Isolation of Bacillus spp. from Thai fermented soybean (Thua-nao): screening for aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A detoxification.

Aims: To study the interaction between Bacillus spp. and contaminating Aspergillus flavus isolated strains from Thai fermented soybean in order to limit aflatoxin production. To study the detoxification of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) by Bacillus spp. in order to find an efficient strain to remove these toxins. Methods and Results: One A. flavus aflatoxin-producing strain and 23 isolates of Bacillus spp. were isolated from soybean and fresh Thua-nao collected from the north of Thailand. Inhibition studies of A. flavus and A. westerdijkiae NRRL 3174 (reference strain) growth by all isolates of Bacillus spp. were conducted by dual culture technique on agar plates. These isolates were also tested for AFB1 and OTA detoxification ability on both solid and liquid media. Most of the strains were able to detoxify aflatoxin but only some of them could detoxify OTA. Conclusions: One Bacillus strain was able to inhibit growth of both Aspergillus strains and to remove both mycotoxins (decrease of 74% of AFB1 and 92·5% of OTA). It was identified by ITS sequencing as Bacillus licheniformis. The OTA decrease was due to degradation in OTα. Another Bacillus strain inhibiting both Aspergillus growth and detoxifying 85% of AFB1 was identified as B. subtilis. AFB1 decrease has not been correlated to appearance of a degradation product. Significance and Impact of the Study: The possibility to reduce AFB1 level by a strain from the natural flora is of great interest for the control of the quality of fermented soybean. Moreover, the same strain could be a source of efficient enzyme for OTA degradation in other food or feeds

Verification of the Standard Model of the Photorefractive Nonlinearity in BSO Crystals

On the basis of the standard model for the photorefractive nonlinearity we investigate whether a systematic description of the dependence of two-beam energy exchange on beam polarization and grating vector K is possible. Our result is that there is good agreement between theory and experiment with respect to the polarization properties and semi-quantitative agreement with respect to the K-dependence of the energy exchange

Optical activity in photorefractive Bi12TiO20

The influence of optical activity on two-wave mixing (TWM) in photorefractive BTO and BSO crystals in the absence of an applied field is studied both theoretically and experimentally. For the conventinal orientations of the grating vector, K parallel to [001] and K perpendicular to [001], the piezoelectric and photoelastic effects are either zero or negligible. This makes an analytical treatment of the TWM problem possible. We obtain an analytical solution for the coupled wave equations of TWM valid for arbitrary optical activity. This result is of special importance for BTO crystals. In these crystals under the condition of maximum energy transfer (\K\r(D) = 1, where r(D) is the Debye radius) neither the approximation of small optical activity nor the one of dominating optical activity is applicable and our analytical solution becomes essential. Our experimental setup uses beams with a trapezoidal overlap that allow us to study the thickness-dependence of the gain in a single measurement. Experimental and theoretical results for a BTO crystal are compared with those for a BSO crystal and are explained in the framework of the model used

Investigation of two-wave mixing in arbitrary oriented sillenite crystals

A generalized systematic description of the Two-Wave Mixing (TWM) process in sillenite crystals allowing for arbitrary orientation of the grating vector is presented. An analytical expression for the TWM gain is obtained for the special case of plane waves in a thin crystal(\g\d much less than 1) with large optical activity(\g\rho much less than 1, g is the coupling constant, rho the rotatory power, d the crystal thickness). Using a two-dimensional formulation the scope of the nonlinear equations describing TWM can be extended to finite beams in arbitrary geometries and to any crystal parameters. Two promising applications of this formulation are proposed. The polarization dependence of the TWM gain is used for the flattening of Gaussian beam profiles without expanding them. The dependence of the TWM gain on the interaction length is used for the determination of the crystal orientation. Experiments carried out on Bi12GeO20O crystals of a non-standard cut are in good agreement with the results of modelling

International Odra project (IOP) 'Interdisciplinary German Polish studies on the behaviour of pollutants in the Oder system'. Sub project 4: the state of suspended particulate matter in the Odra River system Final report

Das Vorhaben ist darauf ausgerichtet, den Belastungszustand der Schwebstoffe und schwebstoffbuertigen Sedimente im Oderflusssystem anhand von Grossproben ausgewaehlter Probenahmeorte zu charakterisieren. Ein wesentliches Ziel ist die Beurteilung des Transportregimes der Schwebstoffe zwischen den Kompartimenten Wasser, Schwebstoff und Sediment sowie seine Bilanzierung. Dabei gilt die besondere Aufmerksamkeit der Zusammensetzung und der Struktur der Schwebstoffe sowie die Spurenelementspeziation an die unterschiedlichen Bestandteile. Weiterhin werden oekologische Aussagen anhand ausgewaehlter biogener Bestandteile angestrebt. Durch die Charakterisierung der rezenten fluviatilen Feststoffe (Schwebstoffe und schwebstoffbuertige Sedimente) und die Ermittlung ihres Mengenanteiles werden Aussagen zur Belastungsentwicklung der Aestuargewaesser und der Ostsee durch die Oder moeglich. Aus dieser Zielstellung ergibt sich folgende Untersuchungsstrategie. Die stoffliche, strukturelle und biogene Charakteristik der Schwebstoffe umfasst die Ermittlung - der Schwebstoffkonzentration - der granulometrischen Zusammensetzung - des Kohlenstoff- und Schwefelgehaltes - des Gehaltes an biogenem Opal - des Mineral-und Phasenbestandes - des Metallgehaltes - der Struktur der Schwebstoffflocken -der Diatomeen-Assoziationen in den Schwebstoffflocken und am Periphyton. (orig.)The purpose of the present project was to characterise the pollutant freight of suspended matter and suspended-matter-borne sediments in the Oder river system on the basis of large samples drawn at selected sampling sites. One of the major goals was to assess and draw up a balance of the transport regime of suspended matter between the compartments water, suspended matter and sediments. Special attention was given to the composition and structure of suspended matter as well as to the distribution of trace elements in the various components. Furthermore, the study was intended to provide ecology-related information on the basis of selected biogenic components. Statements on the time course of pollution of estuarine waters and the Baltic Sea by way of the Oder can be derived from a characterisation of current fluviatile solids (suspended matter and suspended-matter-borne sediments) and determination of their quantitative proportions. The following research strategy was derived from these goals: for a characterisation of suspended matter in terms of composition, structure and biogenic origin it is necessary to determine the concentration of suspended matter, its granulometric composition, carbon and sulphur content, biogenic opal content, mineral content, phase composition, metal content, structure of suspended flakes and association of diatoms in the suspended flakes and on the periphyton.Available from TIB Hannover: F02B630+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman