Removal of naphthalene and phenanthrene using aerobic membrane bioreactor

The removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by membrane bioreactor (MBR) under aerobic conditions had been studied using naphthalene (NAP) and phenanthrene (PHE) as model compounds. Three MBRs with submerged ultra-filtration hollow fiber membranes were operated applying different operational conditions during 6.5 months. Complete NAP and PHE removal was obtained applying loads of 7 gNAP kgTSS^?1 day^?1 and 0.5 gPHE kgTSS^?1 day^?1, while the organic loading rate was adjusted to 0.26 kgCOD kgTSS^?1 day^?1, with the biomass concentration being 6000 mgTSS L^?1, the hydraulic retention time (HRT) 8 h and the solids retention time (SRT) 30 days. Load increases, as well as HRT and SRT reductions, affected the NAP and PHE removals. Biodegradation was found to be the major NAP and PHE removal mechanism. There was no NAP accumulation in the biomass. Low PHE quantities remain sorbed in the biomass and the contribution of the sorption in the removal of this compound was estimated to be less than 0.01 %. The volatilization does not contribute to the PHE removal in MBRs, but the contribution of NAP volatilization can reach up to 0.6 % when HRT of 8 h is applied.     

Distal trisomy 14q

Summary Two cases of chromosome 14 rearrangements with partial duplication which occurred de novo were analyzed by Southern blot analysis using IGH, D14S1 and PI probes. In the first case, with a 46,XX,14p+ karyotype, our study confirms that the additional material on chromosome 14p+ results from a duplication of the 14q region containing the IGH, D14S1 and PI loci. In the second case, our study reveals only one 14q32 locus per chromosome 14 indicating that the extra material does not contain the 14q32 region. Our results demonstrate that molecular probes of the 14q32 region are valuable tools for the characterisation of chromosome 14 abnormalities appearing de novo.     

Investigations on karyotype evolution in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

In an attempt to relate karyotype evolution to clinical and hematological data serial chromosomal analyses were performed in 31 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), both in chronic and acute phases. Our results in Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive CML are in line with karyotype profiles described in the literature. In addition, we report on chromosomal findings in 4 cases of Ph1-negative disease, one presenting with an iso17q chromosome in the positive CML. The same chromosomal abnormality was observed in a small population of Ph1-negative cells present in one of two patients with mixed Ph1-positive/Ph1-negative CML. The first case of a female patient with the loss of a sex chromosome in Ph1-positive cells is reported. Two patients with unusually long and mild chronic phases despite the presence of trisomy 8 in their karyotypes are described. Our findings suggest that the order of appearance of additional chromosomal changes of CML is of prognostic significance for the progression and the clinical picture of the disease.     

Some rumen ciliates have endosymbiotic methanogens

Abstract Most of the small ciliate protozoa, including Dasytricha ruminantium and Entodinium spp. living in the rumen of sheep, were found to have intracellular bacteria. These bacteria were not present in digestive vacuoles. They showed characteristic coenzyme F₄₂₀ autofluorescence and they were detected with a rhodamine-labelled Archaea-specific oligonucleotide probe. The measured volume percent of autofluorescing bacteria (1%) was close to the total volume of intracellular bacteria estimated from TEM stereology. Thus it is likely that all of the bacteria living in the cytoplasm of these ciliates were endosymbiotic methanogens, using H₂ evolved by the host ciliate to form methane. Intracellular methanogens appear to be much more numerous than those attached to the external cell surface of ciliates.     

Characterization and potential antitumor effect of a heteropolysaccharide produced by the red alga Porphyridium sordidum

Taking into account the rising trend of the incidence of cancers of various organs, effective therapies are urgently needed to control human malignancies. However, almost all chemotherapy drugs currently on the market cause serious side effects. Fortunately, several studies have shown that some non‐toxic biological macromolecules, including algal polysaccharides, possess anti‐cancer activities or can increase the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy drugs. Polysaccharides are characteristic secondary metabolites of many algae. The efficacy of polysaccharides on the normal and cancer cells is not well investigated, but our investigations proved a cell specific effect of a newly isolated extracellular polysaccharide from the red microalga Porphyridium sordidum. The investigated substance was composed of xylose:glucose and galactose:manose:rhamnose in a molar ratio of 1:0.52:0.44:0.31. Reversible electroporation has been exploited to increase the transport through the plasma membrane into the tested breast cancer tumor cells MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB231. Application of 75 µg/mL polysaccharide in combination with 200 V/cm electroporation induced 40% decrease in viability of MDA‐MB231 cells and changes in cell morphology while control cells (MCF10A) remained with normal morphology and kept vitality.     

