Optimization of dextran production from Leuconostoc strains isolated from different dairy products from Ouargla region Algeria

Leuconostoc (Ln) sp. belongs to a group of lactic acid bacteria, which has the capacity to produce dextran (an exopolysaccharides) in the presence of su-crose. dextran is industrially important, it was the first microbial exopolysac-charide affirmed for commercial use. This study aimed to optimize the pro-duction of the synthesized dextran by Ln strains species isolated from differ-ent dairy products. Morphological, cultural, physiological and biochemical characteristics were employed to identify 23 isolated strains. We have identi-fied the species: Ln. gelidum, Ln. carnosum, Ln. citreum, Ln. fallax, Ln. mesen-teroides subsp mesenteroides, Ln. mesenteroides subsp dextranicum, Ln. mesenteroides subsp cremoris. 20 strains had the capacity to produce dex-tran from sucrose. The precipitation and quantification of EPS on MRSs (Mark rogosa et sharpe sucrose) medium revealed a difference between the strains, by the total sugars assay method, the amount of EPS varied between 0.63 ± 0.19 and 2.41 ± 0.17 g / L of strains LnF70 and LnC1 (isolated from goat's milk), respectively. The dextran production from MRSs medium was better than from liquid MSE. The optimization of production on MRSs medi-um with different concentration of glucose, yeast extract and sucrose showed that the strains had good production with a concentration of 2% glucose, 0.3% yeast extract and 10% sucrose.

RNAi for Western Corn Rootworm Management: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Future Directions

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered one of the most economically important pests of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt with costs of management and yield losses exceeding USD ~1–2 billion annually. WCR management has proven challenging given the ability of this insect to evolve resistance to multiple management strategies including synthetic insecticides, cultural practices, and plant-incorporated protectants, generating a constant need to develop new management tools. One of the most recent developments is maize expressing double-stranded hairpin RNA structures targeting housekeeping genes, which triggers an RNA interference (RNAi) response and eventually leads to insect death. Following the first description of in planta RNAi in 2007, traits targeting multiple genes have been explored. In June 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first in planta RNAi product against insects for commercial use. This product expresses a dsRNA targeting the WCR snf7 gene in combination with Bt proteins (Cry3Bb1 and Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1) to improve trait durability and will be introduced for commercial use in 2022.

Harmful Impacts of Heavy Metals and Utility of Biosorption Technique for Their Removal from Wastewater: A Review

The increasing number of efluents discharged from the source of water (urban, industrial, agricultural etc.), is resulting in a higher concentration of heavy metals in the source. Heavy metals have a density of over 5g/cm3 to the metals. These are toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic and resistant in watery and non-aquatic environments and impact water and non-water bodies seriously by substituting the basic metals of the same function. The extraction from the wastewater can be done in numerous techniques for example using an ion replacement, membrane filtration, osmosis, etc. This study discusses the adverse effects of heavy metals on the human body, the benefits of biosorption over traditional approaches for removal of heavy metals, the different biosorbents used to extract heavy metals and concerning issues regarding its commercial use, offering a wider viewpoint for the diversity of biosorbents and utilization of biosorption technique. It is evident from the profound literature survey that pH, biosorbent particle size, contact time, initial metal ion concentration, presence of chelating ligands etc. are some factors that affect the rate and extent of biosorption.

“Ihsanic” Philosophy as an Alternative to Social Justice

This chapter argues that Rawlsian social justice fails to ensure property rights for Indigenous people in the Bangladesh context. Explaining from an Indigenous standpoint paradigm (IRP) in bioprospecting (commercial use of plant materials) research among the Rakhain community, the authors conclude that non-Western utilitarian justice rather Ihsan (good deed for good deed, good acts for good acts) is a probable solution for minimizing the majority-minority tensions, establishing the rights of marginal people, and reaching SDGs in subsequent decades. Despite a rural, remote, and minority context, the appeal remains global as the bioprospecting is neither a national nor regional but a historical and global phenomenon and needs immediate policy, either attention or action or both.

