Non-food Resources Research Articles

Bioethanol: A Sustainable Liquid Fuel as Substitute to Gasoline

Abstract: Fossil fuel dependence is a growing concern due to its contribution to greenhouse gas emission, climatic change and environmental pollution. This highlights the urgency for alternative source of energy that is renewable, environmental friendly, stability in price, and attractive for sustainable development. Bioethanol, a biofuel has emerged as the most acceptable liquid fuel and as a promising alternative to gasoline. Bioethanol, derived from sugars and starch, has raised sustainability concern as it can lead to competition for land use and potentially driven-up food prices especially in developing countries. Meanwhile, Lignocellulosic biomass, a non-food resources, abundant in cellulose and hemicellulose, present a more sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production. This approach could offer advantages like affordability, environmental friendliness, reduce reliance on traditional fuels and compensate for fuel scarcity. Furthermore, bioconversion technology of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol is required to improve its efficiency and cost effectiveness, making it a highly attractive option for a greener energy in the future.

Experimental evolution reveals an effective avenue for d-lactic acid production from glucose-xylose mixtures via enhanced Glk activity and a cAMP-independent CRP mutation.

d-Lactic acid holds significant industrial importance due to its versatility and serves as a crucial component in the synthesis of environmentally friendly and biodegradable thermal-resistant poly-lactic acid. This polymer exhibits promising potential as a substitute for nonbiodegradable, petroleum-based plastics. The production of d-lactic acid from lignocellulosic biomass, a type of biorenewable and nonfood resources, can lower costs and improve product competitiveness. Glucose and xylose are the most abundant sugar monomers in lignocellulosic biomass materials. Despite Escherichia coli possessing native xylose catabolic pathways and transport, their ability to effectively utilize xylose is often hindered in the presence of glucose. Here, the E. coli strain Rec1.0, previously engineered to overcome carbon catabolite repression, was selected as the initial strain for reengineering to produce d-lactic acid. An adaptive evolution approach was employed to achieve highly efficient fermentation of glucose-xylose mixtures. The resulting strain, QJL010, could produce d-lactic acid of 87.5 g/L with a carbon yield of 0.99 mol/mol. Notably, the consumption rates of glucose and xylose reached 0.75 and 0.82 g/gDCW/h, respectively. Further analysis revealed that increased Glk activity, resulting from glk mutations (A142V and R188H), along with their upregulated expression, contributed to an elevated glucose consumption rate. Additionally, a CRP G141D mutation, cAMP-independent, stimulated the expression of the xylR, xylE, and galABC* genes, resulting in an accelerated xylose consumption rate. These findings provide valuable support for the utilization of E. coli platform strains in the production of value-added chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.

Exploring the Potential of High-Fatty Acid Content Oils for Biodiesel Production: A Catalyst-Free Approach

Abstract The adoption of biofuels has been recognized as one of the key approaches to strive towards achieving net zero emissions, particularly through the utilization of biodiesel derived from oils or fatty acids. To further optimize the utilization of biodiesel, it becomes crucial to explore alternative non-food resources, such as oils with a high content of fatty acids, to serve as biodiesel feedstock. This paper examines the potential use of oil with high fatty acid content, specifically palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), as a biodiesel feedstock. Typically, the biodiesel production process from PFAD involves a two-step catalytic process that requires a strong acid catalyst, known for its corrosiveness, that needs costly equipment materials. This research explores a catalyst-free production process ensuring a non-corrosive process with reduced capital expenses and fewer chemicals, thereby lowering operational costs. The results demonstrate that biodiesel from PFAD can be obtained in concentration of 83.9% using a one-step non-catalytic process with superheated methanol vapor at a temperature of 210°C under atmospheric pressure. This highlights the significant potential of catalyst-free technology in the production of biodiesel from PFAD.

Exploring the synergy of nanomaterials and microbial cell factories during biohydrogen and biobutanol production from different carbon sources

The escalating environmental concerns and burgeoning energy crises, coupled with the desire to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to avert potential climate change disaster, highlight the urgent need for sustainable production methods, and innovative technological advancements. Microbial fermentation plays a pivotal role in the pursuit of sustainable production of biofuels and chemicals with properties similar to those of fossil-derived fuels and chemicals. Biofuels, such as biohydrogen and biobutanol derived from renewable sources, offer a promising, cost-effective, and eco-friendly solution for mitigating long-term carbon footprint. Currently, there is a surge of interest in biohydrogen (bioH2) and biobutanol production through dark fermentation using diverse biomass feedstocks, due to its capacity to simultaneously generate gas and liquid fuels from renewable nonfood resources. Furthermore, the incorporation of nanoparticles in fermentation process has demonstrated considerable potential in enhancing bioH2 yields. Similarly, biobutanol emerges as an eco-friendly, less polluting, and potentially commercially viable substitute for conventional gasoline. This review emphasizes the diverse spectrum of nanoparticle applications in biomanufacturing, with a particular focus on their role in enhancing microbial activities to boost bioH2 and biobutanol yields. Additionally, the review highlights potential underlying mechanisms of nano-catalyzed fermentation pathways, future trends, and the prospects of nano-catalysts in advancing biofuel technology.

