24 research outputs found

    Genome-wide associations for birth weight and correlations with adult disease

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    Birth weight (BW) has been shown to be influenced by both fetal and maternal factors and in observational studies is reproducibly associated with future risk of adult metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. These life-course associations have often been attributed to the impact of an adverse early life environment. Here, we performed a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of BW in 153,781 individuals, identifying 60 loci where fetal genotype was associated with BW (P\textit{P}  < 5 × 10−8^{-8}). Overall, approximately 15% of variance in BW was captured by assays of fetal genetic variation. Using genetic association alone, we found strong inverse genetic correlations between BW and systolic blood pressure (R\textit{R} g_{g} = -0.22, P\textit{P}  = 5.5 × 10−13^{-13}), T2D (R\textit{R} g_{g} = -0.27, P\textit{P}  = 1.1 × 10−6^{-6}) and coronary artery disease (R\textit{R} g_{g} = -0.30, P\textit{P}  = 6.5 × 10−9^{-9}). In addition, using large -cohort datasets, we demonstrated that genetic factors were the major contributor to the negative covariance between BW and future cardiometabolic risk. Pathway analyses indicated that the protein products of genes within BW-associated regions were enriched for diverse processes including insulin signalling, glucose homeostasis, glycogen biosynthesis and chromatin remodelling. There was also enrichment of associations with BW in known imprinted regions (P\textit{P} = 1.9 × 10−4^{-4}). We demonstrate that life-course associations between early growth phenotypes and adult cardiometabolic disease are in part the result of shared genetic effects and identify some of the pathways through which these causal genetic effects are mediated.For a full list of the funders pelase visit the publisher's website and look at the supplemetary material provided. Some of the funders are: British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council, National Institutes of Health, Royal Society and Wellcome Trust

    Modification of native and waste starch by depolymerization and cationization:utilization of modified starch in binding of heavy metal ions from an aqueous solution

