Removal Of Shell Research Articles

Transcriptome Analysis of the Effects of Shell Removal and Exogenous Gibberellin on Germination of Zanthoxylum Seeds

The zanthoxylum seeds are oil-rich and have a very thick, dense and oily shell. In the natural conditions the seeds have a very low germination rate. Prior to treatment with GAs to promote germination, the seeds were usually soaked in sulfuric acid to remove shells easily. A high-throughput sequencing of mRNAs was performed to investigate the effects of the above treatments on the germination of zanthoxylum seeds. Seven libraries were assembled into 100,982 unigenes and 59,509 unigenes were annotated. We focused on the expression profiles of the key genes related to the oil metabolisms and hormone regulations during seed germination. Our data indicated the endogenous ABA of seeds was rich. The effects that the exogenous GAs promoted germination were apparent in the secong day of germination. Especially, for the first time our results indicated the exogenous GAs lowered the aerobic metabolism including the oil metabolisms during imbibition. We inferred that the exogenous GAs had inhibitory effects on the oil metabolisms to avoide oxidative damages to the imbibed seeds, and the seed shell played the role similiar to the exogenous GAs in the initial stage of germination in the natural conditions.

Chemical template-assisted synthesis of monodisperse rattle-type Fe3O4@C hollow microspheres as drug carrier.

The aim of the present study was first to synthesize rattle-type Fe3O4@C hollow microspheres through a simple synthesis method as a drug carrier. Here a chemical template synthesis of rattle-type hollow microspheres was developed, which saved the complex procedures including the coating and removal of middle shells in traditional physical template. Second, all the influence factors in the reaction processes were systematically investigated to obtain rattle-type Fe3O4@C hollow microspheres with controlled parameters. Third, the rattle-type Fe3O4@C hollow microspheres were studied as drug carriers and the influences of their structural parameters on drug loading and releasing performance were investigated.

Neoichnology of Chalk cobbles from north Norfolk, England: implications for taphonomy and palaeoecology

The study of marine biota of the North Sea from the perspective of its relevance to palaeontology (Aktuopaläontologie) has enabled modern patterns and processes to be identified that can also be recognised in ancient communities. A collection of Chalk cobbles from the coast of north Norfolk, eastern England, preserves a limited ichnofauna: Gastrochaenolites ornatus Kelly and Bromley; Gastrochaenolites isp.; and Caulostrepsis isp. All cobbles show evidence of physical modification (corrasion) since they were bored; no Gastrochaenolites is complete and no clast has Caulostrepsis on all sides, therefore clasts have been corraded subsequent to boring. Only one producing organism in Gastrochaenolites, probably Barnea sp., is preserved in situ. Gastrochaenolites borings were infested by a range of encrusting organisms after the demise (and removal of shells) of the boring bivalves: thread-like algae; agglutinated worm tubes; cheilostome bryozoan Cryptosula pallasiana (Moll); and serpulids Hydroides norvegica Gunnerus and Pomatoceras triqueter (Linnaeus). Such a suite of encrusting organisms would be impossible to see in a fossil boring filled with lithified sedimentary rock unless it was released by dissolution of the substrate. Such cobbles, corraded since they were infested by borers, leave only portions of traces for identification, commonly only to ichnogenus.

In situ control of synchronous germanide/silicide reactions with Ge/Si core/shell nanowires to monitor formation and strain evolution in abrupt 2.7 nm channel length

The metal-semiconductor interface in self-aligned contact formation can determine the overall performance of nanoscale devices. This interfacial morphology is predicted and well researched in homogenous semiconductor nanowires (NWs) but was not pursued in heterostructured core/shell nanowires. We found here that the solid-state reactions between Ni and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires resulted in a protruded and a leading NiSiy segment into the channel. A single Ni2Ge/NiSiy to Ge/Si core/shell interface was achieved by the selective shell removal near the Ni source/drain contact areas. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we measured the growth rate and anisotropic strain evolution in ultra-short channels. We found elevated compressive strains near the interface between the compound contact and the NW and relatively lower strains near the center of the channel which increased exponentially below the 10 nm channel length to exceed 10% strain at ∼3 nm lengths. These compressive strains are expected to result in a non-homogeneous energy band structure in Ge/Si core/shell NWs below 10 nm and potentially benefit their transistor performance.

