scholarly journals Achievements and Trends in Biocatalytic Synthesis of Specialty Polymers from Biomass-Derived Monomers Using Lipases

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 646
Author(s):  
Anamaria Todea ◽  
Diana Maria Dreavă ◽  
Ioana Cristina Benea ◽  
Ioan Bîtcan ◽  
Francisc Peter ◽  
...  

New technologies for the conversion of biomass into high-value chemicals, including polymers and plastics, is a must and a challenge. The development of green processes in the last decade involved a continuous increase of the interest towards the synthesis of polymers using in vitro biocatalysis. Among the remarkable diversity of new bio-based polymeric products meeting the criteria of sustainability, biocompatibility, and eco-friendliness, a wide range of polyesters with shorter chain length were obtained and characterized, targeting biomedical and cosmetic applications. In this review, selected examples of such specialty polymers are presented, highlighting the recent developments concerning the use of lipases, mostly in immobilized form, for the green synthesis of e-caprolactone co-polymers, polyesters with itaconate or furan units, estolides, and polyesteramides. The significant process parameters influencing the average molecular weights and other characteristics are discussed, revealing the advantages and limitations of biocatalytic processes for the synthesis of these bio-based polymers.

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Haywood ◽  
Benton H. Schaub ◽  
Chris M. Pappas

The use of ride control systems on high speed vessels has become the norm within many industries, producing better seakeeping that in turn provides a more comfortable and operationally effective vessel. Commercial ferry designers have been at the forefront of adoption of new technologies notably with early adoption of T-foils and interceptors. These devices have been taken up by others, for example offshore crew boats and frontline naval warships. The range of vessel types has also expanded with more industries adopting different hull designs including catamarans and trimarans. Ride control systems have developed alongside innovative designers producing for example combined lifting foil and ride control systems, lifting T-foil systems, retractable T-foils. This paper will review the different ride control devices including fins, trim tabs, interceptors, T-foils (including retractable T-foils) and lifting foils. As well as technical aspects, the discussion will consider costs, ease of installation, operational and maintenance requirements and material choice. Extensive examples from a wide range of industries will be presented. By the end of the talk, delegates will have a broad understanding of the options available to them in improving the seakeeping of their vessels.


Author(s):  
Preeti Rana ◽  
Durgesh Pandey

In recent years we have seen a number of changes in banking sector of India. Main objective of banks is to create more value for customers; that is why most of the banks have begun to take an innovative approach for this purpose. In the world of banking and finance, nothing stands still. Now a day's banking activities is not limited to deposit and lending money to customers Apart from traditional business, banks provide a wide range of services to satisfy the needs of all types of customers whether it is financial or non-financial needs from the smallest account holder to the largest company and in some cases of non-customers. As a result of recent developments, the entire banking industry has restructured and new technologies are also introduced to make it competitive. Revolution of Information Technology has made it possible to provide ease and flexibility in operations to customers thus making life simpler and easier so bank can provide a variety of products and services to the customers. The E-Banking process has changed the way of working of banks across the world. In the chapter, the author reviews the literature on “The issues and challenges of e-banking service operation” what is the perception of people towards E-Banking in different developing countries?” As E-Banking is an emerging concept in the field of commerce and banking. This paper furnishes the study of E-banking in developing countries through an analysis of content & existing literature that focused on developing countries. The main purpose of the study is to present the current level of research on E-banking in developing countries. Electronic banking (e-banking) is the new technology in banking environment that allows the bank customers to do banking activities at any time and from any place.


This article reflects the results of a study on the selection of promising lactobacilli antagonistic to Campilobacter jejuni, a strain that is the most common and more pathogenic for humans, carried out as part of a project to scientifically substantiate the use of new technologies in poultry feeding using special probiotic strains that increase productivity and obtaining poultry products of improved quality with the properties of functional food products. During the study, strains of lactic acid bacteria were obtained. The cultivation of strains of Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus plantarum was carried out on liquid and agarized nutrient media MRS at 370С for 24 hours. In vitro antagonistic studies were performed using the two-way antagonistic method on a wide range of indicator crops. Since there is evidence of a specific mechanism for the manifestation of the antagonistic activity of lactobacilli to gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, we used test strains of both groups of bacteria. The antagonistic activity of the studied cultures against pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria was determined by the zone of growth inhibition of indicator strains around the colonies of individual strains of lactobacilli and their consortium (in mm). Priority clinical isolates isolated from birds with intestinal infections were used as indicator cultures: Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter jejuni ATCC strains 33560. During the study, most bacterial strains of the genus Lactobacillus were highly antagonistic its activity against indicator strains. The most sensitive to the inhibitory effect of lactobacilli were E. coli, Campylobacter jejuni, S. typhimurium and P. vulgaris. The research results showed that the strain L.plantarum ATCC 8014 exhibits a more pronounced antagonistic activity than other strains of lactobacilli.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Kappe ◽  
Christian Roman Bielak ◽  
Vadim Sartisson ◽  
Mathias Bobbert ◽  
Gerson Meschut

