Biological Preservation Research Articles

VREDEN RUSSIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TRAUMATOLOGY AND ORTHOPEDICS

Currently, the use of bone allografts for reconstructive orthopedic surgery in clinical practice around the world is becoming a common procedure. Bone allografts are the first substitute material to the autologous bone and the best alternative to any artificial substituting material. The methods used for the preservation, processing and sterilization of bone are changing and evolving with time. The main goals remain the same including exclusion of infections and creation of the material with sustained properties of the normal bone.The present review reflects the essential methods for biological tissue processing, sterilization and preservation with the analysis of the key requirements for manufacturing of safe allogeneic osteoplastic materials with osteoinductive, osteoconductive and osteogenic properties.

Drivers of woody canopy water content responses to drought in a Mediterranean-type ecosystem.

Severe droughts increase physiological stress in woody plant species, which can lead to mortality, fundamentally altering the composition, structure, and biogeography of forests in many regions. Little is known, however, about the factors determining the physiological response of woody plants to drought at landscape scales. Our objective was to understand woody plant species responses to ongoing changes in climate, using remotely sensed canopy water content (CWC) as an indicator of plant physiological and phenological status. We used fused imaging spectroscopy and light detection and ranging from the Carnegie Airborne Observatory to quantify the factors affecting species compositional changes in CWC in a diverse Mediterranean-type ecosystem (Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, California, USA) between 2013 and 2015. Mapped CWC was spatially variable in both of the observation years, and proved to be most closely tied to species composition and distribution across the landscape. The secondary predictors of CWC were elevation and soil substrate. In contrast, we found that CWC change was much more related to environmental factors than to the species composition. We suggest that the effect of environment on CWC change is mediated through species resistance and resilience to drought. Monitoring CWC change with imaging spectroscopy is a powerful approach to identifying species-level responses to climatic events and long-term change, which may provide support for policy decisions and conservation at large spatial scales.

Biosensor Technology Reveals the Disruption of the Endothelial Barrier Function and the Subsequent Death of Blood Brain Barrier Endothelial Cells to Sodium Azide and Its Gaseous Products.

Herein we demonstrate the sensitive nature of human blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells to sodium azide and its gaseous product. Sodium azide is known to be acutely cytotoxic at low millimolar concentrations, hence its use as a biological preservative (e.g., in antibodies). Loss of barrier integrity was noticed in experiments using Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) biosensor technology, to measure endothelial barrier integrity continuously in real-time. Initially the effect of sodium azide was observed as an artefact where it was present in antibodies being employed in neutralisation experiments. This was confirmed where antibody clones that were azide-free did not mediate loss of barrier function. A delayed loss of barrier function in neighbouring wells implied the influence of a liberated gaseous product. ECIS technology demonstrated that the BBB endothelial cells had a lower level of direct sensitivity to sodium azide of ~3 µM. Evidence of gaseous toxicity was consistently observed at 30 µM and above, with disrupted barrier function and cell death in neighbouring wells. We highlight the ability of this cellular biosensor technology to reveal both the direct and gaseous toxicity mediated by sodium azide. The sensitivity and temporal dimension of ECIS technology was instrumental in these observations. These findings have substantial implications for the wide use of sodium azide in biological reagents, raising issues of their application in live-cell assays and with regard to the protection of the user. This research also has wider relevance highlighting the sensitivity of brain endothelial cells to a known mitochondrial disruptor. It is logical to hypothesise that BBB endothelial dysfunction due to mitochondrial dys-regulation could have an important but underappreciated role in a range of neurological diseases.

