Correction: Bigi et al. Waste Orange Peels as a Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Their Use for the Development of Nanocomposite Films. Foods 2023, 12, 960.

In the original publication [...].

Waste Orange Peels as a Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Their Use for the Development of Nanocomposite Films.

To date, approximately 30-50% of food is wasted from post-harvesting to consumer usage. Typical examples of food by-products are fruit peels and pomace, seeds, and others. A large part of these matrices is still discarded in landfills, while a small portion is valorized for bioprocessing. In this context, a feasible strategy to valorize food by-products consists of their use for the production of bioactive compounds and nanofillers, which can be further used to functionalize biobased packaging materials. The focus of this research was to create an efficient methodology for the extraction of cellulose from leftover orange peel after juice processing and for its conversion into cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for use in bionanocomposite films for packaging materials. Orange CNCs were characterized by TEM and XRD analyses and added as reinforcing agents into chitosan/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (CS/HPMC) films enriched with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE®). It was evaluated how CNCs and LAE® affected the technical and functional characteristics of CS/HPMC films. CNCs revealed needle-like shapes with an aspect ratio of 12.5, and average length and width of 500 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the high compatibility of the CS/HPMC blend with CNCs and LAE®. The inclusion of CNCs increased the films' tensile strength, light barrier, and water vapor barrier properties while reducing their water solubility. The addition of LAE® improved the films' flexibility and gave them biocidal efficacy against the main bacterial pathogens that cause foodborne illness, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica.

Roadmap for recycling of germanium from various resources: reviews on recent developments and feasibility views.

Germanium as a strategic metalloid is widely used in high-tech devices. The most crucial germanium resources are rare and limited to zinc minerals, i.e., especially zinc sulfides and coal-related products. Other than coals and zinc minerals, materials such as WEEEs (wastes from electrical and electronic equipment) and catalysts are considered secondary resources of germanium. Since there is no specific mineral for germanium, it should be extracted from the resources above as a by-product. Primary resources contribute to 70% of germanium production, whereas the rest is produced from recycled materials. The world refinery production of germanium enhanced by about 7% in 2020 compared to 2019. This growing demand for germanium encourages the industry to find other resources and extraction technologies. Germanium can be recovered after leaching of different resources in acidic, water, or alkaline media followed by processing using various hydro/pyrometallurgical methods. Several reviews and articles have been published to review the resources and processes for the germanium separation. However, no one did not present a final road map from feasibility views and environmental aspects. This review proposes a road map for germanium recycling based on the performance and economic availability, process efficiency, operational issues, and process feasibility.

Assessing effectiveness of Komagataeibacter strains for producing surface-microstructured cellulose via guided assembly-based biolithography.

In this study, a medical device made of surface microstructured bacterial cellulose was produced using cellulose-producing acetic acid bacteria wild-type strains in combination with guided assembly-based biolithography. The medical device aims at interfering with the cell's focal adhesion establishment and maturation around implantable devices placed in soft tissues by the symmetrical array on its surface. A total of 25 Komagataeibacter strains was evaluated over a three-step selection. In the first step, the ability of strains to produce a suitable bacterial cellulose layer with high production yield was examined, then nine strains, with a uniform and smooth layer of bacterial cellulose, were cultured in a custom-made silicone bioreactor and finally the characteristics of the symmetrical array of topographic features on the surface were analysed. Selected strains showed high inter and intra species variability in bacterial cellulose production. The devices obtained by K2G30, K1G4, DSM 46590 (Komagataeibacter xylinus), K2A8 (Komagataeibacter sp.) and DSM 15973T (Komagataeibacter sucrofermentas) strains were pouched-formed with hexagonal surface pattern required for reducing the formation of fibrotic tissue around devices, once they are implanted in soft tissues. Our findings revealed the effectiveness of the selected Komagataeibacter wild-type strains in producing surface microstructured bacterial cellulose pouches for making biomedical devices.

Control of epileptic seizures by electrical stimulation: a model-based study.

