Suitability of magnetic nanoparticle immobilised cellulases in enhancing enzymatic saccharification of pretreated hemp biomass

Previous research focused on pretreatment of biomass, production of fermentable sugars and their consumption to produce ethanol. The main goal of the work was to economise the production process cost of fermentable sugars. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to investigate enzyme hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose and hemp hurds (natural cellulosic substrate) using free and immobilised enzymes. Cellulase from Trichoderma reesei was immobilised on an activated magnetic support by covalent binding and its activity was compared with that of the free enzyme to hydrolyse microcrystalline cellulose and hemp hurds on the basis of thermostability and reusability.

Understanding physicochemical changes in pretreated and enzyme hydrolysed hemp (Cannabis sativa) biomass for biorefinery development

The physicochemical properties of hemp biomass structure to pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis were investigated to improve upon reducing sugar production for biofuel development. Sodium hydroxide pretreated biomass (SHPB) yielded maximum conversion of holocellulose into reducing sugar (72 %). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that enzymatic hydrolysis generated regular micropores in the fragmented biomass structure. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curve suggested the degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose, which conformed well to the subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies indicating the presence of α- and β-glucose (28.4 %) and α- and β-xylose (10.7 %), the major carbohydrate components commonly found in hydrolysis products of hemicellulose and cellulose. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra showed stretching modes of the lignin acetyl group, suggesting the loosening of the polymer matrix and thus the exposure of the cellulose polymorphs. X-ray diffraction pattern indicated that enzymatic hydrolysis caused a higher crystallinity index (36.71), due to the fragmentation of amorphous cellulose leading to the reducing sugar production suitable for biofuel development.

Reduction in sugar-sweetened beverages is not associated with more water or diet drinks

Objective The Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT) is a school-based randomised controlled trial that was effective in decreasing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among adolescents. The present study examined, using mediation analysis, whether this decrease in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages could be explained by an increase in the consumption of water or diet drinks.

Design Participants completed a questionnaire about their beverage consumption at baseline and at 8 months (immediately post-intervention), 12- and 20-month follow-ups. A series of multi-level linear regression analyses were performed to examine water and diet drink consumption as potential mediators of the intervention effect on the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Setting Eighteen Dutch secondary schools.

Subjects A total of 747 adolescents (mean age: 12·7 years).

Results In addition to the DoiT intervention effect of a reduction in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages at 8 months (−284 ml/d; 95 % CI −420, −148) and 12 months (−260 ml/d; 95 % CI −360, −160), there was also a significant reduction in diet drinks at 8 months (−52 ml/d; 95 % CI −89, −16). There was no significant difference in water consumption at any follow-up. The decrease in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption could not be explained by an increase in water or diet drink consumption at any time point.

Conclusions Interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption may be effective without changing consumption of other beverages. Reducing sugar-sweetened beverages was, however, a main message of the DOiT intervention. It is possible that a concomitant promotion of water may have resulted in a greater increase in water intake and replacement of sugar-sweetened beverages with water.

Cost effectiveness of a sugar-sweetened beverage excise tax in the U.S.

INTRODUCTION: Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption through taxation is a promising public health response to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. This study quantifies the expected health and economic benefits of a national sugar-sweetened beverage excise tax of $0.01/ounce over 10 years. METHODS: A cohort model was used to simulate the impact of the tax on BMI. Assuming ongoing implementation and effect maintenance, quality-adjusted life-years gained and disability-adjusted life-years and healthcare costs averted were estimated over the 2015-2025 period for the 2015 U.S. POPULATION: Costs and health gains were discounted at 3% annually. Data were analyzed in 2014. RESULTS: Implementing the tax nationally would cost $51 million in the first year. The tax would reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption by 20% and mean BMI by 0.16 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]=0.06, 0.37) units among youth and 0.08 (95% UI=0.03, 0.20) units among adults in the second year for a cost of $3.16 (95% UI=$1.24, $8.14) per BMI unit reduced. From 2015 to 2025, the policy would avert 101,000 disability-adjusted life-years (95% UI=34,800, 249,000); gain 871,000 quality-adjusted life-years (95% UI=342,000, 2,030,000); and result in $23.6 billion (95% UI=$9.33 billion, $54.9 billion) in healthcare cost savings. The tax would generate $12.5 billion in annual revenue (95% UI=$8.92, billion, $14.1 billion). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed tax could substantially reduce BMI and healthcare expenditures and increase healthy life expectancy. Concerns regarding the potentially regressive tax may be addressed by reduced obesity disparities and progressive earmarking of tax revenue for health promotion.

