scholarly journals The Role of Biosurfactants in the Continued Drive for Environmental Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibukun Olasanmi ◽  
Ronald Thring
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Industry Research ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Low Toxicity ◽  
Microbial Products ◽  
Near Future

Biosurfactants are microbial products that have been increasingly researched due to their many identified advantages, such as low toxicity and high activity at extreme temperatures, but more importantly, they are biodegradable and compatible with the environment. Biosurfactants are versatile products with vast applications in the clean-up of environmental pollutants through biodegradation and bioremediation. They also have applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries. These advantages and wide range of applications have led to the continued interest in biosurfactants. In particular, there is a growing discussion around environmental sustainability and the important role that biosurfactants will increasingly play in the near future, for example, via the use of renewable by-products as substrates, waste reduction, and potential reuse of the treated waste. This has resulted in increased attention on these microbial products in industry. Research highlighting the potential of biosurfactants in environmental sustainability is required to drive efforts to make biosurfactants more viable for commercial and large-scale applications; making them available, cheaper and economically sustainable. The present review discusses the unique relationship between biosurfactants and environmental sustainability, especially the role that biosurfactants play in the clean-up of environmental pollutants and, therefore, increasing environmental protection.

Events in Northern Africa and Middle East: Causes and Consequences

2011 ◽  
pp. 11-25
Author(s):  
I. Labinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Northern Africa ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Oriental Studies

Political developments in North Africa and the Middle East that have begun in January 2011 are gaining strength and involve an increasing number of Arab countries. The participants of the Roundtable – experts from IMEMO, Institute of Oriental Studies (RAS), Institute of the USA and Canada (RAS) and Mrs. E. Suponina from “Moscow News” newspaper analyzed a wide range of issues associated with these events. Among them are: 1) the reasons for such a large-scale explosion, 2) the nature of the discussed developments (revolutions, riots?) and who are the subjects of the current “Arab drama”, 3) the role of Islam and political Islamism, 4) the role of external factors.

scholarly journals The role of airborne volcanic ash for the surface ocean biogeochemical iron-cycle: a review

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 6441-6489 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Duggen ◽  
N. Olgun ◽  
P. Croot ◽  
L. Hoffmann ◽  
H. Dietze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Ash Deposition ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Iron Cycle ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. Iron is a key micronutrient for phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean. Yet the significance of volcanism for the marine biogeochemical iron-cycle is poorly constrained. Recent studies, however, suggest that offshore deposition of airborne ash from volcanic eruptions is a way to inject significant amounts of bio-available iron into the surface ocean. Volcanic ash may be transported up to several tens of kilometres high into the atmosphere during large-scale eruptions and fine ash may encircle the globe for years, thereby reaching even the remotest and most iron-starved oceanic areas. Scientific ocean drilling demonstrates that volcanic ash layers and dispersed ash particles are frequently found in marine sediments and that therefore volcanic ash deposition and iron-injection into the oceans took place throughout much of the Earth's history. The data from geochemical and biological experiments, natural evidence and satellite techniques now available suggest that volcanic ash is a so far underestimated source for iron in the surface ocean, possibly of similar importance as aeolian dust. Here we summarise the development of and the knowledge in this fairly young research field. The paper covers a wide range of chemical and biological issues and we make recommendations for future directions in these areas. The review paper may thus be helpful to improve our understanding of the role of volcanic ash for the marine biogeochemical iron-cycle, marine primary productivity and the ocean-atmosphere exchange of CO2 and other gases relevant for climate throughout the Earth's history.

scholarly journals STAT3, a Hub Protein of Cellular Signaling Pathways, Is Triggered by β-Hexaclorocyclohexane

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 2108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Rubini ◽  
Fabio Altieri ◽  
Silvia Chichiarelli ◽  
Flavia Giamogante ◽  
Stefania Carissimi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cellular Signaling ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Exposed Population ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hepg2 Cell Lines

Background: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are widely distributed in the environment and their toxicity is mostly associated with the molecular mechanisms of endocrine disruption. Among OCPs, particular attention was focused on the effects of β-hexaclorocyclohexane (β-HCH), a widely common pollutant. A detailed epidemiological study carried out on exposed population in the “Valle del Sacco” found correlations between the incidence of a wide range of diseases and the occurrence of β-HCH contamination. Taking into account the pleiotropic role of the protein signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), its function as a hub protein in cellular signaling pathways triggered by β-HCH was investigated in different cell lines corresponding to tissues that are especially vulnerable to damage by environmental pollutants. Materials and Methods: Human prostate cancer (LNCaP), human breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MB 468), and human hepatoma (HepG2) cell lines were treated with 10 μM β-HCH in the presence or absence of specific inhibitors for different receptors. All samples were subjected to analysis by immunoblotting and RT-qPCR. Results and Conclusions: The preliminary results allow us to hypothesize the involvement of STAT3, through both its canonical and non-canonical pathways, in response to β-HCH. Moreover, we ascertained the role of STAT3 as a master regulator of energy metabolism via the altered expression and localization of HIF-1α and PKM2, respectively, resulting in a Warburg-like effect.

