Production of Pectinase from Bacillus sonorensis MPTD1

U radu je ispitanaproizvodnja pektinaze na podlozi s agarom s pomoću sedam sojeva bakterija izoliranih iz pokvarenog voća i povrća. Najučinkovitiji soj, MPTD1, identificiran je kao soj bakterije Bacillus sonorensis. Primjenom Plackett-Burman i Box-Behnken statističkih planova optimirani su različiti parametri, te je utvrđeno da udjeliekstrakta kvasca, K2HPO4,NaNO3i KCl te vrijeme inkubacije negativno utječu na proizvodnju pektinaze. Najveća postignuta aktivnost enzima bila je 2,43 (μM/mL)/min. U ovom je radu po prvi put opisana proizvodnja pektinaze s pomoću bakterije Bacillus sonorensis.Seven isolates from spoiled fruits and vegetables were screened for pectinase produc¬tion using pectin agar plates and the most efficient bacterial strain, MPTD1, was identified as Bacillus sonorensis. Optimisation of various process parameters was done using Plack¬ett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs and it was found that parameters like yeast extract, K2HPO4, incubation time, NaNO3 and KCl have a negative impact on pectinase production. Parameters like pH and MgSO4 and pectin mass fractions have a positive impact on pecti¬nase production. The maximum obtained enzyme activity was 2.43 (μM/mL)/min. This is the first report on pectinase production by Bacillus sonorensis

Positive impacts of integrating flaxseed meal as a potential feed supplement in livestock and poultry production: Present scientific understanding

When it comes to food and fiber production, flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) has been around the longest. Oil makes up over 41% of a flaxseed's total weight; of that, more than 70% is polyunsaturated. Protein, dietary fiber, α-linolenic acid (ALA), flaxseed gum, and many other beneficial compounds are abundant in flaxseed meal (FSM). There is as much as 30% crude protein in FSM. Therefore, FSM can serve as a source of excellent protein for livestock. FSM increases the efficiency and effectiveness of livestock and poultry farming. FSM can be used as an essential protein feed component in cattle and poultry farming, boosting production and profitability. Because it contains anti-nutritional ingredients such as cyanogenic glycosides, tannins, phytic acid, oxalic acid and an anti-vitamin B6 factor, the use of FSM in livestock and poultry diets is restricted. Animal nutritionists have recently shown a growing interest in reducing anti-nutritional elements and boosting FSM's nutritional value. Recently, fermented FSM has been used to feed cattle and poultry; hence its dietary benefits have not yet been fully assessed. The present article, therefore, addresses the chemical make-up, bioactive components, anti-nutritional aspects, and positive impacts of FSM in livestock and poultry production

Fumaric acid production from sugarcane trash hydrolysate using Rhizopus oryzae NIIST1

548-556Production of organic acids through fermentation of biomass feedstock is a potent strategy for co-product generation and improving economics in lignocellulose biorefinery. Sugar cane trash (SCT), a surplus available agro-residue, was exploited for the production of fumaric acid - a dicarboxylic acid with applications in the synthesis of polyester resins, as mordant and as a food additive. The isolate NIIST1 which showed the production of fumaric acid was identified as Rhizopus oryzae. Media engineering was carried out and a maximum production of fumaric acid in SCT hydrolysate incorporated media was 5.2 g/L. Response surface analyses of the interaction of parameters indicated the importance of maintaining a high C/N ratio. Results indicate the scope for developing the Rhizopus oryzae strain NIIST1 as a potent organism for fumaric acid production, since only a few microorganisms have the ability to produce industrially relevant compounds using lignocellulose biomass hydrolysates

Fumaric acid production from sugarcane trash hydrolysate using Rhizopus oryzae NIIST 1

Production of organic acids through fermentation of biomass feedstock is a potent strategy for co-product generation and improving economics in lignocellulose biorefinery. Sugar cane trash (SCT), a surplus available agro-residue, was exploited for the production of fumaric acid - a dicarboxylic acid with applications in the synthesis of polyester resins, as mordant and as a food additive. The isolate NIIST 1 which showed the production of fumaric acid was identified as Rhizopus oryzae. Media engineering was carried out and a maximum production of fumaric acid in SCT hydrolysate incorporated media was 5.2 g/L. Response surface analyses of the interaction of parameters indicated the importance of maintaining a high C/N ratio. Results indicate the scope for developing the Rhizopus oryzae strain NIIST 1 as a potent organism for fumaric acid production, since only a few microorganisms have the ability to produce industrially relevant compounds using lignocellulose biomass hydrolysates

Behavior and design of CFST columns in fire conditions: The role of shear connectors

