The incidence of scarring on the dorsum of the hand

When undertaking image comparison of the hand between accused and perpetrator, it is not unusual for scars to be identified on the back of the hand. To investigate the occurrence of scarring in a discreet sample, a database of 238 individuals was examined, and the dorsum of the right and left hands was gridded for each individual. The position, size and type of scar were recorded within each grid. It was found that, in general, males exhibited a higher incidence of scarring than females. However, males were more likely to show scarring on their left hand whereas females were more likely to exhibit scarring on their right hand. Contrary to the literature, scarring was not most prevalent along the borders of the hand but occurred more frequently in association with the index and middle finger corridor regions. Surgical scars were rare as were large scars whereas linear scars smaller than 6 mm were the most frequently identified. Close to half of the sample did not exhibit scarring on one hand. The importance of understanding the pattern of scarring on the back of the hand is discussed in the light of forensic image comparison analysis

Bio-Based Succinate Production from Arundo donax Hydrolysate with the New Natural Succinic Acid-Producing Strain Basfia succiniciproducens BPP7

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Metabolic profiling and cold-starvation stress response of oxygen-tolerant Lactobacillus gasseri strains cultured in batch bioreactor

Phenotypic and genotypic evidence indicates that many LAB strains can grow in presence of oxygen and can shift from fermentative to aerobic and/or respiratory metabolism. The aerobic and respiratory growth of several LAB species have been studied, allowing the selection of strains showing improved biomass production, long-term survival, and resistance under oxygen and stress conditions. The aim of this work was to observe the adaptation of two Lactobacillus gasseri strains, described in a previous work, to aerobic (air injection) and respiratory (air injection plus hemin and menaquionone) conditions obtained in a batch bioreactor. One strain showed the higher biomass production and oxygen consumption as well as the lower acidification in respiratory condition. Instead, the other one grew better in aerobic condition, even though the higher resistance to cold-starvation stress was registered in respiratory condition. In silico analysis revealed notable differences between AL3 and AL5 genomes and that of the type strain. This work contributes to understanding the adaptation response of lactobacilli to aerobic and respiratory metabolism. We demonstrated that the supposed activation of respiratory metabolism may provide several modifications to cell physiology. These features may be relevant in some technological and health-promoting applications, including starter and probiotic formulations

Influence of different lignocellulose sources on endo-1,4-beta-glucanase gene expression and enzymatic activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B31C

Conversion of cellulose into fermentable sugars for ethanol production is currently performed by enzymatic hydrolysis catalyzed by cellulases. The cellulases are produced by a wide variety of microorganisms, playing a major role in the recycling of biomass. The endo-1,4-beta-glucanase (CelB31C) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B31C, isolated from compost and previously selected on the basis of highest cellulase activity levels among Bacillus isolated, was characterized as being a potential candidate for a biocatalyst in lignocellulose conversion for second-generation bioethanol production. The aim of this work was to evaluate the changes in production of enzymatic activity of the endo-1,4-beta-glucanase (CelB31C) and the expression of its gene (bglC) using a carboxymethylcellulase activity assay and qRT-PCR analysis, respectively, during growth of B. amyloliquefaciens B31C on different cellulose sources: carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), pure cellulose from Arundo donax, pretreated Arundo donax biomass (Chemtex), and microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel). The results showed that both the expression of bglC gene and the enzymatic activity production are related to the type of cellulose source. The strain showed a high enzymatic activity on lignocellulosic biomass and on microcrystalline cellulose. Furthermore, the highest gene expression occurred during the exponential phase of growth, except in the presence of Avicel