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Fossil fuels are primary sources for energy production. Increased dependence on fossil fuels has resulted in increased environmental issues demanding alternative sources. Bioenergy is becoming a popular alternative energy source due to its positive environmental impact and the availability of renewable sources. However, the availability of renewable energy sources in the energy sector currently contributes to about 14%. Biofuels are preferred due to its sustainability, eco‐friendly approach, and low‐cost raw materials, making it an efficient technique for energy production. This article provides the fundamental and applied concepts for on conversion processes of biomass to biofuels, such as combustion, pyrolysis, fermentation, gasification, and anaerobic digestion along with their role in the green economy. Different physical characteristics of biomass resources are important and contribute to determining their potential for producing biofuels. Herein, LCA, its techno‐economic importance, and the role of biomass in green economy are explained. Varying compositions and properties of different types of biomass resources, including lignocellulosic feedstocks, agriculture and forest residue, municipal solid waste, food waste, and animal manure as potential biomass resources, have been discussed. The article explains the strengths and weaknesses of different thermochemical conversion techniques and their current input toward scalar applications and commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmental or lobar liver atrophy is a common but not well-understood clinical condition. Hepatic atrophy can be classified into hepatic atrophy secondary to other pathologies and primary segmental hepatic atrophy, which is a benign intrahepatic lesion (pseudotumor) not associated with any other pathology. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying atrophy can be divided into three main situations: obstruction of biliary outflow, obstruction of the systemic venous outflow, and obstruction of incoming portal venous flow. For what may concern secondary hepatic atrophy, there are many pathologies that could underlie this condition, ranging from benign to intrahepatic malignancies, with particular reference to particularly hepatocellular carcinoma and biliary duct carcinoma. An accurate and prompt differential diagnosis between the various forms and causes of atrophy is important for early identification and adequate treatment of underlying pathologies. A comprehensive review of the literature on the etiology and the radiological and histological characteristics of different types of hepatic atrophy is currently unavailable. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the primary and secondary causes of segmental or lobar liver atrophy (excluding forms involving the entire liver parenchyma) and to provide practical tools for clinical and radiological differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generalized Langevin mode analysis (GLMA) is applied to chemical reactions in biomolecules in solution. The theory sees a chemical reaction in solution as a barrier-crossing process, similar to the Marcus theory. The barrier is defined as the crossing point of two free-energy surfaces that are attributed to the reactant and product of the reaction. It is assumed that both free-energy surfaces are quadratic or harmonic. The assumption is based on the Kim-Hirata theory of structural fluctuation of protein, which proves that the fluctuation around an equilibrium structure is quadratic with respect to the structure or atomic coordinates. The quadratic surface is a composite of many harmonic functions with different modes or frequencies. The height of the activation barrier will be dependent on the mode or frequency—the less the frequency, the lower the barrier. Hence, it is essential to decouple the fluctuational modes into a hierarchical order. GLMA is impeccable for this purpose. It is essential for a theoretical study of chemical reactions to choose a reaction coordinate along which the reaction proceeds. We suppose that the mode whose center of coordinate and/or the frequency changes most before and after the reaction is the one relevant to the chemical reaction and choose the coordinate as the reaction coordinate. The rate of reaction along the reaction coordinate is k rate = ν ⁡ exp − Δ F (†) / k B T , which is similar to the Marcus expression for the electron transfer reaction. In the equation, ΔF(†) is the activation barrier defined by Δ F (†) ≡ F (r) Q † − F (r) ( Q e q (r) ) , where F (r) ( Q e q (r) ) and F (r) Q † denote the free energies at equilibrium Q e q (r) and the crossing point Q†, respectively, both on the free energy surface of the reactant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes through Molecular dynamics simulations the interactions between two carbamate pesticides, Carbofuran (CFN) and Methomyl (MML), with PVA hydrogels, crosslinked with malic acid (CLPHMAs), for the quantitative capture of these insecticides and the remediation of aqueous solutions. The crosslinked hydrogels were prepared and characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, and equilibrium swelling ratio. The FTIR spectra revealed the presence of a peak around ~ 1719 attributed to the ester group (C–O–C), which resulted from the esterification reaction between PVA and the crosslinker. The simulations correlate with experimental trials based on the Design of Experiments (DoE), allowing the capture of CFN and MML in aqueous solutions of 500 mg L−1, using a capture time of 10 min. In conclusion, both tools enhance each other, demonstrating that CLPHMAs can remove these pesticides, constituting a technological alternative