Assessment of pre-combustion decarbonisation schemes for polygeneration from fossil fuels

This article deals with emerging poly-generation schemes that employ pre-combustion decarbonisation of fossil fuels—eventually with options for geological storage of the CO₂. Inevitably, such schemes are highly complex, and may require new approaches and knowledge on interactions between key components in large plants, as even new technologies and features are expected to occur in due course as the experience from polygeneration matures. Reference is made to the European DYNAMIS project and the Sino-European project COACH—both conducted under the auspices of the European Commission.

High-resolution patterning on LTCC by transfer of photolithography-based metallic microstructures

The growing applications and constant miniaturization of electronic devices and of low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) in various fields, such as aviation, telecommunications, automotive, satellite communications, and military, have led to an increase in the demand for LTCC. Such prospects arise due to the continuous scaling down of components and high-density interconnection in electronics packaging. This paper reports a technique for the transfer of high-resolution microstructures from silicon substrates to LTCC. In this method, gold and copper patterns were formed by photolithography, electrodeposition, and residual layer stripping on silicon substrate. Lithography provides the opportunity to create and transfer complex patterns for use in several different applications and electroplating enables the use of pure metal for excellent electrical properties. The developed structures were transferred onto a top layer of LTCC tape using hot embossing. Then, the subsequent layers were stacked, laminated, and sintered. A resolution of 1.5 μm after free sintering and 4.5 μm after pressure-assisted sintering was achieved. This distinctive method can be useful for several applications requiring high-resolution and superior electrical properties.     

Fünfring-Cycloamidine – Neue farbige Heterocyclen mit ungewöhnlichen Eigenschaften. II. Molekül- und Elektronenstruktur

5-Ring-Cycloamidines – Deeply Colored Heterocycles with Unusual Properties. II. Molecular- and Electronic Structure The crystal and molecular structure of two N,N′-aryl-5-amino-imidazole-4-imides were detected by X-ray analysis. The structural parameters are discussed in conjunction with theoretical data obtained by density functional and ab initio quantum theory. The interpretation of the molecular structures derived from the X-ray diffraction study is made more difficult by statistic disorder or by enclosure of water in the crystal. The theory predicts a planar 5-amino-imidazole-4-imide parent structure with an energy barrier to H-transfer of about 25 kcal/mol (DFT RB3LYP/6-311+G** and ab initio G2(MP2) calculations). The CC bond of the five-membered ring is exceedingly long. CC-bond length elongation is also reported for oxalbisamidine. The structure of the parent compound is discussed in terms of polymethinic and antiaromatic substructures. Weinholds's Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) scheme and Natural Resonance Theory (NRT) as well as Schleyer's criterion of the Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) is consulted to reveal the very nature of the unique bond system.     

Thienoanellierte 6aλ4-Thia-1,6-diazapentalene durch baseninduzierte Dimerisierung von 5-Methyl-isothiazoliumsalzen

Thienoanneleted 6aλ⁴-Thia-1,6-diazapentalenes by Baseinduced Dimerisation of 5-Methyl-isothiazolium Salts Isothiazolium salts 2 and 3 are easily available by reaction of (Z/E)-β-thiocyanatovinyl aldehydes with primary aliphatic and aromatic amines in acetic acid or with aromatic amine hydrochlorides, respectively. Preparative advantages of this reaction are demonstrated and discussed. Reaction of 3 with secondary amines results in an unexpected formation of 6aλ⁴-thia-1,6-diazapentalenes 5 , a new typ of thiadiazapentalenes anellated with a heterocyclic ring system. The structure of 5 was evidenced by IR, UV, ¹H-, ¹³C-n.m.r. spectral data and supported by elemental analysis. By means of ¹⁵N- and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy the synthesized thiadiazapentalenes were found to be stable towards protonation.     

