The Significance of the Internal Nutrient Load to Hypertrophic Shallow Waters

In two carp ponds with a long water residence time, the seasonal changes in concentration and internal mass-flow of inorganic nutrients have been estimated together with oxygen production P_N of phytoplankton and community respiration. The results were compared with the findings from laboratory microcosms (LM) with a high recycle rate between a) euphotic and b) aphotic + sediment compartment. In the LM's, a dark period of at least 12 hours was necessary for optimum remobilization of CO₂, PO⁻ and NH. Very high values of P_N were measured even if external nutrient sources were missing. Low nutrient concentrations could be compensated by high vertical fluxes. A cycle of nocturnal mixing and of thermal stratification with anoxia at the mud water interface which increases nutrient regeneration seems to be the principal mechanism which maintains very high P_N in hypertrophic shallow waters.     

Derepressive effect of NH on hydrogen production by deleting the glnA1 gene in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Purple non‐sulfur (PNS) bacteria produce hydrogen by photofermentation of organic acids in wastewater. However, NH in wastewater may inhibit hydrogen synthesis by repressing the expression and activity of nitrogenase, the enzyme catalyzing hydrogen production in PNS bacteria. In this study, the Rhodobacter sphaeroides 6016 glnA gene encoding glutamine synthetase (GS) was knocked out by homologous recombination, and the effects on hydrogen production and nitrogenase activity were examined. Using 3 mM glutamine as the nitrogen source, hydrogen production (1,245–1,588 mL hydrogen/L culture) and nitrogenase activity were detected in the mutant in the presence of relatively high NH concentrations (15–40 mM), whereas neither was detected in the wild‐type strain under the same conditions. Further analysis indicated that high NH concentrations greatly inhibited the expression of nifA and nitrogenase gene in the wild‐type strain but not in the glnA1^? mutant. These observations suggest that GS is essential to NH repression of nitrogenase and that deletion of glnA1 results in the complete derepression of nitrogenase by preventing NH assimilation in vivo, thus relieving the inhibition of nifA and nitrogenase gene expression. Knocking out glnA1 therefore provides an efficient approach to removing the inhibitory effects of ammonium ions in R. sphaeroides and possibly in other hydrogen‐producing PNS bacteria. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;106: 564–572. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Characterization of the transition state of Lysozyme unfolding. I. Effect of protein-solvent interactions on the transition state

The influence of proline cis-trans isomerization on the kinetics of lysozyme unfolding was examined carefully according to the theory of Hagerman and Baldwin [(1976) Biochemistry 15, 1462–1473]. As a result, the kinetics of lysozyme unfolding was found to follow the two-state transition model well. The temperature dependencies of k_uf and k_f over a wide temperature range showed that ΔC = 0 and ΔC = ?6.7 kJ K^?1 mol^?1 in solutions of different concentrations of GuHCl. The data observed in solutions containing other denaturants also supported the conclusion that ΔC is nearly equal to zero. The activation enthalpies of unfolding (ΔH) were observed at various concentrations of several kinds of denaturants. They were independent of species and concentrations of denaturants ΔH = 200 kJ mol^?1). These facts indicate that the aspect of interaction between protein and different kinds of solvent molecules varies only slightly during the unfolding to the transition state, that is, the transition state is at compact as the native one. Therefore, it is also suggested that ΔH of 200 kJ mol^?1 is primarily required for the disruption of long-range interactions among different structural domains through a subtle conformational change. We compared the effects of several kinds of denaturants on the unfolding rate. The addition of PrOH more remarkably increases the unfolding rate than do other hydrophilic denaturants. This is probably because PrOH molecules can penetrate into the hydrophobic core of lysozyme, but hydrophilic reagents cannot because of the compactness of the transition state.     

Conformational analysis of acetyl-L-phenylalanine p-acetyl and p-valeryl anilides

Empirical force-field calculations and ir and ¹H-nmr spectra indicate that five-membered (C₅) and seven-membered (C) hydrogen-bonded rings are the preferred conformations of acetyl-L -Phe p-acetyl and p-valeryl anilides in nonpolar media. The C₅/C ratio was found to be dependent on the dryness of the solute and the solvent. This fact and the results from conformational-energy calculations suggest that a molecule of water participates in the stabilization of the C conformation.     

Einfluß extracellulärer Kaliuminoenkonzentrationen auf die celluläre Natriumionenkonzentration von Lodderomyces elongisporus D

It was found that the cellular Na⁺-concentration (C) of Lodderomyces elongisporus D is depended on the extracellular K⁺-concentration (C). The relationship can be described by an equation in the form The function of the natrium ion seem to be to support the utilisation rate of potassium ion at lower extracellular K⁺-concentration.     