The double and triple role of L-(+)-tartaric acid and dimethyl urea: A prevailing green approach in organic synthesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashid Ali ◽  
Ajay Kumar Chinnam ◽  
Vikas R. Aswar
Keyword(s):  
Tartaric Acid ◽  
Organic Synthesis ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Organic Transformations ◽  
Green Approach ◽  
Dimethyl Urea ◽  
Low Toxicity ◽  
The One ◽  
Near Future

: The deep eutectic mixtures (DESs), introduced as novel alternative to usual volatile organic solvents for organic transformations has attracted a tremendous attention of the research community because of their low cost, negligible vapour pressure, low toxicity, biodegradability, recyclability, insensitive towards moisture, and readily availability from bulk renewable resources. Although, the low melting mixture of dimethyl urea (DMU)/L-(+)-tartaric acid (TA) is still infancy yet much effective as it play double and triple roles such as solvent, catalyst and/or reagent in a same pot for many crucial organic transformations. These unique properties of DMU/TA mixture prompted us to provide a quick overview of where the field stands presently, and where it might be going in near future. To our best knowledge, no review dealing with the applications of a low melting mixture of DMU/TA appeared in the literature except the one published in 2017 describing only the chemistry of indole systems. Therefore, we intended to reveal the developments of this versatile low melting mixture in the modern organic synthesis since its first report in 2011 by Köenig’s team to till date. Hopefully, the present review article will be useful to the researcher working not only in the arena of synthetic organic chemistry but also to the scientists working in other branches of science and technology.

Promoting Environmental Sustainability Governance

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Miftachul Huda ◽  
Azmil Hashim ◽  
Mohd Aderi Che Noh ◽  
Mohd Hairy Ibrahim ◽  
Budi Rismayadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
University Industry

In the last decade, the emerging needs for social responsibility on environmental concern has been considerably transmitted into the initiative of firm alliance. This chapter attempts to examine the essential points of university-, industry-, and community-based strategic partnership for further collaboration alliance. This chapter focuses on the key role of strategic partnership with cooperating into the concern in driving the procedural stage on sustainable development. The findings reveal that outstanding value of strategic partnership would give insights into empowering sustainable-based institutional arrangements assigned with the wide attempts to contribute the prudent public policy formulation to implement the good service to solve environmental and related issues. The value is that strategic partnership trend incorporated in this context would be the point of view for sustainable development agenda rooted into the way of living processes paradigm together with demonstrating the wide range of sustainable governance.

scholarly journals The Flame Retardancy of Polyethylene Composites: From Fundamental Concepts to Nanocomposites

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 5157
Author(s):  
Erfan Rezvani Ghomi ◽  
Fatemeh Khosravi ◽  
Zahra Mossayebi ◽  
Ali Saedi Ardahaei ◽  
Fatemeh Morshedi Dehaghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Flame Retardancy ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fire Retardance ◽  
Low Toxicity ◽  
Implementing Strategies

Polyethylene (PE) is one the most used plastics worldwide for a wide range of applications due to its good mechanical and chemical resistance, low density, cost efficiency, ease of processability, non-reactivity, low toxicity, good electric insulation, and good functionality. However, its high flammability and rapid flame spread pose dangers for certain applications. Therefore, different flame-retardant (FR) additives are incorporated into PE to increase its flame retardancy. In this review article, research papers from the past 10 years on the flame retardancy of PE systems are comprehensively reviewed and classified based on the additive sources. The FR additives are classified in well-known FR families, including phosphorous, melamine, nitrogen, inorganic hydroxides, boron, and silicon. The mechanism of fire retardance in each family is pinpointed. In addition to the efficiency of each FR in increasing the flame retardancy, its impact on the mechanical properties of the PE system is also discussed. Most of the FRs can decrease the heat release rate (HRR) of the PE products and simultaneously maintains the mechanical properties in appropriate ratios. Based on the literature, inorganic hydroxide seems to be used more in PE systems compared to other families. Finally, the role of nanotechnology for more efficient FR-PE systems is discussed and recommendations are given on implementing strategies that could help incorporate flame retardancy in the circular economy model.

