Pre-Engraftment Syndrome after Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation: A Predictor of Engraftment and Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease

AbstractPre-engraftment syndrome (PES) is poorly characterized, and its clinical significance and the prognostic impact after unrelated cord blood transplantation (CBT) are unclear. To address these issues, we retrospectively analyzed the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of PES in unrelated CBT recipients. Data of 381 patients who received unrelated CBT from 18 medical centers in Korea were reviewed. PES was defined as unexplained fever >38.3°C not associated with infection, and/or unexplained skin rash with or without evidence of fluid retention before neutrophil recovery. PES developed in 102 patients (26.8%) at a median of 7 days after CBT. Of these patients, 74 patients (72.5%) received intravenous corticosteroid at a median dose of 1 mg/kg/day, and of these, 95% showed clinical improvement. Risk factors for developing PES included low risk disease, myeloablative conditioning, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis without methotrexate or corticosteroid, and >5.43 x 107/kg infused nucleated cells. Absence of PES was one of the risk factors for graft failure in multivariate analysis. The cumulative incidence of grade II to grade IV acute GVHD by 100 days after CBT was higher in patients with PES than in those without PES (56.0% versus 34.4%, P < .01). PES was not associated with chronic GVHD, treatment-related mortality, relapse, or overall survival. PES seems to be common after CBT and may be associated with enhanced engraftment without significant morbidity

Strategies for Converting Non-Edible Biomass into Value-Added Chemicals: Economical and Reliable Biorefining Processes

About 35% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the energy sector, which accelerates global warming and sea-level rise. As a renewable resource, biomass not only can replace conventional fossil energy with renewable energy, but it is also a key component of the circular bioeconomy (CBE). To achieve efficient use of bioresources, the concept of biorefinery with CBE strategy is increasingly being considered in several countries. In particular, it aims to reduce crude oil consumption and build an economy that is favorable for the climate and nature by replacing carbon-intensive products such as plastics, synthetic rubber, and synthetic fibers with renewable bio-based resources. The purpose of this article is to investigate biomass conversion technologies for building a CBE and to consider successful biorefinery strategies. In particular, five implications of using biomass are suggested as ways to secure the economic feasibility of biorefinery. We propose a biorefinery that produces value-added chemicals from non-edible biomass through saccharification and fermentation as a strategy to achieve the 2050 goal of net-zero carbon

Physicochemical characterization of Jatropha podagrica seed oil for potential biodiesel production and other industrial applications in Thailand

Jatropha is considered as one of the most promising potential oil sources for biodiesel production and other industrial applications. However, research on the potential of Jatropha seed oil is mainly focused on Jatropha curcas, with other species receiving little attention. The physicochemical properties of J. podagrica seed oil was studied to determine its potential as feedstock for biodiesel production and other industrial applications in Thailand. The seed oil was extracted with n-hexane from milled kernels using the soxhlet extractor and subsequently characterised for free fatty acids, iodine value, viscosity, saponification value, density, and acid value. The fatty acid profile of the seed oil was also analysed using gas chromatography (GC). Analysis of the physical properties of the J. podagrica seed kernel showed lower average physical characteristics when compared to those of J. curcas seed kernel. J. podagrica seeds had high oil content comparable to J. curcas oil content. The main fatty acid components of the seed oil were oleic acid (15%) and linoleic acid (70%). Generally, the results of the physicochemical analysis indicated that J. podagrica seed oil would be very useful for the production of soap and shampoo in Thailand. To produce biodiesel from the seed oil, a two-step acid-catalysed transesterification process would be appropriate

Low Temperature and Cold Stress Significantly Increase Saxitoxins (STXs) and Expression of STX Biosynthesis Genes sxtA4 and sxtG in the Dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella

Toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium spp. produce saxitoxins (STXs), whose biosynthesis pathway is affected by temperature. However, the link between the regulation of the relevant genes and STXs’ accumulation and temperature is insufficiently understood. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of temperature on cellular STXs and the expression of two core STX biosynthesis genes (sxtA4 and sxtG) in the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium&nbsp;catenella Alex03 isolated from Korean waters. We analyzed the growth rate, toxin profiles, and gene responses in cells exposed to different temperatures, including long-term adaptation (12, 16, and 20 °C) and cold and heat stresses. Temperature significantly affected the growth of A. catenella, with optimal growth (0.49 division/day) at 16 °C and the largest cell size (30.5 µm) at 12 °C. High concentration of STXs eq were detected in cells cultured at 16 °C (86.3 fmol/cell) and exposed to cold stress at 20→12 °C (96.6 fmol/cell) compared to those at 20 °C and exposed to heat stress. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed significant gene expression changes of sxtA4 in cells cultured at 16 °C (1.8-fold) and cold shock at 20→16 °C (9.9-fold). In addition, sxtG was significantly induced in cells exposed to cold shocks (20→16 °C; 19.5-fold) and heat stress (12→20 °C; 25.6-fold). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that low temperature (12 and 16 °C) and cold stress were positively related with STXs’ production and gene expression levels. These results suggest that temperature may affect the toxicity and regulation of STX biosynthesis genes in dinoflagellates

