Screening the Experimental Domain for the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside from Flaxseed Prior to Optimization Procedures

This paper presents the first part of a study that aims at developing an optimized microwave-assisted method for extracting the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside from defatted flaxseed meal. Two-level fractional factorial designs were used for screening the following factors: the microwave power level (30–360 W), the time of residence in the microwave cavity (1–25 min), the concentration of NaOH (0.25–1 M), and the mode of microwave power application (power on 30 and 60 s/min). The experimental domain had to be adjusted after each screening in order to focus the future optimization study within the factors' ranges likely to contain the optimal extraction conditions.     

Selective enrichment of low-abundance peptides in complex mixtures by elution-modified displacement chromatography and their identification by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Trace components were selectively enriched and detected in the tryptic digest of recombinant human growth hormone using elution-modified displacement chromatography, a hybrid technique combining features of elution and displacement chromatography. Based on the retention behavior of sample components in the elution mode, rapid and selective trace enrichment and high-resolution separation was achieved in a single step by utilizing appropriate combinations of an eluent such as aqueous acetonitrile with the displacer. Mass spectral and chromatographic analysis of displacement zones revealed up to 400-fold enhancement of the concentration of some low-abundance sample components. Potential application of this technique in proteomics to augment the sensitivity of LC-MS and 2-D gel electrophoretic approaches for the detection of biologically important low-abundance species is discussed.     

Improved lower bounds for semi-online bin packing problems

In the paper we deal with lower bounds constructed for the asymptotic competitive ratio of semi-online bin packing and batched bin packing algorithms.We determine the bounds as the solutions of a related nonlinear optimization problem using theoretical analysis and a reliable numerical global optimization method. Our results improve the lower bounds given in Gutin et al. (Discrete Optim 2:71–82, 2005) for some special cases of the batched bin packing problem.     

Module-Based Reinforcement Learning: Experiments with a Real Robot

The behavior of reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms is best understood in completely observable, discrete-time controlled Markov chains with finite state and action spaces. In contrast, robot-learning domains are inherently continuous both in time and space, and moreover are partially observable. Here we suggest a systematic approach to solve such problems in which the available qualitative and quantitative knowledge is used to reduce the complexity of learning task. The steps of the design process are to: (i) decompose the task into subtasks using the qualitative knowledge at hand; (ii) design local controllers to solve the subtasks using the available quantitative knowledge, and (iii) learn a coordination of these controllers by means of reinforcement learning. It is argued that the approach enables fast, semi-automatic, but still high quality robot-control as no fine-tuning of the local controllers is needed. The approach was verified on a non-trivial real-life robot task. Several RL algorithms were compared by ANOVA and it was found that the model-based approach worked significantly better than the model-free approach. The learnt switching strategy performed comparably to a handcrafted version. Moreover, the learnt strategy seemed to exploit certain properties of the environment which were not foreseen in advance, thus supporting the view that adaptive algorithms are advantageous to nonadaptive ones in complex environments.     

New Pilot Plant Studies at the Budapest Waterworks

The quality of water provided by the Budapest Waterworks should comply with the standards prescribed by the European Community. According to these provisions, on one of the major water-producing regions (Csepel Island), rows of wells of 60,000 m³/day yield have been closed recently, and in the immediate future further plants would have been closed because of the high iron and manganese content of the water.

The raw water obtained from 100 different wells will be purified by a water treatment plant of 150,000 m³/day capacity. Considering the high iron content (0.05–0.15 mg/L) and manganese content (0.05–0.2 mg/L), the raw water fails to comply with the requirements of the potable water standard.

Since 1990, over a period of three years, we conducted water purification experiments in several stages. In these, three methods of oxidizing as well as single and double layer open rapid filters were applied to oxidize the manganese (and, to a lesser extent, the water) present in dissolved form, resp., to destroy various living organisms.