Regulation of changes in cytosolic Ca2+ and Na+ concentrations in rat submandibular gland acini exposed to carbachol and ATP

The relationship between cytosolic concentrations of Ca²⁺ (Ca) and Na⁺ (Na) were studied in preparations of rat submandibular and pancreatic acini loaded with the Ca²⁺-sensitive dye Fura-2 or the Na⁺-sensitive dye SBFI. Pancreatic acini showed no changes in Na during either transient or persistent changes in Ca. Increases in Ca produced by exposure of submandibular gland acini to carbachol, a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, were followed by an increase in Na after a delay of 5–10 s. When Ca²⁺ stores were mobilized without Ca²⁺ influx Na also increased, but in acini loaded with BAPTA, a nonfluorescent Ca²⁺ chelator, the transient increase in Ca²⁺ caused by mobilization of stored Ca²⁺ was virtually abolished, as was the increase in Na. In the presence of ionomycin, increases in Ca were followed by increases in Na. Ca²⁺-dependent increases in Na were abolished in Na⁺-free buffer and by the presence of furosemide, a blocker of Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl⁻ cotransport. In other studies, extracellular ATP (ATP_o) produced an increase in Ca and Na. The steady-state increase in Ca was reduced by increasing extracellular Na⁺ concentrations (Na) in dose-dependent fashion (IC₅₀ = 16.4 ± 4.7 mM Na⁺). Likewise, increasing Na reduced ATP_o-stimulated ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake at steady state (IC₅₀ = 15.8 ± 9.2 mM Na⁺). Changing Na had no effect on carbachol-stimulated increases in Ca. We conclude that, in rat submandibular gland acini, ATP_o promotes an increase in Ca and Na via a common influx pathway and that, under physiologic conditions, Na⁺ significantly limits the ATP_o-stimulated increase in Ca. In the presence of carbachol, however, Na rises in Ca-dependent fashion in submandibular gland acini via stimulation of Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl⁻ cotransport. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Order–Disorder conformation change of xanthan in 0.01M aqueous sodium chloride: Dimensional behavior

Weight-average molecular weights M_w, second virial coefficients, and z-average radii of gyration 〈S²〉 were determined by light scattering as a function of temperature T for four sodium salt samples of xanthan in 0.01M aqueous NaCl, in which the polysaccharide undergoes an order–disorder conformation change with increasing T. The data for 〈S²〉 and M_w at 25 and 80°C, the lowest and highest temperatures studied, confirmed the previous conclusion that the predominant conformation at the former T, i.e., in the ordered state, is a double helix, while that at the latter T, i.e., in the disordered state, is a dimerized coil expanded by electrostatic repulsions between charged groups of the polymer. As T was increased from 25 to 80°C, 〈S²〉 sigmoidally decreased or increased depending on the dimer's molecular weight. This temperature dependence of 〈S²〉 and that determined elsewhere for a high molecular weight sample were found to be described almost quantitatively by a simple dimer model in which the double helix melts from both ends, when the double-helical fraction in the dimer at a given T estimated previously from optical rotation data was used.     

On the blue color of triiodide ions in starch and starch fractions. I. Characterization and assignment of absorption and circular dichroism spectra of triiodide ions in amylose

Four fundamental Raman lines were observed at 159, 111, 55 and 27 cm^-1 corresponding to the I bound (I) in amyloses with DP from 20 to 100, regardless of the degree of polymerization of I and the excitation wavelength. The spectral resolution was based on the molar extinction coefficient and molar ellipticity spectra of I. Eight bands, named, S₁, S₂, ?, S₈ from long to short wavelength, were isolated. These were found regardless of the DP. By a resonance excitation Raman study, the characteristics of S₃ and S₄, comprising the shoulder around 480 nm, were found to be different from those of S₁ and S₂, comprising the blue band. The assignment of the spectra was based on the electronic states of the monomeric I in the exciton-coupled dimeric unit. It was concluded that the blue band (S₁,S₂) belonged to the long-axis transitions and the shoulder band (S₃,S₄) to the short-axis ones on the monmeric coordinate system.     