Modern planktic foraminifers in the high-latitude ocean

Abstract Planktic foraminifers can be sensitive indicators of the changing environment including both the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean. Due to variability in their ecology, biology, test characteristics, and fossil preservation in marine sediments, they serve as valuable archives in paleoceanography and climate geochemistry over the geologic time scale. Foraminifers are sensitive to, and can therefore provide proxy data on ambient water temperature, salinity, carbonate chemistry, and trophic conditions through shifts in assemblage (species) composition and the shell chemistry of individual specimens. Production and dissolution of the calcareous shell, as well as growth and remineralization of the cytoplasm, affect the carbonate counter pump and to a lesser extent the soft-tissue pump, at varying regional and temporal scales. Diversity of planktic foraminifers in polar waters is low in comparison to lower latitudes and is limited to three native species: Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Turborotalita quinqueloba, and Globigerina bulloides, of which N. pachyderma is best adapted to polar conditions in the surface ocean. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma hibernates in brine channels in the lower layers of the Antarctic sea ice, a strategy that is presently undescribed in the Arctic. In open Antarctic and Arctic surface waters T. quinqueloba and G. bulloides increase in abundance at lower polar to subpolar latitudes and Globigerinita uvula, Turborotalita humilis, Globigerinita glutinata, Globorotalia inflata, and Globorotalia crassaformis complement the assemblages. Over the past two to three decades there has been a marked increase in the abundance of Orcadia riedeli and G. uvula in the subpolar and polar Indian Ocean, as well as in the northern North Atlantic. This paper presents a review of the knowledge of polar and subpolar planktic foraminifers. Particular emphasis is placed on the response of foraminifers to modern warming and ocean acidification at high latitudes and the implications for data interpretation in paleoceanography and paleoclimate research.

Plant cryopreservation: a continuing requirement for food and ecosystem security

This issue of In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology—Plant is dedicated to current developments in liquid-nitrogen cryopreservation methods and their use in plant biology and germplasm preservation. The development of cryopreservation for storage of plant cells, tissues, and organs began in the 1960s and continues to this day. Long-term storage of in vitro cultures of secondary metabolite cell cultures, embryogenic cultures, clonal germplasm, endangered species, and transgenic products remains an important requirement for many scientists, organizations, and companies. The continued development of cryopreservation techniques and their application to new plants is the subject of this issue.

Effectiveness of sonography assisted minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) compare with fluoroscope assisted in femoral shaft fracture: A cadaveric study

IntroductionA minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) has an advantage of biological soft tissue preservation that consists of preserving bony blood supply, fracture hematoma and less soft tissue damage which leads to decreasing of infection rate and rapid bone healing. However, the radiation exposure is still a disadvantage of this technique. A sonography that provides dynamic real time imaging may be used as an alternative technique for assisting MIPO. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of MIPO in femoral shaft fracture between the sonography assisted and the fluoroscopy assisted. MethodsTwenty-eight cadaveric limbs were subjected to create femoral shaft fracture. Then, sonography assisted reduction with temporary external fixation and MIPO were performed. Images of the sonography and the fluoroscopy were recorded including before reduction, after reduction and after MIPO in order to identify fracture displacements in anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. Moreover, the anterior and posterior distances from edge of the bone to the plate were measured to confirm plate position. The effectiveness of this technique was defined as the proper plate position and acceptable alignment after fixation. All distances from the sonography and the fluoroscopy were also analyzed and compared using Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman method to assess the agreements between two tests. ResultAll of the subjects were met the criteria for acceptable alignment. We found only three femoral shaft fracture (11%) operated with MIPO by sonography assisted that showed slipped plate off femoral bones. According to Pearson correlation, there were good to excellent agreements in term of measuring fracture displacement before (Pearson Correlation >0.7) and after reduction (Pearson Correlation >0.7) between these two tests. There was moderate agreement regarding to evaluation of plate position (Pearson Correlation 03.–0.7). When we compared two methods of measurement using Bland-Altman plot, there were no statistical significant difference (P<0.05). ConclusionImages from the sonography could provide visualization of the fracture during reduction and MIPO as accurately as the radiography. Thus, the sonography assisted MIPO in femoral shaft fracture can be done effectively comparing with radiographic assisted.

