Evaluation of spore inoculum and confirmation of pathway genetic blueprint of T13αH and DBAT from a Taxol-producing endophytic fungus

Taxol (paclitaxel), a plant-derived anticancer drug, has been among the most successful anticancer drugs of natural origin. Endophytic fungi have been proposed as a prominent alternative source for Taxol and its intermediate Baccatin III, however the very low yields remain a hinderance to their commercial utilization. Significant research efforts towards this end are underway globally. Here, we report the results on our earlier reported Taxol-producing endophytic fungus, Fusarium solani from the standpoint of spores as seed inoculum and media selection for enhanced Taxol and baccatin III yields. Spores produced on M1D medium with 94.76% viability were used for further media optimization for Taxol and Baccatin III production in five different liquid media under static and shaker condition at different cultivation days. Taxol and Baccatin III when quantified through competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay (CIEIA), showed maximum production at 136.3 µg L−1 and 128.3 µg L−1, respectively in the modified flask basal broth (MFBB) under shaking condition. Further, two important genes of this pathway, namely taxane 13α-hydroxylase (T13αH) and 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-β-O-acetyltransferase (DBAT) have been identified in this fungus. These findings are hoped to assist in further manipulation and metabolic engineering of the parent F. solani strain towards the enhanced production of Taxol and baccatin III

Ketone body supplement label claims: what supplement has been supplemented?

Background: There is a keen interest in performance-enhancing supplementation and the associated benefits, despite reports of incorrect label claims made by manufacturers and the questionable efficacy of the supplements. The use of ketone body supplements as a source of fuel during exercise and sporting performance, in particular, is of interest to sportspeople. By increasing blood ketone body levels, with an accompanying decrease in blood glucose, may indicate a state of nutritional ketosis, whereby the body no longer relies on glucose metabolism but rather the metabolism of ketone bodies. This could be beneficial for long, slow steady-state endurance exercise. Discussion: There are numerous ketone body supplements on the market manufactured in South Africa and internationally. However, unlike medicines, the sports supplementation industry is poorly regulated. Furthermore, ketone body supplementation with regard to its effects on improving exercise and athletic performance is still unconvincing. Conclusion: Within the ever-changing sports supplementation industry, ketone body supplements are being used despite controversies regarding the accuracy and scientific merit of label claims. The ingredients and their quantities, as well as the performance benefits, need to be objectively validated

An agent-based model of the response to angioplasty and bare-metal stent deployment in an atherosclerotic blood vessel

Purpose: While animal models are widely used to investigate the development of restenosis in blood vessels following an intervention, computational models offer another means for investigating this phenomenon. A computational model of the response of a treated vessel would allow investigators to assess the effects of altering certain vessel- and stent-related variables. The authors aimed to develop a novel computational model of restenosis development following an angioplasty and bare-metal stent implantation in an atherosclerotic vessel using agent-based modeling techniques. The presented model is intended to demonstrate the body's response to the intervention and to explore how different vessel geometries or stent arrangements may affect restenosis development. Methods: The model was created on a two-dimensional grid space. It utilizes the post-procedural vessel lumen diameter and stent information as its input parameters. The simulation starting point of the model is an atherosclerotic vessel after an angioplasty and stent implantation procedure. The model subsequently generates the final lumen diameter, percent change in lumen cross-sectional area, time to lumen diameter stabilization, and local concentrations of inflammatory cytokines upon simulation completion. Simulation results were directly compared with the results from serial imaging studies and cytokine levels studies in atherosclerotic patients from the relevant literature. Results: The final lumen diameter results were all within one standard deviation of the mean lumen diameters reported in the comparison studies. The overlapping-stent simulations yielded results that matched published trends. The cytokine levels remained within the range of physiological levels throughout the simulations. Conclusion: We developed a novel computational model that successfully simulated the development of restenosis in a blood vessel following an angioplasty and bare-metal stent deployment based on the characteristics of the vessel crosssection and stent. A further development of this model could ultimately be used as a predictive tool to depict patient outcomes and inform treatment options. © 2014 Curtin, Zhou

Templated non-oxide sol-gel preparation of well-ordered macroporous (inverse opal) Ta3N5 films

Reactions of Ta(NMe2)5 and n-propylamine are shown to be an effective system for sol-gel processing of Ta3N5. Ordered macroporous films of Ta3N5 on silica substrates have been prepared by infiltration of such a sol into close-packed sacrificial templates of cross-linked 500 nm polystyrene spheres followed by pyrolysis under ammonia to remove the template and crystallize the Ta3N5. Templates with long-range order were produced by controlled humidity evaporation. Pyrolysis of a sol-infiltrated template at 600 °C removes the polystyrene but does not crystallize Ta3N5, and X-ray diffraction shows nanocrystalline TaN plus amorphous material. Heating at 700 °C crystallizes Ta3N5 while retaining a high degree of pore ordering, whereas at 800 °C porous films with a complete loss of order are obtained

Good governance perspectives in Public Administration and Cybersecurity

Abstract

Ocean Deacidification Technologies for Marine Aquaculture

The increase in partial pressure of CO2 in the oceans directly affects the productivity and survival of coastal industries and ecosystems. For marine aquaculture, the decreased alkalinity of seawater results in reduced availability of carbonates for marine organisms to build their shells, leading to decreased aquaculture quality and productivity. The industry has been implementing recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) to reduce CO2 in feedwaters, but recent interest in ocean-based CO2 capture has led to additional strategies that may be relevant. The new methods in addition to CO2 removal offer capture options for enhanced aquaculture sustainability. Here, we review and compare early-stage and commercially available technologies for deacidification of seawater and their suitability for aquaculture. Most methods considered rely on a voltage-induced pH swing to shift the carbonate/bicarbonate equilibrium toward the release of CO2, with subsequent capture of the released CO2 as a gas or as solid mineral carbonates. The modular design and distributed deployment potential of these systems offers promise, but current demonstrations are limited to bench scale, highlighting the need for sustained research and development before they can be implemented for marine aquaculture.</jats:p

Ocean Deacidification Technologies for Marine Aquaculture

The increase in partial pressure of CO2 in the oceans directly affects the productivity and survival of coastal industries and ecosystems. For marine aquaculture, the decreased alkalinity of seawater results in reduced availability of carbonates for marine organisms to build their shells, leading to decreased aquaculture quality and productivity. The industry has been implementing recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) to reduce CO2 in feedwaters, but recent interest in ocean-based CO2 capture has led to additional strategies that may be relevant. The new methods in addition to CO2 removal offer capture options for enhanced aquaculture sustainability. Here, we review and compare early-stage and commercially available technologies for deacidification of seawater and their suitability for aquaculture. Most methods considered rely on a voltage-induced pH swing to shift the carbonate/bicarbonate equilibrium toward the release of CO2, with subsequent capture of the released CO2 as a gas or as solid mineral carbonates. The modular design and distributed deployment potential of these systems offers promise, but current demonstrations are limited to bench scale, highlighting the need for sustained research and development before they can be implemented for marine aquaculture