Deoiledjatropha seed cake is a useful nutrient for pullulan production

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ever increasing demand for fossil fuels is a major factor for rapid depletion of these non-renewable energy resources, which has enhanced the interest of finding out alternative sources of energy. In recent years jatropha seed oil has been used extensively for production of bio-diesel and has shown significant potential to replace petroleum fuels at least partially. De-oiled jatropha seed cake (DOJSC) which comprises of approximately 55 to 65% of the biomass is a byproduct of bio-diesel industry. DOJSC contains toxic components like phorbol esters which restricts its utilization as animal feed. Thus along with the enhancement of biodiesel production from jatropha, there is an associated problem of handling this toxic byproduct. Utilization of DOJSC as a feed stock for production of biochemicals may be an attractive solution to the problem.</p> <p>Pullulan is an industrially important polysaccharide with several potential applications in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries. However, the major bottleneck for commercial utilization of pullulan is its high cost. A cost effective process for pullulan production may be developed using DOJSC as sole nutrient source which will in turn also help in utilization of the byproduct of bio-diesel industry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, DOJSC has been used as a nutrient for production of pullulan, in place of conventional nutrients like yeast extract and peptone. Process optimization was done in shake flasks, and under optimized conditions (8% DOJSC, 15% dextrose, 28°C temperature, 200 rpm, 5% inoculum, 6.0 pH) 83.98 g/L pullulan was obtained. The process was further validated in a 5 L laboratory scale fermenter.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first report of using DOJSC as nutrient for production of an exopolysaccharide. Successful use of DOJSC as nutrient will help in finding significant application of this toxic byproduct of biodiesel industry. This in turn also have a significant impact on cost reduction and may lead to development of a cost effective green technology for pullulan production.</p

Biobleaching of wheat straw-rich-soda pulp by the application of alkalophilic and thermophilic mannanase from Streptomyces sp. PG-08-3

An alkalophilic and thermophilic mannanase from Streptomyces sp. PG-08-3 was applied to wheat straw-rich-soda pulp to check its bleaching potential. Optimum conditions for bio-bleaching of pulp were as follows: Mannanase 5 Ug-1 of pulp at pH 8.5 with temperature 55ºC that enhanced the brightness by 7.3% and reduced the kappa number by 24.6% within 4 h of incubation. Tear index (20%) and burst index (11.2%) were also improved by mannanase-treated pulp as compared to the untreated pulp. Treatment of chemically (CEH1H2) bleached pulp with enzyme showed significant effect on release of chromophores, hydrophobic and reducing compounds. Mannanase-prebleaching of raw pulp reduced the use of hypochlorite by 16% to achieve brightness of resultant hand sheets similar to the fully chemically bleached pulp. Scanning electron microscopy of wheat straw rich soda-pulp after treatment with denatured and active mannanase was performed. There was appearance of micro-fibers on the surface of pulp that was treated with active mannanase.Key words: Biobleaching, mannanase, wheat straw-rich-soda pulp

Lobariaceae from the Western Ghats of India

The lichen family Lobariaceae has 34 species represented in India. In this paper six new records are reported for the first time from different states of the Western Ghats: Lobaria adscripta (Nyl.) Hue, L. fuscotomentosa Yoshim, Pseudocyphellaria argyracea (Bory ex Delise) Vain, P. aurata (Sm. Ex. Ach.) Vain., P. crocata (L.) Vain. and Sticta duplolimbata (Hue) Vain. Of these, two are new records to Kerala, one new record to Karnataka, one to Kerala and Tamil Nadu each and Sticta duplolimbata (Hue) Vain. as new record to India (Tamil Nadu)

4D-PET reconstruction using a spline-residue model with spatial and temporal roughness penalties

4D reconstruction of dynamic positron emission tomography (dPET) data can improve the signal-to-noise ratio in reconstructed image sequences by fitting smooth temporal functions to the voxel time-activity-curves (TACs) during the reconstruction, though the optimal choice of function remains an open question. We propose a spline-residue model, which describes TACs as weighted sums of convolutions of the arterial input function with cubic B-spline basis functions. Convolution with the input function constrains the spline-residue model at early time-points, potentially enhancing noise suppression in early time-frames, while still allowing a wide range of TAC descriptions over the entire imaged time-course, thus limiting bias. &#13; Spline-residue based 4D-reconstruction is compared to that of a conventional (non-4D) maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm, and to 4D-reconstructions based on adaptive-knot cubic B-splines, the spectral model and an irreversible two-tissue compartment ('2C3K') model. 4D reconstructions were carried out using a nested-MAP algorithm including spatial and temporal roughness penalties. The algorithms were tested using Monte-Carlo simulated scanner data, generated for a digital thoracic phantom with uptake kinetics based on a dynamic [18F]-Fluromisonidazole scan of a non-small cell lung cancer patient. For every algorithm, parametric maps were calculated by fitting each voxel TAC within a sub-region of the reconstructed images with the 2C3K model. &#13; Compared to conventional MAP reconstruction, spline-residue-based 4D reconstruction achieved &gt;50% improvements for 5 of the 8 combinations of the 4 kinetics parameters for which parametric maps were created with the bias and noise measures used to analyse them, and produced better results for 5/8 combinations than any of the other reconstruction algorithms studied, while spectral model-based 4D reconstruction produced the best results for 2/8. 2C3K model-based 4D reconstruction generated the most biased parametric maps. Inclusion of a temporal roughness penalty function improved the performance of 4D reconstruction based on the cubic B-spline, spectral and spline-residue models.&#13

