Effect of Cultivation Parameters on Fermentation and Hydrogen Production in the Phylum Thermotogae

The phylum Thermotogae is composed of a single class (Thermotogae), 4 orders (Thermotogales, Kosmotogales, Petrotogales, Mesoaciditogales), 5 families (Thermatogaceae, Fervidobacteriaceae, Kosmotogaceae, Petrotogaceae, Mesoaciditogaceae), and 13 genera. They have been isolated from extremely hot environments whose characteristics are reflected in the metabolic and phenotypic properties of the Thermotogae species. The metabolic versatility of Thermotogae members leads to a pool of high value-added products with application potentials in many industry fields. The low risk of contamination associated with their extreme culture conditions has made most species of the phylum attractive candidates in biotechnological processes. Almost all members of the phylum, especially those in the order Thermotogales, can produce bio-hydrogen from a variety of simple and complex sugars with yields close to the theoretical Thauer limit of 4 mol H₂/mol consumed glucose. Acetate, lactate, and L-alanine are the major organic end products. Thermotagae fermentation processes are influenced by various factors, such as hydrogen partial pressure, agitation, gas sparging, culture/headspace ratio, inoculum, pH, temperature, nitrogen sources, sulfur sources, inorganic compounds, metal ions, etc. Optimization of these parameters will help to fully unleash the biotechnological potentials of Thermotogae and promote their applications in industry. This article gives an overview of how these operational parameters could impact Thermotogae fermentation in terms of sugar consumption, hydrogen yields, and organic acids production.     

Indoor levels of volatile organic compounds at Florentine museum environments in Italy

Indoor Air Quality monitoring in cultural institutions is of particular concern to protect these places and the cultural heritage content. An indoor monitoring campaign was performed in three museums in Florence (Italy) to determine the occurrence and levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs of interest included BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes), terpenes, aldehydes, organic acids, and cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS). The most abundant VOCs in all samples analyzed were BTEX, which were strictly related to the traffic source, followed by siloxanes and terpenes. Among BTEX, toluene was always the most abundant followed by xylenes, ethylbenzene, and benzene. cVMS in exhibition rooms with the presence of visitors showed higher values compared to samples collected when the museums were closed. Terpenes showed not only the influence of vegetation-biogenic sources surrounding a museum but could also be related to the wood used for the construction of showcases and furniture and the use of cleaning products. Data obtained also showed the presence of organic acids and aldehydes whose source can be traced back to exhibits themselves and wood-based furniture. Assessing the levels of organic acids in museums is important because, over time, it can cause deterioration of the artifacts.     

GutSelf: Interindividual Variability in the Processing of Dietary Compounds by the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

Nutritional research is currently entering the field of personalized nutrition, to a large extent driven by major technological breakthroughs in analytical sciences and biocomputing. An efficient launching of the personalized approach depends on the ability of researchers to comprehensively monitor and characterize interindividual variability in the activity of the human gastrointestinal tract. This information is currently not available in such a form. This review therefore aims at identifying and discussing published data, providing evidence on interindividual variability in the processing of the major nutrients, i.e., protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, along the gastrointestinal tract, including oral processing, intestinal digestion, and absorption. Although interindividual variability is not a primary endpoint of most studies identified, a significant number of publications provides a wealth of information on this topic for each category of nutrients. This knowledge remains fragmented, however, and understanding the clinical relevance of most of the interindividual responses to food ingestion described in this review remains unclear. In that regard, this review has identified a gap and sets the base for future research addressing the issue of the interindividual variability in the response of the human organism to the ingestion of foods.     

Lycopene-rich cream obtained via high-pressure homogenisation of tomato processing residues in a water–oil mixture

Tomato processing residues are still rich in bioactive compounds that may be recovered and reused, with environmental and economic benefits. This short communication discloses for the first time that the high-pressure homogenisation (HPH) treatment of tomato residues in the presence of water and sunflower oil is able to promote the extraction of bioactive compounds concurrently to the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion stabilised by the micronized residues. The mechanical disruption effect of HPH improved the mass transfer of lycopene into the oil phase, and formed fine fibrous debris, improving stabilisation and visual appearance of the emulsion. Results showed a progressive increase of lycopene concentration in the cream phase up to 5 HPH passes and a concurrent reduction of its content in the pellet. Total polyphenols content and antioxidant activity in the aqueous phase gradually decreased when increasing the number of passes, suggesting their progressive transfer in the cream phase. The proposed process that relies on a purely physical treatment and uses only water/sunflower oil as extraction media resulted in the production of a lycopene-rich cream of potential use as a functional food ingredient.     

