Biodiesel fuel production via transesterification of oils using lipase biocatalyst

Biodiesel has gained widespread importance in recent years as an alternative, renewable liquid transportation fuel. It is derived from natural triglycerides in the presence of an alcohol and an alkali catalyst via a transesterification reaction. To date, transesterification based on the use of chemical catalysts has been predominant for biodiesel production at the industrial scale due to its high conversion efficiency at reasonable cost. Recently, biocatalytic transesterification has received considerable attention due to its favorable conversion rate and relatively simple downstream processing demands for the recovery of by-products and purification of biodiesel. Biocatalysis of the transesterification reaction using commercially purified lipase represents a major cost constraint. However, more cost-effective techniques based on the immobilization of both extracellular and intracellular lipases on support materials facilitate the reusability of the catalyst. Other variables, including the presence of alcohol, glycerol and the activity of water can profoundly affect lipase activity and stability during the reaction. This review evaluates the current status for lipase biocatalyst-mediated production of biodiesel, and identifies the key parameters affecting lipase activity and stability. Pioneer studies on reactor-based lipase conversion of triglycerides are presented.     

The fertilization—induced Ca^2＋ oscillation in mouse oocytes is cytoplasmic maturation dependent

Mature eggs (at metaphase II stage) produce a series of Ca^2 oscillation at fertilization.To define whether the fertilization-induced Ca^2 oscillation is restrict to the metaphase II eggs and cell cycle dependent,mouse oocytes at prophase I (arrested at germinal vesicle stage),metaphase I,metaphase II,as well as the pronuclear embryos at interphase of the first mitotic division derived from fertilization of parthenogenetic activation were inseminated after removal of zona pellucida,The results show that the fertilization-induced Ca^2 oscillation is not specific to metaphase II eggs.This is supported by the fact that immature oocytes generated the Ca^2 oscillations at fertilization regardless of their nuclear progression from prophase I to metaphase I (in vitro matured) stage.More interestingly,it was first found that pronuclear embryos at interphase derived from parthenogenetic activation showed Ca^2 oscillations in response to fertilization while the zygotes at interphase did not after reinsemination or intracytoplasmic injection of sperm extracts which induce Ca^2 oscillations in MII eggs.This suggests that the ability of oocytes to generate Ca^2 oscillation in response to sperm penetration is not regulated in a cell cycle dependent manner but dependent on the cytoplasmic maturation.     

纳米二氧化钛对生菜的生长效应分析

为了阐明纳米二氧化钛颗粒(TiO₂NPs)对生菜(Lactuca sativa)生长的影响，采用自行设计的水培装置探究不同浓度TiO₂NPs (300~1 200 mg/L)下，生菜生长和生理生化指标的变化。结果表明，300 mg/L TiO₂NPs能促进生菜幼苗的根长、茎长、叶表面积、鲜重和干重；随着TiO₂ NPs浓度增大，生菜的生长指标呈现下降趋势，但仍优于对照组。生菜体内的抗氧化酶(SOD、POD)在低TiO₂ NPs浓度(300 mg/L)时，活性明显下降；随着TiO₂ NPs浓度增大，这两种抗氧化酶活性逐渐增强。因此，生菜对TiO₂NPs胁迫具有浓度依赖性，表现为“低促高抑”，且能够通过抗氧化酶系统来减轻TiO₂NPs伤害。     

Plasma Equine γ-Globulin in Tolerant Adult Dogs given Anti-lymphocyte Globulin

THIS report describes a positive correlation between sequential serum concentrations of EγG and the dosage schedule of equine anti-dog-lymphocyte globulin (EADLG) in dogs in which tolerance was induced by pretreatment with ultra-centrifuged EγG (tolerogen). This was in marked contrast to results in dogs which were not pretreated with tolerogen.