The structural and the photoelectrochemical properties of ZnO-ZnS/ITO 1D hetero-junctions prepared by tandem electrodeposition and surface sulfidation: on the material processing limits.

ZnO-ZnS 1D hetero-nanostructures were prepared by an easy and scalable processing route. It consists of ZnO nanorod electrodeposition on ITO substrate and surface sulfidation by ion exchange in an aqueous Na2S solution. Increasing the treatment contact time (t c) from 8 to 48 h involves different ZnS growth mechanisms leading to different structural and microstructural rod characteristics, even if the overall size does not change significantly. Grazing X-ray diffraction, high-resolution microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy describe the outer surface layer as a poly- and nanocrystalline ZnS blende shell whose thickness and roughness increase with t c. The ZnO wurtzite-ZnS blende interface goes from continuous and dense, at short t c, to discontinuous and porous at long t c, indicating that ZnS formation proceeds in a more complex way than a simple S2-/O2- ion exchange over the treatment time. This feature has significant consequences for the photoelectrochemical performance of these materials when they are used as photoanodes in a typical light-assisted water splitting experiment. A photocurrent (J p) fluctuation of 45% for less than 5 min of operation is observed for the sample prepared with a long sulfidation time while it does not exceed 15% for that obtained with a short one, underlining the importance of the material processing conditions on the preparation of valuable photoanodes.

Pyoverdin cheats fail to invade bacterial populations in stationary phase.

Microbes engage in cooperative behaviours by producing and secreting public goods, the benefits of which are shared among cells, and are therefore susceptible to exploitation by nonproducing cheats. In nature, bacteria are not typically colonizing sterile, rich environments in contrast to laboratory experiments, which involve inoculating sterile culture with few bacterial cells that then race to fill the available niche. Here, we study the potential implications of this difference, using the production of pyoverdin, an iron-scavenging siderophore that acts as a public good in the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that (1) nonproducers are able to invade cultures of producers when added at the start of growth or during early exponential growth phase, but not during late exponential or stationary phase; (2) the producer strain does not produce pyoverdin in the late exponential and stationary phases and so is not paying the cost of cooperating during those phases. These results suggest that whether a nonproducing mutant can invade will depend upon when the mutation arises, as well as the population structure, and raise a potential difficulty with the use of antimicrobial treatment strategies that propose to exploit the invasive abilities of cheats.

Three-dimensional superdiffusive chemical waves in a precipitation system.

We report novel results on self-organized three-dimensional spiral and target patterns exhibiting anomalous superdiffusive behaviour in a reaction-diffusion system with simultaneous precipitation and polymorphic transformation of mercuric iodide without external forcing. The superdiffusive dynamics of propagation of the targets/spirals and their breakup are presented.

An experimental test of whether cheating is context dependent.

Microbial cells rely on cooperative behaviours that can breakdown as a result of exploitation by cheats. Recent work on cheating in microbes, however, has produced examples of populations benefiting from the presence of cheats and/or cooperative behaviours being maintained despite the presence of cheats. These observations have been presented as evidence for selection favouring cheating at the population level. This apparent contradiction arises when cheating is defined simply by the reduced expression of a cooperative trait and not in terms of the social costs and benefits of the trait under investigation. Here, we use two social traits, quorum sensing and iron-scavenging siderophore production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to illustrate the importance of defining cheating by the social costs and benefits. We show that whether a strain is a cheat depends on the costs and benefits associated with the social and abiotic environment and not the absolute expression of a cooperative trait.

Cytotoxic, genotoxic and antigenotoxic potencies of oligorutins.

