The printability of materials used in extrusion based 3D printing is one of the most important properties especially when fabricating objects with architectural complexities. However, this parameter ...is influenced by several factors (temperature, components, and additives) which makes thorough evaluation and classification challenging. In this study, the printability of food-ink for 3D food printing applications was evaluated by systematically adapting evaluation techniques such as dimensional stability test, handling properties assessment, and shear rheology test using edible hydrocolloid as reference materials. Methylcellulose (MC) was selected as a suitable reference material for its capability to simulate the printability of various types of food applications. In dimensional stability test, the concentrations of reference hydrocolloid mixture that could fabricate structures with height of 20, 40, and 80 mm without significant collapse were 9%, 11%, and 13%, respectively. The deformation behavior and handling properties of printed foods were classified based on the reference material produced at various concentrations (5%–20%). Shear modulus of all samples were in complete agreement with simulation results based on the dimensional stability test indicating that the printability of foods can be predicted and classified by comparing its properties to reference material. The newly established classification system of printability was categorized into grades A, B, C, and D according to the dimensional stability and degree of handling. The validity of this classification system was verified by 3D-printing tests.
•Hydrocolloids was used as a reference material to simulate the printability of various types of food applications.•The deformation behavior and handling properties of selected food were classified based on the reference material.•A printability classification system was established based on the capability in dimensional stability and degree of handling.
Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae) is an important starter in the fermentation of koji and moromi. However, the effect of different A. oryzae strains on the quality of moromi has rarely been studied. For ...this reason, this study analyzed the physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, sensory quality, and metabolite profiles of moromi samples fermented using two strains (A. oryzae KCCM12012P (moromi-1) and KCCM12804P (moromi-2)), which were newly isolated from fermented soy foods, and compared them to those of a commercialized A. oryzae strain (control). Amino-type nitrogen contents of moromi-1 and moromi-2 samples were higher than that of control moromi, and their amylase and protease activities were also higher. Moreover, metabolite profiles of moromi were significantly altered according to strains. In particular, the levels of many amino acids, peptides, nucleotides, and acidic compounds were altered, which resulted in changes in the sensory quality of moromi. Although volatile compounds were not investigated, the results suggested that the quality of moromi was significantly different for newly isolated strains, especially A. oryzae KCCM12804P, and they were superior to the commercial strain in terms of taste-related substances. Therefore, these strains could be used as good starters to produce moromi and soy sauce with good sensory quality.
Graphene micro‐supercapacitors (MSCs) are an attractive energy storage technology for powering miniaturized portable electronics. Despite considerable advances in recent years, device fabrication ...typically requires conventional microfabrication techniques, limiting the translation to cost‐effective and high‐throughput production. To address this issue, we report here a self‐aligned printing process utilizing capillary action of liquid inks in microfluidic channels to realize scalable, high‐fidelity manufacturing of graphene MSCs. Microstructured ink receivers and capillary channels are imprinted on plastic substrates and filled by inkjet printing of functional materials into the receivers. The liquid inks move under capillary flow into the adjoining channels, allowing reliable patterning of electronic materials in complex structures with greatly relaxed printing tolerance. Leveraging this process with pristine graphene and ion gel inks, miniaturized all‐solid‐state graphene MSCs are demonstrated to concurrently achieve outstanding resolution (active footprint: <1 mm2, minimum feature size: 20 µm) and yield (44/44 devices), while maintaining a high specific capacitance (268 µF cm–2) and robust stability to extended cycling and bending, establishing an effective route to scale down device size while scaling up production throughput.
Scalable printing of miniaturized flexible graphene micro‐supercapacitors is demonstrated using a self‐aligned fabrication strategy. The rational integration of imprint lithography and inkjet printing yields high‐resolution, flexible graphene micro‐supercapacitors with excellent performance. Demonstrating a reliable, versatile process with high‐performance functional materials, this study establishes an effective route to scale down device size while scaling up production throughput.
