Commercial Alternatives Research Articles

Degradation of a leather-dye by the combination of depolymerised wood-chip biochar adsorption and solid-state fermentation with Trametes villosa SCS-10

Adsorption into biochar-derived materials and mycoremediation are promising technologies for removing dyes from solid and liquid matrices. This study presents a combined treatment with adsorption into wood-chip biochar and mycodegradation under solid-state fermentation by Trametes villosa for removing the leather-dye Acid Blue 161. In the first stage, untreated wood-chip biochar, NaOH–depolymerised biochar and KMnO4–depolymerised biochar were assessed for their dye removal efficiency by adsorption. KMnO4–depolymerised biochar exhibited the highest adsorption (85.1 ± 1.9%) after 24 h of contact. KMnO4–depolymerisation modified some physical and chemical properties on the untreated wood-chip biochar, increasing the surface area (50.4 m2 g–1), pore size (1.9 nm), and presence of surface functional groups. Response surface methodology coupled with a Box–Behnken design was used to optimise the AB161 adsorption into the KMnO4–depolymerised biochar. The optimised conditions, pH 3.0, dye concentration 100 mg L–1 and sorbent dosage 2 g L–1, led to a higher dye removal efficiency by adsorption (91.9 ± 1.0%). In a second stage, the wood-chip biochar supplemented with nutrients (1% malt extract and 0.5% peptone) was employed as a solid matrix for growing T. villosa and regenerating the dye-saturated material. After 15 days, T. villosa was able to grow (86.8 ± 0.8%), exhibit laccase activity (621.9 ± 62.3 U L–1), and biodegrade (91.4 ± 1.3%) the dye adsorbed into the KMnO4–depolymerised biochar. Finally, the mycoregenerated biochar was reutilised in a new cycle of adsorption reaching 79.5 ± 2.0% of dye removal efficiency by adsorption. This study revealed the potential of the combined treatment and is an initial assessment for developing commercial alternatives for treating leather industry wastewaters.

Machaerium acutifolium compounds with larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti.

Plant extracts and isolated compounds are known for their insecticidal activity. The Aedes aegypti mosquito has a significant medical impact as it transmits a number of arboviruses and is able to develop resistance to the commercially available insecticides. This study investigates larvicidal compounds isolated from Machaerium acutifolium, designated by the Brazilian Forest Service as a sustainable species. A M. acutifolium trunk ethyl acetate extract was fractionated using chromatographic methods with full structural elucidation by mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance and specific rotation analyses revealing: one new 3-arylcoumarin derivative 1; two flavonoids 2 and 3; a trans-stilbene 4, and an unprecedented natural indene 5. The larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti after 24 h exposure was: crude extract (median lethal dose, LC50 205 mg L-1 ), fraction C (LC50 27 mg L-1 ) and 5 (LC50 24 mg L-1 ). A M. acutifolium extract showed larvicidal activity, which increased with prolonged exposure, demonstrating LC50 75 mg L-1 after 72 h. Although the flavonoids 2 and 3 and trans-stilbene 4 were deemed inactive according to the adopted mortality limit, additional tests revealed their ability to cause 65% Ae. aegypti larvae mortality, suggesting they could contribute to the larvicidal activity. Compound 5, identified by liquid chromatography-MS, was over eight-fold more toxic to larvae than the crude extract after 24 h. Therefore, 5 constitutes a structural model for new prototypes to control Ae. aegypti. These data reinforce the potential of natural products as a source of commercial alternatives for vector control strategies, respecting both sustainability and eco-friendly principles. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Systematic combination of insulation biomaterials to enhance energy and environmental efficiency in buildings

Thermal insulation based on biomaterials with low energy embodied is a promising alternative to reduce the energy demand of the actual building stock and help meeting the climatic 2050 EU goals. Despite their appealing properties, these materials are not widely available in the insulation market for a variety of reasons such as a more laborious implementation compared to commercial alternatives. To overcome this limitation and change this trend, this work introduces a systematic method to generate efficient combinations of biomaterials with reduced cost and environmental impacts that could be manufactured as commercial sandwich or solid panels and fiber mats.

