Tuning almond lipase features by the buffer used during immobilization: The apparent biocatalysts stability depends on the immobilization and inactivation buffers and the substrate utilized.

The lipase from Prunus dulcis almonds was inactivated under different conditions. At pH 5 and 9, enzyme stability remained similar under the different studied buffers. However, when the inactivation was performed at pH 7, there were some clear differences on enzyme stability depending on the buffer used. The enzyme was more stable in Gly than when Tris was employed for inactivation. Then, the enzyme was immobilized on methacrylate beads coated with octadecyl groups at pH 7 in the presence of Gly, Tris, phosphate and HEPES. Its activity was assayed versus triacetin and S-methyl mandelate. The biocatalyst prepared in phosphate was more active versus S-methyl mandelate, while the other ones were more active versus triacetin. The immobilized enzyme stability at pH 7 depends on the buffer used for enzyme immobilization. The buffer used in the inactivation and the substrate used determined the activity. For example, glycine was the buffer that promoted the lowest or the highest stabilities depending on the substrate used to quantify the activities.

A Comprehensive Fuzzy Model for Understanding Neuronal Calcium Distribution in Presence of VGCC, Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger, Buffer, and ER Fluxes.

Free Calcium ions in the cytosol are essential for many physiological and physical functions. The free calcium ions are commonly regarded as a second messenger, are an essential part of brain communication. Numerous physiological activities, such as calcium buffering and calcium ion channel flow, etc. influence the cytosolic calcium concentration. In light of the above, the primary goal of this study is to develop a model of calcium distribution in neuron cells when a Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel and Sodium Calcium Exchanger are present. As we know, decreased buffer levels and increased calcium activity in the Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel and Sodium Calcium Exchanger lead to Alzheimer's disease. Due to these changes, the calcium diffusion in that location becomes disrupted and impacted by Alzheimer's disease. The model has been constructed by considering key factors like buffers and ER fluxes when Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels and Sodium Calcium Exchangers are present. Based on the physiological conditions of the parameters, appropriate boundary conditions have been constructed in the fuzzy environment. This model is considered a fuzzy boundary value problem with the source term and initial boundary conditions are modeled by triangular fuzzy functions. In this, paper we observed the approximate solution of the mathematical model which was investigated by the fuzzy undetermined coefficient method. The solution has been performed through MATLAB and numerical results have been computed using simulation. The observation made that the proper operation of the Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel and Sodium Calcium Exchanger is critical for maintaining the delicate equilibrium of calcium ions, which regulates vital cellular activities. Dysregulation of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel and Sodium Calcium Exchanger activity has been linked to neurodegenerative illnesses like Alzheimer's disease.

Do NO, N2O, N2 and CO2 fluxes differ in soils sourced from cropland and varying riparian buffer vegetation? An incubation study.

Riparian buffers are expedient interventions for water quality functions in agricultural landscapes. However, the choice of vegetation and management affects soil microbial communities, which in turn affect nutrient cycling and the production and emission of gases such as nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen gas (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). To investigate the potential fluxes of the above-mentioned gases, soil samples were collected from a cropland and downslope grass, willow and woodland riparian buffers from a replicated plot scale experimental facility. The soils were re-packed into cores and to investigate their potential to produce the aforementioned gases via potential denitrification, a potassium nitrate (KNO3 -) and glucose (labile carbon)-containing amendment, was added prior to incubation in a specialized laboratory DENItrification System (DENIS). The resulting NO, N2O, N2 and CO2 emissions were measured simultaneously, with the most NO (2.9 ± 0.31 mg NO m-2) and N2O (1413.4 ± 448.3 mg N2O m-2) generated by the grass riparian buffer and the most N2 (698.1 ± 270.3 mg N2 m-2) and CO2 (27,558.3 ± 128.9 mg CO2 m-2) produced by the willow riparian buffer. Thus, the results show that grass riparian buffer soils have a greater NO3 - removal capacity, evidenced by their large potential denitrification rates, while the willow riparian buffers may be an effective riparian buffer as its soils potentially promote complete denitrification to N2, especially in areas with similar conditions to the current study.

Degradation kinetics of veterinary antibiotics and estrogenic hormones in a claypan soil.

