Valorization of Spirodela polyrrhiza biomass for the production of biofuels for distributed energy.

Considering the main objectives of a circular economy, Lemnaceae plants have great potential for different types of techniques to valorize their biomass for use in biofuel production. For this reason, scientific interest in this group of plants has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of salt stress on the growth and development of S. polyrrhiza and the valorization of biomass for biofuel and energy production in a circular economy. Plants were grown in a variety of culture media, including standard 'Z' medium, tap water, 1% digestate from a biogas plant in Piaszczyna (54° 01' 21″ N, 17° 10' 19″ E), Poland) and supplemented with different concentrations of NaCl (from 25 to 100 mM). Plants were cultured under phytotron conditions at 24 °C. After 10 days of culture, plant growth, fresh and dry biomass, as well as physio-chemical parameters such as chlorophyll content index, gas exchange parameters (net photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration), chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were analyzed. After 10 days of the experiment, the percentage starch content of Spirodela shoot segments was determined. S. polyrrhiza was shown to have a high starch storage capacity under certain unfavorable growth conditions, such as salt stress and nutrient deficiency. In the W2 (50 mM NaCl) series, compared to the control (Control2), starch levels were 76% higher in shoots and 30% lower in roots. The analysis of the individual growth and development parameters of S. polyrrhiza plants in the experiment carried out indicates new possibilities for the use of this group of plants in biofuel and bioethanol production.

A personalised approach to prostate cancer screening based on genotyping of risk founder alleles.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate whether genotyping for 18 prostate cancer founder variants is helpful in identifying high-risk individuals and for determining optimal screening regimens. METHODS: A serum PSA level was measured and a digital rectal examination (DRE) was performed on 2907 unaffected men aged 40-90. Three hundred and twenty-three men with an elevated PSA (≥4 ng ml⁻¹) or an abnormal DRE underwent a prostate biopsy. All men were genotyped for three founder alleles in BRCA1 (5382insC, 4153delA and C61G), for four alleles in CHEK2 (1100delC, IVS2+1G>A, del5395 and I157T), for one allele in NBS1 (657del5), for one allele in HOXB13 (G84E), and for nine low-risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RESULTS: On the basis of an elevated PSA or an abnormal DRE, prostate cancer was diagnosed in 135 of 2907 men (4.6%). In men with a CHEK2 missense mutation I157T, the cancer detection rate among men with an elevated PSA or an abnormal DRE was much higher (10.2%, P=0.0008). The cancer detection rate rose with the number of SNP risk genotypes observed from 1.2% for men with no variant to 8.6% for men who carried six or more variants (P=0.04). No single variant was helpful on its own in predicting the presence of prostate cancer, however, the combination of all rare mutations and SNPs improved predictive power (area under the curve=0.59; P=0.03). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that testing for germline CHEK2 mutations improves the ability to predict the presence of prostate cancer in screened men, however, the clinical utility of incorporating DNA variants in the screening process is marginal.

Changes in body weight, glucose homeostasis, lipid profiles, and metabolic syndrome after restrictive bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Bariatric surgery is an established therapy for morbid obesity. We evaluated the effects of sleeve-gastrectomy on weight, glucose and lipid metabolism and prevalence of metabolic-syndrome for up to 2 years. METHODS: In 52 morbidly obese patients weight, BMI, total-cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, Lipoprotein(a), glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and criteria defining the metabolic-syndrome were determined preoperatively and 6 (n=52), 12 (n=41) and 24 (n=5) months after surgery. RESULTS: BMI decreased from 51±8 kg/m² to 40±7, 39±8, and 38±9 kg/m² at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Glucose and HbA1c changed from 116±44 to 93±21 and 94±18 mg/dl and 6.0±1.3 to 5.4±0.8 and 5.4±0.8% at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Triglycerides decreased from 159±87 to 116±41 and 116±62 mg/dl, while HDL--cholesterol increased from 46±12 to 50±12 and 56±13 mg/dl at 6 and 12 months. None of the changes correlated with changes in weight. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased from 81% to 36% and 34% at 6 and 12 months, with individual criteria (central obesity, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, hypertension, and fasting glucose) being reduced by 8/12%, 31/28%, 12/37%, 27/30%, and 38/31% at 6/12 months, respectively. The decrease in triglycerides and HbA1c was more pronounced in hypertriglyceridemic patients compared to normo-triglyceridemic patients, while there was no significant difference between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study evaluating sleeve-gastrectomy in German patients. Our data indicate that sleeve-gastrectomy induces a similar metabolic improvement as malabsorptive surgery. Although metabolic improvement did not correlate with weight reduction, improvement almost exclusively occurred within the first 6 months, when significant weight reduction occurred. It is unclear whether this relates to the operative techniques or to the selection of patients.