Live Cloud Ingest Using Open Alternatives RIST & SRT

As cloud production becomes an integral part of broadcasters’ live workflows, the corresponding cloud infrastructure becomes an integral part of the media transport network. Cloud infrastructure providers, often public in nature, are accessible either through the public internet or through leased lines. Regardless of public or private, experience shows that these connections are not up to the quality standards required for low latency live streaming media, making quality-enhancing technologies, such as retransmission or Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ), an imperative part of the network infrastructure to deliver on the requirements for broadcast quality transmission. Two solutions have emerged as front runners on the quest for the next de facto standard for broadcast retransmission—Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) and Secure Reliable Transport (SRT). This report compares these two alternatives from a theoretical and performance perspective and compares them with a commercial reference alternative .

Utilization of high-pressure homogenization of potato protein isolate for the production of dairy-free yogurt-like fermented product

The demand for alternatives to milk-based yogurts with high acceptance and functionality has been increasing in recent years. Yet, many plant-based proteins suffer from limited techno-functional properties such as poor solubility, color, and other sensory properties. The utilization of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) has been suggested as a tool for attenuating some of these technological limitations. This work aims to study the combination of an alternative plant protein source, potato protein isolate (PPI), with the utilization of HPH for the formation of a yogurt-like fermented product without the addition of stabilizers. The utilization of HPH 200 MPa, Tin = 15 °C as a pre-processing step reduced downstream PPI sedimentation. The formation of a stable (against separation) PPI and canola oil emulsions by HPH allowed lactic acid fermentation with minimal creaming. The results show that increasing the homogenization pressure reduced the particle size, and allowed the formation of finer and whiter emulsion with improved physical stability against separation. The yogurt-like substitutes were obtained in the same time frame as milk-based yogurt and presented a gel-like behavior. The stability against phase separation of the yogurt alternative increased with increasing homogenization pressure, and the minimal phase separation was observed for the 200 MPa system. Also, the lightness value and water holding capacity of the yogurt-like substitutes obtained were similar to values reported for commercial plant-based yogurts alternatives containing stabilizers.

Aircraft selection by applying AHP and TOPSIS in interval type-2 fuzzy sets

The selection of the appropriate aircraft can bring competitive advantages to airlines, however, there are a number of factors which introduce a degree of uncertainty to the selection process. By removing this uncertainty, airlines can increase their chances of achieving their long-term goals. New Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods provide decision-makers with a satisfactory solution for choosing suitable aircraft. Therefore, we focused on the multi-dimensional evaluation and selection of the most suitable commercial aircraft alternatives by using new MCDM method. This article provides decision support to airline planners on the selection of commercial aircraft under uncertainty. In the study, unlike other studies in the literature on aircraft selection, the model presented here uses an Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Analytical Hierarch Process (IT2FAHP) and Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (IT2FTOPSIS) hybrid methods. The proposed model for aircraft selection allows commercial airlines to evaluate the aircraft in terms of specific criteria: economic performance, technical performance, and environmental impact, and, as a result, it helps decision makers select appropriate aircraft in an uncertain environment. In addition to use by commercial airlines, the methods in the study can also be applied to the selection of training aircraft, cargo aircraft and military aircraft. Our findings show that the Airbus A321neo is the most suitable commercial aircraft in terms of technical aspects, economic aspects and environmental aspects for airlines.

Simultaneous Quantification of Bisphenol A, Its Glucuronide Metabolite, and Commercial Alternatives by LC-MS/MS for In Vitro Skin Absorption Evaluation.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most used color developer in thermal paper products such as cashiers' receipts, followed by Bisphenol S (BPS), Wincon 8 (D-8), and Pergafast 201 (PF201). These chemicals can migrate from the paper onto the skin and possibly be absorbed and metabolized. Until now, D-8 and PF201 have not been analyzed in biological matrices, nor has a method been developed to simultaneously quantify them, even though they are often found as mixtures. Our aim was to develop and validate a method to quantify BPA, its glucuronide metabolite (BPA-G), BPS, D-8, and PF201 in in vitro skin absorption samples. After solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase chromatography, we quantified the substances in saline that had been in contact with human dermis for 24 h using a triple-quadrupole mass detector equipped with an electrospray ionization source. We assessed the method in three in vitro skin absorption assays using ex vivo human skin from one skin donor per test substance. The quantification ranges of our method were 0.2-200 μg/L for BPA and 0.2-20 μg/L for BPA-G, BPS, D-8, and PF201. Accuracies were within ±8% of nominal concentrations. Intra-day and total precisions (%RSD) were <10% for all analytes, except for BPA in low-concentration quality control solutions (low QCs) (12.2% and 15.5%, respectively). Overall, the process efficiency was 100-113% for all analytes, except BPS low and high QCs (80% and 71%, respectively) and BPA low QCs (134%). The absorbed dose ranged from 0.02% to 49% depending on the test substance, and was not determinable for PF201. This is the first analytical method to quantify simultaneously BPA, BPA-G, and BPA alternatives in saline from in vitro skin absorption samples.

