Commercial Access Research Articles

Family entrepreneurship and regional digital finance access: evidence from household entrepreneurship in China

ABSTRACT Using data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2019, in conjunction with the regional digital financial inclusion index developed by Peking University, we investigate the influence of regional digital finance accessibility on Chinese household entrepreneurship. The findings reveal that households in regions with better digital finance access exhibit a greater inclination towards household entrepreneurship. Among the – sub-indicators, the breadth of coverage and the use of credit exert the most significant influence. Furthermore, by employing casual mediation analysis in instrumental variable settings, we find that the physical bank outlet networks act as a negative transmission mechanism in the relationship between regional digital finance access and household entrepreneurship. This negative mediation effect amplifies with the proliferation of bank outlets. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact of regional digital finance access is particularly significant among households without commercial insurance and financial literacy. We recommend that governments advocate broader commercial insurance access and promote financial literacy in communities.

Caracterização morfológica de acessos comerciais de quiabeiro

ABSTRACT Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) has been less studied compared to other crop species of the family Malvaceae, thus presenting high potential for research, mainly in genetic improvement. Morphological characterization is a pre-breeding step that can be conducted using quantitative and qualitative descriptors. Thus, the objective of this study was to morphologically characterize commercial okra accessions to provide a foundation for breeding programs in this crop species. The experiment was conducted in the experimental area of the Federal Institute of Alagoas, Piranhas, AL, Brazil, using a randomized block design with five treatments and five replications. Okra plants and fruits were characterized through qualitative descriptors, using a hierarchical clustering of accessions based on Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA). The greatest genetic distance was found between the Santa Cruz-47 and Clemson Americano-80 accessions, whereas the lowest distance was found between the Cariri and Apuim accessions. The UPGMA analysis resulted in two accession groups: group I consisting of Clemson Americano-80 and Canindé accessions, and group II consisting of Cariri, Apuim, and Santa Cruz-47 accessions. Viable hybrids can be obtained from crossings between accessions of group I and group II.

How does shared mobility impact metro-based urban commercial travel accessibility and Equity?

The integration of shared mobility services, such as bike-sharing and ride-hailing services, with metro systems enhances the effectiveness and convenience of urban mobility. Various transportation modes significantly impact the accessibility and equity of commercial travel for the purpose of shopping, entertainment, tourism, and catering, due to the diversity of options, destinations, and origins. This study, based on the primary urban regions of Chengdu in 2023, employs the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area model, Gini Index, and Lorenz curve to examine the effects of shared mobility on the accessibility pattern and spatial equity of commercial services. It shows that the bike-sharing-metro travel mode enhances overall commercial accessibility, whereas the ride-hailing-metro travel mode has a substantial impact on accessibility distribution. Additionally, the commercial accessibility distribution pertains to the arrangement of commercial establishments in short-distance travel, whereas it exhibits a central hub and peripheral locations for long-distance travel. While the equity of commercial services improves effectively, metro transportation remains situated at the core of the transportation mode. The creation of the metro transit-oriented development should thoroughly assess the impact of shared mobility on the station area and prioritize the equilibrium between urban commercial and residential sectors.

Electrochemical Aptasensor for Progesterone Detection

Electrochemical biosensors have revolutionized point-of-care diagnostics through commercial accessibility while maintaining detection specificity and sensitivity. Medical biosensors are designed to detect biomarkers in bodily fluids (blood, urine, saliva, sweat) and commonly use enzymes, antibodies, or nucleic acids to bind biomarker targets. An emerging method of biomarker detection uses aptamers which are short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that bind to specific target molecules with high affinity and selectivity. Aptamer sensors are an affordable alternative to antibody-based sensors, have a wider target scope compared to antibody- or enzyme-based assays, and inherently have high structure flexibility and design for redox robe modification. In particular, electrochemical aptamer biosensors (E-AB) represent a promising device architecture wherein an aptamer sequence with a redox probe is tethered to an alkane thiol self-assembled monolayer on a gold electrode (Au-SAM). Upon substrate binding, the conformational changes in the aptamer then enable fast electron transfer to the redox probe and allow rapid and continuous signal transduction of analyte concentrations. E-ABs have been used to target various biomarkers (cocaine, thrombin, tobramycin, vancomycin, etc.) and operate well in vivo, making them an attractive technology for point-of-care diagnostics.In this work, an E-AB is designed for progesterone monitoring. Progesterone is a key biomarker for monitoring reproductive health, as irregular levels are predictive of unsuccessful pregnancy, abnormal uterine bleeding, early embryonic mortality, or ectopic pregnancy. However, there are no continuous, non-invasive methods for progesterone detection. Current methods are limited to laboratory blood samples, ovulation prediction kits, and cycle tracking, but these methods fall short of achieving continuous, accurate, reliable, non-invasive, accessible, and comprehensive detection. Here, we develop an E-AB with a specific affinity for progesterone using the established Au-SAM architecture, a methylene blue redox reporter, and an aptamer sequence with a high affinity for progesterone. These experiments show proof of concept that an immobilized aptamer with methylene blue can detect progesterone electrochemically and is a promising platform for continuous monitoring of progesterone in vivo.

