Search

In comparison to the traditional petroleum-based plastics, polylactic acid, the most popular biodegradable plastic, can be decomposed into carbon dioxide and water in the environment. However, the natural degradation of polylactic acid requires a substantial period of time and, more importantly, it is a carbon-emitting process. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop a novel transformation process that can upcycle the plastic trash into value-added products, especially with high chemical selectivity. Here we demonstrate a one-pot catalytic method to convert polylactic acid into alanine by a simple ammonia solution treatment using a Ru/TiO2 catalyst. The process has a 77% yield of alanine at 140 °C, and an overall selectivity of 94% can be reached by recycling experiments. Importantly, no added hydrogen is used in this process. It has been verified that lactamide and ammonium lactate are the initial intermediates and that the dehydrogenation of ammonium lactate initiates the amination, while Ru nanoparticles are essential for the dehydrogenation/rehydrogenation and amination steps. The process demonstrated here could expand the application of polylactic acid waste and inspire new upcycling strategies for different plastic wastes.

Half of the orchards of Hungary are in Szatmár-Bereg County. The county is in North-east Hungary. The total area of this micro region (5936 km²) covers 6.6% of the country’s overall territory (90 030 km2). The most common soil types of the planted areas in Szatmár and Bereg region are acidic meadow (WRB Vertisol) and acidic sediment (WRB Fluvisol) soils, while sandy (WRB Arenosol) soils dominate the neighboring area (Nyírség). In this study several chemical parameters were investigated, including ammonium lactate (AL) soluble phosphorus and potassium content of soils of fruit plantations. Ammonium soluble phosphorus and potassium contents of soils are represent determining the current amount of phosphorus and potassium available to plants in the soil solution. We established nutrient deficiency caused by acidification of soils and the need for rational fertilization of the soils in the region. Results of soil analysis can contribute to sustainable soil and land use by considering soil and plant nutrient requirements.

International audience; Plant available soil phosphorus contents are assessed by various different methods worldwide. The resulting country-specific methodology prohibits comparison or joint analysis of international data on yield response to soil P level. A change of the standard method would decrease comparability to older data, require new costly and time-consuming calibration and familiarization of advisory authorities and farmers. The use of conversion equations can allow the combination of data derived by different methods, but large differences between available equations question their reliability. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of conversion options from P extracted by methods commonly used in Europe (acid ammonium acetate, acid ammonium acetate + EDTA, ammonium lactate, calcium acetate lactate, double lactate, H2O and Mehlich 3) to the widely used Olsen method. For a given method of soil P extraction, coefficients derived from different publications often vary by factors above two. Differences in coefficients can, at least to a certain degree, be attributed to variations in soil type, soil texture and especially pH range and carbonate contents of the soils of the according databases. In several studies, decreasing pH values increased Olsen-P values in relation to the other methods. Linear regressions are prone to bias by the right-skewed distribution of P values in most databases and therefore have to be handled with care on the lower end of the P level range. Even the option most appropriate for the soil and research purpose at hand can be a considerable source of error, therefore conversions should only be conducted if absolutely necessary.

