STATISTICAL MEDIA OPTIMIZATION FOR LUTEIN PRODUCTION FROM MICROALGAE Auxenochlorella protothecoides SAG 211-7A

In this study, the heterotrophic production potential of the secondary carotenoid lutein by the green microalgae Auxenochlorella protothecoides SAG 211-7a was investigated. A sequential statistical technique was applied to optimize modified bold’s basal media (MBB) to enhance the lutein production from microalgae Auxenochlorella protothecoides SAG 211-7a. Taguchi orthogonal array method was applied to select the various independent variables which affect the lutein production. It showed that sucrose, yeast extract, MgSO4.7H2O and EDTA were the significant factors affect the lutein production. Further, to increase the lutein yield and to study the interaction between these factors response surface methodology (RSM) was employed. The statistical model was validated with respect to lutein production under the conditions predicted by the model containing sucrose 14.0 g/l, yeast extract 3.0 g/l, MgSO4.7H2O 0.8 g/l and EDTA 0.76 g/l. The production of lutein obtained experimentally using the above medium was 1303 ± 25.32 μg/l, which is in correlation with the predicted value of 1337.21 g/l by the RSM regression study. Thus after sequential statistical media optimization strategy a 5-fold enhancement in lutein production was achieved

High throughput method for analysis of repeat number for 28 phase variable loci of C. jejuni strain NCTC11168

Mutations in simple sequence repeat tracts are a major mechanism of phase variation in several bacterial species including Campylobacter jejuni. Changes in repeat number of tracts located within the reading frame can produce a high frequency of reversible switches in gene expression between ON and OFF states. The genome of C. jejuni strain NCTC11168 contains 29 loci with polyG/polyC tracts of seven or more repeats. This protocol outlines a method for rapidly determining ON/OFF states of these 28 phase-variable loci in a large number of individual colonies. The method combines a series of multiplex PCR assays with a GeneScan assay and automated extraction of tract length, repeat number and expression state. This high throughput, multiplex assay has utility for detecting shifts in phase variation states within and between populations over time and for exploring the effects of phase variation on adaptation to differing selective pressures. An important output of this assay is combinatorial expression states that cannot be determined by other methods. This method can be adapted to analysis of phase variation in other C. jejuni strains and in a diverse range of bacterial species

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Impact of Maternal Air Pollution exposure on children's lung health: An Indian perspective

© 2018 by the authors. Air pollution has become an emerging invisible killer in recent years and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. More than 90% of the world's children breathe toxic air every day. India is among the top ten most highly polluted countries with an average PM 10 level of 134 μg/m 3 per year. It is reported that 99% of India's population encounters air pollution levels that exceed the World Health Organization Air Quality Guideline, advising a PM 2.5 permissible level of 10 μg/m 3 . Maternal exposure to air pollution has serious health outcomes in offspring because it can affect embryonic phases of development during the gestation period. A fetus is more prone to effects from air pollution during embryonic developmental phases due to resulting oxidative stress as antioxidant mechanisms are lacking at that stage. Any injury during this vulnerable period (embryonic phase) will have a long-term impact on offspring health, both early and later in life. Epidemiological studies have revealed that maternal exposure to air pollution increases the risk of development of airway disease in the offspring due to impaired lung development in utero. In this review, we discuss cellular mechanisms involved in maternal exposure to air pollution and how it can impact airway disease development in offspring. A better understanding of these mechanisms in the context of maternal exposure to air pollution can offer a new avenue to prevent the development of airway disease in offspring

Atomically dispersed nickel-nitrogen-sulfur species anchored on porous carbon nanosheets for efficient water oxidation

Developing low-cost electrocatalysts to replace precious Ir-based materials is key for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, we report atomically dispersed nickel coordinated with nitrogen and sulfur species in porous carbon nanosheets as an electrocatalyst exhibiting excellent activity and durability for OER with a low overpotential of 1.51 V at 10 mA cm(-2) and a small Tafel slope of 45 mV dec(-1) in alkaline media. Such electrocatalyst represents the best among all reported transition metal- and/or heteroatom-doped carbon electrocatalysts and is even superior to benchmark Ir/C. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the well-dispersed molecular S vertical bar NiNx species act as active sites for catalyzing OER. The atomic structure of S vertical bar NiNx centers in the carbon matrix is clearly disclosed by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy together with computational simulations. An integrated photoanode of nanocarbon on a Fe2O3 nanosheet array enables highly active solar-driven oxygen production

Williamson-Hall strain analysis, cation distribution and magnetic interactions in Dy³⁺ substituted zinc-chromium ferrite