Tafamidis treatment for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: results from an open-label, early-access, long-term study extension in an all-comers population

Abstract Background In the pivotal Tafamidis in Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy Clinical Trial (ATTR-ACT NCT01994889), tafamidis significantly reduced mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). Given the high clinical unmet need and the favorable benefit-to-risk profile of tafamidis, there was a justification to provide patients with an option for early access to treatment as part of the ATTR-ACT long-term extension study (LTE; NCT02791230). Purpose To assess long-term safety in an all-comers population receiving early access to tafamidis. Methods Following protocol amendment (20 July 2018), patients with ATTR-CM, not previously enrolled in ATTR-ACT, and without commercial access to tafamidis, were enrolled in the LTE early-access study arm in 13 countries. Patients received open-label, once-daily tafamidis free acid 61 mg for up to 60 months, until they gained product access by prescription or study discontinuation by the sponsor. All-cause and cardiovascular (CV)-related mortality, CV-related hospitalization, and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed. Results Of 1481 patients enrolled in the early-access cohort, 1476 received at least one dose of tafamidis and were included in the analysis. Mean (SD) age at enrollment was 76.5 (7.8) years old, 37.5% were ≥80 years old, and 88.8% were male. Most patients (85.6%) had wild-type ATTR-CM, and 14.9%, 52.9%, 30.8%, and 1.3% were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Over a mean (SD) follow-up period of 17.7 (13.8) months, all-cause and CV-related mortality rates were 23.4% and 13.8%, respectively (Table). Mean frequency of CV-related hospitalization per year was 0.28 (0.60). Serious TEAEs and TEAEs leading to discontinuation of the study were observed in 0.6% of patients (both); no new safety signals were identified. Conclusions Findings from the early-access cohort of the ATTR-ACT LTE highlight the safety of tafamidis treatment in an all-comers ATTR-CM patient population.

Towards a trusted genomics repository: Identifying commercialisation fears and preferred forms of governance across segments of the community.

A latent class analysis on a nationally representative Australian sample (N = 1000) identified four subgroups (i.e. classes), ranging from high to low concern about, and willingness to donate to, a national genomic repository under different forms of public and commercial management and access. The distribution of concerns and governance preferences across these classes was investigated. This added to previous research by indicating the degree to which extant concerns (e.g. corporate profiteering, discrimination by insurers) are held by different segments of the community. Based on the governance mechanisms that had widespread support across segments, the following recommendations are made to develop a trusted Australian genomic repository: the repository cannot be solely profit-driven; can utilise an access committee; protections (e.g. ensuring confidentiality of donors) may not require new legislation; data users cannot retain data for future research; the public should remain informed about the intended and/or actual benefits of research.

An automated commercial open access assay for detection of Mycoplasma genitalium macrolide resistance.

Azithromycin, a macrolide antibioticum, is the first-line treatment for Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), but resistant MG is an increasing problem. Macrolide resistance-mediated mutations (MRM) has been linked to point mutations in region V of the MG 23S rRNA gene. We have evaluated an open access analyzer (Panther Fusion, Hologic Inc) for detectability of MRM (mutations A2071G and A2072G) and MG wild type (WT) in clinical samples. Also, the agreement of the Panther Fusion assay results with a corresponding established In-house MRM-WT PCR (ABI 7500) was calculated. Left over material from 55 clinical samples positive for MG by the Aptima test (Hologic) based on transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), collected from January to February 2023 in Region Skåne, Sweden, was analyzed. Specific amplification curves were generated for positive controls of MG mutations (A2071G and A2072G) and WT by the Panther Fusion assay. The limit of detection (LOD) was 5.3 copies/mL for WT, 8.1 copies/mL for mutation A2071G, and 81 copies/mL for mutation A2072G. The overall concordance was 91% between the Panther Fusion and the In-house PCR (Kappa 0.621, 95% CI; 0.327-0.914) for detection of WT or MRM in MG-positive clinical samples. The Panther Fusion detected MRM in 20% (11/55) and WT in 62% (34/55) of the samples. The corresponding In-house PCR results were 25% (14/55) and 65% (36/55). In summary, the Panther Fusion assay demonstrated detection of low copy number of MRM and WT of MG. Among clinical samples substantial agreement between the Panther Fusion and In-house PCR results was observed. Integrating MG-analysis (TMA) and MRM-WT assay on the Panther platform could make MRM testing more readily available. However, the Panther Fusion had a lower success rate (82% vs 90%) for macrolide susceptibility testing, hence testing with a complementary method should be considered for samples where neither WT nor MRM MG are detectable.

