Extraction of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaques From Computed Tomography Imaging: A Review of Recent Methods

Background: Atherosclerotic plaques are the major cause of coronary artery disease (CAD). Currently, computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly applied imaging technique in the diagnosis of CAD. However, the accurate extraction of coronary plaque geometry from CT images is still challenging.

Summary of Review: In this review, we focused on the methods in recent studies on the CT-based coronary plaque extraction. According to the dimension of plaque extraction method, the studies were categorized into two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ones. In each category, the studies were analyzed in terms of data, methods, and evaluation. We summarized the merits and limitations of current methods, as well as the future directions for efficient and accurate extraction of coronary plaques using CT imaging.

Conclusion: The methodological innovations are important for more accurate CT-based assessment of coronary plaques in clinical applications. The large-scale studies, de-blooming algorithms, more standardized datasets, and more detailed classification of non-calcified plaques could improve the accuracy of coronary plaque extraction from CT images. More multidimensional geometric parameters can be derived from the 3D geometry of coronary plaques. Additionally, machine learning and automatic 3D reconstruction could improve the efficiency of coronary plaque extraction in future studies.

Valorizing lignin-like dyes and textile dyeing wastewater by a newly constructed lipid-producing and lignin modifying oleaginous yeast consortium valued for biodiesel and bioremediation

Construction of a multipurpose yeast consortium suitable for lipid production, textile dye/effluent removal and lignin valorization is critical for both biorefinery and bioremediation. Therefore, a novel oleaginous consortium, designated as OYC-Y.BC.SH has been developed using three yeast cultures viz. Yarrowia sp. SSA1642, Barnettozyma californica SSA1518 and Sterigmatomyces halophilus SSA1511. The OYC-Y.BC.SH was able to grow on different carbon sources and accumulate lipids, with its highest lipid productivity (1.56 g/L/day) and lipase activity (170.3 U/mL) exhibited in xylose. The total saturated fatty acid content was 36.09 %, while the mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids were 45.44 and 18.30 %, respectively, making OYC-Y.BC.SH valuable for biodiesel production. The OYC-Y.BC.SH showed its highest decolorization efficiency of Red HE3B dye (above 82 %) in presence of sorghum husk as agricultural co-substrate, suggesting its feasibility for simultaneous lignin valorization. The significant higher performance of OYC-Y.BC.SH on decolorizing the real dyeing effluent sample at pH 8.0 suggests its potential and suitability for degrading most of the wastewater textile effluents. Clearly, toxicological studies underline the additional advantage of using OYC-Y.BC.SH for bioremediation of industrial dyeing effluents in terms of decolorization and detoxification. A possible mechanism of Red HE3B biodegradation and ATP synthesis was also proposed.

Nanocellulose from various biomass wastes: Its preparation and potential usages towards the high value-added products

Biomass waste comes from a wide range of sources, such as forest, agricultural, algae wastes, as well as other relevant industrial by-products. It is an important alternative energy source as well as a unique source for various bioproducts applied in many fields. For the past two decades, how to reuse, recycle and best recover various biomass wastes for high value-added bioproducts has received significant attention, which has not only come from various academia communities but also from many civil and medical industries. To summarize one of the cutting-edge technologies applied with nanocellulose biomaterials, this review focused on various preparation methods and strategies to make nanocellulose from diverse biomass wastes and their potential applications in biomedical areas and other promising new fields.

Decoding lignin valorization pathways in the extremophilicBacillus ligniniphilusL1 for vanillin biosynthesis

An efficient bioconversion procedure for the accumulation of vanillin from lignin by pathway engineering and milking fermentation has been developed.

Bacterial chemotaxis: a way forward to aromatic compounds biodegradation

Worldwide industrial development has released hazardous polycyclic aromatic compounds into the environment. These pollutants need to be removed to improve the quality of the environment. Chemotaxis mechanism has increased the bioavailability of these hydrophobic compounds to microorganisms. The mechanism, however, is poorly understood at the ligand and chemoreceptor interface. Literature is unable to furnish a compiled review of already published data on up-to-date research on molecular aspects of chemotaxis mechanism, ligand and receptor-binding mechanism, and downstream signaling machinery. Moreover, chemotaxis-linked biodegradation of aromatic compounds is required to understand the chemotaxis role in biodegradation better. To fill this knowledge gap, the current review is an attempt to cover PAHs occurrence, chemical composition, and potential posed risks to humankind. The review will cover the aspects of microbial signaling mechanism, the structural diversity of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins at the molecular level, discuss chemotaxis mechanism role in biodegradation of aromatic compounds in model bacterial genera, and finally conclude with the potential of bacterial chemotaxis for aromatics biodegradation.

