Biosensor for branched-chain amino acid metabolism in yeast and applications in isobutanol and isopentanol production

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism fulfills numerous physiological roles and can be harnessed to produce valuable chemicals. However, the lack of eukaryotic biosensors specific for BCAA-derived products has limited the ability to develop high-throughput screens for strain engineering and metabolic studies. Here, we harness the transcriptional regulator Leu3p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to develop a genetically encoded biosensor for BCAA metabolism. In one configuration, we use the biosensor to monitor yeast production of isobutanol, an alcohol derived from valine degradation. Small modifications allow us to redeploy Leu3p in another biosensor configuration that monitors production of the leucine-derived alcohol, isopentanol. These biosensor configurations are effective at isolating high-producing strains and identifying enzymes with enhanced activity from screens for branched-chain higher alcohol (BCHA) biosynthesis in mitochondria as well as cytosol. Furthermore, this biosensor has the potential to assist in metabolic studies involving BCAA pathways, and offers a blueprint to develop biosensors for other products derived from BCAA metabolism.

Selective C2+ Alcohol Synthesis from CO2 Hydrogenation via Reaction-Coupling Strategy

Higher alcohol synthesis (HAS) from non-petroleum carbon resources (a mixture of H2 and CO2) is an attractive but challenging research target. This reaction still suffers from poor higher alcohol (HA)...

The Effects of E-Cigarette Use on Alcohol and Marijuana Abuse Symptoms in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Young Adults

Background: We examined e-cigarette use as a prospective predictor of alcohol and marijuana abuse symptoms in a sample consisting of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI), Filipino, Asian (i.e., Japanese, Chinese, Korean), and White young adults. NHPI represent a highly vulnerable group with regard to substance use and are severely understudied. Methods: Data were collected from 1463 young adults (M age = 22.2, SD = 3.2; 59.5% women) enrolled across community colleges in Hawai‘i at two time-points six months apart. Results: Higher frequency of e-cigarette use at baseline was predictive of higher alcohol (B = 0.06, SE = 0.02, p < 0.01) and marijuana (B = 0.06, SE = 0.02, p < 0.01) use problems at six-month follow up, adjusting for baseline cigarette smoking, problem alcohol/marijuana use, sensation seeking, and demographic variables. Ethnicity was found to significantly moderate the relationship between baseline e-cigarette use and problem marijuana use later, such that White and NHPI ethnicities were particularly vulnerable to the effects of e-cigarette use on problem marijuana use. Conclusion: NHPI are often combined with Asians in national surveys, which obfuscates the higher risks faced by NHPI compared with groups that are routinely classified as Asians (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos). The current research highlights the NHPI’s vulnerability in terms of the effects of e-cigarette use on marijuana and alcohol abuse symptoms.

Change in alcohol consumption and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic amongst 76 medical students

Objective To investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic has affected physical activity and alcohol consumption among medical students. Methods Cross-sectional survey study among 76 students in their second year of medical school. The Wilcoxon sign-rank test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to assess the difference between groups. Results Of 76 respondents, 68% were women, 66% were single and 34% were co-habiting. The median age was 21 years. Overall alcohol consumption decreased during the pandemic year by 12 g/week. Overall physical activity did not significantly change. The decrease in alcohol consumption was mostly caused by a change seen in a high tertile, change was −96 g/week. Alcohol consumption decreased more in women than in men, p = 0.0001. Conclusions It seems that alcohol consumption among medical students has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic probably due to reduced social contacts and negative effect of social isolation. This decrease was seen especially among women and among students with higher alcohol consumption before the pandemic. Also, it seems that students had found their ways to remain active during the pandemic since the amount of leisure-time physical activity had not changed significantly.

The hazardous (mis)perception of Self-estimated Alcohol intoxication and Fitness to drivE—an avoidable health risk: the SAFE randomised trial