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    Abstract Starch is one of the most abundant polysaccharides found in nature and is widely utilized in various fields of industry. Due to the complex structure of native starch it is insoluble in most organic solvents and needs modification prior utilization. In this study, ionic liquids (ILs), modern green chemistry alternatives for common solvents were used as reaction media in starch modification. At first various starch species were depolymerized in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIM]Cl) with p-TsOH as a catalyst. Microwave activation or conventional bath heating were used as heating methods while HPLC-ELSD was used as an analytical method. All studied starch species depolymerized similarly into water-soluble starch oligomers while microwave activation shortened the depolymerization time considerably compared to oil bath heating. Barley starch was chosen for further experiments, in which various ILs were studied as potential media for starch dissolution and depolymerization. Results suggested that both the anion and the cation part of the IL had an effect on the dissolution and depolymerization of barley starch. After the depolymerization reactions, the depolymerized barley starch was further modified by cationization. [AMIM]Cl was used as the reaction media, microwave activation as the heating method while HPLC-ELSD, 1H NMR and elemental analysis were used as analytical methods. The modified products had DS values from 0.2 to 0.5 depending on the reaction conditions. The products were studied as potential binding agents for heavy metal ions which showed that moderately substituted modified starch (DS 0.4) could be used to bind Cu(II), Fe(III) and Zn(II) ions from an aqueous solution. Finally, potato peel waste was studied as an alternative starch source to produce cationized starch for wastewater purification. Peel waste was pre-treated by alkaline depolymerization after which it was cationized in a water solution to produce cationized products with DS from 0 to 0.35. The cationized peel waste products were studied preliminary as binding agents for Cu(II) ions from a water solution using ICP-OES as an analytical method. The results suggested that when the molar ratio between cationized waste starch and copper was 3:1, cationized waste starch was an effective binding agent for copper ions.TiivistelmĂ€ TĂ€rkkelys on yksi yleisimmistĂ€ luonnossa esiintyvistĂ€ polysakkarideista. SitĂ€ hyödynnetÀÀn useilla eri teollisuuden aloilla. Monimutkaisen rakenteensa vuoksi tĂ€rkkelys on liukenematon useimpiin orgaanisiin liuottimiin ja veteen, minkĂ€ vuoksi sitĂ€ tĂ€ytyy modifioida ennen kĂ€yttöÀ. TĂ€ssĂ€ vĂ€itöstutkimuksessa tĂ€rkkelyksen modifioinnissa kĂ€ytettiin ionisia nesteitĂ€ reaktiovĂ€liaineena. Tutkimuksen alussa eri tĂ€rkkelyslajeja depolymeroitiin 1-allyyli-3-metyyli-imidatsoliumkloridissa ([AMIM]Cl) katalyyttinĂ€ p-TsOH. Mikroaaltoaktivointia ja haudekuumennusta kĂ€ytettiin vaihtoehtoisina lĂ€mmitysmenetelminĂ€. Reaktion edistymistĂ€ ja tuotteiden muodostumista tutkittiin HPLC-ELSD -menetelmĂ€llĂ€. Eri tĂ€rkkelyslajit depolymeroituivat samankaltaisesti vesiliukoisiksi, lyhytketjuisiksi tĂ€rkkelysoligomeereiksi. Mikroaaltoaktivointi lyhensi reaktioaikaa haudekuumennukseen verrattuna. Tutkimuksen seuraavassa vaiheessa tutkittiin ohratĂ€rkkelyksen liukoisuutta ja depolymeroitumista eri ionisissa nesteissĂ€. Tulosten perusteella ionisen nesteen sekĂ€ anioni- ettĂ€ kationiosa vaikuttivat tĂ€rkkelyksen liukenemiseen. Depolymeroidun ohratĂ€rkkelyksen modifiointitutkimuksia jatkettiin [AMIM]Cl:ssa kationisoinnilla. LĂ€mmitysmenetelmĂ€nĂ€ kĂ€ytettiin mikroaaltoaktivointia. Tuotteet tutkittiin kĂ€yttĂ€en alkuaineanalyysiĂ€ sekĂ€ HPLC-ELSD- ettĂ€ 1H NMR-tekniikoita. Kationisoitujen tuotteiden substituutioaste (DS) vaihteli reaktio-olosuhteista riippuen vĂ€lillĂ€ 0.2–0.5. Saatuja tuotteita tutkittiin raskasmetalli-ionien sitomisessa vesiliuoksesta. Havaittiin, ettĂ€ kohtalaisesti substituoitu (DS 0.4) modifioitu tĂ€rkkelys sitoi Cu(II)-, Fe(III)- ja Zn(II)-ioneja vesiliuoksesta. Tutkimuksen loppuosassa tutkittiin perunan kuorijĂ€tettĂ€ vaihtoehtoisena tĂ€rkkelyslĂ€hteenĂ€ kationisoidun tĂ€rkkelyksen valmistamisessa. KuorijĂ€te esikĂ€siteltiin kuumentamalla se emĂ€ksisessĂ€ etanoliliuoksessa, minkĂ€ jĂ€lkeen sille suoritettiin kationisointi vesiliuoksessa. Kationisten tuotteiden substituutioasteet vaihtelivat vĂ€lillĂ€ 0–0.35. Tuotteiden soveltuvuutta Cu(II)-ionien sitomiseen vesiliuoksesta tutkittiin ICP-OES -menetelmĂ€n avulla. Alustavien tulosten mukaan kationisoitu jĂ€tetĂ€rkkelys sitoi kupari-ioneja vedestĂ€, kun tĂ€rkkelyksen ja kuparin moolisuhde oli 3:1

    Simultaneous production of furfural and levulinic acid from pine sawdust via acid-catalysed mechanical depolymerization and microwave irradiation

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    Abstract In this work pine sawdust was converted into levulinic acid (LA) and furfural. Sawdust was first pre-treated with sulfuric acid-catalysed mechanical depolymerization. The conversion reactions were then performed with microwave heating at 180 °C. To enhance the furfural yield and the efficient separation of furfural and LA, a biphasic water-toluene reaction system was used. The effect of an additional catalyst, AlCl₃, on the yield of LA and furfural was also studied. According to the results the pre-treatment method enhanced the yields of LA. In addition, due to the microwave heating the reaction times were short. Additional AlCl₃ catalyst enhanced the LA yield, however excellent furfural yields were achieved even without it. Best LA yield (38%) was achieved with 6 h of milling combined with 30 min of microwave heating while the best furfural yield (85%) was achieved with 4 h of milling and 20 min of microwave heating

    Production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from apple pomace in deep eutectic solvent