Driven by the CO2-emission law by the European government and the increasing costs for raw materials as well as energy, the automotive industry is increasingly using multi-material constructions. This leads to a continuous increase in the use of mechanical joining techniques and especially the self-piercing riveting is of particular importance. The reason for this is the wide range of joining possibilities as well as the high load-bearing capacities of the joints. To be able to react to changing boundary conditions, like material thickness or strength variation of the sheets, research work is crucial with regard to the increase of versatility. In this paper, a numerical study of the influences on the selfpiercing riveting process is presented. For this purpose, the influence of different process parameters such as rivet length and die depth on various quality-relevant characteristics were investigated. With the help of the design of experiment, significant influences were determined and interactions between the individual parameters are shown.


Bioimpacts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-226
Author(s):  
Maryam Asariha ◽  
Azam Chahardoli ◽  
Farshad Qalekhani ◽  
Mahnaz Ghowsi ◽  
Mehdi Fouladi ◽  
...  

introduction: The application of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in medicine is expanding as an effective therapeutic and diagnostic compound. Different polysaccharides with high biocompatibility and hydrophilic properties have been used for synthesis and capping of GNPs. Chondroitin sulfate (CHS) as a polysaccharide possesses a wide range of biological functions e.g. anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-coagulation, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-thrombosis with insignificant immunogenicity and has not been used for the green synthesis of GNPs. Methods: GNPs were synthesized using CHS, and their physicochemical properties were evaluated. The antibacterial activity of CHS-GNPs was estimated against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The cytotoxicity of CHS and CHS-GNPs was obtained by MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test, and the electrocatalytic activity of CHS-GNPs was investigated. The blood compatibility was evaluated by the in vitro hemolysis assay. Results: The absorption band at 527 nm reveals the reduction of Au3+ into GNPs. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image displays the spherical shape of GNPs in the range of 5.8–31.4 nm. The CHS and CHS-GNPs at 300 µg/mL revealed a maximum DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity of 73% and 65%, respectively. CHS-GNPs showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, while CHS has no antibacterial activity. CHS-GNPs exhibited a cytotoxicity effect against MDA-MB-468 and βTC3 cancer cell lines, and the electrochemical study indicated a significant increase in electrocatalytic properties of CHS-GNPs coated electrode compared by the bare electrode. The hemolysis test proved the blood compatibility of CHS-GNPs. Conclusion: The results indicate the advantages of using CHS to produce blood-compatible GNPs with antioxidant, cytotoxic, and electrochemical properties.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A.K. McDonald

Gut microbiome studies have been gaining popularity over the years, especially with the development of new technologies (e.g. metataxonomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabonomics) that makes it easier for researchers to characterize the composition and functionality of these complex microbial communities. The goal of these studies is to identify a microorganism, group of microbes, or microbial metabolite which correlates with a disease state (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and obesity). Many of these are cross-sectional studies, where fecal samples from a group of diseased individuals are compared with those from a group of healthy individuals at a single time point. However, there are a wide range of variables that can affect the gut microbiota of humans which make mechanistic studies challenging. Longitudinal studies are required for research to more reliably correlate interventions or disease status to microbiota composition and functionality. However, longitudinal studies in humans and animals are difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. This review will discuss in vitro gut fermentation models and how they can be used to perform longitudinal studies that complement in vivo microbiome studies. Gut fermentation models support the growth of stable, reproducible, and diverse microbial communities in a tightly controlled environment set to mimic the conditions microbes encounter in the gastrointestinal tract. Gut fermentation models will make it easier for researchers to perform mechanistic studies and aid in the development of novel treatments that are both targeted and maintained over time.


