Modelling of hydrogen production in batch cultures of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus

The photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter capsulatus, produces hydrogen under nitrogen-limited, anaerobic, photosynthetic culture conditions, using various carbon substrates. In the present study, the relationship between light intensity and hydrogen production has been modelled in order to predict both the rate of hydrogen production and the amount of hydrogen produced at a given time during batch cultures of R. capsulatus. The experimental data were obtained by investigating the effect of different light intensities (6000–50,000 lux) on hydrogen-producing cultures of R. capsulatus grown in a batch photobioreactor, using lactate as carbon and hydrogen source. The rate of hydrogen production increased with increasing light intensity in a manner that was described by a static Baly model, modified to include the square of the light intensity. In agreement with previous studies, the kinetics of substrate utilization and growth of R. capsulatus was represented by the classical Monod or Michaelis–Menten model. When combined with a dynamic Leudekong–Piret model, the amount of hydrogen produced as a function of time was effectively predicted. These results will be useful for the automatization and control of bioprocesses for the photoproduction of hydrogen.     

Implications of short and long term (30 days) sorption on the desorption kinetic of trace metals (Cd, Zn, Co, Mn, Fe, Ag, Cs) associated with river suspended matter

The desorption kinetic of trace elements (Cd, Zn, Co, Mn, Fe, Ag, and Cs) associated with Loire river natural suspended particulate matter (SPM; 0.4-63 microm) was followed up on times varying from 0.5 h to 30 days, from SPM previously contaminated during 1 h, 24 h and 30 days. Long term sorption kinetics indicated that the difference between sorption occurring during the period 0-30 days (time investigated in this study) and the period 0-48 h (time often used for sorption experiments) ranges from few to 25% according to the element. Desorption kinetics show that, whatever the age of the complex formed during the sorption step, the release tends to equilibrium between complexed and dissolved elements equivalent to the equilibrium obtained for sorption after a given time. However, the time to get this equilibrium depends on the aging of the complex and on the element. All the above features indicate different types of complexes formation and strength of the binding according to the age of the complex and according to the element. Using a multi-compartmental model, simulating the transfer of metals between water and different types of particulate sites, the relationships between the parameters describing slow and rapid processes helped in explaining the "aging" effect observed.     

Cross Pharmacological,Biochemical and Computational Studies of a Human Kv3.1b Inhibitor from Androctonus australis Venom

The voltage-gated K⁺ channels Kv3.1 display fast activation and deactivation kinetics and are known to have a crucial contribution to the fast-spiking phenotype of certain neurons. AahG50, as a natural product extracted from Androctonus australis hector venom, inhibits selectively Kv3.1 channels. In the present study, we focused on the biochemical and pharmacological characterization of the component in AahG50 scorpion venom that potently and selectively blocks the Kv3.1 channels. We used a combined optimization through advanced biochemical purification and patch-clamp screening steps to characterize the peptide in AahG50 active on Kv3.1 channels. We described the inhibitory effect of a toxin on Kv3.1 unitary current in black lipid bilayers. In silico, docking experiments are used to study the molecular details of the binding. We identified the first scorpion venom peptide inhibiting Kv3.1 current at 170 nM. This toxin is the alpha-KTx 15.1, which occludes the Kv3.1 channel pore by means of the lysine 27 lateral chain. This study highlights, for the first time, the modulation of the Kv3.1 by alpha-KTx 15.1, which could be an interesting starting compound for developing therapeutic biomolecules against Kv3.1-associated diseases.     

Serine Racemase Deletion Affects the Excitatory/Inhibitory Balance of the Hippocampal CA1 Network

d-serine is the major co-agonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) at CA3/CA1 hippocampal synapses, the activation of which drives long-term potentiation (LTP). The use of mice with targeted deletion of the serine racemase (SR) enzyme has been an important tool to uncover the physiological and pathological roles of D-serine. To date, some uncertainties remain regarding the direction of LTP changes in SR-knockout (SR-KO) mice, possibly reflecting differences in inhibitory GABAergic tone in the experimental paradigms used in the different studies. On the one hand, our extracellular recordings in hippocampal slices show that neither isolated NMDAR synaptic potentials nor LTP were altered in SR-KO mice. This was associated with a compensatory increase in hippocampal levels of glycine, another physiologic NMDAR co-agonist. SR-KO mice displayed no deficits in spatial learning, reference memory and cognitive flexibility. On the other hand, SR-KO mice showed a weaker LTP and a lower increase in NMDAR potentials compared to controls when GABA_A receptors were pharmacologically blocked. Our results indicate that depletion of endogenous D-serine caused a reduced inhibitory activity in CA1 hippocampal networks, altering the excitatory/inhibitory balance, which contributes to preserve functional plasticity at synapses and to maintain related cognitive abilities.     

