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Provider: - Institution: - Data provided by Europeana Collections- All metadata published by Europeana are available free of restriction under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain ...Dedication. However, Europeana requests that you actively acknowledge and give attribution to all metadata sources including Europeana
Provider: - Institution: - Data provided by Europeana Collections- All metadata published by Europeana are available free of restriction under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain ...Dedication. However, Europeana requests that you actively acknowledge and give attribution to all metadata sources including Europeana
Abstract
Thermoformed products bear great potential for the application of recycled materials when using multilayer structures for incorporating post‐consumer recyclates. For this study, four ...different commercially available polypropylene recyclates are selected as possible core layers for the processing of multilayer thermoformed products with top layers of virgin polypropylene. Tests are performed on material level as well as on product level. At the material level, recyclates exhibit different mechanical property profiles with lower stiffness but higher toughness values due to polyethylene contamination. At the product level, thermoformed cups with core layers of recyclate material show lower shrinkage than cups made from polypropylene virgin material only. Most cups with recycled content achieve lower top load than the control cup. Based on these results, three strategies for improving product performance are defined and tested. Namely, (i) the use of a higher share of top layers, (ii) the blending of the recyclate core layer with a polypropylene virgin material with higher stiffness, and (iii) the increase in overall film thickness. All the strategies to adjust the film structure achieve better results in terms of shrinkage behavior and top load. However, the strategy that focuses on increasing the overall film thickness is not economically feasible.
Yogurt cups with their recognizable design are made from plastics that are approved for food contact. The materials used have an interesting property profile. Therefore, these products represent a ...promising waste fraction for plastics recycling. In this study, yogurt cups were pre-sorted by consumers and further hand-sorted. A 2:1 ratio of polypropylene (PP) cups to polystyrene cups was found. In terms of decorations, cups with printing inks dominated. Two thirds of the PP cups were produced by thermoforming and one third by injection molding. Compositional analysis of the recycled PP showed no significant contamination other than residual dyes. Material characterization exhibited that both processing and application-oriented properties can compete with virgin material. To demonstrate a closed-loop, the recycled PP was used to produce thermoformed cups with exceptional properties. This study shows the positive effect of closed-loop recycling and points out potential waste fractions that can be used in the future.
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Abstract Background The gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is widely used for industrial enzyme production. Its ability to secrete a wide range of enzymes into the extracellular medium ...especially facilitates downstream processing since cell disruption is avoided. Although various heterologous enzymes have been successfully secreted with B. subtilis , the secretion of cytoplasmic enzymes with high molecular weight is challenging. Only a few studies report on the secretion of cytoplasmic enzymes with a molecular weight > 100 kDa. Results In this study, the cytoplasmic and 120 kDa β -galactosidase of Paenibacillus wynnii ( β -gal-Pw) was expressed and secreted with B. subtilis SCK6. Different strategies were focused on to identify the best secretion conditions. Tailormade codon-optimization of the β -gal-Pw gene led to an increase in extracellular β -gal-Pw production. Consequently, the optimized gene was used to test four signal peptides and two promoters in different combinations. Differences in extracellular β -gal-Pw activity between the recombinant B. subtilis strains were observed with the successful secretion being highly dependent on the specific combination of promoter and signal peptide used. Interestingly, signal peptides of both the general secretory- and the twin-arginine translocation pathway mediated secretion. The highest extracellular activity of 55.2 ± 6 µkat/L culture was reached when secretion was mediated by the PhoD signal peptide and expression was controlled by the P AprE promoter. Production of extracellular β -gal-Pw was further enhanced 1.4-fold in a bioreactor cultivation to 77.5 ± 10 µkat/L culture with secretion efficiencies of more than 80%. Conclusion For the first time, the β -gal-Pw was efficiently secreted with B. subtilis SCK6, demonstrating the potential of this strain for secretory production of cytoplasmic, high molecular weight enzymes.
Molecular analyses of normal and diseased cells give insight into changes in gene expression and help in understanding the background of pathophysiological processes. Years after cDNA microarrays ...were established in research, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) became a key method of quantitatively measuring the transcriptome. In this study, we compared the detection of genes by each of the transcriptome analysis methods: cDNA array, quantitative RT-PCR, and RNA-seq. As expected, we found differences in the gene expression profiles of the aforementioned techniques. Here, we present selected genes that exemplarily demonstrate the observed differences and calculations to reveal that a strong RNA secondary structure, as well as sample preparation, can affect RNA-seq. In summary, this study addresses an important issue with a strong impact on gene expression analysis in general. Therefore, we suggest that these findings need to be considered when dealing with data from transcriptome analyses.
