Identification of naturally isolated Southern Louisiana's algal strains and the effect of higher CO2 content on fatty acid profiles for biodiesel production

BACKGROUND: Microalgae, with both high biomass productivity and oil content, are regarded as attractive candidates for the production of alternative biodiesel as well as for CO₂ biofixation. In the present study, four microalgal strains native to southeastern Louisiana's waters were isolated and identified to evaluate their potential for the production of biodiesel. Selected strains were identified through genomic DNA in sequencing of either 16S rRNA or 18S rRNA genes followed by lipid and fatty acid content characterization and quantification. RESULTS: High correlation was found with known nucleotide sequence identities at 98% with Sellaphora pupula, and 99% with Synechococcus sp., Chlorella sorokiniana, Scenedesmus abundans, and Chlorella vulgaris (control). The fatty acid profiles of these organisms changed when using 5% CO₂ aeration. Total fatty acids (TFA) decreased from 20.63 to 17.62, 54.83 to 24.4, and 29.82 to 23.99 g kg^?1 in Synechococcus sp., Sellaphora pupula and Chlorella sorokiniana, respectively. TFA increased from 14.14 to 31.49 and 15.14 to 47.52 g kg^?1 dry biomass in Scenedesmus abundans and Chlorella vulgaris (control), respectively. CONCLUSION: Chlorella sorokiniana, with a lower C18:3 and the highest biomass yield at 5% CO₂ aeration, was found to be the best candidate for biodiesel production. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cognitive behavioral therapy for 4- to 7-year-old children with anxiety disorders: A randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of a developmentally appropriate parent–child cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol for anxiety disorders in children ages 4–7 years. Method: Design: Randomized wait-list controlled trial. Conduct: Sixty-four children (53% female, mean age 5.4 years, 80% European American) with anxiety disorders were randomized to a parent–child CBT intervention (n = 34) or a 6-month wait-list condition (n = 30). Children were assessed by interviewers blind to treatment assignment, using structured diagnostic interviews with parents, laboratory assessments of behavioral inhibition, and parent questionnaires. Analysis: Chi-square analyses of outcome rates and linear and ordinal regression of repeated measures, examining time by intervention interactions. Results: The response rate (much or very much improved on the Clinical Global Impression Scale for Anxiety) among 57 completers was 69% versus 32% (CBT vs. controls), p     

Use of coffee by‐products for the cultivation of Pleurotus citrinopileatus and Pleurotus salmoneo‐stramineus and its impact on biological properties of extracts thereof

Incorporating spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a by‐product from coffee brewing, in growth substrate of beneficial edible mushrooms is an approach that has to be further studied due to its potential positive outcomes: environmental impact mitigation, production costs reduction and beneficial impact on consumer health. Hence, cultivation of Pleurotus citrinopileatus and Pleurotus salmoneo‐stramineus was tested using SCG which enabled maximum production yield of P. citrinopileatus which was of 25.1% (w/w). Variable antidiabetic potential was observed between aqueous and enzymatic extracts (3.8%–29% inhibition) regardless species and substrates, whereas aqueous extract of P. citrinopileatus grown in substrate without SCG stood out presenting the highest antioxidant activity and inhibition activity of angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (IC₅₀ = 123 μg mL^?1). Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of both Pleurotus species grown in the presence or absence of SGC proved to be an interesting prebiotic source for growth of Bifidobacterium animalis Bo in comparison with fructooligosaccharides (FOS).     

A bacteriophage reagent for Salmonella: molecular studies on Felix 01

Felix 01 (F01) is a bacteriophage originally isolated by Felix and Callow which lyses almost all Salmonella strains and has been widely used as a diagnostic test for this genus. Molecular information about this phage is entirely lacking. In the present study, the DNA of the phage was found to be a double-stranded linear molecule of about 80 kb. 11.5 kb has been sequenced and in this region A + T content is 60%. There are relatively few restriction endonuclease cleavage sites in the native genome and clones show this is due to their absence rather than modification. A restriction map of the genome has been constructed. The ends of the molecule cannot be ligated although they contain 5' phosphates. At least 60% of the genome must encode proteins. In the sequenced portion, many open reading frames exist and these are tightly packed together. These have been examined for homology to published proteins but only 1 to 17 shows similarity to known proteins. F01 is therefore the prototype of a new phage family. On the basis of restriction sites, codon usage and the distribution of nonsense codons in the unused reading frames, a strong case can be made for natural selection that reacts to mRNA structure and function.     