In Vivo Examination of an Injectable Hydrogel System Crosslinked by Peptide–Oligosaccharide Interaction in Immunocompetent Nude Mice

Hydrogels can serve as matrices to mimic natural tissue function and be used for wide‐ranging applications such as tissue regeneration and drug delivery. Injectable hydrogels are particularly favorable because their uses are minimally invasive. However, creating moldable substance for injection often results in compromised function and stability. This study reports an injectable hydrogel system crosslinked by peptide–oligosaccharide noncovalent interaction. The dynamic network shows fast self‐healing, a property essential for injectability. Injected hydrogels in immunocompetent mice and release of encapsulated compound are monitored up to 9 months by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging. This surprisingly stable hydrogel does not cause adverse inflammatory response, as analyzed by measuring cytokine levels, immunohistochemistry, and MRI. Hydrogel degradation is associated with invasion of macrophages and vascular formation. The facile synthesis, high biocompatibility, and stability of this injectable hydrogel can lead to various experimental and clinical applications in regenerative medicine and drug delivery.     

Interactions between the Re-Emerging Pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Host Cells

Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the etiological agent of diphtheria, is a re-emerging pathogen, responsible for several thousand deaths per year. In addition to diphtheria, systemic infections, often by non-toxigenic strains, are increasingly observed. This indicates that besides the well-studied and highly potent diphtheria toxin, various other virulence factors may influence the progression of the infection. This review focuses on the known components of C. diphtheriae responsible for adhesion, invasion, inflammation, and cell death, as well as on the cellular signaling pathways activated upon infection.     

Organotypic Culture of Testicular Tissue from Infant Boys with Cryptorchidism

Organotypic culture of human fetal testis has achieved fertilization-competent spermatids followed by blastocysts development. This study focuses on whether the organotypic culture of testicular tissue from infant boys with cryptorchidism could support the development of spermatogonia and somatic cells. Frozen-thawed tissues were cultured in two different media, with or without retinoic acid (RA), for 60 days and evaluated by tissue morphology and immunostaining using germ and somatic cell markers. During the 60-day culture, spermatocytes stained by boule-like RNA-binding protein (BOLL) were induced in biopsies cultured with RA. Increased AR expression (p < 0.001) and decreased AMH expression (p < 0.001) in Sertoli cells indicated advancement of Sertoli cell maturity. An increased number of SOX9-positive Sertoli cells (p < 0.05) was observed, while the percentage of tubules with spermatogonia was reduced (p < 0.001). More tubules with alpha-smooth muscle actin (ACTA, peritubular myoid cells (PTMCs) marker) were observed in an RA-absent medium (p = 0.02). CYP17A1/STAR-positive Leydig cells demonstrated sustained steroidogenic function. Our culture conditions support the initiation of spermatocytes and enhanced maturation of Sertoli cells and PTMCs within infant testicular tissues. This study may be a basis for future studies focusing on maintaining and increasing the number of spermatogonia and identifying different factors and hormones, further advancing in vitro spermatogenesis.     

Host Range,Morphology and Sequence Analysis of Ten Temperate Phages Isolated from Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica Strains

Yersinia enterocolitica is a heterogeneous species comprising highly pathogenic, weakly pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains. Previous data suggest that gene exchange may occur in Yersinia. Only scarce information exists about temperate phages of Y. enterocolitica, even though many prophage sequences are present in this species. We have examined 102 pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains for the presence of inducible prophages by mitomycin C treatment. Ten phages were isolated from nine strains belonging to the bio (B)/serotypes (O) B2/O:5,27, B2/O:9 and 1B/O:8. All phages are myoviruses showing lytic activity only at room temperature. Whole-genome sequencing of the phage genomes revealed that they belong to three groups, which, however, are not closely related to known phages. Group 1 is composed of five phages (type phage: vB_YenM_06.16.1) with genome sizes of 43.8 to 44.9 kb, whereas the four group 2 phages (type phage: vB_YenM_06.16.2) possess smaller genomes of 29.5 to 33.2 kb. Group 3 contains only one phage (vB_YenM_42.18) whose genome has a size of 36.5 kb, which is moderately similar to group 2. The host range of the phages differed significantly. While group 1 phages almost exclusively lysed strains of B2/O:5,27, phages of group 2 and 3 were additionally able to lyse B4/O:3, and some of them even B2/O:9 and 1B/O:8 strains.