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    Abstract Apple pomace is a waste stream produced by fruit processing industry millions of tons annually. It is rich in carbohydrates making it a potential feedstock for the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), one of the most valuable platform chemicals. In this work, the conversion of apple pomace carbohydrates to HMF was studied in a choline chloride:glycolic acid (1:3) deep eutectic solvent. To prevent undesired side reactions of HMF methyl isobutyl ketone was added to the reaction system as an extractive phase. The effect of reaction conditions, i.e., the amount of water added to the reaction system, the presence of Lewis acid co-catalyst, as well as the reaction temperature and time, on HMF yield were studied. The highest total HMF yield (44.5%) was achieved at 110 °C in 10 min with 15 wt% H₂O, and 0.01 g CrCl₃ as co-catalyst. Without the co-catalyst, the highest achieved HMF yield was 37.3% (120 °C, 20 min, 15 m% H₂O). The results indicated that apple pomace can be used as the feedstock for HMF production but the reaction procedure, especially the extraction process of HMF from deep eutectic solvent needs to be studied further

    Removal of cobalt and copper from aqueous solutions with sulfonated fruit waste

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    Abstract In this study, orange peel waste was successfully sulfonated with SO₃-pyridine complex in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid in various reaction conditions. ÂčH NMR was used to verify the occurrence of the reaction and to select the most promising material for the adsorption experiments. The degree of substitution of the sulfonated orange peel waste used for cobalt and copper removal was found to be 0.82. It was prepared with the reaction temperature and time of 70 ℃ and 60 min respectively and with the SO₃-pyridine complex to-peel waste ratio of 5:1. The selected material combined with ultrafiltration removed 98% of copper and 91% of cobalt from single metal solutions and 93% of copper and 83% of cobalt from binary metal solution at pH 5 with adsorbent dosage of 12.5 mg/100 mL and initial metal concentration of 8 mg/L. Preliminary experiments were also performed with apple pomace which was sulfonated in the conditions found best for the orange peel waste. The prepared sulfonated apple pomace proved to be almost as effective in cobalt and copper removal as sulfonated orange peel waste, removing 82% of copper and 77% of cobalt from binary metal solution with 12.5 mg/100 mL dosage at pH 5 and an initial metal concentration of 8 mg/L

    Furfural and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural production from sugar mixture using deep eutectic solvent/MIBK System

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    Abstract Choline chloride (ChCl) / glycolic acid (GA) deep eutectic solvent (DES) media with high water content but without any additional catalyst are introduced in furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) production. The effects of water content, reaction time, and reaction temperature are investigated with two feedstocks: a glucose/xylose mixture and birch sawdust. Based on the results, 10 equivalent quantities of water (32.9 wt.%) were revealed to be beneficial for conversions without rupturing the DES structure. The optimal reaction conditions were 160 °C and 10 minutes for the sugar mixture and 170 °C and 10 minutes for birch sawdust in a microwave reactor. High furfural yields were achieved, namely 62 % from the sugar mixture and 37.5 % from birch sawdust. HMF yields were low, but since the characterization of the solid residue of sawdust, after DES treatment, was revealed to contain only cellulose (49 %) and lignin (52 %), the treatment could be potentially utilized in a biorefinery concept where the main products are obtained from the cellulose fraction. Extraction of products into the organic phase (methyl isobutyl ketone, MIBK) during the reaction enabled the recycling of the DES phase, and yields remained high for three runs of recycling

    Yliopistosairaalan vuodeosastojen lÀÀkejakoprosessin automatisaation budjettivaikutusanalyysi

