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Članek obravnava današnjo uporabo encimov v industrijskih procesih tekstilnega plemenitenja ter ob njihovem intenzivnem znanstvenem razvoju kompleksno opozarja na obstoječe aplikativne probleme in cilje v prihodnje. Po razloženi strukturno - funkcionalni aktivnosti encimov, njihovem tehnološkem postopku pridobivanja in vlogi genetskega inženiringa so podane ekološke in ekonomske prednosti njihove industrijske uporabe. Sledi podrobnejši opis možnosti uporabe encimov v posameznih postopkih tekstilnega plemenitenja in njihov znanstveni razvoj. Pregled je usmerjen tako na posamezne postopke v obdelavi naravnih vlaken kot tudi na prve poizkuse obdelave sintetičnih vlaken. Opisani so obstoječi problemi klasičnih plemenitilnih postopkov, od predobdelave, beljenja in barvanja do plemenitenja/apretiranja, ter predstavljene možnosti za vključitev encimskih postopkov. Podrobneje so opisana nova spoznanja na posameznih vlaknih in fazah encimskega plemenitenja poseben poudarek je na razvoju novih encimov, primernih za njihovo obdelavo, novih encimskih postopkih, njihovih prednostih in slabostih, predvsem poškodbe vlaken in življenjska doba oz. ostala aktivnost encimov na tkanini. Podrobneje so opisani alternativni tehnološki postopki za doseganje posebnih končnih učinkov na površini tkanine. Po krajšem opisu razvoja novih, izjemno stabilnih encimov in njihovih prednostih je opozorjeno na obetavno uporabo biotehnologije v tekstilno obdelovalnih postopkih in perspektivo njihovega razvoja v prihodnje. The authors investigate today’s use of enzymes in industrial textile finishing processes and in view of their intense scientific development point to the existing application problems and objectives. The explained structural - functional activity of enzymes, the technological process of their obtaining and the genetic engineering are followed by ecological and economical benefits of their industrial usage and then by a detailed description of possibilities of using enzymes in particular processes of textile finishing and their scientific development. The review includes individual procedures of natural fibres treatment and the first trials of synthetic fibres treatment. The existing problems of standard finishing processes, from pretreatment, bleaching and dyeing to finishing and the possibilities for incorporating enzymatic processes are presented. New achievements regarding individual fibres and enzymatic processes phases are described in detail a special emphasis is put on development of new enzymes, new enzymatic processes, their advantages and disadvantages, and above all on damages of fibres and on the lifetime of enzymes, i.e. their remaining activity on fabric. Alternative technological processes for achieving special final effects on a fabric surface are described in detail. After a short description of development of new extremely stable enzymes and their advantages the authors point to promising usage of biotechnology in textile processing processes and to the prospect of their future development.

Članek obravnava redukcijska barvila. V uvodu sta podana pomen in uporabnost teh barvil, temu pa sledita opis konvencionalnega barvanja in opis samih barvil. Prikazana je ekotoksikološka problematika barvanja z redukcijskimi barvili in kot posledica tega razvoj novih alternativnih postopkov, kot so: tehnološki (Sistem pro VAT plus, Conmpress C-plus, Caledon SF fl postopek), elektrokemijski (indirektni z uporabo mediatorja, direktni in elektrokatalitično hidrogeniranje) in bio-postopki (zamenjava toksičnih reducentov z biorazgradljivim in encimski postopki). Podano je še pospeševanje samega procesa (barvanja) ob souporabi fizikalnih metod, kot sta ultrazvok in elektromagnetno polje. The article dealas with vat dyes. First the significance and the applicability of these dyes are described, followed by the description of the conventional dyeing process and vat dyes. Ecological dyeing problems with vat dyes and the resulting development of new dyeing alternatives: technological alternatives (System pro VAT plus, Compress C-plus, Caledon SF fl process), electrochemical dyeing (indirect electro-chemical reduction by using a mediator, direct electrochemical reduction and electrocatalytic hydrogenation), replacement of toxic reducing agents with bio-decomposing reducing agents and enzymatic dyeing process are presented. The article concludes with the discussion about the dyeing process by using physical parameters like ultrasound and electromagnetic field.

