Methodology for quantitative determination of the carbohydrate composition of brown seaweeds (Laminariaceae)

The monosaccharide composition of four different samples of brown seaweeds Laminaria digitata and Saccharina latissima were compared by different high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) methods after different acid hydrolysis treatments or a cellulase treatment.</p

Impact of different alginate lyases on combined cellulase–lyase saccharification of brown seaweed

Alginate attack characteristics and impact on cellulase–lyase catalyzed saccharification of brown seaweed were compared for three microbial PL7 alginate lyases (EC 4.2.2.-) two of them heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli as part of the work.</p

Journal of Materials Science / Reduced polarity and improved dispersion of microfibrillated cellulose in poly(lactic-acid) provided by residual lignin and hemicellulose

Abstract in deutscher Sprache nicht verf\ufcgbarThe surface chemistry and dispersion in poly(lactic-acid) of microfibrillated wood and microfibrillated lignocellulose prepared from untreated and partially delignified beech were compared with conventional microfibrillated cellulose produced from bleached pulp. High heterogeneity in fibril morphology and bulk chemical composition was observed. Also surface chemistry of the fibrils was highly variable, but not clearly correlated with bulk chemistry. Composite solution-cast films of poly(lactic-acid) reinforced with 1 % fibrils were produced by adding fibrils dried from solvent into a polymer solution. Highly variable dispersion of fibrils correlated with varying mechanical performance was observed. Correlations were obtained between surface chemistry of fibrils as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and adhesion force microscopy on the one hand and the tensile performance of the fibril-reinforced polymer composites on the other hand. Overall, certain variants of fibrillated material with residual lignin and hemicellulose content showed reduced surface polarity, improved dispersion in poly(lactic-acid) and improved reinforcement efficiency compared to conventional MFC produced from bleached pulp

An alternative application to the portuguese agro-industrial residue : wheat straw

The effects of alkaline treatments of the wheat straw with sodium hydroxide were investigated. The optimal condition for extraction of hemicelluloses was found to be with 0.50 mol/l sodium hydroxide at 55 °C for 2 h. This resulted in the release of 17.3% of hemicellulose (% dry starting material), corresponding to the dissolution of 49.3% of the original hemicellulose. The yields were determined by gravimetric analysis and expressed as a proportion of the starting material. Chemical composition and physico-chemical properties of the samples of hemicelluloses were elucidated by a combination of sugar analyses, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermal analysis. The results showed that the treatments were very effective on the extraction of hemicelluloses from wheat straw and that the extraction intensity (expressed in terms of alkali concentration) had a great influence on the yield and chemical features of the hemicelluloses. The FTIR analysis revealed typical signal pattern for the hemicellulosic fraction in the 1,200–1,000 cm−1 region. Bands between 1,166 and 1,000 cm−1 are typical of xylans.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo/Brazil (FAPESP)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BPD/26156/2005, SFRH/BPD/26108/200

Fecal Metaproteomics Reveals Reduced Gut Inflammation and Changed Microbial Metabolism Following Lifestyle-Induced Weight Loss

Gut microbiota-mediated inflammation promotes obesity-associated low-grade inflammation, which represents a hallmark of metabolic syndrome. To investigate if lifestyle-induced weight loss (WL) may modulate the gut microbiome composition and its interaction with the host on a functional level, we analyzed the fecal metaproteome of 33 individuals with metabolic syndrome in a longitudinal study before and after lifestyle-induced WL in a well-defined cohort. The 6-month WL intervention resulted in reduced BMI (−13.7%), improved insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR, −46.1%), and reduced levels of circulating hsCRP (−39.9%), indicating metabolic syndrome reversal. The metaprotein spectra revealed a decrease of human proteins associated with gut inflammation. Taxonomic analysis revealed only minor changes in the bacterial composition with an increase of the families Desulfovibrionaceae, Leptospiraceae, Syntrophomonadaceae, Thermotogaceae and Verrucomicrobiaceae. Yet we detected an increased abundance of microbial metaprotein spectra that suggest an enhanced hydrolysis of complex carbohydrates. Hence, lifestyle-induced WL was associated with reduced gut inflammation and functional changes of human and microbial enzymes for carbohydrate hydrolysis while the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome remained almost stable. The metaproteomics workflow has proven to be a suitable method for monitoring inflammatory changes in the fecal metaproteome

Relevance of lesion size in navigator-triggered and free-breathing diffusion-weighted liver MRI

