Protein production is one of the key steps in biotechnology and functional proteomics. Expression of proteins in heterologous hosts (such as in E. coli) is generally lengthy and costly. Cell-free ...protein synthesis is thus emerging as an attractive alternative. In addition to the simplicity and speed for protein production, cell-free expression allows generation of functional proteins that are difficult to produce by in vivo systems. Recent exploitation of cell-free systems enables novel development of technologies for rapid discovery of proteins with desirable properties from very large libraries. This article reviews the recent development in cell-free systems and their application in the large scale protein analysis.
The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) has increased in recent decades. Although many treatments offer some benefits for patients with ED, unmet therapeutic needs remain, and promising new ...approaches are under investigation. One of these approaches is the use of stem-cell (SC) therapy for ED. We comprehensively reviewed the published literature and ongoing phase 1 and phase 2 trials and identified 27 trials by using SC therapy to treat ED. Of the 27 trials, three have been withdrawn, nine have published results, six are complete but without published results, and nine trials are ongoing or have an "unknown" status. Our analysis revealed that SC therapy represents a promising option to treat ED, although published data exist for less than 100 patients. Large placebo-controlled trials with longer follow-up are needed to confirm the long-term safety and efficacy of SC therapy for ED.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of cognitive impairment in the elderly. In this report, we presented a case of a 52-year-old woman with rapid disease progression within 6 months. She ...was diagnosed with mild dementia according to the clinical symptoms and neuropsychological assessment results. Based on the results of neuropathological proteins in cerebrospinal fluid, cranial magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography, the patient showed the presence of β amyloid deposition, pathologic tau along with neurodegeneration A+T+(N+), indicative of AD. Whole exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous C-to-T missense mutation of nucleotide 3,755 (c.3755C > T) in exon 25 of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene on chromosome 17q23 (rs762056936).
Infrared spectroscopy (IR) is the most widely used analytical tool to quantify trace water in silicate and silica minerals. A prerequisite for highly accurate IR measurements of trace water is a good ...understanding of the effect of the second Si–O vibrational overtones/combination bands (2nd Si–O VOCBs) on the water peaks. Silicate and silica minerals can be divided as isolated (Q
0
), paired (Q
1
), ring (Q
2
), chain (Q
1
or Q
2
), sheet (Q
3
) and framework (Q
4
) structures according to the polymerization of their SiO
4
tetrahedral units, and the 2nd Si–O VOCBs of these different structural types attain different vibrational features which are expected to affect the water peaks to different extents. Here, we selected olivine (Q
0
) and
α
-quartz (Q
4
) as two endmember-like structural examples, performed extensive IR measurements on both pristine and heat-treated thin sections prepared for these two minerals, and explored the vibrational features of the 2nd Si–O VOCBs. We have found that the 2nd Si–O VOCBs are well separated from the water peaks in olivine, but severely overlap with the water peaks in
α
-quartz, confirming the different roles that the 2nd Si–O VOCBs play in quantifying trace water in silicate and silica minerals with different structural polymerizations. To remove the influence of the 2nd Si–O VOCBs (or any other species rather than water), an experimental protocol has been successfully developed, as approved by some fundamental equations and verified by the data of
α
-quartz in the literature. This development should lead to significant accuracy improvement in quantifying trace amounts of water in Earth and planetary materials.
To constrain the water solubility of coesite (Coe) at typical temperatures of subduction zones, a series of Coe coexisting with an aqueous fluid was synthesized at 3–6 GPa and at 600–800 °C. Most ...experiments were performed in the system SiO2-H2O, and some were performed with small amounts of boron addition. With very long heating durations (120–336 h), all these experiments successfully produced Coe crystals of large grain size, ranging from ∼100 to 1300 μm. For every experimental product, multiple unpolarized FTIR spectra were collected on randomly-selected Coe crystals. We have found that type-I hydrogarnet substitution (Si4+(Si2) + 4O2− = 4□(Si2) + 4OH−) is the major water-incorporation mechanism whereas B-related defect (H+ + B3+ ↔ Si4+) makes no much contribution. The water solubility of Coe, ranging from 3(1) to 47(12) wt ppm, positively correlates with both P and T. It can be well described by the empirical equation cH2O = −49(17) + 6.0(21) × P + 0.06(2) × T (cH2O representing water content in wt ppm, P pressure in GPa and T temperature in °C) and by the thermodynamic expression cOH=exp∆S1barRfH2O2exp−∆H1bar−∆VsolidPRT (cOH representing water content in H/106 Si, fH2O water fugacity in GPa, R the gas constant, P pressure in GPa, T temperature in K, ∆S1 bar reaction entropy as 18.5(509) J/mol/K, ∆H1 bar reaction enthalpy as −10.7(516) kJ/mol, and ∆Vsolid the volume change of Coe during hydroxylation as 23.6(42) cm3/mol). Consequently, the water solubility of Coe in subduction zones should be ∼0–123 wt ppm. When Coe with deep origin becomes metastable (i.e., approaching the P-T locus of the Coe-quartz (Qz) reaction), its water content is likely less than ∼10 wt ppm. This trace water may be quickly lost along with further exhumation process, and metastable Coe becomes completely dry, as observed in the Coe discovered in all exhumed ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks. Since structurally-bonded water substantially speeds up the Coe-to-Qz phase transition, zero water in metastable Coe may be the key to the preservation of Coe in the UHP metamorphic rocks.
