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Abstract Rechargeable zinc batteries have emerged as an inexpensive and safe post-lithium-ion battery technology and have received increasing research interest. Developing suitable electrolytes and understanding their transport properties lie at the heart of successful zinc battery technologies as the battery behaviour is a strong function of ion transport in the electrolytes. To accelerate the research and development process, herein we demonstrate a low-cost and high-throughput approach to measure the diffusion in zinc electrolytes at different concentrations simultaneously. The new approach combines Raman microspectroscopy and a multiplexed microfluidic chip with integrated micromixers, concentration gradient generators and a Y-sensor array. Aqueous-based zinc sulphate electrolytes, widely used in zinc batteries, were used for a proof-of-concept. The measured diffusion coefficients for different electrolyte concentrations show good agreement with literature values. With four electrolyte samples in this study, the developed approach requires minimum 0.5 mL of the electrolyte solutions and 30 mins, which is over ten times faster than a typical diffusion measurement with the conventional electrochemical approach in restricted-diffusion cells. The microfluidic chip is readily scalable to further increase the throughput, and can be extended to for use of measuring different (i.e. organic and aqueous) and even mixtures of electrolytes (i.e. ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate) as well as salts (Li+, Na+, Mg2+, etc.).

Plant metabolomics is a set of fast-moving, analytical and chemometric tools and methods for plant functional genomics, phenotyping and systems biology. This multidisciplinary “omics” science can deliver qualitative and quantitative data that provide a detailed description of biochemical systems that are influenced by environmental changes, such as plant–pathogen interactions. This chapter examines key insights and recent outputs in the field of phytopathological metabolomics with a specific focus on the perturbations of primary compounds involved in central metabolism and infection-related metabolites including phytohormones. Priming of plant immune responses is also considered through the angle of metabolomics. Furthermore, the chapter highlights the recurring challenges in the distinction of host and pathogen metabolomes and the hurdles of metabolome annotation. The chapter concludes with perspectives indicating key avenues in ongoing efforts to decode metabolic landscapes of plants under biotic stress conditions.

AbstractAs Africa is facing multiple challenges related to food security, frameworks integrating production and availability are urgent for policymaking. Attention should be given not only to gradual socio-economic and climatic changes but also to their temporal variability. Here we present an integrated framework that allows one to assess the impacts of socio-economic development, gradual climate change and climate anomalies. We apply this framework to rice production and consumption in Africa whereby we explicitly account for the continent’s dependency on imported rice. We show that socio-economic development dictates rice availability, whereas climate change has only minor effects in the long term and is predicted not to amplify supply shocks. Still, rainfed-dominated or self-producing regions are sensitive to local climatic anomalies, while trade dominates stability in import-dependent regions. Our study suggests that facilitating agricultural development and limiting trade barriers are key in relieving future challenges to rice availability and stability.

Type 2 resistant starch (RS2) has been shown to improve glycemic control and some cardiovascular endpoints in rodent and human studies.The aim of this study was to perform one of the first randomized clinical trials in adults with prediabetes and one of the longest trials to test whether RS2 can improve cardiometabolic health.68 overweight [body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2] adults aged 35-75 y with prediabetes were randomized to consume 45 g/d of high-amylose maize (RS2) or an isocaloric amount of the rapidly digestible starch amylopectin (control) for 12 wk. At baseline and postintervention, ectopic fat depots (visceral adipose tissue, intrahepatic lipids, and intramyocellular lipids) were measured by magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy, energy metabolism by respiratory chamber, and carbohydrate metabolism by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), an intravenous glucose tolerance test, and a meal tolerance test. Cardiovascular risk factors-serum lipids, blood pressure, heart rate, and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α)-were also measured. The primary endpoints were insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, ectopic fat, and markers of inflammation. Data were primarily analyzed as treatment effects via a linear mixed model both with and without the addition of covariates.Relative to the control group, RS2 lowered HbA1c by a clinically insignificant 0.1 ± 0.2% (Δ = -1 ± 2 mmol/mol; P = 0.05) but did not affect insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, the disposition index, or glucose or insulin areas under the curve relative to baseline (P ≥ 0.23). RS2 decreased heart rate by 5 ± 9 beats/min (P = 0.02) and TNF-α concentrations by 2.1 ± 2.7 pg/mL (P = 0.004), relative to the control group. Ectopic fat, energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, and all other cardiovascular risk factors were unaffected (P ≥ 0.06).12 wk of supplementation with resistant starch reduced the inflammatory marker TNF-α and heart rate, but it did not significantly improve glycemic control and other cardiovascular disease risk factors, in adults with prediabetes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01708694.

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Promoting access to modern energy forms in developing countries to replace traditional fuels is high on the political agenda. This paper describes the development and application of a global model for rural electrification. The model is used to assess future trends in electrification, and the associated investment needs. The model is applied for a set of electrification scenarios. We find that the trend in increasing electrification differs considerably among world regions: in Latin America and Asia access to electricity takes place at lower income levels than in Africa. Under business-as-usual developments, universal access to electricity is not reached by 2030 in Latin America, Asia or sub-Saharan Africa. Investments per household depend strongly on population density, implying relatively low costs in most Asian subregions. Global cumulative investments to reach universal access to electricity by 2030 amount 477-868 billion USD 2005, which would be 238-400 billion additional to business-as-usual (or 12-20 billion USD 2005 per year). The potential for mini-grid and off-grid technologies is expected to be high in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, and lower in Asia. This is a result of high costs of grid electrification at low population densities in large parts of rural Africa and Latin America.

Absinthe, the emerald green liqueur associated with excess, is back in business. Having been banned in many countries in the early 20th century, its newly fashionable image, combined with global purchasing opportunities through the internet, has brought its revival. Since 1998 several varieties of absinthe have again been available in Britain—from bars, stores, and mail order. But is absinthe a special problem or simply part of a general concern about excessive alcohol consumption? Originally formulated in Switzerland, absinthe became most popular in 19th century France. Between 1875 and 1913 French consumption of the liquor increased 15-fold.1 It became an icon of “la vie de boheme,” and in fin-de-siecle Paris l'heure verte (the green [cocktail] hour) was a daily event. Although never as popular in Britain, the fashion of mixed drinks with a “spot” or “kick” of absinthe was reported in London as late as 1930.2 Many creative artists had their lives touched by absinthe (Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Picasso).3 The illness of Vincent van Gogh was certainly exacerbated by excessive drinking of absinthe,4 and one of his six major crises was precipitated by drinking.3 Van Gogh probably had acute intermittent porphyria—a working hypothesis5 compatible with the documented porphyrogenicity of the terpenoids in absinthe as well …