Two hemicellulose fractions were obtained by extraction of one-monthold young bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel). The fractionation procedure employed 2% NaOH as extractant, followed by filtration, acidification, precipitation, and washing with 70% ethanol solution. The total yield was 26.2%, based on the pentosan content in bamboo. The physicochemical properties were determined and sugar c...

The human genome, a typical mammalian genome, is made up of long (approximately 1-Mb, on average) regions, the isochores, that are fairly homogeneous in base composition and belong in five families characterized by different GC levels. An analysis of di- and tri-nucleotide densities in the isochores from the five families has shown large differences. These different "short-sequence designs:" (i...

Uranium groundwater contamination due to U mining and processing affects numerous sites globally. Bioreduction of soluble, mobile U(VI) to U(IV)-bearing solids is potentially a very effective remediation strategy. Uranium isotopes (238U/235U) have been utilized to track the progress of microbial reduction, with laboratory and field studies finding a ∼1‰ isotopic fractionation, with the U(IV) pr...

Batch culture experiments were performed with 32 different sulfate-reducing prokaryotes to explore the diversity in sulfur isotope fractionation during dissimilatory sulfate reduction by pure cultures. The selected strains reflect the phylogenetic and physiologic diversity of presently known sulfate reducers and cover a broad range of natural marine and freshwater habitats. Experimental conditi...

Introduction: Radiation effects induced in non-irradiated cells are termed radiation- induced bystander effects (RIBE). The present study intends to examine the RIBE response of QU-DB bystander cells to first, second and third radiation fractions and compare their cumulative outcome with an equal, single acute dose.   Materials and Methods: This experimental ...

Background/introduction Most current HIFU approaches to treat liver tumors rely on thermal tissue ablation. Challenges still remain that prevent widespread clinical application of this technology including long treatment times, side effects such as skin burns, attenuation and aberration by ribs, heat diffusion and perfusion. Recently, a new method named boiling histotripsy (BH) was developed at...

Despite the large relative mass difference between different Ca isotopes, the isotopic variability of Ca in natural materials is relatively small. Consequently, high-precision Ca isotope analyses are required to accurately resolve Ca isotope fractionation prior to data interpretation. This chapter summarises techniques which are successfully used to digest samples and to purify different types ...

The Mg isotopic compositions of olivine, spinel, and hihonite from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite have been determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The olivines exhibit only marginal effects. They have no detectable intrinsic mass fractionation; however, after correcting for mass fractionation, the mean residual 26Mg/24Mg for the five grams is slightly in excess of the terrestrial ...

Thirty isolated fungal strains were screened for lipase production using Phenol Red plates, containing tributyrin as lipidic substrate, and a novel fungus identified genetically as Curvularia sp. DHE 5 was found as the most prominent strain. Various agro-industrial substrates were evaluated as inert supports for lipase production in solid-state fermentation. The highest yield of lipase ((83.4±2...