Construction of a new lipase- and xylanase-producing oleaginous yeast consortium capable of reactive azo dye degradation and detoxification

A new oleaginous yeast consortium Y-BC-SH which stands for molecularly identified species Yarrowia sp., Barnettozyma californica and Sterigmatomyces halophilus was successfully constructed in this study. This multipurpose oleaginous yeast consortium was developed based on its higher ability to accumulate large amounts of lipids in the form of triacylglycerol, grow on xylose, produce lipase and xylanase and it could rapidly decolorize and degrade commonly-used textile reactive azo dyes. The specific enzyme activities of lipase, xylanase, xylan esterase, β-xylosidase, CMCase, β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase produced by Y-BC-SH were significantly higher than that of individual strains. As chemical oxygen demand reduction had occurred in the dye mixture solutions, it was evidence of their color removal and mineralization by Y-BC-SH. The significant induction of oxidoreductive enzymes by Y-BC-SH was probably due to the coordinated metabolic interactions of the individual strains. Phytotoxicity assay confirmed that metabolites generated after dye degradation by Y-BC-SH are non-toxic.

Corrigendum: Acidic Versus Alkaline Bacterial Degradation of Lignin Through Engineered Strain E. coli BL21(Lacc): Exploring the Differences in Chemical Structure, Morphology, and Degradation Products

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00671.].

Acidic Versus Alkaline Bacterial Degradation of Lignin Through Engineered Strain E. coli BL21(Lacc): Exploring the Differences in Chemical Structure, Morphology, and Degradation Products

There is increasing interest in research on lignin biodegradation compounds as potential building blocks in applications related to renewable products. More attention is necessary to evaluate the effects of the initial pH conditions during the bacterial degradation of lignin. In this study we performed experiments on lignin biodegradation under acidic and mild alkaline conditions. For acidic biodegradation, lignin was chemically pretreated with hydrogen peroxide. Alkaline biodegradation was achieved by developing the bacterial growth on Luria and Bertani medium with alkali lignin as the sole carbon source. The mutant strain Escherichia coli BL21(Lacc) was used to carry out lignin biodegradation over 10 days of incubation. Results demonstrated that under acidic conditions there was a predominance of aliphatic compounds of the C₃–C₄ type. Alkaline biodegradation was produced in the context of oxidative stress, with a greater abundance of aryl compounds. The final pH values of acidic and alkaline biodegradation of lignin were 2.53 and 7.90, respectively. The results of the gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis detected compounds such as crotonic acid, lactic acid and 3-hydroxybutanoic acid for acidic conditions, with potential applications for adhesives and polymer precursors. Under alkaline conditions, detected compounds included 2-phenylethanol and dehydroabietic acid, with potential applications for perfumery and anti tumor/anti-inflammatory medications. Size-exclusion chromatography analysis showed that the weight-average molecular weight of the alkaline biodegraded lignin increased by 6.75-fold compared to the acidic method, resulting in a repolymerization of its molecular structure. Lignin repolymerization coincided with an increase in the relative abundance of dehydroabietic acid and isovanillyl alcohol, from 2.70 and 3.96% on day zero to 13.43 and 10.26% on 10th day. The results of the Fourier-transformed Infrared spectroscopy detected the presence of C = O bond and OH functional group associated with carboxylic acids in the acidic method. In the alkaline method there was a greater preponderance of signals related to skeletal aromatic structures, the amine functional group and the C – O – bond. Lignin biodegradation products from E. coli BL21(Lacc), under different initial pH conditions, demonstrated a promising potential to enlarge the spectrum of renewable products for biorefinery activities.

Recent Development of Extremophilic Bacteria and Their Application in Biorefinery

The biorefining technology for biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass has made great progress in the world. However, mobilization of laboratory research toward industrial setup needs to meet a series of criteria, including the selection of appropriate pretreatment technology, breakthrough in enzyme screening, pathway optimization, and production technology, etc. Extremophiles play an important role in biorefinery by providing novel metabolic pathways and catalytically stable/robust enzymes that are able to act as biocatalysts under harsh industrial conditions on their own. This review summarizes the potential application of thermophilic, psychrophilic alkaliphilic, acidophilic, and halophilic bacteria and extremozymes in the pretreatment, saccharification, fermentation, and lignin valorization process. Besides, the latest studies on the engineering bacteria of extremophiles using metabolic engineering and synthetic biology technologies for high-efficiency biofuel production are also introduced. Furthermore, this review explores the comprehensive application potential of extremophiles and extremozymes in biorefinery, which is partly due to their specificity and efficiency, and points out the necessity of accelerating the commercialization of extremozymes.

