What Do We Know About Metal Recycling Rates?

The recycling of metals is widely viewed as a fruitful sustainability strategy, but little information is available on the degree to which recycling is actually taking place. This article provides an overview on the current knowledge of recycling rates for 60 metals. We propose various recycling metrics, discuss relevant aspects of recycling processes, and present current estimates on global end‐of‐life recycling rates (EOL‐RR; i.e., the percentage of a metal in discards that is actually recycled), recycled content (RC), and old scrap ratios (OSRs; i.e., the share of old scrap in the total scrap flow). Because of increases in metal use over time and long metal in‐use lifetimes, many RC values are low and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Because of relatively low efficiencies in the collection and processing of most discarded products, inherent limitations in recycling processes, and the fact that primary material is often relatively abundant and low‐cost (which thereby keeps down the price of scrap), many EOL‐RRs are very low: Only for 18 metals (silver, aluminum, gold, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, niobium, nickel, lead, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, tin, titanium, and zinc) is the EOL‐RR above 50% at present. Only for niobium, lead, and ruthenium is the RC above 50%, although 16 metals are in the 25% to 50% range. Thirteen metals have an OSR greater than 50%. These estimates may be used in considerations of whether recycling efficiencies can be improved; which metric could best encourage improved effectiveness in recycling; and an improved understanding of the dependence of recycling on economics, technology, and other factors.     

Fast atom bombardment combined with tandem mass spectrometry for the study of dinucleotides

A study of mono- and dinucleotides by utilizing negative ion fast atom bombardment (FAB), metastable decomposition of (M-H)- species, and collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) of (M-H)- species is reported. Data were obtained for several complete series containing the standard nucleosides (guanosine, adenosine, cytidine, thymidine, and uridine): the 3'- and 5'-monophosphate mononucleotide series for both ribo- and 2'-deoxyribomononucleotides, all possible combinations for the 3'(-)----5'-ribodinucleotides, and all possible combinations of the 3'(-)----5',2'-deoxyribodinucleotides. The metastable and CAD spectra provide more information than the FAB mass spectra. The (M-H)- ions of all dinucleotides decompose either as metastable ions or upon collisional activation to eliminate BH (B = base) preferentially from the 3'- rather than the 5'-terminus. Isomeric dinucleotides can be distinguished on the basis of this fragmentation. To establish the identity of the base at the 5'-terminus, collisional activation is preferred. By comparing relative abundances of BH elimination observed, the inherent basicities of the nucleoside base anions can be inferred to be C- greater than A-, T-, greater than G-.     

Multiomic Metabolic Enrichment Network Analysis Reveals Metabolite–Protein Physical Interaction Subnetworks Altered in Cancer

Metabolism is recognized as an important driver of cancer progression and other complex diseases, but global metabolite profiling remains a challenge. Protein expression profiling is often a poor proxy since existing pathway enrichment models provide an incomplete mapping between the proteome and metabolism. To overcome these gaps, we introduce multiomic metabolic enrichment network analysis (MOMENTA), an integrative multiomic data analysis framework for more accurately deducing metabolic pathway changes from proteomics data alone in a gene set analysis context by leveraging protein interaction networks to extend annotated metabolic models. We apply MOMENTA to proteomic data from diverse cancer cell lines and human tumors to demonstrate its utility at revealing variation in metabolic pathway activity across cancer types, which we verify using independent metabolomics measurements. The novel metabolic networks we uncover in breast cancer and other tumors are linked to clinical outcomes, underscoring the pathophysiological relevance of the findings.     

Structure of the KcsA potassium channel from Streptomyces lividans: a site-directed spin labeling study of the second transmembrane segment.

KcsA is a prokaryotic potassium channel. The present study employs cysteine scanning mutagenesis and site-directed spin labeling to investigate the structure of the second transmembrane segment (residues 82-120) in functional tetrameric channels reconstituted in lipid bilayers. Spin-spin interactions are observed between nitroxide side chains at symmetry-related sites close to the 4-fold axis of symmetry. To aid in quantitative analysis of these interactions, a new diamagnetic analogue of the nitroxide side chain is used to prepare magnetically dilute samples with constant structure. Using constraints imposed by the spin-spin interactions, a packing model for this segment is deduced that is in excellent agreement with the recently reported crystal structure [Doyle, D., et al. (1998) Science 280, 69-77]. The relatively immobilized state of the nitroxide side chains suggests that the channel is rigid on the electron paramagnetic resonance time scale. Moreover, the poor sulfhydryl reactivity of the cysteine at many locations indicates that the channel is not subject to the low-frequency fluctuations that permit reaction of buried cysteines. At sites expected to be located in the pore, the accessibility of the side chains to collision with O(2) or nickel(II) ethylenediaminediacetate is low. This inaccessibility, together with the generally low mobility of the side chains throughout the sequence, makes it difficult to detect the presence of the pore based on these measurements. However, the presence of a solvated pore can be directly demonstrated using a polarity parameter deduced from the EPR spectra recorded at low temperature. These measurements also reveal the presence of a polarity gradient in the phospholipid bilayer.     