P‐44: Polysulfide Elastomers as Highly Elastic Materials for Flexible Displays

In this study, we will discuss the design of polysulfide thermosets (PSTs) with elastomeric properties, namely low Young's modulus (&lt; 10 MPa), high elastic strains to failure (&gt; 25%) and other challenging properties needed for the new dynamic form‐factor displays. We focus specifically on the elastic requirements of these low‐modulus materials and the need for a lack of irreversible strain after multiple cycles of loading and unloading. These PST materials yield films with low hysteretic behavior (&lt;8% in the highest‐strain compositions vs. &gt;35% for standard OCA films) and virtually no irreversible strain after cyclic loading (&lt;1% in all compositions vs. &gt;30% in current commercial alternatives). These results show the promise that PST materials will to satisfy the challenging mechanical needs of deformable displays and discuss how future elastomeric research and development should aim to address these challenges.

Women’s Use of and Access to Illicit Cannabis: An Investigation of Gendered Norms among College Students in Canada

In the present study, I investigate how often unacknowledged gendered norms shape young women’s use of and access to illicit cannabis. I apply a “doing gender” approach to analyse 58 interviews conducted with cannabis using and non-using female and male college students in Canada in 2012, a time when nonmedical cannabis possession and supply were illegal. I identify prominent gendered norms and stereotypes that are critical of women’s use and that create barriers to women’s participation as either buyers or dealers in the illicit cannabis market. I show how these norms reinforce associations of cannabis use with masculinity and how they may direct social pressure against women’s use. I engage with Deutsch's (2007) concept of “undoing” gender to provide a novel contribution to research on cannabis by illustrating women’s strategies for resisting derogatory stereotypes. I highlight how women resist stigmatization of their use in the university context by drawing on presentations of social belonging, particularly scholastic success. However, I show that women may reinforce other stereotypes when appealing to such strategies. Legalization of nonmedical cannabis will create regulated commercial access alternatives to the highly gendered barriers that characterize illicit cannabis markets. My analysis suggests some increase in women’s cannabis use may be expected as a result, although deeply embedded gender norms are likely to maintain downward social pressure on women’s rates of use.

Open-source autosampler for elemental and isotopic analyses of solids

Elemental and isotopic analyses are performed using elemental analyzers, and are widely employed for diverse scientific fields. An elemental analyzer is typically equipped with an autosampler. Here we present an open-source autosampler for elemental and isotopic analysis of solid samples. The autosampler consists of 1) a sampling table, on which a carousel pushes samples inside an orifice, and 2) a purging pipe, placed directly beneath the orifice, where the sample is purged off surrounding air, and then delivered to the reaction tube. The action of the purging pipe ensured that air contamination, an issue for the analysis of some elements like nitrogen and oxygen, was negligible, and results for elemental and isotopic composition of nitrogen and carbon were inside specs. Compared to commercial alternatives, the autosampler presented here has the advantages of lower cost to build and maintain, universal compatibility with instruments from different manufacturers, capacity do deal with bulky samples, capacity for a larger number of samples in a single run, and no necessity for time-consuming purging in-between sample loading. The autosampler could potentially also be employed for the analyses of other elements (e.g. oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur) because they are performed using similar equipment.

An Arduino based automatic pressure evaluation system to quantify growth of non‐model anaerobes in culture

AbstractMeasuring the growth rate of non‐model anaerobic microbes typically requires the use of time‐consuming and often destructive manual measurements. Here, an Arduino based automatic pressure evaluation system (A‐APES) was developed to automatically measure the rate of fermentation gas production as a proxy for microbial growth in anaerobic systems. The A‐APES system measures accumulated gas pressure in sealed cultures accurately at high‐resolution, while venting the system at programmed intervals to prevent over pressurization. The utility of A‐APES is demonstrated in this study by quantifying the growth rate and phases of a biomass‐degrading anaerobic gut fungus, which cannot be otherwise measured via conventional techniques due to its association with particulate substrates. Given the utility of the A‐APES approach, we provide a complete construction guide to fabricate the device, which is three times less expensive compared to existing commercial alternatives.