Performance of a Newly Isolated Salt-Tolerant Yeast Strain Sterigmatomyces halophilus SSA-1575 for Azo Dye Decolorization and Detoxification

The effective degradation of hazardous contaminants remains an intractable challenge in wastewater processing, especially for the high concentration of salty azo dye wastewater. However, some unique yeast symbionts identified from the termite gut system present an impressive function to deconstruct some aromatic compounds, which imply that they may be valued to work on the dye degradation for various textile effluents. In this investigation, a newly isolated and unique yeast strain, Sterigmatomyces halophilus SSA-1575, was identified from the gut system of a wood-feeding termite (WFT), Reticulitermes chinensis. Under the optimized ambient conditions, the yeast strain SSA-1575 showed a complete decolorization efficiency on Reactive Black 5 (RB5) within 24 h, where this azo dye solution had a concentration of a 50 mg/L RB5. NADH-dichlorophenol indophenol (NADH-DCIP) reductase and lignin peroxidase (LiP) were determined as the key reductase and oxidase of S. halophilus SSA-1575. Enhanced decolorization was recorded when the medium was supplemented with carbon and energy sources, including glucose, ammonium sulfate, and yeast extract. To understand a possible degradation pathway well, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR and Mass Spectrometry analyses were employed to analyze the possible decolorization pathway by SSA-1575. Determination of relatively high NADH-DCIP reductase suggested that the asymmetric cleavage of RB5 azo bond was mainly catalyzed by NADH-DCIP reductase, and finally resulting in the formation of colorless aromatic amines devoid of any chromophores. The ecotoxicology assessment of RB5 after a decolorization processing by SSA-1575, was finally conducted to evaluate the safety of its metabolic intermediates from RB5. The results of Microtox assay indicate a capability of S. halophilus SSA-1575, in the detoxification of the toxic RB5 pollutant. This study revealed the effectiveness of halotolerant yeasts in the eco-friendly remediation of hazardous pollutants and dye wastewater processing for the textile industry.

Cellulose Nanofibrils Filled Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposite Filament for FDM 3D Printing

As direct digital manufacturing, 3D printing (3DP) technology provides new development directions and opportunities for the high-value utilization of a wide range of biological materials. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposite filaments for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3DP were developed in this study. Firstly, CNF was isolated by enzymatic hydrolysis combined with high-pressure homogenization. CNF/PLA filaments were then prepared by melt-extrusion of PLA as the matrix and CNF as the filler. Thermal stability, mechanical performance, and water absorption property of biocomposite filaments and 3D-printed objects were analyzed. Findings showed that CNF increased the thermal stability of the PLA/PEG600/CNF composite. Compared to unfilled PLA FDM filaments, the CNF filled PLA biocomposite filament showed an increase of 33% in tensile strength and 19% in elongation at break, suggesting better compatibility for desktop FDM 3DP. This study provided a new potential for the high-value utilization of CNF in 3DP in consumer product applications.

Enhanced anaerobic digestion performance by two artificially constructed microbial consortia capable of woody biomass degradation and chlorophenols detoxification

Catalpa sawdust (CSW) is a promising biomass-based biofuel. However, the complex lignocellulosic structure limits its efficient utilization in biorefinery applications. It is even more so when chlorophenols (CPs), highly toxic organic substances widely used as wood preservatives, are present. Hence, it is crucial to develop effective and eco-friendly approaches to attain deconstruction of lignocellulose and chlorophenols simultaneously as well as to improve methane (CH4) production efficiently. This study might be the first to explore the performance of the novel constructed microbial consortia CS-5 and BC-4 on woody biomass degradation and CPs detoxification simultaneously with CH4 production. After the degradation of CSW and CPs for 15 days by C5-5 or BC-4, significant reduction in lignocellulosic components and CPs mixture was realized with a total weight loss of 69.2 and 56.3 % and CPs degradation of 89 and 95 %, respectively. The toxicity of individual or mixed CPs after 15 days of degradation was reduced by approximately 90 %. The synergistic action of CS-5 and BC-4 enhanced biogas and CH4 yields over 76 and 64 % respectively, higher than control. Furthermore, CH4 production increased by 113.7 % at the peak phase of AD process. Methanosataceae represented 45.1 % of the methanogenic Archaea in digester G-III.