for treating contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This cohort study was conducted to devise an approximation formula for predicting the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) after 1 year using annual medical examination data from the general population. Methods: Consecutive annual medical examination data were obtained for 41,337 inhabitants. Machine learning with the random forest method was used to assess the importance of each clinical parameter in terms of its association with estimated GFR (eGFR) after 1 year. An approximation formula was developed by multiple linear regression analysis based on the four most important clinical parameters. The relationship between the GFR after 1 year approximated by our formula and the eGFR after 1 year was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The following approximation formula was obtained by multiple linear regression analysis: approximate GFR after 1 year (mL/min/1.73 m2) = −0.054 × age + 0.162 × hemoglobin − 0.085 × uric acid + 0.849 × eGFR + 11.5. The approximate GFR after 1 year was significantly and strongly correlated with the eGFR at that time (r = 0.884; p < 0.001). Conclusions: An approximation formula including age, hemoglobin, uric acid, and eGFR may be useful for predicting GFR after 1 year among members of the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac electromechanics is a coupled multiphysics and multiscale problem. Of great interest to medicine and pharmacology is how the heart responds to changes in ion channel dynamics within the myocyte that are either caused by disease or by the administration of drugs. A successful model of cardiac mechanical response must therefore incorporate a first-principles description of electrophysiology of the cardiac myocyte including intracellular calcium dynamics, transmembrane ionic currents and action potential (AP) formation at the cellular level. This article reviews the evolution of electrophysiological models of cardiac ventricular myocytes in terms of coupled differential equations whose state variables include ion channel gating parameters, intracellular ionic concentrations and the membrane voltage. The myocytes are connected through gap junctions forming fibers, which in turn connect to form cardiac tissues. The electromechanical response of cardiac tissues is coupled through intracellular calcium dynamics and stretch induced/ modulated currents, and can be solved using suitable discretization schemes under appropriate initial and boundary conditions. We discuss in detail the single-cell dynamics of the ORd model of human ventricular myocytes and describe the propagation of AP in periodically paced 1D fibers and 2D tissues. The origin of tissue-level diseased conditions in altered subcellular dynamics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious risk to contemporary healthcare since it reduces the number of bacterial illnesses that may be treated with antibiotics, particularly for patients with long-term conditions like cystic fibrosis (CF). People with a genetic predisposition to CF often have recurrent bacterial infections in their lungs due to a buildup of sticky mucus, necessitating long-term antibiotic treatment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are a major cause of CF lung illness, and P. aeruginosa airway isolates are frequently resistant to many antibiotics. Bacteriophages (also known as phages), viruses that infect bacteria, are a viable substitute for antimicrobials to treat P. aeruginosa infections in individuals with CF. Here, we reviewed the utilization of P. aeruginosa bacteriophages both in vivo and in vitro, as well as in the treatment of illnesses and diseases, and the outcomes of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a syndrome that results from the accumulation of lipoproteinaceous material in the alveolar space. According to the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, three different forms have been identified, namely primary, secondary and congenital. Primary PAP is caused by disruption of granulocyte−macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) signalling due to the presence of neutralising autoantibodies (autoimmune PAP) or GM-CSF receptor genetic defects (hereditary PAP), which results in dysfunctional alveolar macrophages with reduced phagocytic clearance of particles, cholesterol and surfactant. The serum level of GM-CSF autoantibody is the only disease-specific biomarker of autoimmune PAP, although it does not correlate with disease severity. In PAP patients with normal serum GM-CSF autoantibody levels, elevated serum GM-CSF levels is highly suspicious for hereditary PAP. Several biomarkers have been correlated with disease severity, although they are not specific for PAP. These include lactate dehydrogenase, cytokeratin 19 fragment 21.1, carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, surfactant proteins, Krebs von Lungen 6, chitinase-3-like protein 1 and monocyte chemotactic proteins. Finally, increased awareness of the disease mechanisms has led to the development of pathogenesis-based treatments, such as GM-CSF augmentation and cholesterol-targeting therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arginine transporter Can1 is a multifunctional protein of the conventional yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Apart from facilitating arginine uptake, Can1 plays a pivotal role in regulating proline metabolism and maintaining cellular redox balance. Here, we report a novel function of Can1 in the control of yeast biofilm formation. First, the S. cerevisiae CAN1 gene knockout strain displayed a significant growth delay compared to the wild-type strain. Our genetic screening revealed that the slow