Biopolymer–surfactant interaction. I. Kinetics of binding of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide with carboxymethyl cellulose (Na Salt)

The kinetics of binding of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide with the Na salt of carboxymethyl cellulose was studied by the electrometric method using cetyltrimetlyl ammonium⁺ (CTA⁺) ion-selective polyvinyl chloride membrane electrode. The binding process followed the first-order kinetics and occurred in three stages. Its affinity increased with increasing CTA bromide concentration and decreased with ionic strength. The activation process comprised moderate E and ΔH^≠ and negative ΔS^≠ for all three stages with a ΔH^≠ < TδS^≠ trend proving it to be entropy controlled. The ΔG^≠ values followed the trend ΔG < ΔG < ΔG (in accordance with k₁ > k₂ > k₃). The enthalpies (ΔH^≠) and entropies (ΔS^≠) of activation followed a systematic and interdependent trend. The multiple-stage binding kinetics is grossly comparable with the kinetics of binding of proteins to solid surfaces. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Gas balance method for testing of microbial growth efficiency after carbon substrate pulse

The present paper deals with the analysis of the amount of oxygen utilized for oxidation of a small dose of carbon substrate in carbon limited Brevibacterium flavum culture. The ratio of the measured oxygen consumption (mo₂) to the amount of added carbon substrate (m_s) gives a stoichiometric coefficient of the biological oxidation equation. A linear relationship between mo₂ and m_s was observed. To compare the efficiency of different carbon substrate utilization there has been introduced a normalized value β = m/m. There exists a simple relationship between β and the thermodynamical growth efficiency η The theoretical considerations are proved by experimental results with β, η and Y_x/s in a chemostat culture at various medium flow rates.     

Compressibility studies of three proteins in CsCI solutions in the analytical ultracentrifuge

The compositional buoyant densities, ρ;, of human γ-immunoglobulin, bovine serum mercaptalbumin, and egg albumin have been measured in CsCl solutions in the analytical ultracentrifuge as a function or pressure. Standard pressure coefficients, ψ⁰, and standard partial specific volumes of the solvated proteins, υ ,0, have been computed from these data. The ψ⁰ values obtained are strikingly different from each other and from the only other pressure coefficients which have been measured, those values obtained for nucleic acids and nucleoproteins. The ψ value for γ-immunoglobulin is negative, the first nonpositive value obtained, and suggests an unusual internal structure for this protein. The pressure coefficient of mercaptalbumin is not constant. A second-order relation is derived and utilized to interpret these data. The slope of the ρ(P) plot for egg albumin was constant and negative and yielded values of ψ⁰ which are about 20% as large as those reported for DNA. Evaluation of published isopiestic data for egg albumin in CsCl solutions provided the dependence of preferential hydration on water activity. This quantity, (dΓ′/da) as well as α, were found to be negative. The values of ψ⁰ and α were used to compute the effective density gradient from which the correct molecular weight of egg albumin was obtained. The apparent specific volume of egg albumin in a buoyant CsCl solution was measured using the Mettler-Paar densimeter.     

A population genetic study of the Banks and Torres Islands (Vanuatu) and of the Santa Cruz Islands and polynesian outliers (Solomon Islands)

As part of a multidisciplinary survey of populations in the Banks and Torres Islands of Vanuatu and the Southern and Central Districts of the Solomon Islands, nearly 2,400 persons have been tested for ABO blood groups and a number of serum protein and red cell enzyme genetic marker systems. For the ABO system, the populations are characterized in general by high gene O and low gene B frequencies except in two of the Polynesian Outlier Islands, Rennell and Bellona, which have high frequencies of B. Among the serum proteins, several alleles have distributions indicating significant movement of people between islands. These include Albumin ^{New Guinea} and the transferrin alleles Tf, and Tf, and Tf. Similar specific alleles for red cell enzymes also show distributions reflecting interisland population movement as well as contact with persons from outside the southern Pacific region. Examples are ACP in the acid phosphatase system, PGM and PGM, PGM and PGM, PGK⁴ and also HbJ^Tongariki. The data available for 11 polymorphic systems were used to generate genetic distances. Of the four Polynesian Outlier Islands, Anuta is most remote genetically, with Rennell and Bellona also relatively isolated. The fourth Polynesian Outlier, Tikopia, occupies a position genetically close to the Melanesian populations of the Banks and Torres Islands and the southern Solomons. The history of early European contact and voyaging in the Pacific, as well as archaeological and linguistic evidence and local legends, indicate that significant movements of people occurred between islands and provided opportunities for genes to be introduced from Europeans, Africans, and Asians. The genetic marker studies give evidence for genes from all these sources, though at a low level. Despite this admixture, the Polynesian Outlier and Melanesian populations have preserved their own distinctive genetic patterns.     

