Potential Role of Micro-Algae on Global Energy Supply

The most effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions are to improve the energy efficiency of each economic sector and to reduce the cutting of tropical and temperate forests around the world. These options, however, may not fully reach their technical and economic potential due to various political and socioeconomic. The most practical of these is to increase CO2 sinks through photosynthesis in both standing tree biomass and in ocean primary producers. The use of marine algae as CO2 sinks is for large-scale CO2 mitigation: the use of phytoplankton through Fe fertilization and macro algal (kelp) farms, which can be used for energy production. The reduction of CO2-emissions that are damaging our climate is one of the major challenges of contemporary energy management. Nature itself offers us possibilities to produce energy CO2-neutral with the help of hydrogen producing micro-algae. Under certain conditions the light energy collected by photosynthesis is used to transfer electrons to hydrogen producing proteins called hydrogenases. A new type of hydrogenase that produces molecular hydrogen at relatively high rates was isolated (Happe and Naber, 1993) and characterized at the genomic level (Happe and Kaminski, 2002) for the first time in green algae. Processes were recently developed that allow long-term production of hydrogen by micro-algae (Melis et al., 2000). Under sulphur deprivation the green alga Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii adapts its metabolism from oxygen production and CO2-fixation towards hydrogen production. Therefore the biotechnological process is divided into the growth phase, the hydrogen production phase, and the resulting spent algae can be used for biomass production of fuel. Thus by control of growth conditions green algae can be used to produced hydrogen fuel, methane and a whole host of hydro carbons for fuel. Our planet is 75% ocean; it seems only natural to look to the ocean as a source of energy and a source to help lower our atmospheric CO2. The most appropriate regions for this kind of production would not only be the continental shelf regions but also in the open ocean where iron fertilization is being utilized to help with algal blooms. Algae and kelp may not be the holy grail of green energy sources, but they are a viable resource to help in our energy and environmental crisis.https://scholar.dominican.edu/ug-student-posters/1000/thumbnail.jp

Meta-Analysis on Optimised Parameters for Energy Harvesting Thermoelectric Generators in the Human Body

Small-scale energy harvesting thermoelectric generators could replace bulky batteries completely when in conjunction with a supercapacitor for biomedical devices. Organic material is cost efficient, flexible and easily processed but has poor thermoelectric properties. Recent studies have investigated the combination of inorganic and organic materials for thermoelectric materials in an attempt to improve the figure of merit, Seebeck coefficient and power factor. This meta-study examines the most effective ratio of PEDOT: PSS to Bi2Te3 thermoelectric material by analysing the Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity, the power factor and figure of merit for varying weight-for-weight percentage of PEDOT: PSS material. This paper also assesses the viability of hybrid thermoelectric materials with a focus on the synthesis process. The parameter of the thermal gradient found in the human body was used; approximated to 32-37°C from the human body to the ambient temperature of ~300 K. It was found that the peak in electrical conductivity was between 90%―96% PEDOT: PSS material. From this the optimal ratio of PEDOT: PSS to Bi2Te3 is between 90%―96% PEDOT: PSS material since the Seebeck coefficient decrease with increase organic percentage smoothly. Overall, this study suggests the use of an organic: inorganic hybrid TEG, coupled with a supercapacitor, is a commercially viable device for a variety of implantable biomedical devices

Dearomative reduction of arenes through the use of arenophiles & studies towards the synthesis of cardiotonic steroids calotropin and calactin

A novel method for the dearomative reduction of arenes through the use of N,N-arenophile, MTAD, was developed. Cheap feedstock arenes undergo photocycloaddition with MTAD, and the cycloadduct can be treated further to furnish novel 1,3-cyclohexadienes or 1,4-diamino-2- cyclohexenes. The utility of this method is shown in the synthesis of a natural product in two steps from naphthalene. Calotropin, a cardiotonic steroid, isolated from Apocynaceae plants is a highly cytotoxic natural product with anti-cancer activity. A total synthesis strategy which utilizes a NHC-catalyzed benzoin condensation, and Pd-catalyzed nucleophilic dearomatization of a phenol is described. Also described, is the semisynthetic strategy towards calotropin from estrone, where the aromatic A ring is dearomatized to introduce a C1 fragment at the para-position

Environmental Conditions and Occupant Satisfaction in the Workplace: A Controlled Study in a Living Lab

Living labs offer a powerful, new way to measure human-building interactions. In addition to having the advantages of a traditional controlled laboratory setting, living labs facilitate the study of how combinations of environmental factors directly affect human health and satisfaction in a real-world setting. The aim of this experimental study was to characterize the relationship between individual-level exposure to environmental conditions and reported satisfaction with environmental quality in a simulated open-office workspace created in a living lab. Eight office workers were exposed to six different week-long combinations of light (natural and electric), sound, and thermal conditions over 18 weeks in a living lab. We assigned exposure to temperature, relative humidity, and light, specifically illuminance, to each participant using measurements from the environmental sensor in closest proximity to the participant. Sound measurements were collected by only one device, so all participants were assigned the same sound exposure. Participants also completed daily questionnaires in which they rated their level of satisfaction with the overall quality of the workplace and with specific environmental parameters in the simulated workspace. Using ordinal response mixed effects models, we found that temperature, noise, and light — individually and in combination — were significant predictors of self-reported occupant satisfaction. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the relative importance of environmental parameters to employee satisfaction in a real-world context, which may be useful for guiding and optimizing building design and management decisions to best serve its occupants