Understanding the Role of the Corporation in Sustainability Transitions

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali A. Delmas ◽  
Thomas P. Lyon ◽  
John W. Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Systemic Change ◽  
Coalition Building ◽  
Sustainability Transitions ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Responsible Investing ◽  
Information Strategies ◽  
Wide Range

The state of the planet calls for large-scale sustainability transitions involving systemic adoption of markedly better environmental and social practices. The objective of this symposium is to better understand the role of corporations in promoting such systemic change. We present four case studies—representing diverse industries and change mechanisms—-to investigate corporate leadership in sustainability transitions. The cases examine a wide range of mechanisms used by corporations to progress toward sustainability, such as political coalition building and information strategies through eco-labels, socially responsible investing, and the public statements of CEOs. In this introduction, we discuss the challenges associated with both achieving and studying systemic change, explain the rationale for a case study approach, describe the findings from the case studies, and draw some general conclusions on the mechanisms by which firms may be able to lead, or at least participate in, systemic change in the different phases of sustainability transitions.

scholarly journals Hierarchical Porous Polyamide 6 by Solution Foaming: Synthesis, Characterization and Properties

Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Wang ◽  
Yu-Ke Wu ◽  
Fang-Fang Ai ◽  
Jie Fan ◽  
Zhao-Peng Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Polyamide 6 ◽  
Solution Concentration ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Foaming Agent ◽  
Hierarchical Porous ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Novel Strategy

Porous polym er materials have received great interest in both academic and industrial fields due to their wide range of applications. In this work, a porous polyamide 6 (PA6) material was prepared by a facile solution foaming strategy. In this approach, a sodium carbonate (SC) aqueous solution acted as the foaming agent that reacted with formic acid (FA), generating CO2 and causing phase separation of polyamide (PA). The influence of the PA/FA solution concentration and Na2CO3 concentration on the microstructures and physical properties of prepared PA foams were investigated, respectively. PA foams showed a hierarchical porous structure along the foaming direction. The mean pore dimension ranged from hundreds of nanometers to several microns. Low amounts of sodium salt generated from a neutralization reaction played an important role of heterogeneous nucleation, which increased the crystalline degree of PA foams. The porous PA materials exhibited low thermal conductivity, high crystallinity and good mechanical properties. The novel strategy in this work could produce PA foams on a large scale for potential engineering applications.

Tuning into the design wave. The article is devoted to the Kharkiv School of Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (02) ◽  
pp. 31-41
Author(s):  
O. Boichuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Design System ◽  
Design Culture ◽  
Science And Culture ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
History Of ◽  
Domestic Design ◽  
The University ◽  
Near Future

It provides a panoramic overview of how the school was created and has since developed, including the events and personalities that have had a significant impact on its formation. The article emphasizes the role of Kharkiv Art and Industry Institute (KAII / KSADA) in training specialists for the needs of production, art, science, and culture. The article presents design developments of industrial products and graphic corporate styles ordered by companies and organizations. The importance of international relations for the development of the vocational education system and design practice is emphasized by the examples of partnership projects with the University of Halle-Burg Giebichenstein in Germany and participation in the ICSID “INTERDESIGN‑77” seminar. The materials of the article reveal the huge contribution of the All‑Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics (VNIITE) to the creation of a domestic design system. The fundamental scientific and methodological publications of VNIITE and the program provisions of the concepts of design activities are presented, which outline the development directions of the Kharkiv School of Design. Additionally, the article presents the history of the work of the Kharkiv organization of the Union of Designers of Ukraine and its interactions with KAII / KSADA in holding large-scale cultural and educational events, festivals, exhibitions, and design competitions. In this regard, the content and objectives of the exhibitions-contests “Vodoparad”, “Svitlo”, “Replicants”, “Cult of Design: Digital Life” are analyzed. Their importance for integration into the international design culture is highlighted, as is the development of the directions: “industrial art-design”, “innovative design”, design of “subject-painting installations”. At the end of the article, the level of success of the Kharkiv School of Design is assessed based on a set of criteria. A forecast of the school’s development in the near future is made and the main conditions for its development are indicated.

scholarly journals Perceptions Related to Nursing and Nursing Staff in Long-Term Care Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Using Social Networking Service

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7398
Author(s):  
Juhhyun Shin ◽  
Sunok Jung ◽  
Hyeonyoung Park ◽  
Yaena Lee ◽  
Yukyeong Son
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Social Networking Service ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Role Of Nursing

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate what opinions and perceptions people have about nursing and the role of nursing staff in nursing homes (NHs) on Social Networking Service (SNS) by analyzing large-scale data through social big-data analysis. Methods: This study investigated changes in perception related to nursing and nursing staff in NHs during the COVID-19 pandemic era using target channels (blogs, cafes, Instagram, communities, Twitter, etc.). Data were collected on the channel from 12 September 2019 to 11 September 2020, 6 months before and after 12 March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. Selected keywords included “nursing,” “nurse,” and “nursing staff,” and included words were “long-term care settings,” “geriatric hospital,” and “nursing home.” Text mining, opinion mining, and social network analysis were conducted. Results: After the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of keywords increased about 1.5 times compared to before. In March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, the negative phrase “be infected” ranked number one, resulting in a sharp 8% rise in the percentage of negative words in that month. The related words that have risen in rank significantly, or were newly ranked in the Top 30 after the pandemic, were related with COVID-19. Conclusion: The public began to realize the role of nursing staff in the prevention and management of mass infection in NHs and the importance of nursing staff after the pandemic. Further studies should examine the perceptions of those who have received nursing services and include a wide range of foreign channels.

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