Ethanol addition enhances acid treatment to eliminate Lactobacillus fermentum from the fermentation process for fuel ethanol production

Fermentation is one of the most critical steps of the fuel ethanol production and it is directly influenced by the fermentation system, selected yeast, and bacterial contamination, especially from the genus Lactobacillus. To control the contamination, the industry applies antibiotics and biocides; however, these substances can result in an increased cost and environmental problems. The use of the acid treatment of cells (water‐diluted sulphuric acid, adjusted to pH 2·0–2·5) between the fermentation cycles is not always effective to combat the bacterial contamination. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of ethanol addition to the acid treatment to control the bacterial growth in a fed‐batch system with cell recycling, using the industrial yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE–2. When only the acid treatment was used, the population of Lactobacillus fermentum had a 3‐log reduction at the end of the sixth fermentation cycle; however, when 5% of ethanol was added to the acid solution, the viability of the bacterium was completely lost even after the first round of cell treatment. The acid treatment +5% ethanol was able to kill L. fermentum cells without affecting the ethanol yield and with a low residual sugar concentration in the fermented must.

Significance and Impact of the Study

In Brazilian ethanol‐producing industry, water‐diluted sulphuric acid is used to treat the cell mass at low pH (2·0) between the fermentative cycles. This procedure reduces the number of Lactobacillus fermentum from 10⁷ to 10⁴ CFU per ml. However, the addition of 5% ethanol to the acid treatment causes the complete loss of bacterial cell viability in fed‐batch fermentation with six cell recycles. The ethanol yield and yeast cell viability are not affected. These data indicate the feasibility of adding ethanol to the acid solution replacing the antibiotic use, offering a low cost and a low amount of residue in the biomass.     

In vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of MBRI-001, a deuterium-substituted plinabulin derivative as a potent anti-cancer agent

MBRI-001 was demonstrated preliminary better pharmacokinetics and antitumor effects than that of plinabulin in vivo. In this approach, we further carried out systematic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of MBRI-001 in vitro and in vivo. MBRI-001 was tested stable in rat plasma and more stable in liver microsomes than plinabulin in vitro. In vivo, MBRI-001 could be distributed rapidly and widely in various tissues, especially the concentration of MBRI-001 in lung was remarkably higher than other tissues. Excretion study indicated that MBRI-001 might been decomposed and excreted as metabolites. Additionally, the combination treatment of MBRI-001 and gefitinib revealed better antitumor inhibition rate than monotherapy in vivo. Therefore, we suggest that MBRI-001 could be developed as a promising anti-cancer agent in near future.     

地膜覆盖对北方旱地土壤水稳性团聚体及有机碳分布的影响

研究不同地膜覆盖时间对北方旱作农田土壤团聚体粒级稳定性和有机碳的影响,可为提升旱作农田生产力和保护农田环境选择合适的管理方式提供科学依据。以辽宁阜新5年秋覆膜(AP)、春覆膜(SP)和不覆膜(CK)的定位试验为研究对象,分析不同覆膜时间对0—10 cm和10—20 cm土层中2 mm、0.25—2 mm、0.053—0.25 mm和0.053 mm粒级的土壤水稳性团聚体的稳定性及有机碳的影响。结果表明,在北方旱作农田,连续5年的地膜覆盖可显著改变0—10 cm土层的土壤各级团聚体的分布、团聚体中有机碳的含量及其对土壤有机碳含量的贡献率,进而增加土壤水稳性团聚体的稳定性,而对10—20 cm土层影响不显著。与不覆膜相比,秋覆膜和春覆膜可显著提高0—10 cm土层2 mm的水稳性团聚体的含量,分别提高了36.3%、47.9%(P0.05),而对微团聚体无显著影响,说明地膜覆盖有利于提高大团聚体数量及稳定性。在0—10 cm土层,粒径2 mm团聚体有机碳含量及储量表现为秋覆膜最高,显著高于春覆膜和不覆膜处理(P0.05)。与裸地不覆膜相比,秋覆膜和春覆膜显著提高2 mm团聚体中有机碳含量对土壤有机碳的贡献率,分别提高了37%和26.1%(P0.05)。而在0—10 cm和10—20cm土层中,微团聚体中有机碳含量对土壤有机碳贡献率没有影响。在辽宁阜新土壤及种植条件下,秋覆膜处理不仅显著提高0—10 cm土壤水稳性大团聚体的含量和稳定性,还可以显著增加水稳性大团聚体有机碳含量及储量,促进有机碳的固存。     

