Mid Sweden University

Silicon materials are currently being explored for usage in lithium–ion battery anodes due to their high lithium storage capacity,but their practical application is hindered by severe volume expansion during cycling, leading to mechanical degradation andcapacity fading. This study introduces a novel two-pot method for synthesizing silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) to address thesechallenges. The method decouples precursor decomposition and nanoparticles deposition enabling in situ growth of Si NPs onnanographite substrates. By replacing hazardous silane precursors with polyvinyl alcohol or hydrogen gas, we eliminate safetyrisks while simplifying production. Scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical characterization confirm uniform Si NPdeposition. The fabricated electrodes displayed stable electrochemical performance with a capacity of 503 mAh/g after 100 cyclesin a half-cell configuration. This approach offers a safe route for producing high-performance silicon-based anodes.

The pulp and paper industry in Sweden annually produce millions of tons of side-stream materials as black liquor, pulp and paper mill sludge, sulfite liquor and lignosulfonate. These lignocellulosic based materials can be more utilized today in biorefinery processes with microorganisms to produce high-value products as lipids, proteins and biofuels. In this work, we used five side-stream materials as carbon source in fermentation with two oleaginous yeasts, Lipomyces starkeyi and Rhodotorula toruloides. We analyzed lipid production, fatty acid profiles, inhibitors, phenolics, free sugars and metals before and after batch fermentation in 2 L bioreactors. Steam-exploded hardwood media was used as reference as it's known to be a good substrate for the oleaginous yeast species and after fermentation the lipid yield for R. toruloides was 17 % (w/w) and for L. starkeyi 13 % (w/w). The side-stream materials contained less than 30 % of free sugar compared to the reference media and the total lipid yield was thus less than 2.7 %, (w/w). R. toruloides utilized various sugars during fermentation and L. starkeyi mostly consumed glucose and xylose. Both yeast species also showed a possible ability to utilize various phenolics indicating their metabolic potential to convert depolymerized lignin along with wood-based sugars to lipids and proteins.

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common emergency with a high morbidity and mortality. Most clinical presentations are non-specific and there is a lack of suitable biomarkers for PE. For example, the traditional D-dimer tests shows a rather high sensitivity for PE, but yet a rather low positive predictive value due to its lack of specificity. Research on novel biomarkers for PE is thus of interest to improve early diagnostics and reduce the number of unnecessary computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) scans performed. In this study we evaluate the feasibility to use label-free quantitative proteomics to discover potential biomarkers for acute PE and to monitor changes in proteins levels in PE patients over time. Blood was collected from 8 patients with CTPA verified PE and from 8 patients presenting with same symptoms but with a negative CTPA. The samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and thirteen protein concentrations were found to be significantly changed in PE patients compared to the CTPA negative controls. This exploratory study shows that proteomic analysis can be used to identify potential biomarkers for PE as well as to monitor changes of protein levels over time. The complement proteins play a part in PE but further studies are needed to clarify their specific role in the pathophysiological process and to look for more specific proteins. 

A combination between a reductive and a holistic assay was employed to investigate whole fraction, synergistic, antagonistic and individual compound efficacy of vacuumdistilled turpentine fractions against the economically important brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana. The fungus was subjected to recombinations of turpentine fractions at a concentration of 1000 ppm. All combinations exhibited useful antifungal properties, but some antifungal mixtures showed a more pronounced effect than the expected level of inhibition. Synergistic effects by a two-fold factor and minor antagonistic effects were observed. Complete growth inhibition of C. puteana was observed by a fraction obtained after distilling 1 L turpentine at 111–177°C (0.5 mbar) as well as by mixing it with another fraction withdrawn at 70–79°C (0.5 mbar). Chemical compositions of distilled fractions were determined through GC–MS analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares (OPLS) multivariate data analysis of GC–MS chromatograms was employed to zoom in on the most active compounds responsible for antifungal activity. Isomers of epicubenol, the hydrocarbon aromatic compound ar-himachalene and α-cadinol are suggested as effective antifungal compounds. In addition, a subsequent fractionation of the most effective fraction was performed with preparatory gas chromatography and subfractions showed similar or better efficacy than previously observed. Our work demonstrates the possibility to retain adequate synergistic antifungal efficiency and offers an opportunity to explore the effects of individual compounds originating from the same crude sample.