Članek obravnava današnjo uporabo encimov v industrijskih procesih tekstilnega plemenitenja ter ob njihovem intenzivnem znanstvenem razvoju kompleksno opozarja na obstoječe aplikativne probleme in cilje v prihodnje. Po razloženi strukturno - funkcionalni aktivnosti encimov, njihovem tehnološkem postopku pridobivanja in vlogi genetskega inženiringa so podane ekološke in ekonomske prednosti njihove industrijske uporabe. Sledi podrobnejši opis možnosti uporabe encimov v posameznih postopkih tekstilnega plemenitenja in njihov znanstveni razvoj. Pregled je usmerjen tako na posamezne postopke v obdelavi naravnih vlaken kot tudi na prve poizkuse obdelave sintetičnih vlaken. Opisani so obstoječi problemi klasičnih plemenitilnih postopkov, od predobdelave, beljenja in barvanja do plemenitenja/apretiranja, ter predstavljene možnosti za vključitev encimskih postopkov. Podrobneje so opisana nova spoznanja na posameznih vlaknih in fazah encimskega plemenitenja poseben poudarek je na razvoju novih encimov, primernih za njihovo obdelavo, novih encimskih postopkih, njihovih prednostih in slabostih, predvsem poškodbe vlaken in življenjska doba oz. ostala aktivnost encimov na tkanini. Podrobneje so opisani alternativni tehnološki postopki za doseganje posebnih končnih učinkov na površini tkanine. Po krajšem opisu razvoja novih, izjemno stabilnih encimov in njihovih prednostih je opozorjeno na obetavno uporabo biotehnologije v tekstilno obdelovalnih postopkih in perspektivo njihovega razvoja v prihodnje. The authors investigate today's use of enzymes in industrial textile finishing processes and in view of their intense scientific development point to the existing application problems and objectives. The explained structural - functional activity of enzymes, the technological process of their obtaining and the genetic engineering are followed by ecological and economical benefits of their industrial usage and then by a detailed description of possibilities of using enzymes in particular processes of textile finishing and their scientific development. The review includes individual procedures of natural fibres treatment and the first trials of synthetic fibres treatment. The existing problems of standard finishing processes, from pretreatment, bleaching and dyeing to finishing and the possibilities for incorporating enzymatic processes are presented. New achievements regarding individual fibres and enzymatic processes phases are described in detail a special emphasis is put on development of new enzymes, new enzymatic processes, their advantages and disadvantages, and above all on damages of fibres and on the life time of enzymes, i. e. their remaining activity on fabric. Alternative technological processes for achieving special final effects on a fabric surface are described in detail. After a short description of development of new extremely stable enzymes and their advantages the authors point to promising usage of biotechnology in textile processing processes and to the prospect of their future development.