Identification of protein side chains near the membrane-aqueous interface: a site-directed spin labeling study of KcsA.

This study presents an approach to identifying surface residues on membrane proteins that are exposed toward the membrane-aqueous interface. The method employs a lipid Ni(II) chelate that localizes the metal ion to a region near the membrane-aqueous interface. Lateral diffusion of the lipid chelate results in Heisenberg exchange (HE) with nitroxide side chains in the protein only if direct contact occurs between the paramagnetic species during a collision. Thus, HE serves as a signature for residues facing the bilayer in the neighborhood of the membrane-aqueous interface. To evaluate the method, 13 surface residues on the extracellular half of KcsA, a prokaryotic potassium channel of known structure, were examined for HE with the Ni(II) chelate. The HE rate between the two species is found to depend strongly on the vertical position of the nitroxide with respect to the membrane-aqueous interface. Nitroxides introduced near the interface experience relatively high HE rates, whereas nitroxides that are immersed in the bilayer interior or sterically sheltered from collision experience low or undetectable rates. The results indicate that residues near the interface can be identified on the basis of their high rates of collision with the headgroup region of the bilayer.     

Startling Sweet Temptations: Hedonic Chocolate Deprivation Modulates Experience,Eating Behavior,and Eyeblink Startle

Many individuals restrict their food intake to prevent weight gain. This restriction has both homeostatic and hedonic effects but their relative contribution is currently unclear. To isolate hedonic effects of food restriction, we exposed regular chocolate eaters to one week of chocolate deprivation but otherwise regular eating. Before and after this hedonic deprivation, participants viewed images of chocolate and images of high-calorie but non-chocolate containing foods, while experiential, behavioral and eyeblink startle responses were measured. Compared to satiety, hedonic deprivation triggered increased chocolate wanting, liking, and chocolate consumption but also feelings of frustration and startle potentiation during the intertrial intervals. Deprivation was further characterized by startle inhibition during both chocolate and food images relative to the intertrial intervals. Individuals who responded with frustration to the manipulation and those who scored high on a questionnaire of impulsivity showed more relative startle inhibition. The results reveal the profound effects of hedonic deprivation on experiential, behavioral and attentional/appetitive response systems and underscore the role of individual differences and state variables for startle modulation. Implications for dieting research and practice as well as for eating and weight disorders are discussed.     

Particle-bound glutathione-S-transferases.

The incubation of liver microsomes or mitochondria with glutathione, in the presence of electrophilic compounds, decreased the glutathione concentration in the incubation medium. Product analysis revealed that glutathione conjugates were formed.     

Chemical modification of spinach plastocyanin using 4-chloro-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid: characterization of four singly-modified forms

Chemical modification of plastocyanin was carried out using 4-chloro-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, which has the effect of replacing positive charges on amino groups with negatively charged carboxyl groups. Four singly-modified forms were obtained which were separated using anion exchange FPLC. The four forms were modified at the N-terminal valine and at lysines 54, 71 and 77. The rates of reaction with mammalian cytochrome c were increased for all four modified plastocyanins. In contrast, the rates of reaction with cytochrome f were inhibited for the forms modified at residues 1, 54 and 77, whereas no effect was observed for the form modified at residue 71. Modification had no effect on either the midpoint redox potential or the reaction with K3Fe(CN)6. These results are consistent with a model in which charged residues on plastocyanin located at or near the binding site for cytochrome f recognize the positively-charged binding site on cytochrome f. In contrast, charged residues located at points on plastocyanin distant from the cytochrome f binding site recognize the net negative charge on the cytochrome f molecule. Based on these considerations, Glu-68 may be within the interaction sphere of cytochrome f, suggesting that cytochrome f may donate electrons to plastocyanin at either Tyr-83 or His-87.