种植碱蓬和秸秆覆盖对沿海滩涂极重度盐土盐分动态与脱盐效果的影响

为探明沿海滩涂极重度盐土盐分动态规律及其影响因子,并探讨盐生植被和秸秆覆盖下土壤的脱盐及控盐效果,2014年5月—2015年5月,在江苏沿海滩涂极重度盐土中进行田间试验,设置4种处理:对照(裸地,CK)、种植碱蓬(PS)、15 t·hm^-2秸秆覆盖(SM-A)和30t·hm^-2秸秆覆盖(SM-2A),监测气候因子和土壤盐分的动态变化.结果表明:(1)滩涂裸地表层土壤盐分具有显著的季节性变化特征,表现为在6—8月盐分降低至最低值(8.69g·kg^-1),9—12月呈现积盐作用,最大值为26.66 g·kg^-1;表层土壤盐分变化比亚表层更剧烈,而且亚表层盐分变化相对于表层具有一定的滞后性;(2)相关分析表明,滩涂裸地表层盐分变化与采样前15 d的累积降雨量及蒸降比具有显著的线性关系;多因子及互作逐步分析表明,降雨量增加可以显著促进脱盐作用,大气温度升高可加剧盐分积累,降雨量和大气温度的互作效应增加会对盐分累积产生正效应;(3)PS处理没有显著改变土壤盐分的季节性变化规律,但降低了表层土壤盐分;(4)SM-A和SM-2A条件下,土壤脱盐率与覆盖处理天数回归拟合符合Logistic曲线,且经过雨季覆盖处理90~100 d后表层土壤脱盐率均可达到95.0%以上,覆盖处理120 d后亚表层土壤脱盐率均可达到92.0%以上,之后表层和亚表层土壤盐分分别在0.60和1.00 g·kg^-1以下波动.综合考虑脱盐效果和经济投入,在梅雨季节前(4—5月)采用15 t·hm^-2秸秆覆盖,可能是未来滩涂极重度盐土进行快速脱盐和改良的重要措施.     

Performance of 11 tree species under different management treatments in restoration plantings in a tropical dry forest

Ecological restoration in tropical dry forests urgently needs to incorporate experimental evidence to increase effectiveness. The main barriers for tree establishment are adverse microenvironmental conditions and competition with exotic grasses. Therefore, management should address such barriers in order to enhance tree performance. We evaluated the effect of plastic mulching, grass removal, and no management on survival after 2 months and stem volume and canopy size after 2 years and integrated response index (IRI) in plantings of 11 native tree species with different growth rates in pastures near the tropical dry forest of Chamela, Mexico. Results revealed that: (1) initial seedling mortality was minimal in all treatments (8%) and lowest under no management (2%); (2) plastic mulching, but not grass removal, leads to increased size for most species, irrespective of their growth rank; (3) a trade‐off between initial plant survival and size after 2 years occurred due to plastic mulching; and (4) most species showed similar values of the IRI because of high survival, stem volume, or canopy cover. Grass removal decreased early survival of all species and increased stem volume only for one slow‐growing species. The use of plastic mulching increased stem volume for slow‐growing species, whereas fast‐growing species developed larger canopies with that treatment. Effects of grass removal and mulching seem to be very species‐specific and not dependent in growth rank of species, although overall mulching seems to provide better conditions for seedling performance than grass removal alone.     