Članek obravnava današnjo uporabo encimov v industrijskih procesih tekstilnega plemenitenja ter ob njihovem intenzivnem znanstvenem razvoju kompleksno opozarja na obstoječe aplikativne probleme in cilje v prihodnje. Po razloženi strukturno - funkcionalni aktivnosti encimov, njihovem tehnološkem postopku pridobivanja in vlogi genetskega inženiringa so podane ekološke in ekonomske prednosti njihove industrijske uporabe. Sledi podrobnejši opis možnosti uporabe encimov v posameznih postopkih tekstilnega plemenitenja in njihov znanstveni razvoj. Pregled je usmerjen tako na posamezne postopke v obdelavi naravnih vlaken kot tudi na prve poizkuse obdelave sintetičnih vlaken. Opisani so obstoječi problemi klasičnih plemenitilnih postopkov, od predobdelave, beljenja in barvanja do plemenitenja/apretiranja, ter predstavljene možnosti za vključitev encimskih postopkov Podrobneje so opisana nova spoznanja na posameznih vlaknih in fazah encimskega plemenitenja poseben poudarek je na razvoju novih encimov, primernih za njihovo obdelavo, novih encimskih postopkih, njihovih prednostih in slabostih, predvsem poškodbe vlaken in življenjska doba oz. ostala aktivnost encimov na tkanini. Podrobneje so opisani alternativni tehnološki postopki za doseganje posebnih končnih učinkov na površini tkanine. Po krajšem opisu razvoja novih, izjemno stabilnih encimov in njihovih prednostih je opozorjeno na obetavno uporabo biotehnologije v tekstilno obdelovalnih postopkih in perspektivo njihovega razvoja v prihodnje. The authors investigate today's use of enzymes in industrial textile finishing processes and in view of their intense scientific development point to the existing application problems and objectives. The explained structural functional activity of enzymes, the technological process of their obtaining and the genetic engineering are followed by ecological and economical benefits of their industrial usage and then by a detailed description of possibilities of using enzymes in particular processes of textile finishing and their scientific development. The review includes individual procedures of natural fibres treatment and the first trials of synthetic fibres treatment. The existing problems of standard finishing processes, from pretreatment, bleaching and dyeing to finishing and the possibilities for incorporating enzymatic processes are presented. New achievements regarding individual fibres and enzymatic processes phases are described in detail a special emphasis is put on development of new enzymes, new enzymatic processes, their advantages and disadvantages, and above all on damages of fibres and on the lifetime of enzymes, i.e. their remaining activity on fabric. Alternative technological processes for achieving special final effects on a fabric surface are described in detail. After a short description of development of new extremely stabile enzymes and their advantages the authors point to promising usage of biotechnology in textile processing processes and to the prospect of their future development.

Ammonium removal is a key step in biological wastewater treatment and novel approaches that improve this process are in great demand. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that ammonium removal from wastewater can be stimulated by static magnetic fields. This was achieved by analysis of the effects of static magnetic field (SMF) on the growth and activity of Nitrosomonas europaea, a key ammonia-oxidising bacterium, where increased growth and increased ammonia oxidation rate were detected when bacteria were exposed to SMF at 17 mT. Additionally, the effect of SMF on mixed cultures of ammonia oxidisers in activated sludge, incubated in sequencing batch bioreactors simulating wastewater treatment process, was assessed. SMFs of 30 and 50 mT, but not of 10 mT, increased ammonium oxidation rate in municipal wastewater by up to 77 % and stimulated ammonia oxidiser growth. The results demonstrate the potential for use of static magnetic fields in increasing ammonium removal rates in biological wastewater treatment plants.

Nanostructured hydroxyapatite (HAp) is the most favorable candidate biomaterial for bone tissue engineering because of its bioactive and osteoconductive properties. Herein, we report for the first time ultrasound-assisted facile and economic approach for the synthesis of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) using recycled eggshell biowaste referred as EHAp. The process involves the reaction of eggshell biowaste as a source of calcium and ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate as a phosphate source. Ultrasound-mediated chemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) is also carried out using similar approach wherein commercially available calcium hydroxide and ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate were used as calcium and phosphate precursors, respectively and referred as CHAp for better comparison. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy to determine crystal structure, particle morphology, and the presence of chemical functional groups. The nanocrystalline EHAp and CHAp were observed to have spherical morphology with uniform size distribution. Furthermore, mechanical properties such as Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, and compression tests have been studied of the EHAp and CHAp samples showing promising results. Mechanical properties show the influence of calcination at 600°C EHAp and CHAp material. After calcination, in the case of EHAp material an average hardness, mechanical strength, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness were found 552 MPa, 46.6 MPa, 2824 MPa, and 3.85 MPa m1/2, respectively, while in the case of CHAp 618 MPa, 47.5 MPa, 2071 MPa, and 3.13 MPa m1/2. In vitro cell studies revealed that the EHAp and CHAp nanoparticles significantly increased the attachment and proliferation of the hFOB cells. Here, we showed that EHAp and CHAp provide promising biocompatible materials that do not affect the cell viability and proliferation with enhancing the osteogenic activity of osteoblasts. Moreover, hFOB cells are found to express Osteocalcin, Osteopontin, Collagen I, Osteonectin, BMP-2 on the EHAp and CHAp bone graft. This study demonstrates the formation of pure nanocrystalline HAp with promising properties justifying the fact that the eggshell biowaste could be successfully used for the synthesis of HAp with good mechanical and osteogenic properties. These findings may have significant implications for designing of biomaterial for use in orthopedic tissue regeneration. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2017.