Construction of discrete-time models for port-controlled Hamiltonian systems with applications

The issues of constructing a discrete-time model for Hamiltonian systems are in general different from those for dissipative systems. We propose an algorithm for constructing an approximate discrete-time model, which guarantees Hamiltonian conservation. We show that the algorithm also preserves, in a weaker sense, the losslessness property of a class of port-controlled Hamiltonian systems. An application of the algorithm to port-controlled Hamiltonian systems with quadratic Hamiltonian is presented, and we use this to solve the stabilization problem for this class of systems based on the approximate discrete-time model constructed using the proposed algorithm. We illustrate the usefulness of the algorithm in designing a discrete-time controller to stabilize the angular velocity of the dynamics of a rigid body.     

Decay of the HO2 and O−2 Radicals Catalyzed by Superoxide Dismutase. A Pulse Radiolytic Investigation

The pulse radiolysis technique has been employed in the investigation of the dismutation of superoxide radicals, O^?₂ and HO₂, in the presence of superoxide dismutase in aqueous solutions. The decay of superoxide radicals in the presence of the enzyme was found to be first order in both enzyme and superoxide concentrations. An apparent second order reaction rate constant was found to be about 2 × 10⁹ M^?1 sec^?1, decreasing slightly as the pH is increased from 5 to 9.5. A mechanism which accounts for all our observations is proposed. It includes two steps: (1) formation of a product (EO^?₂ or E^?) from one enzyme (E) molecule and one O^?₂ radical ion; (2) regeneration of E by a reaction of this product with an additional O^?₂ ion radical. The reaction rate constants k = (1.4 ± 0.2) × 10⁹ and k = (1.9 ± 0.6) × 10⁹ M^?1 sec^?1 were measured at pH = 7 in an oxygenated 0.16 M sodium formate solution.     

Illumination-induced properties of highly ordered mesoporous TiO2 layers with controlled crystallinity

The evaporation-induced self-assembly method using a novel diblock (poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)) copolymer (KLE) provides fully crystalline mesoporous layers of TiO₂ exhibiting high thermal stability up to 700 °C, high photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of methyl stearate and facile transformation into a substantially stable superhydrophilic state by 1 mW/cm² UV-illumination.     

In Vitro Simultaneous Transfer of Lipids to HDL in Coronary Artery Disease and in Statin Treatment

The exchange of lipids with cells and other lipoproteins is a crucial process in HDL metabolism and for HDL antiatherogenic function. Here, we tested a practical method to quantify the simultaneous transfer to HDL of phospholipids, free-cholesterol, esterified cholesterol and triacylglycerols and to verify the lipid transfer in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or undergoing statin treatment. Twenty-eight control subjects without CAD, 27 with CAD and 25 CAD patients under simvastatin treatment were studied. Plasma samples were incubated with a donor nanoemulsion prepared by ultrasonication of the constituent lipids and labeled with radioactive lipids; % lipids transferred to HDL were quantified in the HDL-containing supernatant after chemical precipitation of non-HDL fractions and the nanoemulsion. The assay was precise and reproducible. Increase of temperature (4–37 °C), of incubation period (5 min to 2 h), of HDL-cholesterol concentration (33–244 mg/dL) and of mass of nanoemulsion lipids (0.075–0.3 mg/μL) resulted in increased lipid transfer from the nanoemulsion to HDL. In contrast, increasing pH (6.5–8.5) and albumin concentration (3.5–7.0 g/dL) did not affect lipid transfer. There was no difference between CAD and control non-CAD with regard to the lipid transfer, but statin treatment reduced the transfer to HDL of all four lipids. The test herein described is a valid and practical tool for exploring an important aspect of HDL metabolism.