Identification of genes from Aspergillus oryzae that are preferentially expressed in membrane-surface liquid culture

We identified 22 genes from Aspergillus oryzae that are preferentially expressed in membrane-surface liquid culture (MSLC), among which Ser/Thr protein kinase (aopk1) and phosphatase (aoppt) genes were cloned. We also revealed that aopk1 encodes a protein with an N-terminal sequence 150 amino acid residues longer than that predicted from the registered sequence in GenBank.     

Evaluation of Two Sets of Sorghum Bagasse Samples as the Feedstock for Fermentable Sugar Recovery via the Calcium Capturing by Carbonation (CaCCO) Process

Abstract: Sorghum bagasse samples from two sets (n6 and bmr6; n18 and bmr18) of wild-type and corresponding “brown midrib” (bmr) mutant strains of sweet sorghum were evaluated as the feedstock for fermentable sugar recovery via the calcium capturing by carbonation (CaCCO) process, which involves Ca(OH)₂ pretreatment of bagasse with subsequent neutralization with CO₂ for enzymatic saccharification. Saccharification tests under various pretreatment conditions of the CaCCO process at different Ca(OH)₂ concentrations, temperatures or residence periods indicated that bmr strains are more sensitive to the pretreatment than their counterparts are. It is expected that variant bmr6 is more suitable for glucose recovery than its wild-type counterpart because of the higher glucan content and better glucose recovery with less severe pretreatment. Meanwhile, bmr18showed higher scores of glucose recovery than its counterpart did, only at low pretreatment severity, and did not yield higher sugar recovery under the more severe conditions. The trend was similar to that of xylose recovery data from the two bmr strains. The advantages of bmr strains were also proven by means of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of CaCCO-pretreated bagasse samples by pentose-fermenting yeast strain Candida shehatae Cs 4R. The amounts needed for production of 1 L of ethanol from n6, bmr6, n18, and bmr18samples were estimated as 4.11, 3.46, 4.03, and 3.95 kg, respectively. The bmr strains seem to have excellent compatibility with the CaCCO process for ethanol production, and it is expected that integrated research from the feedstock to bioprocess may result in breakthroughs for commercialization.     

Preparation of transparent ts-1 zeolite film and its photocatalytic isomerization under uv irradiation

TS-1 zeolite film has been prepared by using nano sized TS-1 zeolite particles for the photocatalytic isomerization of cis-2-butene. TS-1 zeolite film showed optical transparent property and the thickness of film was 0.7 μm. UV irradiation of TS-1 zeolite film in the presence ofcis-2-butene leads to the photocatalytic isomerization ofcis-2-butene intotrans-2-butene at the temperature of 275 K. The yield oftrans- 2-butene was linearly increased with UV-irradiation time.     

Application and development of synthetic polymer membranes. VI. Pervaporation of aqueous ethanol solution through quaternized poly[3-(N′,N′-dimethyl) aminopropylacrylamide-co-acrylonitrile] membranes

Membranes obtained from polymers, quaternized poly[3-(N′,N′-dimethyl) aminopropylacrylamide-co-acrylonitrile]s, showed selective separation of water from aqueous ethanol solution by pervaporation. The separation factor toward water reached over 15,000. Membrane performance showed a good correlation to membrane polarity. Differential scanning calorimetric melting endotherms of the water-swollen membranes were studied to clarify the state of water in the membranes. The results suggested that there are two states of water in the membrane: bound and free. The higher the fraction of bound water in the membrane, clearly, the more preferentially was water permeated.     

