Effect of stabilization on biomass activity

The study aimed to compare aerobic and aerobic/anoxic stabilization processes in terms of organic matter and the biomass removal efficiencies using a municipal sludge sample. The efficiency of stabilization process was assessed monitoring suspended solids (SS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), total and dissolved organic carbon (TOC, DOC), nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate parameters. The oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurements were conducted to determine active biomass concentration. On the 30th day of the aerobic stabilization, the SS, VSS and TOC removal efficiencies were 22%, 28% and 55%, respectively. Under aerobic/anoxic conditions, removal efficiencies for SS, VSS and TOC were 25%, 27% and 67%. On the 17th day of the stabilization, SS and VSS removal rates were 60 mg SS/L day and 47 mg VSS/L day for aerobic and 102 mg SS/L day and 63 mg VSS/L day for aerobic/anoxic conditions, respectively. These findings reflected the higher stabilization performance of the aerobic/anoxic conditions. Based on respirometric results, the ratios of the active biomass were decreased to 30% and 24% for the 17th and 30th day of the aerobic stabilization, respectively. Such results have significant implications relative to the activity decrease quantification of the biomass as well as its further application potentials after aerobic or aerobic/anoxic sludge stabilization.     

Neutral sphingomyelinase inhibition alleviates apoptosis,but not ER stress,in liver ischemia–reperfusion injury

Previous studies have revealed the activation of neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase)/ceramide pathway in hepatic tissue following warm liver ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. Excessive ceramide accumulation is known to potentiate apoptotic stimuli and a link between apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been established in hepatic IR injury. Thus, this study determined the role of selective N-SMase inhibition on ER stress and apoptotic markers in a rat model of liver IR injury. Selective N-SMase inhibitor was administered via intraperitoneal injections. Liver IR injury was created by clamping blood vessels supplying the median and left lateral hepatic lobes for 60?min, followed by 60?min reperfusion. Levels of sphingmyelin and ceramide in liver tissue were determined by an optimized multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) method using ultrafast-liquid chromatography (UFLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Spingomyelin levels were significantly increased in all IR groups compared with controls. Treatment with a specific N-SMase inhibitor significantly decreased all measured ceramides in IR injury. A significant increase was observed in ER stress markers C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) and 78?kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) in IR injury, which was not significantly altered by N-SMase inhibition. Inhibition of N-SMase caused a significant reduction in phospho-NF-kB levels, hepatic TUNEL staining, cytosolic cytochrome c, and caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities which were significantly increased in IR injury. Data herein confirm the role of ceramide in increased apoptotic cell death and highlight the protective effect of N-SMase inhibition in down-regulation of apoptotic stimuli responses occurring in hepatic IR injury.     

Novel Cytotoxic Sesquiterpene Ester Derivatives from the Roots of Ferula mervynii

This study is the first chemical investigation of Ferula mervynii M. Sağıroğlu & H. Duman, an endemic species to Eastern Anatolia. The isolations of nine compounds including six previously undescribed sesquiterpene esters, 8-trans-cinnamoyltovarol ( 1 ), 8-trans-cinnamoylantakyatriol ( 3 ), 6-acetyl-8-trans-cinnamoyl-3-epi-antakyatriol ( 5 ), 6-acetyl-8-trans-cinnamoylshiromodiol ( 6 ), 6-acetyl-8-trans-cinnamoylfermedurone ( 7 ), and 6-acetyl-8-trans-cinnamoyl-(1S),2-epoxyfermedurone ( 8 ), were described along with three known sesquiterpene esters, 6-acetyl-8-benzoyltovarol ( 2 ), 6-acetyl-8-trans-cinnamoylantakyatriol ( 4 ), and ferutinin ( 9 ). The structures of novel compounds were elucidated through extensive spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemistry calculations. The putative biosynthetic pathways for compounds 7 and 8 were discussed. The extracts and isolated compounds were tested for cytotoxic activity against the COLO 205, K-562, MCF-7 cancer cell lines, and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell (HUVEC) lines using MTT assay. Compound 4 showed the highest activity against the MCF-7 cell lines with an IC₅₀ value of 16.74±0.21 μM.     

Simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal from nutrient-rich industrial wastewater using granular sludge

The biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from nutrient-rich abattoir wastewater using granular sludge has been investigated. A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor, seeded with granular sludge developed using synthetic wastewater, was operated for 13 months under alternating anaerobic and aerobic conditions. It is demonstrated that the granules could be sustained and indeed further developed with the use of abattoir wastewater. The organic, nitrogen, and phosphorus loading rates applied were 2.7 gCOD L(-1) day(-1), 0.43 gN L(-1) day(-1), and 0.06 gP L(-1) day(-1), respectively. The removal efficiency of soluble COD, soluble nitrogen and soluble phosphorus were 85%, 93%, and 89%, respectively. However, the high suspended solids in the effluent limited the overall removal efficiency to 68%, 86%, and 74% for total COD, TN, and TP, respectively. This good nutrient removal was achieved through the process known as simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal, likely facilitated by the presence of large anoxic zones in the center of the granules. The removal of nitrogen was likely via nitrite optimizing the use of the limited COD available in the wastewater. Accumulibacter spp. were found to be responsible for most of the denitrification, further reducing the COD requirement for nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Mineral precipitation was evaluated and was not found to significantly contribute to the overall nutrient removal. It is also shown that the minimum HRT in a granular sludge system is not governed by the sludge settleability, as is the case with floccular sludge systems, but likely by the limitations associated with the transfer of substrates in granules.     

