Search

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is defined as amenorrhea lasting for more than 4 months before 40 years of age, which is accompanied by a serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration above 40 mlU/mL. POF can cause a series of symptoms associated with low estrogen levels, such as hot flushes, excessive sweating, and infertility. This study aimed to report three cases of POF that were treated successfully with Korean medicine. Three patients with POF were selected for inclusion in this study. The treatment regimen consisted of herbal medicines, electroacupuncture, moxibustion, and Hominis placental pharmacopuncture. The basic treatment period was 3 months, and follow-up was performed after menstrual recovery. Following treatment, all three patients resumed menstruation without any adverse events. One patient also conceived successfully. These case reports suggest that Korean medicine could be effective for treating POF. Further preclinical and clinical studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of action of herbal medicines and acupuncture in improving menstruation and FSH levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mobile health intervention is effective for self-efficacy in people with PD. • In addition, the intervention is effective for non-motor symptoms in people with PD. • The IMB model could be helpful in improving self-management in individuals with PD. To evaluate the effects of a mobile health intervention for self-management on self-efficacy, motor and non-motor symptoms, self-management, and quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease. A randomized controlled design was used. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group. The intervention group (n = 20) received mobile health intervention comprising mobile applications, smartwatches, smartphone-based short text messages and information, and telephone counselling; whereas the control group (n = 23) received short text messages and telephone counselling for 16 weeks. After 16 weeks, self-efficacy and non-motor symptom scores in the intervention group significantly improved compared to those in the control group. However, no significant differences were observed in the motor symptoms, self-management, and quality of life between the groups. The mobile health intervention for self-management is effective for self-efficacy and non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Self-efficacy and social support influenced self-management in PD. • Self-management in PD was associated with education, religion, and family income. • Non-motor symptoms influenced self-management in PD. • Programs reflecting these factors may be useful to improve self-management in PD. This study aimed to identify factors influencing self-management in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) based on social cognitive theory. A cross-sectional design was used; data were collected at three tertiary medical centers in Korea from a convenience sample of 356 PD patients. Higher self-management scores were associated with higher education level, having a religion, and higher family income. Self-management score was positively correlated with activities of daily living, self-efficacy, and social support, and negatively correlated with non-motor symptoms. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that demographic factors and non-motor symptoms explained 26.2% of the variance in self-management in PD. The explanatory power increased by 7.5% when self‐efficacy was added, and by 6.7% when social support was added. Assessment of self-management in patients with PD should consider self-efficacy and social support, along with demographic factors and non-motor symptoms. Self-management programs that reflect these factors may be useful for improving self-management in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) is a preservation solution used for organ transplantation. The physiological pH and osmolality of this solution are known to facilitate cell proliferation and cell membrane stabilization. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of several concentrations of HTK solution as a storage medium for avulsed teeth. Cultured human periodontal ligament cells were stored in different concentrations of HTK solutions. After 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours, cell viability was assessed using the Cell-Counting Kit-8 (Dojindo Molecular Technologies, Kumamoto, Japan) and LIVE/DEAD (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) assay. Cell response of the most effective concentrations of HTK solution were further analyzed by gene expression profiling, and their cell viability was compared with other storage media. The highest cell viability was observed in 50% HTK solution in various concentrations of HTK solution (P <.05). In periodontal ligament cells stored in 50% HTK solution for 3 hours, the expression of genes related to angiogenesis, the inflammatory response, and cell proliferation was increased compared with the control. Compared with other storage media, the highest cell viability was observed in 50% HTK solution. Our study suggests that 50% HTK solution containing cell culture medium represents a suitable storage medium for avulsed teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to develop and test a prediction model that explains health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Participants were 248 patients with PD enrolled in the neurology clinic of a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected through structured questionnaires from March 1 to July 5, 2013. Motor fluctuations, depression, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and activities of daily living had significant direct effects on the quality of life of PD patients. Disease severity, social support, pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and activities of daily living had significant indirect effects on patients' quality of life. These predictive variables explained 77.4% of the total variance. The assessment of HRQoL in PD should be considered along with the variables affecting it, including social support. In addition, strategies to enhance social support may be useful for improving the quality of life for patients with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is one of the crucial parameters on anaerobic digestion (AD); however, key differences in the microbial community found in AD remain poorly understood. In this work, thermophilic and mesophilic AD fed with food waste were compared examining the relationship between the structure of the microbial community and methane (CH 4 ) production. The maximum CH 4 yield, 0.23 L CH 4 ·g COD added −1 , was observed under mesophilic condition at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 6.7 g COD·L −1 ·d −1 (HRT 30 d) using step feeding, while it failed under thermophilic condition at an OLR of 5.0 g COD·L −1 ·d −1 (HRT 40 d). A low concentration of propionate and acetate in the mesophilic condition was owing to the efficient acetogenesis and methanogenesis, while syntrophic acetogenesis was found to be the rate-limiting step in a sample collected on the day 110 under thermophilic condition (T1). In addition, hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis coupled with syntrophic acetate oxidation was mainly carried out in the sample collected on day 160 under mesophilic condition (M1) and in the sample T1. However, an increased OLR caused the accumulation of acetate resulting in the methanogenesis inhibition. The higher acetate concentration in the sample taken on day 240 under mesophilic condition (M2) was due to a more diverse and abundant syntrophic acetogenic bacteria indicating that methanogenesis became the rate-limiting step. Meanwhile, acetogenesis was found to be the rate-limiting step in the sample collected on day 130 under thermophilic condition (T2), resulting from that more lactate accumulation with shifting the microbial community to be favorable for lactate production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the characteristics of hydrogenotrophic methanogenic (HM, 4H 2 + CO 2 → CH 4 + 2H 2 O) mixed cultures, continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) were operated at various H 2 loading rates (HLR, 2.8–14.0 m 3 H 2 /m 3 /d) and hydraulic retention times (HRTs, 5–30 d). The feeding gas was composed of H 2 /CO 2 (80:20 on volume basis), and HRT was controlled by the continuous pumping of a nutrient medium. At a fixed HLR of 4 kg COD/m 3 /d (1 kg COD = 1.4 m 3 H 2 ), complete H 2 conversion to CH 4 (> 98% on a COD basis) was observed up to the HRT decrease to 6 d. However, at HRT 5 d, the H 2 conversion gradually decreased, reaching 30% within 30 d, and the H 2 content in the head space increased to 70%, which triggered the production of acetate with an increased concentration to 3 g COD/L. When the HLR was increased at a fixed HRT of 10 d, the maximum CH 4 production rate of 2.75 m 3 CH 4 /m 3 /d was achieved at 8 kg COD/m 3 /d. A kinetic analysis conducted using the Monod equation showed that HM cultures had a maximum specific growth rate of 0.18 d −1 and a half-saturation coefficient of 1.73 g COD/L. Though, successful hydrogenotrophic CH 4 conversion was achieved, the broth contained soluble microbial products (SMPs) at a concentration of 80–250 mg/L, which exceeded the effluent regulation standard. Most of the organic matters in SMPs consisted of humic-like and fulvic-like organic matters with a low molecular weight (<1 kDa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with type D personality are vulnerable to stress, show poor prognosis in disease, and experience low quality of life. The aims of this study were to identify the associations among type D personality, non-motor symptoms, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Data were collected between May 28 and August 6, 2015 from a convenience sample of 196 PD patients. About 20% of participants were classified into the type D personality group. This group experienced statistically significantly higher non-motor symptoms and lower quality of life compared to the non-type D personality group. Based on stepwise multiple regression analysis, the most significant factor affecting quality of life was non-motor symptoms, followed by type D personality, disease severity, and duration of disease. Understanding the clinical implications of type D personality might be beneficial in the management of non-motor symptoms and quality of life in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acids (FA) from organic wastes are environmentally friendly raw materials with high economic value ranging from fuels to oleo-chemicals for growing diversity of products. In this study, expanded graphite (EG) and isopropyl alcohol have been used to adsorb and concentrate the low content of FA in aqueous solution to replace the existing solid-phase extraction methods. