Energy requirements for growth and maintenance of Scenedesmus protuberans Fritsch in light-limited continuous cultures

Scenedesmus protuberans Fritsch was grown in light-limited continuous cultures with a light-dark cycle, at temperatures of 20° and 28° C. At 20° irradiances of 12 and 38 W m^–2 were used, at 28° 38 W m^–2.The relationships between growth rate and light uptake rate were of diphasic linear character. With the lower growth rates the relationships were defined with the parameters _e , i.e. the specific maintenance rate constant, and c, the true efficiency of light energy conversion into biomass. The _e -value was dependent on temperature, the c on irradiance.In cultures, incubated in prolonged darkness, decrease rates of biomass were comparable to the derived _e -values.Both diphasic linear relationships between growth rate and light uptake rate and the same order of magnitude of _e -values could be derived from literature data on other green algae.     

Kinetic studies on the diaqua form of cis-platin and various nucleobases

Kinetic studies on cis-[Pt(NH3)2(OH2)2]2+ and various nucleobases show that this ion reacts more quickly with guanosine than with adenosine, cytidine, and thymidine, and that a monophosphoric acid unit considerably enhances the rate of reaction of guanosine; the kinetic preference of 5'-GMP over 5'-AMP may point to a greater thermodynamic selectivity.     

Regulating Ecosystem Services of forests in ten Italian Metropolitan Cities: Air quality improvement by PM10 and O3 removal

Urban and periurban forests, which are integrated within the concept of Green Infrastructure, provide important Ecosystem Services, including air purification. In this study, we quantified the Ecosystem Service of particulate matter (PM₁₀) and Ozone (O₃) removal from urban and periurban forests in ten metropolitan cities in Italy, and its total monetary value. In order to gain a better understanding of how Ecosystem Services can be regulated on a wider scale, the vegetation ecosystem types were grouped into Physiognomic-Structural Categories of Vegetation according to morphofunctional criteria. The pollution removal was mapped using a remote sensing and GIS approach, by applying a deposition model and a stomatal flux model. We estimated, for the ten metropolitan cities, an overall pollution abatement of 7150 Mg of PM₁₀ and 30,014 Mg of O₃ in the year 2003, which was an extremely hot year. Our findings indicate that structural characteristics (i.e. Leaf Area Index) and functional diversity, linked to stomatal conductance, exert a marked influence on the provision of the regulating Ecosystem Services, whose total monetary value was estimated to be equal to 47 and 297 million USD for PM₁₀ and O₃ removal, respectively. This study represent the first national-scale assessment of the Ecosystem Services of air pollution removal in Europe, thus providing information that may be useful to stakeholders to manage Green Infrastructure more efficiently.     

Does directed technological change get greener: Empirical evidence from Shanghai's industrial green development transformation

The degree of technological change biased to the environmental factor is crucial to industrial sustainable development. Using the stochastic frontier analysis method based on the translog production function and the panel data of 32 industrial sub-sectors in Shanghai over 1994–2011, this paper combines the evolution dynamic of the frontier technological structure with the evolution dynamic of technological change direction to estimate the output elasticities of production factors and the growth rate of green total factor productivity. Also, we investigate and compare the degrees of technological change biased to four production factors, i.e., capital, labor, energy, and carbon emissions. The results show that the industrial green total factor productivity in Shanghai presents an overall upward trend and mainly depends on the technical efficiency change. The improvements of labor productivity, R&D intensity, and energy efficiency can effectively enhance the green technical efficiency, while capital deepening has a mitigation effect on the green technical efficiency. The technological change of Shanghai's industrial production biases to energy use and capital saving, causing a high energy demand of industrial development. Under the dual impacts of economic development and energy-saving and emission-reduction policies, the degree of technological change biased to the environmental factor (carbon emissions) displays strong and weak alternations, indicating that the green bias of industrial technological change in Shanghai is not stable and that the green transformation of industrial development model needs to be further advanced.     