Antagonistic effect of bacteriocin from Bacillus subtilis against food-borne pathogens

Preservation of food items through natural and biological methods has become a norm in order to prevent huge financial losses that may be incurred as a result of contamination of raw foods and/or food products. Biological preservation methods help avert the chances of food born ailments thus ensuring the fulfillment of ever-increasing global food requirements. Growing skepticism among the customers in recent years regarding food safety and preservatives used in food industry has fetched remarkable consideration to the use of Bacillus bacteriocin in food processing as well as human health care. Bacillus subtilis was isolated from soil samples for determination of its microscopic and biochemical characteristics. The proteinaceous antimicrobial compounds were extracted through ammonium sulfate precipitation method. The bacteriocin was partially purified through SDS-PAGE; optimization of bacteriocin at different pH levels, heating temperatures and storage conditions was performed. Indicator strains were procured from CMS, UAF, Faisalabad. The antimicrobial assays of extracted bacteriocin were determined on Mueller-Hinton media through agar well diffusion method. The extracted bacteriocin showed comparatively better antibacterial activity against indicator Staphylococcus aureus followed by E. coli and Salmonella. Maximum activity was observed at pH 7, heating temperature 37°C and storage 4°C, comparatively higher activity against Gram positive bacteria was noticed. Keywords: Biological preservation; Economic losses; Antimicrobial compounds; Optimization http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.60060

A Delphi analysis on green performance evaluation indices for ports in China

ABSTRACTThis study identified a set of applicable and practical green performance evaluation indices for Chinese ports using the Delphi technique. The research was conducted by targeting three representative Chinese ports in Eastern China: the Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port, and Qingdao Port. An effective expert panel was structured with direct stakeholders related to green performance, which was based on a sufficient consideration of the unique and the special decision-making system for Chinese ports. Twenty-one green performance indices in six dimensions (i.e. liquid pollution management, air pollution management, noise control, low carbon regulations and energy savings, marine biology preservation, and organization and management) were eventually identified through three rounds of iterations. The identified green performance indices for Chinese ports are highly consistent with the Chinese Government’s environmental policies. Compared with European ports, the green port performance indicators in China are not as comprehensive. The indicators that are strictly consistent with national macro policies and the factors that are more easily seen, heard, and felt were perceived to be more important. From an academic perspective, this study offers a new approach for system establishment and green practice criteria exploration and thus provides a significant basis for further green port studies.

Phosphorus Depletion as a Green Alternative to Biocides for Controlling Biodegradation of Metalworking Fluids.

Metalworking fluids (MWFs) are used as lubricants and coolants in the manufacturing operations. Their biodeterioration, while in operation, is a widespread problem leading to poor performance and worker health issues. Adding biocides, though effective in reducing microbial growth, leads to the production of more recalcitrant wastewaters that are difficult to dispose or recycle on-site. Increasing environmental concerns have led to robust legislation for reducing/eliminating the use of toxic biocides in MWFs, stimulating a growing interest in the development/application of alternative biological preservation strategies. In this study, inducing nutrient imbalance was investigated for controlling microbial growth in MWFs. Phosphorus was immobilized employing insoluble La2O3 to form LaPO4. Concentrations of La2O3 greater than 0.08%w (%w = weight percent) completely inhibited microbial growth (from 1.4 × 107 to 0 CFU/mL) and hindered biodegradation. Raman spectroscopy suggested that La2O3 converted intracellular phosphorus into LaPO4. The growth inhibition potentials of both 0.06%w La(NO3)3 and La2O3 were found to be superior to formaldehyde. The antimicrobial property of La2O3 (i.e., inhibition) was tenable by adding sufficient phosphate, acting as an on/off switch for controlling microbial growth in MWFs. This technology offers the potential to reduce/eliminate the use of biocides in MWFs, improves the feasibility of end-of-life biological treatment, and closes the water loop.

Introducing the \u201cBone-Screw-Fastener\u201d for improved screw fixation in orthopedic surgery: a revolutionary paradigm shift?