Solar water splitting is a promising approach to transform sunlight into renewable, sustainable and green hydrogen energy. There are three representative ways of transforming solar radiation into ...molecular hydrogen, which are the photocatalytic (PC), photoelectrochemical (PEC), and photovoltaic-electrolysis (PV-EC) routes. Having the future perspective of green hydrogen economy in mind, this review article discusses devices and systems for solar-to-hydrogen production including comparison of the above solar water splitting systems. The focus is placed on a critical assessment of the key components needed to scale up PEC water splitting systems such as materials efficiency, cost, elemental abundancy, stability, fuel separation, device operability, cell architecture, and techno-economic aspects of the systems. The review follows a stepwise approach and provides (i) a summary of the basic principles and photocatalytic materials employed for PEC water splitting, (ii) an extensive discussion of technologies, procedures, and system designs, and (iii) an introduction to international demonstration projects, and the development of benchmarked devices and large-scale prototype systems. The task of scaling up of laboratory overall water splitting devices to practical systems may be called "an artificial photosynthetic leaf-to-farm challenge".
This review provides insight into the different aspects and challenges associated with the realization of sustainable solar hydrogen production systems on a practical large scale.
The 1918 influenza pandemic was unusually severe, resulting in about 50 million deaths worldwide. The 1918 virus is also highly pathogenic in mice, and studies have identified a multigenic origin of ...this virulent phenotype in mice. However, these initial characterizations of the 1918 virus did not address the question of its pathogenic potential in primates. Here we demonstrate that the 1918 virus caused a highly pathogenic respiratory infection in a cynomolgus macaque model that culminated in acute respiratory distress and a fatal outcome. Furthermore, infected animals mounted an immune response, characterized by dysregulation of the antiviral response, that was insufficient for protection, indicating that atypical host innate immune responses may contribute to lethality. The ability of influenza viruses to modulate host immune responses, such as that demonstrated for the avian H5N1 influenza viruses, may be a feature shared by the virulent influenza viruses.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Infiltrating tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are known to impede immunotherapy against glioblastoma (GBM), however, TAMs are heterogeneous, and there are no clear markers to distinguish ...immunosuppressive and potentially immune-activating populations. Here we identify a subset of CD169
macrophages promoting an anti-tumoral microenvironment in GBM. Using single-cell transcriptome analysis, we find that CD169
macrophages in human and mouse gliomas produce pro-inflammatory chemokines, leading to the accumulation of T cells and NK cells. CD169 expression on macrophages facilitates phagocytosis of apoptotic glioma cells and hence tumor-specific T cell responses. Depletion of CD169
macrophages leads to functionally impaired antitumor lymphocytes and poorer survival of glioma-bearing mice. We show that NK-cell-derived IFN-γ is critical for the accumulation of blood monocyte-derived CD169
macrophages in gliomas. Our work thus identifies a well-distinguished TAM subset promoting antitumor immunity against GBM, and identifies key factors that might shift the balance from immunosuppressive to anti-tumor TAM.
Abstract
Sessile plants reprogram their metabolic and developmental processes during adaptation to prolonged environmental stresses. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation of ...plant cells to saline stress, we established callus suspension cell cultures from Arabidopsis roots adapted to high salt for an extended period of time. Adapted cells exhibit enhanced salt tolerance compared with control cells. Moreover, acquired salt tolerance is maintained even after the stress is relieved, indicating the existence of a memory of acquired salt tolerance during mitotic cell divisions, known as mitotic stress memory. Metabolite profiling using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed metabolic discrimination between control, salt-adapted and stress-memory cells. Compared with control cells, salt-adapted cells accumulated higher levels of sugars, amino acids and intermediary metabolites in the shikimate pathway, such as coniferin. Moreover, adapted cells acquired thicker cell walls with higher lignin contents, suggesting the importance of adjustments of physical properties during adaptation to elevated saline conditions. When stress-memory cells were reverted to normal growth conditions, the levels of metabolites again readjusted. Whereas most of the metabolic changes reverted to levels intermediate between salt-adapted and control cells, the amounts of sugars, alanine, γ-aminobutyric acid and acetate further increased in stress-memory cells, supporting a view of their roles in mitotic stress memory. Our results provide insights into the metabolic adjustment of plant root cells during adaptation to saline conditions as well as pointing to the function of mitotic memory in acquired salt tolerance.
