Geographical Diversity of Proteomic Responses to Cold Stress in the Fungal Genus Pseudogymnoascus

In understanding stress response mechanisms in fungi, cold stress has received less attention than heat stress. However, cold stress has shown its importance in various research fields. The following study examined the cold stress response of six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolated from various biogeographical regions through a proteomic approach. In total, 2541 proteins were identified with high confidence. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed diversity in the cold stress response pathways for all six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolates, with metabolic and translation-related processes being prominent in most isolates. 25.6% of the proteins with an increase in relative abundance were increased by more than 3.0-fold. There was no link between the geographical origin of the isolates and the cold stress response of Pseudogymnoascus spp. However, one Antarctic isolate, sp3, showed a distinctive cold stress response profile involving increased flavin/riboflavin biosynthesis and methane metabolism. This Antarctic isolate (sp3) was also the only one that showed decreased phospholipid metabolism in cold stress conditions. This work will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of cold stress response and adaptation in psychrotolerant soil microfungi, with specific attention to the fungal genus Pseudogymnoascus.

Decoding the Interplay between Topology and Surface Charge in Graphene Oxide Membranes During Humidity Induced Swelling

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes are known to have a complex morphology that depends on the degree of oxidation of the graphene flake and the membrane preparation technique. In this study, using Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate the mechanism of swelling of GO membranes exposed to different relative humidity (RH) values and show how this is intimately related to the graphene surface chemistry. We show that the structure of the GO membrane changes while the membrane adsorbs water from the environment and that graphene oxide flakes become charged as the membrane is loaded with water and swells. A detailed comparison between simulation and experimental adsorption data reveals that the flake surface charge drives the water adsorption mechanism at low RH when the membrane topology is still disordered and the internal pores are small and asymmetric. As the membrane is exposed to higher RH (80%), the flake acquires more surface charge as more oxide groups deprotonate, and the pores grow in size, yet maintain their disordered geometry. Only for very high relative humidity (98%) does the membrane undergo structural changes. At this level of humidity, the pores in the membrane become slit-like but the flake surface charge remains constant. Our results unveil a very complex mechanism of swelling and show that a single molecular model cannot fully capture the ever-changing chemistry and morphology of the membrane as it swells. Our computational procedure provides the first atomically resolved insight into the GO membrane structure of experimental samples.

Synthesis, Characterization and Biomedical Application of Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been employed in various fields of biotechnology due to their proven properties as an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agent. AgNPs are generally synthesized through chemical, physical and biological approaches involving a myriad of methods. As each approach confers unique advantages and challenges, a trends analysis of literature for the AgNPs synthesis using different types of synthesis were also reviewed through a bibliometric approach. A sum of 10,278 publications were analyzed on the annual numbers of publication relating to AgNPs and biological, chemical or physical synthesis from 2010 to 2020 using Microsoft Excel applied to the Scopus publication database. Furthermore, another bibliometric clustering and mapping software were used to study the occurrences of author keywords on the biomedical applications of biosynthesized AgNPs and a total collection of 224 documents were found, sourced from articles, reviews, book chapters, conference papers and reviews. AgNPs provides an excellent, dependable, and effective solution for seven major concerns: as antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, bone healing, bone cement, dental applications and wound healing. In recent years, AgNPs have been employed in biomedical sector due to their antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer properties. This review discussed on the types of synthesis, how AgNPs are characterized and their applications in biomedical field.

Relationship between BMI and emotion-handling capacity in an adult Finnish population: The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

Background

Alexithymia, a difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, has been associated with obesity and eating disorders in small-scale cross-sectional studies. Here, we assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and alexithymia in a large cohort of free-living Finnish adults over a 15-year period.

Methods

Participants were drawn from the Northern Finnish Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966). The 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used as a measure of alexithymia and was completed at the age of 31 years (31y: n = 4841), and 46 years (46y: n = 5404). BMI was recorded at both time points. Where data at both time points were available (n = 3274), the relationship between changes in BMI and TAS-20 over this time period was also investigated.

Results

BMI was significantly and positively associated with TAS-20 score (p<0.0001, both at 31 years and at 46 years of ages). The association remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (sex, marital status and several socio-economic indicators). In individuals who experienced the greatest change in BMI (in either direction) over the 15-year period, there was a modest mean increase in TAS-20 score.

Conclusions

Our data revealed that TAS-20 score was correlated with and co-varied with body mass status. We suggest that future clinical research should consider the role of alexithymia in obesity. Further investigation of this relationship is warranted to ensure that the needs of obese subjects with undiagnosed alexithymia are considered in the design of weight management programmes.