BackgroundConventional screws used for fracture fixation in orthopedic surgery continue to rely on the historic buttress thread design. While buttress screws generally provide solid resistance against unidirectional axial loading forces, their design suffers from several limitations, as the buttress thread does not adequately resist multiaxial forces. Furthermore, the buttress screw is prone to stripping at the bone-screw interface and can cause microfracturing of the surrounding bone due to its thread design. Standard buttress screws are therefore at risk of adverse postoperative outcomes secondary to failure of bone fixation. A new patented Bone-Screw-Fastener was recently designed that is based on an interlocking thread technology. This new fastener provides distributive forces from the threads onto the bone and therefore resists loads in multiple directions. The underlying concept is represented by a “female thread” bone cutting technology designed to maximize bone volume, preserve bone architecture, and create a circumferential interlocking interface between the implant and bone that protects the thread from stripping and from failing to multiaxial forces.Presentation of the hypothesisWe hypothesize that the new Bone-Screw-Fastener overcomes the classic shortcomings of conventional orthopedic screws with buttress threads by ease of insertion, improved bone preservation, increased resistance to off-axis multidirectional loading forces and to stripping of the threads. These advanced biomechanical and biological properties can potentially mitigate the classic limitations of conventional buttress screws by providing better resistance to implant failure under physiological loads, preserving bone biology, and thus potentially improving patient outcomes in the future.Testing the hypothesisThe presumed superiority of the new fastener will require testing and validation in well-designed prospective multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs), using the conventional buttress screw as control.Implications of the hypothesisOnce validated in multicenter RCTs, the new Bone-Screw-Fastener may drive a change in paradigm with regard to its innovative biomechanical principles and biologic bone preservation for surgical applications requiring screw fixation.

Optimization of the Biological Preservative Formula for Penaeus vannamei by Response Surface Methodology

ABSTRACTPenaeus vannamei is the most widely aquacultured shrimp in the world. However, it is vulnerable to bacteria spoilage. Recently, the use of biological preservatives to defend against bacteria has attracted much attention. However, the practical effects of these preservatives remain unclear. In this work, response surface methodology with the Box-Behnken experimental design was adopted to investigate the effects of three biological preservatives—nisin, tea polyphenol (TP), and ε-polylysine (ε-PL)—on the bacterial growth in P. vannamei. The optimal preservative formula was obtained, which was nisin at 0.04 g/100 mL, ε-PL at 0.48 g/100 mL, and TP at 1.06 g/100 mL. Under the optimal conditions, shrimp had a total bacteria number as low as 1.81 × 103 CFU/g, which was not significantly different from the practical determinations. The findings indicated that this model was effective to analyze the antimicrobial effects of preservatives and to optimize the combination of biological preservatives.

Tailoring Trehalose for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications.

Trehalose is a non-reducing sugar whose ability to stabilize biomolecules has brought about its widespread use in biological preservation applications. Trehalose is also an essential metabolite in a number of pathogens, most significantly the global pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, though it is absent in humans and other mammals. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in modifying the structure of trehalose to generate analogues that have applications in biomedical research and biotechnology. Non-degradable trehalose analogues could have a number of advantages as bioprotectants and food additives. Trehalose-based imaging probes and inhibitors are already useful as research tools and may have future value in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, among other uses. Underlying the advancements made in these areas are novel synthetic methods that facilitate access to and evaluation of trehalose analogues. In this review, we focus on both aspects of the development of this class of molecules. First, we consider the chemical and chemoenzymatic methods that have been used to prepare trehalose analogues and discuss their prospects for synthesis on commercially relevant scales. Second, we describe ongoing efforts to develop and deploy detectable trehalose analogues, trehalose-based inhibitors, and non-digestible trehalose analogues. The current and potential future uses of these compounds are discussed, with an emphasis on their roles in understanding and combatting mycobacterial infection.

