The expression of glycerol facilitators from various yeast species improves growth on glycerol of <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>

Glycerol is an abundant by-product during biodiesel production and additionally has several assets compared to sugars when used as a carbon source for growing microorganisms in the context of biotechnological applications. However, most strains of the platform production organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae grow poorly in synthetic glycerol medium. It has been hypothesized that the uptake of glycerol could be a major bottleneck for the utilization of glycerol in S. cerevisiae. This species exclusively relies on an active transport system for glycerol uptake. This work demonstrates that the expression of predicted glycerol facilitators (Fps1 homologues) from superior glycerol-utilizing yeast species such as Pachysolen tannophilus, Komagataella pastoris, Yarrowia lipolytica and Cyberlindnera jadinii significantly improves the growth performance on glycerol of the previously selected glycerol-consuming S. cerevisiae wild-type strain (CBS 6412-13A). The maximum specific growth rate increased from 0.13 up to 0.18 h−1 and a biomass yield coefficient of 0.56 gDW/gglycerol was observed. These results pave the way for exploiting the assets of glycerol in the production of fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals based on baker's yeast. Keywords: Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Glycerol, Transport, Glycerol facilitator, Fps1, Stl

Determination of the mixing ratio of a flowing gas mixture with self-actuated microcantilevers

Microcantilevers offer a wide range of applications in sensor and measurement technology. In this work cantilever sensors are used as flow sensors. Most conventional flow sensors are often only calibrated for one type of gas and allow an analysis of gas mixtures only with increased effort. The sensor used here is a cantilever positioned vertically in the flow channel. It is possible to operate the sensor in dynamic and static mode. In the dynamic mode the cantilever is oscillating. Resonance frequency, resonance amplitude and phase are measured. In static mode, the bending of the cantilever is registered. The combination of the modes enables the different measured variables to be determined simultaneously. A flow influences the movement behaviour of the sensor, which allows the flow velocity to be deduced. In addition to determining the flow velocity, it is also possible to detect different types of gas. Each medium has certain properties (density and viscosity) which have different effects on the bending of the sensor. As a result, it is possible to measure the mixing ratio of a known binary gas mixture and their flow velocity simultaneously with a single sensor. In this paper this is investigated using the example of the air–carbon-dioxide mixture

Blunted Response to Combination Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Elite Controllers: An International HIV Controller Collaboration

Objective: HIV “elite controllers” (ECs) spontaneously control viral load, but some eventually require combination antiretroviral treatment (cART), due to a loss of viral control or a decline in CD4 T-cell counts. Here we studied the CD4 T-cell count dynamics after cART initiation among 34 ECs followed in U.S. and European cohorts, by comparison with chronically viremic patients (VIRs). Methods: ECs were defined as patients with at least ≥5 viral load (VL) measurements below 400 copies/mL during at least a 5-year period despite never receiving ART and were selected from the French ANRS CO18 cohort, the U.S. SCOPE cohort, the International HIV Controllers study and the European CASCADE collaboration. VIRs were selected from the ANRS COPANA cohort of recently-diagnosed (<1 year) ART-naïve HIV-1-infected adults. CD4 T-cell count dynamics after cART initiation in both groups were modelled with piecewise mixed linear models. Results: After cART initiation, CD4 T-cell counts showed a biphasic rise in VIRs with: an initial rapid increase during the first 3 months (+0.63/month), followed by +0.19/month. This first rapid phase was not observed in ECs, in whom the CD4Tc count increased steadily, at a rate similar to that of the second phase observed in VIRs. After cART initiation at a CD4 T-cell count of 300/mm3, the estimated mean CD4 T-cell gain during the first 12 months was 139/mm3 in VIRs and 80/mm3 in ECs (p = 0.048). Conclusions: cART increases CD4 T-cell counts in elite controllers, albeit less markedly than in other patients

The anisotropic quasi-static permittivity of single-crystal β-Ga\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e measured by terahertz spectroscopy