Siro and solo spinning

This chapter describes two modifications made to the conventional ring spinning technology, termed Sirospun™ and Solospun™, which were primarily aimed at significantly reducing the production cost of fabrics. Both were invented at CSIRO in Australia, hence the name ‘Siro’ spinning. The properties of Sirospun and Solospun yarns are different from those of conventional ring-spun yarns and this has opened new market opportunities.

Adverse effects of cigarette smoke on NO bioavailability : role of arginine metabolism and oxidative stress

Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease, and the l-arginine:NO pathway plays a critical role in determining endothelial function. Recent studies suggest that smoking, a well-recognized risk factor for vascular disease, may interfere with l-arginine and NO metabolism; however, this remains poorly characterized. Accordingly, we performed a series of complementary in vivo and in vitro studies to elucidate the mechanism by which cigarette smoke adversely affects endothelial function. In current smokers, plasma levels of asymmetrical dimethyl-arginine (ADMA) were 80% higher (P=0.01) than nonsmokers, whereas citrulline (17%; P<0.05) and N-hydroxy-l-arginine (34%; P<0.05) were significantly lower. Exposure to 10% cigarette smoke extract (CSE) significantly affected endothelial arginine metabolism with reductions in the intracellular content of citrulline (81%), N-hydroxy-l-arginine (57%), and arginine (23%), while increasing ADMA (129%). CSE significantly inhibited (38%) arginine uptake in conjunction with a 34% reduction in expression of the arginine transporter, CAT1. In conjunction with these studies, CSE significantly reduced the activity of eNOS and NO production by endothelial cells, while stimulating the production of reactive oxygen species. In conclusion, cigarette smoke adversely affects the endothelial l-arginine NO synthase pathway, resulting in reducing NO production and elevated oxidative stress. In conjunction, exposure to cigarette smoke increases ADMA concentration, the latter being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Stores healthy options project in remote indigenous communities (SHOP@RIC): a protocol of a randomised trial promoting healthy food and beverage purchases through price discounts and in-store nutrition education

Background
Indigenous Australians suffer a disproportionate burden of preventable chronic disease compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts – much of it diet-related. Increasing fruit and vegetable intakes and reducing sugar-sweetened soft-drink consumption can reduce the risk of preventable chronic disease. There is evidence from some general population studies that subsidising healthier foods can modify dietary behaviour. There is little such evidence relating specifically to socio-economically disadvantaged populations, even though dietary behaviour in such populations is arguably more likely to be susceptible to such interventions.

This study aims to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of a price discount intervention with or without an in-store nutrition education intervention on purchases of fruit, vegetables, water and diet soft-drinks among remote Indigenous communities.

Methods/Design
We will utilise a randomised multiple baseline (stepped wedge) design involving 20 communities in remote Indigenous Australia. The study will be conducted in partnership with two store associations and twenty Indigenous store boards. Communities will be randomised to either i) a 20% price discount on fruit, vegetables, water and diet soft-drinks; or ii) a combined price discount and in-store nutrition education strategy. These interventions will be initiated, at one of five possible time-points, spaced two-months apart. Weekly point-of-sale data will be collected from each community store before, during, and for six months after the six-month intervention period to measure impact on purchasing of discounted food and drinks. Data on physical, social and economic factors influencing weekly store sales will be collected in order to identify important covariates. Intervention fidelity and mediators of behaviour change will also be assessed.

