9 research outputs found
Transitional Justice from the Margins : Collective Reparations and Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission
The Tunisian revolution of 2011 moved from socio-economic to political concerns, and from the margins and periphery of the South and West of the country to the centre, Tunis, driven by the slogan of âjobs, dignity and freedomâ. The goal of this article is to understand the potential of using the spatially informed concept of marginalisation to reimagine transitional justice, using the âvictim zoneâ as a case study. The Truth and Dignity Commission's founding legislation tasked it with identifying victim zones that had âsuffered systematic marginalisation or exclusionâ and proposing reparation for structural violations suffered. Empirical data collected from two disadvantaged regions of Tunisia are used to provide a bottom-up, victim-centred, look at structural and economic violence. The IVD has largely failed to-date to deliver on its promise in relation to collective reparations, but a combination of theory and empirical data provides a springboard for a discussion of how the margins could unsettle current transitional justice practice, both normatively and practically. The article concludes by outlining an unfinished business agenda for Tunisia and implications for future transitional justice. Specifically, it argues for a transitional justice from the margins that focuses on space as well as time, collectives as well as individuals, a normative plurality rather than a single universalised global framework, decentralised agency rather than centralised institutional primacy, and a new social contract (forms of participation and recognition) rather than the continuity of elite bargains
Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Defatted Chlorella Biomass as an Inexpensive Substrate
Microalgae biomass has been recently used as an inexpensive substrate for the industrial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In this work, a dilute acid pretreatment using 0.3 N of hydrochloric acid (HCl) was performed to extract reducing sugars from 10% (w/v) of defatted Chlorella biomass (DCB). The resulting HCl DCB hydrolysate was used as a renewable substrate to assess the ability of three bacterial strains, namely Bacillus megaterium ALA2, Cupriavidus necator KCTC 2649, and Haloferax mediterranei DSM 1411, to produce PHA in shake flasks. The results show that under 20 g/L of DCB hydrolysate derived sugar supplementation, the cultivated strains successfully accumulated PHA up to 29.7–75.4% of their dry cell weight (DCW). Among the cultivated strains, C. necator KCTC 2649 exhibited the highest PHA production (7.51 ± 0.20 g/L, 75.4% of DCW) followed by H. mediterranei DSM 1411 and B. megaterium ALA2, for which a PHA content of 3.79 ± 0.03 g/L (55.5% of DCW) and 0.84 ± 0.06 g/L (29.7% of DCW) was recorded, respectively. Along with PHA, a maximum carotenoid content of 1.80 ± 0.16 mg/L was produced by H. mediterranei DSM 1411 at 120 h of cultivation in shake flasks. PHA and carotenoid production increased by 1.45- and 1.37-fold, respectively, when HCl DCB hydrolysate biotransformation was upscaled to a 1 L of working volume fermenter. Based on FTIR and 1H NMR analysis, PHA polymers accumulated by B. megaterium ALA2 and C. necator KCTC 2649 were identified as homopolymers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). However, a copolymer of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with a 3-hydroxyvalerate fraction of 10.5 mol% was accumulated by H. mediterranei DSM 1411
Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Defatted <i>Chlorella</i> Biomass as an Inexpensive Substrate
Microalgae biomass has been recently used as an inexpensive substrate for the industrial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In this work, a dilute acid pretreatment using 0.3 N of hydrochloric acid (HCl) was performed to extract reducing sugars from 10% (w/v) of defatted Chlorella biomass (DCB). The resulting HCl DCB hydrolysate was used as a renewable substrate to assess the ability of three bacterial strains, namely Bacillus megaterium ALA2, Cupriavidus necator KCTC 2649, and Haloferax mediterranei DSM 1411, to produce PHA in shake flasks. The results show that under 20 g/L of DCB hydrolysate derived sugar supplementation, the cultivated strains successfully accumulated PHA up to 29.7â75.4% of their dry cell weight (DCW). Among the cultivated strains, C. necator KCTC 2649 exhibited the highest PHA production (7.51 ± 0.20 g/L, 75.4% of DCW) followed by H. mediterranei DSM 1411 and B. megaterium ALA2, for which a PHA content of 3.79 ± 0.03 g/L (55.5% of DCW) and 0.84 ± 0.06 g/L (29.7% of DCW) was recorded, respectively. Along with PHA, a maximum carotenoid content of 1.80 ± 0.16 mg/L was produced by H. mediterranei DSM 1411 at 120 h of cultivation in shake flasks. PHA and carotenoid production increased by 1.45- and 1.37-fold, respectively, when HCl DCB hydrolysate biotransformation was upscaled to a 1 L of working volume fermenter. Based on FTIR and 1H NMR analysis, PHA polymers accumulated by B. megaterium ALA2 and C. necator KCTC 2649 were identified as homopolymers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). However, a copolymer of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with a 3-hydroxyvalerate fraction of 10.5 mol% was accumulated by H. mediterranei DSM 1411
Synthesis, structural and microstructural study of new FeNa0.5H1.5MoO5 hybrid material for highly efficient energy storage hybrid systems
International audienc
Physical properties and antifungal activity of bioactive films containing Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer yeast and their application for preservation of oranges and control of postharvest green mould caused by Penicillium digitatum
This study assessed the ability of two bio-based films, obtained from sodium alginate (NaAlg) and locust beangum (LBG), to protect the viability of Wickerhamomyces anomalus cells and control the growth of Penicilliumdigitatum. The effect of microbial cell incorporation on physical properties of the developed films was evaluatedin terms of barrier, mechanical and optical properties. Furthermore, the application of these two matrices as bioactivecoatingswas investigated in order to evaluate their efficacy in preserving the postharvest quality of âValenciaâoranges and inhibiting the growth of P. digitatum on artificially inoculated fruits. Results showed that NaAlgand LBG films were able to maintain more than 85% of the initial W. anomalus yeast population and that the developedfilms incorporating the killer yeast completely inhibited the growth of P. digitatumin synthetic medium.Likewise, NaAlg and LBG coatings enriched with W. anomalus yeast were effective at reducing weight loss andmaintaining firmness of âValenciaâ oranges during storage, and reduced green mold in inoculated fruits bymore than 73% after 13 days
Effect of chitosanâbased coatings enriched with savory and/or tarragon essential oils on postharvest maintenance of kumquat (Fortunella sp.) fruit
The present study assessed the ability of chitosanâbased coatings incorporating savory and/or tarragon essential oils (EOs) to preserve the postharvest quality of kumquats. Changes in weight loss, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and vitamin C content were determined over 30 days of storage at 7°C. Savory (Satureja hortensias L.) essential oil was characterized by thymol (29.1%), carvacrol (26.6%), and Îłâterpinene (24.72%) as major constituents. While, in the tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) essential oil, estragol (81.89%), ÎČâcisâOcimene (4.62%), and ÎČâtransâOcimene (3.44%) were the main ones. The CHâEOs coatings were effective in reducing weight loss of kumquats fruits during storage. Moreover, the tested composite coatings showed positive effects in maintaining vitamin C and fruits treated with CHâoil coatings retained good sensory acceptability. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the combined application of chitosan and savory and/or tarragon EOs as a promising postharvest treatment for maintaining the postharvest quality of kumquats fruits
Synergistic Effect of Halloysite and Cellulose Nanocrystals on the Functional Properties of PVA Based Nanocomposites
PolyÂ(vinyl
alcohol) (PVA) based nanocomposites filled with different
amounts of halloysites (HNTs) and/or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)
were produced and characterized in terms of mechanical and barrier
properties, thermal stability, and transparency. A significant increase
in tensile strength by more than 70% and an unexpected improvement
in elongation at break were observed for all the PVA nanocomposites
when compared to the pristine PVA. Moreover, the presence of both
CNC and HNTs at the highest loadings of 5 and 3 wt %, respectively,
improved the thermal stability of the PVA matrix and reduced its water
vapor permeability (WVP) by more than 42%. All the developed PVA nanocomposites
maintained their transparency due to the good and homogeneous dispersion
of both the nanofillers in the PVA matrix. Results highlight the synergistic
effect of HNT and CNC on the barrier and mechanical properties of
PVA, mainly due to the establishment of specific interactions between
the OH groups of HNT and CNC particles