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    TiivistelmÀ Johdanto: Terveydenhuollon pÀÀtöksenteossa tarvitaan entistÀ enemmÀn ennakointitietoa investointien talousvaikutuksista. Budjettivaikutusanalyysi (budget impact analysis, BIA) on yksi arviointimenetelmÀ, jolla voidaan tuottaa ennakointitietoa pÀÀttÀjille. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli ennakoida lÀÀkejakoprosessin automatisoinnin budjettivaikutuksia Oulun yliopistollisessa sairaalassa (OYS). Aineisto ja menetelmÀt: BIA:ta varten tehdyssÀ laskentamallissa vertailuskenaarioina olivat nykyinen ja lÀÀkeautomaatiojÀrjestelmÀn (automated medication system, AMS) sisÀltÀvÀ lÀÀkejakoprosessi. Arvioinnissa huomioitiin palkkakustannukset, tarvittavat investoinnit sekÀ tila- ettÀ yleiskustannukset. Kustannukset arvioitiin vuoden 2016 arvossa ja toimintatietojen perusteella. Herkkyysanalyysien avulla arvioitiin keskeisten kustannusajureiden muutosten 10 vuoden kumulatiivisia kustannusvaikutuksia. LisÀksi testattiin myös vuodeosastomÀÀrÀn kasvattamisen vaikutusta tuloksiin. Tulokset: AMS:n odotettu takaisinmaksuaika on perusanalyysin perusteella noin kolme vuotta, mutta merkittÀviÀ sÀÀstöjÀ saavutetaan vasta kahdeksan vuoden jÀlkeen. Herkkyysanalyysien tulosten perusteella AMS-skenaariossa keskeisimpiÀ kustannusajureita ovat palkka-, yllÀpito- ja pakkauskustannukset, joista viimeisimmÀllÀ on merkittÀvÀ vaikutus odotettuihin kustannuseroihin. Vuodeosastovolyymin kasvaessa AMS:n voidaan odottaa olevan resursseja vapauttava toimintatapa. JohtopÀÀtökset: Arviointimallin perusteella AMS:n kÀyttöönotto tuottaa potentiaalisia sÀÀstöjÀ alle kymmenen vuoden aikajÀnteellÀ OYS:n toimintaympÀristössÀ

    Lignin-based activated carbon-supported metal oxide catalysts in lactic acid production from glucose

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    Abstract In this study, heterogeneous biomass-based activated carbon-supported metal oxide catalysts were prepared and tested for lactic acid production from glucose in aqueous solution. Activated carbons were produced from hydrolysis lignin by chemical (ZnCl₂) or steam activation and modified with a nitric acid treatment and Sn, Al, and Cr chlorides to obtain carbon-based metal oxide catalysts. The modification of the carbon support by nitric acid treatment together with Sn and Al oxides led to an increase in lactic acid yield. The highest lactic acid yield (42 %) was obtained after 20 min at 180 °C with the Sn/Al (5/2.5 wt.%) catalyst on steam-activated carbon treated by nitric acid. Reusability of the catalyst was also studied with the conclusion that the deposition of carbonaceous byproducts and leaching of Al oxides led to a decrease in catalyst selectivity to lactic acid

    Current status and challenges for metal-organic-framework-assisted conversion of biomass into value-added chemicals

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    Abstract Owing to the abundance of availability, low cost, and environmental-friendliness, biomass waste could serve as a prospective renewable source for value-added chemicals. Nevertheless, biomass conversion into chemicals is quite challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of biomass waste. Biomass-derived chemicals are appealing sustainable solutions that can reduce the dependency on existing petroleum-based production. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based catalysts and their composite materials have attracted considerable amounts of interest in biomass conversion applications recently because of their interesting physical and chemical characteristics. Due to their tunability, the catalytic activity and selectivity of MOF-based catalyst/composite materials can be tailored by functionalizing them with a variety of functional groups to enhance biomass conversion efficiency. This review focuses on the catalytic transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into value-added chemicals by employing MOF-based catalyst/composite materials. The main focus is given to the production of the platform chemicals HMF and Furfural from the corresponding (hemi)cellulosic biomass, due to their versatility as intermediates for the production of various biobased chemicals and fuels. The effects of different experimental parameters on the conversion of biomass by MOF-based catalysts are also included. Finally, current challenges and perspectives of biomass conversion into chemicals by MOF-based catalysts are highlighted

    Production of ethyl lactate by activated carbon-supported Sn and Zn oxide catalysts utilizing lignocellulosic side streams

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    Abstract In this study, activated carbon-supported Sn and Zn oxide catalysts were prepared from hydrolysis lignin and used for the conversion of model solutions of trioses, hexoses, and lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates to ethyl lactate. Both catalysts, SnO₂@AC and ZnO@AC, were able to produce ethyl lactate in high yields. SnO₂@AC was a more active and selective catalyst in triose (dihydroxyacetone) conversion, providing 99% yield to ethyl lactate. ZnO@AC, by contrast, was more selective in glucose and hydrolysate conversion, with a yield of 60% and 85%, respectively. The ethyl lactate yields were significantly higher than those from the optimized model solution experiments when using ZnO@AC catalyst. These findings indicate that milder acidity of the ZnO@AC catalyst together with Naâș and SO₄ÂČ⁻ in hydrolysate favored ethyl lactate production, preventing byproduct, furan derivatives and acetal, formation. Moreover, the catalysts were able to maintain their catalytic activity in recycling experiments
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