Oxidative fermentation of glucose and ethanol in designed media and cooked grape must by acetic acid bacteria

In this study, acetic acid bacteria strains were investigated for their ability to oxidize different carbon sources producing the corresponding oxidative products. Bacterial strains were cultivated in seven designed media and their acetification ability was assessed. The most performing strains were further tested to evaluate gluconic acid production in cooked grape must. Organic acids, sugars, and ethanol concentrations were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Overall, the findings showed high variability amongst strains of the same species, especially amongst Gluconobacter oxydans strains. However, strains ATCC 621H and DSM 3503T resulted to be the highest gluconic acid producers in all tested conditions. This study shows that grape must can be further valorized by selective fermentations for the production of gluconic based products

Critical assessment of two-qubit post-Markovian master equations

A post-Markovian master equation has been recently proposed as a tool to describe the evolution of a system coupled to a memory-keeping environment [A. Shabani and D. A. Lidar, Phys. Rev. A 71, 020101 (R) (2005)]. For a single qubit affected by appropriately chosen environmental conditions, the corresponding dynamics is always legitimate and physical. Here we extend such situation to the case of two qubits, only one of which experiences the environmental effects. We show how, despite the innocence of such an extension, the introduction of the second qubit should be done cum grano salis to avoid consequences such as the breaking of the positivity of the associated dynamical map. This hints at the necessity of using care when adopting phenomenologically derived models for evolutions occurring outside the Markovian framework.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, RevTeX4. Close to published versio

Mentalizing subtypes in eating disorders: A latent profile analysis

Background: Mentalizing, the mental capacity to understand oneself and others in terms of mental states, has been found to be reduced in several mental disorders. Some studies have suggested that eating disorders (EDs) may also be associated with impairments in mentalizing. The aim of this work is to investigate the possible presence of mentalizing subtypes in a sample of patients with EDs. Method: A sample of patients with eating disorders (N = 157) completed a battery of measures assessing mentalization and related variables, including the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Strategies (DERS), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Clinicians rated patients in relation to imbalances in different dimensions of mentalization to prementalizing modes and attachment style by using the Mentalization Imbalances Scale, the Modes of Mentalization Scale (MMS), and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire. A latent profile analysis was conducted to test the possible presence of different subgroups. MANOVA was used to test the possible differences between the four mentalizing profiles in relation to emotion dysregulation (DERS), empathy (IRI), and adequate and impairments in mentalizing (MMS and RFQ). Results: The latent profile analysis suggested the presence of four different profiles in relation to impairments in the dimensions of mentalization: (1) affective/self/automatic imbalances, (2) external imbalance, (3) cognitive/self/automatic imbalances, and (4) cognitive/other/automatic imbalances. Patients belonging to profile 1 are characterized by the prevalence of affective mentalization that overwhelms the capacity to reflect on mental states with an imbalance on the self-dimension; profile 2 patients are excessively focused on the external cues of mentalization; profile 3 patients are characterized by an over-involvement on the cognitive and self-facets of mentalization, with an impairment in adopting the other mind perspective; and profile 4 patients have similar impairments compared to profile 3 patients but with an excessive focus on others and deficits in self-reflection. These profiles were heterogeneous in terms of EDs represented in each group and presented significant differences on various variables such as attachment style, emotion dysregulation, empathy, interpersonal reactivity, and reflective function. This study represents, so far, the first work that confirms the presence of different mentalizing patterns in ED patients. Conclusions: ED patients can be classified in relation to impairments in different dimensions of mentalization above and beyond ED diagnosis

Acetic Acid Bacteria: Physiology and Carbon Sources Oxidation

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are obligately aerobic bacteria within the family Acetobacteraceae, widespread in sugary, acidic and alcoholic niches. They are known for their ability to partially oxidise a variety of carbohydrates and to release the corresponding metabolites (aldehydes, ketones and organic acids) into the media. Since a long time they are used to perform specific oxidation reactions through processes called “oxidative fermentations”, especially in vinegar production. In the last decades physiology of AAB have been widely studied because of their role in food production, where they act as beneficial or spoiling organisms, and in biotechnological industry, where their oxidation machinery is exploited to produce a number of compounds such as l-ascorbic acid, dihydroxyacetone, gluconic acid and cellulose. The present review aims to provide an overview of AAB physiology focusing carbon sources oxidation and main products of their metabolism

Avaliação do efeito do fipronil sobre a germinação, número de perfilhos e produção de massa seca de Paspalum regnellii.

A pesquisa foi desenvolvida na EMBRAPA Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, SP, com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos do tratamento de sementes de Paspalum Regnellii com o inseticida Fipronil 250g/L (Standak), sobre a germinação, número de perfilhos e massa seca. As dosagens aplicadas foram 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 mL p.c./ha. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos completos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. As sementes foram semeadas em canteiros de 1,5m x 1,5 m, com espaçamento de 15 cm entre linhas. A germinação foi afetada positivamente por todas as doses de fipronil. O número de perfilhos foi afetado pelas doses, sendo as doses de 10 e 20 mL, as que apresentaram melhores resultados. As doses não afetaram a produção de massa seca. A dosagem de 10 mL apresentou melhores resultados que as doses recomendadas pelo fabricante

Homogeneity of Interspecific Hybrids Between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum by Phenotypic and Transcriptional Analysis

Oenological traits, such as temperature profile and production of certain metabolites, were tested for four interspecifc hybrids obtained by"spore to spore" crossing between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum strains and uniformity of their inheritance was found. PCR/RFLP analysis of ITS regions was carried out to confirm the hybrid nature of the strains. They showed an additive profile with five bands of the respective 325, 230, 170 and 125 bp. Finally gene expression study was performed by comparative DNA macroarray analysis of the hybrids and the preliminary results showed that the global gene expression patterns of hybrids are remarkably similar to one another. In conclusion, the data obtained by two different approaches, such as metabolic and transcriptomic strategies, suggest a large degree of homogeneity among interspecific hybrids between S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum. Moreover, the uniformity of F1 hybrids advises that the oenological trait inheritance mechanism is highly constant and reproducible