Childhood leukemia in Belarus before and after the Chernobyl accident

Childhood leukemia (ICD 204-208 [1]) incidence rates in the different regions of Belarus are reported for a period before and after the Chernobyl accident (1982-1994). There are, at this point, no recognizable trends towards higher rates.     

Quantitative determination of combustion intermediates with cavity ring-down spectroscopy: systematic study in propene flames near the soot-formation limit

Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) was applied in several fuel-rich, one-dimensional, premixed C3H6/O2/Ar flames at 50 mbars (37.5 torr) to measure absolute OH, HCO, and 1CH2 concentration as well as temperature as a function of stoichiometry. Although these flames near the sooting limit present a complex chemical environment, significant spectral interferences were found to be absent. Specific aspects of the CRDS technique for measurement of temperature and radical concentration profiles are discussed; and the results are analyzed in comparison with flame model simulations.     

Osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells in computer designed fibrin-polymer-ceramic scaffolds manufactured by fused deposition modeling

Biomimetic scaffolds offer great potentials in the development of bone analogs for tissue engineering. The studies presented in this paper focus specifically on the osteogenic potential of the novel PCL/CaP matrices and its degradation behavior. Biodegradable Polymer-ceramic Scaffolds were fabricated using the solid free form fabrication technology: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The scaffold architecture was characterized by a honeycomb-like design and a complete interconnectivity of the pores. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were seeded together with fibrin glue into PCL/CaP scaffolds and cultured in vitro for periods of up to eight weeks. Cellular adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were assessed in these constructs using a range of histological and microscopic techniques. In additional experiments, degradation was assessed by measuring mass loss, diameter change, molecular weight change and by scanning electron micrographs. MSCs were able to adhere, migrate, and differentiate along the osteogenic lineage with in these scaffolds. The PCL/CaP scaffolds showed up to 27 fold increased degradation of compared to PCL scaffolds.     

Optimized time‐gated generalized polarization imaging of Laurdan and di‐4‐ANEPPDHQ for membrane order image contrast enhancement

The membrane dyes Laurdan and di‐4‐ANEPPDHQ can be used to image membrane order due to a spectral blue‐shift in the fluorescence emission between the liquid‐ordered and liquid‐disordered phases. These images typically take the form of a normalized intensity ratio image known as a generalized polarization (GP) plot. Here, we exploit the known excited state photophysics and time‐resolved data acquisition via time‐correlated single‐photon counting (TCSPC) to demonstrate GP contrast enhancement for these two probes of 7 and 31%, respectively. This improvement in image contrast enhancement will be invaluable when studying the role of lipid rafts in fixed and live cell systems. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Polymer-Based Module for NAD+ Regeneration with Visible Light

The regeneration of enzymatic cofactors by cell-free synthetic modules is a key step towards producing a purely synthetic cell. Herein, we demonstrate the regeneration of the enzyme cofactor NAD⁺ by photo-oxidation of NADH under visible-light irradiation by using metal-free conjugated polymer nanoparticles. Encapsulation of the light-active nanoparticles in the lumen of polymeric vesicles produced a fully organic module able to regenerate NAD⁺ in an enzyme-free system. The polymer compartment conferred physical and chemical autonomy to the module, allowing the regeneration of NAD⁺ to occur efficiently, even in harsh chemical environments. Moreover, we show that regeneration of NAD⁺ by the photocatalyst nanoparticles can oxidize a model substrate, in conjunction with the enzyme glycerol dehydrogenase. To ensure the longevity of the enzyme, we immobilized it within a protective silica matrix; this yielded enzymatic silica nanoparticles with enhanced long-term performance and compatibility with the NAD⁺-regeneration system.     

IR spectroscopy: Suitable method for determination of curing degree and crosslinking type in melamine–formaldehyde resins

Melamine–formaldehyde (MF) resins are widely used as adhesives and finishing materials in the wood industry. During resin cure, either methylene ether or methylene bridges are formed, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional resin network. Not only the curing degree, but also the chemical species present in the cured resin determine the quality of the final product. Analytical methods allowing a detailed investigation of network formation are of great benefit to manufacturers. In the present work, resin cure of an MF precondensate is studied at different temperatures (100–200 °C) without considering the initial pH as a factor. Isoconversional kinetic analysis based on exothermal curing enthalpies enables calculation of the crosslinking degree at a given time/temperature regime. A semiquantitative determination of the chemical groups present is performed based on solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance data. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has shown to be a fast and reliable analytical tool with high sensitivity toward functional groups and with great potential for at-line process control. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47691.     