LiPF6 as Effective Etching Agent of LiMnPO4 colloidal Nanocrystals for High Rate Li-Ion Battery Cathodes

LiMnPO4 is an attractive cathode material for the next-generation high power Li-ion batteries, due to its high theoretical specific capacity (170 mA h g−1) and working voltage (4.1 V vs Li+/Li). Two main drawbacks prevent the practical use of LiMnPO4: (i) its low electronic conductivity and (ii) the limited lithium diffusion rate, responsible for the poor rate capability of the cathode. The use of nano-particles can alleviate the issues associated with poor ionic conductivity while the electronic resistance is usually lowered by coating the particles with a carbon layer. It is therefore of primary importance to develop a synthetic route to LiMnPO4 nanocrystals (NCs) with controlled size and coated with a highly conductive carbon layer. Here we report an effective surface etching process (using LiPF6) on colloidally synthesized LiMnPO4 NCs that makes the NCs more hydrophilic and dispersible in the aqueous glucose solution used as carbon source for the carbon coating step. The carbon coated etched LiMnPO4-based electrode exhibited a specific capacity of 118 mA h g−1 at 1C, with a stable cycling performance and a capacity retention of 92% after more than 100 cycles at different C-rates. The delivered capacities were higher than those of not etched carbon coated NCs, which never exceeded 30 mA h g−1. The adopted etching process allowed: (i) The efficient removal of the hydrophobic passivated surfactants shell, present on NCs surface after the colloidal synthesis. This increases the nanoparticles’ solubility in the aqueous glucose solution used as carbon source for NCs coating, enabling the formation of a good conductive carbon layer. (ii) The possibility to prepare composite electrodes with a reduced amount of carbon additive and polymeric binder (less than 20% wt. in total), with a consequent benefit on the energy density of LMP-based cathodes. The protocol reported here enabled the preparation of LMP/NCs-based cathodes with high rate capability and which can be charged with a fast CC−CV procedure (of maximum 2 h at 1C-rate), which is of paramount importance for the future development of high rate and high power Li-ion batteries.

Inorganically coated colloidal quantum dots in polar solvents using a microemulsion-assisted method.

The dielectric nature of organic ligands capping semiconductor colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) makes them incompatible with optoelectronic applications. For this reason, these ligands are regularly substituted through ligand-exchange processes by shorter (even atomic) or inorganic ones. In this work, an alternative path is proposed to obtain inorganically coated NCs. Differently to regular ligand exchange processes, the method reported here produces core-shell NCs and the removal of the original organic shell in a single step. This procedure leads to the formation of connected NCs resembling 1D worm-like networks with improved optical properties and polar solubility, in comparison with the initial CdSe NCs. The nature of the inorganic shell has been elucidated by X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES), Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The 1D morphology along with the lack of long insulating organic ligands and the higher solubility in polar media turns these structures very attractive for their further integration into optoelectronic devices.

SPLENIC HYDATID DISEASE: FEATURES OF DIAGNOSTICS AND SURGICAL TREATMENT

Aim. To analyze the results of diagnostics and treatment of patients with splenic echinococcosis and to determine the criteria for selection of surgery. Material and Methods. The analysis included 51 patients with splenic echinococcosis. There were 33 women and 18 men aged 14–78 years (mean 49 ± 4.2 years). Three patients were previously operated in other hospitals for splenic echinococcosis. Isolated splenic lesion was noted in 22 (43.13%) cases. Combined lesions were also identified: spleen and liver (15), spleen and abdominal cavity (4), spleen and retroperitoneal fat (4), spleen, liver and lungs (2), spleen, liver and kidney (1) and spleen and lungs (1). In most cases dimensions of parasitic cysts were 5-15 cm. Total and multiple hydatid splenic lesion was noted in 12 (23.53%) cases. Laparotomy was performed in 86.27%: splenectomy (25), pericystectomy (11), perfect echinococcectomy (8). Laparoscopic pericystectomy was made in 4 cases, splenectomy – in 2 cases. US-assisted percutaneous drainage was made in 1 (1.96%) case. Results. Spleen was preserved in 24 (47.5%) cases. RFA has been applied for splenic resection (Cool-Tip). Ultrasonic cavitation and cryodestruction were used for residual cavity processing after chitin shell removal. We evaluated immediate and long-term results. Recurrent echinococcosis was noted in 1 patient. Conclusion. “Ideal” echinococcectomy or pericystectomy should be preferred for splenic hydatid disease. Organ-sparing spleen resection may be considered if previous interventions are impossible. Current surgical techniques (cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation) are able to avoid recurrences.

