86 research outputs found
A-Disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) 10 and 17 promote self-renewal of brain tumor sphere forming cells
Get PDFIt has been proposed that gliomas contain a subpopulation of 'Brain Tumor Stem Cells' (BTSCs), which demonstrate resistance to conventional therapies. A potential component of the environment governing the behavior of these BTSCs is a class of transmembrane proteins with structural and signaling functions, the A-Disintegrin And Metalloproteases (ADAMs). In this study we confirm overexpression of ADAM10 and 17 in human glioma tissue compared to human controls, and especially in tumor sphere cultures thought to enrich for BTSCs. Inhibition of ADAM10/17 function impairs the growth of tumor spheres with evidence of depletion of the sphere forming cell population. This results from a combination of reduced proliferation, cell death and a switch of sphere-forming cells away from symmetric self-renewal division towards neuronal differentiation. A developing appreciation of the role of ADAMs in BTSC promises insights into pathophysiology and potential therapeutic avenues in this intractable group of tumors
'Doing more with less' or 'doing less with less'? Assessing EU cohesion policy's financial instruments for urban development
No full textIn the context of a severe economic crisis and austerity, new ideas were put forward to reform cohesion policy to enhance its effectiveness and the return on investment. Among them, financial engineering instruments, such as JESSICA, expected to offer a means to ‘do more with less’ in this difficult budgetary context. In the case of such instruments, EU funds are not offered as grants co-financing investment projects, but rather are used to provide repayable assistance to projects, a form of support. Such revolving funds approach is in stark contrast with the grant-based assistance typically offered as part of EU cohesion policy and was expected to increase the sustainability and effectiveness of interventions. But does it fulfil those expectations? This paper examines JESSICA through the conceptual lens of policy instruments literature. It verifies whether JESSICA is actually fit for its purpose of supporting sustainable urban development. It also gauges the impacts of instrument on the behaviour of the actors involved in its implementation at the sub-national level. The findings indicate that JESSICA is a flawed and overly complex instrument that instead of doing ‘more with less’ only allows for achieving ‘less with less’. However, it still exerts a positive influence on the sub-national authorities involved by promoting cross-sectoral interactions and facilitating learning. It also promotes a change in the approach to EU cohesion policy and public investment more generally, putting more emphasis on economic viability of investment.UrbanismArchitecture and The Built Environmen
Dewatering treatments to increase dry matter content of the brown seaweed, kelp (Laminaria digitata ((Hudson) JV Lamouroux))
Get PDFMacroalgal water content is an on-going problem for the use of readily accessible seaweeds in sustainable\ud
biorefining,including fuel production. Silage is a reduced\ud
-water, compactable, easily stored,transportable material. Ensiling could establish a non-seasonal supply of preserved algal biomass,but requires high initial dry matter content to mitigate environmental pollution risks from effluent. \ud
This study investigated potential dewatering methods for kelp harvested throughout the year.\ud
Treatments included air-drying, osmotic media and acids. \ud
Significant interactions between treatment and harvest-\ud
time were observed for traits of interest. \ud
Fresh weight loss during treatment was composed of changes in water and dry matter content. Air-drying gave reliable increase in final dry matter content;in summer and autumn 30% dry matter content was reached after 24h. \ud
Dilute hydrochloric acid reduced stickiness and rendered\ud
material suitable for dewatering by screw-pressing;\ud
it may be possible to use the consequent pH reduction\ud
to promote efficient preservation
The productivity effects of macroalgal biochar from Ulva (Linnaeus) bloom species on Arabidopsis thaliana (Linnaeus) seedlings
