Nabarun Ghosh

Odor Control in Waste Management Lagoons via Reduction of p-Cresol using Horseradish Peroxidase

Para-cresol, p-ethyl phenol and isovaleric acid have been identified as the most persistent and most significant contributors to odor 1.6 km downwind from waste lagoons in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), even though more than 200 volatile compounds contribute to odor from these lagoons. Previous studies have indicated that horseradish peroxidase (HRP) coupling with p-cresol generates a high yield of a unique product, Plummerers ketone. Our preliminary laboratory studies with synthetic p-cresol, hydrogen peroxide, and HRP demonstrated that p-cresol can be reduced significantly in a hydrogen peroxide catalyzed reaction with HRP. Using GC/MS and SPME technologies, a 75% reduction was observed in relative concentrations of 100 ml 1% p-cresol after treatment with 1 ml of 170 units of HRP (prepared at 170 units/mg and 1 mg/ml) in the presence of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Further analyses using semi- volatile organic analyses- GC/MS shows a 41% reduction in the amount of p-cresol in the samples treated with HRP in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Data obtained from these preliminary studies demonstrate that HRP has the potential to reduce the p-cresol content in CAFO effluent and has been a basis for further studies.

Mini Review: Cytochrome P450BM-3 in the Remediation of Semi-Volatile Fatty Acids Associated with Feedlot Odors

A sound understanding of Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) air emissions and their effects require the expertise of many disciplines. These disciplines may include a broad representation of academia, industry and local communities. Bioengineering is an emerging field that can provide new remediation methodologies by addressing the problem of chemical odor emissions from CAFOs. Development of methods for the reduction of organic compounds has the ability to move from monitoring and detection to air quality improvement. Utilization of metabolic pathways and the heterologous protein expression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can yield cost effective methods for odor management at CAFOs. The metabolism of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) using Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced cytochrome P450BM-3 could possibly reduce downwind odors and assist in beneficial biogas production in wastewater effluents. The purpose of this review is to discuss a multiple disciplinary approach to air quality combining a variety of approaches which can assist federal agencies in successfully implementing a long term plan for this issue.

Aeroallergen survey of the Texas panhandle using a burkard volumetric spore trap

Our objective is to survey the type and concentration of pollen and spores on a daily basis and correlate these concentrations with both the weather on a part icular day and the incidence of allergic reactions. Aeroallergens are often the cause of serious allergic and asthmatic reactions, affecting millions of peopl e each year. The analysis of air was performed through the collection of pollen and spores using a Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap. We mounted the trap on the f lat roof of the Agriculture and Natural Sciences building of West Texas AM University in Canyon, Texas. This area has adequate exposure to the prevailing winds of West Texas, and is above the trees of the surrounding community. Collection and transfer of the pollen sampling tape takes place at the same time, 9:00 a.m. CDT, on a daily basis. Tapes are analyzed with a minimum of five latitudinal traverses, and daily concentration is assessed. The most significant aeroallergens present during these summer months were fungal spores like Alternaria, ascospores, Cladosporium, Dreschlera, Curvularia, and pollens like short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia ), Pine (Pinus) (Figures 1 A−F), pollens from Asteraceae ( Helianthus ciliaris, Helianthus annuus, Helianthus hirsutus ), from Solanaceous plants (Solanum rostratum, Solanum elaeagnifolium ) and from Chenopodiacae (Chenopodium album ) (Figures 2 A−F). Temperature was found to have an inverse relationship with mold spores. Rainfall was found to affect the mold count directly, with increases in precipitation bringing subsequent higher mold spore concentrations. The number of reported cases of allergic rhinitis increased proportionally to the increases in overall allergen counts. Most significant was the increase in number of patients corresponding with increases in mold and A. artemisiifolia counts. Figure 1 A−F. Showing the Most Frequent Allergens of the Texas Panhandle. Fungal Spores: A. Alternia sp., B. Cladosporium sp., C. Drechslera sp., D. Culvularia sp., Pollens: E. Ambrosia artemisiifolia, F. Pinus sylvestris Abstract (cont.) Figure 2 A−F. Showing the most frequent allergens of the Texas Panhandle. Pollens: A. Helianthus ciliarus, B. Helianthus annuus, C. Helianthus hirsutus, D. Solanum rostratum, E. Solanum elaeagnifolium, F. Chenopodium album

