier era (1987 to 1999), especially for living kidney transplant recipients. The relative risk of graft failure and patient death with increasing BMI has appreciably decreased in the modern immunosuppressive era, especially for living donor transplant recipients. Withholding transplantation from patients with higher BMIs may no longer be justifiable on grounds of worse clinical outcomes. • There have been secular improvements in outcomes among high recipients with a high body mass index (BMI). • BMI remains a significant independent risk factor for graft failure in the modern immunosuppressive era. • BMI remains a significant independent risk factor for patient death in the modern immunosuppressive era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of cell wall degrading enzymes in bioenergy crops has been proposed as a cost-effective method to produce fuel and chemicals. In this study, the thermoregulated intein-modified endo-β-1,4-xylanases GH10 and GH11 (iXyn GH10 and iXyn GH11) were expressed in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ). Two xylanase-expressing lines (Alamo background genetics) were compared to the wild type (Alamo genetics) to determine their composition, pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and ethanol fermentation. Three switchgrass samples with similar carbohydrate contents performed differently under four selected pretreatment conditions utilizing ammonia, oxalic acid/ferric chloride, sodium carbonate, or sodium hydroxide. Pretreated iXyn samples had higher glucan and lower xylan concentrations compared to the pretreated Alamo. An increased rate of glucose production and a higher glucan conversion ratio were observed in both iXyn lines. Pretreated iXyn samples required less exogenous enzyme to achieve similar levels of saccharification. Ethanol production increased from the glucan portion of the pretreated iXyn lines. However, the overall yield may vary depending upon the characteristics of the yeast and its conversion processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cellulosic biofuel production, chemical pretreatment performed at laboratory or pilot scale, followed by mechanical refining, has been demonstrated to be effective to increase feedstock enzyme digestibility. To take the combined pretreatment process one step closer to commercialization, disk milling was performed with commercially pretreated corn stover. Dilute acid pretreated samples with combined severity factors (cSF) of 0.09 (DA09) and 0.43 (DA43) were obtained from a commercial plant. Effects of pretreatment conditions (DA09 and DA43), milling cycles (0, 3, 9, and 15) and enzyme dosages (7.8, 15.6 and 31.2 mg cellulase/g dry biomass) were evaluated. Milling improved glucose yields by 0.7 to 1.2-fold. Higher enzyme dosages enhanced sugar yields. Milling was more effective to improve glucose yields, while enzyme dosage was more effective to improve xylose yields. However, dilute acid pretreatment condition was the most important factor to increase final sugar yields compared to milling cycles and enzyme dosages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sieving step was developed to recover corn fiber from whole stillage of a dry grind process as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock, and to reduce fiber contents in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Several processes have been developed to recover fiber in the dry grind process, such as wet fractionation, dry fractionation and elusieve process. Wet fractionation and dry fractionation recover fiber before liquefaction, but addition of these steps to existing plants requires considerable modifications with high capital costs. The elusieve process recovers fiber from DDGS, but it requires drying of DDGS. To simply integrate fiber recovery to current dry grind plants with less operating and capital costs, sieving was applied to whole stillage. Commercial whole stillage samples were ground, incubated with protease or with a surfactant, and sieved. Sieving was effective to recover neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and NDF contents in retentate samples were increased by 45–101%. In addition, permeate samples, called enhanced DDGS, exhibited decreased fiber contents and increased oil contents. Among treatments, grinding before sieving was more effective to recover fiber with high NDF contents and low protein and oil contents. Fiber recovered from whole stillage and ground whole stillage were hydrolyzed for cellulosic sugars. Whole stillage and ground whole stillage were sieved in a scaled-up (15×) vibrator shaker. The retentate samples were pretreated with dilute acid followed by hydrolysis. Ground whole stillage showed higher sugar yields than whole stillage. After hydrolysis, glucose, xylose and arabinose yields from ground whole stillage were 90.78, 92.93 and 76.99%, respectively. Grinding before sieving produces more eDDGS, and could potentially increase downstream ethanol yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a method to produce the low-calorie surimi by inserting a protein substitute (PS) solution composed of carrageenan into surimi using coaxial three-dimensional (3D) printing. Carrageenan was selected for its zero-calorie and highly elastic gel-forming properties. To determine the optimal PS insertion conditions, different κ - and ι -carrageenan composition ratios were tested. Although all PS solutions tested formed a gel during the cooling process, rheological properties indicated PS(kC2.5%-iC0.5%) had the highest similarity to surimi. 