Veterinary antibiotics and estrogens are excreted in livestock waste before being applied to agricultural lands as fertilizer, resulting in contamination of soil and adjacent waterways. The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the degradation kinetics of the VAs sulfamethazine and lincomycin and the estrogens estrone and 17ß-estradiol in soil mesocosms, and 2) assess the effect of the phytochemical DIBOA-Glu, secreted in eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) roots, on antibiotic degradation due to the ability of DIBOA-Glu to facilitate hydrolysis of atrazine in solution assays. Mesocosm soil was a silt loam representing a typical claypan soil in portions of Missouri and the Central United States. Mesocosms (n = 133) were treated with a single target compound (antibiotic concentrations at 125 ng g-1 dw, estrogen concentrations at 1250 ng g-1 dw); a subset of mesocosms treated with antibiotics were also treated with DIBOA-Glu (12,500 ng g-1 dw); all mesocosms were kept at 60% water-filled pore space and incubated at 25 °C in darkness. Randomly chosen mesocosms were destructively sampled in triplicate for up to 96 days. All targeted compounds followed pseudo first-order degradation kinetics in soil. The soil half-life (t0.5) of sulfamethazine ranged between 17.8 and 30.1 d and ranged between 9.37 and 9.90 d for lincomycin. The antibiotics results showed no significant differences in degradation kinetics between treatments with or without DIBOA-Glu. For estrogens, degradation rates of estrone (t0.5 = 4.71-6.08 d) and 17ß-estradiol (t0.5 = 5.59-6.03 d) were very similar; however, results showed that estrone was present as a metabolite in the 17ß-estradiol treated mesocosms and vice-versa within 24 h. The antibiotics results suggest that sulfamethazine has a greater potential to persist in soil than lincomycin. The interconversion of 17ß-estradiol and estrone in soil increased their overall persistence and sustained soil estrogenicity. This study demonstrates the persistence of these compounds in a typical claypan soil representing portions of the Central United States.

Hydrolysis of Solid Buffer Enables High-Performance Aqueous Zinc Ion Battery.

Aqueous zinc (Zn) ion batteries (AZIBs) have not yet fulfilled their talent of high safety and low cost since the anode/electrolyte interface (AEI) has long been impeded by hydrogen evolution, surface corrosion, dendritic growth, and by-product accumulation. Here, the hydrolysis of solid buffers is elaborately proposed to comprehensively and enduringly handle these issues. Take 2D layered black phosphorus (BP) as a hydrolytic subject. It is reported that the phosphoric acid generated by hydrolysis in an aqueous electrolyte produces a zinc phosphate (ZPO) rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, which largely inhibits the dendrite growth, surface corrosion, and hydrogen evolution. Meanwhile, the hydrolytic phosphoric acid stabilizes the pH value near AEI, avoiding the accumulation of alkaline by-products. Notably, compared with the disposable ZPO engineerings of anodic SEI pre-construction and electrolyte additive, the hydrolysis strategy of BP can realize a dramatically prolonged protective effect. As a result, these multiple merits endow BP modified separator to achieve improved stripping/plating stability toward Zn anode with more than ten times lifespan enhancement in Zn||Zn symmetrical cell. More encouragingly, when coupled with a V2 O5 ·nH2 O cathode with ultra-high loadings (34.1 and 28.7 mg cm-2 ), the cumulative capacities are remarkably promoted for both coin and pouch cells.

Analyzing fuzzy boundary value problems: a study on the influence of mitochondria and ER fluxes on calcium ions in neuron cells.

