Biosynthesis of lipids and organic acids by Yarrowia lipolytica strains cultivated on glucose

The biochemical behavior of wild‐type or genetically modified (presenting decreased expression of intracellular acyl‐CoA oxidases) Yarrowia lipolytica strains cultivated on commercial glucose was studied. Flask nitrogen‐limited cultures were performed favoring the production of organic acids (and potentially the accumulation of lipid). Nitrogen depletion induced secretion of citric acid, while intracellular lipid was not produced in high quantities. Maximum total citric acid up to 49 g/L (yield 0.85 g/g glucose) was produced. In some of the wild‐type strains, an increase of glucose in the medium also induced noticeable production of acetic acid. Increasing the amount of added glucose led to an increase in the total lipid quantity (%) produced, although in the stationary growth phase the concentration of lipid declined, indicating lipid degradation even for the genetically modified strains. Total lipid amount did not exceed the value of 14%, while neutral fractions increased with increase in glucose concentration. In all cases, the total microbial lipids and major lipid fractions were composed of C₁₆ and C₁₈ (principally unsaturated) fatty acids. Finally, in several of the strains cultured in media containing a low glucose concentration, unicellular morphology was observed, while at high glucose concentrations mycelia were predominant.     

ApoA1 Deficiency Reshapes the Phenotypic and Molecular Characteristics of Bone Marrow Adipocytes in Mice

In the present study, we studied the effect of apolipoprotein A-1 (APOA1) on the spatial and molecular characteristics of bone marrow adipocytes, using well-characterized ApoA1 knockout mice. APOA1 is a central regulator of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) metabolism, and thus HDL; our recent work showed that deficiency of APOA1 increases bone marrow adiposity in mice. We found that ApoA1 deficient mice have greatly elevated adipocytes within their bone marrow compared to wild type counterparts. Morphologically, the increased adipocytes were similar to white adipocytes, and displayed proximal tibial-end localization. Marrow adipocytes from wild type mice were significantly fewer and did not display a bone-end distribution pattern. The mRNA levels of the brown/beige adipocyte-specific markers Ucp1, Dio2, Pat2, and Pgc1a; and the expression of leptin were greatly reduced in the ApoA1 knock-out in comparison to the wild-type mice. In the knock-out mice, adiponectin was remarkably elevated. In keeping with the close ties of hematopoietic stem cells and marrow adipocytes, using flow cytometry we found that the elevated adiposity in the ApoA1 knockout mice is associated with a significant reduction in the compartments of hematopoietic stem cells and common myeloid, but not of the common lymphoid, progenitors. Moreover, the ‘beiging’-related marker osteopontin and the angiogenic factor VEGF were also reduced in the ApoA1 knock-out mice, further supporting the notion that APOA1—and most probably HDL-C—regulate bone marrow microenvironment, favoring beige/brown adipocyte characteristics.     

Antibacterial Activity of Copper Nanoparticles against Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria in Tomato Plants

Copper-based bactericides have appeared as a new tool in crop protection and offer an effective solution to combat bacterial resistance. In this work, two copper nanoparticle products that were previously synthesized and evaluated against major bacterial and fungal pathogens were tested on their ability to control the bacterial spot disease of tomato. Growth of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria, the causal agent of the disease, was significantly suppressed by both nanoparticles, which had superior function compared to conventional commercial formulations of copper. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry measurements in tomato leaves revealed that bioavailability of copper is superior in the case of nanoparticles compared to conventional formulations and is dependent on synthesis rather than size. This is the first report correlating bioavailability of copper to nanoparticle efficacy.     

Effect of dehydration on phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) pomace

This study examined the effect of dehydration on the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) pomaces (DBP) subjected to hot air oven drying (HOD), industrial rotary drying (IRD) and freeze drying (FD). Temperature and residence time were evaluated for HOD, whereas air-on and air-off temperature, ratio of drum rotor speed to air speed and particle size were evaluated for IRD. The highest total anthocyanins (ATC) and flavonols (FLV) were obtained in particle size of> 5.0 mm using IRD at 475°C/97°C (air-on/air-off) and higher ratio of drum rotor speed to air speed. Smaller size particles were found susceptible to degradation due to high temperature and retention time applied in IRD, resulting in loss of phenolic compounds in DBP, and thus, HOD was deemed more suitable. Overall, drying method selection and parameters of operation are key in preserving the concentrations of individual HCA and FLV in DBP.     