3D-printed surimi up to 50% replacement ratio of PS showed the higher printing accuracy and post-processing stability, lower cooking loss, and more similar color when compared with 70% replacement ratio of PS. Using 3D printing to insert PS into surimi effectively reflected the salinity of surimi, despite its low-calorie content. This coaxial system could be adapted in addition to fiber inserts or other 3D printed food products requiring the use of independent two materials. [Display omitted] • Protein Substitutes (PS) are formulated with various ratios of κ and ι -carrageenan. • The low-calorie surimi was embodied through the insertion of the PS solution. • The PS solution formed a stable gel during cooling after the heating process. • The 3D-printed product using a PS(kC2.5%-iC0.5%) solution showed optimal results. • Up to 50% of surimi can be replaced by a PS solution using a coaxial nozzle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, metabolic dysfunction–associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), rather than nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), was proposed to better describe liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction (MD). In this study, we attempted to investigate the impact of MAFLD on pregnancy complications. The current study is a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort designed to examine the risk of NAFLD during pregnancy. In the first trimester, enrolled pregnant women were evaluated for hepatic steatosis by liver ultrasonography, and blood samples were collected for biochemical measurements. The study population was divided into 3 groups: no NAFLD, hepatic steatosis but without metabolic dysfunction (non-MD NAFLD), and MAFLD. The primary outcome was the subsequent development of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-associated hypertension, preterm birth, and fetal growth abnormalities. The study population consisted of 1744 pregnant women, including 1523 with no NAFLD, 43 with non-MD NAFLD, and 178 with MAFLD. The risk of subsequent development of adverse pregnancy outcomes was higher in MAFLD than in non-MD NAFLD (adjusted odds ratio, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.68–9.67), whereas the risk was not significantly different between no NAFLD and non-MD NAFLD. Among women with no NAFLD, the presence of MD increased the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, women with MAFLD were at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes than women with no NAFLD without MD or those with no NAFLD with MD. In pregnant women, MAFLD may be associated with an increased risk of subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient pretreatment is essential for economic conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks into monosaccharides for biofuel production. To realize high sugar yields with low inhibitor concentrations, hot water or dilute acid pretreatment followed by disk milling is proposed. Corn stover at 20% solids was pretreated with hot water at 160–200 °C for 4–8 min with and without subsequent milling. Hot water pretreatment and disk milling acted synergistically to improve glucose and xylose yields by 89% and 134%, respectively, compared to hot water pretreatment alone. Hot water pretreated (180 °C for 4 min) and milled samples had the highest glucose and xylose yields among all hot water pretreated and milled samples, which were comparable to samples pretreated with 0.55% dilute acid at 160 °C for 4 min. However, samples pretreated with 1% dilute acid at 150 °C for 4 min and disk milled had the highest observed glucose (87.3%) and xylose yields (83.4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis and optimization of a staggered jet-convex dimple array cooling system were performed. A steady incompressible laminar flow and heat transfer in the cooling system were analyzed using three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. For the optimization, two design variables, namely the ratio of the height of the dimple to the diameter of the jet and the ratio of the diameter of the dimple to the diameter of the jet, were selected. In addition, thermal resistance was selected as the objective function to evaluate cooling performance. A preliminary parametric study of the objective function was conducted using the design variables, and then, a surrogate modeling of the objective function was performed using the Kriging model. In the optimal design, a lower thermal resistance was achieved with higher pressure drop compared with the reference design. Furthermore, comparative flow analyses for the optimal and reference designs were also performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gramicidin A (gA) dimers with bilayers, which consist of phospholipids and ionic liquids (ILs) at different molar ratios, were simulated at different salt concentrations of 0.15 and 1 M NaCl. Bilayer thickness is larger than the length of a gA dimer, and hence lipids around the gA dimer are significantly disordered to adapt to the gA dimer, yielding membrane curvature. As the IL concentration increases, the bilayer thickness decreases and becomes closer to the gA length, leading to less membrane curvature. Also, ILs significantly increase lateral diffusivities of the gA dimer and lipids at 0.15 M NaCl, but not at 1 M NaCl because strong electrostatic interactions between salt ions and lipid head groups suppress an increase in the lateral mobility of the bilayer at high salt concentration. These findings help explain the conflicting experimental results that showed the increased ion permeability in electrophysiological experiments at 1 M NaCl, but the reduced ion permeability in fluorescent experiments at 0.15 M NaCl. ILs disorder lipids and make bilayers thinner, which yields less membrane curvature around the gA dimer and thus stabilizes the gA dimer, leading to the increased ion permeability. This IL effect predominantly occurs at 1 M NaCl, where ILs only slightly increase the bilayer dynamics because of the strong electrostatic interactions between salt ions and lipids. In contrast, at 0.15 M NaCl, ILs do not only stabilize the curved bilayer but also significantly increase the lateral mobility of gA dimers and lipids, which can reduce gA-induced pore formation, leading to the decreased ion permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prairie cordgrass ( Spartina pectinata L.) has the potential to be a feedstock for bioethanol. It is native to North America, and has extensive genetic diversity. Eleven