Cellulose nanofibrills (CNFs) are attractive biocompatible, natural nanomaterials for wide biomedical applications. However, the immunological mechanisms of CNFs have been poorly investigated. Considering that dendritic cells (DCs) are the key immune regulatory cells in response to nanomaterials, our aim was to investigate the immunological mechanisms of CNFs in a model of DC-mediated immune response. We found that non-toxic concentrations of CNFs impaired the differentiation, and subsequent maturation of human monocyte-derived (mo)-DCs. In a co-culture with CD4+T cells, CNF-treated mo-DCs possessed a weaker allostimulatory and T helper (Th)1 and Th17 polarizing capacity, but a stronger capacity to induce Th2 cells and CD4+CD25hiFoxP3hi regulatory T cells. This correlated with an increased immunoglobulin-like transcript-4 and indolamine dioxygenase-1 expression by CNF-treated mo-DCs, following the partial internalization of CNFs and the accumulation of CD209 and actin bundles at the place of contacts with CNFs. Cumulatively, we showed that CNFs are able to induce an active immune tolerance by inducing tolerogenic DCs, which could be beneficial for the application of CNFs in wound healing and chronic inflammation therapies.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the release rates of chlorhexidine (CX) base entrapped in the polymeric beads of modified poly-N-isopropylacrylamides (pNIPAMs) at temperatures below and over the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of synthesized polymers: pNIPAM-A with terminal anionic groups resulting from potassium persulfate initiator, pNIPAM-B with cationic amidine terminal groups, and pNIPAM-C comprising anionic terminals, but with increased hydrophobicity maintained by the N-tert-butyl functional groups. The preparations, assessed in vitro below the VPTT, release an initial burst of CX at different time periods between 120 and 240 min, followed by a period of 24 h, when the rate of release remains approximately constant, approaching the zero-order kinetics the release rates for the polymers beads are as follows: pNIPAM-C>pNIPAM-B>pNIPAM-A. The pattern of release rates at temperature over the VPTT is as follows: pNIPAM-C>pNIPAM-A>pNIPAM-B. In the presence of pNIPAM-C, the duration between the start of the release and the attained minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for most of the microbes, in conditions over the VPTT, increased from 60 to 90 min. The release prolongation could be ascribed to some interactions between the practically insoluble CX particle and the hydrophobic functional groups of the polymer.