Proceedings of the 2015 WAO Symposium on Food Allergy and the Microbiome

Table of contentsA1 Characterization of the immunoallergic profile towards the proteins of the wheat flour in Cuban populationRaúl Lázaro Castro Almarales, Mary Carmen Reyes Zamora, Beatriz Tamargo, Damaris Torralba Averoff, Raysa Cruz, Yunia Oliva Diaz, Mirta Alvarez Castello, Alexander Ciria, Alexis Labrada, Maytee MateoA2 Are peanuts causing food allergy in Cuba?Maytee Mateo, Damaris Torralba Averoff, Raysa Cruz, Yunia Oliva Diaz, Mirta Alvarez Castello, Alexander Ciria, Mary Carmen Reyes Zamora, Beatriz Tamargo, Alexis LabradaA3 Prick test and immunoallergic profile to soy allergens in Cuban populationOmar Herrera, Maytee Mateo, Raysa Cruz, Mirta Alvarez Castello, Alexander Ciria, Raúl Lázaro Castro Almarales, Mary Carmen Reyes Zamora, Alexis LabradaA4 Skin sensitization and immunoallergic profile to hens egg in Cuban populationJosé Severino Rodríguez Canosa, Raysa Cruz, Maytee Mateo, Mirta Alvarez Castello, Alexander Ciria, Raúl Lázaro Castro Almarales, Mary Carmen Reyes Zamora, Alexis LabradaA5 Sensitization to three domestic mites in patients with adverse food events to shellfishMirta Alvarez Castello, Raúl Lázaro Castro Almarales, Alexis Labrada, BiocenA6 Diagnostic efficacy by skin prick test with allergenic extracts of legumes in Cuban patientsYamilet Ibizate Novales, Ilonka Estruch Fajardo, Alexis Labrada, Maytee Mateo, Armando GinardA7 Baked egg goods without wheat flour carry an increased risk of reactionBruce Lanser, Anna Faino, Erwin Gelfand, Pia HaukA8 Prevalence, incidence and associated risk factors of adverse reaction to food in Cuban infants - a population-based prospective studySilvia Venero Fernández, Julia Urbina, Mirta Alvarez Castello, Raúl Lázaro Castro Almarales, Ramón Suárez Medina, Hermes Fundora Hernández, John Britton, Andrew William FogartyA9 Microbiome in ice machines and assessing the plasma nanotechnology in breaking the biofilm and improving air qualityNabarun Ghosh, Clinton Ross Bell, Chandini Revanna, Constantine Saadeh, Jeff Bennert, Danius Bouyi, Mitsy Veloz, Nelofar SheraliA10 Characteristics of patients with food allergy in health public serviceMagna CoelhoA11 Allergic rhinitis and asthma index increased in Texas panhandle and AHPCO and plasma nanotechnology as solutionsNabarun Ghosh, Jeff Bennert, Danius Bouyi, Constantine Saadeh, Clinton Ross Bell, Mitsy Veloz, Chandini Revanna, Nelofar SheraliA12 Antigen-specific T follicular helper cells mediate peanut allergy in miceJoseph J. Dolence, Takao Kobayashi, Koji Iijima, Hirohito Kita, Hirohito Kita, Ashli Moore, James KrempskiA13 Production of recombinant Mal d 3, a major apple allergen, in Pichia Pastoris, to investigate the impact of the food matrix and post-translational modifications on Mal d 3 immuno-reactivityRoberta Aina, Riccardo Asero, Sabine Pfeifer, Pawel Dubiela, Merima Bublin, Christian Radauer, Piotr Humeniuk, Karin Hoffmann-SommergruberA14 Reaction to sports drink: no whey! Whey allergy in absence of clinical cow’s milk allergyFrank Eidelman, Ves Dimov, Charl KhalilA15 Food allergy on Tumblr: focus on teenage audience may increase educational impactVes Dimov, Frank Eidelman, Charl KhalilA16 Changes in IgE levels following one-year immunizations in two children with food allergyAlice E. W. Hoyt, Peter Heymann, Alexander Schuyler, Scott Commins, Thomas Platts-MillsA17 IgE and IgG4 antibodies to cows milk components in children with eosinophilic esophagitis: higher specific IgG4 antibodies and IgG4:IgE ratios compared with subjects with IgE-mediated food allergyAlexander Schuyler, Patrice Kruszewski, John Russo, Lisa Workman, Thomas Platts-Mills, Elizabeth Erwin, Anubha TripathiA18 Frequency of Sensitization to Food Allergens in Patients with Rhinitis and Asthma in the National Medical Center La Raza “Dr. Antonio Fraga Mouret”, Mexico CityGabriela Yvette Castellanos, Elizabeth Mendieta, Martín Becerril-Angeles