In the course of the experiments, it became clear that the chlorine and chlorine + air methods are efficient in case of a small quantity of iron to be oxidized and only 20–25% of the dissolved manganese content could be oxidized.

Neither of the two methods could ensure firm management of microbiological and bacteriological characteristics. The best results were obtained by ozone oxidation, in which case the chemical oxidizing process was almost fully completed and even the chlorine-resistant living organisms could be destroyed.

On the basis of the experiments carried out, the investment program of the water treatment plant was worked out and the conditions of an international tender were compiled whose winner will be commissioned to build up the water works in the time period 1993–1996. One of the main steps of the proposed technology is the ozone treatment.     

The creation of a novel fluorescent protein by guided consensus engineering

Consensus engineering has been used to increase the stability of a number of different proteins, either by creating consensus proteins from scratch or by modifying existing proteins so that their sequences more closely match a consensus sequence. In this paper we describe the first application of consensus engineering to the ab initio creation of a novel fluorescent protein. This was based on the alignment of 31 fluorescent proteins with >62% homology to monomeric Azami green (mAG) protein, and used the sequence of mAG to guide amino acid selection at positions of ambiguity. This consensus green protein is extremely well expressed, monomeric and fluorescent with red shifted absorption and emission characteristics compared to mAG. Although slightly less stable than mAG, it is better expressed and brighter under the excitation conditions typically used in single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy or confocal microscopy. This study illustrates the power of consensus engineering to create stable proteins using the subtle information embedded in the alignment of similar proteins and shows that the benefits of this approach may extend beyond stability.     

A simple additivity relation for analysis of heterogeneous catalytic reactors with first order reaction

An isothermal heterogeneous reactor with first order kinetics is characterized by two virtual maximum efficiencies, $\text{N}$_kin and $\text{N}$_tr, which are readily determined from the appropriate kinetic and transport parameters. The actual efficiency of the reactor, which is related to the conversion, X, by X = 1?e^?$\text{N}$, can be accurately approximated as $\text{N}$^?1 = $\text{N}$^?1_tr + $\text{N}$^?1_kin. The overall additivity relation offers a simple approach either to predict the conversion or to extract the kinetic or transport parameters when the reactor behavior is affected by both reaction and diffusion.     

Syndecan-3 as a Novel Biomarker in Alzheimer’s Disease

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is of paramount importance in preserving the patient’s mental and physical health in a fairly manageable condition for a longer period. Reliable AD detection requires novel biomarkers indicating central nervous system (CNS) degeneration in the periphery. Members of the syndecan family of transmembrane proteoglycans are emerging new targets in inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. Reviewing the growing scientific evidence on the involvement of syndecans in the pathomechanism of AD, we analyzed the expression of the neuronal syndecan, syndecan-3 (SDC3), in experimental models of neurodegeneration. Initial in vitro studies showed that prolonged treatment of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) increases SDC3 expression in model neuronal and brain microvascular endothelial cell lines. In vivo studies revealed elevated concentrations of TNF-α in the blood and brain of APPSWE-Tau transgenic mice, along with increased SDC3 concentration in the brain and the liver. Primary brain endothelial cells and peripheral blood monocytes isolated from APPSWE-Tau mice exhibited increased SDC3 expression than wild-type controls. SDC3 expression of blood-derived monocytes showed a positive correlation with amyloid plaque load in the brain, demonstrating that SDC3 on monocytes is a good indicator of amyloid pathology in the brain. Given the well-established role of blood tests, the SDC3 expression of monocytes could serve as a novel biomarker for early AD detection.     

The relationship of the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex in Tetrahymena pyriformis

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the closely connected, single dictyosomal Golgi apparatus of Tetrahymena pyriformis cells showed random distribution in the cytoplasm. Ribosomes were evident, and coated vesicles pinched off from the ER were seen. The membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum generally formed a tube-like structure, although after histamine treatment multiple, folded and circular structures were observed. The number of coated vesicles detaching from the endoplasmic reticulum increased as a result of histamine treatment.