Varying Levels Of O2 Research Articles

Fungal Methane Production Controlled by Oxygen Levels and Temperature

Saprotrophic fungi, key players in global carbon cycling, have been identified as methane (CH4) sources not yet accounted for in the global CH4 budget. This study, for the first time, explores the influence of oxygen (O2) and temperature on CH4 production by two fungi, Laetiporus sulphureus and Pleurotus sapidus. To explore the relationship between these parameters and fungal CH4 formation, we examined CH4 formation under varying O2 levels (0 to 98%) and temperatures (17, 27, and 40 °C) during fungal growth on pine wood, beech wood, and grass under sterile conditions. Our findings show that fungal CH4 formation strongly depends on O2 levels. Methane formation was highest when O2 levels exceeded 5%, whilst no CH4 formation was observed after complete O2 consumption. Reintroducing O2 immediately resumed fungal CH4 production. Methane formation normalized to O2 consumption (CH4_norm) showed a different pattern. L. sulphureus showed higher CH4_norm rates with higher O2 levels, whereas P. sapidus showed elevated rates between 0 and 5%. Temperature also significantly influenced CH4 and CH4_norm rates, with the highest production at 27 °C, and comparatively lower rates at 17 and 40 °C. These findings demonstrate the importance of O2 levels and temperature in fungal CH4 emissions, which are essential for refining CH4 source predictions.

Continuous Physiological Monitoring of the Combined Exposure to Hypoxia and High Cognitive Load in Military Personnel.

Military aviators endure high cognitive loads and hypoxic environments during flight operations, impacting the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The synergistic effects of these exposures on the ANS, however, are less clear. This study investigated the simultaneous effects of mild hypoxia and high cognitive load on the ANS in military personnel. This study employed a two-factor experimental design. Twenty-four healthy participants aged between 19 and 45 years were exposed to mild hypoxia (14.0% O2), normoxia (21.0% O2), and hyperoxia (33.0% O2). During each epoch (n = 5), participants continuously performed one 15 min and one 10 min series of simulated, in-flight tasks separated by 1 min of rest. Exposure sequences (hypoxia-normoxia and normoxia-hyperoxia) were separated by a 60 min break. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and O2 saturation (SpO2) were continuously measured via an armband monitor (Warfighter MonitorTM, Tiger Tech Solutions, Inc., Miami, FL, USA). Paired and independent t-tests were used to evaluate differences in HR, HRV, and SpO2 within and between exposure sequences. Survival analyses were performed to assess the timing and magnitude of the ANS responses. Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity during hypoxia was highest in epoch 1 (HR: +6.9 bpm, p = 0.002; rMSSD: -9.7 ms, p = 0.003; SDNN: -11.3 ms, p = 0.003; SpO2: -8.4%, p < 0.0000) and appeared to slightly decline with non-significant increases in HRV. During normoxia, SNS activity was heightened, albeit non-significantly, in epoch 1, with higher HR (68.5 bpm vs. 73.0 bpm, p = 0.06), lower HRV (rMSSD: 45.1 ms vs. 38.7 ms, p = 0.09 and SDNN: 52.5 ms vs. 45.1 ms, p = 0.08), and lower SpO2 (-0.7% p = 0.05). In epochs 2-4, HR, HRV, and SpO2 trended towards baseline values. Significant between-group differences in HR, HRV, and O2 saturation were observed. Hypoxia elicited significantly greater HRs (+5.0, p = 0.03), lower rMSSD (-7.1, p = 0.03), lower SDNN (-8.2, p = 0.03), and lower SpO2 (-1.4%, p = 0.002) compared to normoxia. Hyperoxia appeared to augment the parasympathetic reactivation reflected by significantly lower HR, in addition to higher HRV and O2 relative to normoxia. Hypoxia induced a greater ANS response in military personnel during the simultaneous exposure to high cognitive load. The significant and differential ANS responses to varying O2 levels and high cognitive load observed highlight the importance of continuously monitoring multiple physiological parameters during flight operations.

Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emissions from a Pilot Scale Silicon Process with Flue Gas Recirculation

Flue gas recirculation (FGR) is a method used in several industries to control emissions and process conditions, such as NOx reduction and temperature levels, and increase the CO2 concentration in the off-gas, to be better suited for methods of carbon capture. In this study, the influence of FGR, varying levels of flue gas flow and oxygen concentration on the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated during Si alloy production. In addition, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling was performed using OpenFOAM for combustion of C2H2 and H2 with varying O2 levels to simulate FGR and to gain better insight into the impact of furnace operations on the PAH evolution. Experimental results show that increasing FGR (0–82.5%) and decreasing levels of oxygen (20.7–13.3 vol %) increase the PAH-42 concentration from 14.1 to 559.7 μg/Nm3. This is supported by the simulations, where increased formation of all PAHs species was observed at high levels of FGR, especially for the lighter aromatic species (like benzene and naphthalene), due to the lower availability of oxygen and the reduction in temperature. Residence time was identified as another key parameter to promote complete combustion of PAHs. Benzene oxidation can be prevented with temperatures lower than 1000 K and residence times smaller than 1 s, while complete oxidation is found at temperatures of around 1500 K.

Modelling reoxygenation effects in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines and showing epithelial-mesenchymal transition

PurposeCirculating tumour cells (CTCs) are a rare cell subpopulation regulated by the tumour microenvironment. In hypoxic conditions, CTCs are able to invade the lymphatic and circulatory systems leading to metastasis at distant sites.MethodsTo mimic in vivo oxygen variations and effects on CTCs, we have cultured five non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, followed by a pulse of reoxygenation for 4 h.ResultsProliferation, spheroid-formation and colony formation ability under varying O2 levels were investigated. Proliferation rate was not altered when cells were cultured in 2D models under hypoxic conditions. However, we observed that hypoxia enhanced in vitro formation of tumour-spheres and accelerated clonogenicity of NSCLC cell lines. In addition, cells exposed to hypoxia and reoxygenation conditions showed altered expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related genes in NSCLC cell lines both at mRNA (AKT1, CAMK2NH1, DESI1, VIM, MAP1B, EGFR, ZEB1, HIF1α) and protein levels (Vimentin, Pan-cytokeratin).ConclusionOur data suggest that when investigating CTCs as a prognostic biomarker in NSCLC, it is also essential to take into consideration EMT status to obtain a comprehensive overview of CTCs in circulation.

Large eddy simulation of soot formation and oxidation for different ambient temperatures and oxygen levels

This paper presents the numerical study of soot formation and oxidation processes across different ambient temperatures (900K, 1000K, and 1100K) and oxygen levels (15% and 21% O2) using large eddy simulation coupled with a two-equation soot model. The predicted ignition delay time, lift-off length and soot distribution show good agreements with the corresponding experimental data. A stronger oxidation of the precursor (C2H2) in the 21% O2 cases results in a lower C2H2 formed, as compared to the 15% O2 cases. The increasing ambient temperature leads to the fuel-richer region (roughly equivalence ratio > 1.6) becoming more favorable for C2H2 formation and, consequently, soot formation. This is more apparent in the 15% O2 cases due to a weaker oxidation of C2H2 via O and OH radicals. As a result, the difference in the soot mass between the 15% and 21% O2 cases becomes larger as the ambient temperature increases. The effects of ambient temperature and O2 level on soot sub-processes are investigated. In addition to the flame temperature, OH mass and soot surface area are the dominant parameters in the oxidation processes via OH and O2 at varying O2 levels, respectively.

In vitro Detection of Hypoxia using a Ratiometric Quantum Dot-based Oxygen Sensor.

A quantum-dot based ratiometric fluorescent oxygen probe for the detection of hypoxia in live cells is reported. The system is comprised of a water-soluble near-infrared emissive quantum dot conjugated to perylene dye. The response to the oxygen concentration is investigated using enzymatic oxygen scavenging in water, while in vitro studies were performed with HeLa cells incubated under varying O2 levels. In both cases a significant enhancement in dye/QD emission intensity ratio was observed in the deoxygenated environment, demonstrating the possible use of this probe for cancer research.