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity of EG was more than 8.2 g-FA/g due to the inter-latticed structure of graphene sheets, and subsequent coalescence of FA droplets. The extraction efficiency of isopropyl alcohol was always higher than those of dichloromethane and ethanol for the recovery of absorbed FA due to the lower surface tension and higher miscibility with water. After 5 times of recycle, although the specific FA adsorption was decreased 42% of raw EG, extraction efficiencies by isopropyl alcohol were not changed. In conclusion, our study suggested that the EG and isopropyl alcohol could achieve the efficient and environmentally friendly harvesting of low concentration of FA in aqueous solutions during the biological conversion of organic matters in food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Despite the widespread use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to analyze the mortality of advanced PD patients who received DBS surgery. Methods We assessed the survival rate of 158 consecutive advanced PD patients who underwent DBS surgery between April 2002 and May 2014. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed using death as the endpoint. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association of clinical risk factors with survival. Results Twenty-seven (17.1%) PD patients (13 men and 14 women) died during the mean follow-up period of 5.3 ± 3.1 years. The survival rate was 97% at 3 years and 85% at 5 years after DBS surgery. Pneumonia (n = 7) was the most common specific cause of death. Orthostatic hypotension was more frequent in deceased patients than in survivors ( P = 0.026). In a step-wise Cox regression analysis, male sex (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.00; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.35–6.65; P = 0.007), visual hallucination (HR = 3.95; 95% CI = 1.60–9.78; P = 0.003), and nursing home admission (HR = 2.81; 95% CI = 1.30–6.09; P = 0.009) predicted poor survival. Conclusion The poor survival of advanced PD patients who underwent DBS surgery was associated with male sex, orthostatic hypotension, visual hallucination, and nursing home admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the traditional technologies for treating organic solid wastes, but its economic benefit is sometimes questioned. To increase the economic feasibility of the treatment process, the aim of this study was to recover not only biogas from food waste but lactic acid (LA) as well. At first, LA fermentation of food waste (FW) was conducted using an indigenous mixed culture. During the operation, temperature was gradually increased from 35 °C to 55 °C, with the highest performance attained at 50 °C. At 50 °C and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.0 d, LA concentration in the broth was 40 kg LA/m 3 , corresponding to a yield of 1.6 mol LA/mol hexose added . Pyrosequencing results showed that Lactobacillus (97.6% of the total number of sequences) was the predominant species performing LA fermentation of FW. The fermented broth was then centrifuged and LA was extracted from the supernatant by the combined process of nanofiltration and water-splitting electrodialysis. The process could recover highly purified LA by removing 85% of mineral ions such as Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , and Ca 2+ and 90% of residual carbohydrates. Meanwhile, the solid residue remained after centrifugation was further fermented to biogas by AD. At HRT 40 d (organic loading rate of 7 kg COD/m 3 /d), the highest volumetric biogas production rate of 3.5 m 3 /m 3 /d was achieved with a CH 4 yield of 0.25 m 3 CH 4 /kg COD. The mass flow showed that 47 kg of LA and 54 m 3 of biogas could be recovered by the developed process from 1 ton of FW with COD removal efficiency of 70%. These products have a higher economic value 60 USD/ton FW compared to that of conventional AD (27 USD/ton FW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A congenital granular cell tumor (CGCT) is an uncommon benign soft tissue lesion that usually arises from the alveolar ridge in newborns. It can severely interfere with the respiratory and feeding systems, if left untreated. We present the cases of 2 newborn infants with protruded intraoral tumors that severely compromised breastfeeding. The tumors were removed by water laser without the need for suturing or pain medication. Histopathologic assessment was performed for definitive diagnosis, and the children were followed until full primary dentition was observed without any sign of CGCT recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented about the contribution of ultraviolet (UBV)-induced mast cell activation on wrinkle formation.

