Cranioplasty is the surgical repair of a bone defect in the skull resulting from a previous operation or injury, which involves lifting the scalp and restoring the contour of the skull with a graft made from material that is reconstructed from scans of the patient\'s own skull. The paper introduces a 3D printing technology in creating molds, which are filled with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) to reconstruct the missing bone part of the skull. The procedure included several steps to create a 3D model in an STL format, conversion into a G-code which is further used to produce the mold itself using a 3D printer. The paper presents our initial experience with 5 patients who undergone cranioplasty utilizing 3D printed molds. Making a patient-specific model is a very complex process and consists of several steps. The creation of a patient-specific 3D model loading of DICOM images obtained by CT scanning, followed by thresholding-based segmentation and generation of a precise 3D model of part of the patient\'s skull. Next step is creating the G-code models for 3D printing, after which the actual models are printed using Fused Deposition Modeling printer and PLA material. All surgeries showed good match of the missing bone part and part created using 3D printed mold, without additional steps in refinement. In such a way, 3D printing technology helps in creating personalized and visually appealing bone replacements, at a low cost of the final product.

Fungi have always posed an unquestionable threat to heritage collections worldwide. Now, in a future of climate change, biological risk factors may have to be considered even more than before. Models and simulations to assess possible impacts a changing outdoor climate will have on indoor environments and, in turn, on biodeterioration are still underdeveloped and require a more substantial data basis. This study aimed at filling some of these knowledge gaps through a broad-based approach combining microclimatic and microbiological monitoring in four historic libraries in Austria with an uncontrolled indoor climate: Altenburg Abbey, Melk Abbey, Klosterneuburg Monastery and the Capuchin Monastery in Vienna. Data were generated from thermohygrometric sensors, cultivation-dependent air- and surface sampling and further surface dust sampling for cultivation-independent analyses. Results gave insights on the status quo of microbiological loads in the libraries and outdoor-indoor relationships. Influences of the geographic location and room-use on corresponding indoor fungal profiles were identified. Lower fungal diversities were found at the most rural site with the strongest climatic fluctuations and extreme values than in the most urban, sheltered library with a very stable climate. Further, the humidity-stabilizing potential of large collections of hygroscopic materials, such as books, was also examined. Implications for a sustainable approach to prevent future biodeterioration are discussed, supporting the long-term preservation of these valuable historic collections.

There is a growing demand for vegan products and plant-based food when dealing with the impact of livestock on the climate crisis. The aim of this study was to develop a formulation for a plant-based analogue of mold-ripened cheese. Were investigated the following plant materials: cashews, pistachios, soy flour, chickpea flour, pea protein, pumpkin protein, hemp protein, and spirulina powder. Plant matrices were fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter cultures and cheese starter cultures of mold species Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camemberti. All microorganisms\' growth were tested in a vegan-type culture medium. Calcium supplementation was applied and followed by an in-depth analysis of the elemental composition of selected analogues with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The physicochemical and organoleptic analyses of plant-based alternatives of Camembert were conducted. This is the first paper describing novel formulations for plant-based alternatives for Camembert cheese prepared with techniques mimicking the original milk product.

Adapting to the growing demand for personalized, small-batch manufacturing, this study explores the development of additively manufactured molds for electroforming personalized metal parts. The approach integrates novel multi-level mold design and fabrication techniques, along with the experimental procedures for the electroforming process. This work outlines design considerations and guidelines for effective electroforming in additively manufactured molds, successfully demonstrating the production of composite metal components with multi-level and free-form geometries. By emphasizing cost efficiency and part quality, particularly for limited-thickness metal components, the developed technique offers distinct advantages over existing metal additive manufacturing methods. This approach establishes itself as a flexible and durable method for metal additive manufacturing, expanding the scope of electroforming beyond traditional constraints such as thin-walled hollow structures, 2D components, and nanoscale applications.

Fungal infections are a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised populations. Moreover, fungal disease caused by molds are difficult to treat and are associated with particularly high mortality. To address the need for new mold-active antifungal drugs, we performed a high-throughput screen with Aspergillus fumigatus, the most common pathogenic mold. We identified a novel, pyrimidine-based chemical scaffold with broad-spectrum antifungal activity including activity against several difficult-to-treat molds. A chemical genetics screen of Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggested that this compound may target the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and perturb ER function and/or homeostasis. Consistent with this model, this compound induces the unfolded protein response and inhibits secretion of A. fumigatus collagenases. Initial cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetic studies show favorable features including limited mammalian cell toxicity and bioavailability in vivo. Together, these data support the further medicinal chemistry and pre-clinical development of this pyrimidine scaffold toward more effective treatments for life-threatening invasive mold infections.IMPORTANCEInvasive fungal diseases are life-threatening infections caused by fungi in immunocompromised individuals. Currently, there are only three major classes of antifungal drugs available to treat fungal infections; however, these options are becoming even more limited with the global emergence of antifungal drug resistance. To address the need for new antifungal therapies, we performed a screen of chemical compounds and identified a novel molecule with antifungal activity. Initial characterization of this compound shows drug-like features and broad-spectrum activity against medically important fungi. Together, our results support the continued development of this compound as a potential future therapy for these devastating fungal infections.

