Synthesis,Structural and Biomedical Characterization of Hydroxyapatite/Borosilicate Bioactive Glass Nanocomposites

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - In this work, a borosilicate glass sample (5SiO2–45B2O3–20Na2O–25CaO–5Ag2O) was added to nano-sized...     

Potential of pulsed electric field to control Aspergillus parasiticus,aflatoxin and mutagenicity levels: Sesame seed quality

Seed processing technologies are essential for seed safety and functionality through protection of physicochemical quality, pathogen inactivation, aflatoxin detoxification and alleviation of mutagenicity. Design of a pilot-scale unit of pulsed electric fields (PEF) to treat sesame seeds with respect to quality parameters, Aspergillus parasiticus inactivation and aflatoxin reduction as well as alleviation of aflatoxin mutagenicity were prompted in this study. PEF energy ranged from 0.97 to 17.28 J achieved maximum reductions of peroxide value and acidity number of 67.4 and 85.7%, respectively, and did not change color L*, a*, b* and hue values. A 60% reduction of A. parasiticus counts occurred at the maximum PEF energy. Aflatoxins G1, G2, B1, and B2 contents decreased by 94.7, 92.7, 86.9, and 98.7%, respectively. Except for the samples treated by 2.16 J with 100 μg/plate and by 6.80 J with 10 μg/plate, PEF treatment provided elimination of aflatoxin mutagenity. It is concluded that PEF treatment can be used to treat sesame seeds with preservation of physicochemical properties, inactivation of A. parasiticus and decomposition of aflatoxins with reduced mutagenicity.     

Coeliac activity of the gliadin peptides CT-1 and CT-2

Summary The coeliac active peptide B 3142, which has been isolated from a peptic-tryptic digest of gliadin [1] and which consists of 53 amino-acid sequences [2], was partially hydrolyzed with -chymotrypsin. The two fragment peptides CT-1 (positions 1–22 of B 3142) and CT-2 (positions 23–53) were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography on octadecyl silica gel and purified by gel filtration on Biogel P2. The examination in the organ-culture test including 18 coeliac patients on normal diet and 7 control persons have shown that the toxicity is preserved after the chymotryptic treatment and that the peptides B 3142, CT-1 and CT-2 do not significantly differ from one another according to their coeliac-specific effect.

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Coeliakieaktivitat der Gliadinpeptide CT-1 und CT-2

Zusammenfassung Das coeliakieaktive Peptid B 3142, das aus einem peptisch-tryptischen Partialhydrolysat von Gliadin gewonnen wurde [1] und aus einer Sequenz von 53 Aminosäureresten besteht [2], wurde mit -Chymotrypsin partiell hydrolysiert. Die beiden Fragment-peptide CT-1 (Positionen 1–22 von B 3142) und CT-2 (Positionen 23–53) wurden durch Hochdruckflüssig-keitschromatographie an Octadecyl-Kieselgel aufgetrennt und an Biogel P2 gereinigt. Die Prüfung im Organkultur-Test unter Einbeziehung von 18 Coeliakie-patienten unter Normalkost und von 7 Kontrollpersonen zeigte, daß die Toxizität nach chymotryptischer Spaltung erhalten bleibt, und daß sich die Peptide B 3142, CT-1 und CT-2 in ihrer coeliakiespezifischen Wirkung nicht wesentlich unterscheiden.

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Supported by a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. We gratefully acknowledge the excellent assistance given by Mrs. U. Schützler and Ms. B. Mosler     

Printing cotton fabrics with reactive dyes of high reactivity from an acidic printing paste

The behaviour of reactive dyes of high reactivity during the printing process of 100% cotton fabrics from an alkaline and acidic printing paste was studied in detail. The printing pastes were stored for different periods of time and then the fabrics were printed. The samples were subjected to two methods of fixation, the first by steaming and the second by thermofixation. The effects of different factors such as alkali and acid concentration, storage time of the printing pastes and method of fixation on the K/S values of the prints were investigated. The fastness properties of the printed areas were also measured to determine the improvement obtained by acidic printing with high-reactivity reactive dyes on cotton fabrics.     

Influence of different reactor types on Nannochloropsis oculata microalgae culture for lipids and fatty acid production

Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels cause global warming. One option is obtaining biodiesel. Nannochloropsis oculata was cultured under different light intensities and reactors at 25°C for 21 days with f/2 medium to assess their effects on cell density, lipid, and fatty acids (FAs). N. oculata improved cell density on fed-batch glass tubular reactor (7 L) at 200 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹, yielding 3.5 × 10⁸ cells ml⁻¹, followed by fed-batch Erlenmeyer flask (1 L) at 650 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹ with 1.7 × 10⁸ cells ml⁻¹. The highest total lipid contents (% g lipid × g dry biomass⁻¹) were 44.4 ± 0.8% for the reactor (1 L) at 650 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹ and 35.2 ± 0.2% for the tubular reactor (7 L) at 200 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹, until twice as high compared with the control culture (Erlenmeyer flask 1 L, 80 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹) with 21.2 ± 1%. Comparing the total lipid content at 200 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹, tubular reactor (7 L) and reactor 1 L achieved 35.2 ± 0.2% and 28.3 ± 1%, respectively, indicating the effect of shape reactor. The FAs were affected by high light intensity, decreasing SFAs to 2.5%, and increased monounsaturated fatty acids + polyunsaturated fatty acids to 2.5%. PUFAs (20:5n-3) and (20:4n-3) were affected by reactor shape, decreasing by half in the tubular reactor. In the best culture, fed-batch tubular reactor (7 L) at 200 μmol E m⁻² s⁻¹ contains major FAs (16:0; 38.06 ± 0.16%), (16:1n-7; 30.74 ± 0.58%), and (18:1n-9; 17.15 ± 0.91%).     

