Novel approaches to purifying bacteriocin: A review

ABSTRACT

Bacteriocin is a proteinaceous biomolecule produced by bacteria (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative) that exhibits antimicrobial activity against closely related species, and food-borne pathogens. It has recently gained importance and attracted the attention of several researchers looking to produce it from various substrates and bacterial strains. This ushers in a new era of food preservation where the use of bacteriocin in food products will be an alternative to chemical preservatives, and heat treatment which are understood to cause unwanted side effects, and reduce sensory and nutritional quality. However, this new market depends on the success of novel downstream separation schemes from various types of crude feedstocks which are both effective and economic. This review focuses on the downstream separation of bacteriocin from various sources using both conventional and novel techniques. Finally, recommendations for future interesting areas of research that need to be pursued are highlighted.     

Synthesis and two-step sintering behavior of solution derived corundum abrasives with plate-like grains

Corundum abrasives with plate-like grains were fabricated by a two-step sintering technique using the solution-based process with the addition of the ternary compound additive Na₃AlF₆-CaO-SiO₂. The two-step sintering method showed obvious advantages over conventional sintering methods in promoting sample densification, suppressing grain growth, and homogenizing the microstructure of the corundum abrasives. The sample doped with 2.5?wt% Na₃AlF₆ and 4?wt% CaO + SiO₂ in the molar ratio of 1:1 possessed a relative density of 99.3%, average grain size of 0.54?µm, and single-particle compressive strength of 49?N. The introduction of seeds reduced the temperature of θ- to α-Al₂O₃ phase transformation. The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the abrasives was also discussed.     

高强度管线钢落锤撕裂性能的试验

摘要：以X80管线钢为试验材料，采用金相显微镜和扫描电子显微镜，研究了显微组织、M/A、夹杂物对管线钢落锤撕裂性能的影响。结果表明，管线钢落锤撕裂性能（DWTT）随着多边形铁素体体积分数的增加而改善，当多边形铁素体的体积分数超过某一临界值(约28%)后，DWTT性能开始降低；组织中的M/A岛细小且弥散分布，其尺寸控制在纳米级别有利于改善DWTT性能；针对本研究试验钢，若其厚度方向上组织均匀、组织中铁素体体积分数为28%、M/A岛平均尺寸和比例分别为0.42μm和2.8%时，试验钢具有最好的落锤撕裂性能（韧性剪切面积率94.5%）。     

DP980高强钢连续退火后的组织与性能

研究了不同工艺参数对980 MPa级连续退火双相钢组织及力学性能的影响,利用光学显微镜、透射电镜(TEM)以及拉伸试验对双相钢的微观组织和力学性能进行测试及分析。结果表明:DP980钢的退火组织主要由铁素体、马氏体岛和少量的贝氏体组成,马氏体岛附近的位错密度较高。随着均热温度的升高,DP980钢的抗拉强度呈现先降低后升高的趋势,屈服强度与抗拉强度的趋势一致,伸长率先升高后降低。随着过时效温度的升高,DP980钢的抗拉强度和屈服强度降低,降低幅度较小,伸长率上升,但变化不明显,说明通过调整过时效温度来调控其力学性能的作用较小。     

Alternatives for improving energy security in Cape Verde

The lack of consensus on the meaning of energy security and how it should be measured hinders the evaluation of alternatives for improving the Cape Verdean energy sector. The objective of the paper is to develop an energy security index adjusted to the country's context. The methods used are the multi-criteria analysis and the Delphi survey. Different alternatives to improve energy security are assessed: electrically interconnect Cape Verde's islands, increase the share of renewable energy, and a combination of the previous alternatives. The results of our analysis indicate that increasing renewable energy is the optimal alternative for Cape Verde.     

Sign Language to Sentence Formation: A Real Time Solution for Deaf People

Communication is a basic need of every human being to exchange thoughts and interact with the society. Acute peoples usually confab through different spoken languages, whereas deaf people cannot do so. Therefore, the Sign Language (SL) is the communication medium of such people for their conversation and interaction with the society. The SL is expressed in terms of specific gesture for every word and a gesture is consisted in a sequence of performed signs. The acute people normally observe these signs to understand the difference between single and multiple gestures for singular and plural words respectively. The signs for singular words such as I, eat, drink, home are unalike the plural words as school, cars, players. A special training is required to gain the sufficient knowledge and practice so that people can differentiate and understand every gesture/sign appropriately. Innumerable researches have been performed to articulate the computer-based solution to understand the single gesture with the help of a single hand enumeration. The complete understanding of such communications are possible only with the help of this differentiation of gestures in computer-based solution of SL to cope with the real world environment. Hence, there is still a demand for specific environment to automate such a communication solution to interact with such type of special people. This research focuses on facilitating the deaf community by capturing the gestures in video format and then mapping and differentiating as single or multiple gestures used in words. Finally, these are converted into the respective words/sentences within a reasonable time. This provide a real time solution for the deaf people to communicate and interact with the society.     