Synthetic and heavy metal antifungals are frequently used as wood preservatives. However, they exhibit relatively inert biodegradation and toxic properties when leached; this makes their replacement with environmentally degradable yet functional alternatives a key target in the wood protection industry. In this context, distilled fractions of raw thermomechanical pulp turpentine (TMP-T) from Picea abies were assessed for their wood protecting capabilities against wood-decaying fungi. Antifungal bioactivity of fractions and some of their combinations were screened on agar-plates against the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana. Addition of TMP-T fractions showed a significant fungal growth rate reduction, while mixtures indicated the presence of synergistic and antagonistic effects. One fraction, obtained after distilling 1 L TMP-T at 111–177 °C at 0.5 mbar, showed complete growth inhibition of Antrodia sinuosa, Serpula lacrymans, Serpula himantioides and significant inhibition of Antrodia serialis, Antrodia xantha, Gloeophyllum sepiarium, Heterobasidion parviporum at a concentration of 1000 ppm. This fraction was further examined for long- and medium-term effects on wood decay in microcosm soil-jar and field experiment, respectively. The known antifungal compounds benzisothiazolinone, 2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 3-iodo-2-propynyl N-butylcarbamate and two commercial wood preservatives were used as reference treatments. Commercial preservatives instilled long-term efficacy against C. puteana wood decay in a soil-jar microcosm experiment, but no noticeable protection with antifungal compounds or the present treatments was found. However, a moderate effect by the TMP-T fraction from the in vitro assay was observed and the TMP-turpentine distillation residue showed a similar fungal inhibition effect to the most potent commercial treatment after 29 months in the field.

Environmental context. Spreading recycled wood ash in forests may counteract acidification and nutrient losses, but the process may also affect symbiotic fungi in these eco-systems. We show how fungal species react when exposed to ash solutions; for example, by an increased release of organic acids and other compounds. These effects can influence pH and metal availability in forest soils treated with ash.. Recycling of wood ash may counteract acidification and losses of base cations resulting from whole-tree harvesting in boreal forest ecosystems. The effects of ash treatment on growth and exudation of eight ectomycorrhizal fungal species were investigated in this study. Six basidiomycetes and two ascomycetes were grown in liquid pure culture with different levels of ash amendments. Biomass production, pH and the exudation of 17 low-molecular-mass organic acids (LMMOAs), 23 amino acids (AAs) and 9 hydroxamate siderophores (HSs) were recorded after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of incubation. Ash did not affect fungal growth, but resulted in higher exudation of the investigated compounds, in particular LMMOAs. Ash also influenced the composition of the exudates. We measured exudation of LMMOAs and AAs up to millimolar and micromolar concentrations respectively. For example, Rhizopogon roseolus mainly produced oxalic acid, whereas Lactarius rufus and Tomentellopsis submollis produced the highest concentrations of AAs. Ferricrocin, the only HS detected, was exuded at the nanomolar level. Exudation responses were also highly species-dependent, e.g. the ascomycetous isolates that produced the largest biomass released low amounts of exudates compared with the basidiomycetes, and were the only ones producing siderophores. This growth–exudation response to ash is likely a trade-off in carbon allocation whereby the mycorrhizal fungal species invest carbon in either higher biomass production or higher exudation.