Cytosolic-free calcium ions play an important role in various physical and physiological processes. A vital component of neural signaling is the free calcium ion concentration often known as the second messenger. There are many parameters that effect the cytosolic free calcium concentration like buffer, voltage-gated ion channels, Endoplasmic reticulum, Mitochondria, etc. Mitochondria are small organelles located within the nervous system that are involved in processes within cells such as calcium homeostasis management, energy generation, response to stress, and cell demise pathways. In this work, a mathematical model with fuzzy boundary values has been developed to study the effect of Mitochondria and ER fluxes on free Calcium ions. The intended findings are displayed utilizing the physiological understanding that amyloid beta plaques and tangles of neurofibrillary fibers have been identified as the two main causes of AD. The key conclusion of the work is the investigation of [Formula: see text] for healthy cells and cells affected by Alzheimer's disease, which may aid in the study of such processes for computational scientists and medical practitioners. Also, it has been shown that when a unique solution is found for a specific precise problem, it also successfully deals with any underlying ambiguity within the problem by utilizing a technique based on the principles of linear transformation. Furthermore, the comparison between the analytical approach and the generalized hukuhara derivative approach is shown here, which illustrates the benefits of the analytical approach. The simulation is carried out in MATLAB.

pH buffer KH2PO4 boosts zinc ion battery performance via facilitating proton reaction of MnO2 cathode.

Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are rapidly emerging as safe, cost-effective, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly energy storage systems. However, mildly acidic electrolytes with depleted protons cannot satisfy the huge demand for proton reactions in MnO2 electrodes and also cause several issues in ZIBs, such as rapidly decaying cycling stability and low reaction kinetics. Herein, we propose a pH-buffering strategy in which KH2PO4 is added to the electrolyte to overcome the problems caused by low proton concentrations. This strategy significantly improves the rate and cycle stability performance of zinc-manganese batteries, delivering a high capacity of 122.5 mAh/g at a high current density of 5 A/g and enabling 9000 cycles at this current density, with a remaining capacity of 70 mAh/g. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses confirmed the generation/dissolution of Zn3PO4·4H2O and Zn4(OH)6(SO4)·5H2O, byproducts of buffer products and proton reactions. In-situ pH measurements and chemical titration revealed that the pH change during the electrochemical process can be adjusted to a low range of 2.2-2.8, and the phosphate distribution varies with the pH range. Those results reveal that H2PO4- provides protons to the cathode through the chemical balance of HPO42-, HPO42-, and Zn3PO4·4H2O. This study serves as a guide for studying the influences and mechanisms of buffering additives in Zn-MnO2 batteries.

The Good pH probe: non-invasive pH in-line monitoring using Good buffers and Raman spectroscopy.

In bioprocesses, the pH value is a critical process parameter that requires monitoring and control. For pH monitoring, potentiometric methods such as pH electrodes are state of the art. However, they are invasive and show measurement value drift. Spectroscopic pH monitoring is a non-invasive alternative to potentiometric methods avoiding this measurement value drift. In this study, we developed the Good pH probe, which is an approach for spectroscopic pH monitoring in bioprocesses with an effective working range between pH 6 and pH 8 that does not require the estimation of activity coefficients. The Good pH probe combines for the first time the Good buffer 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS) as pH indicator with Raman spectroscopy as spectroscopic technique, and Indirect Hard Modeling (IHM) for the spectral evaluation. During a detailed characterization, we proved that the Good pH probe is reversible, exhibits no temperature dependence between 15 and 40 °C, has low sensitivity to the ionic strength up to 1100 mM, and is applicable in more complex systems, in which other components significantly superimpose the spectral features of MOPS. Finally, the Good pH probe was successfully used for non-invasive pH in-line monitoring during an industrially relevant enzyme-catalyzed reaction with a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.04 pH levels. Thus, the Good pH probe extends the list of critical process parameters monitorable using Raman spectroscopy and IHM by the pH value.

Tropical and temperate differences in the trophic structure and aquatic prey use of riparian predators.

The influence of aquatic resource-inputs on terrestrial communities is poorly understood, particularly in the tropics. We used stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen to trace aquatic prey use and quantify the impact on trophic structure in 240 riparian arthropod communities in tropical and temperate forests. Riparian predators consumed more aquatic prey and were more trophically diverse in the tropics than temperate regions, indicating tropical riparian communities are both more reliant on and impacted by aquatic resources than temperate communities. This suggests they are more vulnerable to disruption of aquatic-terrestrial linkages. Although aquatic resource use declined strongly with distance from water, we observed no correlated change in trophic structure, suggesting trophic flexibility to changing resource availability within riparian predator communities in both tropical and temperate regions. Our findings highlight the importance of aquatic resources for riparian communities, especially in the tropics, but suggest distance from water is less important than resource diversity in maintaining terrestrial trophic structure.

