In situ Biofilm Quantification in Bioelectrochemical Systems by using Optical Coherence Tomography

Detailed studies of microbial growth in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are required for their suitable design and operation. Here, we report the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a tool for in situ and noninvasive quantification of biofilm growth on electrodes (bioanodes). An experimental platform is designed and described in which transparent electrodes are used to allow real‐time, 3D biofilm imaging. The accuracy and precision of the developed method is assessed by relating the OCT results to well‐established standards for biofilm quantification (chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total N content) and show high correspondence to these standards. Biofilm thickness observed by OCT ranged between 3 and 90 μm for experimental durations ranging from 1 to 24 days. This translated to growth yields between 38 and 42 mgurn:x-wiley:18645631:media:cssc201800589:cssc201800589-math-0001  gurn:x-wiley:18645631:media:cssc201800589:cssc201800589-math-0002 −1 at an anode potential of −0.35 V versus Ag/AgCl. Time‐lapse observations of an experimental run performed in duplicate show high reproducibility in obtained microbial growth yield by the developed method. As such, we identify OCT as a powerful tool for conducting in‐depth characterizations of microbial growth dynamics in BESs. Additionally, the presented platform allows concomitant application of this method with various optical and electrochemical techniques

The reaction of N-(1-pyrene)maleimide with sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The excimer fluorescence of the adduct of N-(1-pyrene)maleimide (PMI) with the Ca2+-ATPase was proposed as a probe of ATPase-ATPase interactions in sarcoplasmic reticulum (Lüdi and Hasselbach, Eur. J. Biochem., 1983, 130:5-8). We tested this proposition by analyzing the spectral properties and stoichiometry of the adducts of pyrenemaleimide with sarcoplasmic reticulum and with dithiothreitol and by comparing the effects of various detergents on the excimer fluorescence of the two adducts, with their influence on the sedimentation characteristics, ATPase activity, and light scattering of the pyrenemaleimide-labeled sarcoplasmic reticulum. These studies indicate that pyrenemaleimide reacts nearly randomly with several SH groups on the Ca2+-ATPase, and suggest that the observed excimer fluorescence of pyrenemaleimide-labeled sarcoplasmic reticulum may reflect intramolecular phenomena rather than ATPase-ATPase interactions. Further work is required to establish the relative contribution of intra- and intermolecular mechanisms to the excimer fluorescence

A data-centric approach to anomaly detection in layer-based additive manufacturing

Algorithms and the Foundations of Software technolog

A novel uplc-ms/ms method identifies organ-specific dipeptide profiles.

Background: Amino acids have a central role in cell metabolism, and intracellular changes contribute to the pathogenesis of various diseases, while the role and specific organ distribution of dipeptides is largely unknown. Method: We established a sensitive, rapid and reliable UPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of 36 dipeptides. Dipeptide patterns were analyzed in brown and white adipose tissues, brain, eye, heart, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, sciatic nerve, pancreas, spleen and thymus, serum and urine of C57BL/6N wildtype mice and related to the corresponding amino acid profiles. Results: A total of 30 out of the 36 investigated dipeptides were detected with organ-specific distribution patterns. Carnosine and anserine were most abundant in all organs, with the highest concentrations in muscles. In liver, Asp-Gln and Ala-Gln concentrations were high, in the spleen and thymus, Glu-Ser and Gly-Asp. In serum, dipeptide concentrations were several magnitudes lower than in organ tissues. In all organs, dipeptides with C-terminal proline (Gly-Pro and Leu-Pro) were present at higher concentrations than dipeptides with N-terminal proline (Pro-Gly and Pro-Leu). Organ-specific amino acid profiles were related to the dipeptide profile with several amino acid concentrations being related to the isomeric form of the dipeptides. Aspartate, histidine, proline and serine tissue concentrations correlated with dipeptide concentrations, when the amino acids were present at the C-but not at the N-terminus. Conclusion: Our multi-dipeptide quantification approach demonstrates organ-specific dipeptide distribution. This method allows us to understand more about the dipeptide metabolism in disease or in healthy state

Der soziale Wandel aus Sicht ost- und westdeutscher Familien, psychisches Wohlbefinden und autoritäre Vorstellungen

Hofer M, Kracke B, Noack P, et al. Der soziale Wandel aus Sicht ost- und westdeutscher Familien, psychisches Wohlbefinden und autoritäre Vorstellungen. In: Nauck B, Schneider N, Tölke A, eds. Familie und Lebensverlauf im gesellschaftlichen Umbruch. Stuttgart: Enke; 1995: 145-171