Inferring mode of acquisition from lithic conveyance: A pesky middle-range problem

Inferring mode of acquisition from lithic conveyance is a long-standing middle-range problem. Given archaeologists’ reliance on patterns of lithic conveyance to understand how prehistoric populations organized themselves in relation to their landscape, its resources, and each other, resolution of this problem would be significant. Drawing on research in the North American Great Basin and Middle Atlantic, we argue that the concepts archaeologists often use to derive insight into landscape use and sociocultural organization from patterns of lithic conveyance warrant greater scrutiny. We argue that archaeologists may better be able to infer landscape use and sociocultural organization from patterns of lithic conveyance if we remember that our conceptions (e.g., residential and logistical mobility, direct and indirect procurement, embedded and “dis”embedded procurement) sit in physical and social space – landscapes characterized by the distribution of food and nonfood resources (including stone), as well as other people.

Households of Bohai Gorbatka walled town

The results of excavations on the territory of the Gorbatka walled town became the basis of the research into the economic activity of the early medieval population in the valley of the Ilistaya River (Primorye). The site represents the remains of a large administrative center of the Bohai state (698–926 AD). The purpose of the research is to clarify the role of households in the stable functioning of Gorbatka within the administrative-territorial system of Bohai for a long time. To implement a comprehen-sive study of the excavated dwellings and adjacent spaces, stratigraphic and planigraphic methods, the method of water flota-tion and separation were used, a geological survey was carried out, also botanical remains, bones of terrestrial mammals and fish, and mollusk shells were analyzed. The inhabitants of the households had diversified subsistence economy, in which the leading role belonged to agriculture. Hunting, fishing, collecting wild plants and shellfish, and home crafts (bone carving, wea-ving, woodworking, stone working, production of hand-made pottery) provided main resources needed for survival. Furthermore, the households specialized in non-ferrous metalworking, and possibly small-scale repair of iron products. However, the smelting of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and the production of wheel-made pottery took place in specialized workshops outside households. The lacking food (sea fish and shellfish, prestigious goods from other regions of Bohai) and non-food resources (imported goods) were arriving as a result of local, inter-regional and international exchanges. Planning domestic economic activities at home combined with the implementation of necessary public works during the economic year provided a relatively stable functio-ning of the walled town in the administrative-territorial system of the Bohai state. The town arranged the collection of taxes in households (in manufactured products) towards the central regions of the state and supervised the safety of trade routes.

Milk Fatty Acids: The Impact of Grazing Diverse Pasture and the Potential to Predict Rumen-Derived Methane

The sustainability of dairying has been questioned, yet cattle exploit non-food resources (especially forages) and provide key nutrients for consumers’ health. This study, using different forage types, considered milk’s nutritional quality, focusing on fatty acid profiles alongside methane emissions—investigating whether methane can be predicted from milk fatty acids (FAs). Compared with grass/clover/maize silage, cows grazing grass/clover pasture produced milk 70% higher in beneficial omega-3 FAs, which increased by an additional 15% when grazing more diverse pasture. Milk from grazing also had less omega-6 FAs (compared with silage diets), and their ratio with omega-3 FAs fell from 2.5:1 on silage to 1.2:1 when grazing grass/clover and 1.1:1 on diverse pasture. Measured methane emissions (at 8.7 g/kg energy-corrected milk) were lower than published values, and existing models for estimating methane from lactating cows were poor predictors for this dataset. The multiple regression of methane against milk FAs in this study provided predictions with an R2 of 0.56 for daily emissions and 0.65 relative to milk output. Grazing quality and a diverse pasture with productive cows were potentially beneficial to milk nutritional quality, and our results reinforce the theory that milk fat composition could be an accessible tool for methane prediction; however, they also suggest that more work is needed for alternative production systems.

