Upgrading end-of-line residues of the red seaweed Gelidium sesquipedale to polyhydroxyalkanoates using Halomonas boliviensis.

Agar extraction from Gelidium and Gracilaria red seaweed species produces hundred thousand ton of carbohydrate-rich residues annually. Gelidium sesquipedale waste biomass obtained after agar extraction, still contained 44.2 % w/w total carbohydrates (dry-weight basis). These residues were biologically up-graded to poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) after saccharification of their carbohydrate fraction to simple sugars. A combined hydrolysis treatment using sulfamic acid followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulases produced a glucose-rich hydrolysate with a negligible content of inhibitors. With this treatment a sugar yield of circa 30 % (g glucose/g biomass) was attained. The algal hydrolysates were assessed as carbon source for the production of P3HB by the halotolerant bacteria Halomonas boliviensis. A cell concentration of 8.3 g L-1 containing 41 % (w/w) of polymer and a yield (YP/S ) of 0.16 gpolymer/gglucose were attained in shake flask assays. In this work, cellulose-rich seaweed waste was shown to be an upgradable, sustainable source of carbohydrates.

Ultrafast spectroscopy, superluminescence and theoretical modeling of a two-photon absorbing fluorene derivative.

A comprehensive study of photophysical and photochemical properties of an unsymmetrical fluorene derivative is presented, including linear absorption, fluorescence excitation anisotropy, photochemical stability, steady-state fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetimes in organic solvents of different polarities. Nonlinear optical properties were investigated using Z-scan measurements of degenerate two-photon absorption and femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. The strongly fluorescent compound exhibited good photostability, positioning it for use in a number of applications. A dramatic increase in fluorescence intensity along with spectral narrowing was observed under femtosecond pumping, demonstrating amplified spontaneous emission. An extensive set of experimental data is rationalized based on essential state models.

[FEATURES OF YEAST METABOLISM IN THEIR RECIRCULATION PROVIDED ALCOHOL FERMENTATION OF MOLASSES WORT].

The subject of investigation are the peculiarities of yeast metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae M-5 strain in the alcoholic fermentation of molasses wort of increased concentration of dry substances in terms of periodic and continuous fermentation. For periodic alcohol fermentation of wort concentrate having 27 % dry substance content it was established, that 60g /dm³ is the optimal value for inoculate yeast. This results in the maximal accumulation of ethanol in the mature mash (11.5 vol. %), in the deep assimilation of carbohydrates and by the generation of fewer amount of glycerin. By industrial uninterrupted-mode investigations the increase in activity of starting enzymes of glycolysis and strengthening in the capacity of recirculated yeast have been demonstrated. For the first time we show, that this is a consequence of adaptation of yeast to the cultural medium as a result of long-term stay of yeast in it. The increase of the inflow speed of molasses wort into the main fermenter of the battery from 0.43 to 0.57 h⁻¹ improves physiological parameters of recirculated yeast. Also, this reduces the accumulation of secondary products of fermentation (ethers, aldehydes, higher alcohols, glycerin). At the same time, this approach allows to increase the yield of alcohol from the saccharose by 1.84 % and to enhance the productivity with respect to ethanol from 2.3 to 3.8 g/dm³ ×h.

Design and electronic structure of new styryl dye bases: steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies.

A comprehensive investigation of the electronic structure and fast relaxation processes in the excited states of new styryl base-type derivatives was performed using steady-state, pico-, and femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Linear photophysical parameters of new compounds, including steady-state absorption, fluorescence, and excitation anisotropy spectra, were obtained in a number of organic solvents at room temperature. A detailed analysis of the fluorescence lifetimes and ultrafast relaxation processes in the electronically excited state of the styryl bases revealed an important role of solvate dynamics and donor-acceptor strength of the molecular structures in the formation of their excited state absorption spectra. Experimental data were in good agreement with quantum chemical calculations at the time dependent density functional theory level, combined with a polarizable continuum model.

Intra-patient semi-automated segmentation of the cervix-uterus in CT-images for adaptive radiotherapy of cervical cancer.

For online adaptive radiotherapy of cervical cancer, fast and accurate image segmentation is required to facilitate daily treatment adaptation. Our aim was twofold: (1) to test and compare three intra-patient automated segmentation methods for the cervix-uterus structure in CT-images and (2) to improve the segmentation accuracy by including prior knowledge on the daily bladder volume or on the daily coordinates of implanted fiducial markers. The tested methods were: shape deformation (SD) and atlas-based segmentation (ABAS) using two non-rigid registration methods: demons and a hierarchical algorithm. Tests on 102 CT-scans of 13 patients demonstrated that the segmentation accuracy significantly increased by including the bladder volume predicted with a simple 1D model based on a manually defined bladder top. Moreover, manually identified implanted fiducial markers significantly improved the accuracy of the SD method. For patients with large cervix-uterus volume regression, the use of CT-data acquired toward the end of the treatment was required to improve segmentation accuracy. Including prior knowledge, the segmentation results of SD (Dice similarity coefficient 85 ± 6%, error margin 2.2 ± 2.3 mm, average time around 1 min) and of ABAS using hierarchical non-rigid registration (Dice 82 ± 10%, error margin 3.1 ± 2.3 mm, average time around 30 s) support their use for image guided online adaptive radiotherapy of cervical cancer.

Individualized nonadaptive and online-adaptive intensity-modulated radiotherapy treatment strategies for cervical cancer patients based on pretreatment acquired variable bladder filling computed tomography scans.

