Association between antenatal glucocorticoid exposure and the activity of the stress system, cognition, and behavior in 8‐ to 9‐year‐old children: A prospective observational study

Introduction Glucocorticoid (GC) ‐induced fetal programming of the activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPAA) and its associated cognitive and behavioral consequences in later life have been well characterized in several animal species. However, information on humans is scarce. In this study, we examined HPAA activity markers and associated outcomes at 8 to 9 years of age among children prenatally exposed to GC for suspected preterm birth. Our hypothesis was that antenatal exposure to the betamethasone (BM) is associated with exacerbation of HPAA activity in childhood. Material and methods Prospective observational study in 31 children whose mothers received single ( n = 19) or multiple ( n = 12) courses of BM for threatened preterm birth but born with normal weight appropriate for the gestational age (median 37+ 6 weeks of gestation) compared with 38 non‐exposed, age‐matched children. Primary end point was the activity of the HPAA in response to the Trier Social Stress Test. Secondary end points were changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, cognitive performance (IQ), attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and electrocortical activity (EEG). Results There was no statistically significant difference in HPAA activity markers between antenatal BM exposed and unexposed groups. ANS activity in BM‐exposed children shifted towards a higher parasympathetic tone reflected by a higher overall high‐frequency band power of heart rate variability. IQ scores were within normal limits for both groups; however, BM‐exposed children had lower IQ scores than the unexposed group. BM‐exposed group had marginally more ADHD core symptoms and increased electrocortical activity in the occipital brain region compared with controls. A monotonic dose–response relation between BM exposure and activity of the ANS and IQ was estimated in post‐hoc analyses. Conclusions Antenatal exposure to BM in the context of threatened preterm birth was not associated with changes in HPAA activity in childhood. However, BM exposure may be associated with changes in ANS activity. Antenatal GC prophylaxis is a valuable and often life‐saving therapy, but its prescription may warrant a well‐balanced risk–benefit assessment

Can gold be an effective catalyst for the Deacon reaction?

The Deacon reaction is an important industrial process for the oxidation of hydrogen chloride, thereby enabling chlorine to be recycled. As gold is an efficient catalyst for reactions involving hydrogen chloride and oxygen, we have studied the use of gold as a potential catalyst for the Deacon reaction. Unfortunately, gold displays only limited activity; however, this is markedly increased if hydrogen is cofed as a reactant

Energy Storage as Part of a Secure Energy Supply

The current energy system is subject to a fundamental transformation: A system that is oriented towards a constant energy supply by means of fossil fuels is now expected to integrate increasing amounts of renewable energy to achieve overall a more sustainable energy supply. The challenges arising from this paradigm shift are currently most obvious in the area of electric power supply. However, it affects all areas of the energy system, albeit with different results. Within the energy system, various independent grids fulfill the function of transporting and spatially distributing energy or energy carriers, and the demand-oriented supply ensures that energy demands are met at all times. However, renewable energy sources generally supply their energy independently from any specific energy demand. Their contribution to the overall energy system is expected to increase significantly. Energy storage technologies are one option for temporal matching of energy supply and demand. Energy storage systems have the ability to take up a certain amount of energy, store it in a storage medium for a suitable period of time, and release it in a controlled manner after a certain time delay. Energy storage systems can also be constructed as process chains by combining unit operations, each of which cover different aspects of these functions. Large-scale mechanical storage of electric power is currently almost exclusively achieved by pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations. These systems may be supplemented in the future by compressed-air energy storage and possibly air separation plants. In the area of electrochemical storage, various technologies are currently in various stages of research, development, and demonstration of their suitability for large-scale electrical energy storage. Thermal energy storage technologies are based on the storage of sensible heat, exploitation of phase transitions, adsorption/desorption processes, and chemical reactions. The latter offer the possibility of permanent and loss-free storage of heat. The storage of energy in chemical bonds involves compounds that can act as energy carriers or as chemical feedstocks. Thus, they are in direct economic competition with established (fossil fuel) supply routes. The key technology here – now and for the foreseeable future – is the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen can be transformed by various processes into other energy carriers, which can be exploited in different sectors of the energy system and/or as raw materials for energy-intensive industrial processes. Some functions of energy storage systems can be taken over by industrial processes. Within the overall energy system, chemical energy storage technologies open up opportunities to link and interweave the various energy streams and sectors. Chemical energy storage not only offers means for greater integration of renewable energy outside the electric power sector, it also creates new opportunities for increased flexibility, novel synergies, and additional optimization. Several examples of specific energy utilization are discussed and evaluated with respect to energy storage applications. The article describes various technologies for energy storage and their potential applications in the context of Germany’s Energiewende, i.e. the transition towards a more sustainable energy system. Therefore, the existing legal framework defines some of the discussions and findings within the article, specifically the compensation for renewable electricity providers defined by the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, which is under constant reformation. While the article is written from a German perspective, the authors hope this article will be of general interest for anyone working in the areas of energy systems or energy technology

Impact of wet-lab protocols on quality of whole-genome short-read sequences from foodborne microbial pathogens