Phytochemical and Antioxidant Characterization of Extracts from Unexplored Medicinal Plants <i>Salix schwerinii</i> and <i>Salix kochiana</i>

For a long time, species of the genus Salix have been widely utilized and studied as medicinal plants; however, the biological activity and phytochemical composition of Salix schwerinii (SS) and S. kochiana (SK) have not been studied at all. This study investigated the antioxidant properties of SS and SK extracts and detected phytochemical compounds in the extracts. The results showed that the antioxidant activities (IC50) of SS extract, SK extract, and ascorbic acid (reference) were as follows, respectively: 169.8, 79.8, and 71.2 μg mL−1 for ABTS cation radical scavenging and 38.4, 26.2, and 9.3 μg mL−1 for DPPH free radical scavenging. The results imply that SK has a high potential as a natural antioxidant. The phytochemical compositions of extracts (mg g−1) were analyzed as follows: SS extracts, 217.7 phenolics (1.54 catechin, 0.86 syringic acid, 0.46 luteolin, and others) and 5.06 salicin; SK extracts, 71.0 phenolics (0.54 catechin, 0.28 myricetin, 0.12 salicylic acid, and others) and 2.11 salicin. Compared to previous studies, the present findings go further to highlight that SS deserves attention as a novel source of salicin. The present study highlights the need for further studies on the aspects of medicinal functions of the extracts, bioprocess design for efficient phytochemical extraction, and applications of bioactive substances

Development of GO/Co/Chitosan-Based Nano-Biosensor for Real-Time Detection of D-Glucose

Electrochemical nano-biosensor systems are popular in the industrial field, along with evaluations of medical, agricultural, environmental and sports analysis, because they can simultaneously perform qualitative and quantitative analyses with high sensitivity. However, real-time detection using an electrochemical nano-biosensor is greatly affected by the surrounding environment with the performance of the electron transport materials. Therefore, many researchers are trying to find good factors for real-time detection. In this work, it was found that a composite composed of graphite oxide/cobalt/chitosan had strong stability and electron transfer capability and was applied to a bioelectrochemical nano-biosensor with high sensitivity and stability. As a mediator-modified electrode, the GO/Co/chitosan composite was electrically deposited onto an Au film electrode by covalent boding, while glucose oxidase as a receptor was immobilized on the end of the GO/Co/chitosan composite. It was confirmed that the electron transfer ability of the GO/Co/chitosan composite was excellent, as shown with power density analysis. In addition, the real-time detection of D-glucose could be successfully performed by the developed nano-biosensor with a high range of detected concentrations from 1.0 to 15.0 mM. Furthermore, the slope value composed of the current, per the concentration of D-glucose as a detection response, was significantly maintained even after 14 days

Improvement of Enzymatic Glucose Conversion from Chestnut Shells through Optimization of KOH Pretreatment

Worldwide, about one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted, which includes byproducts from food processing, with a significant portion of the waste still being landfilled. The aim of this study is to convert chestnut shells (CNSs) from food processing into a valuable resource through bioprocesses. Currently, one of the highest barriers to bioprocess commercialization is low conversion of sugar from biomass, and KOH pretreatment was suggested to improve enzymatic digestibility (ED) of CNS. KOH concentration of 3% (w/w) was determined as a suitable pretreatment solution by a fundamental experiment. The reaction factors including temperature, time and solid/liquid (S/L) ratio were optimized (77.1 g/L CNS loading at 75 °C for 2.8 h) by response surface methodology (RSM). In the statistical model, temperature and time showed a relatively significant effect on the glucan content (GC) and ED, but S/L ratio was not. GC and ED of the untreated CNS were 45.1% and 12.7%, respectively. On the other hand, GC and ED of pretreated CNS were 83.2% and 48.4%, respectively, and which were significantly improved by about 1.8-fold and 3.8-fold compared to the control group. The improved ED through the optimization is expected to contribute to increasing the value of byproducts generated in food processing

Ascorbic acid concentrations in aqueous humor after systemic vitamin C supplementation in patients with cataract: pilot study

Abstract Background To measure ascorbic acid concentration in aqueous humor of patients with cataract after oral or intravenous vitamin C supplementation. Methods Forty-two eyes of 42 patients with senile cataract who underwent uncomplicated cataract surgery were enrolled. Patients (n = 14 each) were administered oral vitamin C (2 g), intravenous vitamin C (20 g) or no treatment (control group) on the day before surgery. Samples of aqueous humor (0.1 cm3) were obtained by anterior chamber aspiration at the beginning of surgery and stored at −80 °C. Ascorbic acid concentration in aqueous humor was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results The mean age at surgery was 62.5 years, with no difference among the three groups. The mean ± standard deviation concentrations of ascorbic acid in aqueous humor in the control and oral and intravenous vitamin C groups were 1347 ± 331 μmol/L, 1859 ± 408 μmol/L and 2387 ± 445 μmol/L, respectively. Ascorbic acid concentration was significantly lower in the control than in the oral (P < 0.01) and intravenous (P < 0.001) vitamin C groups and was significantly higher in the intravenous than in the oral vitamin C group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Ascorbic acid concentration in aqueous humor is increased by systemic vitamin C supplementation, with intravenous administration being more effective than oral administration