Rutin has been enzymatically oligomerized by laccase from Trametes versicolor. Five fractions of oligomers were obtained from the monomers having high solubility in water, which can reach 351-times that of rutin. Cytotoxicity of rutin and oligorutin fractions was evaluated towards K562 cells. Oligorutin fractions showed a lower antiproliferative effect compared with its monomer. The genotoxic potential of rutin and oligorutin fractions was assessed, at the limit of the solubility of each molecule, using the comet test. None of the tested concentrations of either rutin or oligorutin fractions has showed a genotoxic effect. Similarly, the antigenotoxic effect of these flavonoids was tested using the same assay. The obtained results showed a higher ability of oligorutin fractions to reduce the genotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide compared with monomeric rutin.

Effect of Azotobacter vinelandii and compatible solutes on germination wheat seeds and root concentrations of sodium and potassium under salt stress.

The effect of plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and exogenous application of compatible solutes on seed germination and root concentrations of sodium and potassium of two wheat varieties (Triticum durum L.) were evaluated under saline stress. In this experiment, Azotobacter vinelandii strain DSM85, glycine betaine and proline were used. Inoculated seeds for each variety were placed on Whatman paper in 9 cm Petri dishes containing 15 mL of distilled water or NaCl solutions at various concentrations (control, 100, 200, 300 mM) supplemented with or without glycine betaine (GB) or proline at 5 mM. The results indicated that addition of proline (5 mM) stimulated the production of indol acetic acid and the growth of A. vinelandii at 200 and 300 mM NaCl, respectively. The germination rate index and the germination final percentage decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing salinity level. The germination was significantly diminished at 300 mM with significant variation among varieties and Waha variety had higher germination percentage than Bousselam variety. Inoculation of seeds by A. vinelandii and exogenous application of proline had significantly positive effect on the germination at this concentration of NaCl. The rate of accumulation of Na+ in roots was important at 100 mM and increased at 200 mM. The concentration of K+ decreased when salinity increased. The effect of inoculation or inoculation with proline decreased the accumulation of Na' and reduced the loss of K+ under salt stress. From the present study we can conclude that the use of A. vinelandii strain DSM85 and external application of low concentrations of proline on seeds might be considered as a strategy for the protection of plants under saline stress.

Isolation and characterization of plant growth promoting traits of a rhizobacteria: Pantoea agglomerans lma2.

The use of microbial technology in agriculture is expanding quickly with the identification of new bacterial strains which are more effective in promoting the growth of plants. The rhizobacteria that promote the growth of plants can have a positive effect on the productivity of crops especially when subjected to salt stress. A nitrogen-fixing bacterium was isolated from the wheat rhizosphere of an arid region. The strain was identified on the basis of tests API20E and 16S rRNA sequencing, as Pantoea agglomerans lma2. This strain degraded several carbon sources: sugars (fructose, ribose, dextrin, salicin...), lipids (lecithin, tributyrin and tween 80), proteins (gelatin, casein), grew on KCN and could grow from pH 4 to 8 and had an optimum at pH 7. The growth temperature showed a maximum at 30 degrees C and the bacteria could tolerate from 4 to 41 degrees C and the growth rate was higher when the NaCl concentration was between 100 and 300 mM. The performance of activities enhancing the growth of plants of P. agglomerans lma2 was significantly better in the presence of salt. Rates of Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), siderophores production and solubilization of phosphate increased between 100 and 400 mM NaCl compared to the control without salt. The maximum values were saved to 300 mM for the production of siderophores (18.32%) and solubilization of phosphate (1061.49 microg mL(-1)) and 100 mM for the production of IAA (161 microg mL(-1)). A significant correlation existed between these three activities. These results showed that P. agglomerans lma2 with its Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and halophilic properties could constitute a good fertilizer in arid and saline zone.

Phase behavior and rheological properties of enzymatically synthesized trehalose decanoate aqueous solutions.

