Valorization of Olive Pomace Oil with Enzymatic Synthesis of 2‐Monoacylglycerol

2‐Monoacylglycerols (2‐MAG) with a high content of oleic acid at sn‐2 position was synthesized by enzymatic ethanolysis of refined olive pomace oil, which is a byproduct of olive oil processing. Six lipases from different microbial sources were used in the synthesis of 2‐MAG. Immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica gave the highest product yield among the selected lipases. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize reaction conditions; time (4 to 10 h), temperature (45 to 60 °C), enzyme load (10 to 18 wt%), and ethanol:oil molar ratio (30:1 to 60:1). The predicted highest 2‐MAG yield (84.83%) was obtained at 45 °C using 10 (wt%) enzyme load and 50:1 ethanol:oil molar ratio for 5 h reaction time. Experiments to confirm the predicted results at optimum conditions presented a 2‐MAG yield of 82.54%. The purification yield (g 2‐MAG extracted/100 g of total product) was 80.10 and 69.00 for solvent extraction and low‐temperature crystallization, respectively. The purity of the synthesized 2‐MAG was found to be higher than 96%.     

Methodological quality in clinical trials and bibliometric indicators: no evidence of correlations

Citation frequencies and journal impact factors (JIFs) are being used more and more to assess the quality of research and allocate research resources. If these bibliometric indicators are not an adequate predictor of research quality, there could be severe negative consequences for research. To analyse to which extent citation frequencies and journal impact factors correlate with the methodological quality of clinical research articles included in an SBU systematic review of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery. All 212 eligible original articles were extracted from the SBU systematic review “Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Surgery” and categorized according to their methodological rigourness as high, moderate or low quality articles. Median of citation frequencies and JIFs were compared between the methodological quality groups using Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric test. An in-depth study of low-quality studies with higher citation frequencies/JIFs was also conducted. No significant differences were found in median citation frequencies (p = 0.453) or JIFs (p = 0.185) between the three quality groups. Studies that had high citation frequencies/JIFs but were assessed as low-quality lacked control groups, had high dropout rates or low internal validity. This study of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery does not support the hypothesis that bibliometric indicators are a valid instrument for assessing methodological quality in clinical trials. This is a worrying observation, since bibliometric indicators have a major influence on research funding. However, further studies in other areas are needed.     

Gold and Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles Modified Poly-Propylene Poly-Ethylene Glycol Membranes in Poly (ε-Caprolactone) Conduits Enhance Nerve Regeneration in the Sciatic Nerve of Healthy Rats

Reconstruction of nerve defects is a clinical challenge. Autologous nerve grafts as the gold standard treatment may result in an incomplete restoration of extremity function. Biosynthetic nerve conduits are studied widely, but still have limitations. Here, we reconstructed a 10 mm sciatic nerve defect in healthy rats and analyzed nerve regeneration in poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) conduits longitudinally divided by gold (Au) and gold-cobalt oxide (AuCoO) nanoparticles embedded in poly-propylene poly-ethylene glycol (PPEG) membranes (AuPPEG or AuCoOPPEG) and compared it with unmodified PPEG-membrane and hollow PCL conduits. After 21 days, we detected significantly better axonal outgrowth, together with higher numbers of activated Schwann cells (ATF3-labelled) and higher HSP27 expression, in reconstructed sciatic nerve and in corresponding dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in the AuPPEG and AuCoOPPEG groups; whereas the number of apoptotic Schwann cells (cleaved caspase 3-labelled) was significantly lower. Furthermore, numbers of activated and apoptotic Schwann cells in the regenerative matrix correlated with axonal outgrowth, whereas HSP27 expression in the regenerative matrix and in DRGs did not show any correlation with axonal outgrowth. We conclude that gold and cobalt-oxide nanoparticle modified membranes in conduits improve axonal outgrowth and increase the regenerative performance of conduits after nerve reconstruction.     

Influence of Eriophyid mites (Aculus olearius Castagnoli and Aceria oleae (Nalepa) (Acarina: Eriophyidae)) on some physical and chemical characteristics of Ayvalık variety olive fruit

BACKGROUND: Aculus olearius Castagnoli is a recently recorded species that damages olive fruits in the Mediterranean basin of Turkey. Thus, the effects of Eriophyid mites (Aculus olearius Castagnoli and Aceria oleae (Nalepa) (Acarina: Eriophyidae) on the olive fruits from Ayval?k variety in southern Turkey were studied for the first time in terms of some physical parameters and chemical constituents including some individual phenolics. RESULTS: The Eriophyid damaged fruits had higher L* values (lighter colour) and tyrosol level (37.53 mg kg^?1) than the undamaged fruits (28.51 mg kg^?1) in August. In contrast, Eriophyid damaged fruits were darker in colour and had lower levels (25.77 mg kg^?1) of tyrosol than those of undamaged fruits (79.14 mg kg^?1) in October. Eriophyid damaged samples had higher values of vanillic acid than the undamaged samples. An increase in the average concentrations of hydroxytyrosol and p‐coumaric acid was observed in the fruits harvested in August, whilst the oleuropein content decreased. CONCLUSION: The harvest in October can be recommended regarding the higher dimensional values, total oil, dry matter and oleuropein contents. But the interaction between harvest time and Eriophyid damage was found effective in terms of tyrosol content and skin colour; as tyrosol values were lower in the fruits harvested in October and the fruits were darker. The resistance of undamaged fruits against Eriophyid damage can be linked to high tyrosol content of these fruits. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterization of Terebinth Fruit Oil and Optimization of Acidolysis Reaction with Caprylic and Stearic Acids

