Reduction of solid content in starch industry wastewater by microfiltration

Wastewater obtained in the production process of wheat starch and vital wheat gluten was treated by microfiltration through a ceramic tubular membrane with 200 nm pore sizes. The consumption of process water would thus be reduced, the starch would be recovered to a greater extent and the wastewater problem would consequently be solved. Reduction of the occurrence of polarization layer on the membrane and the constant wastewater permeate flux through the membrane was maintained by inserting of the mixer Kenics inside the membrane tube. The maximum value of the permeate flux (24 L m⁻² h⁻¹) without the use of a static mixer was achieved at 3 × 10⁻⁵ Pa and at a flow rate of 150 L/h, for wastewater samples initially allowed to settle for 4 h prior microfiltration. Under the very same conditions of the working parameters, the use of a static mixer enables a flux that is up to two or three times more intensive compared to the values obtained without using a mixer. Microfiltration reduces the wastewater dry matter from 11 000 to 4000 mg/L, lessens the chemical oxygen demand by 74%, i.e. from 21 000 to 5100 mgO₂/L and significantly decreases the values of the suspended matter, namely from 9000 to 300 mg/L.     

Sprouty3, but Not Sprouty1, Expression Is Beneficial for the Malignant Potential of Osteosarcoma Cells

Sprouty proteins are widely accepted modulators of receptor tyrosine kinase-associated pathways and fulfill diversified roles in cancerogenesis dependent on the originating cells. In this study we detected a high expression of Sprouty3 in osteosarcoma-derived cells and addressed the question of whether Sprouty3 and Sprouty1 influence the malignant phenotype of this bone tumor entity. By using adenoviruses, the Sprouty proteins were expressed in two different cell lines and their influence on cellular behavior was assessed. Growth curve analyses and Scratch assays revealed that Sprouty3 accelerates cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, more colonies were grown in Soft agar if the cells express Sprouty3. In parallel, Sprouty1 had no significant effect on the measured endpoints of the study in osteosarcoma-derived cells. The promotion of the tumorigenic capacities in the presence of Sprouty3 coincided with an increased activation of signaling as measured by evaluating the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs). Ectopic expression of a mutated Sprouty3 protein, in which the tyrosine necessary for its activation was substituted, resulted in inhibited migration of the treated cells. Our findings identify Sprouty3 as a candidate for a tumor promoter in osteosarcoma.     

Electrochemical method for the detection of lipase activity

A novel electrochemical technique for the general assay of lipase activity is described. The method utilizes a solid-supported lipase substrate, which is formed by dripping and drying a small amount of an ethanol solution of 9-(5'-ferrocenylpentanoyloxy)nonyl disulfide (FPONDS) onto gold modified by a hexanethiol self-assembled monolayer. The redox ferrocene group of FPONDS generates the electrochemical signal, the intensity of which is proportional to the number of FPONDS molecules at the interface. Electrochemical and surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopic data, as well as control experiments with an engineered, deactivated mutant enzyme, demonstrate that the wild-type lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus is capable of cleaving the ester bonds of FPONDS molecules via an enzymatic hydrolysis mechanism, which includes the adsorption of the lipase onto the substrate surface. The hydrolysis liberates the ferrocene groups from the interface triggering a decay of the electrochemical redox signal. The rate of the electrochemical signal decrease is proportional to the lipase activity/concentration. These data suggest a general method for the direct measure of enzymatic activity of lipases.     

Mitochondrial Consequences of Organ Preservation Techniques during Liver Transplantation

Allograft ischemia during liver transplantation (LT) adversely affects the function of mitochondria, resulting in impairment of oxidative phosphorylation and compromised post-transplant recovery of the affected organ. Several preservation methods have been developed to improve donor organ quality; however, their effects on mitochondrial functions have not yet been compared. This study aimed to summarize the available data on mitochondrial effects of graft preservation methods in preclinical models of LT. Furthermore, a network meta-analysis was conducted to determine if any of these treatments provide a superior benefit, suggesting that they might be used on humans. A systematic search was conducted using electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE (via PubMed), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Web of Science) for controlled animal studies using preservation methods for LT. The ATP content of the graft was the primary outcome, as this is an indicator overall mitochondrial function. Secondary outcomes were the respiratory activity of mitochondrial complexes, cytochrome c and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) release. Both a random-effects model and the SYRCLE risk of bias analysis for animal studies were used. After a comprehensive search of the databases, 25 studies were enrolled in the analysis. Treatments that had the most significant protective effect on ATP content included hypothermic and subnormothermic machine perfusion (HMP and SNMP) (MD = −1.0, 95% CI: (−2.3, 0.3) and MD = −1.1, 95% CI: (−3.2, 1.02)), while the effects of warm ischemia (WI) without cold storage (WI) and normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) were less pronounced (MD = −1.8, 95% CI: (−2.9, −0.7) and MD = −2.1 MD; CI: (−4.6; 0.4)). The subgroup of static cold storage (SCS) with shorter preservation time (< 12 h) yielded better results than SCS ≥ 12 h, NMP and WI, in terms of ATP preservation and the respiratory capacity of complexes. HMP and SNMP stand out in terms of mitochondrial protection when compared to other treatments for LT in animals. The shorter storage time at lower temperatures, together with the dynamic preservation, provided superior protection for the grafts in terms of mitochondrial function. Additional clinical studies on human patients including marginal donors and longer ischemia times are needed to confirm any superiority of preservation methods with respect to mitochondrial function.     