Aktualno stanje obravnavanja kaznivih dejanj, zlasti gospodarskih, korupcijskih in tudi drugih, še posebno tistih, ki spadajo na področje organizirane kriminalitete, izraža trend osredotočenosti pri izrekanju obsodilnih sodb storilcem teh kaznivih dejanj ne zgolj na (dolgotrajne) prostostne kazni, temveč vse bolj na odvzem protipravno pridobljenih koristi. Kljub vsem spremembam kazenskopravne, tako materialne kot procesne zakonodaje, institut odvzema premoženjske koristi v našem pravu še vedno ne dosega zakonskega namena in je v tem pogledu še zmeraj premalo učinkovit, odločanje o tem vprašanju pa vezano na prenekatere dileme. Kot nezadostno učinkovitost je treba šteti zlasti nedosledno uporabo kazenskega materialnega prava, ne dovolj izkoriščene procesne mehanizme in navsezadnje premajhen izplen izvršitve pravnomočnih sodb. V prispevku je uvodoma predstavljena pravna podlaga za odvzem premoženjske koristi, vključno z ustavnopravnimi merili, ki upravičujejo odvzem s kaznivim dejanjem pridobljenih koristi. S vprašanjem pravne narave obravnavanega instituta pa se neizbežno povezuje vprašanje ugotavljanja obsega premoženjske koristi, ki je tako v teoriji kot v praksi posebno problematično. Nadalje je v prispevku obravnavano razmerje med ukrepom odvzema premoženjske koristi in premoženjskopravnim zahtevkom oškodovanca s kritičnim pogledom na aktualno zakonsko ureditev. Posebne pozornosti pa je v luči najnovejše sodne prakse deležno vprašanje ločenosti premoženja družbe od premoženja njenih družbenikov. V sklepnem delu prispevka so izpostavljene še nekatere procesnopravne dileme, povezane zlasti z zacasnim zavarovanjem zahtevka za odvzem premoženjske koristi v luči pričakovanih sprememb kazenske procesne zakonodaje.

This invention concerns an ecologically friendly process of indigo (C.I. Vat Blue 1 ) dyeing of cellulose and polyamide-containing textile material with possibility of reusing (three or more times) the enzyme reduction dyeing bath. Procedure of dyeing cellulose and polyamide textile materials with enzymatically reduced indigo comprising the step of subjecting the cellulose or polyamide samples to the indigo dyebath containing reductases (e.g. NADH-dependent enzymes from Bacillis subtilis in the presence of a redox mediator (e.g.1,8- dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone), oxidation on air or oxidases enzyme or oxidizing agent (i.e. hydrogen peroxide) after diffusion leuko indigo into material and finally soaping and washing.

Efficient tissue regenerative medicine treatments of bone/cartilage lesions which depend mainly on biocompatible properties of implanted materials due to complexity of the tissue still remain a huge challenge (L. Kock, C. C. Donekelaar, K. Ito, Cell Tissue Res (2012) 347, 613-627). Modern tissue regeneration approaches often rely on tissue engineering based on scaffolding. Proliferation of cells through the scaffold, cell attachment onto the scaffold and ability of population growth on a day-time scale seem to be the straightforward criteria of good scaffold candidates. On the other hand, extensive testing is applied also to avoid immune responses and undesired too fast or too slow degradation. All of the above issues compose the so-called biocompatibility, which actually implies the emerging material-cell interactions and the consequential responses of both material and living cells. It is straightforward that biocompatibility is the property of the interacting pair, i.e. both the material and the cell. To qualify the material-cell pair as biocompatible the cell-material interactions should be predicted from the properties of both material and cells under various conditions. Regarding to the available knowledge this is still very difficult task. To contribute to the area, we tried to understand the scaffold-cell contact from molecular biophysical perspective. Firstly, local mobility of the gelatin polymers constructing the scaffold was studying through spin and fluorescent labeling at the same sites that were used to crosslink the gelatin network to construct the scaffold. With spin labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) the local side-chain conformational motions have been characterized with the same methodology that was applied in protein structure determination (Štrancar et al. Eur. Biophys. J. 2010, vol.39, 499-511). The most interesting observation is that cells populate the scaffold very efficiently despite the fact that the gelatin side-chains and the backbone itself are very flexible with the scaffold macro structure (sort of gel) being conserved. Secondly, the interaction between the (L-929 fibroblast) cell membrane and the gelatin scaffold was characterized using optical tweezing (1064 nm NIR laser) by pulling scaffold and the cell membrane. Additional unspecific micro-beads were used to increase the interaction sensitivity. At the same time membrane architecture has been traced through fluorescent labeling by membrane-anchored environmentally-sensitive fluorophores based on NBD fluorophore with confocal fluorescence microspectroscopy (Arsov et al. Biomed. optics express 2011, vol. 2, 2083-2095). Correlation between membrane changes, cell attachment and forces to the material were searched for.