Get PDFIntensive agricultural practices and poor management of organic waste have adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems, where excessive macroalgal proliferation can occur to form ‘green tides’, with negative environmental, ecological and socioeconomic impacts. One novel method for converting a problematic material into a valuable resource is to use excess algal biomass as a feedstock for biochar production. With a high elemental composition, such a resource might be suitable to redress soil deficiencies and to ameliorate soil fertility. Green macroalgae from the Ulva genus, in bladed (predominantly U. rigida), tubular (predominantly U. prolifera) and mixed morphological (U. rigida and U. prolifera) phenotypes, were used to produce biochars. A pot trial within a controlled-environment chamber was carried out to determine the effects of amending high- and low-fertilizer compost with algal biochars (applied at 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5% w/w) on the growth rate of Arabidopsis thaliana. A commercial wood-based biochar was used under similar treatments as a control. Weekly imaging and final harvest weights provided additional growth data; composition data including ultimate and proximate analyses, pH, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and hydropyrolysis of the dried macroalgae and algal biochars were also conducted. Significant enhanced growth in seedlings grown with biochar amendment were not observed in high- or low-fertilizer compost, and the addition of algal biochars at 5% w/w to high-fertilizer soil significantly reduced plant growth. Elemental analysis revealed that the algal biochars contained high quantities of alkaline elements including sodium. It was hypothesised that salinity was the primary factor affecting plant growth at higher biochar application rates, despite the algae being sourced from an estuarine environment. Biochar provenance and composition is highly significant: using the catch-all term ‘biochar’ ignores both the range of materials and composition that could be used to create it and its subsequent impact within the soil. HIGHLIGHTS First plant trial using biochar predominantly from Ulva species. Negative impact seen with 5% algal biochar on plant growth. High sodium concentrations putatively identified as reduced plant growth cause
Functional genomic and transformation resources for commercially important red macroalgae (Rhodophyta)
Get PDFRed macroalgae underpin many commercially important food, pharmaceutical and other important industries. To date, research into these species has generally focused on improving seaweed cultivation, developing new methods to extract useful compounds, or identify novel applications. Due to their economic importance, there is a requirement to develop a more complete understanding of the genome and metabolic pathways in these key seaweed species. This review describes progress in genomics, transcriptomics, protoplast isolation, and transformation approaches. It also explores the potential of genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas system to further our understanding of gene function related to different metabolic pathways and resolving unexplored aspects of macroalgal physiology traits linked to crop improvement. The application of functional genomics is essential to gain a complete understanding of both physiological and metabolomic processes, that will ultimately enhance the commercial resilience of macroalgae related industries that are subject to numerous pressures, including climate change. Although the use of genetic manipulation to alter growth characteristics or composition in seaweed will not readily apply to the macroalgae industry in the short term, it is likely to be critical for sustaining future commercial growth. The functional characterisation of macroalgal genes through the CRISPR/ Cas approach promises to open new avenues for translational research on utilising macroalgal resources for the sustainable development of these aquaculture systems
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Plant seedling growth and soil respiration responses to seasonal United Kingdom seaweed wrack extracts
No full textMacroalgal extracts offer an alternative option to increase crop yields and plant performance whilst reducing reliance on inorganic chemical fertilisers. Macroalgae have high concentrations of bioactive compounds capable of enhancing crop growth, stress tolerance and pest resistance. This study investigated whether seasonal variation in the chemical composition of three brown seaweeds Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus serratus and F. vesiculosus affected plant growth in Arabidopsis thaliana, Beta vulgaris and Lactuca sativa through different extract concentrations. Crops were treated with 1:20, 1:50 and 1:100 dilutions from macroalgal extracts and compared to controls tap water, deionised water and one commercial macroalgae-based fertiliser made from A. nodosum. Dry weight assessment results revealed that moderately diluted dosages had better effects on plant growth than concentrated dosages, showing that the most suitable concentrations of all macroalgae extracts are 1:50 for Arabidopsis; no trend was detected in B. vulgaris or L. sativa growth. Overall, there were peaks of increased plant growth when treated with extracts harvested in June and August, which correlates with fertility peaks in commercial brown macroalgae in the wild. These results suggest that the optimal harvest for A. nodosum, F. serratus and F. vesiculosus for plant stimulant products should occur between May and August at sustainable harvest levels. Soil respirometry trials using the extracts showed no differences in CO2 fluxes between the macroalgal species, different harvesting seasons, or correlation with plant biomass. It is therefore likely that macroalgal extracts impact the plant directly and produce minor impact on soil microbiota. Thus, these results support the use of macroalgal fertilizers as a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilisers
The productivity effects of macroalgal biochar from Ulva (Linnaeus) bloom species on Arabidopsis thaliana (Linnaeus) seedlings
Get PDFIntensive agricultural practices and poor management of organic waste have adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems, where excessive macroalgal proliferation can occur to form ‘green tides’, with negative environmental, ecological and socioeconomic impacts. One novel method for converting a problematic material into a valuable resource is to use excess algal biomass as a feedstock for biochar production. With a high elemental composition, such a resource might be suitable to redress soil deficiencies and to ameliorate soil fertility. Green macroalgae from the Ulva genus, in bladed (predominantly U. rigida), tubular (predominantly U. prolifera) and mixed morphological (U. rigida and U. prolifera) phenotypes, were used to produce biochars. A pot trial within a controlled-environment chamber was carried out to determine the effects of amending high- and low-fertilizer compost with algal biochars (applied at 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5% w/w) on the growth rate of Arabidopsis thaliana. A commercial wood-based biochar was used under similar treatments as a control. Weekly imaging and final harvest weights provided additional growth data; composition data including ultimate and proximate analyses, pH, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and hydropyrolysis of the dried macroalgae and algal biochars were also conducted. Significant enhanced growth in seedlings grown with biochar amendment were not observed in high- or low-fertilizer compost, and the addition of algal biochars at 5% w/w to high-fertilizer soil significantly reduced plant growth. Elemental analysis revealed that the algal biochars contained high quantities of alkaline elements including sodium. It was hypothesised that salinity was the primary factor affecting plant growth at higher biochar application rates, despite the algae being sourced from an estuarine environment. Biochar provenance and composition is highly significant: using the catch-all term ‘biochar’ ignores both the range of materials and composition that could be used to create it and its subsequent impact within the soil. HIGHLIGHTS First plant trial using biochar predominantly from Ulva species. Negative impact seen with 5% algal biochar on plant growth. High sodium concentrations putatively identified as reduced plant growth cause.</p
Macroalgal biorefinery concepts for the circular bioeconomy: A review on biotechnological developments and future perspectives
Get PDFThe imminent need for transition to a circular bioeconomy, based on the valorisation of renewable biomass feedstocks, will ameliorate global challenges induced by climate change, environmental pollution and population growth. A reduced reliance on depleting fossil fuel resources and ensured production of eco-friendly and cost-effective bioproducts and biofuels, requires the development of sustainable biorefinery processes, with many utilising macroalgae as feedstock, showing promising and viable prospects. Nonetheless, macroalgal biorefinery research is still in its infancy compared to lignocellulosic biorefineries that utilise terrestrial plants. This article presents a review on the latest scientific literature associated with the development and status of macroalgal biorefineries, and how bioproducts generated from these bioprocesses have contributed towards the bioeconomy. The fundamental need to understand how the unique biochemical composition of macroalgae fit within a biorefinery concept are explained, alongside discussion of the novel biotechnologies that have been applied. In order to comprehend the increasing significance of this exciting field, the review will also provide insight, for the first time, on the current global funding and intellectual property landscape related to macroalgae and their implementation across the entire biorefinery concept. Imperative areas for further research and development, to bridge the gap between fundamental bioscience in the laboratory and the successful application of compatible biotechnologies at a commercial scale, to boost the macroalgae industry are also covered
Mobility and decay kinetics of charge carriers in photoexcited PCBM/PPV blends
Get PDFApplied Science
Healing environment: a contribution to the interior design and decor features in single occupancy hospital rooms in Libya.
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