Anaerobic decolorisation of simulated textile wastewater containing azo dyes

The effects of the addition of powered particles of kaolin to nitrifying activated sludge systems were studied. Kaolin was added to a nitrifying activated sludge reactor, during the operational phase, to observe the effects of this clay on reactor performance. The results were compared to those obtained from a similar unit operated without kaolin. The settling properties of the sludges from both units were similar (sludge volume index (SVI) of 14.5 ml/g VSS; zone settling velocity (ZSV) of 7.5 m/h), but the specific nitrifying activities of ammonia and nitrite oxidizing processes were enhanced up to 75% and 50%, respectively, when kaolin was added. The mechanism of action of kaolin was not clear. Additional ammonia, nitrite and nitrate adsorption tests showed that these compounds were not adsorbed by kaolin. This demonstrated that no beneficial effect was caused by adsorption of either substrates or products. Short-term activity tests also showed that the stimulating effects of kaolin on specific activity were not immediate. The effects of kaolin when nitrifying units were operated under unfavorable conditions were also evaluated: In a second set of experiments, a nitrifying unit was operated with low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), with and without kaolin. The presence of kaolin exerted practically no effect on ammonia oxidation but nitrite oxidation slightly diminished. In a third set of experiments, a nitrifying unit was subjected to pH shocks (9, 10 and 11) over 3 h with pH then restored to 7.8. A pH shock of 11 caused a decrease of 60% in nitrifying activity for 12 days. When kaolin was added to this unit the efficiency of the system was completely restored in 4 days. Therefore, kaolin might be useful to restore damaged units.     

Foregut Mesenchyme Contributes Cells to Islets during Pancreatic Development in a 3-Dimensional Avian Model

Current interest in the potential use of pancreatic stem-cells in the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus has led to increased research into normal pancreatic development. Pancreatic organogenesis involves branching morphogenesis of undifferentiated epithelium within surrounding mesenchyme. Current understanding is that the pancreatic islets develop exclusively from the epithelium of the embryonic buds. However, a cellular contribution to islets by mesenchyme has not been conclusively excluded. We present evidence that the mesenchyme of both the dorsal pancreatic bud and stomach rudiment make a substantial contribution of cells to islets during development in a three-dimensional avian model. These data suggest that mesenchyme can be a source not only of signals but also of cells for the definitive epithelia, making pancreatic organogenesis more akin to that of the kidney than to other endodermal organs. This raises the possibility for the use of mesenchymal cells as stem-or progenitor-cells for islet transplantation.Key Words: islets, stem-cells, development, epithelium, mesenchyme, pancreas, stomach, chick-quail, 3-dimensional, endocrine     

Ndfip Proteins Target Robo Receptors for Degradation and Allow Commissural Axons to Cross the Midline in the Developing Spinal Cord

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DJ-1 deficiency alleviates steatosis in cultured hepatocytes

Imbalance in lipid metabolism within hepatocytes can lead to hepatosteatosis, which is a cause of numerous hepatic dysfunctions. Previous studies have demonstrated the roles of DJ-1 in Parkinson’s disease, diet-induced oxidative stress, obesity, and diabetes. Although recent studies have shown that DJ-1 is involved in metabolic complications, the roles of DJ-1 in steatosis are largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to elucidate the potential roles of DJ-1 in hepatosteatosis in vitro. Normal rat liver cells Clone 9 (C9) were treated with 1 mM oleic acid (OA) for 24 h for establishment of a steatosis model, after which various biochemical parameters, including triglyceride, total cholesterol, and free fatty acid contents, were determined after knockdown with Dj1- specific siRNA. Silencing of Dj1 prevented hepatic steatosis by suppressing expression of hepatic lipogenic markers, which was confirmed by immunoblotting and real-time PCR analysis. Up-regulation of mitochondrial and β- oxidation-associated proteins showed potential to reduce fat accumulation in the liver. Silencing of Dj1 resulted in alleviation of steatosis by reducing lipogenesis and improving mitochondrial biogenesis. Further in vivo studies will be required to understand the molecular mechanism behind the role of DJ-1 in steatosis.     

Enhanced ethanol fermentation of brewery wastewater using the genetically modified strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli </Emphasis>KO11

We have used liquid waste obtained from a beer brewery process to produce ethanol. To increase the productivity, genetically modified organism, Escherichia coli KO11, was used for ethanol fermentation. Yeast was also used to produce ethanol from the same feed stock, and the ethanol production rates and resulting concentrations of sugars and ethanol were compared with those of KO11. In the experiments, first the raw wastewater was directly fermented using two strains with no saccharification enzymes added. Then, commercial enzymes, α-amylase, pectinase, or a combination of both, were used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, and the results were compared with those of the no-enzyme experiments for KO11 and yeast. Under the given conditions with or without the enzymes, yeast produced ethanol more rapidly than E. coli KO11, but the final ethanol concentrations were almost the same. For both yeast and KO11, the enzymes were observed to enhance the ethanol yields by 61–84% as compared to the fermentation without enzymes. The combination of the two enzymes increased ethanol production the most for the both strains. The advantages of using KO11 were not demonstrated clearly as compared to the yeast fermentation results.     