ß-Alanine Supplementation in Combat Sports: Evaluation of Sports Performance, Perception, and Anthropometric Parameters and Biochemical Markers-A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.

ß-alanine does not have an ergogenic effect by itself, but it does as a precursor for the synthesis of carnosine in human skeletal muscle. ß-alanine and carnosine together help improve the muscles' functionality, especially in high-intensity exercises such as combat sports. Therefore, ß-alanine could be considered a nutritional ergogenic aid to improve sports performance in combat athletes. We aimed to critically review clinical trial evidence on the impact of ß-alanine supplementation on sports performance, perception, and anthropometric parameters, as well as circulating biochemical markers in combat athletes. This systematic review was conducted following the specific methodological guidelines of the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), the PICOS question model, the Critical Review Form of McMaster, and the PEDro scale. Furthermore, the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was used. The search was carried out in the SCOPUS, Web of Science (WOS), and Medline (PubMed) databases for studies published from the beginning of the database until July 31, 2023. Of the 41 registers identified, only 7 met the established criteria and were included in this systematic review. Overall, performance parameters related to strength, power, total exercise work capacity, and combat-specific parameters were significantly improved (p < 0.05). Perception parameters increased non-significantly (p > 0.05). Regarding biochemical parameters, carnosine increased significantly (p < 0.05), pH decreased non-significantly (p > 0.05), and the results for blood bicarbonate and blood lactate were heterogeneous. Finally, there was a non-significant (p > 0.05) improvement in the anthropometric parameters of lean mass and fat mass. ß-alanine supplementation appears to be safe and could be a suitable nutritional ergogenic aid for combat athletes.

Pitfalls of Mitochondrial Redox Signaling Research.

Redox signaling from mitochondria (mt) to the cytosol and plasma membrane (PM) has been scarcely reported, such as in the case of hypoxic cell adaptation or (2-oxo-) 2-keto-isocaproate (KIC) ß-like-oxidation stimulating insulin secretion in pancreatic ß-cells. Mutual redox state influence between mitochondrial major compartments, the matrix and the intracristal space, and the cytosol is therefore derived theoretically in this article to predict possible conditions, when mt-to-cytosol and mt-to-PM signals may occur, as well as conditions in which the cytosolic redox signaling is not overwhelmed by the mitochondrial antioxidant capacity. Possible peroxiredoxin 3 participation in mt-to-cytosol redox signaling is discussed, as well as another specific case, whereby mitochondrial superoxide release is diminished, whereas the matrix MnSOD is activated. As a result, the enhanced conversion to H2O2 allows H2O2 diffusion into the cytosol, where it could be a predominant component of the H2O2 release. In both of these ways, mt-to-cytosol and mt-to-PM signals may be realized. Finally, the use of redox-sensitive probes is discussed, which disturb redox equilibria, and hence add a surplus redox-buffering to the compartment, where they are localized. Specifically, when attempts to quantify net H2O2 fluxes are to be made, this should be taken into account.

Zinc induced regulation of PCR1 gene for cadmium stress resistance in rice roots.

In this study, the interaction between zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) was investigated in rice roots to evaluate how Zn can protect the plants from Cd stress. Rice seedlings were treated with Cd (100 µM) and Zn (100 µM) in different combinations (Cd alone, Zn alone, Zn+ Cd, Zn+ Cd+ L-NAME, Zn+ Cd+ L-NAME+ SNP). Rice roots treated with only Zn also displayed similar toxic effects, however when combined with Cd exhibited improved growth. Treating the plant with Zn along with Cd distinctly reduced Cd concentration in roots while increasing its own accumulation due to modulation in expression of Zinc-Regulated Transporter (ZRT)-/IRT-Like Protein (OsZIP1) and Plant Cadmium Resistance1 (OsPCR1). Cd reduced plant biomass, cell viability, pigments, photosynthesis and causing oxidative stress due to inhibition in ascorbate-glutathione cycle. L-NAME (NG-nitro L-arginine methyl ester), prominently suppressed the beneficial impacts of Zn against Cd stress, whereas the presence of a NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), significantly reversed this effect of L-NAME. Collectively, results point that NO signalling is essential for Zn- mediated cross-tolerance against Cd stress via by modulating uptake of Cd and Zn and expression of OsZIP1 and OsPCR1, and ROS homeostasis due to fine tuning of ascorbate-glutathione cycle which finally lessened oxidative stress in rice roots. The results of this study can be utilized to develop new varieties of rice through genetic modifications which will be of great significance for maintaining crop productivity in Cd-contaminated areas throughout the world.