Abstract: In this study, a novel three-stage (lactate-+photo-H2 +CH4) fermentation system was developed, which converts food waste to H2 and CH4, with an emphasis on achieving high H2 yield. The system begins by first fermenting food waste to lactate, rather than acetate and butyrate, using indigenous lactic acid bacteria. Lactate fermentation effluent was then centrifuged, and the supernatant was used for H2 production by photo-fermentation, while the residue was used for CH4 production by anaerobic digestion. Overall, via the three-stage fermentation system, 41% and 37% of the energy content in the food waste was converted to H2 and CH4, respectively, corresponding to the electrical energy yield of 1146MJ/ton-food waste, which is 1.4 times higher value than that of previous two-stage dark (H2 +CH4) fermentation system. The H2 yield based on hexose input was 8.35mol H2/mol hexoseadded, the highest value ever reported from actual organic waste. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of culture conditions on photo-H2 production was investigated using the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides KD131. When the initial cell concentrations were either below or above a threshold of 0.56g-dcw/L, the H2 production decreased due to an imbalance between the biomass and the substrate. Malate- and succinate-fed cultures exhibited the highest substrate conversion to H2 production, whereas more than 85% of the substrate was utilized for cell growth in acetate- and butyrate-fed cultures. Compared with (NH4)2SO4, glutamate as a nitrogen source was more appropriate for the initial H2 production, but inhibited H2 evolution during extended cultivation due to released NH4 + ion. Even though the KD131 strain grew well under slightly acidic conditions, the pH value should be maintained in a neutral range in order to enhance H2 production. The highest H2 yield of 3.65mol-H2/mol-succinate was achieved when the KD131 strain grew in the succinate–glutamate medium with an initial cell concentration of 0.56g-dcw/L and the pH level controlled to 7.5. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During photo-fermentative H2 production, the effects of carbon and nitrogen sources on nitrogenase and hydrogenase activity, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate accumulation were investigated. In succinate/ammonium sulfate medium, H2 was not detected for the first 6h because high ammonium concentration considerably reduced the nitrogenase activity to below 5nmol/g-dcw/h. After 24h, 99% of the ammonium was consumed, and the nitrogenase activity increased to 296nmol/g-dcw/h, accelerating H2 production. In contrast, the ammonium in succinate/glutamate medium was much less, which led to rapid H2 production in the beginning. However, H2 evolution was repressed over time by increased ammonium. In the presence of H2, hydrogenase activity increased with time regardless of the nitrogen source, and consequently, H2 production was reduced. Compared with succinate, H2 production in acetate media was severely limited due to increased pH over 9. During extended cultivation, the PHB accumulated in acetate media was 7 times higher than in succinate media. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present work, various carbon sources, xylose, glucose, galactose, sucrose, cellobiose, and starch were tested for thermophilic (60 °C) fermentative hydrogen production (FHP) by using the anaerobic mixed culture. An inoculum was obtained from a continuously-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) operated at pH 5.5 and HRT 12 h, and fed with tofu processing waste. The dominant species in the CSTR were found to be Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum and Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum, which are well known thermophilic H2-producers in anaerobic-state, and have the ability to utilize a wide range of carbohydrates. When initial pH was adjusted to 6.8 ± 0.1 but not controlled during fermentation, vigorous pH drop began within 5 h, and finally reached 4.0–4.5 in all carbon sources. Although over 90% of substrate removal was achieved for all carbon sources except cellobiose (71.7%), the fermentation performances were profoundly different with each other. Glucose, galactose, and sucrose exhibited relatively higher H2 yields whereas lower H2 yields were observed for xylose, cellobiose, and starch. On the other hand, when pH was controlled (pH ≥ 5.5), the fermentation performance was enhanced in all carbon sources but to a different extent. A substantial increase in H2 production was observed for cellobiose, a 1.9-fold increase of H2 yield along with a substrate removal increase to 93.8%, but a negligible increase for xylose. H2 production capabilities of all carbon sources tested were as follows: sucrose > galactose > glucose > cellobiose > starch > xylose. The maximum H2 yield of 3.17 mol H2/mol hexoseadded achieved from sucrose is equivalent to a 26.5% conversion of energy content in sucrose to H2. Acetic and butyric acids were the main liquid-state metabolites of all carbon sources while lactic acid was detected only in cellobiose, starch and xylose exhibiting relatively lower H2 yields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The IL-22 NKp46+ innate lymphoid cells, NCR22 cells, are very important for the early host defense against microbial pathogens. We show here that NCR22 cells were differentiated from Lin−CD127+CD117+ cells that were derived from hematopoietic precursor cells (HPCs) of mouse bone marrow cells. The combination