Surface tension properties of an enzymatically synthesized equimolar mixture of trehalose mono- and didecanoate in aqueous solutions have been determined. At 20 degrees C a critical micellar concentration (CMC) of 50 micromol/l and a minimal surface tension of 28 mN/m have been obtained. Above the CMC, it has been shown that up to a concentration of 42 wt%, and in a 20-60 degrees C temperature range the sugar ester aqueous solutions do not form any crystalline structure, nor present any phase transition, and the trehalose decanoate molecules form an isotropic worm-like micellar phase. The rheological properties indicate however a more complicated picture in the same concentration and temperature ranges. In steady shear, the viscosity of the trehalose decanoate solutions do not exhibit any shear rate dependence from 1 to 100 s(-1) for concentrations up to 42 wt%. Below 0.8 wt%, the viscosity remains constant and close to that of water; then, between 0.8 and 23 wt%, the viscosity shows a quadratic increase with surfactant concentration. For higher concentrations, up to 42 wt%, no further significant increase in viscosity is observed. In oscillatory shear experiments, the solutions exhibit viscoelastic properties. The observed rheological behavior as a function of concentration and temperature may be due to a progressive evolution of the trehalose decanoate molecular associations: as the concentration increases, the system evolves towards an entangled and/or partially branched or cross-linked micellar network, and eventually a multiconnected network of cross-linked micelles.

Effect of acyl donor chain length and substitutions pattern on the enzymatic acylation of flavonoids.

Rutin and esculin were enzymatically acylated with different aliphatic acids as acyl donors (fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids and omega-substituted fatty acids) by an immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica. The effect of the water content and the acyl donors pattern on the flavonoid initial acylation rate and conversion yield were investigated. The obtained results indicated that the water content of the medium has a strong effect on the performance of these reactions. The best conversion yields were reached when the water content was kept lower than 200 ppm. At low water content of the medium, these syntheses are influenced by carbon chain length and substitution pattern of the acyl donors. Higher conversion yields of esculin and rutin (>70%) were obtained with aliphatic acids having high carbon chain length (>12). Moreover, it has been found that the amine and thiol groups on omega-substituted fatty acid chain were unfavourable to these reactions. The 1H NMR and 13C NMR analyses of some synthesized esters (esculin and rutin palmitate) show that only monoesters were produced and that the esterification takes place on the primary OH of glucose moiety of the esculin and on the secondary 4"'-OH of the rhamnose residue of rutin.

Uptake of heavy metals from synthetic aqueous solutions using modified PEI-silica gels.

The decontamination of synthetic Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) solutions was investigated, using silica gels chemically modified with poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) as sorbents. Two families of sorbents, i.e. silica/PEI and crosslinked silica/PEI, were prepared and characterized. Then the removal of metal ions from synthetic aqueous solutions was studied by static tests. They revealed that the sorption capacities depend on the pH, the initial concentration and to some extent on the nature of the metal. The recovery of the metal cations from the saturated sorbents was possible with diluted acid, only for the crosslinked supports. In this case, the regeneration and reuse without sorption decrease, was demonstrated. The presence of other cations (as Na(+), Ca(2+)) and metals does not affect the sorption capacities.

Generalized hydrodynamic theory of shock waves in rigid diatomic gases.

Generalized hydrodynamic theory of shock waves is phenomenologically developed for rigid diatomic molecules. The generalized hydrodynamic equations developed are thermodynamically consistent, obeying the laws of thermodynamics. They reduce to the Navier-Stokes-Fourier theory of the classical hydrodynamics in the limit of low Mach number. The theory is applied to study the one-dimensional shock wave structure of nitrogen gas, which is treated as a rigid molecule. An excellent agreement with experiment is obtained for the inverse shock widths up to Mach number 10 reported in the literature. The theory is applicable to arbitrary dimension. On the basis of direction field singularities of the velocity and temperature evolution equations of the theory, it is possible to predict that the shock solutions exist for all Mach numbers in the case of one-dimensional shock waves studied.

Generalized hydrodynamic theory of shock waves: Mach-number dependence of inverse shock width for nitrogen gas.