Structural Design and Controllability of Magnetorheological Grease Buffers under Impact Loading.

Shock loads can pose a great threat to personnel or instruments, and efficient control of the buffering process is an effective means of reducing damage from shock energy. In this paper, magneto-rheological grease was used as the internal controllable material of the buffer to address the turbulence and settling problems of conventional magneto-rheological fluid. A bending and folding back magnetic circuit is proposed, and the magnetic circuit simulation was verified. The corresponding dynamic mechanical model was established, and the mechanical response characteristics of the buffer under impact load were also simulated dynamically. The mechanical properties of the designed and processed device were tested, and a variable current control method was used to improve the performance of the shock resistance of the buffer. The response of the magnetorheological grease buffer under different drop hammer impacts was investigated. The buffering effect and controllability of the buffer were analyzed by comparing the acceleration, velocity, and top-end cap displacement at the same drop hammer height for different current magnitudes. The results show that the buffer performance of the buffer gradually improved as the current increased. The response time of the designed new magnetorheological buffer was determined by the jump time of the peak damping force to be 9 ms. Lastly, the controllability was verified by manually and automatically adjusting the current magnitude, and the results were compared with those at 300 mm drop hammer height and 0.5 A current magnitude, and the continuous variable current control was found to be effective. This provides a feasible reference for scholars to study optimal buffer control.

The molecular aspect of anti-glaucomatous eye drops - are we harming our patients?

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness. Progression is halted with a reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP), which is most often achieved with eye drops. A major challenge in the topical treatment of glaucoma patients is the many side effects and the resulting reduced adherence. Side effects may of course be due to the molecular properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). There are currently six different APIs available: prostaglandin analogues, ß-adrenergic inhibitors, α-adrenergic agonists, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, rho-kinase inhibitors and muscarinic 3 agonists. But the additives used in eye drops are also known to cause damage to the ocular surface and to some extent also to the deeper tissues. Said additives are considered inactive molecular components and are added to secure for instance viscosity and pH value, and to prevent contamination. There has been an increasing focus on the harmful effects of preservatives, with the most commonly used preservative benzalkonium chloride (BAK) being particularly controversial. BAK has long been recognized as a toxin that increases the risk of ocular discomfort. This can affect the adherence and ultimately result in lack of disease control. Other issues include the addition of certain buffers, such as phosphates, and varying pH values. This review will address the different molecular components of the IOP-lowering eye drops and what to be aware of when prescribing topical glaucoma treatment.

Numerical simulation of calcium dynamics dependent ATP degradation, IP3 and NADH production due to obesity in a hepatocyte cell.

Calcium (Ca[Formula: see text]) signals have a crucial role in regulating various processes of almost every cell to maintain its structure and function. Calcium dynamics has been studied in various cells including hepatocytes by many researchers, but the mechanisms of calcium signals involved in regulation and dysregulation of various processes like ATP degradation rate, IP[Formula: see text] and NADH production rate respectively in normal and obese cells are still poorly understood. In this paper, a reaction diffusion equation of calcium is employed to propose a model of calcium dynamics by coupling ATP degradation rate, IP[Formula: see text] and NADH production rate in hepatocyte cells under normal and obese conditions. The processes like source influx, buffer, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondrial calcium uniporters (MCU) and Na[Formula: see text]/Ca[Formula: see text] exchanger (NCX) have been incorporated in the model. Linear finite element method is used along spatial dimension, and Crank-Nicolson method is used along temporal dimension for numerical simulation. The results have been obtained for the normal hepatocyte cells and for cells due to obesity. The comparative study of these results reveal significant difference caused due to obesity in Ca[Formula: see text] dynamics as well as in ATP degradation rate, IP[Formula: see text] and NADH production rate.

