Ultrastructure of a bio-electrolytic methanogenic/methanotrophic granular biofilm for the complete degradation of tetrachloroethylene in contaminated groundwater.

The electrolytical methanogenic/methanotrophic coupling (eMaMoC) process was tested in a laboratory-scale single-stage reactor for the treatment of tetrachloroethene (PCE)-contaminated waters. A water electrolysis cell was placed directly in the effluent recirculation loop for the supply of both O2 and H2 to the system: H2 serving as the electron donor for both carbonate reduction into CH4 and reductive dechlorination. The concurrent presence of O2 and CH4 could be used by the methanotrophs for co-metabolically oxidising the chlorinated intermediates left over by the anaerobic transformation of PCE. At a PCE inlet of 33-52 microM and a hydraulic residence time (HRT) of 5.6 days, PCE reductive dechlorination to dichloroethene (DCE) was over 95% with a maximum DCE mineralisation of 83%. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation with 16S rRNA probes related to type I and type II methanotrophic bacteria were utilised to localise the methanotrophic communities in the anaerobic/aerobic granules. It evidenced that with operational time, along with increasing oxygenation rate, methanotrophic communities were specifically colonising onto the outermost layer of the anaerobic/aerobic granule.     

GraftFast Surface Engineering to Improve MOF Nanoparticles Furtiveness

Controlling the outer surface of nanometric metal–organic frameworks (nanoMOFs) and further understanding the in vivo effect of the coated material are crucial for the convenient biomedical applications of MOFs. However, in most studies, the surface modification protocol is often associated with significant toxicity and/or lack of selectivity. As an alternative, how the highly selective and general grafting GraftFast method leads, through a green and simple process, to the successful attachment of multifunctional biopolymers (polyethylene glycol (PEG) and hyaluronic acid) on the external surface of nanoMOFs is reported. In particular, effectively PEGylated iron trimesate MIL‐100(Fe) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit suitable grafting stability and superior chemical and colloidal stability in different biofluids, while conserving full porosity and allowing the adsorption of bioactive molecules (cosmetic and antitumor agents). Furthermore, the nature of the MOF–PEG interaction is deeply investigated using high‐resolution soft X‐ray spectroscopy. Finally, a cell penetration study using the radio‐labeled antitumor agent gemcitabine monophosphate (³H‐GMP)‐loaded MIL‐100(Fe)@PEG NPs shows reduced macrophage phagocytosis, confirming a significant in vitro PEG furtiveness.     

Benefits of multiple micronutrient supplementation in heart failure: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Background: Multiple micronutrient supplementation has been suggested to have a role on health outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF), but the evidence is inconclusive. Objective: To elucidate the role of multiple micronutrient supplementation in heart failure we performed a comprehensive review of the literature. Methods and results: The search in databases included PUBMED (until June 2018) to detect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyzes that investigated the impact of micronutrient supplementation in HF. Results: With more than 2357 titles and abstracts reviewed, we included only the studies suitable for the final review. Whether alone or in combination, micronutrients have been found to improve the health outcomes of patients with HF by improving symptoms, work capacity and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), thus increasing the quality of life in these patients. Conclusion: Future studies are needed to document the effects of multiple micronutrient associations in order to include them in nutritional guidelines to increase survival and to improve quality of life in patients with heart failure.     

Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis: Pathogenic Mechanisms Involving the Cartilage and Subchondral Bone,and Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Joint Regeneration