Acetylation of bacterial cellulose using N-methyl-imidazole as a catalyst under solvent-free and N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride solvent systems

Bacterial cellulose acetate (BCA) at a low degree of substitution (DS) was prepared using acetic anhydride in the presence of N-methylimidazole (NMIM) as a catalyst. The acetylated reaction was studied in both solvent-free (heterogeneous) and N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl; homogeneous) systems, where the DS ranges of BCA obtained from heterogeneous (BCA-HE) and homogeneous (BCA-HO) systems were recorded as 0.31 to 0.95 and 0.4 to 1.5, respectively. The DS values could be effectively controlled by adjusting the reaction conditions. Compared to the heterogeneous reaction, the homogeneous reaction could be processed under a mild condition within a short time. The BCA-HE and BCA-HO displayed good water solubility at a DS value less than 0.95 and 1.09, respectively. The structural and the characteristic changes were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermogravimetric analyses. The present study may offer a convenient, mild, and green catalyzed-processing to tailor low DS of cellulose acetate.

Construction of novel microbial consortia CS-5 and BC-4 valued for the degradation of catalpa sawdust and chlorophenols simultaneously with enhancing methane production

This study might be the first to explore the novel constructed microbial consortia CS-5 and BC-4 for enhancing methane (CH₄) production during anaerobic digestion (AD) with simultaneous degradation of catalpa sawdust and chlorophenols (CPs). Significant reduction in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin contents was achieved after the biodegradation of catalpa sawdust for 15 days by CS-5 and BC-4, with a total weight loss of 69.2 and 56.3%, respectively. The synergistic microbial consortia enhanced cumulative biogas and CH₄ yields by 76.3 and 64.3%, respectively higher than the corresponding control at the end of AD. More than 90% of CH₄ was produced within 18 days of AD as a result of microbial pretreatment of catalpa sawdust. These consortia resulted in remarkably higher energy conversion efficiency of 44.3% (218.1 L_N CH₄/kg TS) over the control. CS-5 and BC-4 removed more than 69 and 77% of the total amount of CPs tested after 15 days.

Molecular characterization of virulence and drug resistance genes-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat: Metal oxide nanoparticles as novel antibacterial agents

Escherichia coli is a major global foodborne pathogen, infecting a wide range of animals and contaminating their meat products. E. coli, can lead to high morbidity and mortality with a huge economic loss especially if foodborne diseases are associated with multidrug resistant (MDR)- and multivirulent-producing pathogens. Due to the increased resistance to common antimicrobials used to treat livestock animals and human infections, the discovery of new and innovative nanomaterials are in high demand. Recently, metal oxides can be considered as effective inorganic agents with antimicrobial features. Hence, this study might be the first to evaluate the efficiency of metal oxide nanoparticles (MO-NPs) as novel antibacterial agents against MDR/multivirulent E. coli pathogens isolated from chicken meat. The occurrence of pathogenic E. coli was determined in fresh warm chicken meat parts (breast, thigh, liver and gizzard). Ninety-one of 132 (69%) chicken meat parts were Escherichia -positive with E. coli as the only species isolated. Out of identified 240 E. coli strains, 72.5% (174/240) were classified as MDR E. coli strains. Fifty-five profile patterns were obtained. From each pattern, one strain was randomly selected for further analysis of virulence and resistance genes. Extracted DNA was assessed for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (bla_IMP-7, bla_IMP-25, bla_TEM, bla_SHV, bla_OXA-2, tetA, aadA, and aac(3)-IV) and virulence genes (stx1, stx2, hlyA, eaeA, aggR, eltB, estIb, papA, afa and hlyD). Clustering analyses revealed that 10 E. coli harboring the highest number of virulence and resistance genes were shifted together into one cluster designated as cluster X. The average activities of zinc peroxide nanoparticles (ZnO₂-NPs) were higher than that of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) by 20% and 29%, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity of ZnO₂-NPs in comparison with aspirin was assessed using membrane stabilization, albumin denaturation, and proteinase inhibition methods. Significant anti-inflammatory activity of ZnO₂-NPs was achieved at concentration levels of 500-1000 μg/ml. It seems that MO-NPs are effective alternative agents, since they exhibited a competitive antibacterial capability against MDR/multivirulent-producing E. coli pathogens isolated from chicken meat. Hence, ZnO₂-NPs are a promising nanoparticles-based material for controlling foodborne pathogens, thereby valued for food safety applications.