How Can We Measure Alcohol Outlet Density Around Schools? A Comparison Between Two Buffer-Based Methods.

Measuring the density of alcohol outlets around schools is a critical step towards understanding the drivers of drinking among adolescents. Different methodologies have been used in the literature for this purpose, but the implications of using one methodology or another have not been clearly assessed. Our aim was to compare different methods to measure alcohol outlet density and highlight under which characteristics of the environment might be best using each approach. We used Geographic Information Systems to geolocate schools (n = 576) and alcohol outlets (n = 21,732) in Madrid. We defined the density of alcohol outlets as the number of establishments within an area of 400 m around schools measured using two buffering methods: crow flies' and street network distances. We evaluated the agreement between both methods visually and through regression models, including street connectivity, population density, and density of recreational venues as predictors of disagreement. The density of alcohol outlets around schools was higher using crow flies' distances compared to street network distances. The differences between methodologies were wider in areas of higher density of outlets, especially in the downtown areas, where there are higher population density and street connectivity. Our results suggest that the spatial characteristics and morphology of the study area (e.g., street connectivity and population density) should be considered when deciding the methodology to be used to measure alcohol outlet density. Future studies should explore the implications of different exposure measures in their association with drinking prevalence and consumption patterns among different geographical contexts.

Anesthetic efficacy of buffered 4% articaine for mandibular first molar infiltration: a crossover clinical trial.

Background: The limited studies on the effect of buffering on the clinical efficacy of articaine have reported controversial results. The purpose of this study was to clinically compare the pain of injection, anesthetic success, onset, and duration of pulpal anesthesia of buffered 4% articaine with epinephrine 1:100000 versus a non-buffered 4% articaine with epinephrine 1:100000 formulation for buccal infiltration of the mandibular first molar. Methods: Sixty-three volunteers were enrolled in the study. All volunteers received two injections consisting of a single mandibular first molar buccal infiltration with 1.8 ml of 4% articaine with epinephrine 1:100000 and 1.8 ml of 4% articaine with epinephrine 1:100000 buffered with 8.4% sodium bicarbonate. The infiltrations were applied in two separate appointments spaced at least one week apart. After injection of the anesthetic solution at the examined site, the first molar was pulp-tested every 2 min for the next 60 min. Results: Successful pulpal anesthesia was recorded in 69.8% of cases using non-buffered articaine solution and 76.2% of cases using buffered articaine solution, with no significant difference between the formulations (P = 0.219). The mean time of anesthesia onset for the volunteers with successful anesthetic outcome in both formulations (n = 43) was 6.6 ± 1.6 min for the non-buffered articaine solution and 4.5 ± 1.6 min for the buffered solution, which differed significantly (P = 0.001). In the same volunteers, the mean duration of pulpal anesthesia was 28.4 ± 7.1 min for non-buffered articaine solution and 30.2 ± 8.5 min for buffered articaine solution, with no significant difference between the formulations (P = 0.231). Considering the pain of injection, regardless of the anesthetic success, the mean values of VAS were 11.3 ± 8.2 mm for the non-buffered articaine solution and 7.8 ±6.5 mm for the buffered articaine solution, which differed significantly (P = 0.001 < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the present study, 4% articaine with epinephrine can benefit from buffering and provide better anesthetic behavior, with improved onset and less pain during injection.

Countercyclical capital buffers and credit supply: Evidence from the COVID-19 crisis.

This paper examines how European banks adjusted their lending subsequent to the release of the countercyclical capital buffers (CCyB) during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its onset in 2020Q1, being exposed to a higher ex-ante countercyclical capital buffer led to a reduction in banks' lending. Yet the relief of the CCyBs removed this negative effect from 2020Q2 onwards. We find that the reduction in CCyBs led to a significant relative increase in the average bank's lending by about 5.6 percentage points of their total assets. This increase happened mainly in retail mortgage loans and was stronger for poorly-capitalized banks. These results imply that the release of the CCyBs was effective in promoting bank lending during the pandemic.