The Clinical Utilisation and Duration of Treatment with HER2-Directed Therapies in HER2-Positive Recurrent or Metastatic Salivary Gland Cancers.

Salivary gland cancers (SGC) are rare tumours with limited availability of systemic therapies. Some SGC subtypes overexpress HER2, and this represents a potential therapeutic target, but the evidence base is limited. This study sought to analyse real-world data on the efficacy of HER2-directed therapies in SGC. This is a retrospective observational study using anonymised data from commercial compassionate-use access registrations and a privately funded pharmacy prescribing register. Treatment duration was defined as the time from drug initiation to treatment discontinuation. Kaplan-Meier analysis of treatment duration was performed using R for Windows (v4.3.2). A case report is also provided of an exceptional responder. Eighteen patients were identified who received HER2-directed therapies for HER2-positive recurrent/metastatic SGC, and complete data on treatment duration was available for 15/18. Histology was salivary duct carcinoma in 13/18 patients, adenocarcinoma NOS in 4/18, and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma in 1/18. The median treatment duration was 8.3 months (95% CI: 6.41-not reached), and the range was 1.0-47.0 months. Choice of HER2-directed therapy varied, with ado-trastuzumab emtasine being the most common (9/18). At the time of analysis, HER2-directed therapy was ongoing for 9/15, discontinued due to disease progression for 4/15, discontinued due to toxicity for 1/15, and 1/15 was discontinued for an unspecified reason. An exceptional responder experienced a complete response with a treatment duration of 47.0 months. These real-world data are comparable to the median PFS observed with HER2-directed therapies in phase II trials and support the use of HER2-directed therapies in this group.

Pushing health data access boundaries - adapting NHS governance for 3 challenges: clinical free-text, safe commercial access and AI development

This presentation will demonstrate expansions to TRE governance frameworks developed to facilitate safe data access in three advanced areas: commercial access, clinical free-text, and innovation with AI/Machine Learning. NHS research governance frameworks - originally set up for clinical trials and expanded into the TRE and secondary data use space – are not an immediate fit for advanced techniques in data science research. Over 2 years, public, expert and user engagement approaches were utilised to support developing frameworks within DataLoch, a Health and Social Care TRE and data access service in South-East Scotland. Surveys, workshops and continuous user and data controller feedback allowed the testing of tools and assessments to adapt traditional NHS governance structures. These frameworks utilise the Five Safes framework to make NHS data controllers supportive of innovative research in the public and health service’s benefit. The presentation will summarise the challenges faced for one TRE and researchers working to support these areas, and the frameworks that are now are being tested within an NHS Scotland Health Board. The development and implementation demonstrates that governance structures can be adapted collaboratively and paves the way for more flexible TRE governance to allow the use of NHS patient data to remain legally and ethically robust while supporting advanced techniques of analysis.

650 ps SET speed in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory induced by TiO2 dielectric crystal plane

AbstractCrystallization speed of phase change material is one of the main obstacles for the application of phase change memory (PCM) as storage class memory in computing systems, which requires the combination of nonvolatility with ultra‐fast operation speed in nanoseconds. Here, we propose a novel approach to speed up crystallization process of the only commercial phase change chalcogenide Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). By employing TiO2 as the dielectric layer in phase change device, operation speed of 650 ps has been achieved, which is the fastest among existing representative PCM, and is comparable to the programing speed of commercial dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Because of its octahedral atomic configuration, TiO2 can provide nucleation interfaces for GST, thus facilitating the crystal growth at the determinate interface area. Ti–O–Ti–O four‐fold rings on the (110) plane of tetragonal TiO2 is critical for the fast‐atomic rearrangement in the amorphous matrix of GST that enables ultra‐fast operation speed. The significant improvement of operation speed in PCM through incorporating standard dielectric material TiO2 in DRAM paves the way for the application of phase change memory in high performance cache‐type data storage.image