Multiple transitions in poly(allylbenzene): 1. Thermophysical properties

Polyallylbenzene is a semicrystalline material the thermal behaviour and physical properties of which reveal several transitions. Thermal and differential calorimetric analysis have shown the influence of the history of the material about the glass transition and melting. Several techniques such as thermomechanical analysis, dilatometry and inverse gas chromatography give additional information for the unidimensional and volume behaviour of the polymer versus temperature.     

L'impact des relations interpersonnelles et familiales sur les personnes souffrant d'agoraphobie: L'état de la question.

Reviews the literature on the impact of interpersonal relationships, especially family relationships, on the development, maintenance, and behavioral treatment of agoraphobia. Interpersonal relationships seem to play some role in the agoraphobic pathology, mainly for the onset of agoraphobia and the presence of social anxiety. However, it seems that its importance is less than what has been suggested in the literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impairment of memory for spatial context in schizophrenia.

A group of 33 patients with schizophrenia were compared with control participants using a spatial memory task in which words were presented on locations of a grid. In the first part of the experiment, recognition of target information (words) was tested. In the second, 2 tasks of spatial location (contextual information) were given involving different sets of words placed in different locations: A location memory task (determining which word was in a particular spatial location) explored an associative form of spatial memory, and a relocation task (determining where a particular word was located) explored an associative and a nonassociative form of spatial memory. Patients were more impaired with regard to the location memory task than to the target recognition and relocation tasks. The impairment was negatively correlated with Stroop task performance. The results suggest that schizophrenia is associated with a spatial context memory deficit, which could be due to defective associations between target and spatial information. This deficit seemed to be related to frontal dysfunction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the morphology of the modulated precipitation of extended multiplets and Fe9C4 epsilon or eta carbide obtained by aging and tempering in Fe- C martensite

The clustering of carbon atoms into isolated multiplets followed by their ordering into (100)_α’ mono-layers leads to the B2 monoclinic multilayer structure called the extended multiplet, during the low temperature aging of Fe-C martensite. The ultimate step of the process is obtained by a lC,2Fe, lC,5Fe, lC,5Fe sequence along the [001]_α′. direction giving rise to a 12 lattice parameter periodicity associated with antiphase domains, for matching the lattices of the precipitate and of the matrix. It explains the satellites observed by electron diffraction as well as the (023)_α′. habit plane revealed by the diffuse scattering streaks and TEM observations. The carbon free regions between the antiphase domains correspond to the ‘C ’ or ‘к’ phase as determined from the (200)/(020) and (002) martensite peak profile X-ray analysis. The laterin situ transformation to the ordered Fe₉C₄ ε- or η-carbide, corresponds to an orthorhombic structure with parametersα _η =3α _ε,b _η≈ 3α_ε√3, andc _η =c _ε, ifα _ε andcε are the initial parameters of the Fe hcp stacking,i.e., α _η= 8.46 to 8.49 Å,b _η = 14.04 to 14.07 Å, andc _η = 4.31 to 4.32 Å for the binary Fe-C alloys. The transformation induces plate-like carbide precipitates with a (035)(gα′). predicted habit plane, which is 4.40 deg away from the approximate (012)_ga′. plane observed by TEM.     

Effect of opsonins on the uptake of magnetic starch microspheres by rat Kupffer cells

The influence of various sera and proteins on the uptake of a superparamagnetic colloid (magnetic starch microspheres (MSM); particle size, 200 nm; crystal size, 10 nm) by the isolated and perfused rat liver has been studied. It is demonstrated that the capture of MSM is slightly reduced by the addition of rat blood to the protein-free perfusion medium but highly reduced by newborn calf serum (NCS). The SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) analysis of proteins adsorbed on the nanoparticles incubated in NCS reveals major coating by albumin and IgG. The addition of bovine IgG to the perfusion fluid reduces the rate of MSM uptake in the same extent that NCS, whereas fetal calf serum that contains only traces of IgG weakly alters the MSM clearance. Finally, complemented and decomplemented NCS exhibit the same influence on the MSM hepatic extraction. It is concluded that although lectins are largely involved in the uptake of MSM administered in the absence of proteins, opsonins receptors are implicated when the perfusion medium contains relevant blood components.