Comparative transcriptional profiling analysis of the effect of heat waves during embryo incubation on the hatchlings of the Chinese soft‐shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

Temperature is one of most the important environmental factors that affect the ontogenesis of organisms. In this study, we incubated Chinese soft‐shelled turtle eggs at 28°C (control temperature, C treatment), a temperature with a 16°C cold shock and a 36°C heat shock twice per week (S treatment) or a ramp‐programmed temperature of 29 ± 9°C (with 12 hr (+) and 12 hr (?) every day) (F treatment). The incubation period, hatching success, hatchling weight, and locomotor performance were significantly different between the controls and the different heat treatment groups. The pathogen challenge results illustrated that hatchlings from the S treatment group were more resistant to bacterial infection, whereas hatchlings from the F treatment group were more vulnerable. We used RNA‐seq quantification analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of hatchlings in the S treatment group. Based on the functional annotation results for the DEGs, 9 genes were chosen to verify the RNA‐seq results. The background expression of DEGs was also analyzed for the three treatments, as was the regulation of the pathogen challenge. The results showed that 8 DEGs were related to the immune response after pathogen challenge and that temperature was an important factor in differential regulation of the immunity pathways.     

A METHOD FOR EXTRACTION OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT DNA FROM THE MACROALGA PORPHYRA YEZOENSIS (RHODOPHYTA)1,2

We developed a method for extraction of DNA from the red alga Porphyra yezoensis Ueda. The method consists of three preparation steps that include CsCl-gradient ultracentrifugation, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide treatment, and a final RNase step. The amount of DNA extracted from 1.5 g of starting material averaged 17.7 μg. The resulting DNA had a high molecular weight, was 25-166 kb in length, was digested with five common restriction enzymes, and showed no nuclease activity. It was of sufficient quality for construction of genomic libraries.     

Effect of intermittent CO2 enrichment during nutrient starvation on tertiary treatment of wastewater by alginate-immobilized Scenedesmus bicellularis

A method of accelerating the removal of ammonium and phosphate by the unicellular microalga Scenedesmus bicellularis is presented for municipal tertiary wastewater treatment using immobilized cells to obtain a high quality of effluents. Microalgal cells grown in defined medium were harvested by centrifugation and stored at 4°C in the dark for 8 months before immobilization. The concentrated cell suspension was then immobilized in alginate films supported on polypropylene screens. Immobilized cells were incubated in a water-saturated air stream enriched with CO₂ at 750, 1,000, or 1,500 ppm for 3 h periods followed by 2 h periods without enrichment. The quantitative effects of these three CO₂ enrichments on nutrient uptake from secondary municipal wastewater effluent were compared to a control laboratory air at 320 ppm under the same conditions of illumination, photoperiod, and humidity. The exposure cycle of 48-h nutrient deprivation in air with CO₂ enrichment followed by 2 h of nutrient uptake from wastewater was repeated three times with a residual NH₄---N content dropping to 0% after 105 min for the 1,500 ppm CO₂ treatment and to 34% of the initial level after 120 min for the control treatment. Complete PO₄---P removal required more than 2 h. The chlorophyll a contents obtained with 1,000 and 1,500 ppm CO₂ enrichments were comparable. This study establishes that intermittent CO₂ enrichment during nutrient deprivation of immobilized microalgal cells in a water-saturated air stream may accelerate tertiary wastewater treatment.     

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration inMedicago suffruticosa

A successful procedure has been designed for the regeneration of plantlets from leaf sections of the self-pollinating species,Medicago suffruticosa. Callus growth was promoted by a 4-week culture period on liquid Kao's medium containing 4.9 M benzyladenine and 4.5 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d), followed by a 4-day treatment in which the benzyladenine was elevated to 44.4 M. Shoots/plantlets were observed after 3–4 weeks culture on growth regulator-free agar-solidified medium. Under these conditions, the regeneration frequency from callus was 18% and a histological study showed that this regeneration was through somatic embryogenesis. The growth regulator treatment, with a relatively high concentration of growth regulators (44.4 M benzyladenine) for a short time period (4 days), is important for inhibiting polyphenol compounds and for stimulating callus growth and plant regeneration.Abbreviations 2,4-d 2,4-dichiorophenoxyacetic acid - BA benzyladenine - NAA -napthaleneacetic acid