A long-term fertilizer experiment was set up on a calcareous chernozem soil with a wheat-maize-maize-wheat crop rotation, as part of the National Long-Term Fertilization Experiments (NLTFE) Network, set up with the same experimental pattern under different soil and agro-climatic conditions in Hungary. The effect of P fertilization on the soil, on maize yields, and on leaf P and Zn contents in the flowering stage were examined in the trials. In certain years, foliar zinc fertilizer was applied, in order to prove that yield losses due to P-induced Zn deficiency can be compensated by Zn application. Calcium-ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and 60% potassium chloride were used as NPK, and Zn-hexamine (in 1991) and Zn-sulphate (in 2006) as foliar Zn fertilizers. In the years since 1970, averaged over 36 maize harvests, treatments N3P1K1 and N4P1K1, involving annual rates of 150 to 200 kg ha−1 N, 100 kg ha−1 K2O and 50 kg ha−1 P2O5, gave the highest yields (8.3 t ha−1 grain on average). As the years progressed, treatments exceeding 50 kg ha−1 P2O5 a year were found to have an increasingly unfavourable effect. Based on the yields of ten cycles (36 maize years), variants P2, P3 and P4 resulted in 16–30–45 t ha−1 grain yield losses in comparison to variant P1. Investigations carried out in 1987, 1991 and 2006 showed that the leaf Zn content on plots with more than 150 to 200 mg kg−1 AL (ammonium lactate)-soluble P2O5 (over 30 mg kg−1 Olsen-P) dropped below 15 mg kg−1 and the P/Zn ratio rose to above 150 or even 250 in the flowering stage in two years. As a consequence of P-induced Zn deficiency, maize grain yields fell by 2 t ha−1 in two of the years investigated and by almost 5 t ha−1 in one year at the P4 level (200 kg ha−1 P2O5 year−1), in comparison to the P1 variant (50 kg ha−1 P2O5 year−1). When 1.2 kg ha−1 foliar Zn was applied in the form of zinc hexamine, 1.7 to 1.8 t ha−1 maize grain yield surpluses were obtained on plots with higher P levels in 1991. In 2006 the P-induced Zn deficiency caused unexpectedly high (almost 5 t ha−1) grain yield losses on plots with higher P levels, so the maize grain yield surpluses obtained in response to 1.2 kg ha−1 foliar Zn application, in the form of zinc sulphate, were as high as 1.6 to 3.8 t ha−1. The data clearly indicate that maize yields are impeded by both poor and excessive P status. Soil and plant analysis may be useful tools for monitoring the nutritional status of plants.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, inflammatory, hyper-proliferative disease of the skin and joints characterized by erythematous plaques covered with silvery white scales. There are many topical and systemic modalities for its treatment. Out of all topical treatment, ammonium lactate has been studied very little for its role in psoriasis vulgaris. As there is paucity of literature on ammonium lactate as monotherapy and its combination with other topical agents, this study has been undertaken and it was found that combination therapy is effective, well tolerated with minimal side effects and better compliance was seen. Ammonium lactate can also be considered as one of the topical option as a monotherapy and also as a maintenance therapy. Keywords: Psoriasis, Ammonium lactate, Topical, Calcipotriol.

Titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactate)dihydroxide (TiBALDH) is a commercially available reagent frequently used to synthesize TiO2. Particularly, for the biomimetic synthesis of TiO2, TiBALDH is the preferred precursor because it can be mixed in aqueous solutions with no apparent hydrolysis or condensation reactions. Thus, proteins or other biomolecules can be used as a template in aqueous systems for the synthesis of TiO2 from TiBALDH. Nevertheless, there is evidence that TiBALDH is in equilibrium with TiO2, and even, the principal structure of the complex has been suggested as [Ti4O4(lactate)8]8−. Since that chemical equilibrium depends on the polarity of the solvent, in this work we explored a diversity of media to test the chemical stability of TiBALDH and its equilibrium with TiO2 at room temperature. TiBALDH (2.078 M) contains particles of 18.6 ± 7.3 nm in size, if it is diluted with deionized water, the particles reach a size of 5.2 ± 1.7 nm, which suggest that intermolecular interactions form polymers of titanium lactate complexes reversibly, reaching equilibrium after 10 hours. Typical buffer systems were tested; TiBALDH reacted rapidly only with phosphate groups, even if the source came from DNA. Therefore, phosphate buffer must be avoided in biomineralization TiO2 synthesis. In solutions of TiBALDH at basic pH, condensation reactions are promoted to form a gel containing anatase nanoparticles, but if the solutions are acidic, monodisperse anatase nanoparticles of ∼5 nm were observed. The results show that the commercial reagent TiBALDH contains many species of titanium lactate complexes in equilibrium with TiO2, and it is affected by the concentration, time, pH, and several ions. This peculiar behavior must be taken into account when this precursor is used and it could be useful to develop novel synthesis routes of macrostructures with biomolecules in aqueous systems.

