Deep hydration of an Li7–3x La3Zr2 M III x O12 solid-state electrolyte material: a case study on Al- and Ga-stabilized LLZO

Single crystals of an Li-stuffed, Al- and Ga-stabilized garnet-type solid-state electrolyte material, Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO), have been analysed using single-crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the pristine structural state immediately after synthesis via ceramic sintering techniques. Hydrothermal treatment at 150 °C for 28 d induces a phase transition in the Al-stabilized compound from the commonly observed cubic Ia\overline{3}d structure to the acentric I\overline{4}3d subtype. LiI ions at the interstitial octahedrally (4 + 2-fold) coordinated 48e site are most easily extracted and AlIII ions order onto the tetrahedral 12a site. Deep hydration induces a distinct depletion of LiI at this site, while the second tetrahedral site, 12b, suffers only minor LiI loss. Charge balance is maintained by the incorporation of HI, which is bonded to an O atom. Hydration of Ga-stabilized LLZO induces similar effects, with complete depletion of LiI at the 48e site. The LiI/HI exchange not only leads to a distinct increase in the unit-cell size, but also alters some bonding topology, which is discussed here.

Modes of occurrence of tungsten in alluvial soils and river sediments in the area of the Grantcharitsa tungsten deposit, Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria

A distinct increase in the concentration of W in the topsoil (from 19–20 to 71 ppm) is found in the vertical profile of the alluvial soil at the Grantcharitsa deposit. The distribution of W, Fe, and C is well correlated, which indicates a significant role of organic material and iron oxides/hydroxides formed in the soil in the chemical behavior of W. The role in these processes of scheelite, W-containing goethite and rutile identified in the soil is insignificant.

3D bioprinting of tissue units with mesenchymal stem cells, retaining their proliferative and differentiating potential, in polyphosphate-containing bio-ink

The three-dimensional (3D)-printing processes reach increasing recognition as important fabrication techniques to meet the growing demands in tissue engineering. However, it is imperative to fabricate 3D tissue units, which contain cells that have the property to be regeneratively active. In most bio-inks, a metabolic energy-providing component is missing. Here a formulation of a bio-ink is described, which is enriched with polyphosphate (polyP), a metabolic energy providing physiological polymer. The bio-ink composed of a scaffold (N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan), a hydrogel (alginate) and a cell adhesion matrix (gelatin) as well as polyP substantially increases the viability and the migration propensity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). In addition, this ink stimulates not only the growth but also the differentiation of MSC to mineral depositing osteoblasts. Furthermore, the growth/aggregate pattern of MSC changes from isolated cells to globular spheres, if embedded in the polyP bio-ink. The morphogenetic activity of the MSC exposed to polyP in the bio-ink is corroborated by qRT-PCR data, which show a strong induction of the steady-state-expression of alkaline phosphatase, connected with a distinct increase in the expression ratio between RUNX2 and Sox2. We propose that polyP should become an essential component in bio-inks for the printing of cells that retain their regenerative activity.

A Soil-Borne Mn(II)-Oxidizing Bacterium of Providencia sp. Exploits a Strategy of Superoxide Production Coupled To Hydrogen Peroxide Consumption To Generate Mn Oxides

Bacterial non-enzymatic Mn(II) oxidation involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) (i.e. indirect oxidation), initially discovered from a marine alpha-proteobacterium, is believed to be of importance in controlling biogeochemical cycles. For soil-borne bacteria, however, evidence of indirect Mn(II) oxidation remains unclear. In this study, the indirect Mn(II) oxidation was evidenced in a soil-borne bacterium, Providencia sp. LLDRA6. First, with and without 50 mM of Mn(II) exposure for LLDRA6, 300 differentially expressed genes were found to be linked to Mn(II) exposure via transcriptome sequencing. Among them, an operon, responsible for phenylacetic acid catabolism, was sharply upregulated in transcription, drawing us a special attention since its transcriptional upregulation has recently shown to be important for withstanding ROS. Next, a fluorometric probe, 2′,7′-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFDA), was used to qualitatively detect ROS from cells, showing a distinct increase in fluorescence intensities of ROS during Mn(II) exposure. Further, concentrations of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide from cells were detected respectively with and without Mn(II) exposure, exhibiting that when Mn(II) oxidation occurred, superoxide concentration significantly increased but hydrogen peroxide concentration significantly decreased. Particularly, superoxide produced by LLDRA6 was proven to be the oxidant for Mn(II) in the formation of Mn oxides. Finally, we predicted links between phenylacetic acid metabolism pathway and ROS during Mn(II) exposure, proposing that the excessive ROS, generated in response to Mn(II) exposure, transcriptionally activate phenylacetic acid catabolism presumably by increasing concentrations of highly reactive oxepins.