Amber wind and porpoise jaw: Resource use at Siliņupe (fourth mill. BC) on the Baltic’s Gulf of Riga Coast

This article presents the first general treatment of the material from the 1954 and 1988–1989 excavations at the fourth millennium BC site of Siliņupe, examined within a broad framework of food and non-food resource use on the Baltic Sea’s Gulf of Riga coast, present-day Latvia. Located at the boundary of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial biotopes, the site offered a high abundance and diversity of wild food resources: marine and terrestrial mammals, birds, and fish. The aquatic environment of the gulf was enriched with nutrients from a wide drainage basin, ensuring very high biological productivity and a rich food chain, while also receiving marine water inflows that promoted the seasonal ingress of marine species. The spectrum of marine and freshwater resources would have permitted year-round habitation, while pottery vessels enabled food processing on a large scale, possibly for delayed consumption. Amber, collected from the beaches and made into jewelry on the site, circulated in an exchange network reaching far into the continental interior, where the major rivers flowing into the gulf served as traffic arteries. Conversely, flint brought from present-day southern Lithuania or Belarus provided the main lithic material for toolmaking.

Sn-based atokite alloy nanocatalyst for high-power dimethyl ether fueled low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell

Next-generation fuels are defined as those produced from non-food resources. A leading member in this group is dimethyl ether− DME (C2H6O), which is a high-energy, non-toxic gas, produced from a wide range of carbon feedstocks and wastes. We explored the oxidation of DME on a highly active catalyst based on Pt3Pd3Sn2 with an atokite structure in comparison to Pt3Sn and Pd3Sn. Following a comprehensive characterization of the new ternary catalyst by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoelectron spectroscopy, the DME anodic reaction was analyzed by electrochemical online mass spectrometry of fuel cell gas emission product and supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Pt3Pd3Sn2 catalyst exhibits optimal binding energy (−0.21 eV) and the lowest activation energy for electrochemical oxidation of DME (48.7 kJ mol−1 at 0.80 V). A few preferred oxidation routes were examined at different potentials corroborating with the identified CO2, formic acid, methanol, and methyl-formate by in-operando online mass spectrometry. Fuel-cell constructed using a Pt3Pd3Sn2/C anode catalyst and commercial Pt/C cathode catalyst, delivered an open circuit voltage of 0.9 V, a peak power density of 220 mW cm−2 at 0.40 V and a gravimetric power density of 135 mW mgpgm−1 at ambient pressure and 80 °C, which exceeded the highest values reported so far for direct DME fuel cells.

A review of sugarcane bagasse pretreatment for bioethanol production

Bioethanol is a new and renewable energy source. The second-generation bioethanol production process from lignocellulosic materials has development opportunities. This is because the first generation of bioethanol raw materials is generally a food source. Diversification of raw materials for the bioethanol production process can be developed through the use of non-food or waste sources. The process of developing bioethanol from local non-food resources or waste can increase energy security and the added value of these sources. One of the potential sources is sugarcane bagasse. The production process of bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse consists of: (i) pretreatment; (ii) enzymatic hydrolysis; (iii) fermentation; (iv) distillation; and (v) dehydration. The major composition of sugarcane bagasse consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Sugarcane bagasse requires a pretreatment process to separate lignin and hemicellulose from cellulose, reduce the crystallinity of cellulose and facilitate the hydrolysis of cellulose. This review focuses on sugarcane bagasse pretreatment for bioethanol production. There are several types of pretreatment processes, including (i) physical pretreatment; (ii) acid pretreatment; (iii) alkaline pretreatment; (iv) organosolv pretreatment; (v) steam explosion; and (vi) wet oxidation. Physical pretreatment is the process of physically changing the size of the sugarcane bagasse to be smaller. Chemical pretreatment is the separation process of lignin and hemicellulose from cellulose using acid compounds. Alkaline pretreatment is the separation process of lignin and hemicellulose from cellulose using alkali compounds. Organosolv pretreatment is lignocellulosic pretreatment using organic solvents. Steam explosion is the process of disrupting the complicated structure of sugarcane bagasse using steam. Wet oxidation is the process of biomass treatment with water, oxygen, or air. Steam explosion is superior to other processes in terms of hemicellulose solubilization, reaction time and no toxic substances.