SNARE-mediated membrane fusion trajectories derived from force-clamp experiments

Fusion of lipid bilayers is usually prevented by large energy barriers arising from removal of the hydration shell, formation of highly curved structures, and, eventually, fusion pore widening. Here, we measured the force-dependent lifetime of fusion intermediates using membrane-coated silica spheres attached to cantilevers of an atomic-force microscope. Analysis of time traces obtained from force-clamp experiments allowed us to unequivocally assign steps in deflection of the cantilever to membrane states during the SNARE-mediated fusion with solid-supported lipid bilayers. Force-dependent lifetime distributions of the various intermediate fusion states allowed us to propose the likelihood of different fusion pathways and to assess the main free energy barrier, which was found to be related to passing of the hydration barrier and splaying of lipids to eventually enter either the fully fused state or a long-lived hemifusion intermediate. The results were compared with SNARE mutants that arrest adjacent bilayers in the docked state and membranes in the absence of SNAREs but presence of PEG or calcium. Only with the WT SNARE construct was appreciable merging of both bilayers observed.

An easy-to-use and versatile method for building cell-laden microfibres

Fibre-shaped materials are useful for creating different functional three-dimensional (3D) structures that could mimic complex tissues. Several methods (e.g. extrusion, laminar flow or electrospinning) have been proposed for building hydrogel microfibres, with distinctive cell types and with different degrees of complexity. However, these methods require numerous protocol adaptations in order to achieve fibre fabricating and lack the ability to control microfibre alignment. Here, we present a simple method for the production of microfibers, based on a core shell approach, composed of calcium alginate and type I collagen. The process presented here allows the removal of the calcium alginate shell, after only 24 hours of culture, leading to stable and reproducible fibre shaped cellular constructs. With time of culture cells show to distribute preferentially to the surface of the fibre and display a uniform cellular orientation. Moreover, when cultured inside the fibres, murine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells show the capacity to differentiate towards the osteoblastic lineage, under non-osteoinductive culture conditions. This work establishes a novel method for cellular fibre fabrication that due to its inherent simplicity can be easily upscaled and applied to other cell types.

Dry Separation of Palm Kernel and Palm Shell Using a Novel Five-Stage Winnowing Column System

The conventional separation system for the recovery of palm kernel from its palm shell–kernel mixture using water as process media generates a considerable amount of waste effluent that harms the environment. The aim of this study is to develop a dry separation process for the recovery of palm kernel by using winnowing columns. A commercial system consisting of a series of five winnowing columns was developed and installed at a local palm oil mill. The system parameters, including column height, blower capacity, airflow rate and mesh screen size for shell removal, were studied and optimized to ensure good separation of kernel and shell in the column to enable collection of different sizes of kernel and shell at each column outlet. The performance of the separation process was evaluated in terms of its kernel losses, dirt content and kernel recovery rate. The average kernel losses based on oil palm fresh fruit bunches processed were found to vary from 0.11 to 0.30 wt %, with most of the values obtained being below the targeted limit of 0.30 wt %. The dirt content was in the range 4.56–6.03 wt %, which was mostly below the targeted limit of 5.5 wt %. The kernel recovery rate was in the range 5.69–6.89 wt %, with most of the values achieving the minimum targeted limit of 6.00 wt %. The system operates under completely dry conditions and, therefore, produces zero waste effluent.

Utilization of Calophyllum inophyllum shell and kernel oil cake for reducing sugar production

This study is aimed at fully utilizing fruit biomass of Calophyllum inophyllum for reducing sugar production. The effects of pretreatment conditions and post reaction wash on the lignin removal and enzymatic hydrolysis of shell were investigated. The oil cake was also subjected to solvent extraction followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. The results showed that the sequential acid/alkaline pretreatment of C. inophyllum shell resulted in better delignification than alkaline or acid only pretreatment. The reducing sugar yields obtained from sequential acid/alkaline pretreated shell and solvent extracted oil cake were 0.24g/g and 0.66g/g, respectively. The results suggested that the shell and oil cake of C. inophyllum could also be feedstocks for reducing sugar production.