The quasi-static anisotropic permittivity parameters of electrically insulating beta gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) were determined by terahertz spectroscopy. Polarization-resolved frequency domain spectroscopy in the spectral range from 200 GHz to 1 THz was carried out on bulk crystals along different orientations. Principal directions for permittivity were determined along crystallographic axes c and b and reciprocal lattice direction a*. No significant frequency dispersion in the real part of dielectric permittivity was observed in the measured spectral range. Our results are in excellent agreement with recent radio frequency capacitance measurements as well as with extrapolations from recent infrared measurements of phonon mode and high-frequency contributions and close the knowledge gap for these parameters in the terahertz spectral range. Our results are important for applications of β-Ga2O3 in high-frequency electronic devices

A Novel, Enriched Population Pharmacokinetic Model for Recombinant Factor VIII-Fc Fusion Protein Concentrate in Hemophilia A Patients

Background The currently published population pharmacokinetic (PK) models used for PK-guided dosing in hemophilia patients are based on clinical trial data and usually not externally validated in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to validate a published model for recombinant factor VIII-Fc fusion protein (rFVIII-Fc) concentrate and to develop an enriched model using independently collected clinical data if required. Methods Clinical data from hemophilia A patients treated with rFVIII-Fc concentrate (Elocta) participating in the United Kingdom Extended Half-Life Outcomes Registry were collected. The predictive performance of the published model was assessed using mean percentage error (bias) and mean absolute percentage error (inaccuracy). An extended population PK model was developed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling (NONMEM). Results A total of 43 hemophilia A patients (FVIII Conclusion We concluded that the existing rFVIII-Fc population PK model is valid for patients >= 12 years. However, it is not reliable in younger patients. Our alternative model, constructed from real world patient data including children, allows for better description of patients >= 5 years

What questions we should be asking about COVID-19 in humanitarian settings: perspectives from the Social Sciences Analysis Cell in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

COVID-19 is but one of many public health crises facing the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On 25 June 2020, the DRC government announced the end of the country's largest Ebola outbreak on record and the second largest Ebola outbreak worldwide, a mere few weeks after a new outbreak (11th) started on 1 June 2020, in Mbandaka, Equateur Province.1 In 2019, measles claimed the lives of over 6000 people including 4500 children under the age of 5, malaria killed 17000 individuals, and cholera outbreaks affected 20 of 26 provinces, resulting in 31000 cases

Interface Molecular engineering for laminated monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with 80.4% fill factor

A multipurpose interconnection layer based on poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), and d‐sorbitol for monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells is introduced. The interconnection of independently processed silicon and perovskite subcells is a simple add‐on lamination step, alleviating common fabrication complexities of tandem devices. It is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that PEDOT:PSS is an ideal building block for manipulating the mechanical and electrical functionality of the charge recombination layer by controlling the microstructure on the nano‐ and mesoscale. It is elucidated that the optimal functionality of the recombination layer relies on a gradient in the d‐sorbitol dopant distribution that modulates the orientation of PEDOT across the PEDOT:PSS film. Using this modified PEDOT:PSS composite, a monolithic two‐terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell with a steady‐state efficiency of 21.0%, a fill factor of 80.4%, and negligible open circuit voltage losses compared to single‐junction devices is shown. The versatility of this approach is further validated by presenting a laminated two‐terminal monolithic perovskite/organic tandem solar cell with 11.7% power conversion efficiency. It is envisioned that this lamination concept can be applied for the pairing of multiple photovoltaic and other thin film technologies, creating a universal platform that facilitates mass production of tandem devices with high efficiency

Recommendations for the COVID-19 Response at the National Level Based on Lessons Learned from the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was declared 8 days after the end of the ninth EVD outbreak, in the Equateur Province on August 1, 2018. With a total of 3,461 confirmed and probable cases, the North Kivu outbreak was the second largest outbreak after that in West Africa in 2014-2016, and the largest observed in the DRC. This outbreak was difficult to control because of multiple challenges, including armed conflict, population displacement, movement of contacts, community mistrust, and high population density. It took more than 21 months to control the outbreak, with critical innovations and systems put into place. We describe systems that were put into place during the EVD response in the DRC that can be leveraged for the response to the current COVID-19 global pandemic