Wood for food: Economic impacts of sustainable use of forest biomass for salmon feed production in Norway

Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal food producing sector in the world with an annual growth rate of 7%. In Norway alone production of this industry is projected to expand from 1.2 million tons today to 5 million tons by 2050, implying a rapid increase in the demand for sustainable salmon feed alternatives to conventional feed resources such as fish meal and fish oil. Yeast produced from nonfood resources such as wood can serve as a high-quality protein source for farmed fish. In this study we analyze how commercial wood-based feed production in Norway using softwood chips from roundwood and sawmill residues will influence wood fiber prices. Such production will have to compete for wood fiber with wood-based bioenergy in particular, and the analyses were done assuming three main scenarios of expected global consumption of wood for bioenergy. The first scenario (Base) assumes a modest use of wood-based bioenergy reflecting the EU climate mitigation target for 2030. The second (MaxEnergy) and third (MaxEnergyLowRes) scenarios assume using bioenergy at a scale sufficient to fulfill IPCC's 2 °C climate mitigation target, with the only difference that in the MaxBio scenario tree stump utilization is allowed in Europe and USA. The bio-economic global partial equilibrium model EFI-GTM was applied to assess the economic impacts. Yeast production from wood in Norway could be able to pay from 37 to 64 euro/m3 of wood delivered mill site, the large variation depending on the yeast production costs other than wood biomass and the price of alternative fish feed resources. Other factors e.g. improved salmon health due to using wood-based yeast and environmental policy regulations of soya meal productions may increase this paying ability. To get 3 million m3 of wood per year during the period 2020–2030 for producing 330 t yeast it would be necessary to pay about 54, 47 and 55 euro/m3 in the scenarios Base, Bio and BioLowRes, respectively. The wood quantity supplied to the salmon feed production from additional Norwegian harvest will be rather low. If production of wood-based yeast for fish feed proves to be viable in Norway, it is likely to be attractive also in other aquaculture regions like North- and South America and Scotland, implying increased wood demand and higher wood prices than estimated above. Microbial ingredients like yeast produced from non-food biomass such as wood, offer potentials for commercial production. However, the present costs of producing yeast from lignocellulosic biomass may still be too high, and there is a need to develop more efficient processes for economic utilization.

Co-transesterification of waste cooking oil, algal oil and dimethyl carbonate over sustainable nanoparticle catalysts

Key challenges for the application of biodiesel include their high acid value, high viscosity, and low ester content. It is essential to develop later-generation biodiesel from unexploited non-food resources for a more sustainable future. Reuse of biowaste is critically important to address these issues of food safety and sustainability. Thus, the co-transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO), algal oil (AO) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) for the synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) was investigated over a series of nanoparticle catalysts containing calcium, magnesium, potassium or nickel under mild reaction conditions. Nanoparticle catalyst samples were prepared from biowaste sources of chicken manure (CM), water hyacinth (WH) and algal bloom (AB), and characterized using XRD, Raman and FESEM techniques for the heterogeneous production of biodiesel. The catalyst was initially prepared by calcination at 850 °C for 4 h in a major presence of CaxMgyCO3, KCl and K2CO3. The WCO and AO co-conversion of 98% and FAMEs co-selectivity of 95% were obtained over CM nanoparticle catalyst under the reaction conditions of 80 °C, 20 mins and DMC to oil molar ratio of 6:1 with 3% catalyst loading and 3% methanol addition. Under the optimum condition, the density, viscosity, and cetane number of the biodiesel were in the range of diesel standards. Nanoparticle catalysts have been proven as a promising sustainable material in the catalytic transesterification of WCO and AO with the major presence of calcium, magnesium and potassium. This study highlights a sustainable approach via biowaste utilization for the enhancement of biodiesel quality with high ester content, low acid value, high cetane number, and low viscosity.

Research and Development of Natural Vegetable Insulating Oil Based on Jatropha curcas Seed Oil

Jatropha curcas is a natural non-food resource with high oil-content seeds, that has attracted worldwide attention as it is an ideal renewable resource for the production of biofuels. With the increasing use of vegetable insulating oil in related industries, it is valuable to develop the vegetable insulating oils from Jatropha curcas seed oil. This study explores how to use Jatropha curcas seed oil to prepare high-quality natural vegetable insulating oil. A six-step process is first established according to the optimization results of alkali refining, activated clay treatment and alumina treatment of Jatropha curcas seed oil, combined with cold treatment, water washing and high temperature decompression treatment. Physicochemical and electrical performance tests show that most of the properties of the prepared vegetable insulating oil are significantly improved compared with the original seed oil, and meet the standard requirements for vegetable insulating oil, especially with no sulfur corrosion, a breakdown voltage of 72 kV and an acid value (KOH, potassium hydroxide) of 0.012 mg/g.

Optimized Bioproduction of Itaconic and Fumaric Acids Based on Solid-State Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Biomass.