Characterization of the fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition of terebinth fruit oil and the synthesis of structured lipids (SL) were performed in this study. Interesterification reaction of terebinth fruits oil (Pistacia terebinthus L.) with caprylic acid (CA) and stearic acid (SA) to produce a SL was performed in n-hexane using immobilized sn-1,3 specific lipase from Mucor miehei. The effect of reaction conditions and relationship among them were analyzed by response surface methodology (RSM) with a four-factors five-level central composite rotatable experimental design. The four major factors chosen were enzyme load (10–30 wt% based on substrates), reaction time (7–18 h), reaction temperature (40–60 °C) and substrate mole ratio (terebinth oil:SA:CA 1:1:1–1:1:3). The best fitting quadratic model was determined by regression and backward elimination. Based on the fitted model, the optimal reaction conditions for the incorporation of CA and SA were found to be temperature 50 °C; time 18 h; enzyme load 30 wt%; substrate ratio 1:1:3. Under these optimum conditions, the incorporation of SA and CA could be obtained as 19 and 14%, respectively.     

Acetanilide-loaded injectable hydrogels with enhanced bioactivity and biocompatibility for potential treatment of periodontitis

Chronic periodontitis poses long-term challenges in dentistry, requiring the development of innovative dental composites with biocompatibility, bone regeneration, and antibacterial properties. This study focuses on synthesis of novel injectable thermoresponsive hydrogels composed of chitosan, sodium bicarbonate, bioactive glass (20 and 40% w/w), and acetanilide drug (0.3 and 0.6% w/w). These hydrogels exhibit a sol–gel transition at 37°C, addressing periodontal challenges with reduced gelation time. The smooth flow characteristic was evaluated through 17-22 gauge syringe needles at low temperature. Rheological studies demonstrated pseudoplastic behavior, with viscosity decreasing as shear rate increases. Fourier transform infrared and x-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the bioactivity of hydrogels, forming a bone-like apatite layer in simulated body fluid. The drug-loaded hydrogels demonstrated promising in vitro antibacterial properties against dental pathogens, specifically Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Drug dissolution analysis revealed relatively high release rate at 37°C, highlighting its role in rapidly eliminating bacterial colonies at the target site, while the subsequent sustained release contributes to the prevention of infection recurrence. Finally, biocompatibility was assessed with fibroblast, where the cells were observed anchoring into the polymeric chains of hydrogel through extended filopodia.     

Area-based results for mine detection

The cost and the closely related length of time spent in searching for mines or unexploded ordnance (UXO) may well be largely determined by the number of false alarms. False alarms can result in time consuming digging of soil or in additional multisensory tests in the minefield. The authors consider two area-based methods for reducing false alarms. These are: (a) the previously known “declaration” technique and (b) the new δ technique, which they introduce. They first derive expressions and lower bounds for false-alarm probabilities as a function of declaration area and discuss their impact on receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves. Second, they exploit characteristics of the statistical distribution of sensory energy in the immediate neighborhood of targets and of false alarms from available calibrated data, to propose the δ technique, which significantly improves discrimination between targets and false alarms. The results are abundantly illustrated with statistical data and ROC curves using electromagnetic-induction sensor data made available through DARPA from measurements at various calibrated sites     

A GIS-Based Optimization Framework for Competitive Multi-Facility Location-Routing Problem

In a dynamic market setting, firms need to quickly respond to shifting demographics and economic conditions. In this paper, we investigate the problem of determining the optimum set of locations for a firm, which operates a chain of facilities under competition. We consider the objective of maximizing profit, defined as gross profit margin minus logistics costs. We propose a location-routing model where revenue is realized according to probabilistic patronization of customers and routing costs are incurred due to vehicles serving the open facilities from a central depot. We propose a hybrid heuristic optimization methodology for solving this model. The optimal locations are searched for by a Genetic Algorithm while an integrated Tabu Search algorithm is employed for solving the underlying vehicle routing problem. The solution approach is tested on a real dataset of a supermarket chain. The results show that the location decisions made by the proposed methodology lead to increased market share and profit margin, while keeping logistics costs virtually unchanged. Finally, we present a GIS-based framework that can be used to store, analyze and visualize all data as well as model solutions in geographic format.     

Utilisation of waste clay from boron production as a landfill liner material

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utilisation of waste clay from boron production in sanitary landfills. The waste clay (CW) was mixed with bentonite (B) and waste tyre (TW) at different ratios. Results show that, any of the CW-TW mixtures were not acceptable to use in landfills because of insufficient bearing capacity values. On the other hand, CW and 2B/98CW mixtures have sufficient values from the point of experimental tests. As a conclusion, it has been concluded that CW can be used as a liner material for landfills without an addition.