Estimation of magnetic island width by the fluctuations of electron cyclotron emission radiometer on J-TEXT

The width of a magnetic island is an important parameter for the quantitative analysis of magnetohydrodynamic-related physics. An electron cyclotron emission radiometer(ECE) is a powerful tool that can be used to obtain this width, which can usually be determined from the flat temperature distribution at the O-point phase or the maxima temperature perturbation. An improved method to estimate the width of a magnetic island is proposed in this paper, and it is independent of calibration. With this method and the existing 24-channel ECE system, the width of a rotation magnetic island can be estimated. Additionally, by filtering the fluctuation ECE signal, the evolution of the magnetic island can be obtained. The results of this method are consistent with those of the integrated magnetic probe signals, which represent the relative change of the magnetic island.     

Retention of Eucalyptol,a Natural Volatile Insecticide,in Delivery Systems Based on Hydroxypropyl‐β‐Cyclodextrin and Liposomes

Eucalyptol (Euc) is a natural monoterpene with insecticide effects. Being highly volatile and sensitive to ambient conditions, its encapsulation would enlarge its application. Euc‐loaded conventional liposomes (CL), cyclodextrin/drug inclusion complex, and drug‐in‐cyclodextrin‐in‐liposomes (DCL) are prepared to protect Euc from degradation, reduce its evaporation, and provide its controlled release. The liposomal suspension is freeze‐dried using hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) as cryoprotectant. The liposomes are characterized before and after freeze‐drying. The effect of Euc on the fluidity of liposomal membrane is also examined. A release study of Euc from delivery systems, in powder and reconstituted forms, is performed by multiple head extraction at 60 °C after 6 months of storage at 4 °C. CL and DCL suspensions are homogeneous, show nanometric vesicles size, spherical shape, and negative surface charge before and after freeze‐drying. Moreover, HP‐β‐CD does not affect the fluidity of liposomes. CL formulations present a weak encapsulation for Euc. The loading capacity of eucalyptol in DCL is 38 times higher than that in CL formulation. In addition, freeze‐dried DCL and HP‐β‐CD/Euc inclusion complex show a higher retention of eucalyptol than CL delivery system. Both carrier systems HP‐β‐CD/Euc and Euc‐loaded DCL decrease Euc evaporation and improve its retention. Practical Applications: Eucalyptol is a natural insecticide. It is highly volatile and poorly soluble in water. To enlarge its application, its encapsulation in three delivery systems (conventional liposomes, cyclodextrin/drug inclusion complex, combined system composed of cyclodextrin inclusion complex and liposome) is studied. In this paper it is proved that cyclodextrin/eucalyptol inclusion complex and eucalyptol‐in‐cyclodextrin‐in‐liposome are effective delivery systems for encalyptol encapsulation, retention, and release.     

基于Copula函数的郑州市夏季双重城市热岛及其影响因素关系分析

城市热环境变化影响城市小区域气候，探究影响因子与其作用机制，可有效减缓城市热岛现象。利用郑州市1960～2017年长序列数据，从相对热岛（RHI）和绝对热岛（AHI）两个层面探究驱动因子降雨（R）、蒸发（E）、建成区面积(B_BUA)、城镇化率(U_UR)的影响关系，利用交叉小波和小波相干探究热岛与降雨的雨热关系，采用Copula函数计算影响因子在不同取值条件下与热岛的遭遇概率。结果表明，相对热岛-相对降雨在短中周期、绝对热岛-降雨在短周期上均呈负相关关系，雨热关系不同步，且绝对热岛-降雨的关系最为显著；影响因子B_BUA、U_UR取值越大，R取值越小，则与RHI、AHI的遭遇概率越大；不同影响因子在不同评价层面，敏感性强弱不同，E在不同层面的反馈机制也不同，可见选取合适评价分析层面，有利于准确量化影响程度。