of low concentrations of IL-23 and IL-15 induced differentiation of NCR22 cells from Lin−CD127+CD117+ cells. NCR22 cells expressed a large amount of IL-22 and RORγt, and they had poor cytolytic activity and produced little IFN-γ. Lin−CD127+CD117+ cells were very similar to intestinal lamina propria LTi-like cells; both cells dominantly expressed RORγt and IL-22. Meanwhile, Lin−CD127−CD117+ cells that were also derived from HPCs did not express RORγt and IL-22, and they developed into conventional NK cells, not into NCR22 cells. These findings revealed that NCR22 cells can be differentiated from Lin−CD127+CD117+ cells which are derived from HPCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biohydrogen fermentation by the hyperthermophile Thermotoga neapolitana was conducted in a continuously stirred anaerobic bioreactor (CSABR). The production level of H2 from fermentation in a batch culture with pH control was much higher than without pH control from pentose (xylose) and hexose (glucose and sucrose) substrates. The respective H2 yield in the batch culture with pH control from xylose and glucose was 2.22 ± 0.11 mol-H2 mol−1 xyloseconsumed and 3.2 ± 0.16 mol-H2 mol−1 glucoseconsumed, which was nearly 1.2-fold greater for xylose and 1.6-fold greater for glucose than without pH control. In the case of sucrose, the H2 yield from fermentation increased by 40.63%, compared with fermentation in batch cultures without pH control, from 3.52 ± 0.171 to 4.95 ± 0.25 mol-H2 mol−1 sucroseconsumed. The effects of stirring speed and different pH levels on growth and H2 production were studied in the CSABR for highly efficient H2 production. Growth and H2 production of this bacterial strain in a batch culture with pH control or without pH control using a 3 L bioreactor was limited within 24 h due to substrate exhaustion and a decrease in the culture’s pH. The pH-controlled fed-batch culture with a xylose substrate added in doses was studied for the prevention of substrate-associated growth inhibition by controlling the nutrient supply. The highest H2 production rates were approximately 4.6, 4.1, 3.9, and 4.3 mmol-H2 L−1 h−1 at 32, 52, 67, and 86 h, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides KD131 wild type (wt) and its PHB synthase deleted-mutant P1 were evaluated for hydrogen (H2) production from acetate and butyrate, the most abundant liquid end products of dark fermentation. In the presence of glutamate (8mM), 60mM of acetate and 30mM of butyrate were degraded down to 41.5% and 24.0%, respectively, and achieved a H2 yield (HY) of 0.65mol H2/mol acetate- and 2.50mol H2/mol butyrate-consumed, while 30mM succinate exhibited an HY of 3.29mol H2/mol substrate-consumed. The order of HY observed was inversely related to poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) content and pH increase in the broth. When mutant P1 was used, in spite of depressed cell growth and lower substrate degradation compared to those observed in strain KD131 wt, higher H2 production was observed, achieving around two-fold increase of HY in both acetate and butyrate. A pH control to 7.0 during fermentation was effective in increasing substrate degradation and decreasing PHB content, thereby significantly increasing H2 production. When pH was controlled to 7.0, strain KD131 wt evolved more H2 by 2.36 and 1.70 folds in the acetate- and succinate-medium, respectively, compared to those observed in without pH control. The highest H2 production was observed when the mutant P1 was photo-fermented with a pH control to 7.0 in the medium containing acetate-(NH4)2SO4. It seemed that pH control had an effect not only on the depressed production of PHB but also on soluble microbial products and secondary metabolites, which would compete with H2 production in expending reducing power. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biological H2 production offers distinctive advantages for environmental protection over existing physico-chemical methods. This study focuses specifically on hydrogenases, a class of enzymes that serves to effectively catalyze H2 formation from protons or oxidation to protons. It reviews the classification schemes (i.e. [NiFe]-, [FeFe]-, and [Fe]-hydrogenases) and properties of these enzymes, which are essential to understand the mechanisms for H2 production, the control of cell metabolism, and subsequent increases in H2 production. There are five kinds of biological hydrogen production methods, categorized based upon the light energy requirement, and feedstock sources. The genetic engineering work on hydrogenase to enhance H2 production is reviewed here. Further discussions in this study include nitrogenase, an enzyme that normally catalyzes the reduction of N2 to ammonia but is also able to produce H2 under photo-heterotrophic conditions, as well as other applicable fields of hydrogenase other than H2 production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We carried out continuous fermentative H2 production from tofu (soybean curd)–processing waste (TPW) using anaerobic mixed microflora under thermophilic (60 °C) conditions and compared the rates and yields of H2 production in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) and a membrane bioreactor (MBR), wherein the membrane filtration unit was coupled to the CSTR. The TPW was diluted with tap water and then hydrolyzed by blending for 5 min in the presence of 0.5% HCl, and it was found that this protocol significantly increased the amount of soluble material in the mixture. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD)–to–total COD (TCOD) ratio jumped from 14% to 60%, and the soluble carbohydrate concentration was increased threefold, from 2.4 g/L to 7.2 g/L. Accordingly, H2 production potential was increased 2.8-fold. In a CSTR operation using pretreated TPW as the substrate, a stable volumetric H2 production rate (VHPR) of 8.17 ± 0.32 L H2/L/d and a H2 yield of 1.20 ± 0.05 mol H2/mol hexoseadded at 8-h HRT were achieved. Substantial increases in the VHPR and H2 yield over those obtained with the CSTR were observed in the MBR operation. The role of the MBR was to increase the retention time of the solid substrate and the concentration of microorganisms, thereby enhancing the substrate utilization rate for H2 production. Acetic and butyric acids were the main liquid-state metabolites produced during the fermentation process, thus indicating that the thermophilic operation provided favorable conditions for H2 production from TPW. A maximum H2 yield of 1.87 mol H2/mol hexoseadded was achieved at 8-h HRT and then gradually decreased to 1.00 mol H2/mol hexose-equivalent at 2-h HRT. Meanwhile, the VHPR continuously increased to a maximum of 19.86 L H2/L/d at 4-h HRT and then decreased with a high dilution rate as the HRT was lowered to 2 h (minimum). At 2-h HRT, the degradation of soluble carbohydrate was limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Efficient conversion of glycerol waste from biodiesel manufacturing processes into biohydrogen by the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga neapolitana DSM 4359 was investigated. Biohydrogen production by T. neapolitana was examined using the batch cultivation mode in culture medium containing pure glycerol or glycerol waste as the sole substrate. Pre-treated glycerol waste showed higher hydrogen (H2) production than untreated waste. Nitrogen (N2) sparging and pH control were successfully implemented to maintain the culture pH and to reduce H2 partial pressure in the headspace for optimal growth rate and to enhance hydrogen production from the glycerol waste. It was found that hydrogen production increased from 1.24 ± 0.06 to 1.98 ± 0.1 mol-H2 mol−1 glycerolconsumed by optimising N2 sparging and pH control. We observed that in medium containing 0.05 M HEPES, with three cycles of N2 sparging, the H2 yield increased to 2.73 ± 0.14 mol-H2 mol−1 glycerolconsumed, which was 2.22-fold higher than the non-N2 sparged H2 yield (1.23 ± 0.06 mol-H2 mol−1 glycerolconsumed). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The promise of generating electricity from the oxidation of organic substances using metal-reducing bacteria is drawing attention as an alternate form of bio-technology with positive environmental implications. In this study, we examined various experimental factors to obtain the maximum power output in a dual-chamber mediator-less microbial fuel-cell (MFC) using Geobacter sulfurreducens and acetate as an electron donor in a semi-continuous mode. The G. sulfurreducens culture conditions were optimized in a nutrient buffer containing 20 mM of acetate and 50 mM of fumarate at pH 6.8 and 30 °C. For use in the MFC system, electrodes were made with carbon paper (area: 11.5 cm2) and spaced 1.5 cm apart. Once the MFC was inoculated with the pre-cultured G. sulfurreducens in the anode chamber and while air was continuously sparged to the cathode chamber, the cells produced electricity stably over 60 days with the regular addition of 20 mM acetate, generating the maximum power density of 7 mW/m2 with a 5000 Ω load. The current output was significantly increased, by 1.6 times after 20 days of incubation under the same experimental conditions, when the carbon-paper anode was coated with carbon nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rhodobacter sphaeroides KCTC 12085 is a natural isolate which shows a higher ability of photoheterotrophic H2 production compared with a laboratory strain R. sphaeroides 2.4.1. The H2 production by R. sphaeroides is observed only under light conditions. In order to render R. sphaeroides to produce H2 fermentatively as well, a 4.4-kb Rhodospirillum rubrum DNA encompassing a gene coding for pyruvate-formate lyase (PFL) with its putative maturation protein, and a 29.4-kb R. rubrum gene cluster including formate-hydrogen lyase (FHL) complex, its maturation proteins, a transcriptional activator for FHL, and Fe-only hydrogenase with its maturation proteins were cloned and mobilized into R. sphaeroides KCTC 12085. The recombinant R. sphaeroides evolved H2 during dark fermentative growth. The H2 production by the recombinant R. sphaeroides under photoheterotrophic conditions was elevated twofold to show 4mol H2/mol of glucose compared with 2mol H2/mol of glucose by its parental strain carrying empty vector. Interestingly, addition of hypophosphite, an inhibitor of PFL, to the recombinant R. sphaeroides under photoheterotrophic conditions still resulted in 3mol H2/mol of glucose, suggestive of active H2 production not only by nitrogenase but also by Fe-only hydrogenase, which are insensitive to hypophosphite. The results further