Quantitative determination of the population biological activity of biological sludges used in the activated sludge waste water treatment process

The population biological activity of biological sludges used in the activated sludge waste water treatment process is defined as that minimum amount of biological sludge, still able to reduce in a 21 h contact period, the soluble COD of a waste water by one half the value equivalent to the BOD_5d. This A_mg^BOD50% 21 h value was determined by incubating hundred fold serial dilutions of a biological sludge with a previously sterilized waste water and by plotting the residual soluble COD remaining after a 21 h incubation period vs the sludge dilution. The method allows any given biological sludge to be readily assayed on any given waste water. Biological sludges were found stable for periods up to three months in the frozen state or when stored at 4°C. Lyophilization of biological sludges resulted in a severe loss of population biological activity. Biological sludges of trade waste water treatment plants were followed for periods up to 70 days. A correlation was found between the population biological activity and changes in environmental factors such as reduced N and P nutrient feeding, reduced aeration or changes in pH. Minor changes resulted in a decrease in population biological activity. Drastic changes resulted in a modified shape of the soluble COD vs biological sludge dilution curves, presumably reflecting deep modifications of the waste water-treating biological community.     

Involvement of GPx-3 in the Reciprocal Control of Redox Metabolism in the Leukemic Niche

The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment plays a crucial role in the development and progression of leukemia (AML). Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the regulation of the biology of leukemia-initiating cells, where the antioxidant enzyme GPx-3 could be involved as a determinant of cellular self-renewal. Little is known however about the role of the microenvironment in the control of the oxidative metabolism of AML cells. In the present study, a coculture model of BM mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and AML cells (KG1a cell-line and primary BM blasts) was used to explore this metabolic pathway. MSC-contact, rather than culture with MSC-conditioned medium, decreases ROS levels and inhibits the Nrf-2 pathway through overexpression of GPx3 in AML cells. The decrease of ROS levels also inactivates p38MAPK and reduces the proliferation of AML cells. Conversely, contact with AML cells modifies MSCs in that they display an increased oxidative stress and Nrf-2 activation, together with a concomitant lowered expression of GPx-3. Altogether, these experiments suggest that a reciprocal control of oxidative metabolism is initiated by direct cell–cell contact between MSCs and AML cells. GPx-3 expression appears to play a crucial role in this cross-talk and could be involved in the regulation of leukemogenesis.     

Synthesis of cellulose triacetate-I from microfibrillated date seeds cellulose (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoenix dactylifera L.</Emphasis>)

Cellulose triacetate (CTA) has successfully been synthesized from microfibrillated date seeds cellulose. The cellulosic material under study constituted 84.9% amorphous phase with a degree of polymerization of 950. Acetylation was conducted at 50 °C under optimized heterogeneous conditions by acetic anhydride as acetyl donor, acetic acid as solvent and sulfuric acid as catalyst. In this process, cellulose was acetylated without dissolving the material throughout. The acetylated cellulose chains on the surface were dissolved gradually in acetic acid, which created new accessible zones. The yield of cellulose triacetate was studied varying acetic acid, acetic anhydride and catalyst concentrations, as well as reaction times. The ratio between the intensity of the acetyl C=O stretching band at around 1740 cm^?1 and the intensity of C–O stretching vibration of the cellulose backbone at 1020–1040 cm^?1 was used to optimize the reaction time. The optimal reaction conditions of 8% concentration of sulfuric acid, acetic anhydride/cellulose weight ratio of 3:1, acetic acid/cellulose weight ratio of 7:1, reaction time of 3 h and reaction temperature of 50 °C have given highest yield of cellulose triacetate, of about 79%. The obtained date seeds-based cellulose triacetate was characterized thoroughly by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The synthesized product was identified as cellulose triacetate-I (CTA-I) characterized by a melting temperature of 217 °C and a decomposition temperature of 372 °C. These results demonstrated that date seeds can be used as potential source of microfibrillated cellulose which can be easily functionalized.     

Vezatin, a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell-cell junctions, is exclusively expressed in germ cells in mouse testis

In the male reproductive organs of mammals, the formation of spermatozoa takes place during two successive phases: differentiation (in the testis) and maturation (in the epididymis). The first phase, spermiogenesis, relies on a unique adherens junction, the apical ectoplasmic specialization linking the epithelial Sertoli cells to immature differentiating spermatids. Vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton in most epithelial cells. We report here the expression profile of vezatin during spermatogenesis. Vezatin is exclusively expressed in haploid germ cells. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses showed that vezatin intimately coincides, temporally and spatially, with acrosome formation. While vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions in many epithelial cells, it is not seen at the ectoplasmic specializations, neither at the basal nor at the apical sites, in the seminiferous epithelium. In particular, vezatin does not colocalize with espin and myosin VIIa, two molecular markers of the ectoplasmic specialization. In differentiating spermatids, ultrastructural data indicate that vezatin localizes in the acrosome. In epididymal sperm, vezatin localizes also to the outer acrosomal membrane. Considering its developmental and molecular characteristics, vezatin may be involved in the assembly/stability of this spermatic membrane.     