基于生态重要性和敏感性的西南山地生态安全格局构建——以云南省大理白族自治州为例

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 基于生态重要性和敏感性的西南山地生态安全格局构建——以云南省大理白族自治州为例 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201610112046 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金面上项目（41271195） Building ecological security patterns in southwestern mountainous areas based on ecological importance and ecological sensitivity: A case study of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:生态安全格局构建是快速城市扩张背景下缓解生态保护和土地开发矛盾、保证区域生态安全的有效途径。源地和阻力面是生态安全格局构建的重要基础，当前阻力面构建多关注生态要素而忽视与区域典型生态问题相对应的生态过程表征。以西南山地地区——云南省大理白族自治州为研究区，选取生物资源保护、水资源安全和营养物质保持等生态系统服务评估生态重要性从而识别源地，基于地质灾害、土壤侵蚀、石漠化等生态敏感性构建生态阻力面，并运用最小累积阻力模型识别组团廊道和景观廊道，从而构建山地生态安全格局。研究表明，大理州生态安全源地总面积14416.64 km2，占全州土地总面积的50.93%；关键生态廊道分为组团廊道和景观廊道两类，分别长404.7 km和208.4 km，以"一轴三带"形式呈树状辐射分布。生态安全格局中的生态源地和廊道应成为低丘缓坡土地资源开发中的禁止开发区。生态重要性源地识别和生态敏感性阻力面分析方法可为生态安全格局构建提供新思路，研究结果对于大理州山地城镇建设的用地选择和空间扩张提供定量指引。 Abstract:Ecological security in cities is attracting greater and greater attention owing to rapid urban expansion. Therefore, building ecological security patterns based on city landscapes is extremely meaningful and necessary for reconciling conflict between ecosystem conservation and land resource exploitation. Ecological sources and ecological resistance surfaces are important to ecological security patterns. However, previous studies regarding ecological resistance surfaces have mainly concentrated on the representation of ecological elements rather than ecological processes. In the present study, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province was used as the case study area. Ecological source patches were identified via evaluation of ecosystem service importance applying three aspects, namely biological resource protection, water security, and nutrient preservation. Ecological resistance surfaces were also built according to ecological sensitivity analysis from three aspects, i.e., rock desertification, geological disaster, and soil erosion sensitivity. Key ecological corridors were determined via the Minimum Cumulative Resistance model. The results demonstrated that the area of ecological sources was approximately 14416.64 km2, with all of the ecological source areas accounting for 50.93% of the Dali Prefecture. The key ecological corridors were 613.1 km long, including 404.7 km of cluster corridors and 208.4 km of landscape corridors. These ecological corridors were distributed in a branch shape and radial pattern, which appeared as one axis and three belts. All ecological sources and corridors should be planned as exploitation-prohibited regions during development in this mountainous area. The analysis of ecological sources based on ecological service importance and ecological corridors based on ecological sensitivity provides a new method for the construction of regional ecological security patterns. The results can offer effective spatial layout guidance for low-slope hilly land development in mountainous areas. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Effect of composite biological preservative containing Lactobacillus plantarum on postharvest litchi quality.

Biological preservatives containing live microorganisms are environmentally friendly and non-toxic substances used to preserve the quality of fresh fruits. This study investigated whether a composite biological preservative containing live Lactobacillus plantarum (designated as DN003) could preserve the quality of postharvest litchi fruits at high temperature and in humid environment. Postharvest litchi fruits were briefly soaked in DN003, then dried and stored at 29-33°C with 95-98% relative humidity; prochloraz treatment was included as positive control and non-treatment as negative control. In comparison with negative control group, litchi fruits in both DN003-treated and positive control groups better retained their appearance with lower polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities and showed higher concentrations of vitamin C, titratable acids, and total sugar content. These data demonstrated that the new composite biological preservative containing L. plantarum is promising to be used in the preservation of postharvest litchi fruit, particularly in high-temperature and humid environment.

Performance of one-class classifiers for invasive species mapping using airborne imaging spectroscopy

Most remote sensing approaches for mapping invasive plant species focus on species in a prominent phenological stage, such as during flowering, and do not systematically evaluate the performance for mapping lower cover fractions. In this study, we used airborne imaging spectroscopy (also known as hyperspectral imaging) to detect the invasive grass Phalaris aquatica and the invasive herb Centaurea solstitialis in a pre-flowering stage in the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, California, and compared the performance of three different one-class classifiers: Maxent, biased support vector machines and boosted regression trees.We collected presence data for C. solstitialis and P. aquatica to calibrate each approach and additional presence-absence data to validate model performance on 3m×3m plots. The imaging spectroscopy data were acquired using the Carnegie Airborne Observatory Visible-to-Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometer (400–2500nm range) with a pixel size of 1m×1m.The resulting overall accuracies were 72–74% for C. solstitialis, and 83–88% for P. aquatica. For both species, the overall performance was slightly better for Maxent and BRT than for biased SVM. The detection rates for low cover plots were considerably higher for C. solstitialis than for P. aquatica. The models relied on different areas of the reflectance spectrum, but still produced the same general pattern of predicted species occurrences. We conclude that the different one-class classifiers allow for the detection and monitoring of target species with similar success rates.

