A Zeolite-Templated Carbon Synthesized from Extralarge-Pore Zeolite ZEO-1.

A new member of the zeolite-templated carbon (ZTC) family with unprecedented properties has been developed using extralarge-pore zeolite ZEO-1 (JZO) as a template. The resulting ZTC-JZO exhibits strong X-ray diffraction long-range order, replicating three distinct zeolite planes with different lattice spacings. By harnessing the enhanced micropore void volume in the ZEO-1 template, we achieved the first ZTC with a bimodal micropore size distribution, resulting in superior skeleton density and thickness.

[Hip dysplasia].

Background: Hip dysplasia is one of the most common malformations in childhood and has a significant impact on the further life of those affected. A distinction must be made between congenital and the much rarer acquired dysplasia. Early diagnosis and therapy are pivotal for further development of patients.

Templated Total Synthesis of Cu(I)-Methanobactin OB3b.

Methanobactin OB3b (Mbn-OB3b) is a unique natural product with stunning affinity for copper ions (K ≈Cu(I) 10 ). Here, we report the first total synthesis of Cu(I)-bound methanobactin OB3b featuring as key transformations a cyclodehydration-thioacylation sequence, to generate the conjugated heterocyclic systems, and a copper-templated cyclization, to complete the caged structure of the very sensitive target compound.

BMP-2 (and partially GDF-5) coating significantly accelerates and augments bone formation close to hydroxyapatite/tricalcium-phosphate/brushite implant cylinders for tibial bone defects in senile, osteopenic sheep.

Bilateral defects (diameter 8 mm) in the medial tibial head of senile, osteopenic female sheep (n = 48; 9.63 ± 0.10 years; mean ± SEM) were treated with hydroxyapatite (HA)/beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD; brushite) cylinders coated with BMP-2 (25 or 250 micrograms) or growth differentiation factor (GDF)-5 (125 or 1250 micrograms; left side); cylinders without BMP served as controls (right side).

Acidity: A Key Parameter in Zeolite-Templated Carbon Formation.

This work reveals the crucial role of zeolite acidity in the synthesis of zeolite-templated carbons (ZTCs). While textural and chemical properties appear to be independent from acidity at a given synthesis temperature, the spin concentration in hybrid materials appears to be strongly impacted by the zeolite acid site concentration. The electrical conductivity of the hybrids and resulting ZTCs are closely related to the spin concentration in the hybrid materials.

Can We Form Mesoporous Zeolites by Steam Assisted Crystallization of MCM-41?

The possibility of crystallizing silicalite-1 (MFI) from the pore walls of as-synthesized MCM-41 via steam-assisted crystallization (SAC) was thoroughly investigated. A kinetic study was conducted through the impregnation of as-synthesized MCM-41 with the structure-directing agent tetrapropyl-ammonium hydroxide (TPAOH). Materials obtained after different SAC treatment times (1−288 h) were characterized by XRD, nitrogen physisorption at 77 K, TGA/DTA, and SEM.

Improvement of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Primary Correction by Brace Design Optimization.

(1) Background: Primary in-brace correction has been shown to be related to conservative adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) treatment outcome. The purpose of the study was to evaluate TLSO brace design changes over eight years regarding primary Cobb correction and de-rotation of the (major) curve. (2) Methods: This retrospective analysis included AIS patients treated with a full-time TLSO-brace in a single Orthopedic University hospital in 2012-2014 and 2017-2019.

Zoonotic origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium malariae from African apes.

The human parasite Plasmodium malariae has relatives infecting African apes (Plasmodium rodhaini) and New World monkeys (Plasmodium brasilianum), but its origins remain unknown. Using a novel approach to characterise P. malariae-related sequences in wild and captive African apes, we found that this group comprises three distinct lineages, one of which represents a previously unknown, highly divergent species infecting chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas across central Africa.

Single Application of Low-Dose, Hydroxyapatite-Bound BMP-2 or GDF-5 Induces Long-Term Bone Formation and Biomechanical Stabilization of a Bone Defect in a Senile Sheep Lumbar Osteopenia Model.

Effects of hydroxyapatite (HA) particles with bone morphogenetic BMP-2 or GDF-5 were compared in sheep lumbar osteopenia; in vitro release in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or sheep serum was assessed by ELISA. Lumbar (L) vertebral bone defects (Ø 3.5 mm) were generated in aged, osteopenic female sheep ( = 72; 9.

Performance of Calcium Phosphate Cements in the Augmentation of Sheep Vertebrae-An Ex Vivo Study.

Oil-based calcium phosphate cement (Paste-CPC) shows not only prolonged shelf life and injection times, but also improved cohesion and reproducibility during application, while retaining the advantages of fast setting, mechanical strength, and biocompatibility. In addition, poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) fiber reinforcement may decrease the risk for local extrusion. Bone defects (diameter 5 mm; depth 15 mm) generated ex vivo in lumbar (L) spines of female Merino sheep (2-4 years) were augmented using: (i) water-based CPC with 10% PLGA fiber reinforcement (L3); (ii) Paste-CPC (L4); or (iii) clinically established polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement (L5).

Gas Porosimetry by Gas Adsorption as an Efficient Tool for the Assessment of the Shaping Effect in Commercial Zeolites.