Kinetic studies on the CuO/gamma-Al2O3 sorbent regeneration by methane--topochemical approach.

CuO impregnated gamma-Al2O3 support provides convenient adsorption and regeneration characteristics. These features give the potential to regard this chemisorption process as more effective, feasible and widely accepted than lime and limestone scrubbing in the removal of SO2 from the outlet gases. Thermogravimetric tests on the regeneration of the CuO/gamma-Al2O3 exhausted sorbent (first stage of the regeneration, CuSO4-->Cu0) with methane were conducted. Commercially available 1/8" gamma-Al2O3 spheres, loaded with 5.8 wt % of Cu were investigated. The tests concerning the isothermal regeneration kinetics were performed at temperatures: T = 700, 727 and 750 K, while a 20 cm3 min(-1) flow of pure methane was used. To select the mechanism of the regeneration reaction, as well as to evaluate their kinetic parameters of the rate equations, the TGA data were compared with the series of theoretical topochemical kinetic models as advocated by Gardner, Hancock and Sharp's approach. The kinetic mechanism of the regeneration reaction in the initial stage of the process may be originally interpreted as the combination of both boundary-surface-controlled reaction (contracting sphere) and the first-order kinetics models. Various diffusion limited kinetic equations have proved useful for the description of the final stage of the process. Both proposed models (two kinetic and four diffusion ones) fit fairly well to the experimental data (in their limited validity ranges) obtained in all three temperature values studied.

Characterization of the human platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 promoter: identification of a GATA-2 binding element required for optimal transcriptional activity.

Platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) is a 130-kD member of the Ig gene superfamily that is expressed on platelets, endothelial cells, and certain leukocyte subsets. To examine the factors controlling vascular-specific expression of PECAM-1, we cloned the 5'-flanking region of the PECAM-1 gene and analyzed its transcriptional activity. 5'-Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RACE) analysis showed that transcription initiation occurred at several closely spaced nearby sites originating approximately 204 bp upstream from the translation start site. Analysis of the sequence immediately upstream from the transcription initiation site (TIS) showed no canonical TATA or CAAT elements, however an initiator element commonly found in TATA-less promoters encompassed the TIS. 5'-serially truncated PECAM-1 promoter segments cloned in front of a luciferase reporter drove transcription in both a lineage- and orientation-specific manner. Putative cis-acting control elements present within a 300-bp core promoter included two ets sites, an Sp1 site, tandem E-box domains, two GATA-associated sites (CACCC), an AP-2 binding site, and a GATA element at -24. Mutational analysis showed that optimal transcriptional activity required the GATA sequence at position -24, and gel-shift assays further showed that the GATA-2 transcription factor, but not GATA-1, bound to this region of the PECAM-1 promoter. Understanding the cis- and transacting factors that regulate the tissue-specific expression of PECAM-1 should increase our understanding of the mechanisms by which vascular-specific gene expression is achieved.

Effect of interferon-alpha on the steady-state levels of thymine, thymidine, guanine, and guanosine metabolites in herpes simplex virus-type 1-infected cells.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) combined with acyclic guanine analogs synergistically inhibits replication of herpes simplex virus type 1. IFN-alpha treatment influenced the metabolism of exogenously supplied nucleobases and nucleosides in a manner expected to contribute to synergistic activity. IFN-alpha treatment of infected human cornea stromal cells or Vero cells significantly reduced steady-state levels of acid soluble metabolites of thymine, as well as thymidine, that accumulate early during virus replication but did not affect metabolism of thymine and thymidine in uninfected cells. IFN-alpha treatment significantly reduced the ability of uninfected cells to accumulate acid-soluble metabolites from guanine, but not guanosine. The effects of IFN-alpha on nucleobase/nucleoside metabolism could contribute to synergistic antiviral activity by reducing the accumulation of thymidine/thymine metabolites and decreasing the guanine taken into cells.

Psychiatric disorders and crime: a study of pretrial psychiatric examinations.

A study of 50 consecutive individuals referred for pretrial psychiatric examination, presumably because of previous psychiatric hospitalization (82 percent), indicated that antisocial personality, alcoholism, or drug dependence was present in 80 percent. Schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder was seen in about a third of the subjects, usually associated as well, however, with antisocial personality, alcoholism, or drug dependence. There were no significant differences in index crime between those with or without schizophenia bipolar affective disorder. It is concluded that the latter conditions occur in no more than two or three per cent of all felons.