Effects of ferrous iron on the performance and microbial community in aerobic granular sludge in relation to nutrient removal

Lab‐scale experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of ferrous iron on nutrient removal performance and variations in the microbial community inside aerobic granular sludge for 408 days. Two reactors were simultaneously operated, one without added ferrous iron (SBR1), and one with 10 mg Fe²⁺ L^?1 of added ferrous iron (SBR2). A total of 1 mg Fe²⁺ L^?1 of added ferrous iron was applied to SBR1 starting from the 191st day to observe the resulting variations in the nutrient removal performance and the microbial community. The results show that ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) could not oxidize ammonia due to a lack of iron compounds, but they could survive in the aerobic granular sludge. Limited ferrous iron addition encouraged nitrification. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from both reactors could not be maintained regardless of the amount of ferrous iron that was applied. EBPR was established in both reactors when the concentration of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) and the percentage of Accumulibacteria increased. A total of 10 mg Fe²⁺ L^?1 of added ferrous iron had a relatively adverse effect on the growth of AOB species compared to 1 mg Fe²⁺ L^?1 of added ferrous iron, but it encouraged the growth of Nitrospira sp. and Accumulibacteria, which requires further study. It could be said that the compact and stable structure of aerobic granular sludge preserved AOB and NOB from Fe‐deficient conditions, and wash‐out during the disintegration period. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:716–725, 2017     

The study of athletes' body perception and gender role

In this study, it has been aimed to examine athletes' body perception and gender role. 120 male athletes and 120 non-athletic male university students participated in the study voluntarily. In the study, as the data collecting means, The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-MBSRQ was used in order to determine males' body perception levels, BEM Sex Role Inventory-BSRI was used to determine gender roles and Personal Information Form developed by the researcher was used to ascertain personal features of the subjects. When the athletes' body perception levels are examined, the features of physical competence orientation, health orientation, appearance evaluation, fitness evaluation, health evaluation and body areas satisfaction have been found to be higher than non-athletes' (p < 0.05). On the other hand; no difference has been found between athletes and non-athletes in terms of appearance orientation (p > 0.05). When gender roles are examined, athletes have been found to have higher values than non-athletes' in terms of masculinity, femininity and social desirability (p < 0.05). To conclude; as well as considering sports as a factor increasing individuals' body perception level and gender role, it is also thought that athletes care about health, appearance and physical competence and are glad of body parts because of their muscled body structure developing due to the exercises and have flexible personality to show feminine and masculine features that the environment needs in terms of gender role.     

Plant regeneration of the mining ecotype <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sedum alfredii</Emphasis> and cadmium hyperaccumulation in regenerated plants

An efficient micropropagation system for mining ecotype Sedum alfredii Hance, a newly identified Zn/Cd hyperaccumulator, was developed. Frequency of callus induction reached up to 70% from leaves incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l⁻¹ 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.5 mg l⁻¹ 6-benzyladenine (BA), and 83% from internodal stem segments grown on MS medium with 0.1 mg l⁻¹ 2,4-D and 0.1 mg l⁻¹ BA. Callus proliferated rapidly on MS medium containing 0.2 mg l⁻¹ 2,4-D and 0.05 mg l⁻¹ thidiazuron. The highest number of adventitious buds per callus (17.3) and frequency of shoot regeneration (93%) were obtained when calli were grown on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg l⁻¹ BA and 0.3 mg l⁻¹ α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Elongation of shoots was achieved when these were incubated on MS medium containing 3.0 mg l⁻¹ gibberellic acid. Induction of roots was highest (21.4 roots per shoot) when shoots were transferred to MS medium containing 2.0 mg l⁻¹ indole 3-butyric acid rather than either indole 3-acetic acid or NAA. When these in vitro plants were acclimatized and transferred to the greenhouse, and grown in hydroponic solutions containing 200 μM cadmium (Cd), they exhibited high efficiency of Cd transport, from roots to shoots, and hyperaccumulation of Cd.     

GSPE is superior to NAC in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy: Might this superiority be related to caspase 1 and calpain 1?

Aims

Our study was intended to evaluate the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), caspases 1 and 3 and calpain 1 in the pathogenesis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and to compare the protective effects of N acetyl cysteine (NAC) and grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) against the development of CIN.

Main methods

32 rats were divided into four groups; control, contrast media (CM), CM + NAC and CM + GSPE. CIN was induced by administration of 7 ml/kg diatrizoate. The experiment was discontinued on the ninth day. Blood was collected for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine measurement. Rat kidney tissues were removed for histopathological evaluation and the investigation of caspases 1 and 3, iNOS, eNOS, TUNEL and calpain 1.

Key findings

A significant increase in BUN, creatinine, renal histopathological injury, TUNEL, caspases 1, 3, calpain 1, iNOS and eNOS was observed in the CM group compared to the control group. There was amelioration in all these parameters in the CM + GSPE group, while there was no significant amelioration in BUN, creatinine and renal histopathological injury in the CM + NAC group. In addition, calpain 1 staining and creatinine were significantly lower in the CM + GSPE group compared to the CM + NAC group.

Significance

Our study showed, for the first time in the literature, that GSPE has a greater renoprotective effect compared with NAC and that this effective protection may be related to decrease in calpain 1 levels.