Discussion
This study will provide original evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of price discounts with or without an in-store nutrition education intervention on food and drink purchasing among a socio-economically disadvantaged population in a real-life setting.

The Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT) cluster controlled implementation trial: intervention effects and mediators and moderators of adiposity and energy balance-related behaviours

 Background: The Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT) programme is an evidence-based obesity prevention programme tailored to adolescents attending the first two years of prevocational education in the Netherlands. The initial programme showed promising results during an effectiveness trial. The programme was adapted and prepared for nationwide dissemination. To gain more insight into the process of translating evidence-based approaches into ‘real world’ (i.e., ‘natural’) conditions, our research aims were to evaluate the impact of the DOiT-implementation programme on adolescents’ adiposity and energy balance-related behaviours during natural dissemination and to explore the mediating and moderating factors underlying the DOiT intervention effects.
Methods: We conducted a cluster-controlled implementation trial with 20 voluntary intervention schools (n=1002 adolescents) and 9 comparable control schools (n = 484 adolescents). We measured adolescents’ body height and weight, skinfold thicknesses, and waist circumference. We assessed adolescents’ dietary and physical activity behaviours by means of self-report. Data were collected at baseline and at 20-months follow-up. We used multivariable multilevel linear or logistic regression analyses to evaluate the intervention effects and to test the hypothesised behavioural mediating factors. We checked for potential effect modification by gender, ethnicity and education level.
Results: We found no significant intervention effects on any of the adiposity measures or behavioural outcomes. Furthermore, we found no mediating effects by any of the hypothesised behavioural mediators. Stratified analyses for gender showed that the intervention was effective in reducing sugar-containing beverage consumption in girls (B = -188.2 ml/day; 95% CI = -344.0; -32.3). In boys, we found a significant positive intervention effect on breakfast frequency (B = 0.29 days/week; 95% CI = 0.01; 0.58). Stratified analyses for education level showed an adverse intervention effect (B = 0.09; 95% CI = 0.02; 0.16) on BMI z-scores for adolescents attending the vocational education track.
Conclusions: Although not successful in changing adolescents’ adiposity, the DOiT-implementation programme had some beneficial effects on specific obesity-related behaviours in subgroups. This study underlines the difficulty of translating intervention effectiveness in controlled settings to real world contexts. Adaptations to the implementation strategy are needed in order to promote implementation as intended by the teachers.

The relationship between Fiji Sugar Corporation's profitability and sugarcane production: an empirical assessment

The Fiji Government's inability to resolve the differences over land leases is widely seen as a major contributor to the difficulties experienced by the sugar industry. In this paper, however, a different perspective is provided on the industry's problems. In examining the relationship between the profitability of the Fiji Sugar Corporation and sugarcane production, it is found that profitability has had a statistically significant negative effect on sugarcane production, leading to the conclusion that the Fiji Sugar Corporation has been inefficient in the management of the mills, the rail transport system, and sugarcane research.

Using bottlenecks to control production inventory

In this paper, we investigate how to best optimise the level of Production Inventory or Work In Progress (WIP) in a factory. Using a simulation model of the factory, we show that a level of inventory can be optimised by controlling the buffer levels of the key bottleneck workcenters. By firstly identifying the key bottlenecks, and then systematically reducing the maximum buffer level for each bottleneck, results show that the throughput does not drop rapidly from it's high levels until the WIP is halved. Conversely, the production lead time decreases rapidly and levels out around the point of the optimum WIP level.