In vitro flowering in embryogenic cultures of Kinnow mandarin (Citrus nobilis Lour ´ C. deliciosa Tenora)

Embryogenic cultures of Kinnow mandarin (C. nobilis Lour × C. deliciosa Tenora) were raised from unfertilized ovules dissected from unopened flower buds of this plant inoculated on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L kinetin (KN). In vitro flowering was induced in these cultures by usingdifferent concentrations of KN and sucrose as well as subjecting these cultures to different photoperiods. Maximum percentage (31.94%) of cultures producing flowers and maximum number (5.58) of flowers per culture was observed on MS medium supplemented with KN (2 mg/L) and sucrose40 g/L at 12-h photoperiod

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF COLON TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM OF BUSULFAN: USING COMBINATION OF pH AND TIME DEPENDANT SYSTEMS

In present work Colon targeting drug delivery system was developed for Busulfan an anticancer drug by using combination of delayed systems one is pH dependant and other is time dependant delayed system. &nbsp;Rapid release core tablet (RRCT) formulations were prepared using Busulfan drug with different disintegrating agents in different concentrations. The pre-compression and post-compression parameters of all formulations were determined and the values were found to be satisfactory. From the In-vitro dissolution studies, F6 formulation with 12% Hydroxy propyl cellulose (HPC) was the best formulation. For optimized RRCT formulation press coat was done by using Xanthum Gum and Ethyl Cellulose (EC) in different ratios. Press coated tablet delays the drug release up to 8 hours based on the nature and concentrations of the polymer. Each press coated tablet was coated using enteric solution made of HPMC phthalate, Myvacet and color dissolved in ethanol. Enteric press coated tablets (EPCT) were delayed drug release up to 2hrs in fed condition due to pH dependant delayed system. &nbsp;Based on dissolution studies of EPCT formulations, C3OPF formulation was optimized and showed delayed release pattern in a much customized manner. As a result of this study it may be concluded that the colon targeted drug delivery tablets using a combination of two polymers in optimized concentrations can be used to increase the delayed action of drug release to deliver the drug in a delayed manner. Key words: Colon, RRCT, HPC, Xanthum gum and EPC

Capsular synovial metaplasia mimicking silicone leak of a breast prosthesis: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Synovial metaplasia around a prosthesis and in particular around silicone breast implants has been noted by various investigators, but has unknown clinical significance. We report on a patient where a large amount of synovial fluid mimicked rupture of an implant. We believe this to be an unusual clinical presentation of this phenomenon. Review of the English language literature failed to identify a comparable case.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 25-year-old woman had undergone bilateral breast augmentation for cosmetic reasons. One implant was subsequently subjected to two attempts at expansion to correct asymmetry. The patient was later found to have a large quantity of viscous fluid around the port of that same prosthesis. Histological assessment of the implant had consequently confirmed capsular synovial metaplasia. This had initially caused the suspicion of a silicone 'bleed' from the implant and had resulted in an unnecessary explantation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Capsular synovial metaplasia should be ruled out before the removal of breast implants where a leak is suspected. Manipulation and expansion of an implant may be risk factors for the development of synovial metaplasia.</p

4D-PET reconstruction of dynamic non-small cell lung cancer [18-F]-FMISO-PET data using adaptive-knot cubic B-splines

4D-PET reconstruction has the potential to significantly increase the signal-to-noise ratio in dynamic PET by fitting smooth temporal functions during the reconstruction. However, the optimal choice of temporal function remains an open question. A 4D-PET reconstruction algorithm using adaptive-knot cubic B-splines is proposed. Using realistic Monte-Carlo simulated data from a digital patient phantom representing an [18-F]-FMISO-PET scan of a non-small cell lung cancer patient, this method was compared to a spectral model based 4D-PET reconstruction and the conventional MLEM and MAP algorithms. Within the entire patient region the proposed algorithm produced the best bias-noise trade-off, while within the tumor region the spline- and spectral model-based reconstructions gave comparable results

Duplication cyst of pyloroduodenal canal: a rare cause of neonatal gastric outlet obstruction: a case report

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