Reação de plântulas de melancia forrageira aos ambientes aberto e protegido

Destacada no semiárido nordestino como uma planta de excepcional capacidade forrageira e notória resistência às adversidades do local, a melancia forrageira (Citrulus lanatus cv. Citroides) é mais uma espécie cujo pouco conhecimento a limita como alternativa comercial. A pesquisa foi conduzida na área experimental da Universidade Federal do Piauí, em Teresina, no período de junho a agosto de 2019, e teve como objetivo identificar as reações das plantas em ambiente aberto e protegido, conduzidas em bandejas de poliestireno expandido. O desenho experimental foi feito em blocos casualizados com 4 repetições e os tratamentos em arranjo fatorial 2x2, com os fatores tipo de bandeja (72 e 128 células) e ambiente (céu aberto e cultivo protegido). As bandejas foram preenchidas com substrato comercial e adubação química, distribuídas em suportes a céu aberto e dentro de uma unidade de cultivo protegido com 50% de sombreamento. Para aferir as respostas, foram avaliados os parâmetros: altura da plântula do colo à gema terminal, comprimento da raiz, peso da matéria fresca da parte aérea e das folhas cotiledonares, sendo possível concluir que: as plântulas reagem mais ao tipo de bandeja do que ao ambiente de cultivo, onde bandejas maiores (72 células) influenciam positivamente no peso das folhas cotiledonares, no número de folhas e no peso da matéria fresca da parte aérea. Tanto ambiente quanto o tipo de bandeja interfere no comprimento da raiz, ficando mais profunda nas unidades de 72 células e ambiente aberto e, independentemente do tipo de bandeja, será mais comprida no ambiente aberto.

Evaluation of a Novel Polymeric Flocculant for Enhanced Water Recovery of Mature Fine Tailings

The novel cationic flocculant, poly(lactic acid) choline iodide ester methacrylate (poly(PLA4ChMA)), has been shown to provide improved flocculation of 5.0 wt.% mature fine tailings (MFT) diluted in deionized water compared to commercial anionic polymers, with continued dewatering of the sediment occurring as the polymer undergoes partial hydrolytic degradation. However, the elevated dosages (10,000 ppm) required would make the polymer costly to implement on an industrial scale. With this motivation, the impact of MFT loading and the use of process water is explored while comparing the settling performance of poly(PLA4ChMA) to available commercial alternatives such as anionic FLOPAM A3338. Improved consolidation of 5.0 wt.% MFT diluted with process water could be achieved at reduced dosages (500 ppm) with poly(PLA4ChMA). However, the final compaction levels after polymer degradation were similar to those achieved with the nondegradable commercial flocculants. Flocculation-filtration experiments with undiluted MFT are also conducted to compare the performance of the polymers. Significantly faster rates of water release were observed with the cationic flocculants compared to FLOPAM A3338, but no improvement in the overall tailings compaction was found either before or after poly(PLA4ChMA) degradation. Thus, the improved dewatering observed with poly(PLA4ChMA) in dilute MFT suspensions does not extend to conditions that would be encountered in the field.

Modifications to Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Content Analysis of YouTube Videos.