In the present work, a detailed investigation has been carried out on nanocrystalline particles of ZnCr0.5DyxFe1.5-xO4 with x = 0.0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 to estimate intrinsic strain through Williamson-Hall (W-H) analysis. The results were compared with those obtained from Scherrer equation and Rietveld refinement. Bertaut method was used to estimate the cation distribution of spinel ferrite. The structural, morphological and magnetic properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. XRD analysis confirmed the cubic spinel structure of the prepared samples without the presence of any impurity and secondary phases. Selected area electron diffraction and IR measurements gives further confirmation to the XRD observation. Lattice constant increased from 8.398 to 8.409 Å and lattice strain increased from 2.96 × 10−4 to 5.88 × 10−4 with the increase in Dy substitution. Considering that strain mechanism and cation distribution play a major role for controlling the magnetic properties and therefore these properties were precisely evaluated through reliable methodology using XRD and magnetization data. Saturation magnetization of the system increased from 13.15 to 27.6 emu/g and coercivity increased from 42 to 672 Oe with the Dy substitution. The cation distribution determined by X-ray diffraction data are supported by the magnetization studies. The mechanisms involved are discussed in the manuscript

Microbiota modulating nutritional approaches to countering the effects of viral respiratory infections including SARS-CoV-2 through promoting metabolic and immune fitness with probiotics and plant bioactives

Viral respiratory infections (VRIs) can spread quickly and cause enormous morbidityand mortality worldwide. These events pose serious threats to public health due to time lags indeveloping vaccines to activate the acquired immune system. The high variability of people’ssymptomatic responses to viral infections, as illustrated in the current COVID-19 pandemic, indicatesthe potential to moderate the severity of morbidity from VRIs. Growing evidence supports rolesfor probiotic bacteria (PB) and prebiotic dietary fiber (DF) and other plant nutritional bioactivesin modulating immune functions. While human studies help to understand the epidemiology andimmunopathology of VRIs, the chaotic nature of viral transmissions makes it difficult to undertakemechanistic study where the pre-conditioning of the metabolic and immune system could bebeneficial. However, recent experimental studies have significantly enhanced our understanding ofhow PB and DF, along with plant bioactives, can significantly modulate innate and acquired immunityresponses to VRIs. Synbiotic combinations of PB and DF potentiate increased benefits primarilythrough augmenting the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate. These andspecific plant polyphenolics help to regulate immune responses to both restrain VRIs and temperthe neutrophil response that can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This reviewhighlights the current understanding of the potential impact of targeted nutritional strategies insetting a balanced immune tone for viral clearance and reinforcing homeostasis. This knowledge mayguide the development of public health tactics and the application of functional foods with PB andDF components as a nutritional approach to support countering VRI morbidit

Targeting the hypoxic fraction of tumours using hypoxia activated prodrugs

The presence of a microenvironment within most tumours containing regions of low oxygen tension or hypoxia has profound biological and therapeutic implications. Tumour hypoxia is known to promote the development of an aggressive phenotype, resistance to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is strongly associated with poor clinical outcome. Paradoxically, it is recognised as a high priority target and one therapeutic strategies designed to eradicate hypoxic cells in tumours are a group of compounds known collectively as hypoxia activated prodrugs (HAPs) or bioreductive drugs. These drugs are inactive prodrugs that require enzymatic activation (typically by 1 or 2 electron oxidoreductases) to generate cytotoxic species with selectivity for hypoxic cells being determined by (i) the ability of oxygen to either reverse or inhibit the activation process and (ii) the presence of elevated expression of oxidoreductases in tumours. The concepts underpinning HAP development were established over 40 years ago and have been refined over the years to produce a new generation of HAPs that are under preclinical and clinical development. The purpose of this article is to describe current progress in the development of HAPs focusing on the mechanisms of action, preclinical properties and clinical progress of leading examples

Parity-related molecular signatures and breast cancer subtypes by estrogen receptor status

INTRODUCTION: Relationships of parity with breast cancer risk are complex. Parity is associated with decreased risk of postmenopausal hormone receptor–positive breast tumors, but may increase risk for basal-like breast cancers and early-onset tumors. Characterizing parity-related gene expression patterns in normal breast and breast tumor tissues may improve understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying this complex pattern of risk. METHODS: We developed a parity signature by analyzing microRNA microarray data from 130 reduction mammoplasty (RM) patients (54 nulliparous and 76 parous). This parity signature, together with published parity signatures, was evaluated in gene expression data from 150 paired tumors and adjacent benign breast tissues from the Polish Breast Cancer Study, both overall and by tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status. RESULTS: We identified 251 genes significantly upregulated by parity status in RM patients (parous versus nulliparous; false discovery rate = 0.008), including genes in immune, inflammation and wound response pathways. This parity signature was significantly enriched in normal and tumor tissues of parous breast cancer patients, specifically in ER-positive tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our data corroborate epidemiologic data, suggesting that the etiology and pathogenesis of breast cancers vary by ER status, which may have implications for developing prevention strategies for these tumors