High frequency electrical stimulation of brain is commonly used in research experiments and clinical trials as a modern tool for control of epileptic seizures. However, the mechanistic basis by which periodic external stimuli alter the brain state is not well understood. This study provides a computational insight into the mechanism of seizure suppression by high frequency stimulation (HFS). In particular, a modified version of the Jansen-Rit neural mass model is employed, in which EEG signals can be considered as the input. The proposed model reproduces seizure-like activity in the output during the ictal period of the input signal. By applying a control signal to the model, a wide range of stimulation amplitudes and frequencies are systematically explored. Simulation results reveal that HFS can effectively suppress the seizure-like activity. Our results suggest that HFS has the ability of shifting the operating state of neural populations away from a critical condition. Furthermore, a closed-loop control strategy is proposed in this paper. The main objective has been to considerably reduce the control effort needed for blocking abnormal activity of the brain. Such an energy reduction could be of practical importance, to reduce possible side effects and increase battery life for implanted neurostimulators.

Impact of different dietary lutein levels on growth performance, biochemical and immuno-physiological parameters of oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense).

A 56-day trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary lutein pigment on growth, biochemical, and immuno-physiological parameters of the oriental river prawn. Prawns were fed five formulated diets containing different lutein levels, 0 (control), 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg. Growth performance, except hepatosomatic index, was affected by different lutein levels, and biochemical parameters (urea, uric acid, glucose, creatinine, and triglycerides) decreased. However, high-density and low-density lipoprotein elevated significantly compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, calcium, phosphorus, and cholesterol did not show a significant difference. Hemato-immunological parameters (albumin, total protein, cortisol, lysozyme, phenoloxidase, total hemocyte count, granular cells, semi-granular cells, hyaline cells, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase), and hepatopancreatic antioxidant statuses (total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and malondialdehyde), were significantly affected; however, alkaline phosphatase and glutathione peroxidase were not affected by lutein treatments. By increasing dietary lutein levels, digestive enzyme activities, total bacteria count, total carotenoid content, significantly increased. Conversely, lactic acid bacteria were not affected. Overall, the research results demonstrated that adding 200 mg/kg of lutein to the diet improved growth performance, biochemical and immuno-physiological parameters of the oriental river prawn.

Suitability Assessment of PLA Bottles for High-Pressure Processing of Apple Juice.

The aim of the present study is to assess the use of polylactic acid (PLA) bottles as an alternative to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) ones for high-pressure processing (HPP) of apple juice. The treatment of PLA bottles at 600 MPa for 3 min did not cause alterations in the packaging shape and content, confirming the suitability of PLA bottles to withstand HPP conditions as well as PET bottles. Quantification of total mesophilic bacterial and fungal load suggested HPP treatment can be effectively applied as an alternative to pasteurization for apple juice packed in PLA bottles since it guarantees microbial stability during at least 28 days of refrigerated storage. The headspace gas level did not change significantly during 28 days of refrigerated storage, irrespective of the bottle material. Color parameters (L*, a*, and b*) of the HPP-treated juice were similar to those of the fresh juice. Irrespective of the packaging type, the total color variation significantly changed during storage, showing an exponential increase in the first 14 days, followed by a steady state until the end of observations. Overall, PLA bottles proved to offer comparable performances to PET both in terms of mechanical resistance and quality maintenance.

Endophytic bacterial communities of oilseed rape associate with genotype-specific resistance against Verticillium longisporum.

