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AbstractThis review set out to provide empirical literature on mindfulness-based strengths practice (MBSP), a new approach in positive psychology that integrates mindfulness with character strengths, two positive predictors of well-being. First, the conceptualization of integrating character strengths and mindfulness into MBSP is discussed. The literature on the interrelatedness of character strengths and mindfulness is then described, along with ways that the intervention of MBSP encourages positive outcomes at various levels. The literature search returned 7 (10 samples, N = 3,851) studies supporting a positive association between character strengths and mindfulness (r = 0.3–0.4) and the mediating role of character strengths/virtues in mindfulness and mindfulness’s role in enhancing character strengths toward psychological well-being. The nine MBSP intervention studies (9 samples, N = 354) conducted in diverse contexts provide evidence of a significant improvement in well-being, engagement, life satisfaction, mindfulness, positive affect, character strengths, work-related outcomes, heightened birthing parents’ well-being during pregnancy and childbirth, increased academic performance, and enhanced mental health among students. The intervention studies also reported the fostering of mindful positive parenting and contributions to a significant reduction in negative psychological states, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and negative affect. This comprehensive review provides empirical support for the MBSP framework and its positive impact on well-being across various domains, including organizations, education, healthcare, and family. However, it underscores the need for more extensive research, as the current literature on MBSP is limited. The review encourages future studies to explore MBSP applications in diverse domains, thereby paving the way for a deeper understanding of its potential benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to several important characteristics of microalgae including high oil content, ability to overcome harsh conditions and high photosynthetic efficiency the production of biofuels from microalgal biomass has gained interest. The present study focused on economic evaluation of a microalgal biofuel production conceptually coupled with an actual sugar factory so that the waste effluent and byproducts from the factory would be used as inexpensive sources of nutrients and carbon dioxide. This study was based on the findings of a previous study in which the outputs and energy requirements of a conceptual microalgal biofuel production coupled with an actual sugar factory were evaluated. The economic feasibility of the process was performed using discounted cash flow analysis approach. Defined value internal rate of return (IRR) and a net positive value (NPV) were used as cost indicators. The sensitivity of the minimum biodiesel selling price (MBSP) to changes of some selected parameters was also investigated. It was found that in order for the biodiesel from microalgae to be competitive with the world petroleum price ($1.09/L) its estimated minimum selling price ($2.17) needs to be reduced at least by half. Sensitivity analysis on the MBSP illustrates that oil content of the microalgae, nitrogen content in the waste effluents, extraction and esterification efficiencies are important parameters which significantly affect the feasibility of the process. The microalgae is the most important parameter that as it varies from 20 to 40% (wt.%) the MBSP decreases from 3.03 to $1.74 per liter of biodiesel. This study examined economic viability of coupling microalgae biomass production with sugar factory wastes and by-products, and is significant to identify future research focus areas.

Modori is a major quality issue in surimi gels, and the development of safe and effective food ingredients to prevent this phenomenon is highly desirable. In this study, molecular docking was used to identify compounds that could bind to the predicted myofibril-bound serine proteinase (MBSP). Three compounds- Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), phytate, and dihydromyricetin (DMY)- were selected for investigation. The effects of these compounds on surimi gels containing 1.5% salt were studied, and a degradation analysis was conducted after incubation at 55 °C. Phytate did not inhibit the degradation of myosin heavy chain, whereas both EGCG and DMY promoted the formation of macromolecular aggregates associated with certain thermal stability. The addition of 0.4% of both polyphenols significantly improved the resistance of surimi gels to modori. However, when 3% salt was applied, EGCG displayed a primary promotion effect on gel deformation but reducecd breaking force. In contrast, DMY exhibited favorable impacts on breaking force, deformation, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of resulting gels. Among the three covalent cross-linking bonds detected, Lys-DMY-Lys, Lys-DMY-Cys or Cys-DMY-Lys, and Cys-DMY-DMY-Cys, were formed between oxidized DMY and myofibrillar protein. DMY at 100 μM significantly inhibited the activity of MBSP, thus supporting the results obtained from the molecular docking study. Overall, these results suggest that dihydromyricetin is a better gel enhancer for surimi than other candidates tested. [Display omitted] • EGCG and DMY hindered the thermal degradation of MHC. • EGCG and DMY enhanced the resistance to modori of surimi gels. • DMY addition showed better effects on TPA, whiteness and WHC of surimi gels than EGCG. • 100 μM DMY significantly inhibited MBSP activity. • DMY could interact with myofibrillar proteins through three kinds of covalent links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full utilization of all three major components of biomass (glucan, xylan and lignin) is considered to be the key to commercialization of bio-refinery process of biomass. In this work, based on pretreatment severity (PS), a controlled magnesium bisulfite pretreatment (MBSP) was developed to produce ethanol, xylo -oligosaccharides (XOS) and magnesium lignosulfonate (ML) simultaneously. After MBSP at PS 3.66 (170 °C for 40 min), about 136 g of ethanol, 98 g of XOS and 133 g of ML were achieved from1 kg raw wheat straw. As high values-added chemicals, XOS has many applications in food and pharmaceutical industries while ML can be used as surfactants and dispersing agents. These results suggest that a controlled MBSP offers an effective way to fully utilize its components and coproduce ethanol, XOS and ML from wheat straw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The modori phenomenon during surimi production is caused by endogenous proteinases, especially cathepsin L and myofibril-bound serine proteinase (MBSP). Cathepsin L from the skeletal muscle of blue scad (Decapterus maruadsi) was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate fractionation and a series of column chromatographies and revealed a single band with molecular mass of 30kDa on SDS–PAGE. Peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) obtained three fragments with 48 amino acid residues, which were highly identical to cathepsin L from other fish species. Its optimal pH and temperature were 5.5 and 55°C, respectively. Meanwhile, MBSP was purified from the skeletal muscle of blue scad, and the roles of cathepsin L and MBSP in the degradation of myofibrillar proteins were compared. The results indicated that MBSP is more effective than cathepsin L in promoting the degradation of myofibrillar proteins, especially myosin heavy chain (MHC), suggesting that MBSP plays a more significant role. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]