Field application of cost-effective sensors for the monitoring of NH3, H2S, and TVOC in environmental treatment facilities and the estimation of odor intensity.

Odor is usually a complex mixture of various compounds. In many countries, odor complaints have been addressed using the air dilution olfactory method (ADOM) to reduce their malodor complaint. In this study, continuous monitoring of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) using sensors was conducted in facilities for municipal and livestock wastewater treatment (LWT), and for food waste composting (FWC). Odor intensity was modeled by multivariate linear regression using sensor monitoring data with air dilution measured by the ADOM. In testing the performance of sensors in the lab, all three sensors showed acceptable values for linearity, accuracy, repeatability, lowest detection limit, and response time, so the sensors were acceptable for application in the field. In on-site real-time monitoring, the three sensors functioned well in the three environmental facilities during the testing period. Average ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations were high in the LWT facility, while TVOC showed the highest concentration in the FWC facility. A longer sampling time is necessary for ammonia monitoring. Odor intensity from individual sensor data correlated well to complex odor measured by the ADOM. Finally, we suggest a protocol for field application of sensor monitoring and odor data reproduction.Implications: We suggest a protocol for the field application of sensor monitoring and odor data estimation in this study. This study can be useful to a policy maker and field operator to reduce odor emission through the determination of a more effective treatment technology and removal pathway for individual odorants.

Enhancement of sophorolipids production in Candida batistae, an unexplored sophorolipids producer, by fed-batch fermentation.

Sophorolipids (SLs) from Candida batistae has a unique structure that contains ω-hydroxy fatty acids, which can be used as a building block in the polymer and fragrance industries. To improve the production of this industrially important SLs, we optimized the culture medium of C. batistae for the first time. Using an optimized culture medium composed of 50 g/L glucose, 50 g/L rapeseed oil, 5 g/L ammonium nitrate and 5 g/L yeast extract, SLs were produced at a concentration of 24.1 g/L in a flask culture. Sophorolipids production increased by about 19% (28.6 g/L) in a fed-batch fermentation using a 5 L fermentor. Sophorolipids production more increased by about 121% (53.2 g/L), compared with that in a flask culture, in a fed-batch fermentation using a 50 L fermentor, which was about 787% higher than that of the previously reported SLs production (6 g/L). These results indicate that a significant increase in C. batistae-derived SLs production can be achieved by optimization of the culture medium composition and fed-batch fermentation. Finally, we successfully separated and purified the SLs from the culture medium. The improved production of SLs from C. batistae in this study will help facilitate the successful development of applications for the SLs.

Projection targets of medial frontal D1DR-expressing neurons.

Prefrontal neurons expressing D1-type dopamine receptors (D1DRs) have been implicated in a variety of cognitive processes including working memory and timing. Although D1DRs are most strongly expressed on layer V/VI projection neurons, it is unknown which brain areas are specifically targeted by these projections. Here we selectively marked D1DR neurons using cre-loxP techniques with AAV carrying mCherry fluorescent protein, and traced projection targets of D1DR+ neurons in the mouse medial frontal cortex (MFC). We found relatively strong MFC D1DR+ projections to cortical areas as well as projections to basal ganglia and thalamic nuclei. We found relatively weaker MFC D1DR+ projections to the brainstem, hypothalamus, and other subcortical nuclei. These data intimate that MFC D1DR+ projections are well-positioned to powerfully influence cortical processing and have subcortical specificity. Thus MFC D1DR+ projection neurons may play a key role in tuning cortical networks during goal-directed behavior.

Subclinical Vitamin D Insufficiency in Korean School-aged Children.

PURPOSE: Recently, vitamin D insufficiency has increased and has been correlated to growth and puberty in children. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of subclinical vitamin D insufficiency and its influence on school-aged children in Korea. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 397 children aged 7 to 15 years who had been tested for 25-OH vitamin D3 among the outpatients of the Department of Pediatrics in Eulji General Hospital from March 2007 to February 2011. Data for age, sex, comorbidities, serum 25-OH vitamin D3, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and sunlight exposure time were collected before and after 3 months of vitamin D administration, retrospectively. RESULTS: Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 343 (86%) of the subjects. In the vitamin D insufficient group, chronological age was 8.96±1.72 years, mean height (z-score [z]) was 0.51±1.26, mean BMI (z) was 0.81±2.20, and bone age was 10.26±1.75 years. In the vitamin D sufficient group, chronological age was 9.61±1.77 years, mean height (z) was-0.66±0.98, mean BMI (z) was-0.01±1.16, and bone age was 9.44±2.12 years. A paired t-test showed that three months after vitamin D administration, the mean 25-OH vitamin D3 level in the insufficient group increased to 24.38 ±10.03 ng/mL and mean BMI (z) decreased to 0.67±1.06. CONCLUSION: In Korean school-aged children, vitamin D insufficiency were relatively higher and may be closely related with higher BMI. Insufficient rise of the level of vitamin D after supplementation suggest the new supplementation guidelines, especially for Korean children.

