Effect of molasses on the production and activity of dye-decolorizing peroxidase from Geotrichum candidum Dec1

The production of dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) was investigated by cultivating Geotrichum candidum Dec1 using molasses as a carbon source. Molasses at concentrations greater than 10 g·l⁻¹ was found to increase the decolorization activity of the culture broth toward dye, reactive blue 5 mainly because the amount of enzyme produced was enhanced. However, complete inhibition of DyP activity by molasses was observed at the concentration of 20 g·l⁻¹, indicating that the inhibitory effect of molasses on the culture broth activity to decolorize the dye was involved. When the culture broth was diluted 25 times, the dye-decolorizing activity was 7 times as much as that of non-diluted culture broth. The molasses fractions separated by gel chromatography (300–400 ml and 400–500 ml fractions) completely inhibited the purified DyP. On the basis of these results, we propose a scheme to control both positive and negative effects of molasses on the dye decolorization process.     

"WEEE"和"RoHS"指令的对应策略

随着“WEEE”和“RoHS”指令实施的日益临近,国内许多企业苦于进展缓慢。本文提出了企业的对应策略。     

Effects of gastrin on the histamine-secretory and proliferative activity of cultured carcinoid cells derived from the stomach of the rodent Mastomys natalensis

In order to estimate the distribution of Salmonella including Salmonella enteritidis (SE) and SE-antibodies in commercial layer hen flocks in Hokkaido, the northern prefecture of Japan, a survey of spent layer hens was performed, from August 1996 to January 1997. From the three spent hen processing plants, samples of intestines and sera were collected from 740 birds presented for slaughter from 37 flocks of 22 layer hen farms. Intestines from each birds were cultured for Salmonella including Salmonella enteritidis. Serum from each bird was examined for SE-antibody with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Salmonella (any serotype) and Salmonella enteritidis were isolated from 50 (6.8%) and three (0.4%) of 740 birds, respectively, and SE-antibody positive values were recorded from seven birds (0.9%). SE-antibody positive birds did not always indicate isolation of Salmonella enteritidis, however SE-antibody positive hens were demonstrated only from Salmonella enteritidis positive flocks. Salmonellae were isolated from the birds of ten layer hen farms, all of these hens were raised in houses without windows and with automatic feeders. No isolations of salmonella were made from birds raised in houses with windows. From the windowless houses, Salmonellae were isolated from 46 (21.8%) of 260 birds in houses with four to six cages piled up vertically, and from six (2.5%) of 240 samples from the houses with four to five cages piled in a slanting manner.     

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous polyimide composite membrane with controlled pore size for direct methanol fuel cells

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) polyimide matrix with different pore size (1.3 μm–200 nm) was fabricated, and its structural effect on some properties of composite membrane was investigated. The composite membrane prepared by impregnation of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid polymer (PAMPS) exhibited swelling ratios as low as 2–3% in water or methanol solutions, compared with about 400% of PAMPS itself. The swelling ratio of composite membrane was constant regardless of the 3DOM pore size. However, methanol permeability strongly depended on the pore size. In particular, it was drastically reduced when connecting windows among macropores became less than 100 nm. On the other hand, proton conductivity changed with 3DOM matrix porosity according to Archie's law. The porosity of 3DOM matrix is basically constant even if the pore size changes. Therefore, we suppressed the methanol crossover without lowering of proton conductivity due to reducing the matrix pore size, and the selectivity (proton conductivity/methanol permeability) of 1.2 × 10⁵ S cm⁻³ s, which was one order of magnitude greater than that of Nafion^®, was achieved.     

Structural studies of enzyme-based microfluidic biofuel cells

An enzyme-based glucose/O₂ biofuel cell was constructed within a microfluidic channel to study the influence of electrode configuration and fluidic channel height on cell performance. The cell was composed of a bilirubin oxidase (BOD)-adsorbed O₂ cathode and a glucose anode prepared by co-immobilization of glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), diaphorase (Dp) and VK₃-pendant poly-l-lysine. The consumption of O₂ at the upstream cathode protected the downstream anode from interfering O₂ molecules, and consequently improved the cell performance (maximum cell current) ca. 10% for the present cell. The cell performance was also affected by the channel height. The output current and power of a 0.1 mm-height cell was significantly less than those of a 1 mm-height cell because of the depletion of O₂, as determined by the shape of the E–I curve at the cathode. On the other hand, the volume density of current and power was several times higher for the narrower cell.     

Relationship between Expression of Onco-Related miRNAs and the Endoscopic Appearance of Colorectal Tumors

Accumulating data indicates that certain microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are differently expressed in samples of tumors and paired non-tumorous samples taken from the same patients with colorectal tumors. We examined the expression of onco-related miRNAs in 131 sporadic exophytic adenomas or early cancers and in 52 sporadic flat elevated adenomas or early cancers to clarify the relationship between the expression of the miRNAs and the endoscopic morphological appearance of the colorectal tumors. The expression levels of miR-143, -145, and -34a were significantly reduced in most of the exophytic tumors compared with those in the flat elevated ones. In type 2 cancers, the miRNA expression profile was very similar to that of the exophytic tumors. The expression levels of miR-7 and -21 were significantly up-regulated in some flat elevated adenomas compared with those in exophytic adenomas. In contrast, in most of the miR-143 and -145 down-regulated cases of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and in some of the de novo types of carcinoma, the up-regulation of oncogenic miR-7 and/or -21 contributed to the triggering mechanism leading to the carcinogenetic process. These findings indicated that the expression of onco-related miRNA was associated with the morphological appearance of colorectal tumors.     

Present or Past Herbivory: A Screening of Volatiles Released from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica rapa</Emphasis> Under Caterpillar Attacks as Attractants for the Solitary Parasitoid, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cotesia vestalis</Emphasis>

Females of the solitary endoparasitoid Cotesia vestalis respond to a blend of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from plants infested with larvae of their host, the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), which is an important pest insect of cruciferous plants. We investigated the flight response of female parasitoids to the cruciferous plant Brassica rapa, using two-choice tests under laboratory conditions. The parasitoids were more attracted to plants that had been infested for at least 6 hr by the host larvae compared to intact plants, but they did not distinguish between plants infested for only 3 hr and intact plants. Although parasitoids preferred plants 1 and 2 days after herbivory (formerly infested plants) over intact plants they also preferred plants that had been infested for 24 hr over formerly infested plants. This suggests that parasitoids can distinguish between the VOC profiles of currently and formerly infested plants. We screened for differences in VOC emissions among the treatments and found that levels of benzyl cyanide and dimethyl trisulfide significantly decreased after removal of the host larvae, whereas terpenoids and their related compounds continued to be released at high levels. Benzyl cyanide and dimethyl trisulfide attracted parasitoids in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the other compounds were not attractive. These results suggest that nitrile and sulfide compounds temporarily released from plants under attack by host larvae are potentially more effective attractants for this parasitoid than other VOCs that are continuously released by host-damaged plants.