natural populations of prairie cordgrass harvested in 2011 and 2012 were studied. Compositions of the samples showed significant differences within the same year, and between the two years. Two highest, one medium and two lowest glucan concentration samples from each year were selected to evaluate ethanol yield after dilute acid pretreatment and simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae SR8 that can ferment both glucose and xylose. Up to 88% of theoretical ethanol yields were achieved. Our research demonstrates the potential of prairie cordgrass as a dedicated energy crop with ethanol yields of 205.0–275.6 g/kg biomass and 1748–4368 L/ha, depending on feedstock composition and biomass yield. These ethanol yields are comparable with those of switchgrass, corn stover and bagasse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we propose a novel approach and control method for long-paste behavior, printability, and better stability of sugarcraft under repeated heating using a three-dimensionally (3D) food printer. The experiment involved replacing 0–50% sugar powder with potato starch (PS) to ascertain the optimal conditions. A temperature sweep determined the optimum extrusion temperature, and sugarcraft showed a stable storage modulus under repeated heating cycles as PS content increased. In particular, sticky and long-paste behavior was changed to short-paste behavior in sugarcraft with 50% (w/w) PS added, showing the best results in terms of fluidity, load-bearing capacity, and printing performance. Using the thermal loop test, we successfully demonstrated that PS increases sugarcraft's stability to repeated heating. This system could be applied to 3D printed products or other materials that need stabilization of temperature and offers new guidelines for 3D food printing technology. [Display omitted] • Thermoreversible sugarcraft is formulated with many ratios of potato starch (PS). • Adding PS solves the sticky and long-paste behavior of sugarcraft. • PS50 yields the best result in rheology, thermal stability, and printing accuracy. • PS increases the shape retention and sugarcraft's stability to repeated heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel approach for the production of chocolate ganache that could be cold-extruded using a three-dimensional food printer was proposed herein. To determine the optimal conditions, experiments were performed using various compositional ratios of whipped cream and cocoa powder. Although all whipped cream-based chocolate ganache was cold-extruded, irreversible fat separation occurs with temperature change. Among various whipped cream contents, chocolate ganache with 30% (w/w) whipped cream indicated the highest resolution and was therefore used to investigate the stabilization potential of chocolate ganache. Among various cocoa powder contents, chocolate ganache with 20% (w/w) cocoa powder showed the best results in terms of rheology, emulsion stability, and printing accuracy. We successfully demonstrated that cocoa powder not only increases the load-bearing capacity of chocolate ganache, but also serves as a "Pickering particle". This system could be applied to materials or other three-dimensionally printed food products that require temperature stabilization. [Display omitted] • Cold-extruded chocolate is formulated with various ratios of whipped cream (WC). • Stabilized chocolate is formulated with various ratios of cocoa powder (CP). • CP20 yields the best result in rheology, emulsion stability, and printing accuracy. • CP increases the load-bearing capacity and serves as a Pickering particle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: A previous study has demonstrated that term labor is associated with an increased risk of microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity, intra-amniotic inflammation and histologic chorioamnionitis. This study was performed to determine when the risk of intra-amniotic infection, inflammation and histologic chorioamnionitis begins to increase during the course of labor. Study design: Amniotic fluid (AF) was obtained from 926 term singleton pregnant women with intact membranes during cesarean section. AF was cultured for aerobic, anaerobic bacteria and genital mycoplasmas. An AF white blood cell (WBC) count was determined. Patients were divided into five groups according to the absence or presence of regular uterine contractions and the degree of cervical dilatation. Intra-amniotic inflammation was defined as an AF WBC ≥19/mm3. Histologic chorioamnionitis was defined as the presence of acute inflammatory changes in the extra-placental membranes or the chorionic plate of the placenta, and funisitis was diagnosed in the presence of neutrophil infiltration into the umbilical vessel walls or Wharton’s jelly. Results: (1) The more advanced the cervical dilatation, the greater the risk of intra-amniotic infection and/or inflammation and histologic chorioamnionitis; (2) The risk of intra-amniotic infection and/or inflammation increased after the cervix began to dilate (7.8% in group 1 [without regular uterine contractions] vs. 18.3% in group 2 [regular uterine contractions and cervical dilation ≤1 cm], p < 0.01); (3) however, histologic chorioamnionitis was significantly more common in women in group 3 than in group 2 (4.2% in group 2 [regular uterine contractions and cervical dilatation ≤1 cm] vs. 23.1% in group 3 [regular uterine contractions and a cervical dilatation of 2–3 cm], p < 0.05). Conclusions: The risk of intra-amniotic infection and/or inflammation increases after the cervix begins to dilate and that of histologic chorioamnionitis increases after the cervix dilates 2 cm in term pregnant women with regular uterine contractions with intact membranes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants contain water-soluble substances that are autotoxic as well as allelopathic to other plants. Laboratory experimentation through a petri dish assay with imbibed seeds was conducted to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of alfalfa