The bioproduction of high-value chemicals such as itaconic and fumaric acids (IA and FA, respectively) from renewable resources via solid-state fermentation (SSF) represents an alternative to the current bioprocesses of submerged fermentation using refined sugars. Both acids are excellent platform chemicals with a wide range of applications in different market, such as plastics, coating, or cosmetics. The use of lignocellulosic biomass instead of food resources (starch or grains) in the frame of a sustainable development for IA and FA bioproduction is of prime importance. Filamentous fungi, especially belonging to the Aspergillus genus, have shown a great capacity to produce these organic dicarboxylic acids. This study attempts to develop and optimize the SSF conditions with lignocellulosic biomasses using A. terreus and A. oryzae to produce IA and FA. First, a kinetic study of SSF was performed with non-food resources (wheat bran and corn cobs) and a panel of pH and moisture conditions was studied during fermentation. Next, a new process using an enzymatic cocktail simultaneously with SSF was investigated in order to facilitate the use of the biomass as microbial substrate. Finally, a large-scale fermentation process was developed for SSF using corn cobs with A. oryzae; this specific condition showed the best yield in acid production. The yields achieved were 0.05 mg of IA and 0.16 mg of FA per gram of biomass after 48 h. These values currently represent the highest reported productions for SSF from raw lignocellulosic biomass.

Community-Level Analysis of Value Webs of Biomass-Based Resources: A Case Study among Local Actors in Ghana

The biomass sector in Ghana is very important for supplying essential food and non-food biomass-based resources to many people for a wide range of uses. There is, however, limited deliberation on these culturally important biomass-based resources at a community level in the country. The aims of this study are three-fold, namely to (i) document various kinds of biomass-based resources and their cultural importance to local actors, (ii) examine socio-demographic factors influencing local actors’ knowledge base on biomass-based resources, and (iii) identify value webs, challenges, and future actions for sustainable use of biomass-based resources. Individual interviews were thus performed using structured questionnaires to cover 180 local actors (consisting of 120 smallholder farmers and 60 local commercial intermediaries) across six rural communities in the Northern and Upper East regions of Ghana. Cereals, e.g., maize (Zea mays), Guinea corn (Sorghum bicolor), rice (Oryza sativa), millet (Pennisetum glaucum), and legumes, e.g., groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) are cultivated as major crops in the study areas and also considered by local actors as the most culturally important food crop species, as well as minor crops like tubers and vegetables. Ethnicity and residential status of local actors were found to significantly influence local knowledge on biomass-based resources. The value webs of selected food biomass-based resources are not elaborately developed and still remained simple and traditional in nature, since no cascading uses of by-products were identified. Several challenges and the future actions for managing locally produced biomass-based resources are addressed. The sustainable utilization of these biomass-based resources and value addition to their products are required to help increase family incomes and improve their livelihoods.

Residence time distribution analysis in the transport and compressing screws of a biomass pretreatment process

The raise of environmental concerns in the past decades consequently increased the need of obtaining cleaner sources of energy. Among the studied alternatives, second generation biofuels (produced from non-food resources) are one of the most promising solutions and nearly reached industrialization. The production of cellulosic bioethanol is one of the possibilities of second generation biofuels, and the studies involving the use of cellulosic compounds to produce bioethanol recently increased. Its production involves four dependent steps: pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and distillation. This work considered the pretreatment stage, aiming at modifying the structure of the lignocellulosic biomass so that cellulose becomes more accessible to enzymatic hydrolysis step.This work particularly focused on the biomass flow characterization in the transport and compression screws involved in the pretreatment step of an industrial-scale process. The main challenge was firstly to perform measurements on an industrial-scale device working under harsh conditions. Residence time distribution (RTD) experiments were thus performed using a novel methodology adapted to these working conditions. Sodium carbonate was selected as a tracer. Due to the reaction with the acidified biomass, both electrical conductivity and pH were monitored at the exit of the screws. A chemical model was developed, allowing the determination of tracer concentrations from the measured data. The measurements obtained were compared with three optimized models: a combination of plug flow and continuous stirred tank reactor in series (PFR-CSTR), plug flow with axial dispersion (AD) and a model based on the Zusatz function. The results of this work pointed out the non-plug flow behavior of these screws in their standard working conditions. In accordance with the physical motion of the tracer inside the screws, the use of the PF-CSTR is recommended for representing RTD inside screws in conditions in which backflow is likely to occur.

