Effect of extraction methods on the physicochemical properties of fiber from bamboo shoot waste

Canned bamboo shoot process generated bamboo shoot waste about 50% of raw material. This waste was a rich source of dietary fiber. This study investigates the effect of extraction methods, including (1) water, (2) citric acid, (3) ethanol, acid and base, and (4) enzymatic solution, on the physicochemical properties of dietary fiber of bamboo shoots base and strips. The results indicated that enzymatic extraction of bamboo shoots base provided the highest total dietary fiber (79.05%), soluble dietary fiber (34.72%), water holding capacity (15.08 g/g) and swelling capacity (7.23 mL/g). Therefore, enzymatic extraction of bamboo shoots waste was able to provide a potential dietary fiber which can be used as an ingredient in functional foods

Science and technology information in Thailand : policies, strategies and provision

The aim of the research was to investigate the current state of scientific and technological (S&T) information service provision in Thailand with a focus on its role of supporting research and development. The ultimate goal of the research was to develop a service model(s) which could aid the modernisation of the S&T information service. The information policies and strategic management at national and institutional levels were examined together with present and future roles in service provision and barriers to S&T information development. The research framework was constructed on the basis of theoretical models of the provision and management of effective information services. The institutions which participated in this research included 46 academic and special libraries in Thailand, hereafter called S&T information centres, and two funding agencies. The data were collected using a variety of research tools, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, namely, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The questionnaires were distributed to five groups of respondents: executives, managers, librarians or staff, end-users, and executives or policy-makers of funding agencies. Two hundred and eighty-nine questionnaires were sent by post to 45 S&T information centres and two funding agencies whilst 703 questionnaires were also distributed to end-users. Interviews were performed with 55 executives and library managers. Three focus groups were organised on different topics, with a total of 36 participants. The major findings showed that national information policy in relation to S&T information was still relatively ineffective with roles and responsibilities of stakeholders not explicitly identified. In general, the results showed that institutional information policies exist but weak communication between executives, managers, and staff caused problems with implementation and interpretation. Most S&T centres were found to have strategic plans. The focus of these were on issues of integrated ICT infrastructure, acquisition of electronic resources, service improvement, communication with users and feedback, user education, cost effective use of resources, E-library transition and knowledge sharing. The development of resource sharing via computerised networks was considered to be paramount; progress to date was thought to be slow due to a lack of policies at national and institutional levels. Users' information literacy was still found to be an issue, particularly in respect of making effective use of electronic resources. The thesis provided recommendations for a national network for S&T information provision to be designed and managed by a hosting provider.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Management of the endoplasmic reticulum stress by activation of the heat shock response in yeast

In yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress and activates the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is mediated by Hac1p. The heat shock response (HSR) mediated by Hsf1p, mainly regulates cytosolic processes and protects the cell from stresses. Here, we find that a constitutive activation of the HSR could increase ER stress resistance in both wild-type and UPR-deficient cells. Activation of HSR decreased UPR activation in the WT (as shown by the decreased HAC1 mRNA splicing). We analyzed the genome-wide transcriptional response in order to propose regulatory mechanisms that govern the interplay between UPR and HSR and followed up for the hypotheses by experiments in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, we found that the regulation of ER stress response via HSR is (1) only partially dependent on over-expression of Kar2p (ER resident chaperone induced by ER stress); (2) does not involve the increase in protein turnover via the proteasome activity; (3) is related to the oxidative stress response. From the transcription data, we also propose that HSR enhances ER stress resistance mainly through facilitation of protein folding and secretion. We also find that HSR coordinates multiple stress-response pathways, including the repression of the overall transcription and translation

Metabolic Engineering for Biocatalyst Robustness to Organic Inhibitors

Microbial production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals is often limited by inhibition of the biocatalyst, either by increasing concentrations of the product compound or by contaminant compounds in the biomass‐derived sugars. This inhibition can interfere with economically viable production. Here we discuss typical mechanisms of inhibition and methods for improving biocatalyst robustness. Inhibition often takes the form of inhibition of enzyme activity, depletion of cofactor pools, and membrane damage; methods are discussed for mitigating each of these types of inhibition. Various evolutionary schemes have been developed and implemented on a variety of inhibitory compounds, including butanol, acetic acid, furfural, and ethanol. Reverse engineering of these improved strains can provide insight into new metabolic engineering strategies