PURPOSE: To design and evaluate individualized nonadaptive and online-adaptive strategies based on a pretreatment established motion model for the highly deformable target volume in cervical cancer patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: For 14 patients, nine to ten variable bladder filling computed tomography (CT) scans were acquired at pretreatment and after 40 Gy. Individualized model-based internal target volumes (mbITVs) accounting for the cervix and uterus motion due to bladder volume changes were generated by using a motion-model constructed from two pretreatment CT scans (full and empty bladder). Two individualized strategies were designed: a nonadaptive strategy, using an mbITV accounting for the full-range of bladder volume changes throughout the treatment; and an online-adaptive strategy, using mbITVs of bladder volume subranges to construct a library of plans. The latter adapts the treatment online by selecting the plan-of-the-day from the library based on the measured bladder volume. The individualized strategies were evaluated by the seven to eight CT scans not used for mbITVs construction, and compared with a population-based approach. Geometric uniform margins around planning cervix-uterus and mbITVs were determined to ensure adequate coverage. For each strategy, the percentage of the cervix-uterus, bladder, and rectum volumes inside the planning target volume (PTV), and the clinical target volume (CTV)-to-PTV volume (volume difference between PTV and CTV) were calculated. RESULTS: The margin for the population-based approach was 38 mm and for the individualized strategies was 7 to 10 mm. Compared with the population-based approach, the individualized nonadaptive strategy decreased the CTV-to-PTV volume by 48% ± 6% and the percentage of bladder and rectum inside the PTV by 5% to 45% and 26% to 74% (p < 0.001), respectively. Replacing the individualized nonadaptive strategy by an online-adaptive, two-plan library further decreased the percentage of bladder and rectum inside the PTV (0% to 10% and -1% to 9%; p < 0.004) and the CTV-to-PTV volume (4-96 ml). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with population-based margins, an individualized PTV results in better organ-at-risk sparing. Online-adaptive radiotherapy further improves organ-at-risk sparing.

[Use of photosense treatment to enhance photodynamic effect on solid sarcoma-1 in Wistar rats].

Interaction between such components of photodynamic therapy as tumor, intact tissues, lighting and photosensitizers has been investigated. The efficacy of Photosense treatment was demonstrated in the experiments using transplantable tumors in Wistar rats. The photodynamic procedure both inhibited tumor process and stimulated immune system.

One- and two-photon fluorescence anisotropy of selected fluorene derivatives.

The steady-state excitation anisotropy spectra of fluorene derivatives were measured in viscous solvents, under the one- and two-photon excitation, over a broad spectral range (UV-Visible). The orientation of their absorption transition moments for the first, S0 --> S1, and second, S0 --> S2, excited states were determined. It was shown experimentally that a decrease in the angle between S0 --> S1 and S0 --> S2 transitions corresponded to an increased value of two-photon absorption (2PA) cross section for these molecules. Two-photon excitation anisotropy was nearly constant over the spectral region investigated (in contrast to one-photon excitation anisotropy spectra) and can be roughly explained by a simple model of 2PA based on the single intermediate state approximation. For comparison, the same trend in two-photon excitation anisotropy was observed for Rhodamine B in glycerol.

[The use of Ukrainian laferon in the combined treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia]. / Zastosuvannia vitchyznianoho laferonu u kompleksnomu likuvanni khvorykh na khronichnu miieloïdnu leikemiiu.

A study was made into the effect of laferon on effectiveness of treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The authors have reached the conclusion that drug tolerance in the patients is fairly good. The number of negative reactions within a few days of the start of laferon therapy did not exceed the level reported from other countries. Small series and short-term follow-up does not allow judgement about effects of the drug on survival but one can say with certainty that the employment of laferon in the treatment programme for CML in different categories of risk permits achieving clinical and hematological compensation on more frequent occasions. The quality of the patients' life gets improved. Chemotherapy was found to lessen the risk for infectious and inflammatory complications.

[The clinico-physiological validation of the use of the endolymphatic route for antibiotic administration for preventing the translocation of intestinal microflora during the treatment of sepsis patients]. / Kliniko-fiziologicheskoe obosnovanie ispol'zovaniia éndolimfaticheskogo puti vvedeniia antibiotikov dlia profilaktiki translokatsii kishechnoi mikroflory pri lechenii bol'nykh sepsisom.

One of the main mechanisms of generalization of infection in purulent-inflammatory processes of the abdominal cavity, retroperitoneal space and pelvis minor is translocation of the pathogenic microflora of the intestine in the lymphatic system via regional lymphatic nodes with subsequent rupture into the systemic circulation. Endolymphatic administration of antibacterial agents into the peripheral lymphatic vessel favours saturation of the reticuloendothelial structures of the lymph nodes by the antibiotic agent that increases their barrier function and, thus, prevents generalization of the infection and development of polyorganic insufficiency.

[The use of finoptin and alpha-tocopherol in patients with stable exertional stenocardia]. / Primenenie finoptina i al'fa-tokoferola ubol'nykh stabil'noi stenokardiei napriazheniia.

A study of 59 patients of stable exertion stenocardia (functional class III) revealed an increased content of lipid hydroperoxide in lipoproteids of low and very low density that was associated with an increased level of malonic dialdehyde in of their functional activity, in particular, during physical loads. Finoptin monotherapy did not effect essentially the level of hydroperoxides in lipoproteids of low density, malonic dialdehyde in thrombocytes. Combination of finoptin and alpha-tocopherol reduced essentially the processes of lipid peroxidation, reducing, thus, the functional activity of thrombocytes at rest and loads.