Experimental studies on Concrete Filled Steel Tube (CFST) columns at elevated temperatures have shown that there is signific ant slip between the steel tube and the concrete core during the heating phase. As a result, the steel and the concrete components cannot work in tandem to resist the applied axial load. These experiments are conducted on columns with no shear connectors. Most of the design codes for CFST columns require that shear connectors must be provided in the load transfer zone . This work studies the effects of the shear connectors provided in the load transfer zone on the fire resistance of CFST columns. Numerical s imulation using finite element technique is employed for modeling the column behavior. Sequentially coupled heat transfer and stress analyses of three - dimensional CFT column models were conducted in ABAQUS. The steel tube was modelled using four - node shell elements and the concrete infill was modelled using eight - node solid elements. Shear studs were modelled using truss element for heat transfer analysis and beam element for stress analysis. Relevant thermal properties of steel and concrete were taken from the Eurocode and ASCE code. The interface between steel and concrete is modeled to have zero thermal resistance for the heat transfer analysis and as a hard contact with zero bond strength for the stress analysis. The modeling approach presented in this paper was validated against the experimental data available in literature. Numerical simulation of fire behavior of square CFST columns with shear studs provided in the load transfer zone indicated that shear studs restrain the slip between steel and concr ete significantly and increase the fire resistance of the column

The validity of Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF) questionnaire in screening malnutrition among elderly aged 60 years and above in urban Coimbatore

Malnutrition in old age is a significant problem. Mini Nutritional Assessment is a widely used international questionnaire to evaluate nutritional status of elderly. However its length limits its usefulness for screening. Rubenstein and colleagues developed a six question MNA Short-Form (MNA-SF). Later Kaiser et al. proposed top 10 revised versions of MNA-SF. The aim of the present study is to check the validity of MNA-SF proposed by Rubenstein and colleagues and further evaluate the top 10 revised combinations suggested by Kaiser et al

The reliability of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire in screening malnutrition among elderly aged 60 years and above

Background: Malnutrition in old age is a significant problem. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire is a widely used international questionnaire to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly. Objective: To estimate the reliability of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire among elderly aged 60 years and above in Indian context. Method: Reliability of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire, an eighteen-item nutritional screening instrument used in the elderly was assessed using cronbach’s alpha. Result: On evaluation of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire containing information of 190 elderly persons, the Cronbach’s alpha was obtained as 0.800. Conclusion: Screening for malnutrition among elderly was done by using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire is found to be reliable in Indian context

Direct deposition of MoSe2 nanocrystals onto conducting substrates: towards ultra-efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution

There is an urgent need to develop efficient and cost-effective catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in order to realize a hydrogen economy with clean and renewable energy. Nanostructures of layered transition metal dichalcogenides show promising electrocatalytic activity towards the hydrogen evolution reaction, however, the majority of the exposed surfaces (basal planes) are inactive, and engineering their catalytically active edge sites still remains a challenge. Here we show that monodisperse single/fewlayered MoSe2 nanocrystals can be directly deposited onto any conducting substrate, through electrochemical exfoliation of bulk MoSe2, which exhibit remarkable electrocatalytic activity for the HER with ultra-high efficiency showing a very low on-set potential (70.9 mV vs. the RHE) and Tafel slope (31.8 mV dec (1)). The exceptional electrocatalytic activity of the MoSe2 nanocrystals results from the synergistic advantages emerging from improved edge sites, enhanced electronic conductivity and the presence of new and active sites arising upon in situ lithiation, all in one step, which is facile, economic and environmentally benign

Electrodeposited PdNi on a Ni rotating disk electrode highly active for glycerol electrooxidation in alkaline conditions

The development of alcohol-based electrolysis to enable the concurrent production of hydrogen with low electricity consumption still faces major challenges in terms of the maximum anodic current density achievable. Whilst noble metals enable a low electrode potential to facilitate alcohol oxidation, the deactivation of the catalyst at higher potentials makes it difficult for the obtained anodic current density to compete with water electrolysis. In this work the effect of significant parameters such as mass transport, glycerol and OH- concentration and electrolyte temperature on the glycerol electrooxidation reaction (GEOR) in alkaline conditions on a bimetallic catalyst PdNi/Ni-RDE (Pd0.9Ni0.1) has been studied to discern experimental conditions which maximise achievable anodic current density before deactivation occurs. The ratio of NaOH:glycerol in the electrolyte highly affects the rate of the GEOR. A maximum current density of 793 mA cm(-2) at-0.125 V vs. Hg/HgO through steady state polarisation curves was achieved at a moderate and intermediate rotation rate of 500 RPM in a 2 M NaOH and 1 M glycerol (ratio of 2) electrolyte at 80 & DEG;C. Shown here is a method of catalyst reactivation for enabling the longterm use of the PdNi/Ni-RDE for electrolysis at optimal conditions for extended periods of time (3 h at 300 mA cm(-2) and 10 h at 100 mA cm(-2)). Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photon electron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) it is shown that the electrodeposition of Pd and Ni forms an alloy and that after 10 h of electrolysis the catalyst has chemical and structural stability. This study provides details on parameters significant to the maximising of the GEOR current density and the minimising of the debilitating effect that deactivation has on noble metal based electrocatalysts for the GEOR.& nbsp;(c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.& nbsp