Photosynthetic apparatus of Rhodobacter sphaeroides exhibits prolonged charge storage

Photosynthetic proteins are used to harvest solar energy in bio-photovoltaics, but are typically not investigated for charge storage. Here the authors report prolonged charge storage in multilayers of photoproteins as well as a proof-of-principle biophotonic power cell with purple bacterial photoproteins

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING WITH PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENT-PROTEIN COMPLEXES

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (FOE

Comparison of Effectiveness of Prolotherapy and Corrective Exercise Program vs Prolotherapy and Isometrics Strengthening on Pain and Functional Improvement in Supraspinatus Tendinopathy in a Tertiary Care Centre

Background Regenerative injection therapies such as prolotherapy have gained importance in the recent years in non-surgical management of supraspinatus tendinopathy. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of isometric rotator cuff strengthening versus corrective exercise program in the treatment of supraspinatus tendinopathy. Material and Methods Fifty patients aged 18 - 60 years were recruited with MRI diagnosed isolated supraspinatus tendinopathy or less than 50% thickness tear and symptoms persisting for longer than 6 months. All patients were randomised into two groups: one prolotherapy with isometric rotator cuff strengthening exercise therapy (group ISE; n = 25) and the other group also treated with prolotherapy injection followed by corrective exercise program (group CEP; n = 25). Patients were examined at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 weeks. Improvement was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and Constant Murley Score (CMS) for shoulder function. Results Significant difference (p less than 0.001) was found between the groups in the VAS and CMS at any follow-up period. Conclusion Prolotherapy with CEP is more beneficial than prolotherapy with isometric strengthening exercise in supraspinatus tendinopathy. Improvement in pain and functional movements is more in the prolotherapy with CEP group than prolotherapy with ISE group

Covalent organic nanosheets with large lateral size and high aspect ratio synthesized by Langmuir-Blodgett method

10.1016/j.cclet.2017.09.002CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS296869-87

Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Membranes Assembled by Ionic Covalent Organic Nanosheets with Reduced Apertures for Gas Separation

10.1021/jacs.9b13825JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY14294472-448

Inkjet-Printable Hydrochromic Paper for Encrypting Information and Anticounterfeiting

Developing rewritable papers has gathered immense interest in recent times in view of developing sustainability in print media without exhausting environmental resources. We herein present a rapid and facile procedure for the fabrication of a communication medium by treating the surface of a paper with synthetic organic molecules, after which plain water could be used as an ink to print and reprint numerous times on the treated paper before disposal. Interestingly, as the paper comes in contact with water, the molecules are driven to reorganize in a slip-stacked arrangement. This alters their ground and excited state properties by hydrogen-bond-assisted nonradiative decay, in which the associated changes are visible to the naked eye. The changes evolved are sensitive to the solubility parameter of the solvent and thermally reversible, thus linking the hydrochromic property to the paper. Against a background of concerns over a rise in counterfeiting and leaks of confidential information, prospects for encrypted communications and anticounterfeiting is herein demonstrated