Effect of calcium carbonate on conversion of starch to ethanol by Schwanniomyces castellii

Conversion of starch to ethanol without its prior hydrolysis is of special interest in the treatment of the starch containing waste-waters. In this work the effect of calcium carbonate on the growth and ethanol production from soluble starch by Schwanniomyces castellii NRC 2676 was studied. When the medium was supplemented with 0.1% calcium carbonate the biomass yield and the total starch consumption were increased by 20% and 22%, respectively, while the ethanol yield decreased for 28% in comparison with the control. The rate of biomass production, measured for the period of time between 0 and 24 h, was the highest in the medium with 0.06% calcium carbonate while the rates of ethanol production and starch consumption decreased with and increase in the concentration of that salt; the media with 0.5% and 0.7% calcium carbonate had 3.5 and 5.5 times lower ethanol production rates, and 2.3 and 3.8 times lower rates of starch consumption than the control medium which was not supplemented with calcium carbonate, respectively. The obtained results also showed that the percentage of starch consumed was higher in the media supplemented with calcium carbonate than in the control. Empirical mathematical expressions are given for the relationship of the biomass and ethanol yields to the concentration of calcium carbonate in the medium.     

Articulation of the pelvic spine in acanthopterygian fishes,with notes on its phylogenetic implications

The pelvic spine articulation in 88 non-squamipinne acanthopterygian species belonging to 59 families and 8 orders was examined. For most acanthopterygians, the pelvic bone lacks a foramen for the attachment of the pelvic spine flanges and this structural condition is considered a primitive acanthopterygian state. Only in Caproidae, Leiognathidae, and Polynemidae among the examined species do the pelvic spine flanges fuse through a foramen in the pelvic bone and this articulation is considered most derived. In the remaining acanthopterygians examined, the pelvic spine flanges butt against each other through the pelvic foramen. However, these flanges do not fuse. This structure is considered an intermediate state. The possible phylogenetic implication of these articulating states regarding acanthopterygian phylogeny is discussed.     

Parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related protein inhibit phasic contraction of pig duodenal smooth muscle

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and a newly discovered PTH-related protein (PTHrP), which has amino-terminal homology with PTH, are potent relaxants of rat gastrointestinal tissues. Since their gastrointestinal relaxant effects have been described only in the rat, we examined their actions in another mammalian species in order to evaluate whether the relaxant property was more generally applicable. Longitudinal smooth muscle strips were obtained from the pig duodenum. The mucosa was removed, the strips were mounted in a tissue chamber, and changes in phasic contraction were detected with a force-displacement transducer and recorded using a polygraph. Acetylcholine-induced phasic contraction was inhibited rapidly in a dose-related manner by [Nle8,18,Tyr34]-bPTH-(1-34)-amide, or hPTHrP-(1-34). The IC50 values for these peptides were 2.6 nM and 6.1 nM, respectively. The maximal effect of both peptides was observed at 60 nM with an 84% decrease of the acetylcholine-induced contraction. At 400 nM, the PTH antagonist, [Nle8,18,Tyr34]-bPTH-(3-34)-amide, had no effect by itself. However, the same 400 nM concentration of this peptide totally blocked the decrease in phasic contraction induced by 10 nM of the bPTH-(1-34) analogue or hPTHrP-(1-34). Our results show that receptors for PTH or PTHrP are present in the muscular layer of the pig duodenum and that activation of these receptors inhibits the phasic contraction of the tissue. Furthermore, the ability of PTH-related peptides to relax gastrointestinal smooth muscle is not restricted to the rat.     

Cytokinin activity of N-phenyl-N′-1, 2,3-thiadiazol-5-ylurea (thidiazuron)

The plant growth regulator N-phenyl-N′-1, 2, 3-thiadiazol-5-ylurea (Thidiazuron) displayed high activity in promoting the growth of cytokinin-dependent callus cultures of Phaseolus lunatus cv. Kingston. The cytokinin activity of Thidiazuron was similar to that of the highly active N-phenyl-N′-4-pyridylurea derivatives and to the most active cytokinins of the adenine type. Replacement of the phenyl ring of Thidiazuron with other ring structures resulted in a decrease in cytokinin activity.     

Isolation and characterization of a clay-dispersing polysaccharide produced by the phytopathogenic fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

The fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, which is pathogenic to peppers produced an extracellular polysaccharide in liquid culture which possessed clay-dispersing activity. The polysaccharide could bind cationic dyes, Ruthenium Red and Alcian Blue, indicating it to be polyanionic. The polysaccharide dispersed kaolin in water and the dispersion was maintained for more than 7 days at 25 °C. Kaolin dispersion by the polysaccharide was stable from pH 3 to 10 but the addition of divalent metals at 1 mM inhibited half of the dispersion activity comparing to the control. The polysaccharide could disperse bentonite, calcium carbonate and other fine particles but did not possess emulsifying activity.     

Children on hunger strike: child abuse or legitimate protest?

The issue of children on hunger strike (voluntary total fasting) has not been reported before. The World Medical Association Declaration of Tokyo 1975 and the Declaration of Malta 1991 (revised 1992) provide clinicians with guidelines for the management of adult patients on hunger strike but do not mention children. We report the management of 14 Vietnamese children, aged 1 to 12 years, who took part in a hunger strike at a refugee detention centre in Hong Kong.     

BsiY I, a novel thermophilic restriction endonuclease that recognizes 5'' CCNNNNNNNGG 3'' and the discovery of a wrongly sequenced site in pACYC177.

A new type II restriction endonuclease designated BsiY I has been purified from a thermophilic soil Bacillus stearothermophilus strain. This enzyme recognizes and cleaves the highly degenerate sequence 5' CCNNNNN!NNGG 3'. During the identification of the recognition sequence of BsiY I, we discovered that there should be five G nucleotides instead of four at position 1227-1230 of the plasmid pACYC177.     

Chronic major aphthous stomatitis: oral treatment with low-dose alpha-interferon

Two patients with chronic major aphthous stomatitis of at least 3 years duration were treated with single daily oral doses (1,200 IU) of interferon alfa-2 alpha (HuIFN alpha). Both patients responded with complete remission of aphthae within 6 weeks. One patient had no recurrence of the disease during a 6-month observation period. The second patient had a recurrent aphtha approximately 4 weeks after the initial lesion resolved; however, the recurrent lesion was less severe than the patient had historically experienced. Retreatment of the recurrent lesion with HuIFN alpha resulted in complete remission within 1 week, and there were no further recurrences during the 6-month observational period.