A sustainable supply of phosphorus (P) to agricultural soils should maintain soil fertility without jeopardizing the environment. This study analyzed the change in the soil P as a function of the net soil P mass balance, i.e. the input minus removal by the harvested crop. The P available for crops was estimated by the P extracted by ammonium lactate at pH 3.75 (P-AL). First, laboratory and pot-trial data showed that the net change in soil P-AL was only 68% of the change in total soil P, either when P had been added to soil or when P had been mined by plants for 1–2 years, indicating removal to or release from the non-extractable pool depending on the balance. Secondly, data were collated from 33 field trials in Europe with a wide range of cumulative soil P balances (−1200 to +2500 kg P ha−1) in time spans ranging from 3 to 51 years. The average change in P-AL across the negative and positive balance was only 27% (95% confidence interval 25–30%) of the net balance. The change in P-AL was larger as the net balance increased and as the initial P-AL decreased. The slope of the change versus the balance was smaller as time increased and initial P-AL decreased. The other soil characteristics did not affect these changes, and the model developed was not different for negative or positive P balances. Our results suggest that a steady state P-AL concentration at optimal P supply for crops is obtained at a net P balance of about 1–10 kg P ha−1. The P mass balance of a 51 year-old trial showed that the aqua regia soluble P of the 0–90 cm layer accounted for only 64% of the net P balances at the surface. This still incomplete P balance could be related to upward P transport by plant uptake from > 90 cm soil layers, lateral P movement in the field, and changes in the soil P fraction that could not be extracted with aqua regia. This study quantified the long-term dynamics of P-AL, which is useful for agronomic and environmental purposes and policy, and pointed out the importance of non-extractable P and vertical P movement.

Background: Previous studies show that aberrant synthesis of Hyaluronan accelerates tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The fibroblasts are probably responsible for most of the hyaluronic acid (HA) accumulation in tumor microenvironment after radiotherapy. Our goal is to investigate and compare radiation and lactate effects on HA levels in supernatant and exosome isolated from supernatant of primary mouse fibroblast cell culture. Methods: Fibroblast cells were prepared from skin of C57BL6 mouse. These cells were divided into three groups (no treatment, cells treated with 10 mM ammonium lactate, and irradiated cells). Then supernatant was harvested from FBS-free culture media after 48 h. Exosomes were purified by differential centrifugation (300 × g for 10 min, 2000 × g for 30 min, 16500 g for 30 min) and were pelleted by ultracentrifugation (150,000 × g for 180 min). Size of exosomes was determined using a Zetasizer. HA concentration measured using a HA ELISA Kit. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Results: There was a significant increase in HA-coated exosomes isolated from supernatants of irradiated cells compared to untreated cell and cells treated with 10 mM ammonium lactate (P < 0.001). As well, there was a significant increase in the HA concentration in the supernatants of cells treated with 10 mM ammonium lactate relative to untreated cells and irradiated cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions: It seems that routine radiation therapy leads to massive shedding of HA-coated exosomes by normal fibroblast cells and thus exosomes-HA may contribute to tumor promotion and induce of the premetastatic niche.

Optimizing phosphorus (P) application to agricultural soils is fundamental to crop production and water quality protection. We sought to relate soil P tests and P sorption characteristics to both crop yield response to P application and environmentally critical soil P status. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was grown in pot experiments with 45 soils of different P status. Half the pots were fertilized at 20 kg P ha-1 , and half received no P. Soils were extracted with ammonium lactate, sodium bicarbonate (Olsen P), dilute salt (0.0025 M CaCl2 ), and diffusive gradient in thin films. Soil adsorption coefficients were determined using the Freundlich isotherm equation, and the degree of P saturation was determined from both oxalate and ammonium lactate extracted Fe, Al, and P. All soil P analyses showed a nonlinear and significant relationship with yield response to P application, and all analyses manifested a threshold value above which no P response was observed. For the commonly used ammonium lactate test, inclusion of Al and Fe improved prediction of plant-available soil P. The threshold for yield response coincided with the environmentally critical values determined from the degree of P saturation. Results support the conclusion that soil P levels for which no P application is needed also have elevated risk of P loss to runoff.