Seafloor analysis and understanding for underwater archeology

Abstract Surveying the oceans’ floors represents at the same time a demanding and relevant task to operators concerned with marine biology, engineering or sunken cultural heritage preservation. Scientific researchers and concerned persons combine their effort to pursue optimized solutions aiming at the mapping of underwater areas, the detection of interesting objects and, in case of archeological survey mission, the safeguard of the detected sites. Among the typical tools exploited to perform the cited operations the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) represent a validated and reliable technology. These vehicles are typically equipped with properly selected sensors that collect data from the surveyed environment. This data can be employed to detect and recognize targets of interest, such as manmade artifacts located on the seabed, both in an online or offline modality. The adopted approach consists in laying emphasis on the amount of regularity contained in the data, referring to the content of geometrical shapes or textural surface patterns. These features can be used to label the environment in terms of more or less interesting areas, where more interesting refers to higher chances of detecting the sought objects (such as man-made objects) in the surveyed area. This paper describes the methods developed to fulfill the purposes of mapping and object detection in the underwater scenario and presents some of the experimental results obtained by the implementation of the discussed techniques in the underwater archeology field.

Effect of Soil Contamination of Fodder and Wilting on the Occurrence of Fungi and Mycotoxins in Alfalfa Silages

The aim of the work is to assess the effect of soil contamination of fodder and wilting on the occurrence of fungi in the biomass of alfalfa and subsequently consider the mycotoxin content in alfalfa silage. The alfalfa biomass of Jarka variety, harvested from two experimental plots in different climatic conditions, was evaluated. The total number of microorganisms and fungi were determined in silage biomass and silage. The content of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in silages was treated with bacterial enzyme inoculant and chemical preservative, which is an acid. The total number of microorganisms was not influenced by the soil contamination of fodder. The occurrence of fungi was increased from 126,807 to 321,992 CFU.g-1. The total number of microorganisms and fungi was raised by wilting. The occurrence of fungi was increased from 113,909 to 334,890 CFU.g-1. Deoxynivalenol (increased from 101.9 to 131.5 ppb) was especially determined in alfalfa silage. The content of zearalenone reached up to 0.5442 ppb. The alfalfa silages, produced from wilted silage, contained lower levels (P < 0.05) of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone than alfalfa silages produced from no-wilted biomass. The content of mycotoxins was affected neither biological nor chemical preservative.

Bioarchaeological preservation and non-elite diet in the Bay of Naples: An analysis of the food remains from the Cardo V sewer at the Roman site of Herculaneum

Due to its burial by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, the level of biological preservation in the Roman town of Herculaneum is very high. The recovery and analysis of large quantities of material from the city's Cardo V sewer has provided the rare opportunity to study the diet of middle and lower class Romans living in an urban context in mid-1st century AD Italy. The sewer lacked an outflow point and instead functioned as a cesspit to collect the human and kitchen waste generated by those living in the multi-storey shop and apartment complex (Insula Orientalis II) situated above. In total, 220 l of soil was examined for carbonised and mineralised material, seashells, eggshells, otoliths and fish bones. 194 taxa were identified, including 94 botanical, 45 fish, 53 shellfish and two bird taxa. One-hundred and thirteen of the 194 taxa can be considered edible foodstuffs indicating a high level of dietary diversity. This article compares preservation conditions with those found in Pompeii and assess diet in relation to these findings. The level of preservation is found to be comparable between the two sites and no major taphonomic biases are observed. The diet of non-elite individuals in Herculaneum is found to consist of a few staple foods that are frequently supplemented by a wide range of other goods. Subtle differences in diet are observable within the sewer assemblage, most likely related to differences in wealth.