growth of the CAN1 knockout strain is rescued by a functional deficiency of the FLO8 gene, which encodes the master transcription factor associated with biofilm formation, indicating that Can1 is involved in biofilm formation. Intriguingly, the CAN1 knockout strain promoted the Flo11-dependent aggregation, leading to higher biofilm formation. Furthermore, the CAN1 knockout strain of the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata exhibited slower growth and higher biofilm formation, similar to S. cerevisiae. More importantly, the C. glabrata CAN1 gene knockout strain showed severe toxicity to macrophage-like cells and nematodes. The present results could help to elucidate both the molecular mechanism underlying yeast biofilm formation and the role it plays. Future investigations may offer insights that contribute to development of antibiofilm agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine aorta myosin was reacted with a bifunctional cross-linking reagent, N,N′-o-phenylenedimaleimide. The 17-kDa essential light chain (LC17) in each myosin head was intramolecularly cross-linked within a single myosin molecule. The 34-kDa cross-linked LC17 dimer was isolated mid its peptide map, after lysylendopeptidase digestion, was obtained by reverse-phase HPLC. Based on the amino acid compositions of peptide fragments, the N-terminal Cys residues of LCI7 subunits were assigned to be cross-linked to each other. To study the distribution of two LC17 isoforms, LC17nm and LC17gi [Hasegawa. Y., Ueda, Y., Watanabe. M. & Morita, F. (1992) J. Biochem. 111, 798–803], aorta myosin was reacted with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (Nbs2). The LC17 dimer cross-linked with Nbs2 was resolved into three distinct bands on urea/PAGE using a 4% acrylamide gel. Densitometric analysis of the three band intensities showed that three pairs of LC17 isoforms in aorta myosin are present in the ratio of LC17nm-LC17nm/LC17nm-LC17gi/Cl7gi-LC17gi = 22:46:32. This ratio is consistent with the random combination of two LC17 isoforms with myosin heavy chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vasodilatation in response to NO is a fundamental response of the vasculature, and during aging, the vasculature is characterized by an increase in stiffness and decrease in sensitivity to NO mediated vasodilatation. Vascular tone is regulated by the activation of smooth muscle and nonmuscle (NM) myosin, which are regulated by the activities of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and MLC phosphatase. MLC phosphatase is a trimeric enzyme with a catalytic subunit, myosin targeting subunit (MYPT1) and 20 kDa subunit of unknown function. Alternative mRNA splicing produces LZ+/LZ- MYPT1 isoforms and the relative expression of LZ+/LZ- MYPT1 determines the sensitivity to NO mediated vasodilatation. This study tested the hypothesis that aging is associated with changes in LZ+ MYPT1 and NM myosin expression, which alter vascular reactivity. Methods: We determined MYPT1 and NM myosin expression, force and the sensitivity of both endothelial dependent and endothelial independent relaxation in tertiary mesenteric arteries of young (6mo) and elderly (24mo) Fischer344 rats. Results: The data demonstrate that aging is associated with a decrease in both the expression of NM myosin and force, but LZ+ MYPT expression and the sensitivity to both endothelial dependent and independent vasodilatation did not change. Further, smooth muscle cell hypertrophy increases the thickness of the medial layer of smooth muscle with aging. Discussion: The reduction of NM myosin may represent an aging associated compensatory mechanism to normalize the stiffness of resistance vessels in response to the increase in media thickness observed during aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This review summarizes the super-wettability and wettability-related applications of gallium-based liquid metals (GLMs) induced by interfacial interactions between GLMs and substrates. In conventional studies, high surface tension and surface oxides limit the wetting and spreading of liquid metals (LMs) on various substrates. Many studies on LMs have focused on interfacial interactions to achieve super-wettability, which are mainly categorized into two types of interactions: physical and chemical. Physical interactions include capillary force, electrical stress and physical adhesion. These are mainly represented in operations including treatments of substrate, physical covering, electric field actions and forced wetting. Alternatively, chemical interactions mainly involve metal bonds, ligand bonds and hydrogen bonds. Metal bonds are the most common and essential because GLMs can react with metal substrates and form intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Metal bonds can also combine chemical/electrochemical reactions to make GLMs exhibit super-wettability on substrates. Concerning the influence of these interfacial interactions, GLMs with super-wettability can expand application prospects in the fields of electrochemical energy storage and conversion and flexible self-healing electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and tolerability of brivaracetam (BRV) in neonates with repeated electroencephalographic seizures not controlled with previous antiseizure medications (ASMs). Methods: Phase 2/3, multicenter, open‐label, single‐arm study (N01349/NCT03325439) in neonates with repeated electroencephalographic seizures (lasting ≥10 s) confirmed by video‐electroencephalography, and inadequate seizure control with at least one ASM. A screening period (up to 36 h) was followed by a 48‐h evaluation period during which patients received 0.5 mg/kg BRV twice daily (b.i.d) intravenously (IV). Patients who