Production of Plant Protection Agents in Medium Containing Waste Glycerol by Streptomyces hygroscopicus: Bioprocess Analysis

The surplus of waste glycerol, by-product of the biodiesel production process, is available at the global market. Some species of the genera Streptomyces have the ability to assimilate glycerol and convert it into valuable metabolic products. In the present study, the ability of Streptomyces hygroscopicus to assimilate waste glycerol and convert it into metabolic compounds with antifungal activity against four phytopathogenic fungi obtained from apple fruit samples expressing rot symptoms, was investigated. Production of antifungal metabolites by S hygroscopicus was carried out in 3 l stirred tank bioreactor through 7 days. Fermentation was carried out at 27 degrees C with aeration rate of 1.5 vvm and agitation rate of 100 r.p.m. The aim of this work was to analyse bioprocess parameters and to determine at which stage of bioprocess the production of antifungal metabolites occurs. Activity of the cultivation liquid on two isolates of Alternaria alternate and two isolates of Fusarium avenaceum were determined every 12 h using in vitro well diffusion method. It was found that the maximum production of antifungal metabolites occurred at 108 hour of cultivation. Formed inhibition zones have shown that the produced antifungal metabolites have high efficacy on tested phytopathogenic fungi (inhibition zone diameter higher than 35 mm for all test organisms)

Optimization of media for antimicrobial compounds production by Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis is one of the most important producers of diverse antimicrobial compounds. This bacterium grows and produces antibiotics on different substrates. The increase of the antibiotics yield can be achieved by changing the conditions of cultivation and the composition of the culture media. In this study, response surface methodology was used for optimization of glycerol, sodium nitrite, and phosphate content in media for production of antibiotics effective against Staphylococcus aureus. As biosynthesis strain Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 was used. The developed model predicts that the maximum inhibition zone radius (38.08 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus and minimal amount of residual nutrients (glycerol 1.75 g l−1, nitrogen 0.21 g l−1, phosphorus 0.18 g l−1) are achieved, when the initial content of glycerol, sodium nitrite, and phosphate are 49.99 g l−1, 1.00 g l−1, and 5.00 g l−1, respectively

Length of carotid stenosis predicts peri-procedural stroke or death and restenosis in patients randomized to endovascular treatment or endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: The anatomy of carotid stenosis may influence the outcome of endovascular treatment or carotid endarterectomy. Whether anatomy favors one treatment over the other in terms of safety or efficacy has not been investigated in randomized trials. METHODS: In 414 patients with mostly symptomatic carotid stenosis randomized to endovascular treatment (angioplasty or stenting; n = 213) or carotid endarterectomy (n = 211) in the Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study (CAVATAS), the degree and length of stenosis and plaque surface irregularity were assessed on baseline intraarterial angiography. Outcome measures were stroke or death occurring between randomization and 30 days after treatment, and ipsilateral stroke and restenosis ≥50% during follow-up. RESULTS: Carotid stenosis longer than 0.65 times the common carotid artery diameter was associated with increased risk of peri-procedural stroke or death after both endovascular treatment [odds ratio 2.79 (1.17-6.65), P = 0.02] and carotid endarterectomy [2.43 (1.03-5.73), P = 0.04], and with increased long-term risk of restenosis in endovascular treatment [hazard ratio 1.68 (1.12-2.53), P = 0.01]. The excess in restenosis after endovascular treatment compared with carotid endarterectomy was significantly greater in patients with long stenosis than with short stenosis at baseline (interaction P = 0.003). Results remained significant after multivariate adjustment. No associations were found for degree of stenosis and plaque surface. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing stenosis length is an independent risk factor for peri-procedural stroke or death in endovascular treatment and carotid endarterectomy, without favoring one treatment over the other. However, the excess restenosis rate after endovascular treatment compared with carotid endarterectomy increases with longer stenosis at baseline. Stenosis length merits further investigation in carotid revascularisation trials

Preclinical validation of rilmenidine for repurposing in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has dismal prognosis, as there are no screening tests available, most often is diagnosed in the metastatic phase of the disease and is refractory to conventional, targeted and immunotherapy. We have examined the expression and role of the novel tumor suppressor nischarin (NISCH) in PDAC and the effects of treatment with the agonist rilmenidine (approved for treatment of hypertension) in order to determine the potential of nischarin agonists for repurposing in this deadly disease.EACR 2023: Innovative Cancer Science, 12-15 June 2023, Torino, Ital

Sharing and Lateral Transshipment of Inventory in a Supply Chain with Expensive Low-Demand Items

The emergence of carriers that deliver items to geographically dispersed destinations quickly and at a reasonable cost, combined with the low cost of sharing information through networked databases, has opened up new opportunities to better manage inventory. We investigate these benefits in the context of a supply chain in which a manufacturer supplies expensive, low-demand items to vertically integrated or autonomous retailers via one central depot. The manufacturer's lead time is assumed to be due to the geographical distance from the market or a combination of low volumes, high variety, and inflexible production processes. We formulate and solve an appropriate mathematical model based on one-for-one inventory policies in which a replenishment order is placed as soon as the customer withdraws an item. We find that sharing and transshipment of items often, but not always, reduces the overall costs of holding, shipping, and waiting for inventory. Unexpectedly, these cost reductions are sometimes achieved through increasing overall inventory levels in the supply chain. Finally, while sharing of inventory typically benefits all the participants in decentralized supply chains, this is not necessarily the case---sharing can hurt the distributor or individual retailers, regardless of their relative power in the supply chain.Multi-Echelon Systems, Transshipment, Approximation in Inventory Models