•The water solubility of coesite at realistic P-T conditions of subduction zones were directly experimentally constrained.•The type-I hydrogarnet substitution is the major water-incorporation mechanism and B-related water defects are uncritical.•The H2O solubility of coesite positively correlates with P and T, as described by an empirical and a thermodynamic equation.•The water solubility of Coe in subduction zones should be 0–123 wt ppm.•A zero H2O in Coe helps its metastable preservation in the exhuming ultra-high pressure rocks.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with expanded vermiculite (EVM) form-stable composite phase change materials (PCE-CPCMs) were constructed via the efficient synergistic effect ...between EVM and CNTs. The resultant material demonstrated simultaneously enhanced latent heat and heat transfer. The unique EVM pore structure and CNTs surfaces contributed to the form stability of PCE-CPCMs. The adsorption capacity was 77.75⁻81.54 wt %. The latent heat of the PCE-CPCMs increased with increasing CNTs content due to the decreasing inhibition effect of EVM and the increasing adsorption capacity of PEG, which was 83.9 J/g during melting and 104.2 J/g during solidification for PCE7.09. The pore confinement and surface EVM interactions inhibited the heat storage capacity of the PCE-CPCMs. Moreover, the inhibition effect on the heat storage capacity of PCE-CPCMs during the melting process was stronger than during solidification due to the crystallization-promoting effect. The heat transfer of PCE-CPCMs was significantly enhanced by the CNTs filler (0.5148 W/(m·K) for PCE7.09) due to the decrease in interfacial thermal resistance and the formation of rapid thermally conductive pathways. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermal cycles test results confirmed that the PCE-CPCMs exhibited excellent chemical compatibility, thermal stability, and reliability.
Background
Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and kidney transplants (KT) are at an elevated risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and ...mortality. A comprehensive comparison of morbidity and mortality between these populations with kidney disease and individuals without any kidney disease is lacking.
Methods
We analysed the 2020 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for non-elective adult COVID-19 hospitalizations, categorizing patients into advanced CKD, ESKD, KT, and kidney disease-free cohorts. Our analysis included a description of the distribution of comorbidities across the entire spectrum of CKD, ESKD, and KT. Additionally, we investigated in-hospital mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization, adjusting for potential confounders through multivariable regression models.
Results
The study included 1,018,915 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020. The incidence of advanced CKD, ESKD, and KT in this cohort was 5.8%, 3.8%, and 0.4%, respectively. Patients with advanced CKD, ESKD, and KT exhibited higher multimorbidity burdens, with 90.3%, 91.0%, and 75.2% of patients in each group having a Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) equal to or greater than 3. The all-cause in-hospital mortality ranged from 9.3% in kidney disease-free patients to 20.6% in advanced CKD, 19.4% in ESKD, and 12.4% in KT patients. After adjusting for potential confounders at both the patient and hospital levels, CKD stages 3–5; ESKD; and KT were found to be associated with increased odds of mortality, with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of 1.34, 1.80, 2.66, 1.97, and 1.69, respectively.
Conclusion
Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 with advanced CKD, ESKD, or KT demonstrated a higher burden of comorbidities and increased mortality rates compared to those without kidney disease. After adjusting for confounders, CKD stages 3–5; ESKD; and KT were identified as independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality, illustrating a dose-response relationship between the odds of mortality and adverse outcomes as CKD progressed from stages 3 to 5. Our study highlights the necessity for enhanced management of comorbidities, targeted interventions, and vigorous vaccination efforts to mitigate the risk of adverse outcomes in the vulnerable populations of patients with CKD, ESKD, and KT.
To accurately analyze the oxygen isotope of olivine using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), appropriate standard materials are required to calibrate for matrix effects caused by chemical ...composition differences between the samples and the standard materials. In this study, we investigated the homogeneity of oxygen isotopes in two natural olivine minerals using a secondary ion mass spectrometer to evaluate their potential as standard materials. The two minerals, JAY03-3 and JAY02-4, with forsterite contents of 99.3% and 99.6%, respectively, were evaluated for homogeneity in oxygen isotope composition. The recommended oxygen isotope values were characterized using CO2 laser fluorination, and the homogeneity was tested with in situ SIMS oxygen isotope measurements. Our results show that the δ18O value determined via CO2 laser fluorination for JAY03-3 is 16.37 ± 0.22‰ (2 s) and for JAY02-4 is 18.29 ± 0.28‰ (2 s). The precision of SIMS oxygen isotope measurements is 0.57‰ (2 s) for JAY03-3 and 0.70‰ (2 s) for JAY02-4. These two minerals have the potential to be used as standard materials for calibrating the oxygen isotope value of end-member forsterite during in situ analysis of SIMS oxygen isotope.
Kaolinite and dickite are differently ordered polytypes of kaolinite-group minerals, whose differences are in the stacking mode of layers and ion occupation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ...was used to collect information about the differences between the two minerals. The common characteristics of kaolinite and dickite are bands near 4530 and 7068 cm−1, which are attributed to the combination of the inner Al-OH stretching vibration and outer Al-OH bending vibration and the overtone of the inner Al-OH stretching vibration, respectively. The difference is that kaolinite has secondary peaks at 4610 and 7177 cm−1, and the secondary peak of dickite is near 4588 cm−1. The OH stretching vibration has the first fundamental overtone of the stretching vibration in the range of 7000–7250 cm−1. In addition to the overtones generated by single OH stretching vibrations, overtones combining different OH stretching vibrations are also found, which are formed by adjacent peaks of OH stretching vibrations. The average factor of the first fundamental overtone with an OH-group stretching vibration is approximately 1.95. The near-infrared spectrum (NIR) of phyllosilicates is closely related to their structure and isomorphism. Therefore, the near-infrared region can distinguish between kaolinite and dickite and provide a basis for deposit research and geological remote sensing.
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