Productivity of lactating cows fed on a diet of haylage from a vetch pea-oat mixture with the introduction of new biological preservative

The effect of a new biological preservative representing a mix of lyophilized Lactobacillus plantarum VKPM V-4173, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis VKPM V-2092 and Propionibacterium acidipropionici VKPMV-5723 strains (40 : 40 : 20) on the quality of haylage prepared from a mix of vetch, oats, and pea has been studied. The total bacteria content in the preservative was 1·1011 CFU/g. Five different variants of conservation of alfalfa haylage prepared at the budding stage were evaluated under laboratory conditions. The variants included a self-conserved control and the preservative at two different dosages (3 and 6 g/ton) with and without the addition of cellulolytic enzymes. The best results were observed in the case of both the enzyme-free and the enzyme-containing preservative at the dosage equal to 6 g/ton. These variants provided the maximum protein content in the haylage (94.3% and 94.5% of the initial content, respectively) and a high content of lactic acid (62.9% and 65.4% of the total acid content, respectively) and also good organoleptic characteristics. The determined optimum biopreservative dosage was tested under industrial conditions using 750 tons of vetch-oats-pea haylage. The use of the biopreservative provided a high-quality haylage of high nutritive value. Industrial evaluation of the effect on the productivity of milk cattle (n = 15) of the addition of the biopreservative to the haylage showed that the maximum average daily yield of milk with basic fat content (3.4%) was obtained from cows of the experimental group whose ration included haylage prepared with the use of the studied preservative. This yield came to32.7 kg , which exceeded the yield for the control group (fed on self-conserved haylage) by 7.0%. Three months feeding of cows with the haylage prepared with the use of the new preservative brought a significant saving of money (4,862 rubles per a head at the prices of 2015–2016).

PROSPECTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF ULTRASONIC MEMBRANE EXTRACTORS IN THE SUBMERGED CULTIVATION OF LACTIC ACID AND PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA

The industrial production of lactic acid and propionic acid bacteria , which produce lactic, acetic and propionic acids and used as the components of biological preservatives of feed and fodder, requires to maintain a total concentration of organic acids in fermentation broth at a level of one percent during the whole fermentation process. The higher concentration inhibits the growth and development of these microorganisms, so their cell concentration in fermentation broth does not exceed 0.6·10 9 ml -1 . Under laboratory conditions, pH of cultivation medium can be regulated by the neutralization of organic acids with alkaline, but under the large-scale production, the loss of produced lactic, acetic, and propionic acids is inexpedient, since they are widely used in various industrial segments including the conservation of rich fodder. One of the possible solutions is the use of a membrane extractor to remove organic acids, which represent valuable metabolites, from the cultural broth directly during the cultivation process. In this study, the efficiency of a specially designed membrane extractor equipped with additional ultrasonic transducers, which reduced diffusion limitations near the membrane surface, has been assessed in the process of submerged cultivation of three bacterial cultures: Lactococcus lactis VPKM B-2092 , Lactobacillus plantarum VPKM B-4173 , and Propionibacterium acidipropionici VPKM B-5723 . The extractor was connected to the fermenter as external device and consisted of a cartridge filter preventing the biomass uptake into the extractor and a membrane extractor of a “liquid-liquid”type equipped with pH-state and hydrodynamic ultrasonic transducers. Whereas classic pH-states feed a pH-correcting solution into a fermenter according to a signal from a pH sensor, the developed pH-state construction turned on the US membrane extractor to remove excess organic acids from the fermentation broth. Due to the maintenance of optimum pH, the final concentration of L. lactis, L. plantarum, and P. acidipropionici cells increased in 5.8, 3.6, and 3.2 times, respectively. The equipping of a membrane extractor with ultrasonic transducers accelerated the removal of organic acids from fermentation broth of L. lactis, L. plantarum, and P. acidipropionici in 5.25, 5, and 6.25 times, respectively, i.e., provided a more rapid and efficient fermentation. The proposed technology improves the economical efficiency of the process and provides the required diversity of technical solutions for its use in a microbiological production.