Cutting Edge: STING Induces ACLY Activation and Metabolic Adaptations in Human Macrophages through TBK1.

The 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of IFN genes (STING) pathway can sense infection and cellular stress by detecting cytosolic DNA. Upon ligand binding, cGAS produces the cyclic dinucleotide messenger cGAMP, which triggers its receptor STING. Active STING initiates gene transcription through the transcription factors IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and NF-κB and induces autophagy, but whether STING can cause changes in the metabolism of macrophages is unknown.

Systematical assessment of the impact of single spike mutations of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants on the neutralization capacity of post-vaccination sera.

Introduction: The evolution of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants significantly affects vaccine effectiveness. While these effects can only be studied retrospectively, neutralizing antibody titers are most used as correlates of protection. However, studies assessing neutralizing antibody titers often show heterogeneous data.

Layer thickness characterization of Faraday cup fast ion loss detectors.

Faraday cup fast ion loss detectors have attractive properties for fusion applications, as they can measure wide ranges of energy, are intrinsically neutron-hardened, and can be packaged in very small form factors. The latter allows them to be installed as arrays, offering opportunities to decouple fast ion loss location and magnitude in fully three-dimensional magnetic fields. In this work, we characterize the layer thicknesses of detector prototypes using spectral reflectance measurements, confocal laser scanning microscopy, as well as raster electron microscopy with a focused ion beam.

Low-Pressure Microwave Plasma Reduction of Iron and Copper Salt Compounds at Low Temperatures for Oxidation State Alteration and Functional Applications.

The influence of plasma-reduction treatment on iron and copper compounds at different oxidation states was investigated in this study. For this purpose, reduction experiments were carried out with artificially generated patina on metal sheets and with metal salt crystals of iron(II) sulfate (FeSO), iron(III) chloride (FeCl), and copper(II) chloride (CuCl), as well as with the metal salt thin films of these compounds. All the experiments were carried out under cold low-pressure microwave plasma conditions; the main focus was on plasma reduction at a low pressure in order to evaluate an implementable process in a parylene-coating device.

Conducting ITO Nanoparticle-Based Aerogels-Nonaqueous One-Pot Synthesis vs. Particle Assembly Routes.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) aerogels offer a combination of high surface area, porosity and conductive properties and could therefore be a promising material for electrodes in the fields of batteries, solar cells and fuel cells, as well as for optoelectronic applications. In this study, ITO aerogels were synthesized via two different approaches, followed by critical point drying (CPD) with liquid CO. During the nonaqueous one-pot sol-gel synthesis in benzylamine (BnNH), the ITO nanoparticles arranged to form a gel, which could be directly processed into an aerogel via solvent exchange, followed by CPD.

SCAPS simulation of novel inorganic ZrS/CuO heterojunction solar cells.

ZrS is transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) which is believed one of the most talented applicants to fabricate photovoltaics. Therefore, we present here for the first-time numerical simulation of novel inorganic ZrS/CuO heterojunction solar cells employing SCAPS-1D. The influence of the thickness, carrier concentration, and bandgap for both the window and absorber layers on the solar cell fundamental parameters was explored intensely.

An Integrated Model to Conduct Multi-Criteria Technology Assessments: The Case of Electric Vehicle Batteries.

The large-scale adoption of low-carbon technologies can result in trade-offs between technical, socio-economic, and environmental aspects. To assess such trade-offs, discipline-specific models typically used in isolation need to be integrated to support decisions. Integrated modeling approaches, however, usually remain at the conceptual level, and operationalization efforts are lacking.

Digital polymerase chain reaction to monitor platelet transfusions in cardiac surgery patients.

Background And Objectives: Corrected count increment (CCI) measurements monitor the effectiveness of platelet transfusions in haemato-oncology, but they usually fail in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We investigated whether polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is able to monitor the survival of transfused platelets in these patients.

Materials And Methods: Leukocyte-free, platelet-rich plasma was prepared from patients' blood to measure platelet counts based on patient-/donor-specific SNPs by digital PCR after DNA extraction.

Selection of indicator contaminants of emerging concern when reusing reclaimed water for irrigation - A proposed methodology.

Organic and microbial contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), even though not yet regulated, are of great concern in reclaimed water reuse projects. Due to the large number of CECs and their different characteristics, it is useful to include only a limited number of them in monitoring programs. The selection of the most representative CECs is still a current and open question.

SiMeEx, a simplified method for metabolite extraction of adherent mammalian cells.

A reliable method for metabolite extraction is central to mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. However, existing methods are lengthy, mostly due to the step of scraping cells from cell culture vessels, which restricts metabolomics in broader application such as lower cell numbers and high-throughput studies. Here, we present a simplified metabolite extraction (SiMeEx) method, to efficiently and quickly extract metabolites from adherent mammalian cells.

Low-Energy Hydrogen Ions Enable Efficient Room-Temperature and Rapid Plasma Hydrogenation of TiO Nanorods for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Activity.

Hydrogenation is a promising technique to prepare black TiO (H-TiO ) for solar water splitting, however, there remain limitations such as severe preparation conditions and underexplored hydrogenation mechanisms to inefficient hydrogenation and poor photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance to be overcome for practical applications. Here, a room-temperature and rapid plasma hydrogenation (RRPH) strategy that realizes low-energy hydrogen ions of below 250 eV to fabricate H-TiO nanorods with controllable disordered shell, outperforming incumbent hydrogenations, is reported. The mechanisms of efficient RRPH and enhanced PEC activity are experimentally and theoretically unraveled.

Microwave Plasma-Enhanced Parylene-Metal Multilayer Design from Metal Salts.