Nuclear elastic scattering of protons below 250 MeV in FLUKA v4-4.0 and its role in single-event-upset production in electronics

FLUKA is among the general-purpose codes for the Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport that are routinely employed to estimate the production of single-event-upsets (SEUs) in commercial static random access memories (SRAMs) exposed to radiation. Earlier studies concerning the production of SEUs in commercial SRAMs under proton irradiation revealed very good agreement between experimental measurements and FLUKA estimates of the SEU production cross section for proton energies above 20-30 MeV. However, at lower proton energies, where the cross section for SEU production in such low-critical-charge components increases drastically, a FLUKA underestimation of up to two orders of magnitude was observed. Preliminary analyses indicated that this underestimation was in great measure due to the lack of nuclear elastic scattering of protons below 10 MeV in FLUKA up to version 4-3.4. To overcome this limitation, a new model for the nuclear elastic scattering of protons has been developed, combining partial-wave analyses and experimental angular distributions. This newly developed model has been included in FLUKA v4-4.0, and leads to an order-of-magnitude improvement in the agreement between FLUKA and experimental cross sections for the production of SEUs in SRAMs under proton irradiation in the 1–10 MeV energy domain.

Optimization of waveguide fabrication processes in lithium-niobate-on-insulator platform.

Lithium niobate (LN) is used in diverse applications such as spectroscopy, remote sensing, and quantum communications. The emergence of lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) technology and its commercial accessibility represent significant milestones. This technology aids in harnessing the full potential of LN's properties, such as achieving tight mode confinement and strong overlap with applied electric fields, which has enabled LNOI-based electro-optic modulators to have ultra-broad bandwidths with low-voltage operation and low power consumption. Consequently, LNOI devices are emerging as competitive contenders in the integrated photonics landscape. However, the nanofabrication, particularly LN etching, presents a notable challenge. LN is hard, dense, and chemically inert. It has anisotropic etch behavior and a propensity to produce material redeposition during the reactive-ion plasma etch process. These factors make fabricating low-loss LNOI waveguides (WGs) challenging. Recognizing the pivotal role of addressing these fabrication challenges for obtaining low-loss WGs, our research focuses on a systematic study of various process steps in fabricating LNOI WGs and other photonic structures. In particular, our study involves (i) careful selection of hard mask materials, (ii) optimization of inductively coupled plasma etch parameters, and finally, (iii) determining the optimal post-etch cleaning approach to remove redeposited material on the sidewalls of the etched photonic structures. Using the recipe established, we realized optical WGs with total (propagation and coupling) loss value of -10.5 dB, comparable to established values found in the literature. Our findings broaden our understanding of optimizing fabrication processes for low-loss lithium-niobate waveguides and can serve as an accessible resource in advancing LNOI technology.

Behavioral and electrocardiographic evaluation of Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818) indicates a safe concentration window for the use of Spilanthol in immersion baths

The use of natural products for the sedation and anesthesia of fish is already well established, with characteristics similar to or potentially superior to synthetic anesthetics. There is a significant advantage in terms of commercial accessibility compared to synthetic drugs, without compromising effectiveness and safety. Var. Oleracea, commonly known as jambu, is considered a medicinal plant. It contains spilanthol, an olefinic N-alkyl-amide with an isobutyl side chain. The supercritical oil of Spilanthes acmella (SOSA) exhibits anesthetic and sedative activity in fish. Our study aimed to evaluate the behavior and cardiac activity (ECG) of SOSA in seven groups: control, control vehicle, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 μL.L−1 in tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). The animals were divided into two experiments: Experiment 1 (Behavioral), in which the latency for the loss and recovery of the animals' posture reflex in contact with the concentrations was evaluated. Experiment 2 (ECG), in which morphographic changes in the ECG were identified during treatment with various concentrations of SOSA. We conclude that concentrations of 20 μL.L−1 to 40 μL.L−1of SOSA were the most suitable for anesthesia due to the rapid reversibility of effects and minimal changes in the hemodynamics of C. macropomum in short-duration anesthesia.

Haitian coffee agroforestry systems harbor complex arabica variety mixtures and under-recognized genetic diversity.