Microscopic examination on cytological changes in Allium cepa and shift in phytoplankton population at different doses of Atrazine

Atrazine is a wide-range herbicide. For over 50 years, atrazine has been used as a selective broadleaf herbicide in many capacities, from pre-plant to pre-emergence to post-emergence, depending on the crop and application. Currently, 96% of all atrazine used is for commercial applications in fields for the control of broadleaf and grassy weeds in crops such as sorghum, corn, sugarcane, pineapple and for the control of undesirable weeds in rangeland. Many panhandle wells have also detected atrazine in samples taken. The concern for the public is the long-term effect of atrazine with its increasing popularity, and the impact on public health. We investigated the effect of different concentrations of atrazine on Allium cepa (onion), a standard plant test system. We established a control with the Allium bulbs grown on hydroponics culture. Varying concentrations of atrazine was used on the standard plant test system, Allium cepa grown hydroponically. The mitotic indices varied and with higher doses, we observed various chromosomal abnormalities including sticky bridges, early and late separations, and lag chromosomes with higher doses of treatments. In the second part of the experiment, 0.1ppb, 1ppb, 10ppb, and 100ppb concentrations of atrazine were applied to established phytoplankton cultures from the Lake Tanglewood, Texas. Study with a Sedgwick-Rafter counter, a BX-40 Olympus microscope with DP-70 camera revealed a gradual shift in the phytoplankton community from obligatory to facultative autotroph and finally to a parasitic planktonic community. This explains the periodic fish kill in the lakes after applications of atrazine in crop fields.

Characterization of aeroallergen of Texas panhandle using scanning and fluorescence microscopy

Aeroallergens cause serious allergic and asthmatic reactions. Characterizing the aeroallergen provides information regarding the onset, duration, and severity of the pollen season that clinicians use to guide allergen selection for skin testing and treatment. Fluorescence Microscopy has useful approaches to understand the structure and function of the microscopic objects. Prepared slides from the pollen were observed under an Olympus BX40 microscope equipped with FITC and TRITC fluorescent filters, a mercury lamp source, an Olympus DP-70 digital camera connected to the computer with Image Pro 6.0 software. Aeroallergens were viewed, recorded and analyzed with DP Manager using the Image Pro 6.0 software. Photographs were taken at bright field, the fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) filter, and the tetramethylrhodamine (TRITC) filter settings at 40X. A high pressure mercury lamp or UV source was used to excite the storage molecules or proteins which exhibited autofluorescence. The FITC filter reveals the green fluorescent proteins (GFP and EGFP), and the TRITC filter for red fluorescent proteins (DsRed). SEM proved to be useful for observing ultra-structural details like pores, colpi, sulci and ornamentations on the pollen surface. Samples were examined with an SEM (TM-1000) after gold coating and Critical Point Drying. Pollen grains were measured using the TM-1000 imaging software that revealed the specific information on the size of colpi or sulci and the distance between the micro-structures. This information can be used for classification and circumscription in Angiosperm taxonomy. Data were correlated clinical studies established at Allergy A.R.T.S. Clinical Research Laboratory.

Characterization of some biological specimens using TEM and SEM

The advent of novel techniques using the Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopes improved observation on various biological specimens to characterize them. We studied some biological specimens using Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopes. We followed negative staining technique with Phosphotungstic acid using bacterial culture of Bacillus subtilis. Negative staining is very convenient technique to view the structural morphology of different samples including bacteria, phage viruses and filaments in a cell. We could observe the bacterial cell wall and flagellum very well when trapped the negative stained biofilm from bacterial culture on a TEM grid. We cut ultra thin sections from the fixed root tips of Pisum sativum (Garden pea). Root tips were pre fixed with osmium tetroxide and post fixed with uranium acetate and placed in the BEEM capsule for block making. The ultrathin sections on the grid under TEM showed the granular chromatin in the nucleus. The protein bodies and large vacuoles with the storage materials were conspicuous. We followed fixation, critical point drying and sputter coating with gold to view the tissues with SEM after placing on stubs. SEM view of the leaf surface of a dangerous weed Tragia hispida showed the surface trichomes. These trichomes when break on touching releases poisonous content causing skin irritation. The cultured tissue from in vitro culture of Albizia lebbeck, a tree revealed the regenerative structures including leaf buds and stomata on the tissue surface. SEM and TEM allow investigating the minute details characteristic morphological features that can be used for classroom teaching.