How to get a patent for invention. Recommendations for drawing up application materials

Availability of patents for inventions is a significant indicator of innovative activity in scientific research organization, one of efficiency criterion of its work, creates legal basis for integration innovations into practice and future commercial use. Not every inventor can formulate the point of his invention and describe it correctly according to demands of current legislation.Objective is to help a beginning inventor to form description and formula of invention correctly, to provide information, necessary for giving patent’s application.Recommendations for drawing up a claim according to the patent law of Russia are present in the article with an accent on inventions in the medical area. Conditions of patentability, objects of invention, patent validity periods have been considered. Conditions of creation companies’ inventions have also been highlighted. In the article the demands to a content of applications, structure of description, formula and an abstract of invention have been disclosed in details in compliance with “The Rules of drawing up, applying and considerations of papers (documents), which are the basis for performing legally significant actions in accordance with State registration of inventions” and “Demands to documents of an application of patent of invention”, approved by the Order Minister of Economic Development of Russian Federation, dated on 25.05.2016 No. 316. The example of description of invention in the medical area is given in order to illustrate an invention prototype.According to patent legislation of Russian Federation, a protection is provided to technical decision, which is new, not evident for a specialist in a given filed and is fully revealed in description of an invention in an amount, that is enough for its reproduction, and realization of a stated purpose is confirmed by materials of application. Formula of application must be totally based on a description.

miR2Trait: an integrated resource for investigating miRNA-disease associations

ABSTRACTMicroRNAs are key components of cellular regulatory networks, and breakdown in miRNA function could lead to cascading effects culminating in pathophenotypes. A better understanding of the role of miRNAs in diseases would aid human health. Here, we have devised a method for comprehensively mapping the associations between miRNAs and diseases by merging on a common key between two curated omics databases. The resulting bidirectional resource, miR2Trait, is more detailed than earlier catalogues, uncovers new relationships, and includes analytical utilities to interrogate and extract knowledge from these datasets. The resource could aid in identifying the disease enrichment of a user-given set of miRNAs and analyzing the miRNA profile of a specified diseasome. miR2Trait is available as both a web-server (https://sas.sastra.edu/pymir18) and an open-source command-line interface (https://github.com/miR2Trait) under MIT license for both commercial and non-commercial use. The datasets are available for download at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.8288825.

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the beach sediment of Anday Beach, West Papua (Indonesia)

In the last two decades, scientists have extensively studied microplastics (MPs), small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long, which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life. The MPs in the environment came from the tiny particles designed for commercial use, such as cosmetics. The other sources come from the breakdown of larger plastic items. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of MPs were investigated in the Anday Beach of West Papua (Indonesia). The sampling was conducted from March to May 2019 on Anday Beach. The abundance of MPs found were 0.28 to 1 n/kg for MPs (1-5 mm) and 1140.6 to 1997.6 n/kg for MPs (< 1 mm). The highest abundance of MPs found on Anday Beach was plastic film. We suggest doing a regular beach clean-up to ensure the continuous assessment of marine litter in the coastal areas and extend the sampling area in Papua to record the plastic pollution status in the Papua.

On-farm culling methods used for pigs

The culling of injured and non-viable pigs (Sus scrofa) (neonate to breeding stock) is a routine and necessary procedure on most farms. Usually, pigs are culled using one of the following methods: blunt-force trauma (manual and mechanical), captive-bolt stunners, electrical stunning and electrocution or carbon dioxide. Manual blunt-force trauma is one of the most widely used methods due to its low or absent operational and investment costs. However, as a method, it has serious limitations, which include the risk of incomplete concussion, pain, and distress. Manual blunt-force trauma is also aesthetically unpleasant to operators and wider society. To address these issues there has been significant recent research into the development of alternatives to manual blunt-force trauma, these include: captive-bolt stunners, on-farm, gas-based controlled atmosphere systems, low atmospheric pressure systems and electrical stunning. Some of these are currently in commercial use while others are still in the developmental phase. This review brings together the relevant research in this field, evaluating the methods in terms of mechanism of action (mechanical and physiological), effectiveness and animal welfare.

Pitch-based carbon fibers: preparation and applications

Attention to carbon fiber (CF) conditioned by their unique physicochemical, mechanical and electrical properties, which makes them in demand in various fields of activity. Today there are several kinds of carbon fibers, most of which (about 90%) are made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Despite the fact that carbon fibers are produced from several types of different precursors, their widespread commercial use is limited by the high cost of the product. Has, many research and engineering group seek to reduce the cost of production by using cheap carbon raw materials. A likely solution to this problem is the exploitation of coal, petroleum and coal tar as an effective progenitor for CF production. This review discusses neoteric accomplishment in CF synthesis using various carbon pitches. The possibility of obtaining carbon fibers based on resin with the addition of PAN is presented, and the prospects for their use in energy storage systems and various reinforced composite materials are described in detail.