Fibrous porous carbon electrocatalysts for hydrazine oxidation by using cellulose filter paper as precursor and self-template

Hydrazine is often regarded as one of the most appealing fuels for fuel cells due to its high energy content, and also because it gives off only environmentally benign byproducts when it is used in fuel cells (cf. many other fuels produce the greenhouse gas CO2). However, current electrocatalysts for the hydrazine oxidation reaction (HOR) in direct hydrazine fuel cells involve the expensive, unsustainable noble metals such as Pt. Herein, using cellulose filter paper both as a precursor and a self-template, we show the synthesis of nanoporous carbon electrocatalysts that can efficiently electrocatalyze HOR. To make the electrocatalysts, first cellulose filter paper is modified with metal-amine complexes and then with silica shells. After carbonization of the resulting composite material at different temperatures, followed by removal of the silica shells, nanoporous carbon-based electrocatalysts are obtained. Notably, the intertwined structure of the cellulose matrix in the filter paper is taken advantage of to serve as a self-template, allowing the formation of the desired fibrous, nanoporous carbon electrocatalysts. The materials show a good electrocatalytic activity toward HOR, giving a low overpotential and a high current density. Thus, such nanoporous carbons can be good candidate materials to replace conventional metal-based catalysts commonly used in HOR and other related reactions.

Oxidation and reduction of nanodiamond particles in colloidal solutions by laser irradiation or radio-frequency plasma treatment

Functionalized nanodiamond particles (NDs) represent carbon nanomaterial with unique properties for various applications. Here we report on a new approach to surface modification of NDs by their exposure to radio frequency (RF) plasma or laser irradiation (LI) plasma directly in aqueous solution. By using grazing angle reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and supporting analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta-potential, and Kelvin force microscopy we show that surface chemistry of NDs produced by detonation process (DNDs) or high-pressure high-temperature process (HPHT NDs) works in different way. Moieties on as-received NDs are dominated by COOH and COC groups due to wet chemical cleaning procedures. On DNDs, both RF and LA treatment lead to removal of sp2 shell and additional oxidation of the surface to C OC groups. On HPHT NDs the RF treatment leads to reduction of COC groups that are transformed into COH and CH moieties. Thus at least partial hydrogenation of colloidal HPHT NDs seems feasible.

An insight into the harmful effects of soy protein: A review.

Soy protein (SP) is a protein derived from soybean meal. SP is obtained from the removal of the outer shell of soybean and the fatty acid. The dietary supplementation of SP was was reported to have positive effects on human health. Therefore, the attention towards SP is increasing among the consumers, industrialist and researchers. However, the side effects and toxicity related to SP was not summarized, to date. This review summarized the toxic effects such as hormonal disturbances, carcinogenic and organotoxicity of SP based on the clinical and experimental studies. The review mainly focused on the effect of soy isoflavone-genistein on various organs. The main aim of the present review is to increase the public awareness on the harmful effect of SP on the various health aspects and draw the attention of the health care personnel and researchers.

Removal of shells in palm kernel cake via static cling and electrostatic separation

Palm kernel cake (PKC), a by-product of the palm oil industry is limited in its use as a feed ingredient for poultry due to its high fibre and lignin content. The presence of these antinutritive components is the result of shells contaminating the by-product. The nutritive value of PKC has to be improved in order to increase its inclusion rate in poultry diet. In this study, PKC was subjected to a separation method using static cling and electrostatic separation to removethe shells present in PKC. Response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the separation method with moisture content (8 to 18%), particle size distribution (0.5 to 2.5 mm) and feed rate (20 to 200 g/min) as the independent variables evaluated. According to the regression coefficients and significance of the quadratic polynomial model, the optimum separation parameters were as follows: 13% PKC moisture content; <1.5mm PKC particle size and 110 g/min feed rate. Under these conditions, the total lignin content of PKC was reduced to 8.1% PKC and crude fibre to 10.2%.

Performance Study of a Jatropha Curcas L. Fruit Shelling Machine for Kernel Recovery in Biodiesel Production

<abstract> <b><i>Abstract. </i></b> The presence of shells and husks during the process of oil extraction can affect oil yield and output quality. A shelling machine has been developed at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to supersede the time-consuming manual method to remove shells and husks directly from the whole fruits for kernel recovery. The output kernels are in broken forms that ease the oil extraction process. The machine basically consists of cracking rollers, a vibratory sieve as the first stage separator, and a blower as the second stage separator. The performance of the machine was evaluated using five different blower air speeds (3.5, 6.2, 9.5, 12.6, and 13.4 ms^-1) and the size of the mesh on the sifter was fixed. The 9.5 ms^-1 speed was selected as optimal as the highest separation efficiency of 66.98% could be achieved. The considerations to determine the separation efficiencies included kernel recovery, the percentage of shells and the percentage of husks removed. At the optimal setting, the shell and husk removal achieved 97.17% and 55.21%, respectively, while the kernel recovery achieved 87.88%. A total of 12.12% kernels were lost and most of the losses were kernels in tiny broken form. The results indicated that a further improvement of the machine is necessary with the application of strategies to create highly different physical properties between the kernels and other impurities to enhance the effectiveness of the removal of impurities while maintaining a low kernel loss.