Rheology and bread‐making performance of gluten‐free formulations affected by different levels of sugar beet fibre,hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and water

This study investigated the application of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) (2%, 3%, 4%), sugar beet fibre (SBF) (3%, 5%, 7%) and water (210%, 220%, 230%) into maize‐based gluten‐free (GF) formulations and their effects on the GF batter rheology and bread quality. HPMC incorporation in higher amounts reduced the compliance values of GF batter samples and increased the values of dynamic moduli indicating an improvement in the GF batter elastic characteristic. The same course of action with a less pronounced influence on mentioned rheological parameters had SBF addition. GF bread quality evaluation in terms of specific loaf volume and crumb texture (hardness, cohesiveness and springiness) reveals that HPMC and SBF incorporation at higher levels enhanced these quality parameters. The inclusion of HPMC and SBF coupled with adequate water content can improve the nutritional value of GF bread without negative influence on bread quality.     

Determination of pK a Values of Oxocholanoic Acids by Potentiometric Titration

The pK _a and the maximum solubility values of cholic, deoxycholic salts and their oxo-derivatives have been measured by the method of potentiometric titration. In the monomer phase (under the critical micellar concentration, CMC), the bile salts have different pK _a values, as a result of their structural differences (the number of hydroxyl and oxo groups in the steroid skeleton) and different hydration properties of the acid anions. In the micellar phase (above the CMC), the bile salts have higher pK _a values than in the monomer phase (under the CMC). This increase in the pK _a values is greater in more hydrophobic bile salts (cholate and deoxycholate), than in less hydrophobic oxo derivatives, which can be explained by the different aggregation numbers of these bile salts. The oxo-derivatives are more likely to form dimeric micelles, where the carboxylic groups are situated on the two sides of the micelle, not causing any electrostatic repulsion. In the more hydrophobic bile salts, aggregation numbers are higher, which causes electrostatic repulsion of the nearby situated carboxylic anions and consequential protonation of these anions (which leads to the stabilization of the micelle). The maximum solubility values are higher for the oxo-derivatives. If the steroid skeleton of the bile salt is more hydrophobic, the capacity to solubilize the unionized bile acid is higher, i.e. a smaller amount of the bile acid anion is needed for the solubilization of the bile acid monomer. The oxo-derivatives are less hydrophobic, but alongside their hydrophobicity, the structure of the micelle determines the solubilization capacities.     

Strategic Particle Swarm Inertia Selection for Electricity Markets Participation Portfolio Optimization

ABSTRACT

The portfolio optimization is a well-known problem in the areas of economy and finance. This problem has also become increasingly important in electrical power systems, particularly in the area of electricity markets, mostly due to the growing number of alternative/complementary market types that are being introduced to deal with important issues, such as the massive integration of renewable energy sources in power systems. The optimization of electricity market players’ participation portfolio comprises significant time constraints, which cannot be satisfied by the use of deterministic techniques. For this reason, meta-heuristic solutions are used, such as particle swarm optimization. The inertia is one of the most important parameter in this method, and it is the main focus of this paper. This paper studies 18 popular inertia calculation strategies, by comparing their performance in the portfolio optimization problem. A strategic methodology for the automatic selection of the best inertia calculation method for the needs of each optimization is also proposed. Results show that the proposed approach is able to automatically adapt the inertia parameter according to the needs in each execution.     

Acidic leaching both of zinc and iron from basic oxygen furnace sludge

During the steel production in the basic oxygen furnace (BOF), approximately 7-15 kg of dust per tonne of produced steel is generated. This dust contains approximately 1.4-3.2% Zn and 54-70% Fe. Regarding the zinc content, the BOF dust is considered to be highly problematic, and therefore new technological processes for recycling dusts and sludge from metallurgical production are still searched for. In this study the hydrometallurgical processing of BOF sludge in the sulphuric acid solutions under atmospheric pressure and temperatures up to 100 °C is investigated on laboratory scale. The influence of sulphuric acid concentration, temperature, time and liquid to solid ratio (L:S) on the leaching process was studied. The main aim of this study was to determine optimal conditions when the maximum amount of zinc passes into the solution whilst iron remains in a solid residue.