Though facing significant challenges, coffee (Coffea arabica) grown in Haitian agroforestry systems are important contributors to rural livelihoods and provide several ecosystem services. However, little is known about their genetic diversity and the variety mixtures used. In light of this, there is a need to characterize Haitian coffee diversity to help inform revitalization of this sector. We sampled 28 diverse farms in historically important coffee growing regions of northern and southern Haiti. We performed KASP-genotyping of SNP markers and HiPlex multiplex amplicon sequencing for haplotype calling on our samples, as well as several Ethiopian and commercial accessions from international collections. This allowed us to assign Haitian samples to varietal groups. Our analyses revealed considerable genetic diversity in Haitian farms, higher in fact than many farmers realized. Notably, genetic structure analyses revealed the presence of clusters related to Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor groups, another group that was not represented in our reference accession panel, and several admixed individuals. Across the study areas, we found both mixed-variety farms and monovarietal farms with the historical and traditional Typica variety. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to genetically characterize Haitian C. arabica variety mixtures, and report the limited cultivation of C. canephora (Robusta coffee) in the study area. Our results show that some coffee farms are repositories of historical, widely-abandoned varieties while others are generators of new diversity through genetic mixing.

Exploiting channel state information of WiFi signal for human activity detection: an experimental study

Ubiquitous computing aims to seamlessly integrate computing into our daily lives, and requires reliable information on human activities and state for various applications. In this paper, we propose a device-free human activity recognition system that leverages the rich information behind WiFi signals to detect human activities in indoor environments, including walking, sitting, and standing. The key idea of our system is to use the dynamic features of activities, which we carefully examine and analyze through the characteristics of channel state information. We evaluate the impact of location changes on WiFi signal distribution for different activities and design an activity detection system that employs signal processing techniques to extract discriminative features from wireless signals in the frequency and temporal domains. We implement our system on a single off-the-shelf WiFi device connecting to a commercial wireless access point and evaluate it in laboratory and conference room environments. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using WiFi signals for device-free human activity recognition, which could provide a practical and non-intrusive solution for indoor monitoring and ubiquitous computing applications.

Effectiveness of lumacaftor/ivacaftor initiation in children with cystic fibrosis aged 2 through 5 years on disease progression: Interim results from an ongoing registry-based study

BackgroundLumacaftor/ivacaftor (LUM/IVA) has been shown to be safe and efficacious in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ≥1 year of age. To assess the impact of early LUM/IVA initiation on CF disease progression, a 6-year observational study leveraging data from existing CF patient registries is being conducted in children with CF homozygous for F508del (F/F genotype) who were aged 2 through 5 years at treatment initiation. Here we present interim results from this study focusing on data from the European CF Society Patient Registry (ECFSPR). MethodsThe LUM/IVA cohort included children in the ECFSPR who started LUM/IVA between 15 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. Longitudinal trends in growth parameters, pulmonary exacerbations, hospitalizations, safety outcomes, and other effectiveness outcomes in the LUM/IVA cohort were compared to those in two modulator-naïve cohorts: (i) matched concurrent cohort heterozygous for F508del and a minimal function mutation (F/MF concurrent comparator cohort) and (ii) matched concurrent cohort with the F/F genotype from countries without commercial access to LUM/IVA as of 2020 (F/F concurrent comparator cohort). ResultsThe LUM/IVA cohort matched to the F/MF concurrent comparator cohort had 681 children and the LUM/IVA cohort matched to the F/F concurrent comparator cohort had 183 children. LUM/IVA cohorts had increases in body mass index percentiles relative to the matched F/MF and F/F concurrent comparator cohorts (mean difference in change from baseline: 8.4 [95% CI: 5.5, 11.3] and 11.8 [95% CI: 5.9, 17.7], respectively). Increases in height and weight percentiles were also observed in the LUM/IVA cohort relative to the F/MF and F/F concurrent comparator cohorts. Reductions in pulmonary exacerbations and hospitalizations relative to baseline and the F/F concurrent comparator cohort were seen in 2021. ConclusionsThis interim analysis showed favorable trends in clinical outcomes, including growth parameters, pulmonary exacerbations, and hospitalizations, suggesting an early beneficial effect of LUM/IVA treatment in children aged 2 through 5 years at treatment initiation.