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relevance of focal liver lesions (FLL) size for lesion detection comparing navigator triggering (TRIG) to free breathing (FB) liver Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI).Materials and methodPatients with known or suspected FLL were prospectively (registry number 276_19 B) included from October to December 2019 in this study, out of which 32 had liver lesions. Echo planar spin-echo DWI data both with TRIG and FB were with approximately constant acquisition times acquired at 1.5 T. Lesions were segmented in the b = 800 s/mm² images in both the TRIG and FB images. The lesion size, location (liver segment), liver lesion visibility, as well as contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were recorded. The CNR was assessed with the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test and the number of visible lesions with the Fisher test.ResultsData from 43 patients (22 female) were analyzed. The mean patient age was 58 ± 14 years. A total of 885 FLL (Ntotal) were segmented. Among these, 811 lesions (Nboth) were detected with TRIG and FB, 65 lesions exclusively with TRIG (NTRIG_Only), and nine exclusively in FB (NFB_Only). The largest additional lesion in TRIG/FB had a diameter of 10.4 mm/7.6 mm. The number of additional lesions detected with TRIG decreased with size. Among all lesions ≤ 4.7 mm, the relative number of additional lesions was 15.6%. Additional lesions were found in all liver segments with TRIG. In the left liver lobe, the relative proportion was 9.2%, and in the right liver lobe 5.4%. CNR and visibility were significantly higher in TRIG than in FB (p < 0.001). In relation to size, the difference is significant in terms of visibility and CNR for lesion diameters ≤ 8 mm.ConclusionRespiration triggering can improve the detection of small liver lesions with diameters up to approx. 1 cm in the whole liver.Key PointsQuestionCan respiration triggering (TRIG) improve the detection of small FLL compared to FB diffusion-weighted imaging?FindingsAmong 885 segmented FLL, TRIG was superior to FB for lesions smaller than 8 mm and had improved CNR and visibility.Clinical relevanceDiffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is used for the detection of focal liver lesions and image quality is influenced by breathing motion. Navigator triggering becomes more important for smaller lesions, and seems recommendable for the detection of small focal liver lesions.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/50110000165

Fungi hijack a ubiquitous plant apoplastic endoglucanase to release a ROS scavenging beta-glucan decasaccharide to subvert immune responses

Plant pathogenic and beneficial fungi have evolved several strategies to evade immunity and cope with host-derived hydrolytic enzymes and oxidative stress in the apoplast, the extracellular space of plant tissues. Fungal hyphae are surrounded by an inner insoluble cell wall layer and an outer soluble extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) matrix. Here, we show by proteomics and glycomics that these two layers have distinct protein and carbohydrate signatures, and hence likely have different biological functions. The barley (Hordeum vulgare) β-1,3-endoglucanase HvBGLUII, which belongs to the widely distributed apoplastic glycoside hydrolase 17 family (GH17), releases a conserved β-1,3;1,6-glucan decasaccharide (β-GD) from the EPS matrices of fungi with different lifestyles and taxonomic positions. This low molecular weight β-GD does not activate plant immunity, is resilient to further enzymatic hydrolysis by β-1,3-endoglucanases due to the presence of three β-1,6-linked glucose branches and can scavenge reactive oxygen species. Exogenous application of β-GD leads to enhanced fungal colonization in barley, confirming its role in the fungal counter-defensive strategy to subvert host immunity. Our data highlight the hitherto undescribed capacity of this often-overlooked EPS matrix from plant-associated fungi to act as an outer protective barrier important for fungal accommodation within the hostile environment at the apoplastic plant–microbe interface

Integrated Cycles for Urban Biomass as a Strategy to Promote a CO2-Neutral Society—A Feasibility Study

The integration of closed biomass cycles into residential buildings enables efficient resource utilization and avoids the transport of biowaste. In our scenario called Integrated Cycles for Urban Biomass (ICU), biowaste is degraded on-site into biogas that is converted into heat and electricity. Nitrification processes upgrade the liquid fermentation residues to refined fertilizer, which can be used subsequently in house-internal gardens to produce fresh food for residents. Our research aims to assess the ICU scenario regarding produced amounts of biogas and food, saved CO2 emissions and costs, and social–cultural aspects. Therefore, a model-based feasibility study was performed assuming a building with 100 residents. The calculations show that the ICU concept produces 21% of the annual power (electrical and heat) consumption from the accumulated biowaste and up to 7.6 t of the fresh mass of lettuce per year in a 70 m2 professional hydroponic production area. Furthermore, it saves 6468 kg CO2-equivalent (CO2-eq) per year. While the ICU concept is technically feasible, it becomes economically feasible for large-scale implementations and higher food prices. Overall, this study demonstrates that the ICU implementation can be a worthwhile contribution towards a sustainable CO2-neutral society and decrease the demand for agricultural land

Improved Visualization of Prostate Cancer Using Multichannel Computed Diffusion Images: Combining ADC and DWI

(1) Background: For the peripheral zone of the prostate, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is the most important MRI technique; however, a high b-value image (hbDWI) must always be evaluated in conjunction with an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map. We aimed to unify the important contrast features of both a hbDWI and ADC in one single image, termed multichannel computed diffusion images (mcDI), and evaluate the values of these images in a retrospective clinical study; (2) Methods: Based on the 2D histograms of hbDWI and ADC images of 70 patients with histologically proven prostate cancer (PCa) in the peripheral zone, an algorithm was designed to generate the mcDI. Then, three radiologists evaluated the data of 56 other patients twice in three settings (T2w images +): (1) hbDWI and ADC; (2) mcDI; and (3) mcDI, hbDWI, and ADC. The sensitivity, specificity, and inter-reader variability were evaluated; (3) Results: The overall sensitivity/specificity were 0.91/0.78 (hbDWI + ADC), 0.85/0.88 (mcDI), and 0.97/0.88 (mcDI + hbDWI + ADC). The kappa-values for the inter-reader variability were 0.732 (hbDWI + ADC), 0.800 (mcDI), and 0.853 (mcDI + hbDWI + ADC). (4) Conclusions: By using mcDI, the specificity of the MRI detection of PCa was increased at the expense of the sensitivity. By combining the conventional diffusion data with the mcDI data, both the sensitivity and specificity were improved