Seismic,ground motion and geotechnical characteristics of the 2011 Van-Erciş and Van-Edremit earthquakes of Turkey,and assessment of geotechnical damages

Two devastating earthquakes with moment magnitudes of 7.2 and 5.6 occurred on October 23, 2011 (Van-Erci? earthquake) and November 9, 2011 (Van-Edremit earthquake), respectively, in the Van Province of the eastern Turkey. The Van-Erci? and Van-Edremit earthquakes caused 604 and 38 fatalities, respectively, and heavy damage to buildings and other structures, particularly in Erci? town and Van City. In this study, characteristics of both main shocks and their geotechnical aspects, such as local site conditions, liquefaction phenomena and associated ground deformations and slope failures are evaluated. The failures of slopes and embankments and rock falls and ground liquefaction may also be indications of diluted ground deformation caused by the earthquake fault. It seems that a wedge-like body bounded by two fault planes was uplifted. As a result of this movement, the northern shoreline of Van Lake uplifted. The November 9, 2011 Van-Edremit earthquake was triggered due to the variation of crustal stresses induced by the October 23, 2011 earthquake. The effects of local site conditions have contributed to the damage of some parts of Erci? city and its vicinity; however, the ground liquefaction was not observed in the city as anticipated. With a magnitude of 5.6, the Van-Edremit earthquake is probably the smallest magnitude earthquake to cause liquefaction in Turkey so far.     

Recent Biophysical Issues About the Preparation of Solute-Filled Lipid Vesicles

Here we report some recent biophysical issues on the preparation of solute-filled lipid vesicles and their relevance to the construction of “synthetic cells.” First, we introduce the “semi-synthetic minimal cells” as the liposome-based cell-like systems, which contain a minimal number of biomolecules required to display simple and complex biological functions. Next, we focus on recent aspects related to the construction of synthetic cells. Emphasis is given to the interplay between the methods of synthetic cell preparation and the physics of solute encapsulation. We briefly introduce the notion of structural and compositional “diversity” in synthetic cell populations.     

Influence of high power ultrasound on physical–chemical properties of polypropylene films aimed for food packaging: barrier and contact angle features

Investigation was focused on the impact of high power ultrasound (HPUS), also called thermosonication, on the oxygen permeation properties (permeability, solubility and diffusion coefficients) of barrier films aimed for food packaging. For this purpose, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) coated with acrylic/polyvinylidene chloride (BOPPAcPVDC) and biaxially oriented coextruded polypropylene (BOPPcoex) were used. The physical–chemical profile of the samples was determined using goniometry. There is a significant impact only of extreme HPUS conditions (the longest time and the highest amplitude) on the permeability, solubility and diffusion coefficients of oxygen through the BOPP films. The highest influence on the oxygen permeability in both investigated BOPP samples involved an HPUS with an amplitude of 100% during a 6 min treatment. However, BOPP samples showed different sensitivities at lower HPUS treatments. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Kenaf‐filled biodegradable composites: rheological and mechanical behaviour

Biodegradable polymer composites, typically based on biodegradable polymer matrices and natural‐organic fillers, are gaining rising interest and importance over the last few years. Several natural‐organic fillers can be used but the most widespread so far is wood, in the form of fibres or flour. Alternative cellulosic fillers can ensure advantages in terms of resource utilization and properties of the final composite. In this work, Mater‐Bi^® based biodegradable composites were prepared with two kinds of wood flour, and directly compared with alternative composites containing kenaf fibres. The use of kenaf fibres allowed improved elastic modulus, tensile strength and interaction with the polymer matrix to be obtained, although the filler dispersion was worse. Rheological measurements evidenced higher viscosity and an increasingly elastic behaviour of the melt. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry