Kainic acid in the seaweed Palmaria palmata (dulse)
ABSTRACT Twenty samples of the seaweed Palmaria palmata (dulse) purchased mainly from commercial Internet shops on the European market were analysed by a liquid chromatograph coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer method for the content of kainic acid, a naturally occurring neurotoxic compound in P. palmata. Kainic acid levels in the samples ranged widely from trace levels to approximately 560 μg g−1 dry weight.
Kainic acid and 1'-hydroxykainic acid from Palmariales.
The distribution of kainic acid among various red algae was investigated. Analysis of free amino acids from different populations of Palmaria palmata showed that some were unable to accumulate kainic acid to detectable concentrations, whereas in two dwarf mutants it was a major component of the free amino acid composition. The amino acid profiles were also examined for unknown amino acids in the search for possible intermediates in kainic acid biosynthesis. The only unknown amino acid present in P. palmata extracts was isolated and identified by NMR spectroscopy as 1'-hydroxykainic acid. This compound was found in all samples that contained kainic acid. To investigate the effect of growth conditions on kainic acid production different strains of P. palmata were grown at 5, 10, and 15 degrees C with or without added nitrate. No effect on production was observed, suggesting that the growth conditions in these experiments do not affect the level of gene expression in the pathway of kainic acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, changing the growth conditions did not induce synthesis of kainic acid in the non-producing strains of Palmariales.
Using Activity Theory in Developing Instructial Tools for Project Management Studies
Competence and skills of the project manager are significant to project success. The skills needed in project managersâ work cannot be learned only by reading the books or a lecture hall; one learns them by practice. Therefore, an important challenge for educational institutions is to develop pedagogical practices that allow students to participate in working life projects and to confront real-life problems. Project-based learning (PBL) offers a model that enables students to practice the skills and competences needed in working life projects by utilizing real-world work assignments in time-limited projects. Using PBL method alone does not necessarily guarantee learning result. In order to be successful, PBL method requires effective and competent supervision and guidance of students as well as appropriate tools for instruction. In this study the concepts from activity theory (AT) are applied to development tools for supervising project-based learning.