The Columbellidae (Gastropoda, Buccinoidea) in the Miocene Paratethys Sea—striking diversity of a negelected group

We document 37 Columbellidae species, placed in 15 genera, from the middle Miocene of the Paratethys Sea, adding about 20% of new species to the previously known Columbellidae fauna of the Paratethys. This distinct increase is based on a careful revision of museum material that was collected during the 19th century. A detailed revision revealed numerous misidentifications of published material, which greatly distorted the understanding of many species in the literature. The revised fauna reveals only minimal affinities with coeval faunas from the Proto-Mediterranean Sea and suggests a palaeogeographic subdivision within the Central Paratethys between northern and southern basins. A major drop in columbellid diversity occurred at the Langhian/Serravallian boundary, coinciding with the Miocene Climatic Transition. This event led to a severe diversity decline from a high Langhian level of 32 species, which was comparable in the number of columbellid species to that of the modern Red Sea and tropical West Africa (~23 species), down to a diversity level of nine species, equalling that of the modern Mediterranean Sea. Auingeria nov. gen., Bellacolumbella nov. gen., Martaia nov. gen. and Defensina nov. gen. are introduced as new genera. Mitrella dacica nov. sp., Mitrella demaintenonae nov. sp., Mitrella elongatissima nov. sp., Mitrella viennensis nov. sp. and Zafrona sphaerocorrugata nov. sp. are described as new species. Costoanachis venzoi is proposed as replacement name for Anachis (Costoanachis) subcorrugata Venzo & Pelosio, 1963 non Columbella (Anachis) subcorrugata Boettger, 1906. Lectotypes are designated for Columbella (Anachis) guembeli Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella januskiewiczi Friedberg, 1938, Columbella (Mitrella) fallax Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Atilia (Macrurella) hilberi Cossmann, 1901, Columbella petersi Hilber, 1879, Columbella (Mitrella) complanata Sacco, 1890, Columbella (Mitrella) bittneri Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella (Orthurella) elongata var. convexula Sacco, 1890, Columbella (Anachis) moravica Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella (Mitrella) bucciniformis Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella (Anachis) haueri Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella (Anachis) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Pyrene (Anachis) bellardii grussbachensis Csepreghy-Meznerics, 1969, Columbella (Anachis) dujardini Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella (Anachis) zitteli Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, Columbella (Nitidella) karreri Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, and Columbella (Nitidella) katharinae Hoernes & Auinger, 1880. Scabrellana is introduced as replacement name for the trilobite genus Scabrella Wenndorf (1990) non Scabrella Sacco, 1890.

The Involvement of Oxidative Stress, Neuronal Lesions, Neurotransmission Impairment, and Neuroinflammation in Acrylamide-Induced Neurotoxicity

Acrylamide (ACR) is a typically contaminate during environmental industry and poses potential health hazards that have been attracting increasing attention. Its neurotoxicity is known to cause significant damage to health. However, the mechanisms of ACR-induced neurotoxicity require further clarification. This study explores how ACR-induced oxidative stress, neuronal lesions, neurotransmission impairment, and neuroinflammation mutually contribute to neurotoxicity using a mouse model. According to the results, oxidative stress was indicated by the presence of a distinct increase in cellular reactive oxygen species levels, malondialdehyde, and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine content, as well as a significant decrease in the glutathione content after ACR exposure. Moreover, ACR caused neurological defects associated with gait abnormality and neuronal loss while suppressing the levels of acetylcholine and dopamine and increasing the protein expression of α-syn, further inhibiting cholinergic and dopaminergic neuronal function. Additionally, ACR treatment caused an inflammation response via NF-κB activation and increased the protein expression of NLRP3. Consequently, ACR activated the NLRP3 inflammasome constituents, including Caspase-1, ASC, N-GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18. The results revealed the underlying molecular mechanism of ACR-induced neurotoxicity via oxidative stress, neurotransmission impairment, and neuroinflammation-related signal cascade. This information will further improve the development of an alternative outcome pathway strategy for investigating the risk posed by ACR.

Cytotoxicity Study of UV-Laser-Irradiated PLLA Surfaces Subjected to Bio-Ceramisation: A New Way towards Implant Surface Modification

In this research we subjected samples of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) extruded film to ultraviolet (193 nm ArF excimer laser) radiation below the ablation threshold. The modified film was immersed in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) at 37 °C for 1 day or 7 days to obtain a layer of apatite ceramic (CaP) coating on the modified PLLA surface. The samples were characterized by means of optical profilometry, which indicated an increase in average roughness (Ra) from 25 nm for the unmodified PLLA to over 580 nm for irradiated PLLA incubated in SBF for 1 day. At the same time, the water contact angle decreased from 78° for neat PLLA to 35° for irradiated PLLA incubated in SBF, which suggests its higher hydrophilicity. The obtained materials were investigated by means of cell response fibroblasts (3T3) and macrophage-like cells (RAW 264.7). Properties of the obtained composites were compared to the unmodified PLLA film as well as to the UV-laser irradiated PLLA. The activation of the PLLA surface by laser irradiation led to a distinct increase in cytotoxicity, while the treatment with SBF and the deposition of apatite ceramic had only a limited preventive effect on this harmful impact and depended on the cell type. Fibroblasts were found to have good tolerance for the irradiated and ceramic-covered PLLA, but macrophages seem to interact with the substrate leading to the release of cytotoxic products.