Sulfonated magnetic spirulina nanobiomaterial as a novel and environmentally friendly catalyst for the synthesis of dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones in aqueous medium

Spirulina algae is an excellent candidate for catalyst preparation due to its reactive functional groups, cost-effectiveness, widespread commercial accessibility, and biodegradability. In this study, magnetized Spirulina was used for the synthesis of dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones (DHQZs) as catalyst. Magnetized Spirulina was produced by CoFe2O4 and sulfonation method using chlorosulfonic acid to create the catalyst [CoFe2O4-Sp-SO3H]. It was affirmed by various techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and elemental mapping techniques. DHQZs synthesis was accomplished through a concise one-pot, three-component reaction involving a range of diverse aldehydes, isatoic anhydride, and primary aromatic amine, within an aqueous medium. The method offers several advantages, including using green conditions, the generation of several new 2-furan-quinazolinone derivatives, chromatography-free purification, short reaction times, appropriate yield of product (75–96%), and catalyst recyclability. The proposed catalyst and water as solvent demonstrated a strong synergistic effect, leading to the prosperous synthesis of various novel dihydroquinazolinones at 60 °C. These numerous benefits make our approach highly attractive for academic research and industrial applications.

Roadmap for ferroelectric domain wall memory

Commercial nonvolatile Ferroelectric Random Access Memory employs a destructive readout scheme based on charge sensing, which limits its cell scalability in sizes above 100 nm. Ferroelectric domain walls are two-dimensional topological interfaces with thicknesses approaching the unit cell level between two antiparallel domains and exhibit electrical conductivity, distinguishing them from insulating matrices that are uniformly ordered. Recently, novel research has been devoted to utilizing this extraordinary interface for the application in nonvolatile memory with nanometer-sized scalability and low energy consumption. Here, we pay more attention to the development of the domain wall memory technologies in the future with challenges and opportunities to design planar and vertical arrays of the memory cells in the CMOS platform.

Complementarity of two proteomic data analysis tools in the identification of drug-metabolising enzymes and transporters in human liver.

Several software packages are available for the analysis of proteomic LC-MS/MS data, including commercial (e.g. Mascot/Progenesis LC-MS) and open access software (e.g. MaxQuant). In this study, Progenesis and MaxQuant were used to analyse the same data set from human liver microsomes (n = 23). Comparison focussed on the total number of peptides and proteins identified by the two packages. For the peptides exclusively identified by each software package, distribution of peptide length, hydrophobicity, molecular weight, isoelectric point and score were compared. Using standard cut-off peptide scores, we found an average of only 65% overlap in detected peptides, with surprisingly little consistency in the characteristics of peptides exclusively detected by each package. Generally, MaxQuant detected more peptides than Progenesis, and the additional peptides were longer and had relatively lower scores. Progenesis-specific peptides tended to be more hydrophilic and basic relative to peptides detected only by MaxQuant. At the protein level, we focussed on drug-metabolising enzymes (DMEs) and transporters, by comparing the number of unique peptides detected by the two packages for these specific proteins of interest, and their abundance. The abundance of DMEs and SLC transporters showed good correlation between the two software tools, but ABC showed less consistency. In conclusion, in order to maximise the use of MS datasets, we recommend processing with more than one software package. Together, Progenesis and MaxQuant provided excellent coverage, with a core of common peptides identified in a very robust way.

Simple Purification and Antimicrobial Properties of Bacteriocin-like Inhibitory Substance from Bacillus Species for the Biopreservation of Cheese.

Bacteriocins may be used as natural preservatives and antibiotic substitutes in various foods. However, the multistep purification process of bacteriocins results in high production costs, which is an obstacle to their commercial use and consumer accessibility. In this study, a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) from Bacillus spp. isolated from Korean fermented foods was partially purified using the aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The maximum activity of the BLIS was achieved for ATPS composed of PEG 1000 (15% [w/w])/ammonium sulfate (20% [w/w])/sodium chloride (2% [w/w]), which caused BLIS activity to increase by 3 times with a 99% recovery rate. In particular, B. amyloliquefaciens Y138-6 BLIS exhibited broad antibacterial activity, high resistance to acid-base stress, and excellent thermal stability. This antibacterial substance inhibited the growth of aerobic bacteria and fungi on the walls of cheese and ripening rooms. These antibacterial properties have been shown to increase food safety and have the potential for use as biopreservatives. Moreover, considering that the execution of the ATPS requires only salts and PEG, it is a simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective process and may have industrial applications in the recovery of BLIS from fermentation broth.