A generalized hydrodynamic theory of shock wave structures is presented for rigid diatomic gases. The theory yields shock solutions for all Mach numbers. The accuracy of the theory is examined for nitrogen gas as an example. Excellent agreement with experiment is obtained for the inverse shock widths for the entire range of Mach number studied by experiment. The comparison made shows that we are now in possession of a successful continuum theory of shock waves in molecular gases for all Mach numbers.

Exopolysaccharide production by Propionibacterium acidi-propionici on milk microfiltrate.

AIMS: The aims of this work were to evaluate growth and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production properties of Propionibacterium acidi-propionici DSM 4900 on milk permeate. METHODS AND RESULTS: Anaerobic growth on milk permeate was only possible if supplemented with yeast extract (YE). Fermentation capacities of the strain were significantly improved by further increasing the supplemented YE. At 5 g l(-1) YE, consumption of 45 g l(-1) lactose to produce 9 g l(-1) biomass, 34 g l(-1) organic acids and 0.65 g l(-1) EPS was observed. From a kinetic point of view, EPS production occurred during the bacteria growth phase. At the excreted polysaccharide level, the medium showed shear-thinning behaviour with a relatively high apparent viscosity of up to 30 mPa.s (milli.Pascal.second) at a shear rate of 17 s(-1). CONCLUSION: EPS production by P. acidi-propionici DSM 4900 on milk permeate showed promising rheological behaviour of the milk-derived medium obtained, even at a low production level. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A kinetic study on EPS production by a food-grade bacterium that could be used in situ in alimentation was carried out.

Study of the effects of temperature, pH and yeast extract on growth and exopolysaccharides production by Propionibacterium acidi-propionici on milk microfiltrate using a response surface methodology.

AIMS: To study the effects of temperature, pH and yeast extract (YE) concentration on growth and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by Propionibacterium acidi-propionici DSM 4900 cultivated on milk microfiltrate. METHODS AND RESULTS: A multifactorial approach using a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was followed. The results indicated that both growth, and EPS and organic acids production, were influenced by pH, temperature and YE concentration. Biomass and organic acids production occurred in all the tested domains, whereas EPS production was only possible in a narrow pH range (5.3-6.5). The results clearly showed that the optimal conditions for EPS production were different to those for optimal growth. The effect of YE on EPS production was not only due to an increase in growth but also to a direct effect on the production of EPS. The temperature played a major role. A decrease of temperature induced a slowing down of both growth and organic acids production, making the essential factors of the medium and the precursors of EPS biosynthesis more available and hence, leading to an increase in EPS production. CONCLUSION: The effects of pH, temperature and YE were determined, allowing the definition of favourable, though non-optimal, conditions for EPS production: 23 degrees C, pH 6 and 3 g l(-1) YE concentration. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The use of a multifactorial approach for investigating the effect of fermentation conditions on EPS production has been demonstrated.

High-pressure effects on lysosome integrity and lysosomal enzyme activity in bovine muscle.

This study was conducted to determine whether the application of high hydrostatic pressure could modify the enzymatic activity and membrane integrity of lysosomes in muscle. Several combinations of pressure (0-600 MPa) and time (0-300 s) were applied to two types of samples: purified enzymes (cathepsin D and acid phosphatase) in buffer solution and intact muscle (biceps femoris). The enzymes studied showed varying degrees of susceptibility depending on the level of pressure, holding time, and environment. Acid phosphatase activity was minimally affected by pressure in buffer solution, whereas cathepsin D was modulated significantly by the pressure and time applied. The activities of the enzymes extracted from meat increased with pressure. The cytochemical observations showed the presence of primary and secondary lysosomes in muscles. After pressurization, the membrane integrity of the lysosomes was modified. A correlation could be established between lysosomal enzymatic activities and the lysosome membrane breakdown.

Changes in lysosomal enzyme activities and shear values of high pressure treated meat during ageing.