Background In order to counteract the eutrophication of waterways and reservoirs, a basic risk assessment of phosphorus (P) losses in the surface runoff from agricultural land should be included in water management plans. A new method has been developed to assess the risk of P losses by estimating the degree of P saturation (DPS) based on the P concentration of the water extract water-soluble P. Methods The risk of P losses in surface runoff from agricultural land in the Puck Commune on the Baltic Sea Coast was assessed with the DPS method. The results were compared to an agronomic interpretation of the soil test P concentration (STP). Research was conducted on mineral and organic soils from 50 and 11 separate agricultural plots with a total area of 133.82 and 37.23 ha, respectively. Phosphorus was extracted from the collected samples using distilled water on all soil samples, acid ammonium lactate on mineral soils, and an extract of 0.5 mol HCl·dm−3 on organic soils. The organic matter content and pH values were also determined. The results of the P content in the water extracted from the soils were converted into DPS values, which were then classified by appropriate limit intervals. Results and discussion There was a high risk of P losses from the soil via surface runoff in 96.7% of the agricultural parcels tested (96% of plots with mineral soils and 100% of plots with organic soils). Simultaneously, a large deficiency of plant-available P was found in soils from 62% of agricultural plots. These data indicate that the assessment of P concentration in soils made on the basis of an environmental soil P test conflicts with the assessment made based on STP and create a cognitive dissonance. The risk level of P losses through surface runoff from the analyzed plots as determined by the DPS indicator is uncertain. This uncertainty is increased as the DPS index is not correlated with other significant factors in P runoff losses, such as the type of crop and area inclination.

Supplements investigated throughout the present study are produced by fermenting lactose that is present in whey to lactate, yielding products differing in ammonium relative to lactate concentrations and in physical form (liquid or dry). Trials 1 and 2 investigated Lacto-Whey (LW; Fermented Nutrition Corp., Luxemburg, WI) and GlucoBoost (GB; Fermented Nutrition Corp.), respectively, using dual-flow continuous culture systems (n = 4), each with a 4 × 4 Latin square design. A greater proportion of nonprotein nitrogen was present in GB than in LW. In trial 1, the treatment with LW was isonitrogenously dosed against soybean meal (SBM) as a control (no LW) and factorialized with either a wheat- or corn-based concentrate (55% inclusion rate, dry matter basis). We hypothesized that LW would increase propionate production and that the combination of +LW with wheat would increase bacterial assimilation of NH3-N into cellular N. No differences were observed for total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production per day. However, treatment × time interactions revealed that +LW increased lactate concentration at 0, 0.5, and 1 h and tended to increase molar percentage of propionate at 1 and 1.5 h postfeeding, documenting the immediate availability of lactate converted to propionate in the +LW treatments. The main effect of corn increased the proportion of bacterial N derived from NH3-N. Trial 2 was designed to investigate GB; isonitrogenous treatments included an SBM control, crystal GB, liquid GB (LGB), and LGB with yeast culture, which were dosed twice daily. We hypothesized that GB would increase propionate production and bacterial assimilation of NH3-N; the combination of LGB and yeast culture was expected to have a positive additive effect, yielding the greatest VFA production and bacterial NH3-N assimilation. No differences were observed for total VFA production; however, LGB decreased molar percentage of acetate and increased propionate and butyrate molar percentages. There were no differences in non-NH3-N flow or microbial N flow. Under the conditions of our studies, lactate in LW and GB was fermented extensively to propionate, and microbial protein synthesis in these treatments was comparable with that in SBM controls.

We have investigated the solubility behavior of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum, CaSO4·2H2O) in aqueous NaCl solutions upon the addition of ammonium- or imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs), viz., ethylammonium lactate (EAL), 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([C2mim]HSO4), and 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([C4mim]HSO4) at 30 °C. The addition of ammonium lactate ILs increased solubility significantly, ∼500%, whereas the addition of imidazolium hydrogen sulfate ILs decreased the solubility by ∼60%. The addition of ILs shifted the solubility maximum of CaSO4·2H2O toward either higher or lower concentration of NaCl in solution depending on the nature of IL additive. Solution properties such as density (ρ) and speed of sound (u) have been measured for the quaternary systems (CaSO4·2H2O + NaCl + ILs + H2O) at 30 °C. Solution isentropic compressibility (κS) has been derived from measurements of u and ρ. Physical and derived properties have been fitted with suitable polynomial equ...