Increase in Phloem Area in the Tomato Hawaiian Skirt Mutant Is Associated with Enhanced Sugar Transport

The Hawaiian skirt (HWS) gene has been described in Arabidopsis, rice, tomato and poplar where it seems to perform distinct functions with relatively little overlap. In tomato, alteration of the gene function confers facultative parthenocarpy, thought to be a consequence of changes in the microRNA metabolism. In the rice mutant, improvement in panicle architecture is associated with an increase in grain yield. Knowing that hws tomato fruits show a higher Brix level, it was suspected that vascular bundles might also be altered in this species, in a similar fashion to the rice phenotype. The pedicel structure of the hws-1 line was therefore examined under the microscope and sugar concentrations from phloem exudate were determined in an enzymatic assay. A distinct increase in the phloem area was observed as well as a higher sugar content in mutant phloem exudates, which is hypothesized to contribute to the high Brix level in the mutant fruits. Furthermore, the described phenotype in this study bridges the gap between Arabidopsis and rice phenotypes, suggesting that the modulation of the microRNA metabolism by HWS influences traits of agricultural interest across several species.

Cardiovascular-related deaths at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak: a prospective analysis based on the UK Biobank

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on cardiovascular disease (CVD) related mortality and hospitalisation.DesignCommunity-based prospective cohort study.SettingThe UK Biobank.Participants421 372 UK Biobank participants who were registered in England and alive as of 1 January 2020.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome of interest was CVD-related death, which was defined as death with CVD as a cause in the death register. We retrieved information on hospitalisations with CVD as the primary diagnosis from the UK Biobank hospital inpatient data. The study period was 1 January 2020 to June 30 2020, and we used the same calendar period of the three preceding years as the reference period. In order to control for seasonal variations and ageing of the study population, standardised mortality/incidence ratios (SMRs/SIRs) with 95% CIs were used to estimate the relative risk of CVD outcomes during the study period, compared with the reference period.ResultsWe observed a distinct increase in CVD-related deaths in March and April 2020, compared with the corresponding months of the three preceding years. The observed number of CVD-related deaths (n=218) was almost double in April, compared with the expected number (n=120) (SMR=1.82, 95% CI 1.58 to 2.07). In addition, we observed a significant decline in CVD-related hospitalisations from March onwards, with the lowest SIR observed in April (0.45, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.49).ConclusionsThere was a distinct increase in the number of CVD-related deaths in the UK Biobank population at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The shortage of medical resources for hospital care and stress reactions to the pandemic might have partially contributed to the excess CVD-related mortality, underscoring the need of sufficient healthcare resources and improved instructions to the public about seeking healthcare in a timely way.

Mycobacterium leprae transmission characteristics during the declining stages of leprosy incidence: A systematic review

Background Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. As incidence begins to decline, the characteristics of new cases shifts away from those observed in highly endemic areas, revealing potentially important insights into possible ongoing sources of transmission. We aimed to investigate whether transmission is driven mainly by undiagnosed and untreated new leprosy cases in the community, or by incompletely treated or relapsing cases. Methodology/Principal findings A literature search of major electronic databases was conducted in January, 2020 with 134 articles retained out of a total 4318 records identified (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020178923). We presented quantitative data from leprosy case records with supporting evidence describing the decline in incidence across several contexts. BCG vaccination, active case finding, adherence to multidrug therapy and continued surveillance following treatment were the main strategies shared by countries who achieved a substantial reduction in incidence. From 3950 leprosy case records collected across 22 low endemic countries, 48.3% were suspected to be imported, originating from transmission outside of the country. Most cases were multibacillary (64.4%) and regularly confirmed through skin biopsy, with 122 cases of suspected relapse from previous leprosy treatment. Family history was reported in 18.7% of cases, while other suspected sources included travel to high endemic areas and direct contact with armadillos. None of the countries included in the analysis reported a distinct increase in leprosy incidence in recent years. Conclusions/Significance Together with socioeconomic improvement over time, several successful leprosy control programmes have been implemented in recent decades that led to a substantial decline in incidence. Most cases described in these contexts were multibacillary and numerous cases of suspected relapse were reported. Despite these observations, there was no indication that these cases led to a rise in new secondary cases, suggesting that they do not represent a large ongoing source of human-to-human transmission.