Associations of endophytic bacterial community composition of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) with quantitative resistance against the soil-borne fungal pathogen Verticillium longisporum was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in roots and hypocotyls of four plant lines with contrasting genetic composition in regard to quantitative resistance reactions. The plant compartment was found to be the dominating driving factor for the specificity of bacterial communities in healthy plants. Furthermore, V. longisporum infection triggered a stabilization of phylogenetic group abundance in replicated samples suggesting a host genotype-specific selection. Genotype-specific associations with bacterial phylogenetic group abundance were identified by comparison of plant genotype groups (resistant versus susceptible) and treatment groups (healthy versus V. longisporum-infected) allowing dissection into constitutive and induced directional association patterns. Relative abundance of Flavobacteria, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium and Cellvibrio was associated with resistance/susceptibility. Relative abundance of Flavobacteria and Cellvibrio was increased in resistant genotypes according to their known ecological functions. In contrast, a higher relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Rhizobium, which are known to harbor many species with antagonistic properties to fungal pathogens, was found to be associated with susceptibility, indicating that these groups do not play a major role in genetically controlled resistance of oilseed rape against V. longisporum.

Detuning the Honeycomb of the α-RuCl3 Kitaev Lattice: A Case of Cr3+ Dopant.

Fine-tuning chemistry by doping with transition metals enables new perspectives for exploring Kitaev physics on a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattice of α-RuCl3, which is promising in the field of quantum information protection and quantum computation. The key parameters to vary by doping are both Heisenberg and Kitaev components of the nearest-neighbor exchange interaction between the Jeff = 1/2 Ru3+ spins, depending strongly on the peculiarities of the crystal structure. Here, we present crystal growth by chemical vapor transport and structure elucidation of a solid solution series Ru1- xCr xCl3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), with Cr3+ ions coupled to the Ru3+ Kitaev host. The Cr3+ substitution preserves the honeycomb type lattice of α-RuCl3 and creates mixed occupancy of Ru/Cr sites without cationic order within the layers as confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy investigations. In contrast to high-quality single crystals of α-RuCl3 with ABAB-stacked layers, the ternary compounds demonstrate a significant stacking disorder along the c-axis direction as evidenced by X-ray diffraction and high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM). Raman spectra of substituted samples are in line with the symmetry conservation of the parent lattice upon chromium doping. At the same time, our magnetic susceptibility data indicate that the Kitaev physics of α-RuCl3 is increasingly suppressed by the dominant spin-only driven magnetism of Cr3+ ( S = 3/2) in Ru1- xCr xCl3.

Dynamic origin of spike and wave discharges in the brain.

Spike and wave discharges are the main electrographic characteristic of a number of epileptic brain disorders including childhood absence epilepsy and photosensitive epilepsy. The basic dynamic mechanism that underlies the occurrence of these abnormal electrical patterns in the brain is not well understood. The current paper aims to provide a dynamic explanation for features and generation mechanism of spike and wave discharges in the brain. The main proposition of this study is that epileptic seizures could be interpreted as a resonance phenomenon rather than a limit cycle behavior. To shows this, a revised version of Jansen-Rit neural mass model is employed. The system can switch between monostable and bistable regimes, which are considered in this paper as wake and sleep states of the brain, respectively. In particular, it is shown that, in monostable region, the model can depict the alpha rhythm and alpha rhythm suppression due to mental activity. Frequency responses of the model near the bistable regime demonstrate that high amplitude harmonic excitation may lead to spike and wave like oscillations. Based on the computational results and the concept of stochastic resonance, a model for absence epilepsy is presented which can simulate spontaneous transitions between ictal and interictal states. Finally, it is shown that spike and wave discharges during epileptic seizures can be explained as a resonance phenomenon in a nonlinear system.

Mathematical modeling on non-dispersive extraction of germanium from aqueous solutions using Aliquat 336.