Background Worldwide, alcohol-related road traffic accidents represent a major avoidable health risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of self-estimating the degree of acute alcohol intoxication regarding the legal driving limit, and to identify risk factors for misjudgement. Methods In this prospective randomised controlled crossover trial, 90 social drinkers (mean age 23.9 ± 3.5 years, 50% female) consumed either beer or wine. Study group subjects were made aware when exceeding the legal driving limit (BrAC = 0.05%). Controls received no information about their BrAC. For crossover, beer or wine were consumed in the opposite order. Results 39–53% of all participants exceeded the legal driving limit whilst under the impression to be still permitted to drive. Self-estimation was significantly more accurate on study day 2 (p = 0.009). Increasing BrAC positively correlated with self-estimation inaccuracy, which was reproducible during crossover. Multiple regression analysis revealed fast drinking and higher alcohol levels as independent risk factors for inaccurate self-estimation. Conclusions Social drinkers are commonly unaware of exceeding the legal driving limit when consuming alcohol. Self-estimating alcohol intoxication can be improved through awareness. Dedicated awareness programs, social media campaigns and government advice communications should be utilised to address this avoidable hazard. Trial registration The trial was registered prospectively at the Witten/Herdecke University Ethics Committee (trial registration number 140/2016 on 04/11/2016) and at the DRKS—German Clinical Trials Register (trial registration number DRKS00015285 on 08/22/2018—Retrospectively registered). Trial protocol can be accessed online.

Long-term emotional consequences of parental alienation exposure in children of divorced parents: A systematic review

Although the emotional consequences of childhood exposure to parental alienation behaviors in children and adolescents of divorced parents are known, there is scarce evidence on their long-term consequences in adulthood. Therefore, this work aims to conduct a systematic review of the state of research in this area and its main conclusions and identify gaps and limitations to guide future research. A search of the literature was performed in electronic databases PsycInfo, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, DART-Europe, ProQuest, Wiley, TESEO and Dialnet, and a secondary review of the bibliography; in February 2019 updated in December of the same year. Thirteen pieces of research were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria; twelve published articles from journals and one doctoral thesis, both with qualitative and quantitative methodology. Children exposed to parental interference and alienation show in adulthood depression and anxiety symptoms, a higher risk of psychopathology, lower self-esteem and self-sufficiency. As well as, higher alcohol and drug use rates, parental relationship difficulties, insecure attachment, lower life quality, higher divorce rates, feelings of loss, abandonment and guilt. They also report repetition of these alienating behaviors on their children by their partner or their own children's grandparents. Some limitations of the study are described, and proposals are made for future research.

Biological Methods in Biodiesel Production and Their Environmental Impact

This publication presents the technologies of enzymatic biodiesel production in comparison to the conventional methods using acid and base catalysts. Transesterification with conventional catalysts has some disadvantages, and for this reason, alternative methods of biodiesel production have been investigated. These solutions include the replacement of chemical catalysts with biological ones, which show substrate specificity in relation to fats. Replacing chemical with biological catalysts causes elimination of some disadvantages of chemical processes, for instance: high temperatures of reaction, problematic process of glycerol purification, higher alcohol-to-oil molar ratios, and soap formation. Moreover, it causes operational cost reduction and has a positive environmental impact. This is due to the lower temperature of the process, which in turn translates into lower cost of equipment and lower GHG emissions associated with the need to provide less heat to the process. The increase of biofuels’ demand has led to the technology of enzymatic biodiesel production being constantly being developed. This research mainly focuses on the possibility of obtaining cheaper and more effective biocatalysts, as well as increasing the durability of enzyme immobilization on different materials.

INTRODUCTION OF FATTY ALCOHOL SULFATES: A SHORT REVIEW

Fatty Alcohol Sulfate (FAS) which has sodium salt is an active ingredient that is generally used to make detergent products, because of its good ability to be wetted and produce froth. In addition, this type of FAS is a biodegradable surfactant. Surfactant is the basic ingredient of some cleaning products such as bath soap, facial wash soap, and liquid soap. There are two methods commonly used to produce higher alcohol than commercial ones: high-pressure hydrogenation and reduction with sodium metal.

Carbon-Supported KCoMoS2 for Alcohol Synthesis from Synthesis Gas

KCoMoS2 was supported on various carbon support materials to study the support effect on synthesis gas conversion. Next to two activated carbons with high micropore volume, a traditional alumina (γ-Al2O3) support and its carbon coated form (CCA) were studied for comparison. Coating alumina with carbon increases the selectivity to alcohols, but the AC-supported catalysts show even higher alcohol selectivities and yields, especially at higher temperatures where the conversions over the AC-supported catalysts increase more than those over the γ-Al2O3-based catalysts. Increasing acidity leads to decreased CO conversion yield of alcohols. The two activated-carbon-supported catalysts give the highest yield of ethanol at the highest conversion studied, which seems to be due to increased KCoMoS2 stacking and possibly to the presence of micropores and low amount of mesopores.