Zeitschrift für Molekulare Histologie und Medizinische Physiologie

The human body is composed of trillions of cells, each performing a specific set of functions that collectively maintain the delicate balance of life. Understanding the physiology of a cell is essential to unravel the complex mechanisms that govern our biological systems. From the basic building blocks to the intricate processes within, this article delves into the captivating world of cellular physiology, exploring the fundamental components, energy production, cellular communication, and regulation mechanisms that enable cells to function harmoniously.

Fluidized beds are a conventional technology used for converting biomass into energy, as they offer several advantages such as fuel flexibility, high efficiency, and low environmental impact. However, the process is not without its challenges. Bed agglomeration and material deposition pose significant operational problems, which can vary depending on the bed materials and fuels used. In severe cases, this can cause complete bed defluidization and unexpected plant shutdowns, leading to reduced equipment lifespan due to repeated start-up and shutdown cycles.

Drug candidates can induce hepatic steatosis, which is characterized by the accumulation of lipids in liver cells without any other morphological changes. Clinical studies have reported two types of fat deposition patterns: diffuse and non-diffuse. The diffuse pattern is more common, while the non-diffuse pattern includes several subtypes such as geographic, focal, sub-capsular, multifocal, and perivascular patterns. Since drug-induced hepatic steatosis can have limited safety margins, it is crucial to develop methods to monitor its occurrence and severity during preclinical and clinical studies. However, liver biopsy, which is considered the gold standard for diagnosing hepatic steatosis, has several limitations, such as invasiveness, risk of hemorrhage and morbidity, and sampling errors due to the heterogeneity of fat distribution in the liver. Therefore, liver biopsy is not suitable for monitoring drug-induced hepatic steatosis, and there is currently no established monitoring method for this condition.

Computed Tomography (CT) imaging is a crucial tool for diagnosing, characterizing, prognosticating and monitoring disease progression in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, to evaluate lung abnormalities in a consistent and reliable manner, accurate segmentation and quantification of both the entire lung and lung lesions (abnormalities) in chest CT images of COVID-19 patients is necessary. Unfortunately, manual segmentation and quantification of a large dataset can be time-consuming and have low inter- and intra-observer agreement, even for experienced radiologists.

Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a serious public health threat due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics. The detection of MRSA is crucial for proper treatment and prevention of further spread of the bacteria. One potential method for detecting MRSA is through the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based molecular biosensors. SERS is a powerful analytical technique that has been widely used for the detection of biological molecules.