The influence of synthetic conditions on the shape and size of SrTiO3 (STO) nanocubes was studied. These were synthesized in aqueous solution using Sr(OH)2 as the Sr2+ source and titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactate)dihydroxide (TALH) as the TiIV source in the presence of oleic acid and hydrazine. A large excess of OH− at a pH of the precursor solution higher than 12 is necessary for the formation of STO nanocubes without the need for any calcination. Performing the synthesis in a N2 atmosphere additionally prevents the formation of SrCO3 impurity, leading to the creation of uniformly sized STO nanocubes in a reproducible manner. Such size-regulated STO nanocubes are found to align over a large area.

Brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) and seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes were used in a two-stage reverse osmosis (RO) unit to recover, pre-purify, and pre-concentrate lactic acid. Calcium lactate, sodium lactate, and ammonium lactate were used as model feed solutions. The operating pressure showed a pronounced effect on lactate passage through the first BWRO unit, and the Donnan exclusion effect and hydrogen bonding were responsible for cation rejection. Calcium ions were rejected at the BWRO unit because of low diffusion rate and charge interaction at the surface. However, monovalent ions formed hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl group of the membrane that allowed passage across the membrane. The second SWRO unit was for pre-concentrating lactic acid. A high lactate purity of 99.2% with a total recovery of 50.5% was acquired from calcium lactate feed solution. Lower purity with higher lactate recovery was obtained when the feed solution was sodium lactate and ammonium lactate. When the actual fermentation broth was used in the two-stage RO unit, a slightly lower recovery and purity of lactic acid were obtained. It was claimed that the total ions present in the fermentation broth were responsible for the low efficiency of the two-stage RO unit.

Determining potassium supply of soil plays an important role in intensive crop production, since it is the basis for balancing nutrients and issuing fertilizer recommendations for achieving high and stable yields within economic feasibility. The aim of this study was to compare the different extraction methods of soil potassium from arable horizon of different types of soils with ammonium lactate method (KAL), which is frequently used as analytical method for determining the accessibility of nutrients and it is a common method used for issuing fertilizer recommendations in many Europe countries. In addition to the ammonium lactate method (KAL, pH 3.75), potassium was extracted with ammonium acetate (KAA, pH 7), ammonium acetate ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (KAAEDTA, pH 4.6), Bray (KBRAY, pH 2.6) and with barium chloride ( $$K_{BaCl_2 }$$ , pH 8.1). The analyzed soils were extremely heterogeneous with a wide range of determined values. Soil pH reaction $$\left( {pH_{H_2 O} } \right)$$ ranged from 4.77 to 8.75, organic matter content ranged from 1.87 to 4.94% and clay content from 8.03 to 37.07%. In relation to KAL method as the standard method, $$K_{BaCl_2 }$$ method extracts 12.9% more on average of soil potassium, while in relation to standard method, on average KAA extracts 5.3%, KAAEDTA 10.3%, and KBRAY 27.5% less of potassium. Comparison of analyzed extraction methods of potassium from the soil is of high precision, and most reliable comparison was KAL method with KAAEDTA, followed by a: KAA, $$K_{BaCl_2 }$$ and KBRAY method. Extremely significant statistical correlation between different extractive methods for determining potassium in the soil indicates that any of the methods can be used to accurately predict the concentration of potassium in the soil, and that carried out research can be used to create prediction model for concentration of potassium based on different methods of extraction.