Trehalose (α-
d
-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 1)-α-
d
-glucopyranoside) is a non-reducing disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules linked by an α,α-1,1-glycosidic bond. It possesses physicochemical ...properties, which account for its biological roles in a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and invertebrates. Intensive studies of trehalose gradually uncovered its functions, and its applications in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals have increased every year. Currently, trehalose is industrially produced by the two-enzyme method, which was first developed in 1995 using maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (EC 5.4.99.15) and subsequently using maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.141), with starch as the substrate. This biotechnical method has lowered the price of trehalose and expanded its applications. However, when trehalose synthase (EC 5.4.99.16) was later discovered, this method for trehalose production using maltose as the substrate soon became a popular topic because of its simplicity and potential in industrial production. Since then, many trehalose synthases have been studied. This review summarizes the sources and characteristics of reported trehalose synthases, and the most recent advances on structural analysis of trehalose synthase, catalytic mechanism, molecular modification, and usage in industrial production processes.
Abstract
Aims
Long-term sequelae may occur after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We comprehensively assessed organ-specific functions in individuals after mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with ...controls from the general population.
Methods and results
Four hundred and forty-three mainly non-hospitalized individuals were examined in median 9.6 months after the first positive SARS-CoV-2 test and matched for age, sex, and education with 1328 controls from a population-based German cohort. We assessed pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, renal, and neurological status, as well as patient-related outcomes. Bodyplethysmography documented mildly lower total lung volume (regression coefficient −3.24, adjusted P = 0.014) and higher specific airway resistance (regression coefficient 8.11, adjusted P = 0.001) after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cardiac assessment revealed slightly lower measures of left (regression coefficient for left ventricular ejection fraction on transthoracic echocardiography −0.93, adjusted P = 0.015) and right ventricular function and higher concentrations of cardiac biomarkers (factor 1.14 for high-sensitivity troponin, 1.41 for N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, adjusted P ≤ 0.01) in post-SARS-CoV-2 patients compared with matched controls, but no significant differences in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings. Sonographically non-compressible femoral veins, suggesting deep vein thrombosis, were substantially more frequent after SARS-CoV-2 infection (odds ratio 2.68, adjusted P < 0.001). Glomerular filtration rate (regression coefficient −2.35, adjusted P = 0.019) was lower in post-SARS-CoV-2 cases. Relative brain volume, prevalence of cerebral microbleeds, and infarct residuals were similar, while the mean cortical thickness was higher in post-SARS-CoV-2 cases. Cognitive function was not impaired. Similarly, patient-related outcomes did not differ.
Conclusion
Subjects who apparently recovered from mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection show signs of subclinical multi-organ affection related to pulmonary, cardiac, thrombotic, and renal function without signs of structural brain damage, neurocognitive, or quality-of-life impairment. Respective screening may guide further patient management.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
The key question is: How does a mild to moderate course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mainly non-hospitalized individuals impact intermediate-term organ-specific functions in comparison to the general population? The key findings are (i) a mild to moderate course of SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with subsequent signs of subclinical multi-organ affection; (ii) associations mainly affect the pulmonary, cardiac, coagulation, and renal system; and (iii) no systematic associations with structural brain damage, neurocognition, or quality of life were observed. The take-home message is systematic screening of multi-organ function even after mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection is recommended to identify individuals at risk and initiate appropriate preventive therapies.
Histamine exists in a multitude of foods and displays an emerging role within food intolerances. Our aim was to identify the activity of porcine diamine oxidase (DAO) required for the in vitro ...degradation of histamine amounts that are found in typical meals containing histamine (75 mg, equaled 150 mg/L). Furthermore, we investigated an actual dietary supplement that is commercially available for histamine intolerant individuals for its histamine reduction capability. Kinetic investigations of porcine DAO showed a substrate inhibition by histamine concentrations greater than 56 mg/L (0.5 mM). The stability of free porcine DAO was tested in a fed state simulated intestinal fluid and exhibited a half‐life period of around 19 min. A total of 50 nanokatal (nkat) free porcine DAO, which equaled the amount of enzyme isolated from around 100 g pig kidney, were necessary for the in vitro reduction of around 90% of the histamine. The dietary supplement that contains a pig kidney extract did not show DAO activity. Instead, the used histamine (0.75 mg) was apparently reduced due to the adsorption of histamine onto a capsule component by 18.9 ± 2.3% within 5 hr. Although the capsule preparation retained its overall structure and shape for at least 90 min in simulated gastric fluid, the apparent histamine reduction was significantly reduced to 12.1 ± 2.3% (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, an alternative to the pig kidney DAO or an improved capsule preparation is needed to ensure an adequate supplementation for histamine‐intolerant humans.
Practical Application
Histamine intolerance is an emerging issue in our society and the intolerance‐related physiological symptoms are currently not reliably treatable due to a lack of scientific investigation. A commercially available dietary supplement for histamine intolerance does not fulfil the requirements for a satisfactory histamine reduction in intolerant humans. The activity of the histamine degrading enzyme diamine oxidase, required for a satisfactory histamine degradation, is by far higher than the theoretical amount apparently given in the dietary supplement. With this knowledge, it is obvious that improved food supplements must be developed to help histamine intolerant humans.
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