Properties of ACE inhibitory peptide prepared from protein in green tea residue and evaluation of its anti-hypertensive activity

Green tea contains active ingredients which are beneficial for health. While numerous studies have been conducted on the components extracted from green tea, few studies have investigated the active ingredients in tea residue. In this study, proteins were extracted from green tea residue via an optimised alkaline extraction combined with enzymatic hydrolysis, of which, an acidic protease was selected to prepare an enzymatic hydrolysate because of its high angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. The composition characteristics of extracted green tea proteolysis products were elucidated, including amino acid composition, molecular weight distribution and possible amino acid sequences. In addition, the protein hydrolysate had anti-digestive properties, maintained its activity of inhibiting ACE enzyme at different temperatures, pH and metal ions, and exhibited antihypertensive activity in animals. In conclusion, the optimised alkaline extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis conditions of a ACE inhibitory peptide from green tea residue is an optimal extraction method to maintain its antihypertensive activity, providing the basis for the clinical application of green tea for blood pressure reduction.     

Optimizing canopy‐forming algae conservation and restoration with a new herbivorous fish deterrent device

The role of herbivorous fish in threatening marine forests of temperate seas has been generally overlooked. Only recently, the scientific community has highlighted that high fish herbivory can lead to regime shifts from canopy‐forming algae to less complex turf communities. Here, we present an innovative herbivorous fish deterrent device (DeFish), which can be used for conservation and restoration of marine forests. Compared to most traditional fish exclusion systems, such as cages, the DeFish system does not need regular cleaning and maintenance, making it more cost‐efficient. Resistance of DeFish was tested by installing prototypes at different depths in the French Riviera and in Montenegro: more than 60% of the devices endured several years without maintenance, even if most of them were slightly damaged in the exposed site in Montenegro. The efficacy of DeFish in limiting fish herbivory was tested by an exclusion experiment on Cystoseira amentacea in the French Riviera. In a few months, the number of fish bite marks on the seaweed was decreased, causing a consequent increase in algal length. The device here presented has been conceived for Mediterranean canopy‐forming algae, but the same concept can be applied to other species vulnerable to fish herbivory, such as kelps or seagrasses. In particular, the DeFish design could be improved using more robust and biodegradable materials. Innovative engineering systems, such as DeFish, are expected to become useful tools in the conservation and restoration of marine forests, to complement other practices including active reforestation, herbivore regulation, and regular monitoring of their status.     

Small invertebrate consumers produce consistent size spectra across reef habitats and climatic zones

Changes in invertebrate body size-distributions that follow loss of habitat-forming species can potentially affect a range of ecological processes, including predation and competition. In the marine environment, small crustaceans and other mobile invertebrates (‘epifauna') represent a basal component in reef food webs, with a pivotal secondary production role that is strongly influenced by their body size-distribution. Ongoing degradation of reef habitats that affect invertebrate size-distributions, particularly transformation of coral and kelp habitat to algal turf, may thus fundamentally affect secondary production. Here we explored variation in size spectra of shallow epifaunal assemblages (i.e. the slope and intercept of the linear relationship between log abundance and body size at the assemblage level) across 21 reef microhabitats distributed along an extensive eastern Australian climatic gradient from the tropical northern Great Barrier Reef to cool temperate Tasmania. When aggregated across microhabitats at the site scale, invertebrate body size spectra (0.125–8 mm range) were consistently log-linear (R² ranging 0.87–0.98). Size spectra differed between, but not within, major groups of microhabitats, and exhibited little variability between tropical and temperate biomes. Nevertheless, size spectra showed significant tropical/temperate differences in slopes for epifauna sampled on macroalgal habitats, and in elevation for soft coral and sponge habitats. Our results reveal epifaunal size spectra to be a highly predictable macro-ecological feature. Given that variation in epifaunal size spectra among groups of microhabitats was greater than variation between tropical and temperate biomes, we postulate that ocean warming will not greatly alter epifaunal size spectra directly. However, transformation of tropical coral and temperate macroalgal habitats to algal turfs due to warming will alter reef food web dynamics through redistribution of the size of prey available to fishes.     