“Nata Puree,” a Novel Food Material for Upgrading Vegetable Powders,Made by Bacterial Cellulose Gel Disintegration in the Presence of (1,3)(1,4)-β-Glucan

Pulverization is a potentially powerful solution for the resource management of surplus- and non-standard agricultural products, maintaining their nutritional values for long and ensuring their homogeneity, whereas their original textures could disappear to narrow the application ranges. Therefore, new technologies should be developed for reconstructing the powders to provide them with new physical characteristics. Herein, we developed a novel food material, nata puree (NP), by nata de coco (bacterial cellulose gel) disintegration with a water-soluble polysaccharide using a household blender. The process worked well with (1,3)(1,4)-β-glucan (BGL) as the polysaccharide, which could be substituted with barley extract. Lichenase treatment of the NP dramatically modified its physical properties, suggesting the importance of the BGL polymeric forms. NP exhibited distinct potato powder and starch binding activities, which would be attributed to its interactions with the cell wall components and a physical capture of powders by the NP network, respectively. NP supplementation into the potato paste improved its firmness and enabled its printable range shift for 3D food printing to a lower powder-concentration. NP also promoted the dispersion of powders in its suspension, and designed gelation could also be successfully performed by the laser irradiation of an NP suspension containing dispersed curdlan and turmeric powders. Therefore, NP could be applied as a powder modifier to a wide range of products in both conventional cooking, food manufacturing, and next generation processes such as 3D food printing.     

Effect of Surface Treatment on the Selective Photocatalytic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol into Benzaldehyde by O2 on TiO2 Under Visible Light

The photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde proceeded with high conversion and selectivity on a TiO₂ photocatalyst by O₂ under visible light irradiation. Surface complex formed by the interaction of benzyl alcohol with the Ti sites and/or surface OH groups of TiO₂ play an important role in the absorption of visible light and unique selective photocatalytic reaction.     

In utero exposure to a low concentration of diesel exhaust affects spontaneous locomotor activity and monoaminergic system in male mice

Background

Epidemiological studies suggest that inhalation of carbonaceous particulate matter from biomass combustion increases susceptibility to bacterial pneumonia. In vitro studies report that phagocytosis of carbon black by alveolar macrophages (AM) impairs killing of Streptococcus pneumoniae. We have previously reported high levels of black carbon in AM from biomass smoke-exposed children and adults. We therefore aimed to use a mouse model to test the hypothesis that high levels of carbon loading of AM in vivo increases susceptibility to pneumococcal pneumonia.

Methods

Female outbred mice were treated with either intranasal phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or ultrafine carbon black (UF-CB in PBS; 500 μg on day 1 and day 4), and then infected with S. pneumoniae strain D39 on day 5. Survival was assessed over 72 h. The effect of UF-CB on AM carbon loading, airway inflammation, and a urinary marker of pulmonary oxidative stress was assessed in uninfected animals.

Results

Instillation of UF-CB in mice resulted a pattern of AM carbon loading similar to that of biomass-smoke exposed humans. In uninfected animals, UF-CB treated animals had increased urinary 8-oxodG (P = 0.055), and an increased airway neutrophil differential count (P < 0.01). All PBS-treated mice died within 72 h after infection with S. pneumoniae, whereas morbidity and mortality after infection was reduced in UF-CB treated animals (median survival 48 h vs. 30 h, P < 0.001). At 24 hr post-infection, UF-CB treated mice had lower lung and the blood S. pneumoniae colony forming unit counts, and lower airway levels of keratinocyte-derived chemokine/growth-related oncogene (KC/GRO), and interferon gamma.

Conclusion

Acute high level loading of AM with ultrafine carbon black particles per se does not increase the susceptibility of mice to pneumococcal infection in vivo.     

Chemical dehydrofluorination and electrical conductivity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) films

The dehydrofluorination of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) powder and films was studied using several kinds of base solution. Especially the reactivity of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecene (DBU) in ethanol, KOH in 2-propanol and aqueous NaOH solution with tetrabutylammonium bromide was investigated by the change in infrared (IR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VI) absorptions of PVDF films. The elimination reactions by DBU or KOH were considered to be accompanied by substitution reaction. The electrical conductivity of dehydrofluorinated PVDF films increased markedly by doping with iodine, and the activation energies of conduction were found to be between 0.4 and 0.5 eV. When a drawn PVDF film was dehydrofluorinated and doped with iodine, anisotropy in conductivity was observed.