benefitted from BRV (investigator's opinion) could continue 0.5 mg/kg b.i.d (IV or oral solution) in an extension period. Outcomes included plasma concentrations of BRV following the first dose (primary), and incidence of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Results: Six patients (median [range] postnatal age: 1.5 [1.0, 6.0] days) received ≥1 dose of BRV. All six patients completed the evaluation period; two entered and completed the extension period. Overall (evaluation and extension periods), three patients received one dose of 0.5 mg/kg BRV and three received more than one dose. The median (range) duration of exposure to BRV (IV and oral solution) was 1.5 (1.0, 29.0) days (n = 6). At 0.5–1, 2–4, and 8–12 h following IV BRV administration, the GeoMean (GeoCV) plasma concentrations of BRV were 0.53 mg/L (15.40% [n = 5]), 0.50 mg/L (28.20% [n = 6]), and 0.34 mg/L (13.20% [n = 5]), respectively. Individual and population BRV PK profiles were estimated, and individual PK parameters were calculated using Bayesian feedback. The observed concentrations were consistent with the predicted PK. Three patients experienced four TEAEs, none of which were considered related to BRV. Significance: BRV plasma concentrations in neonates were consistent with data in older children receiving BRV oral solution, and with data from adults receiving a nominal IV dose of 25 mg b.i.d. BRV was well tolerated, with no drug‐related TEAEs reported. Plain Language Summary: Few drugs are available to treat seizures in newborn babies. Brivaracetam is approved to treat focal‐onset seizures in children and adults in Europe (patients 2 years of age and older) and the United States (patients 1 month of age or older). In this study, six newborns with repeated seizures were treated with intravenous brivaracetam. The study doctors took samples of blood from the newborns and measured the levels of brivaracetam. The concentrations of brivaracetam in the newborns' blood plasma were consistent with data from studies in older children and in adults. No brivaracetam‐related medical problems were reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify preoperative MRI findings in patients with arthroscopically confirmed hypermobile lateral meniscus utilizing a standard MRI knee protocol, with comparison to normal control and lateral meniscal tear groups. Subjects and methods: All patients with arthroscopically confirmed hypermobile lateral meniscus diagnosed at our institution were retrospectively identified. The following structures were evaluated on preoperative knee MRIs: superior and inferior popliteomeniscal fascicles, lateral meniscus and meniscocapsular junction, popliteal hiatus, and soft tissue edema around the popliteal hiatus. The same MRI features were evaluated in the normal control and lateral meniscal tear groups. Results: Study, normal control, and lateral meniscal tear patients (18 each) were included. In the study group, 94.4% had superior popliteomeniscal fascicle abnormality, 89.0% had inferior popliteomeniscal fascicle abnormality, and 72.2% had lateral meniscal abnormality. Incidence of these abnormalities was significantly higher than in the normal control group. Meniscal abnormalities in the study group all involved the posterior horn meniscocapsular junction, 12/13 of which had vertical signal abnormality at the junction and 1/13 with anterior subluxation of the entire posterior horn. Popliteus hiatus measurements were largest in the lateral meniscal tear group. Conclusion: In patients with hypermobile lateral meniscus, the combination of popliteomeniscal fascicle abnormality and vertical signal abnormality at the meniscocapsular junction was seen in the majority of patients. Popliteomeniscal fascicle signal abnormality without identifiable lateral meniscal injury was the next most common imaging appearance. Radiologists may provide valuable information by suggesting the diagnosis of hypermobile lateral meniscus in such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical brighteners (OBs) have become an integral part of our daily lives and culture, with a growing number of applications in various fields. Most industrially produced OBs are derived from stilbene, which has been found in environmental matrices. The main objectives for this work are as follows: first, to identify protein targets for DAST, FB-28, and FB-71, and second, to assess their effects in some behaviors physiologic of Caenorhabditis elegans. To achieve the first objective, each OB was tested against a total of 844 human proteins through molecular docking using AutoDock Vina, and affinities were employed as the main criteria to identify potential target proteins for the OB. Molecular dynamics simulations took and validated the best 25 docking results from two protein databases. The highest affinity was obtained for the Hsp70-1/DAST, CD40 ligand/FB-71, and CD40 ligand/FB-28 complexes. The possible toxic effects that OBs could cause were evaluated using the nematode C. elegans. The lethality, body length, locomotion, and reproduction were investigated in larval stage L1 or L4 of the wild-type strain N2. In addition, transgenic green fluorescent protein (GFP) strains were employed to estimate changes in relative gene expression. The effects on the inhibition of growth, locomotion, and reproduction of C. elegans nematodes exposed to DAST, FB-71, and FB-28 OBs were more noticeable with respect to lethality. Moreover, an interesting aspect in OB was increased the expression of gpx-4 and sod-4 genes associated with oxidative stress indicating a toxic response related to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In all cases, a clear concentration-response relationship was observed. It is of special attention that the use of OBs