cv. “Vernal” leaf extracts, coumarin, trans-cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid, and hydro-cinnamic acid on the seedling growth and anatomical responses of 6 day-old alfalfa and barnyard grass. With increasing concentration, the alfalfa leaf extracts significantly reduced root lengths of alfalfa and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli, Beauv. var. oryzicola Ohwi). Coumarin, trans-cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid, and hydro-cinnamic acid at 10−4 M significantly reduced root lengths of alfalfa and barnyard grass. The root systems, especially root tips of alfalfa, were stunted and swollen by the aqueous alfalfa leaf extracts at 30 g l−1 and coumarin at 10−3 M. This research suggests that alfalfa plant extracts significantly affected root growth and morphological differentiation of susceptible plants, resulting in reduction of their biomass in the presence of either autotoxic or allelopathic compounds. The results may have value in enabling weed control based on natural plant extracts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study proposes a novel approach to implementing the filament structure of imitation crab meat by coating potato starch (PS) solution on the outside of surimi using coaxial extrusion 3D food printing. To determine the optimum concentration, experiments were conducted using a 0–15% PS solution. Surimi-based imitation crab meat using a 12% PS solution showed the best results in terms of printing characteristics, water-holding capacity, and cooking loss. In addition to the aligned-rectilinear pattern generally used in imitation crab meat, this study presents the change in texture according to the internal structure using rectilinear and concentric patterns. The 3D-printed imitation crab meat with the aligned-rectilinear pattern was similar to the commercial reference imitation crab meat. This study successfully tested fiberization—a challenging process for 3D food printing—using coaxial extrusion 3D food printing. This system can be applied to other 3D-printed foods that require a filament structure and fiberization. • Fiberization, the aim of 3D printing, was tested successfully using coaxial nozzle. • The filament structure was formed by outer-coating starch-based binding agent. • The 3D-printed product using a 12% starch solution showed the best results. • The product with the aligned-rectilinear was like the commercial product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies on clinical chorioamnionitis at term suggest that some patients with this diagnosis have neither intraamniotic infection nor intraamniotic inflammation. A false-positive diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis in preterm gestation may lead to unwarranted preterm delivery.Objective: We sought to determine the frequency of intraamniotic inflammation and microbiologically proven amniotic fluid infection in patients with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis.Study Design: Amniocentesis was performed in singleton pregnant women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis (<36 weeks of gestation). Amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and genital mycoplasmas and assayed for matrix metalloproteinase-8 concentration. Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity was defined as a positive amniotic fluid culture; intraamniotic inflammation was defined as an elevated amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-8 concentration of >23 ng/mL. Nonparametric and survival techniques were used for analysis.Results: Among patients with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis, 24% (12/50) had neither microbiologic evidence of intraamniotic infection nor intraamniotic inflammation. Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity was present in 34% (18/53) and intraamniotic inflammation in 76% (38/50) of patients. The most common microorganisms isolated from the amniotic cavity were the Ureaplasma species. Finally, patients without microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity or intraamniotic inflammation had significantly lower rates of adverse outcomes (including lower gestational age at delivery, a shorter amniocentesis-to-delivery interval, acute histologic chorioamnionitis, acute funisitis, and significant neonatal morbidity) than those with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity and/or intraamniotic inflammation.Conclusion: Among patients with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis, 24% had no evidence of either intraamniotic infection or intraamniotic inflammation, and 66% had negative amniotic fluid cultures, using standard microbiologic techniques. These observations call for a reexamination of the criteria used to diagnose preterm clinical chorioamnionitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel design is presented for a chaotic micromixer using two-layer serpentine crossing microchannels. The performance of the micromixer was analyzed both numerically and experimentally. The numerical analysis was performed using three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with a convection–diffusion model for the species concentration in a Reynolds number range of 0.2–120. An experimental model of the micromixer was fabricated by soft lithography with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Two working fluids, water and dye-water mixture were used for numerical analysis except for the experimental validation of numerical results. Both the numerical and experimental analyses confirm that the micromixer achieves a high level of mixing over a wide range of Reynolds numbers through splitting, enlarging, recombination, and folding mechanisms. The micromixer showed over 95% mixing throughout the tested range of Reynolds number. Especially, about 99% mixing was achieved at Reynolds numbers less than ten. Thus, the proposed micromixer can be used in microfluidic systems which require fast mixing at low Reynolds numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]