Low subjective socioeconomic status stimulates orexigenic hormone ghrelin – A randomised trial

Recent evidence suggests that lower perceived socioeconomic status is linked to increased appetite and intake of greater calories. Yet, whether insecurity of socioeconomic resources directly influences regulatory systems of appetite and energy intake is not known. Considering psychological states, mindsets and beliefs have shown to meaningfully affect physiological responses to food, the present study tested the hypothesis that low subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) will have a direct influence on physiological responses, such as appetite-related hormones (ghrelin, pancreatic polypeptide and insulin). Forty-eight healthy males were randomly (crossover, counterbalanced) assigned, to two experimental conditions where participants were either experimentally induced to feel low SSS or not (control; CON). Feelings of low SSS resulted in an increase in active ghrelin (an orexigenic hormone) following the SSS manipulation compared with baseline, while no change in active ghrelin was observed in CON. Furthermore, participants reported lower fullness and satiety following low SSS compared with CON. Our findings demonstrate that SSS may influence hunger regulation and appetite, and suggest that physiological systems regulating energy balance (i.e. caloric resources) may also be sensitive to perceived deprivation or imbalances in critical non-food resources (socioeconomic resources).

Imagining the cultural landscapes of Paleoindians

Archaeologists commonly use the geographic patterning of sourced artifacts to understand how prehistoric cultures used their landscapes, yet exactly what this patterning indicates remains unclear. The Paleoindian literature reflects a tendency to assume that toolstone conveyance reflects direct acquisition (i.e., mobility) motivated by subsistence and technological concerns, rather than acquisition (i.e., exchange) motivated by social concerns. This tendency demonstrates a willingness on the part of many archaeologists to imagine Paleoindians organized on a physical landscape defined by the location of important material resources (e.g., food, water, stone), but a hesitancy to imagine Paleoindians organized on a social landscape defined by the location of other people. Yet the challenge of actually distinguishing between mobility and exchange persists. Here, I offer some ideas that might help us make headway on the linkage problem we confront when attempting to infer mode of acquisition from patterns of toolstone conveyance, focusing on the North American Great Basin. I imagine a Paleoindian cultural landscape defined, not just by the distribution of food and non-food resources, but also other people, to propose that mobility and exchange both contributed to the patterns of toolstone conveyance we see, perhaps operating at different scales in relation to subsistence, technological, and social motivations.

Personal relative deprivation increases self-selected portion sizes and food intake

Cues and experiences of the deprivation of financial/material resources have been associated with increased caloric intake and risk for overweight/obesity. Given that social comparisons may serve as a powerful reference for the adequacy of one's standing and resources, the present research tested whether subjective feelings of personal relative deprivation (PRD) or “losing out” to others stimulates calorie selection and intake. Study 1 demonstrated that self-reported chronic experiences of PRD positively predicted calories selected for a portion and consumed during an ad-libitum meal. Study 2 revealed that experimentally-induced PRD resulted in an increase in the amount of calories selected on a portion selection task and a stronger desire to consume the foods. Consequently, these findings demonstrate that chronic and acute subjective deprivation of non-food resources may contribute to socioeconomic gradients in obesity, and that perceived social inequality may have inherently obesogenic properties that promote excess calorie intake.

ПОЛУЧЕНИЕ БИОДИЗЕЛЬНОГО ТОПЛИВА ИЗ НЕПИЩЕВОГО РАСТИТЕЛЬНОГО СЫРЬЯ

The aim of the research is to improve the properties of diesel fuel due to the use of biofuels as addi-tivestha. It is especially important while operating the farm equipment. Biodiesel was obtained by the reaction of transesterification in the presence of a homogeneous alka-line catalyst. Synthesis of biofuels was conducted by the innovative technology with the use of the apparatus with a rotating electromagnetic field students leading to the intensification and acceleration of the chemical reaction. Synthesized fuel was blended with petroleum diesel fuel and analysed according to physicochemi-cal parameters (density, kinematic viscosity, lubricity, etc.). Oil diesel fuel 5, 10, 20, 40, 100% and supple-ment based on microalga chlorella were used. The improved technology of cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae IGF No. C-111 consisting of four stages and a method for extracting lipids for subsequent use as raw material for the synthesis of biofu-els and bioadditives were developed. The physico-chemical prosperities of the obtained biodiesel are not inferior to diesel fuel and even surpass it in environmental and operational prosperities. Biofuels as a supplement must be used in order to improve the operational and environmental prop-erties of diesel fuels. The most promising raw material for biodiesel is a non-food renewable resource of highly productive oil plants - microalgae.