is increasing, and their different sources, such as detergents, textiles, plastics, and paper products, must also be investigated to characterize the primary emissions of OBs to the environment and to develop an adequate regulatory framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) contraction and vascular tone are modulated by phosphorylation and multiple modifications of the thick filament, and thin filament regulation of SMC contraction has been reported to involve extracellular regulated kinase (ERK). Previous studies in ferrets suggest that the actin‐binding protein, calponin 1 (CNN1), acts as a scaffold linking protein kinase C (PKC), Raf, MEK and ERK, promoting PKC‐dependent ERK activation. To gain further insight into this function of CNN1 in ERK activation and the regulation of SMC contractility in mice, we generated a novel Calponin 1 knockout mouse (Cnn1 KO) by a single base substitution in an intronic CArG box that preferentially abolishes expression of CNN1 in vascular SMCs. Using this new Cnn1 KO mouse, we show that ablation of CNN1 has two effects, depending on the cytosolic free calcium level: (1) in the presence of elevated intracellular calcium caused by agonist stimulation, Cnn1 KO mice display a reduced amplitude of stress and stiffness but an increase in agonist‐induced ERK activation; and (2) during intracellular calcium depletion, in the presence of an agonist, Cnn1 KO mice exhibit increased duration of SM tone maintenance. Together, these results suggest that CNN1 plays an important and complex modulatory role in SMC contractile tone amplitude and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniature robots have been widely studied and applied in the fields of search and rescue, reconnaissance, micromanipulation, and even the interior of the human body benefiting from their highlight features of small size, light weight, and agile movement. With the development of new smart materials, many functional actuating elements have been proposed to construct miniature robots. Compared with other actuating elements, piezoelectric actuating elements have the advantages of compact structure, high power density, fast response, high resolution, and no electromagnetic interference, which make them greatly suitable for actuating miniature robots, and capture the attentions and favor of numerous scholars. In this paper, a comprehensive review of recent developments in miniature piezoelectric robots (MPRs) is provided. The MPRs are classified and summarized in detail from three aspects of operating environment, structure of piezoelectric actuating element, and working principle. In addition, new manufacturing methods and piezoelectric materials in MPRs, as well as the application situations, are sorted out and outlined. Finally, the challenges and future trends of MPRs are evaluated and discussed. It is hoped that this review will be of great assistance for determining appropriate designs and guiding future developments of MPRs, and provide a destination board to the researchers interested in MPRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although proline is the most or second most abundant amino acid in wort and grape must, it is not fully consumed by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation, unlike other amino acids. Our previous studies showed that arginine, the third most abundant amino acid in wort, inhibits the utilization of proline in most strains of S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, we found that some non-Saccharomyces yeasts utilized proline in a specific artificial medium with arginine and proline as the only nitrogen source, but these yeasts were not suitable for beer fermentation due to their low alcohol productivity. For yeasts to be useful for brewing, they need to utilize proline and produce alcohol during fermentation. In this study, 11 S. cerevisiae strains and 10 non-Saccharomyces yeast strains in the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection were identified that utilize proline effectively. Notably, two of these S. cerevisiae strains, UCDFST 40-144 and 68-44, utilize proline and produce sufficient alcohol in the beer fermentation model used. These strains have the potential to create distinctive beer products that are specifically alcoholic but with a reduction in proline in the finished beer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphologies of adsorbed molecular films are of interest in a wide range of applications. To study the epitaxial growth of these systems in computer simulations requires access to long time and length scales, and one typically resorts to kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. However, KMC simulations require as input transition rates and their dependence on external parameters (such as temperature). Experimental data allow only limited and indirect access to these rates, and models are often oversimplified. Here, we follow a bottom-up approach and aim at systematically constructing all relevant rates for an example system that has shown interesting properties in experiments, buckminsterfullerene on a calcium fluoride substrate. We develop classical force fields (both atomistic and coarse-grained) and perform molecular dynamics simulations of the elementary transitions in order to derive explicit expressions for the transition rates with a minimal number of free parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency/excess may be associated with worse prognosis in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This study ascertained the association of the estimated total body iron (TBI) with mortality in patients receiving hemodialysis. Multicenter clinical data collected in the Miyazaki Dialysis Cohort Study from 943 patients receiving hemodialysis were analyzed after stratification into tertile categories by baseline TBI—estimated as the heme iron plus iron storage from ferritin levels. The primary outcome was a 5-year all-cause mortality; hazard ratios of the TBI–all-cause mortality association were estimated using Cox models adjusted for potential confounders, including clinical characteristics, laboratory, and drug data, wherein patients with high TBI were the reference category. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses of TBI, serum ferritin levels, and transferrin saturation were performed to predict all-cause mortality; a total of 232 patients died during the follow-up. The low TBI group (<1.6 g) had significantly higher hazard ratios of mortality than the high TBI group (≥2.0 g). As ROC curve analyses showed, TBI predicted mortality more accurately than either levels of serum ferritin or transferrin saturation. Lower TBI increases the mortality risk of Japanese hemodialysis patients, and further studies should examine whether iron supplementation therapy that avoids low TBI improves prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qPlus sensor allows for the simultaneous operation of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). When operating a combined qPlus sensor STM/AFM at large tunneling currents, a hitherto unexplained tunneling current-induced cross coupling can occur, which has already been observed decades ago. Here, we study this phenomenon both theoretically and experimentally; its origin is voltage drops on the order of μV that lead to an excitation or a damping of the oscillation, depending on the sign of the current. Ideally, the voltage drops would be phase-shifted by π/2 with respect to a proper phase angle for driving and would, thus, not be a problem. However, intrinsic RC components in the current wiring lead to a phase shift that does enable drive or damping. Our theoretical model fully describes the experimental findings, and we also propose a way to prevent current-induced excitation or damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why was the work done: To determine whether the susceptibility of lager to microbiological spoilage is determined by composition, microbiota or both. To assess beer spoilage by a consortium of yeast and bacteria from draught beer rather than pure laboratory cultures. How was the work done: Four draught beer styles - cask ale and keg lager, ale, and stout - were sampled twice in five different public houses in four different locations. The beers were forced by static incubation at 30°C for four days. 'Challenge testing' with an inoculum of heterogeneous microorganisms from the forced samples was used to assess the spoilage of ten commercial lagers after incubation by the increase in turbidity at 660 nm. The same approach was used to evaluate the role of nutrients in beer spoilage by forcing with the addition of yeast extract or vitamins (thiamine and riboflavin). What are the main findings: The ten lagers varied in susceptibility to spoilage ranging three-fold from the least to most spoilable. Average spoilage across the beers was comparable for microorganisms from lager, keg ale and stout but ca. 50% greater with microorganisms from cask ale. The ranking of spoilage of the 10 lagers was similar for microbiota from cask ale, keg ale and stout but less so from lager. Spoilage was influenced by beer composition and was inversely related to beer pH and level of free amino nitrogen. The addition of yeast extract stimulated spoilage of the least spoilable lager but the addition of vitamins B1 and B2 had little or no effect. Spoilage was extensive at 30°C, measurable at 12°C but imperceptible at 2°C. Why is the work important: The oft-quoted statement that beer is 'robust to microbiological spoilage' is a fallacy. All ten lagers were spoilt by draught beer microorganisms, but some were more spoilable than others. It is suggested that spoilage may be reduced by lowering beer pH and curbing the availability of nutrients for microbial growth. Whilst (as would be expected) beer storage at 2°C supresses microbial growth, storage at 12°C (as practiced in UK public house cellars) allows spoilage microorganisms to grow in beer. Although the threat of microbial spoilage in the brewing process is managed by good manufacturing practice, draught beer is vulnerable and requires more focus and commitment to hygienic practices to assure quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an analytical technique largely applied in the analysis of discrimination processes involving enantiomeric substrates and chiral agents, which can interact with the analyte either via covalent bonding or via formation of diastereomeric solvates. However, enantiodiscrimination has been observed, in some cases, even in the absence of any additional chiral selector. The reasons behind this phenomenon must be found in the capability of some chiral substrates to interact with themselves by forming diastereomeric solvates in solution that can generate nonequivalences in the NMR spectra of enantiomerically enriched mixtures. As a result, differentiation of enantiomers is observed, thus allowing the quantification of the enantiomeric composition of the mixture under investigation. The tendency of certain substrates to self-aggregate and to generate diastereomeric adducts in solution can be defined as Self-Induced Diastereomeric Anisochrony (SIDA), but other acronyms have been used to refer to this phenomenon. In the present work, an overview of SIDA processes investigated via NMR spectroscopy will be provided, with a particular emphasis on the nature of the substrates involved, on the interaction mechanisms at the basis of the phenomenon, and on theoretical