Is there functional vascular information in anatomical MR sequences? A preliminary in vivo study

According to the type of sequences used, either morphological or dynamic functional study can be performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of this study is to find out if vascular information found, in dynamic MR sequences, already exists in anatomical MR sequences in the particular case of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). LCPD is due to a loss of circulation to the femoral head in a growing child resulting in avascular necrosis and leading to possible distortion of size and shape of the proximal femur. MRI acquisitions consist in performing two anatomical sequences and one dynamic sequence with a gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) injection. Five new parametric images characterizing hyper- and hypo-vascularized areas are computed from the dynamic MR sequence. For each new image, the two corresponding anatomical images are found and registered. Then, four types of regions of interest (ROIs) are extracted: healthy hyper- and hypo-vascularized areas and pathological hyper- and hypo-vascularized areas. First-order statistical parameters and texture parameters (Haralick's method, run length method, fractal parameters, autoregressive factors and Laws' texture energy method) are computed in each ROI. Then, a statistical study based on a T test is performed. Results show that some parameters could discriminate the four ROI types. Hence, dynamic vascular image and intrinsic anatomical image characteristics seem to be correlated. Finally, the disease can be evaluated with objective parameters using only anatomical sequences.     

Staphylococcus aureus growth and enterotoxin production during the manufacture of uncooked, semihard cheese from cows' raw milk

Staphylococcus aureus growth and enterotoxin production during the manufacture of model Saint-Nectaire, Registered Designation of Origin Saint-Nectaire, and Registered Designation of Origin Salers cheeses, three types of uncooked, semihard, raw milk cheese, were investigated. Coagulase-positive staphylococci (SC+) grew rapidly during the first 6 h. Between 6 and 24 h, counts increased by less than 0.5 log CFU/ml. Raw milk counts ranged from undetectable (<10 CFU/ml) to 3.03 log CFU/ml. Maximal levels reached in cheese on day 1 ranged from 2.82 to 6.84 log CFU/g. The level of SC+ after 24 h was mainly influenced by the milk baseline SC+ level (correlation coefficient, r > 0.80) but pH at 6 h influenced the SC+ growth observed between 6 and 24 h (r > 0.70). Thus, the initial level of SC+ in raw milk should be maintained below 100 CFU/ml and best below 40 CFU/ml. To limit growth, acidification should be managed to obtain pH values around or below 5.8 at 6 h in Saint-Nectaire cheeses and around or below 6.3 at 6 h in Salers cheeses. Enterotoxins were only detected in two Salers cheeses whose SC+ counts on day 1 were 5.55 log CFU/g and 5.06 log CFU/g, respectively, and whose pH values at 6 h were high (approximately 6.6 and 6.5, respectively).     

Electro-stimulated biological production of hydrogen from municipal solid waste

Hydrogen production from municipal solid wastes was investigated by applying a weak current (0.06 A) to a slurry of municipal solid waste in an anaerobic reactor at 55 °C using 4 electrodes (carbon graphite for the cathode and platinum electroplated titanium for the anode). Current application to the organic waste stimulated the hydrogen producing bacteria especially bacteria related to the Thermotogales and Bacillus families. Measured hydrogen production rates were comprised between 16 and 41 mL/h. Comparison of bacterial and archaeal communities in methane-producing (control) and electro-stimulated reactors showed similar species but with different dynamics correlated to hydrogen or methane production. Energy efficiency of the overall bioelectrolysis process using municipal solid waste and an applied voltage of 3V was approximately 12.4%, which is relatively low compared to values reported in the literature for organic wastes and can be explained by the low organic carbon content and availability in the municipal solid waste. Results of this study highlight some important operational constraints with respect to electro-stimulated hydrogen production from organic wastes; related in particular to electrode lifetime expectancies. Results nevertheless illustrate the potential for hydrogen production from municipal solid waste as a possible route for energy recovery.     

Ecological and aromatic impact of two Gram-negative bacteria (Psychrobacter celer and Hafnia alvei) inoculated as part of the whole microbial community of an experimental smear soft cheese

The impact of the growth of two Gram-negative bacteria, Psychrobacter celer and Hafnia alvei, inoculated at 10² and 10⁶ cfu/g, on the dynamics of a multispecies community as well as on volatile aroma compound production during cheese ripening was investigated. Results showed that P. celer was able to successfully implant itself in cheese, regardless of its inoculation level. However, when it was inoculated at a high level, the bacterial biodiversity was drastically lowered from day 25 to the end of ripening. Overall, the presence of P. celer led to the higher production of volatile aroma compounds such as aldehydes, ketones and sulfur compounds. Regardless of its inoculation level, H. alvei barely affected the growth of the bacterial community and was subdominant at the end of ripening. It influenced total volatile aroma compound production with volatile sulfur compounds being the most abundant. Overall, these two bacteria were able to implant themselves in a cheese community and significantly contributed to the aromatic properties of the cheese. Their role in flavoring and their interactions with the technological microorganisms must be considered during cheese ripening and should be further investigated.     

Intraspecies diversity of Lactobacillus sakei response to oxidative stress and variability of strain performance in mixed strains challenges

Lactobacillus sakei is a meat-borne lactic acid bacterium species exhibiting a wide genomic diversity. We have investigated the diversity of response to various oxidative compounds, between L. sakei strains, among a collection representing the genomic diversity. We observed various responses to the different compounds as well as a diversity of response depending on the aeration conditions used for cell growth. A principal component analysis revealed two main phenotypic groups, partially correlating with previously described genomic clusters. We designed strains mixes composed of three different strains, in order to examine the behavior of each strain, when cultured alone or in the presence of other strains. The strains composing the mixtures were chosen as diverse as possible, i.e. exhibiting diverse responses to oxidative stress and belonging to different genomic clusters. Growth and survival rates of each strain were monitored under various aeration conditions, with or without heme supplementation. The results obtained suggest that some strains may act as “helper” or “burden” strains depending on the oxidative conditions encountered during incubation. This study confirms that resistance to oxidative stress is extremely variable within the L. sakei species and that this property should be considered when investigating starter performance in the complex meat bacterial ecosystems.