Modern tissue regeneration approaches often rely on tissue engineering and scaffolding. Although the concept of scaffolds’ preparation is easy to define, different physicochemical methods often resist producing scaffolds with desired properties through rationally process design and control. Predicting cell-material interaction seems to be even fuzzier. To understand the organization of the scaffolds’ polymer network, from nano-to-micro scale, characterization of organization and rheology on the macro-level must converge into the complementary molecular study describing structure and dynamics. Finally, fluidity of the living cell as well as physical interactions with the interface and dynamical scales of the phenomena involved must be taken into account. In the lecture, the biopolymer scaffold will be addressed through the prism of different methods determining the macroscopic and molecular properties of the scaffold-cell interface. Fluorescence microscopy (FM) will be used with the advanced image analysis providing wall thickness and pores size histograms, correlated with preparation procedure and rheometric visco-elastic studies. The latter is than correlated with motional pattern analysis through spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SL EPR) and enzyme degradation. Finally, the fluorescence microspectroscopy (FMS) will be used to study the cell membrane response to the material contact and stress.

Modern tissue regeneration approaches often rely on tissue engineering and scaffolding. Although the concept of scaffolds’ preparation is easy to define, different physicochemical methods often resist producing scaffolds with desired properties through rationally process design and control. Predicting cell-material interaction seems to be even fuzzier. To understand the organization of the scaffolds’ polymer network, from nano-to-micro scale, characterization of organization and rheology on the macro-level must converge into the complementary molecular study describing structure and dynamics. Finally, fluidity of the living cell as well as physical interactions with the interface and dynamical scales of the phenomena involved must be taken into account. In the lecture, the biopolymer scaffold will be addressed through the prism of different methods determining the macroscopic and molecular properties of the scaffold-cell interface. Fluorescence microscopy (FM) will be used with the advanced image analysis providing wall thickness and pores size histograms, correlated with preparation procedure and rheometric visco-elastic studies. The latter is than correlated with motional pattern analysis through spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SL EPR) and enzyme degradation. Finally, the fluorescence microspectroscopy (FMS) will be used to study the cell membrane response to the material contact and stress.

Redox potentials of two reducing (sodium dithionite and glucose) and two oxidizing (hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite) agents were monitored at various concentrations and at different temperatures for 30-75 minutes after the exposure of their water solutions (glucose and hypochlorite solutions once sodium dithionite and hydrogen peroxide solutions one, two and/or three-times) to the static magnetic field of flux density of 0.9 V s M-2 . The aim of the investigation was to suggest improvements, i.e., intensification and stability, of the reduction-oxidation ability of selected agents applicable in textile fibre processing, primarily bleaching and vat dyeing. Results of the experiments show that magnetic treatment (of solutions) raises both the reducing ability of glucose and the oxidation ability of hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, promising some technological and economical benefits for the textile industry as well as forother fields of chemistry. Redoks potencijali vodenih otopina dvaju redukcijskih (natrijev ditionat i glukoza) i dvaju oksidacijskih (vodikov peroksid i natrijev hipoklorit) spojeva mjereni su pri različitim koncentracijama i različitim temperaturama 30–75 minuta poslije izlaganja otopina statičnom magnetskom polju gustoće toka 0,9 V s m–2. Otopine su polju izlagane ili samo jednom (glukoza i natrijev hipoklorit) ili jednom, dvaput i triput (natrijev ditionat i vodikov peroksid). Cilj je istraživanja predložiti poboljšanje redukcijske, odnosno oksidacijske sposobnosti odabranih spojeva koji se koriste u obradi tekstilnih vlakana, prvenstveno za izbjeljivanje i bojenje. Rezultati eksperimenata pokazuju da se magnetskom obradom otopina povećavaju redukcijska sposobnost glukoze i oksidacijska sposobnost vodikova peroksida i natrijeva hipoklorita, što bi moglo biti tehnološki i ekonomski korisno tekstilnoj industriji, a zanimljivo ostalim granama kemije.