Experiments and modeling of propane combustion with vitiation

The chemical species composition of a vitiated oxidizer stream can significantly affect the combustion processes that occur in many propulsion and power generation systems. Experiments were performed to investigate the chemical kinetic effects of vitiation on ignition and flame propagation of hydrocarbon fuels using propane. Atmospheric-pressure flow reactor experiments were performed to investigate the effect of NOx on propane ignition delay time at varying O2 levels (14–21mol%) and varying equivalence ratios (0.5–1.5) with reactor temperatures of 875K and 917K. Laminar flame speed measurements were obtained using a Bunsen burner facility to investigate the effect of CO2 dilution on flame propagation at an inlet temperature of 650K. Experimental and modeling results show that small amounts of NO can significantly reduce the ignition delay time of propane in the low- and intermediate-temperature regimes. For example, 755ppmv NOx in the vitiated stream reduced the ignition delay time of a stoichiometric propane/air mixture by 75% at 875K. Chemical kinetic modeling shows that H-atom abstraction reaction of the fuel molecule by NO2 plays a critical role in promoting ignition in conjunction with reactions between NO and less reactive radicals such as HO2 and CH3O2 at low and intermediate temperatures. Experimental results show that the presence of 10mol% CO2 in the vitiated air reduces the peak laminar flame speed by up to a factor of two. Chemical kinetic effects of CO2 contribute to the reduction in flame speed by suppressing the formation of OH radicals in addition to the lower flame temperature caused by dilution. Overall, the detailed chemical kinetic mechanism developed in the current work predicts the chemical kinetic effects of vitiated species, namely NOx and CO2, on propane combustion reasonably well. Moreover, the reaction kinetic scheme also predicts the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behavior of propane during low-temperature oxidation.

Morphological changes in the ductus arteriosus in response to development in hypoxia and hyperoxia

The ductus arteriosus (DA) is an oxygen sensitive fetal blood vessel that allows for a right‐to‐left shunt of right ventricular outflow away from the lungs. Previously we have shown that the maturation of the oxygen induced contraction of the DA can be altered by incubation under varying O2 levels. The objective of this study was to characterize the influence of development in hypoxia or hyperoxia on the morphological changes occurring in the chicken DA during hatching. White leghorn chicken eggs were incubated in normoxia (21% O2), hypoxia (15% O2), and hyperoxia (30% O2) for the entire incubation period. The DA was removed from day 18, internally pipped, and externally pipped embryos and hatchlings for histological examination. The major finding was a significant effect of incubation oxygen levels on the DA lumen diameter during hatching. During hatching, the DA lumen diameter from hyperoxic incubated embryos was significantly smaller than that from control embryos. Incubation in hypoxia resulted in a decrease in the closure of the DA in comparison to the control embryos. A similar pattern was observed in the overall length of the right and left DA. The timing of morphological closure of the O2‐sensitive DA is accelerated by in hyperoxia and delayed in hypoxia. This work was funded by the American Heart Association South Central Affiliate and the National Science Foundation.

Hypoxia Promotes Efficient Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Functional Endothelium

Early development of mammalian embryos occurs in an environment of relative hypoxia. Nevertheless, human embryonic stem cells (hESC), which are derived from the inner cell mass of blastocyst, are routinely cultured under the same atmospheric conditions (21% O(2)) as somatic cells. We hypothesized that O(2) levels modulate gene expression and differentiation potential of hESC, and thus, we performed gene profiling of hESC maintained under normoxic or hypoxic (1% or 5% O(2)) conditions. Our analysis revealed that hypoxia downregulates expression of pluripotency markers in hESC but increases significantly the expression of genes associated with angio- and vasculogenesis including vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoitein-like proteins. Consequently, we were able to efficiently differentiate hESC to functional endothelial cells (EC) by varying O(2) levels; after 24 hours at 5% O(2), more than 50% of cells were CD34+. Transplantation of resulting endothelial-like cells improved both systolic function and fractional shortening in a rodent model of myocardial infarction. Moreover, analysis of the infarcted zone revealed that transplanted EC reduced the area of fibrous scar tissue by 50%. Thus, use of hypoxic conditions to specify the endothelial lineage suggests a novel strategy for cellular therapies aimed at repair of damaged vasculature in pathologies such as cerebral ischemia and myocardial infarction.