Characterization of the ZBTB42 gene in humans and mice

A 12 kb haplotype upstream of the key signaling protein gene, AKT1, has been associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (Devaney et al. 2010). The region contains the first exon and promoter sequences of AKT1, but also includes the complete transcript unit for a highly conserved yet uncharacterized zinc finger-containing protein (ZBTB42). One of the component SNPs of the 12 kb haplotype metabolic syndrome haplotype changes a conserved amino acid in the predicted ZBTB42 protein, increasing the potential significance of the ZBTB42 transcript unit for contributing to disease risk. Using RT-PCR of human and mouse cells, we verified that the two exon ZBTB42 was expressed and correctly spliced in human skeletal muscle, and murine C2C12 cells. Production of peptide antibodies showed the expected protein in human (47 kD) and mouse (49 kD) immunoblots, and murine tissue distribution showed strongest expression in muscle and ovary. Immunostaining showed nuclear localization of the ZBTB42 protein in human muscle. Confocal imaging analyses of murine muscle showed ZBTB42 distributed in the nucleoplasm, with particular enrichment in nuclei underlying the neuromuscular junctions. The genetic association data of metabolic syndrome, coupled with the molecular characterization of the ZBTB42 transcript unit and encoded protein presented here, suggests that ZBTB42 may be involved in metabolic syndrome phenotypes

The Journal of BSN Honors Research, Volume 5, Issue 1, Summer 2012

University of Kansas School of Nursing. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Honors ProgramExploration Of Health Care Needs Among Sudanese Refugee Women - Albin, J M, Domian, E. Is There An App For That? Developing An Evaluation Rubric For Apps For Use With Adults With Special Needs - Buckler, T, Peterson, M. The Relationship Between Nursing Characteristics And Pain Care Quality - Davis, E, Dunton, N. The Relationship Between Sleep And Night Eating On Weight Loss In Individuals With Severe Mental Illness - Huynh, Thu Nhi, Hamera, E. Examining Nurse Leader/Manager-Physician Communication Strategies: A Pilot Study - Jantzen, M, Ford, D J. Comparison Of Personal, Health And Family Characteristic Of Children With And Without Autism - Martin, A, Bott, M J. Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea And Postoperative Adverse Events - Nielsenshultz, Y, Smith, C, Bott, M, Schultz, M P, Cole, C. Challenges Associated With Partnering With Sudanese Refugee Women In Addressing Their Health Issues - Pauls, K L, Baird, M B. Complementary Therapy To Relieve Pediatric Cancer Therapy-Related Symptoms In The Usa - Slaven, A, Williams, P D

Infliximab in young paediatric IBD patients : it is all about the dosing

Infliximab (IFX) is administered intravenously using weight-based dosing (5 mg/kg) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Our hypothesis is that especially young children need a more intensive treatment regimen than the current weight-based dose administration. We aimed to assess IFX pharmacokinetics (PK), based on existing therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) data in IBD patients = 10 years). Median age was 8.3 years (IQR 6.9-8.9) in YP compared with 14.3 years (IQR 12.8-15.6) in OP at the start of IFX. At the start of maintenance treatment, 72% of YP had trough levels below therapeutic range (< 5.4 mu g/mL). After 1 year of scheduled IFX maintenance treatment, YP required a significantly higher dose per 8 weeks compared with OP (YP; 9.0 mg/kg (IQR 5.0-12.9) vs. OP; 5.5 mg/kg (IQR 5.0-9.3);p < 0.001). The chance to develop antibodies to infliximab was relatively lower in OP than YP (0.329 (95% CI - 1.2 to - 1.01);p < 0.001), while the overall duration of response to IFX was not significantly different (after 2 years 53% (n = 29) in YP vs. 58% (n = 45) in OP;p = 0.56). Conclusion: Intensification of the induction scheme is suggested for PIBD patients aged < 10 years. What is Known

VBP15, a glucocorticoid analogue, is effective at reducing allergic lung inflammation in mice

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lower respiratory tract associated with airway hyperreactivity and mucus obstruction in which a majority of cases are due to an allergic response to environmental allergens. Glucocorticoids such as prednisone have been standard treatment for many inflammatory diseases for the past 60 years. However, despite their effectiveness, long-term treatment is often limited by adverse side effects believed to be caused by glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene transcription. This has led to the pursuit of compounds that retain the anti-inflammatory properties yet lack the adverse side effects associated with traditional glucocorticoids. We have developed a novel series of steroidal analogues (VBP compounds) that have been previously shown to maintain anti-inflammatory properties such as NFκB-inhibition without inducing glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene transcription. This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the lead compound, VBP15, in a mouse model of allergic lung inflammation. We show that VBP15 is as effective as the traditional glucocorticoid, prednisolone, at reducing three major hallmarks of lung inflammation--NFκB activity, leukocyte degranulation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine release from human bronchial epithelial cells obtained from patients with asthma. Moreover, we found that VBP15 is capable of reducing inflammation of the lung in vivo to an extent similar to that of prednisone. We found that prednisolone--but not VBP15 shortens the tibia in mice upon a 5 week treatment regimen suggesting effective dissociation of side effects from efficacy. These findings suggest that VBP15 may represent a potent and safer alternative to traditional glucocorticoids in the treatment of asthma and other inflammatory diseases.Supported in part by grants from the NIH (1R41HL104939-01B; 1K26RR032082; 1P50AR060836-01; 1U54HD071601; 2R24HD050846-06, R01 HL033152- 25), DOD grants (W81XWH-11-1-0330; W81XWH-11-1-0782; W81XWH-10-1-0659; W81XWH-11-1-0809; W81XWH-09-1-0599) a translational research grant from MDA, pilot grant from Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), and a contribution from the Clark Family Foundation