The effects of pressure treatment (520 MPa for 260 s at 10°C) on lysosomal enzyme activities, Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear values and physico-chemical parameters of post-rigor (day 2) beef (Biceps femoris and Longissimus dorsi muscles) were investigated immediately after treatment and during ageing. Activities of cathepsin D and acid phosphatase in pressurised meat samples were higher than in controls at 2 days post-mortem and throughout storage. This increase in activities was related to the breakdown of the lysosomal membrane and/or to enzyme activation. The WB peak forces were higher for pressurised samples of both muscles at 2 days than in the control and remained higher throughout ageing. The WB shear force deformation curves from pressurised samples showed that the increase in toughness was due to the increase in shear force of the myofibrillar component and not the collagen component. Pressurised muscle led to a significant decrease in sarcomere length and higher cooking loss. Post-rigor application of high pressure induced higher catheptic activity but no conclusive effect on the post-mortem rate of tenderization or tenderness of meat was observed.

[Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives by amino acid action on ortho-phenylenediamine, variously substituted in positions 4 and 5]. / Synthèse de dérivés du benzimidazole par action des aminoacides sur l'orthophénylènediamine différemment substitué en positions 4 et 5.

As part of the synthesis of the benzimidazole derivative heterocyclique system, we are interested in studying the condensation of the o-phenylenediamines with amino-acids such as aspartic acid, serine and histidine. The interest that these present is based mainly on their pharmacological properties. They have, in fact anti-inflammatory, antidepressive, antibacterial and antihistamine properties. On the other hand, it should be noted that 5,6-dimethyl-1-(alpha-D-ribofuranosyl) benzimidazole constitutes part of vitamin B12. Taken together, these results led us to pursue our research in this domain while focusing on new methods of benzimidazolic derivative synthesis. It should be said that the obtaining of these compounds depends on the quantity of the amino-acid. All synthesized products have been characterized by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry.

Optimization of the enzymatic synthesis of butyl glucoside using response surface methodology

Enzymatic synthesis of butyl glucoside by beta-glucosidase from bitter almonds was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Empirical models were developed to describe relationships between the operating variables (temperature, water/butanol volume ratio, glucose concentration, enzyme concentration) and responses (butyl glucoside concentration, conversion yield). Statistical analysis indicated that the four factors had significant effects on the butyl glucoside synthesis. Optimal concentration (41.6 g/L) was reached when the operating conditions were temperature (44.7 degreesC), water/butanol volume ratio (17.6%), glucose concentration (199.2 g/L), and enzyme concentration (2.5 g/L). Good agreement between predicted and measured data at the predicted optimal conditions confirmed the usefulness of the model. Synthesis at a laboratory pilot scale was successful.

Marine macroalgae as a source for osmoprotection for Escherichia coli.

At elevated osmolarity of the mineral medium M63, marine macroalgae constitute important osmoprotectants and nutrients sources for Escherichia coli. Growth of bacterial population (16 strains) was improved by supplementing M63 salts medium with either aqueous or ethanolic algal extracts obtained from Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus serratus, Enteromorpha ramulosa, Ulva lactuca, and Palmaria palmata. In their presence, growth was still observed even at 1.02 M NaCl. Furthermore, the E. coli ZB400 growth in presence of whole macroalgae thalli in M63/0.85 M NaCI reached its maximum within 24 h (5 × 10(7) - 5 × 10(8) colony-forming units [CFU] per milliliter). In the presence of A. nodosum, bacterial growth was inhibited. In the same experimental conditions, ethanolic extracts improved E. coli growth significantly, because the yield reached 10(11) CFU per milliliter. Ulva lactuca and P. palmata allowed the better growth. The Dragendorff-positive compounds extracted from bacterial cells growing on each ethanolic extract exhibited an osmoprotective effect as proved by a disk-diffusion assay. On the other hand, the -onium compounds (quaternary ammonium [betaines] and tertiary sulphonium) and total free amino acid contents of U. lactuca ethanolic extracts were higher than in others. Fucaceae extracts demonstrated especially high protein content. Algal extracts constitute not only an appreciable osmoprotection source for E. coli but also nutrient sources.