In this work, the mathematical modeling of the facilitated transport of germanium (non-dispersive extraction) through a flat sheet membrane with an Aliquat 336 carrier was described. The flat sheet supported liquid membrane (FSSLM) experiments were performed under conditions germanium ≈ 100 mg/L, tartaric acid concentration of 2.76 mmol/L, and carrier concentrations of 2.5-10%v/v. The extraction equilibrium, mass transfer, and diffusion equations based on Fick's law were the principles of modeling. Modeling was carried out by programming in Matlab mathematical software to obtain the extraction (Kex) and mass transfer constants (Km) as the objective parameters. According to the model resolution, Kex and Km were found to be 0.178 and 9.25 × 10-2 cm/s, respectively. The correlation coefficients between model and experimental data relating to the Aliquat 336 concentrations of 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%v/v were found as 0.96, 0.98, 0.99, and 0.92. The parameters of root mean square error, bias, and scatter index showed the model accuracy. In addition, diffusion coefficients relating to Aliquat 336 concentrations of 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%v/v were calculated using mass transfer coefficients to be 2.4 × 10-4, 2.23 × 10-4, 1.91 × 10-4, and 1.79 × 10-4 cm2/s, respectively.

The Abundance of Endofungal Bacterium Rhizobium radiobacter (syn. Agrobacterium tumefaciens) Increases in Its Fungal Host Piriformospora indica during the Tripartite Sebacinalean Symbiosis with Higher Plants.

Rhizobium radiobacter (syn. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, syn. "Agrobacterium fabrum") is an endofungal bacterium of the fungal mutualist Piriformospora (syn. Serendipita) indica (Basidiomycota), which together form a tripartite Sebacinalean symbiosis with a broad range of plants. R. radiobacter strain F4 (RrF4), isolated from P. indica DSM 11827, induces growth promotion and systemic resistance in cereal crops, including barley and wheat, suggesting that R. radiobacter contributes to a successful symbiosis. Here, we studied the impact of endobacteria on the morphology and the beneficial activity of P. indica during interactions with plants. Low numbers of endobacteria were detected in the axenically grown P. indica (long term lab-cultured, lcPiri) whereas mycelia colonizing the plant root contained increased numbers of bacteria. Higher numbers of endobacteria were also found in axenic cultures of P. indica that was freshly re-isolated (riPiri) from plant roots, though numbers dropped during repeated axenic re-cultivation. Prolonged treatments of P. indica cultures with various antibiotics could not completely eliminate the bacterium, though the number of detectable endobacteria decreased significantly, resulting in partial-cured P. indica (pcPiri). pcPiri showed reduced growth in axenic cultures and poor sporulation. Consistent with this, pcPiri also showed reduced plant growth promotion and reduced systemic resistance against powdery mildew infection as compared with riPiri and lcPiri. These results are consistent with the assumption that the endobacterium R. radiobacter improves P. indica's fitness and thus contributes to the success of the tripartite Sebacinalean symbiosis.

Quantitative assessment of right atrial function by strain and strain rate imaging in patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the regional longitudinal strain/strain rate profiles in the right atrial wall to quantify right atrial function in systolic heart failure patients. BACKGROUND: According to previous studies on the deformational properties of the left atrium, the systolic strain and strain rates represent the atrial reservoir function and the early and late diastolic strain rates show the conduit and booster functions, respectively. METHODS: Thirty patients with a diagnosis of heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 35%) scheduled for right heart catheterization were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed to obtain right atrial deformation indices just before the procedure. The control group consisted of 32 healthy adults matched for age and sex. The deformity indices obtained consisted of the right atrial peak systolic strain (RAS), right atrial peak systolic strain rate (RASSR), right atrial early diastolic strain rate (RAEDSR), and right atrial late diastolic strain rate (RALDSR). RESULTS: The right atrial deformation indices were significantly compromised in the heart failure patients versus the normal subjects (RAS: 68.5 +/- 53.9 vs 189.3 +/- 61.2, P = 0.000; RASSR: 2.9 +/- 1.9 vs. 5.3 +/- 1.5, P = 0.000).There was a significant correlation between the RAS and RASSR and cardiac output (RAS: r = 0.5, P = 0.005; RASSR: r = 0.5, P = 0.003), and cardiac index (RAS: r = 0.6, P = 0.001; RASSR: r = 0.6, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In light of our findings, we conclude that a diminished RA function, as assessed by strain imaging, plays a critical role in the pathophysiological process of heart failure patients.