Dynamic stability of a shaft system connected through a Hooke's joint

Dynamic stability of the torsional vibrations of a shaft system consisting of two torsionally elastic shafts interconnected through a Hooke's joint is investigated by means of a two degree-of-freedom model. The linearized equations of motion are shown to consist of a set of Mathieu-Hill equations and stability of their solutions is analyzed by means of a monodromy matrix method. Results are presented in the form of stability charts constructed on various parameter planes visualizing the effect of various selected pairs of system parameters on the stability.     

A user-friendly PC-based data acquisition and analysis system for respirometric investigations

We have developed an easy-to-use computer-based system for recording, displaying, storing and analyzing signals generated by Clark-type oxygen electrodes. A user-friendly interface of Windows-based program BioMed significantly increases the productivity of investigations. It allows to process, control, present and archive the experimental data in real time. A 12-bit analog-to-digital-converter, analog and digital filters, a possibility to zoom the obtained respiratory curves and calculation of the respiration rates by a linear regression method increase the resolution of the estimated oxygen consumption rates. The new system enables to register even small changes, such as 3-5 ngatoms O/min, in respiration rates of biological objects -- enzymes, mitochondria and permeabilized muscle fibers. The system has been developed and is regularly used for the respirometric investigations at the Laboratory of Biochemistry, Institute for Biomedical Research, Kaunas University of Medicine.     

Toxicity of different wheat gliadins in coeliac disease

Summary To determine the toxic effect of different gliadins on coeliac patients, which has been variably assessed in the literature, wheat prolamines (gliadin) were separated into the main fractions-, -, -, and-gliadins by chromatography on Sulfopropyl Sephadex C-50. The chemical compositions of the gliands were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino-acid analysis, determination of amide nitrogen and peptide maps.The peptide fractions B2 and B3 were isolated from the gliadins by a peptic tryptic digestion, ultrafiltration and gel filtration on Sephadex G-50.The gliadins and the peptide fractions were examined for coeliac activity by immunological tests (LIF tests) and by organ-culture tests.The results show that the peptide fractions are generally more active than their respective gliadins. The peptide fractions of all gliadins have a coeliac-specific toxic effect; their activities correlate with the chemical composition of the gliadins.

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Untersuchungen von Gliadinfraktionen des Weizens auf Cöliakieaktivität

Zusammenfassung Zur Überprufung der teilweise widersprüchlichen Angaben in der Literatur über die cöliakieauslösende Wirkung einzelner Gliadinfraktionen wird Weizenprolamin (Gliadin) durch Ionenaustauschchromatographie an Sulfopropyl-Sephadex C-50 in die Hauptfraktionen-, -, - und-Gliadin aufgetrennt. Die Gliadine werden durch PAG-Elektrophorese, Aminosäureanalyse, Amid-N-Bestimmung und über die nach partieller enzymatischer Hydrolyse erhaltenen Peptidmuster in ihrer chemischen Zusammensetzung charakterisiert. Durch peptisch-tryptische Partialhydrolyse, Ultrafiltration und Gelchromatographie an Sephadex G-50 werden aus den einzelnen Gliadinen die Peptidfraktionen 132 und 133 gewonnen. Die Protein- und Peptidfraktionen werden in einem immunologischen Test (LIF-Test) bzw. in einem Organkultur-Test auf Cöliakieaktivität untersucht.Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die Peptidfraktionen durchweg größere Aktivität haben als die entsprechenden Proteine, und daß von den Peptidfraktionen aller Gliadine eine cöliakiespezifische Wirkung ausgeht, wobei die Aktivität mit der chemischen Zusammensetzung der Gliadine korreliert ist.

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Supported by a grant from Stiftung Volkswagenwerk     

The influence of nitrogen doping on reduced graphene oxide as highly cyclable Li-ion battery anode with enhanced performance

A straightforward, one-step route has been established to fabricate reduced- (rGO) and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (NrGO) with remarkable lithium-ion storage properties. The graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized as starting material by improved Hummers’ method. Thereafter, thermally annealing GO with NH₃ at elevated temperature to synthesize NrGO was yielded a more open structure with nitrogen sites suitable for enhanced Li intercalation. NrGO exhibited a reversible capacity of 240 mAhg^?1 at 10 Ag^-1 after 500 cycles with 90% capacity retention, which is the best result achieved among graphene oxide-based anodes at this current density. In contrast to rGO, NrGO cells exhibited a gradually increasing capacity profile, reaching up to 114% of the initial capacity at 0.1, 2, and 10 Ag^-1 current densities. Results showed that high occupancy of pyridinic N within NrGO enhanced battery performance and cell kinetics upon cycling which offers long-time operability at high current density.