Mechanochemical Deracemization: A Sustainable Approach to Enantiopurity.

We introduce mechanochemical deracemization (MCDR) as a novel strategy for obtaining enantiopure compounds. This study demonstrates the successful transposition of six archetypical deracemization reactions from a solvent-based to a solvent-minimized ball milling environment. The scope includes a ketone, isoindolinones, imines, an ester, and an inorganic compound, all of which deracemized successfully.

The Regioselective Solid-State Photo-Mechanochemical Synthesis of Nanographenes with UV light.

Photochemical reactors inherently suffer from the low penetration depth of light and therefore rely on high dilutions to enable chemical reactions. Here we present the first method of UV (ultraviolet) photochemistry in the complete absence of bulk solvents in a ball mill. Triphenylene was synthesized by two routes, the Mallory reaction and the cyclodehydrochlorination (CDHC), resulting in yields of 81 and 92 %, respectively.

The Mechanochemical Fries Rearrangement: Manipulating Isomer Ratios in the Synthesis of p-Hydroxyacetophenone at Different Scales.

Herein, the first mechanochemical Fries rearrangement for the industrially important synthesis of para-hydroxyacetophenone, inside a ball mill and a twin-screw extruder, is presented. Our approach leads to a yield of 62 % in as little as 90 minutes while liquid-assisted grinding can shift the isomer ratio resulting in an excess of the desired para-product. The multigram scale-up by extrusion leads to 61 % yield in only three minutes while completely avoiding solvents.

Reanalysis of unclear CMV status results from buccal swab samples of potential stem cell donors is an efficient donor registry strategy.

Many stem cell donor registries determine the cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG serostatus at donor recruitment as it is an important marker for donor selection in the context of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To make sample collection less uncomfortable for the donor, we have developed a method that allows CMV status determination from buccal swab samples, thus avoiding blood drawing. However, the determination fails in some cases which leads to new donors being listed for donor search without CMV status, thus hindering donor searches.

Beyond the Scholl reaction - one-step planarization and edge chlorination of nanographenes by mechanochemistry.

The edge chlorination of the benchmark nanographenes triphenylene and hexa--hexabenzocoronene is conducted mechanochemically. This approach overcomes solubility limitations and eliminates the need for elaborate chlorination conditions. Additionally, the planarization of oligophenylenes and their edge-chlorination can be combined in a one-pot approach requiring as little as 60 minutes.

Sustainable and rapid preparation of nanosized Fe/Ni-pentlandite particles by mechanochemistry.

In recent years, metal-rich sulfides of the pentlandite type (MS) have attracted considerable attention for energy storage applications. However, common synthetic routes towards pentlandites either involve energy intensive high temperature procedures or solvothermal methods with specialized precursors and non-sustainable organic solvents. Herein, we demonstrate that ball milling is a simple and efficient method to synthesize nanosized bimetallic pentlandite particles (FeNiS, Pn) with an average size of 250 nm in a single synthetic step from elemental- or sulfidic mixtures.

Noninvasive Determination of CMV Serostatus From Dried Buccal Swab Samples: Assay Development, Validation, and Application to 1.2 Million Samples.

Background: Buccal swab sampling constitutes an attractive noninvasive alternative to blood drawings for antibody serostatus assays. Here we describe a method to determine the cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin G (CMV IgG) serostatus from dried buccal swab samples.

Methods: Upon solubilization, CMV IgG is determined by an ELISA assay specifically adapted to cope with low IgG concentrations.

Immunogenetics in stem cell donor registry work: The DKMS example (Part 2).

DKMS is a leading stem cell donor registry with more than 9 million donors. Donor registry activities share many touch points with topics from immunogenetics or population genetics. In this two-part review article, we deal with these aspects of donor registry work by using the example of DKMS.

Immunogenetics in stem cell donor registry work: The DKMS example (Part 1).

Currently, stem cell donor registries include more than 35 million potential donors worldwide to provide HLA-matched stem cell products for patients in need of an unrelated donor transplant. DKMS is a leading stem cell donor registry with more than 9 million donors from Germany, Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom, India and Chile. DKMS donors have donated hematopoietic stem cells more than 80,000 times.

Parameters of pulse wave velocity: determinants and reference values assessed in the population-based study LIFE-Adult.

Aims And Background: Parameters of arterial stiffness such as pulse wave velocity (PWV) were recently proposed as independent risk factors of cardiovascular events. We analyse three PWV parameters in the large population-based study LIFE-Adult to identify risk factors, normal and reference values.

Methods And Results: Brachial-ankle (ba), brachial-femoral (bf) and carotid-femoral (cf) PWV assessment was performed using Vicorder device.

Effect of high pressure--low temperature treatments on structural characteristics of whey proteins and micellar caseins.

In this study, structural changes in micellar caseins and whey proteins due to high pressure--low temperature treatments (HPLT) were investigated and compared to changes caused by high pressure treatments at room temperature. Whey protein isolate (WPI) solutions as well as micellar casein (MC) dispersions and mixtures were treated at 500 MPa (pH 7.0 and 5.

Cost-efficient high-throughput HLA typing by MiSeq amplicon sequencing.

Background: A close match of the HLA alleles between donor and recipient is an important prerequisite for successful unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To increase the chances of finding an unrelated donor, registries recruit many hundred thousands of volunteers each year. Many registries with limited resources have had to find a trade-off between cost and resolution and extent of typing for newly recruited donors in the past.

The release of dipicolinic acid--the rate-limiting step of Bacillus endospore inactivation during the high pressure thermal sterilization process.

High pressure combined with elevated temperatures can produce low acid, commercially sterile and shelf-stable foods. Depending on the temperature and pressure levels applied, bacterial endospores pass through different pathways, which can lead to a pressure-induced germination or inactivation. Regardless of the pathway, Bacillus endospores first release pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (DPA), which contributes to the low amount of free water in the spore core and is consequently responsible for the spore's high resistance against wet and dry heat.

Support of unrelated stem cell donor searches by donor center-initiated HLA typing of potentially matching donors.

Large registries of potential unrelated stem cell donors have been established in order to enable stem cell transplantation for patients without HLA-identical related donors. Donor search is complicated by the fact that the stored HLA information of many registered donors is incomplete. We carried out a project that was aimed to improve chances of patients with ongoing donor searches to find an HLA-matched unrelated donor.

High-resolution human leukocyte antigen allele and haplotype frequencies of the Polish population based on 20,653 stem cell donors.

We present high-resolution allele and haplotype frequency (HF) estimations of the Polish population based on more than 20,000 registered stem cell donors. Sequencing-based donor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing led to unambiguous typing results in most cases (between 94.3% for HLA-DRB1 and 96.

Estimation of high-resolution HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies based on 8862 German stem cell donors and implications for strategic donor registry planning.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype frequency distributions in specific populations can be applied to optimize both individual stem cell donor searches and donor registry planning. We present allele and haplotype frequencies derived from a data set of 8862 German stem cell donors who were typed at high resolution for the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, and HLA-DRB1 genes upon registration. Calculated haplotype frequencies were used to estimate the probability p to find matching donors subject to donor registry size n.