Methane Bubbled Through Seawater Can be Converted to Methanol With High Efficiency.

Partial oxidation of methane (POM) is achieved by forming air-methane microbubbles in saltwater to which an alternating electric field is applied using a copper oxide foam electrode. The solubility of methane is increased by putting it in contact with water containing dissolved KCl or NaCl (3%). Being fully dispersed as microbubbles (20-40 µm in diameter), methane reacts more fully with hydroxyl radicals (OH·) at the gas-water interface.

Aurora kinase A expression in pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands: an immunohistochemical study.

Background: Aurora kinase A (AurkA) plays a vital role in mitosis and is therefore critical in tumors development and progression. There are a few studies on AurkA expression in salivary gland tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression pattern of AurkA in the most common benign and malignant salivary gland tumors by immunohistochemistry.

Exploring Caspase-3 overexpression in pheochromocytoma cells: Implications for cancer therapy.

Malignant pheochromocytomas are infrequent tumors that have a poorer prognosis compared to their benign counterparts. The administration of chemotherapy to patients with pheochromocytoma can result in adverse side effects and a reduced life quality. Alternative and more targeted treatment strategies, such as gene therapy significantly improve the patients' survival rate and life expectancy.

Handheld portable device for delivering capped silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial applications.

We describe a simple, cost-effective, green method for producing capped silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using a handheld portable mesh nebulizer. The precursor solution containing a 1:1 mixture of silver nitrate (AgNO) and ligand (glycerol or sodium alginate) was sprayed using the nebulizer. The Ag NPs were generated in the water microdroplets within a few milliseconds under ambient conditions without any external reducing agent or action of a radiation source.

As air relative humidity increases, infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 decreases within water droplets.

Water droplets containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for coronavirus 2019 transmission, were introduced into a controlled-temperature and -humidity chamber. The SARS-CoV-2 virus with green fluorescent protein tag in droplets was used to infect Caco-2 cells, with viability assessed through flow cytometry and microscopic counting. Whereas temperature fluctuations within typical indoor ranges (20°C-30°C) had minimal impact, we observed a notable decrease in infection rate as the surrounding air's relative humidity increased.

Onsite ammonia synthesis from water vapor and nitrogen in the air.

An innovative method for onsite ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions has been developed using a catalyst mesh composed of magnetite (FeO) and Nafion polymer. We pass air through the catalyst, which condenses microdroplets from atmospheric water vapor and uses nitrogen from the air, resulting in ammonia concentrations ranging from 25 to 120 μM in 1 hour, depending on local relative humidity. Operated at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, this technique eliminates the need for additional electricity or radiation, thereby substantially reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared to the traditional Haber-Bosch process.

Development of a work systems stress questionnaire to predict job burnout: A mixed methods study based on a macroergonomics approach.

Job burnout is a stress-related phenomenon that is a significant threat to the health and performance of organizations and employees. Interventions to ameliorate potentials for burnout have been limited by the lack of a comprehensive tool that considers work system stressors. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire for predicting job burnout based on the macroergonomics work system approach.

Wet-dry cycles cause nucleic acid monomers to polymerize into long chains.

The key first step in the oligomerization of monomers is to find an initiator, which is usually done by thermolysis or photolysis. We present a markedly different approach that initiates acid-catalyzed polymerization at the surface of water films or water droplets, which is the reactive phase during a wet-dry cycle in freshwater hot springs associated with subaerial volcanic landmasses. We apply this method to the oligomerization of different nucleic acids, a topic relevant to how it might be possible to go from simple nucleic acid monomers to long-chain polymers, a key step in forming the building blocks of life.

Understanding the formation of nitrate from nitrogen at the interface of gas-water microbubbles.

Water microbubbles containing Fe ions have been found to efficiently transform nitrogen (N) to nitrate (NO ) by initiating Fenton's reaction at the gas-water interface. Herein, we elucidate the mechanism of the formation of nitrate (NO ) from nitrogen (N) at the microbubble interface. Several experimental studies were conducted to identify the intermediates formed during the conversion.

Sustained Regeneration of Hydrogen Peroxide at the Water-Gas Interface of Electrogenerated Microbubbles on an Electrode Surface.

Microbubbles, inside-out microdroplets, act as extraordinary microreactors to facilitate thermodynamically unfavorable reactions in bulk solutions of water. We explored the formation of hydrogen peroxide (HO) and its sustained regeneration at the interface of water-gas microbubbles. For this purpose, the chemiluminescence of luminol was recorded by a digital camera to map the intensity of blue light emission over the time of about 20 min.

Effects of Acute Citrulline Malate Supplementation on CrossFit Exercise Performance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study.

Given the increasing popularity of CrossFit as a high-intensity functional training program and the potential benefits of citrulline malate (CM) in enhancing exercise performance through its role as a precursor to L-arginine and nitric oxide production, this study aimed to investigate the acute effects of CM supplementation on CrossFit performance and cardiovascular function. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design, 21 recreationally active participants (mean age 22.2 ± 2.

Methane C(sp)-H bond activation by water microbubbles.

Microbubble-induced oxidation offers an effective approach for activating the C(sp)-H bond of methane under mild conditions, achieving a methane activation rate of up to 6.7% per hour under optimized parameters. In this study, microbubbles provided an extensive gas-liquid interface that promoted the formation of hydroxyl (OH˙) and hydrogen radicals (H˙), which facilitated the activation of methane, leading to the generation of methyl radicals (CH˙).