In this paper, a new approach for the synthesis of Parylene-metal multilayers was examined. The metal layers were derived from a metal salt solution in methanol and a post-drying plasma reduction treatment. This process was designed as a one-pot synthesis, which needs a very low amount of resources and energy compared with those using electron beam sputtering processes.

Mesaconate is synthesized from itaconate and exerts immunomodulatory effects in macrophages.

Since its discovery in inflammatory macrophages, itaconate has attracted much attention due to its antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity. However, instead of investigating itaconate itself, most studies used derivatized forms of itaconate and thus the role of non-derivatized itaconate needs to be scrutinized. Mesaconate, a metabolite structurally very close to itaconate, has never been implicated in mammalian cells.

Effect on healing rates of wounds treated with direct cold atmospheric plasma: a case series.

Objective: The response of different critical acute and hard-to-heal wounds to an innovative wound care modality-direct application of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)-was investigated in this clinical case series.

Method: Over an observation period of two years, acute wounds with at least one risk factor for chronification, as well as hard-to-heal wounds were treated for 180 seconds three times per week with CAP. CAP treatment was additional to standard wound care.

Development of a Thin-Film Sensor for In Situ Measurement of the Temperature Rise in Rolling Contacts with Fluid Film and Mixed Lubrication.

The following study presents an in situ sensor system which can measure the temperature change of rolling contacts for heavy duty during fluid as well as mixed friction. This thin-film sensor was optimized with regard to its size, spatial resolution, and wear resistance. Extensive tests were carried out with a two-disk test rig and the data of the temperature change were presented.

A SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody selected from COVID-19 patients binds to the ACE2-RBD interface and is tolerant to most known RBD mutations.

The novel betacoronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a form of severe pneumonia disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To develop human neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, antibody gene libraries from convalescent COVID-19 patients were constructed and recombinant antibody fragments (scFv) against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein were selected by phage display. The antibody STE90-C11 shows a subnanometer IC in a plaque-based live SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assay.

Tuning Cell Behavior on 3D Scaffolds Fabricated by Atmospheric Plasma-Assisted Additive Manufacturing.

Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with optimum physicochemical properties are able to elicit specific cellular behaviors and guide tissue formation. However, cell-material interactions are limited in scaffolds fabricated by melt extrusion additive manufacturing (ME-AM) of synthetic polymers, and plasma treatment can be used to render the surface of the scaffolds more cell adhesive. In this study, a hybrid AM technology, which combines a ME-AM technique with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet, was employed to fabricate and plasma treat scaffolds in a single process.

Step-by-step monitoring of a magnetic and SERS-active immunosensor assembly for purification and detection of tau protein.

We report a bottom-up synthesis of iron oxide and gold nanoparticles, which are functionalized and combined to form a nanohybrid serving as an immune sensor, which selectively binds to tau protein, a biomarker for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Detection of the target analyte is achieved by surface-enhanced Raman scattering originating from the diagnostic part of the nanohybrid that was prepared from Au nanoparticles functionalized with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) as a Raman reporter and monoclonal anti-tau antibody. The magnetic part consists of Fe O nanoparticles functionalized with polyclonal anti-tau antibody and is capable to separate tau protein from a complex matrix such as cerebrospinal fluid.

Crystallisation Phenomena of In₂O₃:H Films.

The crystallisation of sputter-deposited, amorphous In₂O₃:H films was investigated. The influence of deposition and crystallisation parameters onto crystallinity and electron hall mobility was explored. Significant precipitation of metallic indium was discovered in the crystallised films by electron energy loss spectroscopy.

Proteomic definition of human mucosal-associated invariant T cells determines their unique molecular effector phenotype.

Mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT) constitute the most abundant anti-bacterial CD8 T-cell population in humans. MR1/TCR-activated MAIT cells were reported to organize cytotoxic and innate-like responses but knowledge about their molecular effector phenotype is still fragmentary. Here, we have examined the functional inventory of human MAIT cells (CD3 Vα7.

Chemical Cross-Linking of Anatase Nanoparticle Thin Films for Enhanced Mechanical Properties.

Titania nanoparticle-based thin films are highly attractive for a vast range of commercial applications. Although their application on polymer-based substrates is particularly appealing, the requirement of low process temperatures results in low mechanical stability. Highly crystalline anatase nanoparticles were used as the building blocks for coatings through a two-stage process.

Multi c-BN Coatings by r.f Diode Sputtering and Investigation of Wear Behavior.

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films on tool substrates are tendency to delaminate. Therefore, many research groups have studied improvement of c-BN synthesis method and deposition processes due to many potential applications. In this paper, we show that the adhesion property of c-BN layer system can be improved by deposing multi c-BN layers.

Parametric studies on droplet generation reproducibility for applications with biological relevant fluids.

Although the great potential of droplet based microfluidic technologies for routine applications in industry and academia has been successfully demonstrated over the past years, its inherent potential is not fully exploited till now. Especially regarding to the droplet generation reproducibility and stability, two pivotally important parameters for successful applications, there is still a need for improvement. This is even more considerable when droplets are created to investigate tissue fragments or cell cultures (e.

Effect of direct cold atmospheric plasma (diCAP) on microcirculation of intact skin in a controlled mechanical environment.

Objective: The microcirculatory response of intact human skin to exposure with diCAP for different durations with a focus on the effect of implied mechanical pressure during plasma treatment was investigated.

Methods: Local relative hemoglobin, blood flow velocity, tissue oxygen saturation, and blood flow were monitored noninvasively for up to 1 hour in 1-2 mm depth by optical techniques, as well as temperature, pH values, and moisture before and after skin stimulation. The experimental protocol (N = 10) was set up to differentiate between pressure- and plasma-induced effects.