Morphological and biochemical changes in Phaeodactylum tricornutum triggered by culture media: Implications for industrial exploitation

Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a polymorphic marine diatom, displaying three main morphotypes: fusiform, triradiate and oval. It is of great interest for industrial biotechnology as a natural rich source of valuable eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and fucoxanthin. Changing culture conditions such as temperature and salinity has been shown to elicit morphological changes in P. tricornutum. However, limited information is available about the conditions that can be used for controlling cell morphology and growth of a particular cell morphotype with high biomass productivity. While the phenomenon of pleiomorphy is intrinsically interesting, there has not been a systematic study linking this behavior to the ability of P. tricornutum to perform as a platform for industrial biotechnology. In this study, the effects of culture medium and culture age on morphological and biochemical changes in P. tricornutum were investigated. Mann and Myers' medium was identified as eliciting significant morphotype conversion from fusiform to oval in P. tricornutum. Liquid cultures containing >90% oval cells were obtained and well-maintained in this medium under constant shaking condition, allowing high dry biomass concentration (0.73 g L−1) to be achieved. Biochemical composition analyses revealed that higher protein (% dry weight) was obtained from oval cell cultures compared to fusiform cell cultures maintained in f/2 medium over 21 days cultivation. Meanwhile, pigment was markedly accumulated in oval cell cultures whereas lipid and carbohydrate were highly accumulated in fusiform cell cultures. This work offered a novel way to regulate cell morphology of P. tricornutum and provided significant implications for upstream cultivation strategies to optimise manufacture of different classes of product in P. tricornutum

A Graduate Education Course for Elementary School Teachers: Fostering Knowledge of Science and the Engineering Design Process

This study provides insights to the successes and challenges of elementary school teachers as they refined their knowledge of specific physical science components and notions of the engineering design process. Our analysis of pre- and post-tests suggested that teachers significantly improved their knowledge after attending a graduate STEM education course

Extremely high room-temperature two-dimensional hole gas mobility in Ge/Si0.33Ge0.67/Si(001) p-type modulation-doped heterostructures

To extract the room-temperature drift mobility and sheet carrier density of two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) that form in Ge strained channels of various thicknesses in Ge/Si0.33Ge0.67/Si(001) p-type modulation-doped heterostructures, the magnetic field dependences of the magnetoresistance and Hall resistance at temperature of 295 K were measured and the technique of maximum entropy mobility spectrum analysis was applied. This technique allows a unique determination of mobility and sheet carrier density of each group of carriers present in parallel conducting multilayers semiconductor heterostructures. Extremely high room-temperature drift mobility (at sheet carrier density) of 2DHG 2940 cm2 V–1 s–1 (5.11×1011 cm–2) was obtained in a sample with a 20 nm thick Ge strained channel

Nutrition interventions in the workplace: Evidence of best practice

Aim: The aim of this desktop study was to review all workplace interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature between 1995 and 2006 by WHO, and to document activities that were successful, as well as possible barriers to their success.Methodology: A systematic review of workplace studies revealed 41 interventions, of which 30 complied with the predetermined search criteria. The following outcome measures were considered in the evaluation of the interventions: (i) changes in nutritional knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, intentions and stage of change; (ii) changes in dietary behaviours; (iii) changes in clinical/physical markers, such as: body weight or body-mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) or serum cholesterol concentrations; and (iv) process and/or policy outcomes.Results: A large number of diverse workplace interventions were successful in changing outcomes positively in the interventions evaluated. The following were key success factors: i) there was a nutrition and physical activity component; ii) dietitians were involved in nutrition education; iii) changes occurred in the cafeteria/canteen, which increased the availability of healthy food options and advertised them accordingly; iv) tailored feedback on diet (and clinical values) was given to subjects; v) employees were involved in planning and managing programmes; vi) the reduced prices (of healthy food items) in vending machines encouraged employees to buy healthier options; and vii) the stages of change theory was most commonly associated with best practice outcomes.Conclusions: Numerous workplace interventions have shown significant improvements in employees’ health and behaviours. However, it is necessary to plan intervention programmes based on the existing evidence of best practice

Topological Gaseous Plasmon Polariton in Realistic Plasma

Nontrivial topology in bulk matter has been linked with the existence of topologically protected interfacial states. We show that a gaseous plasmon polariton (GPP), an electromagnetic surface wave existing at the boundary of magnetized plasma and vacuum, has a topological origin that arises from the nontrivial topology of magnetized plasma. Because a gaseous plasma cannot sustain a sharp interface with discontinuous density, one must consider a gradual density falloff with scale length comparable to or longer than the wavelength of the wave. We show that the GPP may be found within a gapped spectrum in present-day laboratory devices, suggesting that platforms are currently available for experimental investigation of topological wave physics in plasmas

Superlnmlnal Frames and the Group of Generalized Lorentz Transformations in Four Dimensions

But in paper I--in order to limit its length--we could do nothing but scarcely mentioning our group G of generalized Lorentz transformations (GLT). Analogously, some other details were exploited not enough. The aim of this further letter is to cast more light on the new group G, and to clarify a few other points of paper I. Such problems--as well as many related other ones--will be extensively dealt with in a forthcoming paper, to be published elsewhere. Let us call S the reference frames travelling faster than light with respect to the usual class of inertial frames s. The philosophical investigation developed in paper I showed that--if standard space-time measurements must be performable by S--then a (~ symmetry ,) between frames s and S must hold. In the sense that particles behaving as tachyons with respect to observers s will behave as bradyons with respect to observers S, and vice versa (principle o] duality). Actually, the words bradyon (B), taehyon (T), frame s, frame S have only a relative meaning (1). The velocity of light c preserves of course its character of invariant quantity for both s and S frames (4). (1) E. RECAI~ [I and R. MIG~A~I: Left. Nuovo Cimento, 4

Interrupting Trauma with Hope, Kindness, Art and Healing

ArtForce Iowa is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Des Moines Iowa. Founded in 2012, ArtForce Iowa has a mission to transform youth in need through art. ArtForce Iowa has pioneered a non-pathologizing approach to working with children targeted as in need of services. We offer a critical humanizing perspective through case studies. Seven youth artists are highlighted to provide windows into complicated, troubling, and hopeful effects of their relationship with their own healing. This article aims to shed light on the promise and innovation of authentic supportive kindness and youth leadership to support the social and emotional lives of children from marginalized communities

Second Mesiobuccal Canal Treatment in a Predoctoral Dental Clinic: A Retrospective Clinical Study

The aim of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the location and treatment of second canals in mesiobuccal roots (MB2) of first and second maxillary molars in a predoctoral endodontic clinic by the graduating classes of 2008 to 2015. These results were compared to similar clinical studies. Included in the study were 368 root canal treatments performed by 310 third- and fourth-year dental students at one U.S. dental school. All cases were done under faculty supervision, and the students were instructed to use dental loupe magnification. Students' evaluation sheets were used to deteremine the total MB2 canals treated in first and second maxillary molars. The results showed that, overall, 72.55% of the teeth had an MB2 canal treated. The frequency was higher in first molars (75.91%) than in second molars (56.92%) (p0.05). Under proper supervision by experienced endodontists, these dental students were capable of treating MB2 canals in maxillary molars. The frequency of MB2 canals located and treated by dental students with the assistance of experienced professionals was higher in first than in second molars. No significant difference was found between third- and fourth-year students. The incidence of MB2 canals located and treated in this study was found to be similar to that in other clinical studies