For successful elucidation of a food-borne infection chain, the availability of high-quality sequencing data from suspected microbial contaminants is a prerequisite. Commonly, those investigations are a joint effort undertaken by different laboratories and institutes. To analyze the extent of variability introduced by differing wet-lab procedures on the quality of the sequence data we conducted an interlaboratory study, involving four bacterial pathogens, which account for the majority of food-related bacterial infections: Campylobacter spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica. The participants, ranging from German federal research institutes, federal state laboratories to universities and companies, were asked to follow their routine in-house protocols for short-read sequencing of 10 cultures and one isolated bacterial DNA per species. Sequence and assembly quality were then analyzed centrally. Variations within isolate samples were detected with SNP and cgMLST calling. Overall, we found that the quality of Illumina raw sequence data was high with little overall variability, with one exception, attributed to a specific library preparation kit. The variability of Ion Torrent data was higher, independent of the investigated species. For cgMLST and SNP analysis results, we found that technological sequencing artefacts could be reduced by the use of filters, and that SNP analysis was more suited than cgMLST to compare data of different contributors. Regarding the four species, a minority of Campylobacter isolate data showed the in comparison highest divergence with regard to sequence type and cgMLST analysis. We additionally compared the assembler SPAdes and SKESA for their performance on the Illumina data sets of the different species and library preparation methods and found overall similar assembly quality metrics and cgMLST statistics

Buchbesprechungen

Buchbesprechunge

Energiespeicherung als Element einer sicheren Energieversorgung

Das Energiesystem steht vor einem grundlegenden Wandel: Ein System, das auf die konstante Bereitstellung durch fossile Energieträger ausgerichtet ist, soll durch die umfangreiche Integration erneuerbarer Energien eine nachhaltigere Energieversorgung gewährleisten. Die Herausforderung des Systemwechsels macht sich gegenwärtig in der Stromversorgung am deutlichsten bemerkbar, betrifft aber alle Bereiche des Energiesystems, wenn auch mit unterschiedlichen Auswirkungen. Im Energiesystem werden Energie und/oder Energieträger räumlich von Energieversorgungsnetzen verteilt, während die bedarfsgerechte Bereitstellung gegenwärtig dafür sorgt, dass der Energiebedarf zu jeder Zeit gedeckt wird. Energie aus erneuerbaren Quellen wird in der Regel nicht bedarfsgerecht bereitgestellt; ihr Anteil steigt. Energiespeicher sind eine Möglichkeit, das zeitlich versetzte Angebot mit der Nachfrage zur Deckung zu bringen. Energiespeicher sind Systeme, die eine Energiemenge kontrolliert aufnehmen, sie über einen im Kontext relevanten Zeitraum in einem Speichermedium zurückhalten und mit zeitlicher Verzögerung wieder kontrolliert abgeben können. Zu den Energiespeichern gehören nach dieser Definition auch Verfahrensketten, die diese Aspekte durch eine Kombination verschiedener Technologien abbilden. Als mechanische Großspeicher für elektrischen Strom dienen heute fast ausschließlich Pumpwasserspeicherkraftwerke, die zukünftig durch Druckluftspeicherkraftwerke und eventuell Luftzerlegungsanlagen ergänzt werden könnten. Im Bereich der elektrochemischen Energiespeicher befinden sich verschiedene Technologien im Forschungs-, Entwicklungs- und/oder Demonstrationsstadium für einen Einsatz in der stationären großtechnischen Stromspeicherung. Thermische Speichertechnologien beruhen auf der Speicherung von sensibler Wärme, der Ausnutzung von Phasenübergängen, Adsorption-/Desorptionsprozessen oder chemischen Reaktionen, die prinzipiell eine dauerhafte und verlustfreie Speicherung von Wärme ermöglichen können. Die Speicherung von Energie in Form chemischer Bindungen in stofflichen Speichern verläuft über Substanzen, die selbst als Energieträger oder Chemikalien verwendet werden können; sie befinden sich damit in direkter Konkurrenz zu alternativen Bereitstellungs- und Nutzungsvarianten. Die Schlüsseltechnologie hierbei ist auf absehbare Zeit die Elektrolyse von Wasser zu Wasserstoff und Sauerstoff. Wasserstoff kann wiederum durch verschiedene Verfahren in andere Energieträger umgewandelt werden. So lässt er sich in verschiedenen Sektoren des Energiesystems und/oder in energieintensiven Industrieprozessen stofflich nutzen. Teilfunktionen von Energiespeichern können auch von Industrieprozessen wahrgenommen werden. Dem Energiesystem in seiner Gesamtheit eröffnen sich neue Optionen, die bisher weitgehend getrennten Energieversorgungsströme zu verknüpfen und zu vernetzen. Neben der Möglichkeit, verstärkt erneuerbare Energien außerhalb des Stromsektors zu nutzen, ergeben sich auch neue Bedingungen für eine verstärkte Flexibilisierung, neuartige Synergieeffekte und zusätzliche Optimierungsmöglichkeiten. Anhand verschiedener Referenzfälle wird der mögliche Einsatz von Speichertechnologien aufgezeigt und bewertet