suggest the photoheterotrophic H2 production by FHL unless hypophosphite is present. Thus, the H2 production by the recombinant R. sphaeroides under photoheterotrophic conditions appears to be mediated by the concerted actions of FHL, Fe-only hydrogenase, and nitrogenase. The H2-evolving activity by the recombinant R. sphaeroides containing Fe-only hydrogenase of R. rubrum appears to depend on the presence its maturation proteins, suggestive of lack of such proteins in R. sphaeroides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mast cells play a central role in the initiation of inflammatory responses associated with asthma and other allergic disorders. Receptor-mediated mast cell growth, differentiation, homing to their target tissues, survival and activation are all controlled, to varying degrees, by phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-driven pathways. It is not fully understood how such diverse responses can be differentially regulated by PI3K. However, recent studies have provided greater insight into the mechanisms that control, and those that are controlled by, different PI3K subunit isoforms in mast cells. In this review, we discuss how PI3K influences the mast cell processes described above. Furthermore, we describe how different mast cell receptors use alternative isoforms of PI3K for these functions and discuss potential downstream targets of these isoforms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrogenase from a purple sulfur bacterium, Thiocapsa roseopersicina NCIB 8347, was purified, characterized and investigated for in vitro hydrogen production. The cell concentration and the specific hydrogenase activity were increased when T. roseopersicina NCIB 8347 was photo-autotropically cultivated with the addition of nutrients every 24h. Crude extracts of the cells were prepared by sonication and then subjected sequentially to ultra-centrifugation, ammonium sulfate fractionation and heat-treatment to remove the impurities. Four-step separation of chromatographic procedures utilizing Q-Sepharose, Phenyl Superose, Mono-Q and Superdex resulted in a 9.56-fold purification with a 0.25% yield of crude cell extract. The optimum pH and temperature for the evolution of the purified enzyme was 7.0 and 70°C, respectively, and those for optimum cell growth were 7.0 and 25°C, respectively. The maximum -evolution activity was exhibited at 70°C, and when the reaction temperature was decreased to 50°C, the manifest activity fell to 44%. Hydrogenase activities were initially increased in the course of the 50–70°C heat-treatment, whereas the remaining activities after 5-h heat-treatment at 50 and 70°C were 110% and 60% of the initial ones, respectively. The purified hydrogenase, at 50°C and pH 7.0, evolved gas for approximately 10 days under in vitro conditions, using sodium dithionite and methyl viologen as the electron donor and carrier, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Currently, many challenges exist for developing fabrication or formulation of new materials that are more suitable for nano- or micro-imprinting applications. Among various candidates, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) has been extensively applied as mold materials in terms of its advantageous properties. First, the PDMS has low surface energy, which allows it to be released easily from the substrate and be easily transferred to the patter. Second, PDMS has good chemical resistance compared to other polymers due to the high Si-content. At this point, PDMS-based functional nano- or microparticles seems to be a good candidate for direct imprinting applications. In this study, we synthesized the functional microspheres of polystyrene(PS)-co-poly(dimethlysiloxane) (PDMS) exhibiting monodisperse size distribution and low surface energy. A commercially available PDMS macromonomer was employed as a copolymerizing agent for dispersion polymerization of PS in alcohol media. PS-co-PDMS beads with different compositions were synthesized by controlling comonomer ratio. ATR-IR and EDX (energy dispersive X-ray) analysis showed an increasing tendency of PDMS macromonomer in copolymerization and an even distribution of PDMS component over whole volume. Their thermal and surface characteristics were also investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CYP27B1 is a critical enzyme of Vitamin D biosynthesis that hydroxylates 25(OH)D3 at the final step of the biosynthetic pathway. The CYP27B1 gene is expressed primarily in kidney and negatively controlled by Vitamin D receptor. We have characterized the negative vitamin D response element and its binding protein, a bHLH transcription factor. This factor directly binds to the 1αnVDRE and activates transcription, but its transcriptional activity is suppressed by the ligand-activated Vitamin D receptor through recruitment of histone deacetylase. We have shown that histone deacetylation is a critical step for chromatin structure remodeling in suppression of the CYP27B1 gene. We have further demonstrated that, in addition to histone acetylation, this transrepression by VDR requires DNA methylation in the CYP27B1 gene promoter. Thus, transcriptional regulation of the CYP27B1 gene appears to be mediated by dual epigenetic modifications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]