Phosphorus (P) is an increasingly limited resource for food production, which necessitates studying soil factors controlling rates of P release to soil solution. Phosphorus use efficiency is among other, affected by the plants, the plant root induced displacement of P equilibrium in soil during uptake and the following rates of replenishment from geochemically active P stores in soil. Here, soil P partitioning and flux data collected from a 50 year field trial, based on application of differing P masses, was investigated using a diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique and “DGT-induced fluxes in sediments” (DIFS) model. Partitioning of P in soil was accomplished by deploying DGT at increasing contact times (6 h to 120 h). DGT induced P fluxes increased with soil P, and they were highest the first hours after installation. A Langmuir adsorption approach to determine K d concealed accumulated P labile stores, whereas K d estimations from ammonium lactate (AL) extractions did not. The estimated fluxes in the latter situation stabilized after 24 h deployment, and they were more clearly reflecting the long term P treatments. The two K d approaches showed the importance of considering inherent P-stores for calculating fluxes and deliveries of labile P available for plants during P-uptake. The use of DGT and DIFS in combination enabled good estimations of fluxes. Such fluxes may be used to estimate, In Situ, critical soil solution P concentrations available for plants during growth, in different soil types.

Summary Most soil tests for available phosphorus (P) perform rather poorly in predicting crop response. This study was set up to compare different established soil tests in their capacity to predict crop response across contrasting types of soil. Soil samples from long-term field experiments, the oldest >100 years old, were collected in five European countries. The total number of soil samples (n = 218), which differed in cropping and P treatment, and originated from 11 different soil types, were analysed with five tests: ammonium oxalate (Ox), ammonium lactate (AL), Olsen P, 0.01 m CaCl2 and the diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT). The first three tests denote available P quantity (Q), whereas the last two indicate P intensity (I) of the soil solution. All five tests were positively related to the crop yield data (n = 317). The Q-tests generally outperformed I-tests when evaluated with goodness of fit in Mitscherlich models, but critical P values of the I-tests varied the least among different types of soil. No test was clearly superior to the others, except for the oxalate extraction, which was generally poor. The combination of Q- and I-tests performed slightly better for predicting crop yield than any single soil P test. This Q + I analysis explains why recent successes with I-tests (e.g. DGT) were found for soils with larger P sorption than for those in the present study. This systematic evaluation of soil tests using a unique compilation of established field trials provides critical soil P values that are valid across Europe. Highlights We compared soil P tests for predicting crop response across contrasting soil types. No test was clearly superior to the others except for the oxalate extraction, which was generally poor. This study suggests that intensity tests do not perform markedly better than quantity tests. The evaluation of soil P tests on this unique dataset provided critical soil P values across Europe.

Lactic acid produced from renewable sources is used for the production of polylactic acid and lactic acid-based biodegradable polymers. However, large-scale production of biodegradable polymers and other large-tonnage lactic acid-based chemical products is limited by the difficulties of production-related waste and low productivity. To overcome these problems, we developed a method of ammonium lactate production from carbohydrates using a membrane bioreactor and semicontinuous cultivation with controlled parameters. During the 130 cycles, the average specific productivity of the biochemical reactor for ammonium lactate was 56 g L −1 ·h −1 , which was 10-fold higher than that obtained using traditional industrial processes. This method of using concentrated biomass in membrane reactors may also be applied in other similar processes of microbial transformation of organic substances. To significantly reduce the waste produced in the form of calcium sulfate, lactic acid derivatives were isolated from the butyl lactate intermediate without calcium sulfate formation. A method for the production of large-volume chemicals such as propylene glycol was also developed through hydrogenation of butyl lactate on a copper oxide–silica catalyst. This highly effective process gave 99% yield and 99% selectivity for propylene glycol formation. Our data on the development and improvement of the production processes of lactic acid and its derivatives pave the way for the development of competitive industrial processes for the production of biodegradable polymers and large-tonnage chemical products based on renewable raw materials.