treatments proposed in the literature to explain them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a 0D material, powder particles can be used to create almost any complicated engineering component by utilizing the high‐performance manufacturing capabilities of additive manufacturing (AM). Although powder‐based AM methods provide an outstanding practical value and development for modern manufacturing world, they continue to face challenges such as a lack of accessible categories, temperature restrictions, and poor performance of molded components. Therefore, researching for new AM materials and procedures has become an extremely necessary endeavor. For this purpose, a firm grasp of the current state of the art of powder‐based AM technologies is imperative. Hence, herein, a comprehensive review is presented on the most widely used powder‐based AM methods, and the materials used by these methods. For each method, the development and current state, operating principles, limitations, and future prospects are summarized. In contrast, for materials, their classifications, properties, and preparation methods are explored in great detail, while also commenting on the specific compatibilities between powder materials and powder methods. Industrial and commercialized applications of powder‐based AM are also presented in this work. Finally, the limitations of the current powder‐based technologies are highlighted, with comments regarding the future of this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of initial grain size on the flash event was examined in microcrack healing behavior under DC electric field in fine‐ and coarse‐grained 8 mol% Y2O3‐stabilized cubic ZrO2 (8Y‐CSZ) polycrystals. The healing behavior depends strongly on the initial grain size and is apparently accelerated in fine‐grained 8Y‐CSZ than in coarse‐grained one. Since the crack healing under the flash event is higher than that of static annealing treatment without the electric field, the enhanced healing phenomena cannot be explained only by the thermal effect caused by Joule heating, but nonthermal effects caused by the flash event. The grain size‐dependent healing behavior indicates that the grain boundaries play an important role in the flash event and the flash healing would be accelerated through the field/current‐enhanced diffusional processes, especially through the grain boundary diffusivity of the cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In zero-excess lithium metal batteries (ZELMBs), also termed "anode-free" LMBs, Li from the positive electrode is electrodeposited onto a bare current collector instead of the Li metal negative electrode commonly used in LMBs. This enables high theoretical energy density and facile, safe, and low-cost assembly. To tackle coulombic inefficiencies during Li deposition/dissolution, 3D structured current collectors can be used instead of 2D foil materials. This study elucidates the Li deposition behavior in custom-made open-porous Cu micro-foams from nucleation to large scale deposition. For the first time in ZELMBs, surface and sub-surface Li deposits in open-porous 3D materials are compared to deposits on 2D foils using cryogenic focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FIB-SEM). The results highlight that Cu micro-foams can store substantial amounts of dendrite-free Li in their open-porous 3D structure, minimizing detrimental volume changes during Li deposition/dissolution. Electrochemical analyses and simulations reveal that current density distribution over the large surface area of the Cu micro-foams reduces the Li nucleation overvoltage by ≈40%. Also, charge/discharge cycling in ZELMBs shows increases in coulombic efficiency, capacity retention, and cycle life. Overall, this work explains how open-porous Cu micro-foam current collectors improve the Li deposition behavior to boost the cycling characteristics of ZELMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a prior study, we elucidated the biofilm formation of Saccharomyces boulardii on glass surfaces during beer bottle aging. Here, we supplemented brewing wort with curcumin at 25 μg/mL concentration to mitigate S. boulardii biofilm and enhance beer's functional and sensory attributes. An assessment encompassing biofilm growth and development, fermentation performance, FLO gene expression, yeast ultrastructure, bioactive content, and consumer acceptance of the beer was conducted throughout fermentation and aging. Crystal violet (CV) and XTT reduction assays unveiled a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in biofilm formation and development. Fluorescent staining (FITC-conA) and imaging with confocal laser scanning microscopy provided visual evidence regarding reduced exopolysaccharide content and biofilm thickness. Transcriptional analyses showed that key adhesins (FLO1, FLO5, FLO9, and FLO10) were downregulated, whereas FLO11 expression remained relatively stable. Although there were initial variations in terms of yeast population and fermentation performance, by day 6, the number of S. boulardii in the test group had almost reached the level of the control group (8.3 log CFU/mL) and remained stable thereafter. The supplementation of brewing wort with curcumin led to a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the beer's total phenolic and flavonoid content. In conclusion, curcumin shows promising potential for use as an additive in beer, offering potential antibiofilm and health benefits without compromising the beer's overall characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamond quantum sensing is an emerging technology for probing multiple physico-chemical parameters in the nano- to micro-scale dimensions within diverse chemical and biological contexts. Integrating