Osmotic Dehydration of New Zealand Chestnuts with and without Shell and Pellicle

Abstract Osmotic dehydration offers an alternative to air-drying for reducing moisture content at ambient temperature. Of four different solutes investigated, 22% (mass basis) sodium chloride (NaCl) and 60% (mass basis) sucrose solutions were the most successful, with each achieving approximately a 10% reduction in wet basis moisture content after 8 h without significant detrimental side effects, although NaCl solutions cause noticeable darkening in the pits on the surface of the chestnuts. The presence of the shell and pellicle did not significantly affect the dehydration rate. Osmotic dehydration by NaCl or sucrose prior to mechanical shell removal produced a small increase in efficiency of the shell removal process.

In vivo integrity of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles.

Inorganic nanoparticles are frequently engineered with an organic surface coating to improve their physicochemical properties, and it is well known that their colloidal properties may change upon internalization by cells. While the stability of such nanoparticles is typically assayed in simple in vitro tests, their stability in a mammalian organism remains unknown. Here, we show that firmly grafted polymer shells around gold nanoparticles may degrade when injected into rats. We synthesized monodisperse radioactively labelled gold nanoparticles ((198)Au) and engineered an (111)In-labelled polymer shell around them. Upon intravenous injection into rats, quantitative biodistribution analyses performed independently for (198)Au and (111)In showed partial removal of the polymer shell in vivo. While (198)Au accumulates mostly in the liver, part of the (111)In shows a non-particulate biodistribution similar to intravenous injection of chelated (111)In. Further in vitro studies suggest that degradation of the polymer shell is caused by proteolytic enzymes in the liver. Our results show that even nanoparticles with high colloidal stability can change their physicochemical properties in vivo.

Kwakwaka’wakw “Clam Gardens”

Abstract The indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast of North America actively managed natural resources in diverse ways to enhance their productivity and proximity. Among those practices that have escaped the attention of anthropologists until recently is the traditional management of intertidal clam beds, which Northwest Coast peoples have enhanced through techniques such as selective harvests, the removal of shells and other debris, and the mechanical aeration of the soil matrix. In some cases, harvesters also removed stones or even created stone revetments that served to laterally expand sediments suitable for clam production into previously unusable portions of the tidal zone. This article presents the only account of these activities, their motivations, and their outcomes, based on the first-hand knowledge of a traditional practitioner, Kwakwaka’wakw Clan Chief Kwaxistalla Adam Dick, trained in these techniques by elders raised in the nineteenth century when clam “gardening” was still widely practiced.

Electron beam induced evolution in Au, Ag, and interfaced heterogeneous Au/Ag nanoparticles.

A sintering process of nanoparticles made of Ag, Au, and interfaced Ag/Au heterodimers was investigated by in situ transmission electron microscopy at room temperature. Such a process is driven by the illumination of a high-energy electron beam accelerated at 200 kV that promotes atom diffusion in the nanoparticles that are in physical contact. Upon electron illumination, adjacent Au nanoparticles gradually merge together to form a larger particle along with the reduction of the surface area despite the fact that orientated attachment is not observed. According to the detailed analysis of the size change of the particles and the contact area, it was found that the nanoparticle fusion process is significantly different from the well-established thermal diffusion mechanism. In addition to the similar fusion process of Au nanoparticles, Ag nanoparticles undergo apparent sublimation induced by knock on damage because the transferred energy from the electron beam to nanoparticles is higher than the surface binding energy of Ag atoms when the electron scattering angle is larger than 112°. The particles with a smaller size diffuse faster. Surface diffusion dominates at the beginning of the fusion process followed by slower lattice diffusion. Electron beam illumination can transform the interfaced Au/Ag dimers to Au@Ag core-shell particles followed by a slow removal of the Ag shells. This process under normal electron beam illumination is a lot faster than the thermally driven process. Both diffusion and sublimation of Ag atoms are dependent on the intensity of the electron beam, i.e., a higher beam intensity is favorable to accelerate both the processes.