We tested if a single soil P capacity test allows for a reliable forecast of P leaching from agricultural soils with a high P load. In regions with intensively managed arable soils, the soil P content has been dramatically increased by overfertilization with significant P leaching losses as a result. As a consequence, in order to control the P losses, P fertilization has been legally restricted. In several EU28 countries, the ammonium lactate extraction method (P-AL) is used as a soil test for P fertilizer advice, but sometimes also to determine the allowed P fertilizer dose to reduce leaching losses. We hypothesize that P-AL as an estimator of soil P capacity should be combined with 0.01 M CaCl2 extractable P (P-CaCl2) and/or hot water extractable P (HWP), both estimators of the soil P intensity, to predict P leaching losses in soils with a high P load. Six long term field trials with a high P load (P-AL: 123 to 375 mg P kg−1) on silt loam soils with a specific history of organic and inorganic fertilizer application were sampled for soil analysis and to conduct leaching experiments in the laboratory. P concentrations in the leachates served as a proxy for P leaching. Five field trials were used for model calibration and a sixth one for model validation. Two models, either with P-CaCl2 or with HWP as independent variables, have proven to be suited to distinguish soils with low and high risk for P leaching. In the range of P-AL in this study, P-AL proved to be a non-significant factor and was therefore not retained in either of the models. We conclude that for soils with large soil P stocks (high P-AL concentrations), both P-CaCl2 and HWP are suitable to detect the ones with a higher risk of P leaching losses. We suggest a threshold value for P-CaCl2 and HWP to be used in combination with P-AL, to select those soils where further P fertilization restrictions or other measures to reduce P leaching losses are needed most urgently. This threshold value however depends on what is considered as an acceptable P concentration in the leaching water of the tillage layer.

The aim of this study was to investigate what kind changes in the soil fertility parameters occur depending on different farming methods. The field experiment was performed on sandy loam Luvisol during 2008–2014. The following treatments were carried out: organic (ORG), organic with farmyard cattle manure (ORGFYM) and conventional with farmyard cattle manure and mineral fertilizers (CONFYM). Soil samples were collected yearly in September and analyzed for P, K, Mg and Ca by the Mehlich III method. In parallel, ammonium lactate extractable P and K (AL method), and ammonium acetate extractable Mg and Ca (NH4OAc-method) were determined. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the analysis results achieved by the Mehlich III method and alternative methods were calculated. In all the treatments, no significant changes in soil Corg content were established over seven years. A significant (p

Background: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a brown to black, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin that usually involves cutaneous folds. Treatment of AN is important regarding cosmetic reasons and various therapeutic modalities have been used for these purposes. The goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness of long-pulsed alexandrite laser and topical tretinoin-ammonium lactate for treatment of axillary-AN. Methods: Fifteen patients with bilateral axillary-AN were studied in Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Diagnosis was confirmed by two independent dermatologists. Each side skin lesion was randomly allocated to either topical mixed cream of tretinoin 0.05%- ammonium lactate 12% or long-pulsed alexandrite laser. Duration of treatment was 14 weeks. At endpoint, the mean percent reduction from baseline in pigmentation area was compared between the two groups. Results: The study population consisted of 15 patients, three males and 12, females. The mean age of patients was 28.5±4.9 years. The mean percent reduction was 18.3±10.6%, in tretinoin/ammonium lactate group and 25.7±11.8% in laser group (P=0.004). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the application of alexandrite laser is a relative effective method for treatment of axillary-AN. However, this issue requires further studies with prolonged follow-up period.

In this study, immobilized penicillin G acylase (PGA) was prepared via a facile and rapid approach of generating the TA-TiIV layer on PGA-adsorbed commercial resins (PGA@Resins). In brief, the TA-TiIV layer was constructed through coordination-enabled self-assembly of tannic acid (TA) and titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactate) dihydroxide (Ti-BALDH). In comparison to PGA@Resins, TA-TiIV-capped PGA@Resins exhibited higher 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) productivity and enhanced operational stability along with comparable activity recovery during the catalytic hydrolysis of penicillin G potassium (PGK). Particularly, TA-TiIV-capped PGA@Resins exhibited relative activities of 103.7% and 81.51%, respectively, after 68-day storage and 20 cycles, indicating significantly enhanced storage and recycling stabilities compared to PGA@Resins (68.98% and 62.88%). Both immobilized PGA were further packed into a glass column for hydrolyzing PGK in a continuous flow reactor, where TA-TiIV-capped PGA@Resins displayed a much...