Ontogenic variations in the content and distribution of progesterone receptor isoforms in the reproductive tract and brain of chicks

Progesterone participates in the regulation of several functions in chicks such as ovulation, gonadal differentiation, and sexual and nesting behaviors. Many progesterone actions are mediated by specific intracellular receptors (PR) which are ligand-induced transactivators. Two PR isoforms that are functionally distinct in their ability to activate genes and regulate distinct physiological processes have been described in chicks: a full length form PR-B and the N-terminally truncated one PR-A which lacks the amino-terminal 128 amino acids of PR-B. PR isoforms have been detected in several tissues of both the adult and the embryo chick such as brain, ovary and oviduct. PR isoforms expression ratio varies among progesterone target tissues and under different hormonal and environmental conditions such as those presented during avian sexual maturity and the seasons of the year. These data let us to conclude that progesterone actions in brain, ovary, and oviduct highly depend on PR isoforms expression pattern and regulation.     

Chemoprevention of chemically-induced mammary and colon carcinogenesis by 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D5

Epidemiological data as well as experimental models yield evidence for a protective effect of vitamin D against the genesis of several types of cancers. Given its toxic properties at effective concentrations, numerous analogs of vitamin D have been developed. We synthesized an analog of vitamin D(5), 1alpha-hydroxy-24-ethylcholechalciferol (1alpha(OH)D(5)) and previously reported on its anti-proliferative activities against several cancer cell lines. To further examine its chemopreventive potential, experiments were conducted to investigate the in vivo effects of 1alpha(OH)D(5) using the N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced mammary carcinogenesis model. Results showed that 1alpha(OH)D(5) (25 and 50microg/kg diet) decreased the incidence and multiplicity of mammary tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats. In a subsequent study, the stage specific inhibition was investigated using the 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis model. While supplementation with of 1alpha(OH)D(5) (40microg/kg diet) showed no significant effects during the initiation phase, tumor incidence during the promotional stage was significantly (p<0.05) decreased by 37.5%. In the colon, 1alpha(OH)D(5) (25microg/kg diet) was highly effective (p<0.001) in inhibiting the development of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in CF-1 mice. Studies on the stage specific inhibitory effects of 1alpha(OH)D(5) in the colon demonstrated that animals receiving 1alpha(OH)D(5) (25microg/kg diet) during the initiation, promotion, and entire period had a reduction in ACF number of 71, 80 and 82%, respectively. Immunohistochemistry studies comparing the colons of animals receiving control versus 1alpha(OH)D(5) supplemented diets showed that 1alpha(OH)D(5) partly mediates its effects by regulating members of the oncogenic beta-catenin pathway. 1Alpha(OH)D(5) inhibited expression of beta-catenin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta, a beta-catenin-TCF-4 responsive gene, whereas it induced expression of VDR. Cumulatively, these studies support the chemopreventive properties of 1alpha(OH)D(5) against the development of breast and colon cancers.     

Characterization of acyl-phosphatidylinositol from the opportunistic pathogen Corynebacterium amycolatum

The aim of the present study was to characterize a new lipid detected in the opportunistic pathogen Corynebacterium amycolatum. It was identified as acyl-phosphatidylinositol (acyl-PI), and revealed as a mixture of homologues compounds by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, with pseudomolecular ions, (M-H)-, observed at 1099 (the major one) 1113, and 1127. Acyl-PI exclusively contained octadecenoyl on the inositol moiety (as 3-O-acyl), an unsaturated fatty acyl (mostly octadecenoyl) at sn-1 position of the glycerol and a saturated fatty acyl (mainly hexadecanoyl) at the sn-2 position. Acyl-PI constitutes a new natural substance and seems to be unique among the phospholipids of C. amycolatum. Other more complex molecules, previously undetected, and assigned in this work to several acyl forms of phosphatidylinositol trimannosides, lacked octadecenoyl in their polar heads. The present study reveals the existence of acyl-PI in C. amycolatum as rather unexpected finding and, additionally, gives evidence for the ability of this species to synthesize a great variety of inositol-containing phospholipids.