Effects of temperature on microbial ethanol production. II. A thermodynamic interpretation of the temperature profile curve of ethanol production

An attempt is made to give a thermodynamic interpretation of the complete temperature profile curve of ethanol formation. Taking into consideration an enhancing competition between thermal activation and thermal deactivation of ethanol formation at increasing temperatures and supposing that the ethanol production is affected by a reversible and an irreversible term of thermal deactivation of a modified ARRHENIUS equation being current for the total biokinetic sphere may be derived: . The quantities ΔH and ΔH^D_2T are identical with the temperature functions of the change of entropy caused by reversible and irreversible deactivation of ethanol formation, respectively. Accordingly for the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sc 5 the calculated entropy coefficients of reversible and irreversible thermal deactivation of ethanol formation amount to C = (0.245± 0.013) kJ/mol · deg.² and C = (1.657 ± 0.046) kJ/mol · deg.².     

Optimum Designs for Estimating the Variance Components in a Simple Variance Component Model (Model II), I

The methods of optimal designing of experiments proposed by WALD (1943) are used for determination of an A_σ2-optimal concrete design for estimation of σ^2′ = (σ, σ) in case of one-way analysis of variance. Starting point of definition of the optimality criterion is a quadratic loss matrix.     

A Note on the Characterization of the Normal Distribution

Suppose X₁, X₂,…, X_n are independent and identically distributed random variables with absolutely continuous distribution function F. It is known that if F is standard normal distribution then (i)∑X²_i is a chi-square with n degrees of freedom and (ii)nX¯² is a chi-square with 1 degrees of freedom where X¯=1/n ∑X_i. Here the above two properties are utilized to characterize the normal distribution.     

An Unbalanced Mixed Model with Random Effects Having Unequal Variances

Consider the mixed model where x_ijk's are known constants, β_k are unknown parameters and a_i, e_ij are random variables independently and normally distributed with zero means and variances σd_i and σ² respectively, where it is assumed that the d_i's are known (d_i >0). This paper presents procedures for estimating the variance components σ, σ², for testing the hypothesis σ = 0, and for making transformations to random variables with uncorrelated errors and constant variances in order to estimate as well as to test hypothesis concerning the β_k's in the model.     

Conformation study of poly(γ-methyl-L-glutamate) in helicogenic solvents by small-angle X-ray scattering

Small-angle x-ray scattering of poly(γ-methyl-L -glutamate), [Glu(OMe)]_n, in m-cresol and in pyridine was measured to determine the mass per unit length, M_q, and the radius of gyration of the cross section, 〈S〉^1/2. It was confirmed from the values of M_q that [Glu(OMe)]_n exists in an α-helical conformation in these solvents. It was elucidated from the calculations on 〈S〉^1/2 that the side chains come in moderately close contact with the main chain in these solvents. It was indicated from the analysis of the outer portion of the scattering curves that the side-chain conformation varied depending on the solvent.     

Determination of enantiomerization barriers of hypericin and pseudohypericin by dynamic high‐performance liquid chromatography on immobilized polysaccharide‐type chiral stationary phases and off‐column racemization experiments

Direct enantiomer separation of hypericin, pseudohypericin, and protohypericin was accomplished by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using immobilized polysaccharide‐type chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Enantioselectivities up to 1.30 were obtained in the polar‐organic elution mode whereby for hypericin and pseudohypericin Chiralpak IC [chiral selector being cellulose tris(3,5‐dichlorophenylcarbamate)] and for protohypericin Chiralpak IA (chiral selector being the 3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate of amylose) gave favorable results. Enantiomers were distinguished by on‐line electronic circular dichroism detection. Optimized enantioselective chromatographic conditions were the basis for determining stereodynamic parameters of the enantiomer interconversion process of hypericin and pseudohypericin. Rate constants delivered by computational simulation of dynamic HPLC elution profiles (stochastic model, consideration of peak tailing) were used to calculate averaged enantiomerization barriers (ΔG) of 97.6–99.6 kJ/mol for both compounds (investigated temperature range 25–45°C). Complementary variable temperature off‐column (i.e., in solution) racemization experiments delivered ΔG = 97.1–98.0 kJ/mol (27–45°C) for hypericin and ΔG = 98.9–101.4 kJ/mol (25–55°C) for pseudohypericin. An activation enthalpy of ΔH^# = 86.0 kJ/mol and an activation entropy of ΔS^# = ?37.7 J/(K mol) were calculated from hypericin racemization kinetics in solution, whereas for pseudohypericin these figures amounted to 74.1 kJ/mol and ?82.6 J/(K mol), respectively. Although the natural phenanthroperylene quinone pigments hypericin and pseudohypericin as well as their biological precursor protohypericin are chiral and can be separated by enantioselective HPLC low enantiomerization barriers seem to prevent the occurrence of an excess of one enantiomer under typical physiological conditions—at least as long as stereoselective intermolecular interactions with other chiral entities are absent. Chirality 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.