New insights into the association between lameness,behavior, and performance in Simmental cows

In a herd of 100 milking Simmental cows, data of performance and behavior parameters were collected automatically with different systems such as pedometers, an automatic milking system, and automatic weighing troughs for 1 yr. Performance measures were several milking-related parameters, live weight, as well as feed intake. Behavior-associated measures were feeding behavior (e.g. feeding duration, number of visits to the trough, and feeding pace) as well as activity such as lying duration, number of lying bouts, and overall activity. In the same time, lameness status of every cow was assessed with weekly locomotion scoring. According to the score animals were then classified lame (score 4 or 5) or nonlame (score 1, 2, or 3). From these data in total, 25 parameters summarized to daily values were evaluated for their ability to determine the lameness status of a cow. Data were analyzed with a regularized regression method called elastic net with the outcome lame or nonlame. The final model had a high prediction accuracy with an area under the curve of 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.88–0.94]. Specificity was 0.81 (95% CI = 0.73–0.85) and sensitivity was 0.94 (95% CI = 0.88–1.00). The most important factors associated with a cow being lame were number of meals, average feed intake per meal, and average duration of a meal. Lame cows fed in fewer and shorter meals with a decreased intake per meal. Milk yield and lying-behavior-associated parameters were relevant in the model, too, but only as parts of interaction terms demonstrating their strong dependence on other factors. A higher milk yield only resulted in higher risk of being lame if feed intake was decreased. The same accounts for lying duration: only if lying time was below the 50% quantile did an increased milk yield result in a higher risk of being lame. The association of lameness and daily lying duration was influenced by daily feeding duration and feeding duration at daytime. The results of the study give deeper insights on how the association between behavior and performance parameters and lameness is influenced by intrinsic factors in particular and that many of these have to be considered when trying to predict lameness based on such data. The findings lead to a better understanding why, for instance, lying duration or milk yield seem to be highly correlated with lameness in cows but still have not been overly useful as parameters in other lameness detection models.     

Dynamics and diversity of non-Saccharomyces yeasts during the early stages in winemaking

This detailed study observed the yeasts present in the ecological niche of "wine must". The dynamics and identity of non-Saccharomyces yeasts during the cold maceration and alcoholic fermentation of grape must were investigated under real production conditions in the Bordeaux region. Furthermore, we studied the impact of two oenological parameters on the development and diversity of non-Saccharomyces yeasts during cold maceration: temperature management and the timing of dried yeast addition. The non-Saccharomyces community underwent constant changes throughout cold maceration and alcoholic fermentation. The highly diverse non-Saccharomyces microflora was present at 10(4)-10(5) CFU/mL during cold maceration. The population increased to a maximum of 10(6)-10(7) CFU/mL at the beginning of alcoholic fermentation, then declined again at the end. The population at this point, evaluated at around 10(3)-10(4) CFU/mL, was shown to be dependent on the timing of yeast inoculation. The choice of temperature was the key factor for controlling the total yeast population growth, as well as the species present at the end of cold maceration. Hanseniaspora uvarum was a major species present in 2005 and 2006, while Candida zemplinina was very abundant in 2006. A total of 19 species were isolated.     

Droplet Entrainment Analysis in a Flash Evaporator with an Image-Based Measurement Technique

Local droplet sizes and volumes of entrained liquid are captured with an image-based measurement technique for comparison with a conventional, integral method for entrainment analysis. Experiments in a forced circulation flash evaporation were performed for different operating conditions and with two different chemical systems. Droplet size and frequency rise with an increase in thermal energy input. The local readings confirm the trends found by the integral measurement method. The modification of the image-based probe enables the detection of small (≈ 10 µm) and at the same time fast droplets under challenging operating conditions, such as vacuum and superheated feed similar to industrial process conditions.