Renal fibrosis is a common process of various kidney diseases. Autophagy is an important cell biology process to maintain cellular homeostasis. In addition, autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis ...of various renal disease, including acute kidney injury, glomerular diseases, and renal fibrosis. However, the functional role of autophagy in renal fibrosis remains poorly unclear. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a negative regulatory role in autophagy. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important intracellular signaling that may regulate a variety of inflammatory responses. In addition, STAT3 regulates autophagy in various cell types. Thus, we synthesized the mTOR/STAT3 oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) to regulate the autophagy. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effect of mTOR/STAT3 ODN via the regulation of autophagy appearance on unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal fibrosis. This study showed that UUO induced inflammation, tubular atrophy, and tubular interstitial fibrosis. However, mTOR/STAT3 ODN suppressed UUO-induced renal fibrosis and inflammation. The autophagy markers have no statistically significant relation, whereas mTOR/STAT3 ODN suppressed the apoptosis in tubular cells. These results suggest the possibility of mTOR/STAT3 ODN for preventing renal fibrosis. However, the role of mTOR/STAT3 ODN on autophagy regulation needs to be further investigated.
Solar water splitting in a photoelectrochemical cell is a highly promising technology to produce clean and storable hydrogen energy. However, there are still a large number of challenges to overcome ...in order for solar water splitting to become a practically viable technology that can replace current hydrogen production from fossil fuels. The most critical barrier is the light absorber, which can convert solar photons to charge carriers to conduct the water splitting reaction. Iron-containing metal oxides, commonly called "ferrites", are a relatively recently explored class of materials owing to their unadulterated merits of earth abundancy, nontoxicity, and intrinsic stability in aqueous solutions. They generally have small band gaps, which are suitable to harvest sufficient amounts of photon flux from the solar spectrum, and suitable band positions to drive the redox reactions of water splitting. Unfortunately, their performance is fairly poor at the moment in comparison to that of other well-established materials, primarily because of their indirect bandgap characteristics and poor charge carrier dynamics. Another reason is that these materials have been studied as photoelectrodes only recently, and the time spent on their development is not as long as that of well-developed materials. Hence, intensive research should be continued to obtain a fundamental understanding of ferrite materials, develop ingenious synthetic methods, and improve their performance by various modification strategies to transform them into viable photoelectrodes. In this review, we summarise the current state of the progress made in specific ferrite-based photoelectrodes for overall water splitting and provide a perspective of the major challenges and opportunities they face.
Ferrites are promising photoelectrode materials for solar water splitting to produce clean and storable hydrogen energy.
Home blood pressure (HBP) is useful to decide whether blood pressure (BP) is controlled. However, applying HBP to daily clinical practices is still challenging without easy access to the average HBP. ...Therefore, we developed a simple method to make a quick decision regarding the controlledness of HBP through high BP counts. We simulated 100 cases of HBP series for each combination of 3 numbers of BP readings (K = 16, 20, 24) and 4 levels of the standard deviations (SDs = 5, 10, 15, 20). A high BP was defined as an individual BP ≥ 135/85 mmHg, and an uncontrolled HBP was defined as a mean HBP ≥ 135/85 mmHg. Validation for the decision method was conducted using actual HBP data. The C-statistics and the accuracy of the high BP counts for the uncontrolled HBP were generally high (> 0.85) for all combinations of Ks and SDs and decreased as SDs increased but remained steady as Ks increased. In validation, the C-statistic of the high BP count-to-total BP reading (C/T) ratio was 0.985, and the C/T ratio ≥ 0.5 showed a sensitivity of 0.957, a specificity of 0.907, and an accuracy of 0.927. The count-based decision method can provide an accurate quick assessment of the controlledness of HBP.
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