Elevated-temperature effects of oxygen on SiC/SiC composites

High-temperature exposures of SiC/SiC composites to oxidizing environments can lead to substantial changes in mechanical behavior. In the work reported here, results from flexure and crack growth experiments are used to demonstrate such effects. Flexure tests of graphite-coated Nicalon-reinforced SiC previously oxidized in air at 950°C revealed that degradation of fracture resistance began after very short exposure times (less than 1 h) and could be described in terms of distinct oxidation effects on strength and fiber pullout. Crack velocities were determined as a function of applied stress intensity and time for varying O2 levels. It was observed that crack velocities increased at 1,100°C in the presence of oxygen, which also shifted the onset of stage III (power law) growth to lower values of applied stress intensity. The crack growth observations were described using a two-dimensional micro-mechanical model developed to simulate cracks bridged by continuous fibers. Fiber creep relaxation predicted the correct crack velocity and time-dependence in argon, but other mechanisms, such as interface removal, are required to explain the data in Ar + O2

Characteristics of the Binding of Labeled Fluoromisonidazole in Cells in Vitro

Radiolabeled fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) is being investigated as an imaging agent for hypoxia in tumors and nonmalignant tissues in myocardial infarct or stroke. In this study in vitro cell cultures were used to characterize the oxygen dependency of FMISO uptake and to examine other modifying factors. The uptake of [3H]FMISO was measured in four cell lines in vitro: V-79, EMT-6(UW), RIF-1, and CaOs-1. The modifying effects of different O2 levels as well as cell growth state and concentration of glucose and nonprotein sulfhydryls were examined. In these cell types an O2 level between 720 and 2300 ppm inhibited FMISO binding by 50%, relative to binding under anoxic conditions. These values bracket the O2 level which confers full radiobiologic hypoxia, about 1000 ppm. Some bound label was released from cells in the first 1 to 3 h after a 3-h anoxic labeling with [3H]FMISO, but this does not represent tritium loss from the parent molecule. Cells from unfed plateau-phase cultures took up less [3H]FMISO than did exponentially growing cells incubated at comparable O2 levels. Reducing glucose to 1/10 or 1/100 of the usual concentration in medium had little effect on binding of micromolar levels of FMISO, except in V-79 cells, where reduced glucose levels were associated with increased FMISO accumulation. Adding cysteamine to the culture medium moderately increased FMISO uptake. We conclude that cell growth state, glucose, and nonprotein sulfhydryl concentrations affect FMISO binding, albeit less than varying O2 levels: anoxic/oxic binding ratios vary from 12.6 to 28 for the four cell types examined. Nonetheless these factors must be considered in evaluating the oxygen-dependent binding of this nitroimidazole in tumors or tissues.

Experimentally determined overall burning rates of pulverized-coal chars in specified O 2 and CO 2 environments

Measurements of the size, temperature and velocity of individual pulverized-coal char particles are used to determine the overall burning rates of particles flowing in gaseous environments of specified O2 and CO2 contents. The overall burning rates of the char particles are essentially unaffected by the carbon dioxide content of the ambient gas. When the single film model of a burning carbon particle with CO as the sole heterogeneous reaction product is employed, the chemical reaction rate coefficients determined in gaseous environments of fixed CO2 levels but varying O2 levels exhibit the same temperature dependence. For the Missouri bituminous coal studied, a reaction rate coefficient of 28.4 exp (−2000/RT) g/cm2-s is determined for the C−O2 heterogeneous reaction. The apparent activation energy is in the range expected for burning limited by the combined effects of pore diffusion and the intrinsic chemical reactivity of the particle material. Based on the overall particle burning rates determined, the Thiele modulus estimated for each particle size is in the range which suggests little penetration of oxygen into the particle pores. The results support the single film model of a burning particle with CO as the sole reaction product for coal chars burning under typical pulverized-coal combustion conditions. The results indicate that the double film model of a burning carbon particle is not applicable for particles less than about 130 μm burning under such conditions. A reaction rate constant for the C−CO2 heterogeneous reaction a thousand times greater than the rate constants reported in the literature is required in order to get agreement between measured and calculated temperatures for a given particle size when the double film model is employed.