BackgroundAs user modification can alter the addictiveness and toxicity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), more research is needed to understand the types, motivations, risks, and information sources that lead to these product alterations. YouTube has been identified as a major platform where ENDS users obtain and share information about ENDS products and modifications. However, a comprehensive study of ENDS modification videos on YouTube is lacking.ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the content of YouTube videos depicting modifications of ENDS.MethodsYouTube was searched in March 2019 to identify videos depicting ENDS modifications. Search terms were derived from interviews with ENDS users and current literature. We used 28 search phrases that combined the words vape and vaping with modification-related key terms (eg, custom build, modification, and dripping). The final sample included 168 videos.ResultsVideos were 1 to 108 min long (median 9.55). Presenters were largely male (117/168, 69.6%), white (94/168, 56.0%), and older than 25 years (94/168, 56.0%). Most videos gave how to instructions (148/168, 88.1%), but few offered warnings (30/168, 17.9%) or mentioned commercial alternatives to modifications they presented (16/168, 9.5%). The ENDS devices most often featured were drippers (63/168, 37.5%) and refillable tanks (37/168, 22.0%). The most often modified ENDS components were coils (82/168, 48.8%) and e-liquids (34/168, 20.2%), which included adding other substances, such as cannabis, to the e-liquids (6/168, 3.6%). Most videos portrayed ENDS modifications positively (106/168, 63.1% positive; 60/168, 35.7% neutral; and 2/168, 1.2% negative) and were either neutral or positive in their overall portrayal of ENDS devices (78/168, 46.4% positive; 89/168, 53.0% neutral; and 1/168, 0.6% negative).ConclusionsThis study identified several concerning trends in popular YouTube videos on ENDS modifications, including lack of warnings, the addition of marijuana derivatives to e-liquids, and the positive portrayal of ENDS devices and modifications. By identifying the types of modifications (coil and e-liquid being the most prevalent), this study sets an agenda for research on the effects of modifications.

Simulation of fatty acid peak profile on a 100-m CP-Sil 88 column and application for analysis of commercial trans fat alternatives in Thailand

A program to simulate fatty acid peak profiles on a gas chromatograph coupled with a 100-m CP-Sil 88 column has been developed. The concept of a quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) with a Gibbs energy additivity approach and Gaussian function was used to create the program, which can be performed on Excel spreadsheets. The present method is applicable for optimizing multi-step temperature-programmed gas chromatography (GC) for determination of fatty acid profiles in samples. Strong correlation coefficients were obtained between experimental and simulated retention times (tR), with R2 = 0.9981. Based on simulation results, the AOAC2012.13 GC condition was recommended for the trans fat analysis. The proposed method was applied to analyze fatty acid compositions in 12 samples of trans fat alternatives, including shortenings, margarines, butter blends and non-dairy creamers, sold commercially in Thailand. The major trans fatty acid (TFA) isomer found after fractionation on Ag-Ion SPE was C18:1t11 (trans-vaccenic acid). The samples contained 0.0–6.3 g TFA/100 g fat, which is similar to the level found in nature. Contents of TFA in the samples determined by GC after fractionation on Ag-Ion SPE were comparable to those obtained by Fourier transform infrared analysis.

The response of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare) and forage maize (Zea mays) crops to polyhalite, a multi-nutrient fertilizer

AbstractPolyhalite is a multi-nutrient mineral ore containing potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S). Historically, it has enjoyed minor use as a fertilizer, but the opening of a new mine in the UK will make larger quantities available. Therefore, an examination of the performance of crops fertilized with polyhalite, or selected commercial alternatives, was pertinent and is reported here.Four field trials were carried out between 2013 and 2016 to investigate the response of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and forage maize (Zea mays L.) to different application rates of polyhalite, potassium chloride (muriate of potash, MOP) and potassium sulphate (sulphate of potash, SOP) fertilizers. Potassium and S nutrition were the focus of these trials as they limit field production more often than Mg and Ca.Polyhalite was found to be an effective source of both K and S for crop production. In three out of four trials, application of polyhalite resulted in similar or greater K offtake compared with both MOP and SOP; MOP application resulted in greater K offtake in one trial. In three out of four trials, application of polyhalite resulted in similar or better S offtake compared with both MOP and SOP; SOP application resulted in greater S offtake in one trial. Polyhalite and MOP treatments produced similar total dry weight in all four trials, but were slightly inferior to SOP treatment.

A 3D printed smartphone adaptor for nasolaryngoscopy.

ObjectiveThe objective of this project is to create a three‐dimensional (3D) printed smartphone adaptor for flexible nasolaryngoscopy (FNL) to provide an affordable alternative to commercial options and a better fit than generic telescope phone adaptors.MethodWe designed an adaptor using computer aided software to connect an iPhone XS to an Olympus Rhino‐Laryngo Fibre Scope. We experimented with various 3D printing materials and iterative designs to create a case that allowed for quality recording of a nasolaryngoscope exam using the iPhone's built in ×2 telescopic zoom lens.ResultsOur 3D printed adaptor provides a cost‐effective alternative to commercially available FNL smartphone adaptors and is capable of capturing high‐quality images and videos of the nasopharynx and larynx. These images are useful for senior clinician review, decrease the need for repeat examination, can be utilized for education, avail telehealth review, and provides a way to digitally record examinations to electronic medical records for future comparison without the need for an endoscopy tower.ConclusionSmartphone adaptors for FNL have been established to be of clinical value. Despite being simple devices, they continue to be expensive. This potentially limits access to junior clinicians, who stand to gain most from the ability to review images of examinations with senior colleagues. Our 3D printed smartphone case provides a cost‐effective alternative, with a better fit than generic adaptors, at a print cost of $29 AUD. This is $131 AUD less than the next cheapest commercial alternative. The files are freely available for use and modification.Level of Evidence4

