Green and economical production of propionic acid by Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015 in plant fibrous-bed bioreactor

Propionic acid production by Propionibacterium freudenreichii from molasses and waste propionibacterium cells was studied in plant fibrous-bed bioreactor (PFB). With non-treated molasses as carbon source, 12.69 ± 0.40 g l^-1 of propionic acid was attained at 120 h in free-cell fermentation, whereas the PFB fermentation yielded 41.22 ± 2.06 g l^-1 at 120 h and faster cells growth was observed. In order to optimize the fermentation outcomes, fed-batch fermentation was performed with hydrolyzed molasses in PFB, giving 91.89 ± 4.59 g l^-1 of propionic acid at 254 h. Further studies were carried out using hydrolyzed waste propionibacterium cells as substitute nitrogen source, resulting in a propionic acid concentration of 79.81 ± 3.99 g l^-1 at 302 h. The present study suggests that the low-cost molasses and waste propionibacterium cells can be utilized for the green and economical production of propionic acid by P. freudenreichii.     

Estimation of nitrogen dynamics in a vertical-flow constructed wetland

The vertical-flow constructed wetland (VFCW) is a promising engineering technique for removal of excess nutrients and certain pollutants from wastewater and stormwater. The aim of this study was to develop a model using the STELLA software for estimating nitrogen (N) dynamics in an artificial VFCW (i.e., a substrate column with six zones) associated with a growing Cyperus alternifolius species under a wetting (wastewater) -to-drying ratio of 1:3. The model was calibrated by our experimental data with a reasonable agreement prior to its applications. Simulations showed that rates of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N leaching decreased with increasing zone number (or column depth), although such a decrease was much more profound for NH₄⁺-N. Our simulations further revealed that rate of NH₄⁺-N leaching decreased with time within each zone, whereas rate of NO₃⁻-N leaching increased with time within each zone. Additionally, both the rates of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N leaching through zones followed the water flow pattern: breakthrough during wetting period and cessation during drying period. In general, the cumulative amounts of total nitrogen (TN) were in the following order: leaching > denitrification > uptake > settlement. About 54% of the TN from the wastewater flowed out of the VFCW system, 18% of TN lost due to denitrification, 6% of TN was taken up by roots of a single plant (one hill), and the rest of 22% TN from the wastewater was removed from other mechanisms, such as volatilization, adsorption, and deposition. This study suggested that to improve the overall performance of a VFCW for N removal, prevention of N leaching loss was one of the major issues.     

Hormone levels predict individual differences in reproductive success in a passerine bird

Hormones mediate major physiological and behavioural components of the reproductive phenotype of individuals. To understand basic evolutionary processes in the hormonal regulation of reproductive traits, we need to know whether, and during which reproductive phases, individual variation in hormone concentrations relates to fitness in natural populations. We related circulating concentrations of prolactin and corticosterone to parental behaviour and reproductive success during both the pre-breeding and the chick-rearing stages in both individuals of pairs of free-living house sparrows, Passer domesticus. Prolactin and baseline corticosterone concentrations in pre-breeding females, and prolactin concentrations in pre-breeding males, predicted total number of fledglings. When the strong effect of lay date on total fledgling number was corrected for, only pre-breeding baseline corticosterone, but not prolactin, was negatively correlated with the reproductive success of females. During the breeding season, nestling provisioning rates of both sexes were negatively correlated with stress-induced corticosterone levels. Lastly, individuals of both sexes with low baseline corticosterone before and high baseline corticosterone during breeding raised the most offspring, suggesting that either the plasticity of this trait contributes to reproductive success or that high parental effort leads to increased hormone concentrations. Thus hormone concentrations both before and during breeding, as well as their seasonal dynamics, predict reproductive success, suggesting that individual variation in absolute concentrations and in plasticity is functionally significant, and, if heritable, may be a target of selection.     

