Metabolic Characterization of Deceased Donor Kidneys Undergoing Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Before Transplantation Using C-enriched Glucose.

Background: The provision of a metabolic substrate is one mechanism by which hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) of kidneys provides clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe metabolism in ex vivo human kidneys undergoing HMP before transplantation using C-labeled glucose as a metabolic tracer.

Methods: Cadaveric human kidneys were perfused with modified clinical-grade perfusion fluid (kidney perfusion solution [KPS-1], Organ Recovery Systems), in which glucose was uniformly enriched with the stable isotope C ([U-C] glucose).

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum Kelch13 mutant proteins display reduced heme-binding affinity and decreased artemisinin activation.

The potency of frontline antimalarial drug artemisinin (ART) derivatives is triggered by heme-induced cleavage of the endoperoxide bond to form reactive heme-ART alkoxy radicals and covalent heme-ART adducts, which are highly toxic to the parasite. ART-resistant (ART-R) parasites with mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum Kelch-containing protein Kelch13 (PfKekch13) exhibit impaired hemoglobin uptake, reduced yield of hemoglobin-derived heme, and thus decreased ART activation. However, any direct involvement of PfKelch13 in heme-mediated ART activation has not been reported.

In Situ Stabilization of Bi Nanoparticles into the Nanopores of Modified Montmorillonite: Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts for Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol.

Here, we report the in situ generation of Bi nanoparticles (BiNPs) into a nanoporous matrix by impregnation of bismuth chloride and subsequent reduction with sodium borohydride. The nanoporous matrix was created by acid activation of natural montmorillonite clay under controlled conditions with the aim that it may serve as a host for BiNPs. The characterization of stabilized BiNPs was done by using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (FESEM-EDX) techniques.