A set of three commercial zeolites (13X, 5A, and 4A) of two distinct shapes have been characterized: (i) pure zeolite powders and (ii) extruded spherical beads composed of pure zeolite powders and an unknown amount of binder used during their preparation process. The coupling of gas porosimetry experiments using argon at 87 K and CO at 273 K allowed determining both the amount of the binder and its effect on adsorption properties. It was evidenced that the beads contain approximately 25 wt% of binder.

Influence of curve morphology and location on the efficacy of rigid conservative treatment in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to answer the question whether curve morphology and location have an influence on rigid conservative treatment in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed AIS in 127 patients with single and double curves who had been treated with a Chêneau brace and physiotherapeutic specific exercises (B-PSE). The inclusion criteria were the presence of structural major curves ≥ 20° and < 50° (Risser stage 0 to 2) at the time when B-PSE was initiated.

Systematic Postoperative Assessment of a Minimally-Invasive Sheep Model for the Treatment of Osteochondral Defects.

To assess the clinical course of a sheep stifle joint model for osteochondral (OC) defects, medial femoral condyles (MFC) were exposed without patella luxation using medial parapatellar skin (3-4 cm) and deep incisions (2-3 cm). Two defects (7 mm diameter; 10 mm depth; OC punch) were left empty or refilled with osteochondral autologous transplantation cylinders (OATS) and explanted after six weeks. Incision-to-suture time, anesthesia time, and postoperative wound or impairment scores were compared to those in sham-operated animals.

Yaws Disease Caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue in Wild Chimpanzee, Guinea, 2019.

Yaws-like lesions are widely reported in wild African great apes, yet the causative agent has not been confirmed in affected animals. We describe yaws-like lesions in a wild chimpanzee in Guinea for which we demonstrate infection with Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue.

Monkeypox virus emergence in wild chimpanzees reveals distinct clinical outcomes and viral diversity.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease on the rise across endemic habitats. Despite the growing importance of monkeypox virus, our knowledge on its host spectrum and sylvatic maintenance is limited. Here, we describe the recent repeated emergence of monkeypox virus in a wild, human-habituated western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus, hereafter chimpanzee) population from Taï National Park, Ivory Coast.

The old sheep: a convenient and suitable model for senile osteopenia.

Introduction: Existing osteoporosis models in sheep exhibit some disadvantages, e.g., challenging surgical procedures, serious ethical concerns, failure of reliable induction of substantial bone loss, or lack of comparability to the human condition.

Tropical rainforest flies carrying pathogens form stable associations with social nonhuman primates.

Living in groups provides benefits but also incurs costs such as attracting disease vectors. For example, synanthropic flies associate with human settlements, and higher fly densities increase pathogen transmission. We investigated whether such associations also exist in highly mobile nonhuman primate (NHP) Groups.

Evolutionary history of human revealed by genome-wide analyses of related ape parasites.

Wild-living African apes are endemically infected with parasites that are closely related to human , a leading cause of malaria outside Africa. This finding suggests that the origin of was in Africa, even though the parasite is now rare in humans there. To elucidate the emergence of human and its relationship to the ape parasites, we analyzed genome sequence data of strains infecting six chimpanzees and one gorilla from Cameroon, Gabon, and Côte d'Ivoire.

The Energetics of Surfactant-Templating of Zeolites.

Mesoporosity can be conveniently introduced into zeolites by treating them in basic surfactant solutions. The apparent activation energy involved in the formation of mesopores in USY by surfactant-templating was determined using a combination of in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and ex situ gas adsorption. Additionally, techniques such as pH measurement and thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis were employed to determine OH evolution and cetyltrimethylammonium ion (CTA ) uptake during the development of mesoporosity, thereby providing information about the different steps involved.

Seasonal and inter-annual variation of malaria parasite detection in wild chimpanzees.

Background: Cross-sectional surveys of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities across sub-Saharan Africa show large geographical variation in malaria parasite (Plasmodium spp.) prevalence. The drivers leading to this apparent spatial heterogeneity may also be temporally dynamic but data on prevalence variation over time are missing for wild great apes.

Blow flies as urban wildlife sensors.

Wildlife detection in urban areas is very challenging. Conventional monitoring techniques such as direct observation are faced with the limitation that urban wildlife is extremely elusive. It was recently shown that invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) can be used to assess wildlife diversity in tropical rainforests.

The GDF5 mutant BB-1 enhances the bone formation induced by an injectable, poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming cement in a sheep defect model of lumbar osteopenia.

Background Context: Targeted delivery of osteoinductive bone morphogenetic proteins (eg, GDF5) in bioresorbable calcium phosphate cement (CPC), potentially suitable for vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty of osteoporotic vertebral fractures, may be required to counteract augmented local bone catabolism and to support complete bone regeneration. The biologically optimized GDF5 mutant BB-1 may represent an attractive drug candidate for this purpose.

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to test an injectable, poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming CPC containing low-dose BB-1 in a sheep lumbar osteopenia model.

Persistent anthrax as a major driver of wildlife mortality in a tropical rainforest.

Anthrax is a globally important animal disease and zoonosis. Despite this, our current knowledge of anthrax ecology is largely limited to arid ecosystems, where outbreaks are most commonly reported. Here we show that the dynamics of an anthrax-causing agent, Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis, in a tropical rainforest have severe consequences for local wildlife communities.