UNASSIGNED: The air-curing process of cigar tobacco, as a key step in enhancing the quality of cigars, is often susceptible to contamination by mold spores, which severely constrains the quality of cigar tobacco.
UNASSIGNED: This study employed high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology and a continuous flow analysis system to analyze the differences between the microbial communities and physicochemical components of moldy and healthy cigar tobacco leaves. Furthermore, correlation analysis was performed to reveal the impact of mold on the quality of cigar tobacco.
UNASSIGNED: The differences between the microbial flora and physicochemical compositions of moldy (MC) and healthy (HC) tobacco leaves were analyzed, revealing significant disparities between the two groups. Aspergillus spp. represented the dominant mold in MC, with nine out of twelve isolated molds showing higher quantities on MC than on HC. Mold contamination notably decreased the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total alkaloids (TA), starch, protein, and flavor constituents while increasing the total fatty acid esters (TFAA), which was accompanied by a shift towards weakly acidic pH in the leaves. Fungal community analysis indicated a significant reduction in the fungal operational taxonomic unit (OUT) numbers and diversity indices in MC, contrasting with the bacterial trends. Aspergillus exhibited significantly higher relative abundance in MC, with LEfSe analysis pinpointing it as the primary driver of differentiation. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between Aspergillus and TP, starch, TA, and protein, while a significant positive association was evident with TFAA. Network analysis underscored the pivotal role of Aspergillus as the species influencing disparities between HC and MC, with its abundance serving as a critical determinant during the air-curing process.
UNASSIGNED: This study elucidated substantial quality distinctions between MC and HC during air-curing, with Aspergillus emerging as the key species contributing to leaf mold.

BACKGROUND: Fungal pathogens significantly impact the quality of fruits and vegetables at different stages of the supply chain, leading to substantial food losses. Understanding how these persistent fungal infections occur and progress in postharvest conditions is essential to developing effective control strategies.
RESULTS: In this study, we developed a reliable and consistent inoculation protocol to simulate disease spread from infected fruits to adjacent healthy fruits during postharvest storage. We tested different combinations of relevant fruit commodities, including oranges, tomatoes, and apples, against impactful postharvest pathogens such as Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium italicum, Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium expansum. We assessed the efficacy of this protocol using fruits treated with various postharvest methods and multiple isolates for each pathogen. We optimized the source of infected tissue and incubation conditions for each fruit-pathogen combination. Disease incidence and severity were quantitatively evaluated to study infection success and progression. At the final evaluation point, 80% or higher disease incidence rates were observed in all trials except for the fungicide-treated oranges inoculated with fungicide-susceptible Penicillium spp. isolates. Although disease incidence was lower in that particular scenario, it is noteworthy that the pathogen was still able to establish itself under unfavorable conditions, indicating the robustness of our methodology. Finally, we used multispectral imaging to detect early P. digitatum infections in oranges before the disease became visible to the naked eye but after the pathogen was established.
CONCLUSIONS: We developed a non-invasive inoculation strategy that can be used to recreate infections caused by contact or nesting in postharvest. The observed high disease incidence and severity values across fruit commodities and fungal pathogens demonstrate the robustness, efficacy, and reproducibility of the developed methodology. The protocol has the potential to be tailored for other pathosystems. Additionally, this approach can facilitate the study of fruit-pathogen interactions and the assessment of innovative control strategies.

We report a cluster of 9 isolates of Parengyodontium album recovered from 4 patients who had surgical tissue specimens processed after dilution with a multiuse diluent saline solution. P album was also identified from a nonclinical sample on agar prepared with the same lot number of saline solution. Our epidemiological investigation revealed this to represent a pseudo-outbreak related to contaminated saline used to process specimens in the microbiology laboratory.

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Conventional cooling channels used in die casting molds exhibit significant drawbacks, resulting in extended cooling times for cast parts. Issues such as the formation of dirt, limescale, and corrosion substantially diminish the thermal efficiency of these channels, leading to challenges in achieving uniform cooling and potential quality issues. In response to these challenges, this study proposes Topology Optimization as a novel approach. It involves designing cooling structures through Topology Optimization to replace traditional cooling channels, incorporating both Discrete and Gaussian boundary conditions to optimize thermal efficiency. Additionally, Structural Topology Optimization is employed to ensure structural integrity, preventing deformation or yielding under high loads during the die casting process. Numerical analysis revealed superior thermal performance compared to conventional channels, particularly when subjected to Discrete and Gaussian boundary conditions. Furthermore, the application of the latter establishes conformal cooling and minimizes temperature gradients in the casting, reducing casting defects such as shrinkage porosity. These findings highlight the efficacy of Topology Optimization in addressing the challenges of traditional cooling methods, with wide-ranging implications for manufacturing processes utilizing permanent molds for shaping materials.