Fecal metatranscriptomics and glycomics suggest that bovine milk oligosaccharides are fully utilized by healthy adults

Human milk oligosaccharides play a vital role in the development of the gut microbiome in the human infant. Although oligosaccharides derived from bovine milk (BMO) differ in content and profile with those derived from human milk (HMO), several oligosaccharide structures are shared between the species. BMO are commercial alternatives to HMO, but their fate in the digestive tract of healthy adult consumers is unknown. Healthy human subjects consumed two BMO doses over 11-day periods each and provided fecal samples. Metatranscriptomics of fecal samples were conducted to determine microbial and host gene expression in response to the supplement. Fecal samples were also analyzed by mass spectrometry to determine levels of undigested BMO. No changes were observed in microbial gene expression across all participants. Repeated sampling enabled subject-specific analyses: four of six participants had minor, yet statistically significant, changes in microbial gene expression. No significant change was observed in the gene expression of host cells exfoliated in stool. Levels of BMO excreted in feces after supplementation were not significantly different from baseline and were not correlated with dosage or expressed microbial enzyme levels. Collectively, these data suggest that BMO are fully fermented in the human gastrointestinal tract upstream of the distal colon. Additionally, the unaltered host transcriptome provides further evidence for the safety of BMO as a dietary supplement or food ingredient. Further research is needed to investigate potential health benefits of this completely fermentable prebiotic that naturally occurs in cow's milk.

Carboxylated Wheat Gluten Proteins: A Green Solution for Production of Sustainable Superabsorbent Materials.

Functionalized wheat gluten (WG) protein particles with the ability to absorb fluids within the superabsorbent range are presented. Ethyleneditetraacetic dianhydride (EDTAD), a nontoxic acylation agent, was used for the functionalization of the WG protein at higher protein content than previously reported and no additional chemical cross-linking. The 150-550 μm protein particles had 50-150 nm nanopores induced by drying. The EDTAD treated WG were able to absorb 22, 5, and 3 times of, respectively, water, saline and blood, per gram of dry material (g/g), corresponding to 1000, 150 and 100% higher values than for the as-received WG powder. The liquid retention capacity after centrifugation revealed that almost 50% of the saline liquid was retained within the protein network, which is similar to that for petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). An advantageous feature of these biobased particulate materials is that the maximum swelling is obtained within the first 10 min of exposure, that is, in contrast to many commercial SAP alternatives. The large swelling in a denaturation agent (6 M urea) solution (about 32 g/g) suggests that the secondary entangled/folded structure of the protein restricts protein network expansion and when disrupted allows the absorption of even higher amounts of liquid. The increased liquid uptake, utilization of inexpensive protein coproducts, easy scalable protocols, and absence of any toxic chemicals make these new WG-based SAP particles an interesting alternative to petroleum-based SAP in, for example, absorbent disposable hygiene products.

The progress of SHL Sport Ltd, in light of ‘Americanization’, juridification and hybridity

SHL and the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation stand as the principal force or engine behind the commercialization processes in Swedish sport, due to influences from the commercial culture of NHL (i.e., the ‘Americanization’ of sport and society). In addition, the impact of the KHL with regard to player migration has forced the league to look for new commercial alternatives and forms of organization. At the same time, Swedish sport in general is, like ice hockey, basically founded on and ruled by the hegemony of the Swedish Sports Confederation and its basically idealistic values. Thus, SHL is shaped by normative dualism as well as by an incipient commercialization process. The ambition of the following text in this respect is to describe and analyze this dilemma by applying the concepts of juridification and hybridity, in addition to providing general perspectives on the Americanization processes in ice hockey and by testing and illustrating this dilemma by the case of the Växjö Lakers, Ltd/Plc.