Green synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Cayratia pedata leaf extract

The synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles using a plant-mediated approach is presented in this paper. The nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using the Nitrate derivative of Zinc and plant extract of the indigenous medicinal plant Cayratia pedata. 0.1 mM of Zn (NO₃)₂.6H₂O was made to react with the plant extract at different concentrations, and the reaction temperature was maintained at 55 °C, 65 °C, and 75 °C. The yellow coloured paste obtained was wholly dried, collected, and packed for further analysis. In the UV visible spectrometer (UV–Vis) absorption peak was observed at 320 nm, which is specific for Zinc oxide nanoparticles. The characterization carried out using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) reveals the presence of Zinc oxide nanoparticles in its agglomerated form. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, the average size of the nanoparticles was estimated to be 52.24 nm. Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDX) results show the composition of Zinc and Oxygen, giving strong energy signals of 78.32% and 12.78% for Zinc and Oxygen, respectively. Fourier Transform - Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis shows absorption peak of Zn–O bonding between 400 and 600 cm^?1. The various characterization methods carried out confirm the formation of nano Zinc oxide. The synthesized nanoparticles were used in the immobilization of the enzyme Glucose oxidase. Relative activity of 60% was obtained when Glucose oxidase was immobilized with the green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. A comparative study of the green synthesized with native ZnO was also carried out. This green method of synthesis was found to be cost-effective and eco-friendly.     

A convenient ‘one-pot’ synthesis and in vitro microbiological evaluation of novel 2,7-diaryl-[1,4]-diazepan-5-ones

A convenient method for the ‘one-pot’ synthesis of novel target molecule 2,7-diaryl-[1,4]-diazepan-5-ones from the respective 2,6-diaryl-piperidin-4-ones was catalyzed by NaHSO₄.Al₂O₃ heterogeneous catalyst in dry media under microwave irradiation in solvent-free conditions. Moreover, the catalyst could be recovered and re-used up to 4 times after washing with ethyl acetate. They were evaluated for potential antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, β-Haemolytic streptococcus, Vibreo cholerae, Salmonella typhii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas and antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor, Candida albicans and Rhizopus. Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) led to the conclusion that, of all the compounds 25–32 tested, compound 30 exerted strong in vitro antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. typhii, and Pseudomonas and all the compounds 25–32 were less active against E. coli, whereas all the compounds 25–32 displayed potent in vitro antifungal activity against all the fungal strains used, except compound 30, which was more effectual against Mucor.     

Genoprotection and genotoxicity of green tea (Camellia sinensis): Are they two sides of the same redox coin?

Abstract

Objectives

Regular intake of green tea associates with lower DNA damage and increased resistance of DNA to oxidant challenge. However, in vitro pro-oxidant effects of green tea have been reported. Both effects could be mediated by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) which is generated by autoxidation of tea catechins. In large amounts, H₂O₂ is genotoxic, but low concentrations could activate the redox-sensitive antioxidant response element (ARE) via the Keap-1/Nrf2 redox switch, inducing genoprotective adaptations. Our objective was to test this hypothesis.

Methods

Peripheral lymphocytes from healthy volunteers were incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C in freshly prepared tea solutions (0.005, 0.01, 0.05%w/v (7, 14, 71 µmol/l total catechins) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), with PBS as control) in the presence and absence of catalase (CAT). H₂O₂ in tea was measured colorimetrically. Oxidation-induced DNA lesions were measured by the Fpg-assisted comet assay.

Results

H₂O₂ concentrations in 0.005, 0.01, and 0.05% green tea after 30 minutes at 37°C were, respectively, ～3, ～7, and ～52 µmol/l. Cells incubated in 0.005 and 0.01% tea showed less (P < 0.001) DNA damage compared to control cells. Cells treated with 0.05% green tea showed ～50% (P < 0.001) more DNA damage. The presence of CAT prevented this damage, but did not remove the genoprotective effects of low-dose tea. No significant changes in expression of ARE-associated genes (HMOX1, NRF2, KEAP1, BACH1, and hOGG1) were seen in cells treated with tea or tea + CAT.

Conclusion

Genoprotection by low-dose green tea could be due to direct antioxidant protection by green tea polyphenols, or to H₂O₂-independent signalling pathways.