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a specialized synovial joint that is crucial for the movement and function of the jaw. TMJ osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) is the result of disc dislocation, trauma, functional overburden, and developmental anomalies. TMJ OA affects all joint structures, including the articular cartilage, synovium, subchondral bone, capsule, ligaments, periarticular muscles, and sensory nerves that innervate the tissues. The present review aimed to illustrate the main pathomechanisms involving cartilage and bone changes in TMJ OA and some therapeutic options that have shown potential restorative properties regarding these joint structures in vivo. Chondrocyte loss, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and subchondral bone remodeling are important factors in TMJ OA. The subchondral bone actively participates in TMJ OA through an abnormal bone remodeling initially characterized by a loss of bone mass, followed by reparative mechanisms that lead to stiffness and thickening of the condylar osteochondral interface. In recent years, such therapies as intraarticular platelet-rich plasma (PRP), hyaluronic acid (HA), and mesenchymal stem cell-based treatment (MSCs) have shown promising results with respect to the regeneration of joint structures or the protection against further damage in TMJ OA. Nevertheless, PRP and MSCs are more frequently associated with cartilage and/or bone repair than HA. According to recent findings, the latter could enhance the restorative potential of other therapies (PRP, MSCs) when used in combination, rather than repair TMJ structures by itself. TMJ OA is a complex disease in which degenerative changes in the cartilage and bone develop through intricate mechanisms. The regenerative potential of such therapies as PRP, MSCs, and HA regarding the cartilage and subchondral bone (alone or in various combinations) in TMJ OA remains a matter of further research, with studies sometimes obtaining discrepant results.     

Analysis on the potential of an EA–surrogate modelling tandem for deep learning parametrization: an example for cancer classification from medical images

Neural Computing and Applications - The paper introduces a novel modality to efficiently tune the convolutional layers of a deep neural network (CNN) and an approach to also rank the importance of...     

Spin-spin relaxation times in myocardial hypertrophy induced by endocrine agents in rat

Magnetic resonance techniques afford a significant advantage for noninvasive diagnosis of cardiovascular pathology. The purpose of our present study was to assay the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) sensitivity in the differential diagnosis of certain endocrine cardiovascular complications. In this context, we investigated the water state and content in the hypertrophied myocardium. Male and female Wistar rats were treated with different hormones (hydrocortisone acetate, testosterone, estradiol, thyroid hormones) in combination with isoproterenol (a synthetic catecholamine that induces myocardial ischemia and hypertrophy). The animals were sacrificed after 20 days of treatment and samples of integral myocardium and left ventricular myocardium were analyzed on a¹H-NMR AREMI spectrometer (0.6 T; proton resonance at 25 MHz). The estimation ofT ₂ was made by Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence. The data were fitted to a bi-exponential curve, yielding short (T ₂₁) values forbound water and long (T ₂₂) values forfree water. In order to evaluate the myocardial hypertrophy, the following ratios were calculated: integral myocardium to body weight; left ventricle to body weight; left ventricle to integral myocardium. The first two ratios were also calculated for dried tissue, in order to estimate its contribution to myocardial hypertrophy. Our findings demonstrate that myocardial hypertrophy is associated with a decrease ofT ₂₂, as a consequence of the increase in the dried component (i.e. proteins) of the tissue, while the total tissue, while the total tissue water (H₂O_t%, measured by gravimetry) was not significantly modified. Nevertheless, it is reasonable that the increase in the protein content would be proportional with the increase in H₂O_t%. The decrease ofT ₂₁ seems to be proportional with the level of left ventricle hypertrophy in female groups. The¹H-NMR measurements were much sensitive for the differential diagnosis of myocardial hypertrophy in the case of left ventricle.     

Synthesis and Characterisation of Branched Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Branched poly(ethylene terephthalate)s (PET) were synthesised with a variety of molar masses and with a large range of degree of branching by introduction of mono-, tri-(glycerol) and tetra-functional (pentaerythritol) comonomers to dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol. The monofunctional alcohols, dodecanol and benzyl alcohol, were used as terminating agents to minimise gelation. The effect of various reaction parameters, such as percentage glycerol or pentaerythritol and polymerisation time, on limiting viscosity number [η] and weight average molar mass (M_w) were investigated. The thermal behaviour of branched PET was studied by differential scanning calorimetry; all samples showed a characteristic double endothermic melting peak and the glass transition temperature was not observed. Some branched PETs were subjected to solid-state polymerisation to increase the molar mass of previously prepared branched polymers. The solid-state polymerisation technique showed that the process not only promoted the molar mass but, more importantly, it increased the crystallinity of the polymer. Overall, the solid-state reaction rate was governed by initial molar mass, crystallinity, reaction temperature and time. © of SCI.