these sensors into microfluidic devices enables the precise quantification and analysis of small sample volumes in microscale channels. In this Perspective, we present recent advancements in the integration of diamond quantum sensors with microfluidic devices and explore their prospects with a focus on forthcoming technological developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrafine biosensing technology reveals the mechanisms of various biochemical reactions in cells and the causes of complex diseases through the detection of cellular and subcellular structures. It has an irreplaceable role in the early diagnosis of diseases and in the evaluation of the effectiveness of drug therapy. Due to the complex media composition and ultrafine size of biological cells, traditional sensing technologies can hardly shoulder this difficult task. Nanodiamond (ND) is chemically inert, biocompatible, and nanoscale in size; therefore, it is a safe, non-invasive tool for intracellular sensing. In this Review, we will present the properties of nitrogen vacancy centers, silicon vacancy centers in ND, functionalization of ND, and brief principles of sensing, as well as the latest applications, opportunities, and challenges of ND biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apparent activation energy of sintering for 8-mol%-Y2O3-doped ZrO2 during shrinkage-rate-controlled flash sintering was determined using a master sintering curve. The activation energy during SCF sintering was found to decrease from approximately 700 to 430 kJ/mol with density. The activation energy in a high-density region is approximately similar value of lattice diffusion, 460 kJ/mol. The relative density range over which the decrease in activation energy occurred during SCF sintering was smaller than during thermal sintering and further moved to a lower temperature range. The increase in shrinkage rate at lower temperatures that occurs during SCF sintering could be considered to be related to this decrease in activation energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2-kDa peptide (2K peptide) which was derived from the neck region of porcine aorta smooth muscle myosin heavy chain binds to actin competitively with skeletal myosin subfragment I (S1) in the absence of ATP and inhibits acto-S1 ATPase activity [Katoh, T. and Morita, F. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 2380–2388]. Using this and other peptides, myosin-binding sites on actin were mapped and their functions were studied. The 2K peptide inhibited the acto-S1 ATPase activity without inhibiting the binding of S1 to actin in the presence of ATP. On the other hand, the dansylated 2K peptide (DNS-2K peptide) inhibited not only the acto-Sl ATPase activity but also the binding of S1 to actin in the presence of ATP. Then, DNS-2K peptide was crosslinked to actin with 1-ethyl-3[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide. Amino acid composition and sequencing analyses of the fluorescent lysylendopeptidase-peptides of the crosslinked product indicated that DNS-2K peptide was crosslinked to acidic residues within residues 1–18 (Asp1, Glu2, Asp3, Glu4, and/or Aspll), 19–60 (Asp25), and 85–113 (Glu99 or Glu100) of actin. A competition experiment for the crosslinking with unlabeled 2K peptide showed that the crosslinking to residues 85–113 of actin was specific for DNS-2K peptide. In addition, isolated actin peptide 85–113 was found to show the competitive inhibition of actin-activated ATPase activity of S1 with respect to actin. These results suggest that the site within residues 1–28 of actin participates in the actin-activation of myosin ATPase activity, and the site within residues 85–113 of actin participates in the weak binding of myosin to actin in the presence of ATP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two heads of porcine aorta smooth muscle myosin can be cross-linked by a disulfide bridge between the two 17-kDa essential light chains with 5.5' -dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) [Katoh, T., Tanahashi, K., Hasegawa, Y.& Morita, f. (1995) Eur. J. Biochem. 227, 459-465]. When the cross-linked myosin sample was visualized by rotary shadowing, the two heads of myosin molecules appeared predominantly to adhere to each other. The cross-linking of dephosphorylated myosin in the presence of ATP was greatly inhibited by a decrease in the concentration of NaCl from 0.4 M to 0.15M, suggesting that the cross-linking of the two heads was suppressed in 10S myosin. However, the fraction of dephosphorylated myosin in a filamentous state at 0.1 M NaCl in the presence of 1mM ATP was increased from 33% to 83% by the cross-linking. The cross-linking of the two heads might inhibit the formation of the 10S conformation , leading to the increase in the fraction of filamentous myosin. The filaments of the cross-linked myosin sample were visualized by electron microscopy and appeared morphologically similar to those of uncross-linked myosin sample were visualized by electron microscopy and appeared morphologically similar to those of uncross-linked myosin. The degree of phosphorylation-dependent regulation of actin-activated ATPase activity deceased with an increase in the degree of cross-linking and was extrapolated to zero at 100% cross-linking. Superprecipitation of acto-cross-linked dephosphorylated myosin was activated, while that of acto-cross-linked phosphorylated myosin was inhibited only slightly. These results suggest that the freedom of each head in myosin molecules may be required to keep the ATPase activity and superprecipitation of acto-dephophorylated myosin low but not for keeping these activity levels high in acto-phosphorylated myosin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]