The Sm protein methyltransferase PRMT5 is not required for primordial germ cell specification in mice

PRMT5 is a type II protein arginine methyltransferase with roles in stem cell biology, reprograming, cancer and neurogenesis. During embryogenesis in the mouse, it was hypothesized that PRMT5 functions with the master germline determinant BLIMP1 to promote primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. Using a Blimp1‐Cre germline conditional knockout, we discovered that Prmt5 has no major role in murine germline specification, or the first global epigenetic reprograming event involving depletion of cytosine methylation from DNA and histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation from chromatin. Instead, we discovered that PRMT5 functions at the conclusion of PGC reprograming I to promote proliferation, survival and expression of the gonadal germline program as marked by MVH. We show that PRMT5 regulates gene expression by promoting methylation of the Sm spliceosomal proteins and significantly altering the spliced repertoire of RNAs in mammalian embryonic cells and primordial cells.     

Steric Considerations on Improving the Diastereomeric Ratio of (+)‐ and (−)‐Neomenthyl Phenyl Sulfoxides Using Bulky‐Headed Oxidant Hexadecyltrimethylammonium Periodate and Assignment of Their Configuration

The bulky‐headed oxidant hexadecyltrimethylammonium periodate affords the diastereomeric pairs, (Ss)‐(+)/(Rs)‐(+) and (Ss)‐(?)/(Rs)‐(?)‐neomenthyl phenyl sulfoxides in stereochemically pure states with improved diastereomeric excess (48% diastereomeric excess [de]) as compared to its nonbulky counterpart, sodium metaperiodate (28% de) from respective (+)/(?)‐neomenthyl phenyl sulfides. Steric effects involving the head group volume of hexadecyltrimethylammonium periodate is found to play a role in improving the diastereomeric ratio of the products. The two diastereomers can be readily separated by column chromatography. Absolute configuration at the sulfur center in (+)‐neomenthyl phenyl sulfoxide was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography and found to be Ss. Relative configurations of other sulfoxides were assigned based on the configuration of (+)‐neomenthyl phenyl sulfoxide. Chirality 27:370–374, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Neurological Response to cART vs. cART plus Integrase Inhibitor and CCR5 Antagonist Initiated during Acute HIV

Objective

To compare central nervous system (CNS) outcomes in participants treated during acute HIV infection with standard combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) vs. cART plus integrase inhibitor and CCR5 antagonist (cART+).

Design

24-week randomized open-label prospective evaluation.

Method

Participants were evaluated then randomized to initiate cART (efavirenz, tenofovir, and either emtricitabine or lamivudine) vs. cART+ (cART plus raltegravir and maraviroc) during acute HIV and re-evaluated at 4, 12 and 24 weeks. We examined plasma and CSF cytokines, HIV RNA levels, neurological and neuropsychological findings, and brain MRS across groups and compared to healthy controls.

Results

At baseline, 62 participants were in Fiebig stages I-V. Randomized groups were similar for mean age (27 vs. 25, p = 0.137), gender (each 94% male), plasma log₁₀ HIV RNA (5.4 vs. 5.6, p = 0.382), CSF log₁₀ HIV RNA (2.35 vs. 3.31, p = 0.561), and estimated duration of HIV (18 vs. 17 days, p = 0.546). Randomized arms did not differ at 24 weeks by any CNS outcome. Combining arms, all measures concurrent with antiretroviral treatment improved, for example, neuropsychological testing (mean NPZ-4 of -0.408 vs. 0.245, p<0.001) and inflammatory markers by MRS (e.g. mean frontal white matter (FWM) choline of 2.92 vs. 2.84, p = 0.045) at baseline and week 24, respectively. Plasma neopterin (p<0.001) and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) (p = 0.007) remained elevated in participants compared to controls but no statistically significant differences were seen in CSF cytokines compared to controls, despite individual variability among the HIV-infected group.

Conclusions

A 24-week course of cART+ improved CNS related outcomes, but was not associated with measurable differences compared to standard cART.     

Cholesterol biotransformation to androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione by growing cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chryseobacterium gleum</Emphasis>

Cholesterol oxidase activity was studied during biotransformation of cholesterol to androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) by Chryseobacterium gleum. Spent LB media, containing cholesterol (3 mM≈1 g l⁻¹) where the bacterium was grown for 24 h, at 30°C with constant shaking at 120 rpm, had the highest enzyme activity (167 U mg⁻¹). The growing cells produced 0.076 g ADD from 1 g cholesterol l⁻¹.