The phosphorus (P) fertilizer effect of a range of commonly available manure, waste treatment and by-product residues was tested in pot, field and incubation experiments. The effect of the residues on P offtake was compared with that of commercial mineral P (super phosphate) to calculate the mineral fertilizer equivalent (MFE). Possible relationships between MFE and P extractable from residues using different agents (ammonium lactate, citrate, water) were examined. Dry matter yield and P concentration were measured in ryegrass grown in pots amended with 14 different residues. The effect on the first cut (after 5 weeks) was significantly higher for residues with a low organic matter content, for example ash and biogas residues (MFE = 74–85%), than for many other products with higher organic matter content, for example meat meal (MFE = 44%), cattle slurry (MFE = 57%) and sewage sludge (MFE = 0–37%). However, the effect on two combined cuts (after 11 weeks) was more similar between residues (MFE = 40–60% for most residues). Ammonium lactate-extractable P (P-AL) in residues correlated better with MFE (r2 = 0.48) than water-extractable or citrate-extractable P. Grain yield and P concentration were measured in a field experiment with spring wheat fertilized with four different residues. Pelleted meat meal had a similar effect on yield and P offtake as mineral fertilizer P, whereas two different sewage sludge and chicken manure had approximately 50% of the mineral fertilizer effect. The effect of residues on soil P-AL (the Swedish measure of easily available soil P) in the incubation experiment showed no correlation with MFE from the pot experiments.

In this study, an ultrathin, hybrid microcapsule is prepared though coordination-enabled one-step assembly of tannic acid (TA) and titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactate) dihydroxide (Ti-BALDH) upon a hard-templating method. Briefly, the PSS-doped CaCO3 microspheres with a diameter of 5-8 μm were synthesized and utilized as the sacrificial templates. Then, TA-Ti(IV) coatings were formed on the surface of the PSS-doped CaCO3 templates through soaking in TA and Ti-BALDH aqueous solutions under mild conditions. After removing the template by EDTA treatment, the TA-Ti(IV) microcapsules with a capsule wall thickness of 15 ± 3 nm were obtained. The strong coordination bond between polyphenol and Ti(IV) conferred the TA-Ti(IV) microcapsules high structural stability in the range of pH values 3.0-11.0. Accordingly, the enzyme-immobilized TA-Ti(IV) microcapsules exhibited superior pH and thermal stabilities. This study discloses the formation of TA-Ti(IV) microcapsules that are suitable for use as supports in catalysis due to their extensive pH and thermal stabilities.

The long-term effect of 87.3 kg/ha P on the yield elements and nutrient content of maize was studied at the Na tional Long-Term Fertilization Experiment of the Karcag Research Institute in Hungary. The soil of the experiment site is non-calcareous Luvic Phaeosem, and its soluble phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) content in 0–20 cm soil layer are: ammonium lactate P: 141.1 mg/kg and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) Zn: 0.85 mg/kg, respectively. The effect of foliar Zn fertilization was studied at three levels of nitrogen (150, 200 and 250 kg/ha) and under 87.3 kg/ha P and 82.6 kg/ha K application in four replications. The applied Zn amount was 700 g/ha. We measured the grain yield and the thousand-kernel weight. Leaf and grain samples were analyzed for phosphorus, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium and manganese content. Foliar Zn application did not increase the yield significantly, but it enhanced the thousand-kernel weight. The element content did not change significantly – neither in leaves nor in kernels. Under the examined habitat circumstances even the long-term application of 87.3 kg/ha P dosage did not cause Zn deficiency to such an extent which would lead to significant yield depression of maize.

The effects of Ca(OH) 2 , NH 4 OH and NaOH as neutralizing agents on the efficiency of l -lactic acid production by Lactobacillus paracasei were investigated in this study. Fermentation performance with Ca(OH) 2 was superior to NH 4 OH and NaOH because it had the highest oxygen transfer rate (OTR) and lowest environmental osmotic pressure. Much smaller bubbles were generated using a calcium lactate solution compared with those generated using ammonium lactate and sodium lactate solutions, indicating that Ca(OH) 2 had the highest OTR. Moreover, experiments demonstrated that ammonium lactate and sodium lactate caused more severe osmotic stress on cell growth than calcium lactate. In conclusion, the effects of neutralizing agents on l -lactic acid production efficiency could be ascribed to the contribution of lactates to OTR and environmental osmotic stress.