Drosophila microbiome modulates host developmental and metabolic homeostasis via insulin signaling

The symbiotic microbiota profoundly affect many aspects of host physiology; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying host-microbe cross-talk are largely unknown. Here, we show that the pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (PQQ-ADH) activity of a commensal bacterium, Acetobacter pomorum, modulates insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) in Drosophila to regulate host homeostatic programs controlling developmental rate, body size, energy metabolism, and intestinal stem cell activity. Germ-free animals monoassociated with PQQ-ADH mutant bacteria displayed severe deregulation of developmental and metabolic homeostasis. Importantly, these defects were reversed by enhancing host IIS or by supplementing the diet with acetic acid, the metabolic product of PQQ-ADH.     

Radiation-induced enhancement of nitrite reducing activity of cytochrome c

Commercial cytochrome c (Cyt c) was irradiated with Co-60 gamma-rays in the dose range of up to 3.0 kGy to investigate the enhancement of the nitrite reducing activity of Cyt c. The optimum irradiation dose to induce nitrite reducing activity for 30 muM Cyt c solution was 1.0 kGy under an O(2) atmosphere. The nitrite reducing activity of Cyt c irradiated at this dose was approximately 45-fold that of unirradiated Cyt c and ca. 1.2-fold that of nitrite reductase. The irradiation treatment resulted in unfolding of the peptide chain, exposure of the heme group, oxidation of methionine to methionine sulfoxide, dissociation of the sixth ligand (Met), and occurrence of autoxidation in Cyt c. Sepharose-immobilized irradiated Cyt c had a similar activity to that in solution. The resin retained the activity after five uses even after 1 year of storage. The irradiated Cyt c will be able to be used as a substitute for nitrite reductase.     

Effect of fiber diameter on surface morphology,mechanical property,and cell behavior of electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) mat

In this study, electrospinning of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and its optimum preparation conditions were examined in detail using various solvent systems, such as formic acid, dichloromethane/dimethyl formamide (DMF), chloroform/DMF, and dichloroethane. The average fiber diameter of the electrospun PCL mat was controlled by the solvent used with a proper concentration of PCL dope solution. Different fiber sizes (0.1, 0.8, 1.9, and 3.4 μm) of uniform PCL mats were fabricated and the effects of fiber size on surface morphology, tensile properties and cell behavior were investigated. Here, we manipulated much broader range of average fiber diameter of the mats, from nano to several micron size of fiber. It was found that the fiber diameter greatly affected topology (surface roughness) and mechanical properties of the electrospun PCL mat and consequently, they influenced the cell behavior (adhesion and proliferation) significantly. We expect that these results will provide more feasible application of electrospun PCL scaffold in tissue engineering through the co-relations in structure and property of PCL fiber mat on cell behavior.     

Characteristics of destarched corn fiber extrudates for ethanol production

The effect of extrusion on characteristics of destarched corn fiber was investigated. Extrusion was conducted at a screw speed of 300 rpm, feed rate of 100 g/min, feed moisture content of 30%, melt temperature of 140 °C and die diameter of 3 mm. After extrusion, characteristics of raw and extruded destarched corn fiber were compared. Raw and extruded destarched corn fibers were enzymatically saccharified and fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 24858). Extrusion pretreatment resulted in low crystallinity index, significant decrease in degree of polymerization and microstructure disruption of destarched corn fiber for enzymatic saccharification. This provides a significant increase in xylose yield for fermentation. Significant increase in protein digestibility and free amino nitrogen were additional benefits of extrusion for yeast nutrient in fermentation. Therefore, extruded destarched corn fiber significantly increased (p < 0.05) ethanol yield (29.08 g/L) and higher conversion (88.79%) by improving the physiochemical and functional properties for saccharification and fermentation.     

A benefit incidence analysis on the far-reaching effects of paddy-field consolidation projects

A paddy-field consolidation (PC) project was carried out with large subsidies as a public investment by prefectural governments in order to improve agricultural productivity in Japan. The purpose of this study is to analyze the quantitative benefits and costs of the PC projects. A benefit incidence (BI) analysis was used in view of the far-reaching effects on farmers to consumers. The results were as follows. First, with the recent decline in rice price, certain farmer benefits primarily derived from the projects have been transferred to consumers through rice price. The transfer ratio was more than half of the total improvement effect of rice productivity which occurred on the farmers’ side, and all economic sectors including farmers and consumers received net benefit even though all sectors paid construction costs or taxes. Therefore, maintaining flexibility in rice price plays an important role to secure net benefits and obtain an agreement of all people involved in the project. Second, some benefits with regard to effects on the rural environment that was not expected at the time of planning were revealed on many project sites. Evaluating these intangible effects will be more important for the tax payers in order to evaluate how the environment friendly planning of the project achieved benefits.

Inhibition of nitric oxide production on LPS-activated macrophages by kazinol B from Broussonetia kazinoki

The ethyl acetate soluble fraction of Broussonetia kazinoki at 50 microg/ml showed a significant inhibition (78.2%) of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide activated macrophages. Kazinol B, an isoprenylated flavan, was identified as the active principle. It inhibits the NO synthesis with an IC(50) of 21.6 microM.     

Responses of broilers to dietary zinc bacitracin at two different planes of nutrition

Four concentrations of Zn bacitracin (0, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg) added to diets of two different planes of nutrition were fed to male broiler chicks for 7 weeks. Feeding broilers Zn bacitracin significantly improved growth rate and food conversion, and increased shank pigmentation. The effects of Zn bacitracin were independent of the plane of nutrition. Regression analyses revealed that the responses of birds were linear.