Suppression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha by Schizonepeta tenuifolia water extract via inhibition of IkappaBalpha degradation and Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase activation.

OBJECTIVES: The anti-inflammatory effects of an aqueous extract of Schizonepeta tenuifolia on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vivo and in vitro have been investigated. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were orally administered phosphate-buffered saline (control) or S. tenuifolia water extract (50, 200, 500 or 1000 mg/kg) for 10 days before intraperitoneal administration of LPS (1.3 mg/kg). Blood samples were obtained 1 h after LPS challenge, followed by determination of TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels. Peritoneal macrophages from thioglycollate-injected mice were obtained and stimulated with LPS and S. tenuifolia water extract for viability assay, cytokine analysis, real-time RT PCR and Western blotting. KEY FINDINGS: Oral administration of S. tenuifolia water extract to mice significantly reduced LPS-induced serum levels of TNF-alpha, but not IL-6. When peritoneal macrophages were treated in vitro with S. tenuifolia water extract, the inhibition of LPS-induced TNF-alpha was more pronounced than that of IL-6 at the level of secreted protein and mRNA. S. tenuifolia water extract reduced the degradation of IkappaBalpha and the nuclear relocation of p65 NF-kappaB, but the phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha was not affected. Inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) by S. tenuifolia water extract led secondarily to the inhibition of phospho-c-Jun and phospho-ATF-2. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that the downregulation of TNF-alpha by S. tenuifolia water extract may have involved the inhibition of both IkappaBalpha degradation and activation of c-Jun and ATF-2 involving suppression of JNK/SAPK.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Chamaecyparis obtusa leaf essential oil.

The essential oil obtained from the leaves of Chamaecyparis obtusa was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. alpha-Terpinyl acetate, sabinene, isobornyl acetate and limonene were found to be the major components. The oil showed relatively strong antibacterial activities against Gram (+) bacteria and some fungi.

Physiological function of insoluble dietary fiber prepared from exploded oak wood (Quercus mongolica).

This study investigated the production of insoluble dietary fiber using exploded and chemically treated oak wood (Quercus mongolica) and the physiological functions of prepared insoluble dietary fiber in laboratory animals. To produce high quality insoluble dietary fiber, the steam explosion treatment was performed at 25 kgf/cm2 pressure for 6 minutes. In the chemical analysis of insoluble dietary fiber, exploded oak wood was pretreated by 1% sodium hydroxide solution. The insoluble dietary fiber contained 7.6% residual lignin and 61.7% of alpha-cellulose. In order to compare the physiological functions of prepared insoluble dietary fiber with those of commercial insoluble dietary fiber, Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 100 +/- 10 g were randomly assigned to one normal diet and five high cholesterol diets, containing 1% cholesterol. The high cholesterol diet groups were classified as the fiber-free diet (FF group), 5% commercial alpha-cellulose diet group (5C group), 10% commercial alpha-cellulose group (10C group), 5% insoluble dietary fiber group (5M group) and 10% insoluble dietary fiber group (10M group). Food intake, weight gain and food efficiency ratio in high cholesterol groups were significantly higher than those of the normal group, but there were no significant differences among the high cholesterol diet groups. In addition, there were no significant differences in the weights of liver, kidney and small intestine in insoluble dietary fiber-supplemented groups. Cecum weights in all insoluble dietary fiber groups were significantly higher than those of the FF group. There were no significant differences in the activities of the glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) among the insoluble dietary fiber-supplemented groups. In conclusion, the prepared insoluble dietary fiber and the commercially available insoluble fiber showed the same physiological effects. Moreover, the preparation method for the insoluble dietary fiber from the exploded oak wood was successful.