The catalytic conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) with high acid value (120.37 mg KOH/g) to biodiesel has been studied in low-cost SO3H-functionalized quaternary ammonium ionic liquid as catalyst. The ionic liquid (IL) catalyst was efficient in catalysing the simultaneous esterification and transesterification reactions of WCO and methanol.

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The present study demonstrates the removal of three toxic heavy metals (lead, cadmium and nickel) by the bacterial strain Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans from polluted water. The removal efficiency of heavy metals was recorded to be highest in case of lead (79.91%), followed by nickel (47.62%) and cadmium (34.05%). Furthermore, surfactant production by A. phenanthrenivorans was optimized, which is useful for different purposes like metal and oil removal from water.

Malnutrition, which encompasses under- and overnutrition, is responsible for an enormous morbidity and mortality burden globally. Malnutrition results from disordered nutrient assimilation but is also characterized by recurrent infections and chronic inflammation, implying an underlying immune defect. Defects emerge before birth via modifications in the immunoepigenome of malnourished parents, and these may contribute to intergenerational cycles of malnutrition.

This study examined whether sucrose, fructose, aspartame, and saccharin influences the association between obesity and glucose tolerance in 2856 adults from the NHANES III survey. Aspartame intake significantly influenced the association between body mass index (BMI) and glucose tolerance (interaction: P = 0.004), wherein only those reporting aspartame intake had a steeper positive association between BMI and glucose tolerance than those reporting no aspartame intake. Therefore, consumption of aspartame is associated with greater obesity-related impairments in glucose tolerance.

Although it has been previously reported that the transition of extremely low-birth-weight survivors (≤1000 g) in their mid-20s was similar to that of normal-birth-weight controls (>2500g), there was uncertainty as to whether this positive pattern would persist. The objective of the study was to compare the social functioning of low-birth-weight prematurely born adults aged 29 to 36 years with that of normal-birth-weight term controls.

River deltas worldwide are currently under threat of drowning and destruction by sea-level rise, subsidence, and oceanic storms, highlighting the need to quantify their growth processes. Deltas are built through construction of sediment lobes, and emerging theories suggest that the size of delta lobes scales with backwater hydrodynamics, but these ideas are difficult to test on natural deltas that evolve slowly. We show results of the first laboratory delta built through successive deposition of lobes that maintain a constant size.

Leaving the European Union would cause a steep drop in research funding for scientists in the United Kingdom, according to a new study—and it's unclear whether the country can "buy its way back" into European funding schemes under favorable conditions.

The cross-reactivity of T cells with pathogen- and self-derived peptides has been implicated as a pathway involved in the development of autoimmunity. However, the mechanisms that allow the clonal T cell antigen receptor (TCR) to functionally engage multiple peptide–major histocompatibility complexes (pMHC) are unclear. Here, we studied multiligand discrimination by a human, preproinsulin reactive, MHC class-I–restricted CD8+ T cell clone (1E6) that can recognize over 1 million different peptides.

The gluten-free diet (GFD) is a critical medical treatment for the millions of individuals worldwide with celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune condition for which no other therapy is currently available. The prevalence of CD is increasing,1 reflected by escalating awareness of CD in the scientific community. This increase in disease prevalence and awareness of CD, however, does not account for the disproportionate increase in growth of the gluten-free food industry. According to market research, consumers without CD purchase the vast bulk of gluten-free products.

The objective of the study was to determine whether higher intake of baked or boiled potatoes, French fries, or potato chips is associated with incidence of hypertension.

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