Characterisation and lipase concentration of omega-3 rich oils

This thesis focused on the use of enzyme "lipase" rather than chemicals to produce concentrates of omega-3 fatty acids. These enzymatic techniques are cheaper, greener and environmentally friendly.

Economic freedom and productivity growth in resource-rich economies

The focus of this paper is to test whether free market institutions that protect property rights and support freedom of choice and voluntary exchange can change the curse of natural resources into a blessing. To examine the above question, this paper uses the Fraser Institute's economic freedom index and its five sub-indices, namely government size, property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade, and setting proper regulations. Using data from 99 sample countries over the period 1970-2010, the system GMM estimates suggest that the negative growth effects of resource rents may turn positive in countries with greater economic freedom.

Cancer: an emergent property of disturbed resource-rich environments? Ecology meets personalized medicine

For an increasing number of biologists, cancer is viewed as a dynamic system governed by evolutionary and ecological principles. Throughout most of human history, cancer was an uncommon cause of death and it is generally accepted that common components of modern culture, including increased physiological stresses and caloric intake, favor cancer development. However, the precise mechanisms for this linkage are not well understood. Here, we examine the roles of ecological and physiological disturbances and resource availability on the emergence of cancer in multicellular organisms. We argue that proliferation of 'profiteering phenotypes' is often an emergent property of disturbed, resource-rich environments at all scales of biological organization. We review the evidence for this phenomenon, explore it within the context of malignancy, and discuss how this ecological framework may offer a theoretical background for novel strategies of cancer prevention. This work provides a compelling argument that the traditional separation between medicine and evolutionary ecology remains a fundamental limitation that needs to be overcome if complex processes, such as oncogenesis, are to be completely understood.

Panel cointegration tests of the sustainability hypothesis in rich OECD countries

This study reexamines the sustainability hypothesis by testing whether government revenues and expenditures for eight rich OECD countries between 1977Q1 and 2005Q4 are cointegrated. For this purpose, a nonstationary panel data approach is adopted, which is general enough to permit for cross-country dependence as well as structural breaks representing major shifts in fiscal policy. In contrast to many earlier studies, the results reported in this study suggest that the sustainability hypothesis cannot be rejected. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Targeting VEGF with LNA-stabilized G-rich oligonucleotide for efficient breast cancer inhibition

In this study, we investigated the efficacy of an LNA (locked nucleic acid)-modified DNA aptamer named RNV66 targeting VEGF against various breast cancer cell lines. Our results demonstrate that RNV66 efficiently inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Introduction of LNA nucleotides were crucial for higher efficacy. Furthermore, the binding interaction of RNV66 with VEGF was investigated using molecular dynamic simulations leading to the first computational model of the LNA aptamer-VEGF complex blocking its interaction with VEGF-receptor.

Ultra-wideline 14N solid-state NMR as a method for differentiating polymorphs: glycine as a case study

Nitrogen-14 solid-state NMR (SSNMR) is utilized to differentiate three polymorphic forms and a hydrochloride (HCl) salt of the amino acid glycine. Frequency-swept Wideband, Uniform Rate, Smooth Truncated (WURST) pulses were used in conjunction with Carr-Purcell Meiboom-Gill refocusing, in the form of the WURST-CPMG pulse sequence, for all spectral acquisitions. The ¹⁴N quadrupolar interaction is shown to be very sensitive to variations in the local electric field gradients (EFGs) about the ¹⁴N nucleus; hence, differentiation of the samples is accomplished through determination of the quadrupolar parameters CQ and ηQ, which are obtained from analytical simulations of the ¹⁴N SSNMR powder patterns of stationary samples (i.e., static NMR spectra). Additionally, differentiation of the polymorphs is also possible via the measurement of ¹⁴N effective transverse relaxation time constants, T^eff2(¹⁴N). Plane-wave density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which exploit the periodicity of crystal lattices, are utilized to confirm the experimentally determined quadrupolar parameters as well as to determine the orientation of the ¹⁴N EFG tensors in the molecular frames. Several signal-enhancement techniques are also discussed to help improve the sensitivity of the ¹⁴N SSNMR acquisition method, including the use of selective deuteration, the application of the BRoadband Adiabatic INversion Cross-Polarization (BRAIN-CP) technique, and the use of variable-temperature (VT) experiments. Finally, we examine several cases where ¹⁴N VT experiments employing Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) refocusing are used to approximate the rotational energy barriers for RNH3⁺ groups.

The effect of marine and non-marine phospholipid rich oils when fed to juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

An experiment was conducted to assess the response of juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer) to four diets containing either marine- or non-marine derived neutral lipid (NL) or polar lipid (PL) sources for eight weeks in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The four diets contained 8.2% added lipid composed of a 1% fish oil base with 7.2% test lipid (n - 3 NL: Fish oil, n - 3 PL: Krill oil, n - 6 NL: Soybean oil, n - 6 PL: Soybean lecithin). The results demonstrated that the different lipid sources (either n - 3 or n - 6 omega series from either NL or PL class) had significant effects on growth performance and feed utilisation with some interaction terms noted. Growth was negatively affected in the n - 6 NL fish and the feed conversion (FCR) was highest in the n - 6 PL fish. Digestibility of total lipid and some specific fatty acids (notably 18:2n - 6 and 18:3n - 3) were also negatively affected in the n - 6 PL fish. Analysis of the whole body neutral lipid fatty acid composition showed that these mirrored those of the diets and significant interaction terms were noted. However, the whole body polar lipid fatty acids appeared to be more tightly regulated in comparison. The blood plasma biochemistry and hepatic transcription of several fatty acid metabolism genes in the n - 6 PL fed and to a lesser extent in the n - 6 NL fed fish demonstrated a pattern consistent with modified metabolic function. These results support that there are potential advantages in using phospholipid-rich oils however there are clear differences in terms of their origin. Statement of relevance: Juvenile barramundi may benefit from dietary phospholipid.