Selective bone targeting 5-fluorouracil prodrugs: synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation

Bone tumor is a notoriously difficult disease to manage, requiring frequent and heavy doses of systemically administered chemotherapy. Targeting anticancer drug to the bone after systemic administration may provide both greater efficacy of treatment and less frequent administration. In this paper, a series of bone targeting Asp oligopeptides 5-fluorouracil conjugates have been synthesized in a convergent approach and well characterized by NMR and MS techniques. Their hydroxyapatite (HAP) affinity, drug release and cytotoxicity characteristics were evaluated in in vitro conditions. All the prodrugs were water soluble and exhibited high affinity to HAP .The efficient release of the active drug moiety occurring by the cleavage of different linkage in physiological conditions significantly reduced the number of viable human cancer cells. From in vivo distribution, we get these compounds with high bone-selectivity and long halflife. These results provided an effective entry to the development of new bone targeting chemotherapeutic drugs.     

Isolation and characterization of a mesophilic Arthrospira maxima strain capable of producing docosahexaenoic acid

A strain of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira was isolated from Lake Chahannaoer in northern China and was characterized according to microscopic morphology, photosynthetic oxygen-evolving activity, growth rate, and nutritional profile. Compared with thermophilic Arthrospira species occurring naturally in tropical and subtropical lakes, this isolate is mesophilic and grows optimally at ~20 degreesC. The total protein, fatty acid, phycocyanin, carotenoid, and chlorophyll a contents were 67.6, 6.1, 4.32, 0.29, and 0.76 grams per 100 grams of dry weight, respectively. The strain is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). An essential omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), was detected, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and DHA accounted for 28.3% of the total fatty acid content. These features of this newly isolated strain make it potentially useful in commercial mass culture in local areas or as a biofuel feedstock. It is also an alternative resource for studying the metabolic PUFA pathways and mechanisms of cold stress tolerance in cyanobacteria.     

Total phosphorus removal from domestic wastewater with Cyperus alternifolius in vertical-flow constructed wetlands at the microcosm level

Vertical-flow constructed wetland (VFCW) is an effective alternative for removal of nutrients, heavy metals, and organic pollutants from wastewaters. This study investigated the uptake and removal of total phosphorus (TP) by Cyperus alternifolius from domestic wastewaters in the simulated VFCWs, The total of eight simulated VFCW treatments, including two different substrates, two different wet-to-dry ratios, and with and without C. alternifolius species (2 x 2 x 2 = 8), were utilized for an operation period of two years in this study. Results show that about 1.1 to 1.4 times more TP was removed from the influent with the presence of C. alternifolius as compared to without this plant species. A linear correlation existed between the aboveground biomass and its TP content. An increase in total biomass by 1000 g would result in an increase in TP accumulation in the aboveground biomass by 4.9 g. Large amounts of TP were removed by the substrate adsorption as compared to those by the aboveground biomass. Results suggest that, although substrate adsorption played a major role in TP removal, C. alternifolius uptake was an alternative pathway for further removal of TP from wastewaters in the VFCWs.     

A missense mutation in PPARD causes a major QTL effect on ear size in pigs

Chinese Erhualian is the most prolific pig breed in the world. The breed exhibits exceptionally large and floppy ears. To identify genes underlying this typical feature, we previously performed a genome scan in a large scale White Duroc × Erhualian cross and mapped a major QTL for ear size to a 2-cM region on chromosome 7. We herein performed an identical-by-descent analysis that defined the QTL within a 750-kb region. Historically, the large-ear feature has been selected for the ancient sacrificial culture in Erhualian pigs. By using a selective sweep analysis, we then refined the critical region to a 630-kb interval containing 9 annotated genes. Four of the 9 genes are expressed in ear tissues of piglets. Of the 4 genes, PPARD stood out as the strongest candidate gene for its established role in skin homeostasis, cartilage development, and fat metabolism. No differential expression of PPARD was found in ear tissues at different growth stages between large-eared Erhualian and small-eared Duroc pigs. We further screened coding sequence variants in the PPARD gene and identified only one missense mutation (G32E) in a conserved functionally important domain. The protein-altering mutation showed perfect concordance (100%) with the QTL genotypes of all 19 founder animals segregating in the White Duroc × Erhualian cross and occurred at high frequencies exclusively in Chinese large-eared breeds. Moreover, the mutation is of functional significance; it mediates down-regulation of β-catenin and its target gene expression that is crucial for fat deposition in skin. Furthermore, the mutation was significantly associated with ear size across the experimental cross and diverse outbred populations. A worldwide survey of haplotype diversity revealed that the mutation event is of Chinese origin, likely after domestication. Taken together, we provide evidence that PPARD G32E is the variation underlying this major QTL.