Impairment of the Glymphatic Pathway and Putative Meningeal Lymphatic Vessels in the Aging Human

OBJECTIVE

Aging is a major risk factor for numerous neurological disorders, and the mechanisms underlying brain aging remain elusive. Recent animal studies demonstrated a tight relationship between impairment of the glymphatic pathway, meningeal lymphatic vessels, and aging. However, the relationship in the human brain remains uncertain.

METHODS

In this observational cohort study, patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and at multiple time points after intrathecal administration of a contrast agent. Head T1-weighted imaging was performed to assess the function of the glymphatic pathway and head high-resolution T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery imaging to visualize putative meningeal lymphatic vessels (pMLVs). We measured the signal unit ratio (SUR) of 6 locations in the glymphatic pathway and pMLVs, defined the percentage change in SUR from baseline to 39 hours as the clearance of the glymphatic pathway and pMLVs, and then analyzed their relationships with aging.

RESULTS

In all patients (N = 35), the SUR of the glymphatic pathway and pMLVs changed significantly after intrathecal injection of the contrast agent. The clearance of both the glymphatic pathway and pMLVs was related to aging (all p < 0.05). The clearance of pMLVs was significantly related to the clearance of the glymphatic pathway (all p < 0.05), and the clearance of the glymphatic pathway was significantly faster in patients with early filling of pMLVs than those with late filling (all p < 0.05).

INTERPRETATION

We revealed that both the glymphatic pathway and pMLVs might be impaired in the aging human brain through the novel, clinically available method to simultaneously visualize their clearance. Our findings also support that in humans, pMLVs are the downstream of the glymphatic pathway. Ann Neurol 2020;87:357-369.

Understanding the association between psychomotor processing speed and white matter hyperintensity: A comprehensive multi-modality MR imaging study

Cognitive processing speed is crucial for human cognition and declines with aging. White matter hyperintensity (WMH), a common sign of WM vascular damage in the elderly, is closely related to slower psychomotor processing speed. In this study, we investigated the association between WMH and psychomotor speed changes through a comprehensive assessment of brain structural and functional features. Multi-modal MRIs were acquired from 60 elderly adults. Psychomotor processing speeds were assessed using the Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A). Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between TMT-A and brain features, including WMH volumes in five cerebral regions, diffusivity parameters in the major WM tracts, regional gray matter volume, and brain activities across the whole brain. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to demonstrate the contribution of each index to slower psychomotor processing speed. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that WMH volume in the occipital lobe and fractional anisotropy of the forceps major, an occipital association tract, were associated with TMT-A. Besides, resting-state brain activities in the visual cortex connected to the forceps major were associated with TMT-A. Hierarchical regression showed fractional anisotropy of the forceps major and regional brain activities were significant predictors of TMT-A. The occurrence of WMH, combined with the disruption of passing-through fiber integrity and altered functional activities in areas connected by this fiber, are associated with a decline of psychomotor processing speed. While the causal relationship of this WMH-Tract-Function-Behavior link requires further investigation, this study enhances our understanding of these complex mechanisms.

Scaled-up biodiesel synthesis from Chinese Tallow Kernel oil catalyzed by Burkholderia cepacia lipase through ultrasonic assisted technology: A non-edible and alternative source of bio energy

In East Asia, for thousands of years, the fruit of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) has been used for multiple purposes because of its chemical composition; the presence of high amounts of lipids is remarkable, showing potential to be used as substrate for biodiesel synthesis. Previously have been reported the use of alkaline and enzymatic catalysts, microwave technology and the use of ionic liquids as co-solvents with the lipids of this tree species to produce biodiesel. This study shows the results of the use of Burkholderia cepacia lipase as enzymatic catalyst for transesterification of Chinese Tallow Kernel oil (CTK), extracted from the fruit of Chinese tallow tree, into biodiesel, with the use of ultrasonic assisted technology and without the usage of solvents. The optimal operational parameters were determined and the reactions were developed in a batch reactor with the use of ultrasonic irradiation and emulsification to enhance the mass transfer. The scaled-up experiments, in an especially designed 3 L capacity reactor, showed promising results, obtaining 55.20% biodiesel and a kinematic viscosity of 10.31 mm².s^-1 in only 4 h, in comparison with previously published (in vitro) methods. The valorization of this non-edible source of oil represents an opportunity to use as an alternative source for bioenergy and also to tackle the uncontrolled expansion of this oleaginous tree species in some ecologically fragile ecosystems.