Experimental testing of cool colored thin layer asphalt and estimation of its potential to improve the urban microclimate

Urban Heat Island refers to the temperature increase in urban areas compared to rural settings, exacerbating the energy consumption of buildings for cooling. The use of highly reflective materials in buildings and urban structures reduces the absorbed solar radiation and contributes to mitigate heat island. This paper presents the results of a study aiming to measure and analyze the solar spectral properties and the thermal performance of 5 color thin layer asphalt samples in comparison to a sample of conventional black asphalt. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is used for evaluating the thermal and energy impact of applying the samples in outdoor spaces (roads). The spectrophotometric measurements showed that the colored thin layer asphalt samples are characterized by higher values of solar reflectance compared to the conventional asphalt, which is mainly due to their high near infrared solar reflectance. From the statistical analysis of the surface temperatures it was found that all the colored thin layer asphalt samples demonstrate lower surface temperatures compared to conventional asphalt. The maximum temperature difference recorded was for the off-white sample and was equal to 12 °C. The CFD simulation results show that surface and air temperatures are decreased when applying the color thin layer sample.     

Biotechnological conversions of biodiesel derived waste glycerol by yeast and fungal species

Fifteen eukaryotic microorganisms were tested for their ability to assimilate biodiesel derived waste glycerol and convert it into value-added metabolic products. For this purpose yeast and Zygomycetes strains were cultivated in nitrogen-limited raw glycerol-based media (initial glycerol concentration 30 g/L). Yeasts tested accumulated restricted lipid quantities (up to ∼22%, wt/wt, in the case of Rhodotorula sp), while differentiations in their fatty acid composition were recorded in relation to the yeast strains employed and the fermentation time. On the contrary, fungi accumulated higher quantities of lipid inside their mycelia (ranging between 18.1 and 42.6%, wt/wt, of dry biomass) that contained in variable amounts the medically important GLA (γ-linolenic acid). Moreover, Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia membranifaciens and Thamnidium elegans were further studied in media having increased initial glycerol concentrations. In these conditions Y. lipolytica secreted significant amounts of acetic acid (29.2 g/L), as well as mannitol (19.4 g/L) while P. membranifaciens reached 28.4 g/L of biomass at glycerol concentration 90 g/L. T. elegans produced 11.6 g/L of oil, with 71.1%, wt/wt, of fat in biomass, while the maximum concentration of GLA was 371 mg/L. Detailed analysis of T. elegans lipids indicated that the phospholipids fraction was particularly rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Performance prediction and design optimisation of an integrated light pipe and artificial lighting system

This paper describes recent research on the prediction of the performance of light pipes and the ways to optimise their design, in order to house artificial lighting, able to supplement daylight in a space. The research has resulted in an algorithm, for the easy and quick calculation of the interior illuminance provided by light pipes, and in a procedure for the calculation of the power of the necessary artificial lighting (light emitting diodes [LEDs]) and the energy savings for lighting, due to the daylight provided by the light pipes and the daylight linked controls of the LEDs.     

Identification of geometrical shapes in paintings and its application to demonstrate the foundations of geometry in 1650 B.C.

In this paper, an original general methodology is introduced to establish whether a handmade shape corresponds to a given geometrical prototype. Using this methodology, one can decide if an artist had the intention of drawing a specific mathematical prototype or not. This analysis is applied to the 1650 B.C. wall paintings from the prehistoric settlement on Thera, and inferences of great archaeological and historical importance are made. In particular, strong evidence is obtained suggesting that the spirals depicted on the wall paintings correspond to linear (Archimedes) spirals, certain shapes correspond to canonical 48-gon and 32-gon, while other shapes correspond to parts of ellipses. It seems that the presented wall paintings constitute the earliest archaeological findings on which these geometrical patterns appear with such remarkable accuracy.