Retention of essential amino acids during extrusion of protein and reducing sugars

This research investigates the retention of essential amino acid profiles of products during the extrusion of proteins and reducing sugars. Animal proteins (egg and milk protein at 10 and 30% levels) and reducing sugars (fructose and galactose at 0, 2, and 8% levels), with pregelatinized wheat flour, were extruded at 110 and 125 °C product temperatures and feed moistures of 19 and 23.5% for egg protein and 13.75 and 16% for milk protein. The nutritional property analyzed was essential amino acid retention, and sugar retention was also considered to understand the relationship of sugars with retention of amino acids. Lysine showed the lowest retention (up to 40%) of all the essential amino acids. Retention of other essential amino acids varied from 80 to 100% in most situations. Apart from lysine,  tryptophan, threonine, and methionine were found to be significantly changed (P < 0.05) with processing conditions. Increased protein and sugar levels resulted in a significant degradation of lysine. Greater lysine retention was found at a lower temperature and higher feed moisture. Results of sugar retention also showed similar patterns. The products made from fructose had greater lysine retention than products made from galactose with any type of protein. The outcomes of this research suggested that the combination of milk protein and fructose at a lower temperature and higher feed moisture is most favorable for developing high-protein extruded products.

Optimization of process parameters for the production of naringinase by Aspergillus niger MTCC 1344

Aspergillus niger MTCC 1344 was used to produce extracellular naringinase in a complex (molasses, yeast extract and salts) medium. An initial medium pH 4.5 and cultivation temperature 30 °C were optimal for enzyme production. Among various carbon and organic nitrogen sources used, molasses and peptone were the most effective for enzyme yield. The rate of enzyme production was enhanced when metal ions were added to the medium. Fermentation conditions are described which produced a higher rate of enzyme synthesis. An increase in initial sugar concentration from 6 to 10 g l⁻¹ in the fermentation medium produced decreased naringinase synthesis while cell mass growth increased with the increase of sugar concentration. At a higher sugar level (10 g l⁻¹) the production of cell mass decreased.

Production of high fructose syrup from asparagus inulin using immobilized exoinulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus YS-1

Extracellular exoinulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus YS-1, which hydrolyzes inulin into fructose, was immobilized on Duolite A568 after partial puriWcation by ethanol precipitation and gel exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-100. Optimum temperature of immobilized enzyme was 55 °C, which was 5 °C higher than the free enzyme and optimal pH was 5.5. Immobilized biocatalyst retained more than 90% of its original activity after incubation at 60 °C for 3 h, whereas in free form its activity was reduced to 10% under same conditions, showing a signiWcant improvement in the thermal stability of the biocatalyst after immobilization. Apparent Km values for inulin, raYnose and sucrose were found to be 3.75, 28.5 and 30.7 mM, respectively. Activation energy (Ea) of the immobilized biocatalyst was found to be 46.8 kJ/mol. Metal ions like Co2+ and Mn2+ enhanced the activity, whereas Hg2+ and Ag2+ were found to be potent inhibitors even at lower concentrations of 1 mM. Immobilized biocatalyst was eVectively used in batch preparation of high fructose syrup from Asparagus racemosus raw inulin and pure inulin, which
yielded 39.2 and 40.2 g/L of fructose in 4 h; it was 85.5 and 92.6% of total reducing sugars produced, respectively.

An empirical analysis of sugarcane production in Fiji, 1970-2000

Fiji is a small island country in the South Pacific. Sugar is its oldest industry, being in the vanguard of economic growth and development for over a century. Today the oldest industry, not only in Fiji but also in the South Pacific Island countries, is shrivelling and is poised on the precipice of collapse. The literature to date has singled out expiring land leases and the inability of the government to resolve this issue as the key to the current calamity. This paper aims to estimate a sugarcane production model for Fiji, delineating the short-run and long-run determinants. It expands the Cobb-Douglas production function in specifying the sugarcane production model and uses time series data (1970-2000) in estimating it. The major findings are that area harvested and fertiliser (capital), labour force and prices paid to sugarcane farmers have made positive contributions to sugarcane production in both the short- and long-run. The finding on the statistical significance of area harvested has direct relevance to the current land problems in Fiji. It is envisaged that the results will appeal to Fijian policy makers and that a speedy solution to the problem of expiring and non-productive use of sugarcane land will be achieved.