2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 508 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schellberg ◽  
E. Verbruggen

Grassland scientists and farmers are increasingly faced with emerging new technologies and information systems that have been primarily developed in engineering sciences, in particular, precision agriculture, remote sensing, geographic information and biotechnology. Judgment upon whether the implementation of any of these technologies may be beneficial in economic and ecological respects is challenging, especially to those who have to make on-farm decisions. New technologies have been applied on grassland only partially and with some delay compared with arable land. However, as we will show here, there is scope for successful implementation of new technologies in various climatic regions and for a wide range of applications. The paper presents the most important recent developments of new technologies in agriculture that have scope for application in grasslands. It defines the relevant terms and processes, provides examples of successful implementation, and discusses future directions and research needs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Howra Bahrulolum ◽  
Saghi Nooraei ◽  
Nahid Javanshir ◽  
Hossein Tarrahimofrad ◽  
Vasighe Sadat Mirbagheri ◽  
...  

AbstractThe agricultural sector is currently facing many global challenges, such as climate change, and environmental problems such as the release of pesticides and fertilizers, which will be exacerbated in the face of population growth and food shortages. Therefore, the need to change traditional farming methods and replace them with new technologies is essential, and the application of nanotechnology, especially green technology offers considerable promise in alleviating these problems. Nanotechnology has led to changes and advances in many technologies and has the potential to transform various fields of the agricultural sector, including biosensors, pesticides, fertilizers, food packaging and other areas of the agricultural industry. Due to their unique properties, nanomaterials are considered as suitable carriers for stabilizing fertilizers and pesticides, as well as facilitating controlled nutrient transfer and increasing crop protection. The production of nanoparticles by physical and chemical methods requires the use of hazardous materials, advanced equipment, and has a negative impact on the environment. Thus, over the last decade, research activities in the context of nanotechnology have shifted towards environmentally friendly and economically viable ‘green’ synthesis to support the increasing use of nanoparticles in various industries. Green synthesis, as part of bio-inspired protocols, provides reliable and sustainable methods for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles by a wide range of microorganisms rather than current synthetic processes. Therefore, this field is developing rapidly and new methods in this field are constantly being invented to improve the properties of nanoparticles. In this review, we consider the latest advances and innovations in the production of metal nanoparticles using green synthesis by different groups of microorganisms and the application of these nanoparticles in various agricultural sectors to achieve food security, improve crop production and reduce the use of pesticides. In addition, the mechanism of synthesis of metal nanoparticles by different microorganisms and their advantages and disadvantages compared to other common methods are presented.


2011 ◽  
Vol 438 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Friedman

Amyloid-related diseases are a group of illnesses in which an abnormal accumulation of proteins into fibrillar structures is evident. Results from a wide range of studies, ranging from identification of amyloid-β dimers in the brain to biophysical characterization of the interactions between amyloidogenic peptides and lipid membranes during fibril growth shed light on the initial events which take place during amyloid aggregation. Accounts of fibril disaggregation and formation of globular aggregates due to interactions with lipids or fatty acids further demonstrate the complexity of the aggregation process and the difficulty to treat amyloid-related diseases. There is an inherent difficulty in generalizing from studies of aggregation in vitro, but the involvement of too many cellular components limits the ability to follow amyloid aggregation in a cellular (or extracellular) context. Fortunately, the development of experimental methods to generate stable globular aggregates suggests new means of studying the molecular events associated with amyloid aggregation. Furthermore, simulation studies enable deeper understanding of the experimental results and provide useful predictions that can be tested in the laboratory. Computer simulations can nowadays provide molecular or even atomistic details that are experimentally not available or very difficult to obtain. In the present review, recent developments on modelling and experiments of amyloid aggregation are reviewed, and an integrative account on how isolated interactions (as observed in vitro and in silico) combine during the course of amyloid-related diseases is presented. Finally, it is argued that an integrative approach is necessary to get a better understanding of the protein aggregation process.


Parasitology ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudie Verwaerde ◽  
C. Auriault ◽  
Martine Damonneville ◽  
J.-M. Grzych ◽  
R. Pierce ◽  
...  

The participation of products released from Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula (SRP-A) in the IgG antibody response of infected Brown-Norway rats and infected humans has been studied using immunoprecipitation with various antigenic preparations and in in vitro cytotoxicity assays. A large number of SRP-A molecules with a wide range of molecular weights was recognized by infected rat and human sera. Anti-SRP-A antibodies appeared in rat sera from day 28 after infection. In infected humans, a variable pattern of SRP-A recognition was observed between individuals. IgG antibodies obtained by immunization of rats with SRP-A without addition of adjuvants reacted with 3 major schistosomula surface proteins with molecular weights of 38, 32 and 21 kDa. These latter molecules were also revealed strongly by infected rat sera. Moreover, these antibodies were able to kill schistosomula in vitro in the presence of complement or eosinophils.


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