Unlocking the electrochemical functions of biomolecular condensates.

Biomolecular condensation is a key mechanism for organizing cellular processes in a spatiotemporal manner. The phase-transition nature of this process defines a density transition of the whole solution system. However, the physicochemical features and the electrochemical functions brought about by condensate formation are largely unexplored.

Direct Conversion of N and Air to Nitric Acid in Gas-Water Microbubbles.

We report a simple, direct, and green conversion of air/N to nitric acid by bubbling the gas through an aqueous solution containing 50 μM Fe ions. Air stone, along with ultrasonication, was employed to generate gas microbubbles. HO produced at the water-gas interface undergoes Fenton's reaction with Fe ions to produce OH that efficiently activates N, yielding nitric acid as the final product.

John I. Brauman (1937-2024).

Groundbreaking physical organic chemist.

Cationic lignin as an efficient and sustainable homogenous catalyst for aqueous Knoevenagel condensation reactions.

Knoevenagel condensation is a chemical reaction between aldehydes and active methylene-containing compounds in the presence of heterogeneous, basic homogenous organic or inorganic catalysts and solvent or neat systems. Herein, we introduced a new strategy for this synthesis by using the aqueous solution of cationic kraft lignin (CKL) as a catalyst. The CKL was synthesized through the reaction of kraft lignin (KL) with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC) in a basic medium.

A developmental gradient reveals biosynthetic pathways to eukaryotic toxins in monocot geophytes.

Numerous eukaryotic toxins that accumulate in geophytic plants are valuable in the clinic, yet their biosynthetic pathways have remained elusive. A notable example is the >150 Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AmAs), including galantamine, an FDA-approved treatment for Alzheimer's disease. We show that while AmAs accumulate to high levels in many daffodil tissues, biosynthesis is localized to nascent, growing tissue at the leaf base.

Fragment Correlation Mass Spectrometry Enables Direct Characterization of Disulfide Bond Cleavage Pathways of Therapeutic Peptides.

Therapeutic peptides that are connected by disulfide bonds are often difficult to analyze by traditional tandem mass spectrometry without chemical modification. Using fragment correlation mass spectrometry, we analyzed 56 pairs of fragment ions generated from an equimolar (10 μM) mixture of three cyclic peptides, achieving sequence coverage of 86%, 100%, and 75% for octreotide, desmopressin, and the structural analogue of desmopressin, respectively. In all detected fragment ion pairs, only 20% of the fragment ions are terminal ions, with most of the measured ions only detected by fragment correlation mass spectrometry.

Gut microbiota interventions in type 2 diabetes mellitus: An umbrella review of glycemic indices.

Background: We aimed to explore how probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics impact glycemic indices in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Method: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception up to April 2023. The random-effects model was employed for the study analysis.

Oxidation of Ammonia in Water Microdroplets Produces Nitrate and Molecular Hydrogen.

Water microdroplets containing dissolved ammonia (30-300 μM) are sprayed through a copper oxide mesh with a 200 μm average pore size, resulting in the formation of nitrate (NO) and the release of molecular hydrogen (H). The products result from a redox process that takes place at the liquid-solid interface through contact electrification, where no external potential is applied. Oxidation is initiated by superoxide radical anions (O) that originate from the oxygen in the air surrounding the microdroplets and from the hydroxyl radicals (OH) originating from the water-air interface.

Efficacy of metformin on the body mass index of patients under treatment with SSRI drugs referred to psychiatry clinics of Rasht.

Objective: Serotonin reuptake inhibitors cause weight gain, leading to drug discontinuation, relapse, and worsening of symptoms. This study aims to investigates the effect of metformin on weight loss, anthropometric indicators and laboratory assessments in patients of Rasht city.

Methods: This clinical trial study with parallel-group design was organized based on 60 patients in treatment group (undergoing metformin) and 60 patients in control group (undergoing routine treatment) in Shafa hospital during July 2019 to January 2020.

Catalyst-Free Transformation of Carbon Dioxide to Small Organic Compounds in Water Microdroplets Nebulized by Different Gases.

A straightforward nebulized spray system is designed to explore the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO) within water microdroplets surrounded by different gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and compressed air. The collected droplets are analyzed using water-suppressed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Formate anion (HCOO), acetate anion (CHCOO), ethylene glycol (HOCHCHOH), and methane (CH) are detected when water is nebulized.

Fragment correlation mass spectrometry: Determining the structures of biopolymers in a complex mixture without isolating individual components.

Fragment correlation mass spectrometry correlates ion pairs generated from the same fragmentation pathway, achieved by covariance mapping of tandem mass spectra generated with an unmodified linear ion trap without preseparation. We enable the identification of different precursors at different charge states in a complex mixture from a large isolation window, empowering an analytical approach for data-independent acquisition. The method resolves and matches isobaric fragments, internal ions, and disulfide bond fragments.

Effect of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Maximal Intensity Exercise in Trained Young Male Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Beta-alanine is a nonessential amino acid that is commonly used to improve exercise performance. It could influence the buffering of hydrogen ions produced during intense exercise and delay fatigue, providing a substrate for increased synthesis of intramuscular carnosine. This systematic review evaluates the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on maximal intensity exercise in trained, young, male individuals.