Antibacterial agents based on nanoparticles (NPs) have many important applications, e.g., for the textile industry, surface disinfection, wound dressing, water treatment, and food preservation. Because of their prevalent use it is important to understand whether bacteria could develop resistance to such antibacterial NPs similarly to the resistance that bacteria are known to develop to antibiotics. Here, it is reported that Escherichia coli(E. coli) develops adaptive resistance to antibacterial ZnO NPs after several days' exposure to the NPs. But, in contrast to antibiotics‐resistance, the observed resistance to ZnO NPs is not stable—after several days without exposure to the NPs, the bacteria regain their sensitivity to the NPs' antibacterial properties. Based on the analyses it is suggested that the observed resistance is caused by changes in the shape of the bacteria and the expressions of membrane proteins. The findings provide insights into the response of bacteria to antibacterial NPs, which is important to elucidate for designing and evaluating the risk of applications based on antibacterial NPs.

Plasma biomarkers that identify abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture risk would greatly assist in stratifying patients with small aneurysms. Identification of such biomarkers has hitherto been unsuccessful over a range of studies using different methods. The present study used an alternative proteomic approach to find new, potential plasma AAA biomarker candidates. Pre-fractionated plasma samples from twelve patients with AAA and eight matched controls without aneurysm were analyzed by mass spectrometry applying a tandem mass tag (TMT) technique. Eight proteins were differentially regulated in patients compared to controls, including decreased levels of the enzyme bleomycin hydrolase. The down-regulation of this enzyme was confirmed in an extended validation study using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The TMT-based proteomic approach thus identified novel potential plasma biomarkers for AAA. 

We developed a straightforward, robust, and relatively fast method for the analysis of amino acids by mixed-mode high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The method does not involve derivatization and allows the detection of 21 amino acids, representing a wide range of isoelectric points, in less than 40 min. Chromatographic separation was governed by a silica-based mixed-mode column providing simultaneous hydrophobic and ion exchange separation mechanisms. The use of tandem mass spectrometry increased selectivity, reducing potential problems associated with poor selectivity in the chromatographic system. For an injection volume of 1 μL, we obtained detection limits <3 μM for the majority of analytes. For all analytes, a linearity of r > 0.99 was obtained, recovery in matrix was >86%, and the retention times were highly reproducible. The method was successfully applied to soil solution and fungal culture samples, demonstrating the advantages in successfully avoiding issues associated with high amounts of substances that may interfere with derivatization-based methods. This method represents an alternative to derivatization-based methods and can be applied in areas where sample matrices are highly complex.

Background and Objective: Peri-implantitis is a destructive inflammatory process characterized by destruction of the implant-supporting bone. Inflammasomes are large intracellular multiprotein complexes that play a central role in innate immunity by activating the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Although inflammasome activation has previously been linked to periodontal inflammation, there is still no information on a potential association with peri-implantitis. The aim of this study was to examine cytotoxic and proinflammatory effects, including inflammasome activation, of metals used in dental implants, in an in vitro model, as well as from clinical tissue samples. Material and methods: Human macrophages were exposed to different metals [titanium (Ti), cobalt, chromium and molybdenum] in a cell-culture assay. Cytotoxicity was determined using the neutral red uptake assay. Cytokine secretion was quantified using an ELISA, and the expression of genes of various inflammasome components was analysed using quantitative PCR. In addition, the concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Ti in mucosal tissue samples taken in the vicinity of dental implants were determined using ELISA and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. Results: Ti ions in physiological solutions stimulated inflammasome activation in human macrophages and consequently IL-1β release. This effect was further enhanced by macrophages that have been exposed to lipopolysaccharides. The proinflammatory activation caused by Ti ions disappeared after filtration (0.22 μm), which indicates an effect of particles. Ti ions alone did not stimulate transcription of the inflammasome components. The Ti levels of tissue samples obtained in the vicinity of Ti implants were sufficiently high (≥ 40 μm) to stimulate secretion of IL-1β from human macrophages in vitro. Conclusion: Ti ions form particles that act as secondary stimuli for a proinflammatory reaction.