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Lignocellulosic biorefineries (LBRs) are platforms for the production of a variety of bio-based products such as biofuels, biomaterials, biochemicals, food, and feed using lignocellulosic biomass (LB) as feedstock. LBRs are still rare worldwide. Their commercialization depends on challenges associated with the entire feedstock supply chain, efficiency, sustainability, and scale-up of pretreatment methods, as well as isolation and purification of value-added products. Each step within LBRs requires the development of new technologies or the improvement of existing ones, considering all three sustainability dimensions, environmental, social, and economic. Machine learning (ML) methods are widely used in various industrial fields, including biotechnology. The merging of biotechnology and ML has driven scientific progress and opened new opportunities for the development of LBRs as well. In this review, ML methods and their efficiency, used in biotechnology (metabolic engineering, bioprocess development, and environmental engineering), are presented, followed by their application in various phases of LB valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents data on the chemical composition of harvest residues and food industry by-products as widely abundant representatives of lignocellulosic waste biomass. Pretreatment methods, with special emphasis on biological methods, are presented as an important step in utilization of lignocellulosic waste biomass for the production of sustainable biofuels and high-value chemicals. Special attention was paid to the methods of lignin isolation and its possible utilization within lignocellulosic biorefinery. The objectives of circular bioeconomy and the main aspects of lignocellulosic biorefinery are highlighted. Finally, current data on industrial, pilot, and research and development plants used in Europe for the production of a variety of bio-based products from different feedstocks are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kebutuhan multimedia pembelajaran pada Prodi Pendidikan Tata Busana Unnes serta mengetahui kelayakannya. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan atau Research and Development (RD) yang terdiri dari tiga tahap yaitu define, design, dan develop. Hasil penelitian produk menunjukan adanya kebutuhan multimedia pembelajaran pada Mata Kuliah Teknik Buat Kain. Hasil kelayakan multimedia pembelajaran oleh validator dari aspek materi diperoleh persentase sebesar 90% (sangat layak), dan aspek media sebesar 88% (sangat layak), sedangkan penilaian mahasiswa diperoleh persentase sebesar 88% (sangat layak). Simpulan dari penelitian ini adalah adanya kebutuhan multimedia pembelajaran dikarenakan multimedia pembelajaran mudah dioperasikan dan dapat digunakan untuk belajar secara mandiri. Tingkat kelayakan multimedia pembelajaran oleh dua ahli materi dan dua ahli media diperoleh rata-rata sebesar 89% (sangat layak), kemudian hasil penilaian mahasiswa diperoleh rata-rata persentase sebesar 88% (sangat layak), sehingga multimedia pembelajaran dinyatakan layak digunkaan dalam pembelajaran Mata Kuliah Teknik Buat Kain. Saran yang dapat diberikan adalah peneliti yang ingin melakukan penelitian serupa disarankan untuk dapat melakukan penelitian hingga menguji keefektifan penggunaan multimedia pembelajaran.

Biomass availability is one of the key factors for biogas production in the future. The current status and possibilities for utilizing harvest residues (soybean straw, corn stover and sunflower stalk) in Croatia for biogas production is given. In the last few decades, different pretreatment methods have been developed for the degradation of different lignocellulosic biomass, but many of them are environmentally unfriendly and sometimes very expensive. More research and development is necessary in order to find both economically and environmentally friendly pretreatment methods. This paper provides a review on the mechanical, physical, and biological methods used for different lignocellulose material pretreatment. Harvest residues are usually left in the field, but with the improvement of the pretreatment process along with soil protection, they could be used for the production of huge amounts of energy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel synthesis was performed as transesterification of edible and waste cooking sunflower oil catalysed by free lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipolase 100L). Experiments were performed at three different temperatures (T = 40, 50 and 60 °C) as one-step and four-step reactions with methanol. The highest fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) content (C = 95%) was achieved in the one-step transesterification reaction of edible sunflower oil performed at 40 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 25 wheat samples (harvest 2009) were collected from storage tanks of the local producers from five eastern Croatian Counties and analyzed on mycotoxins occurrence. The samples were stored in diverse ways: in concrete silos, metal silos or foot warehouse equipped with or without temperature sensors, and with or without cooling or ventilation systems. Wheat quality parameters such as moisture, protein and starch content, sedimentation value, wet gluten content, gluten index and falling number were also measured. Seven fungi species were detected (Asperigillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Cephalosporum) at low contamination levels (1.0 ⋅ 10² fungi/g - 1.7 ⋅ 104 fungi/g). Fusarium was present in all samples. Four mycotoxins were found (aflatoxin, ochratoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and T-2/HT-2) reaching concentrations that do not exceed the maximum permissible level of mycotoxins in cereals for unprocessed grains (total aflatoxin, 2.5 µg/kg; DON, 50-850 µ g/kg; zearalenone, 0.2-89.8 µg/kg, and T-2/HT2, 0.5 µg/kg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This bibliographic enquiry includes monographic works published in the “Military Library” edition, which, together with the magazine in which this bibliography was published, share a special joint brand – the brand of “Vojno delo” magazine. The enquiry includes 157 monographic publications. Given the availability of information on a publication, each publication is referred to by the name(s) of the author(s), title, place and year of publication, followed by information on translators, editors and writers of preface, as well as the scope and physical description of the respective publication.

The paper discusses the legal aspects of the establishment of the European Space Agency and its functioning from the perspective of its own autonomous rights and the public international law. It presents and analyzes main legal instruments underlying the activity of the European Space Agency, primarily the Convention for the Establishment of a European Space Agency of 30 May 1975, as the basic source of autonomous rights of this regional specialized international organization. What follows is an outline of the competences of the Agency and the structure of its bodies. Attention is paid also to the funding of ESA, as a particularly important matter. A separate section discusses the position of the Agency from the standpoint of relevant international agreements that constitute the cosmic law as a branch of the positive public international law, both in terms of the establishment of the organization itself, and in terms of the performance of its activities in the space.

This contribution represents the author's attempt to systematize, and present to professional and general public, as many papers as possible which have been published in our country on the subject of cosmic space research, focusing on technical, legal and military aspects of human activities in space. Editing and publication of data on formerly processed materials from the disciplines being the subject of bibliographic research should enable researchers, as well as the general public interested in astronautics, to get acquainted with the achievements of scientific and research work of national experts, as well as with the available popular-type literature, whereby it is also made easier for those who begin to be interested in cosmonautics to find reference sources and acquire basic knowledge in this area.

The assessment of motor behavior and general intellectual abilities were performed on a sample of 42 pre-school children (22 boys and 20 girls) aged 6 (±3 months); moreover, the self-concept of those children was analysed. For the assessment of their motor behavior six movement tasks were chosen and the Mary Gutrich scale was applied for the analysis of the results. The children's intellectual abilities were assessed by the means of Raven's colored progressive matrices so as to enable the groups to homogenise, as well as to eliminate potential parasite factors when drawing conclusions. The self-concept analysis was performed using the pshychological interview during the course of which the children described their impression of their own abilities with regard to the past, present and future. The data related to the self-concept were complemented with the analysis of the children's drawings. The statistical analysis of the data gathered showed that motor behavior plays a significant role in developing one's self-concept, which is especially true of boys. Even though there is no significant statistical difference between boys and girls with respect to the quality of their motor behavior, there are significant differences between them pertaining to the vocabulary they use when describing their own selves, i.e. their self-concept, especially with respect to the present and future. Boys seem to use more extensive motor-related vocabulary when describing themselves, especially those with greater motor skills. Both boys and girls show a tendency to describe themselves as incapable in the past. When describing their present moment capabilities, girls tend to use vocabulary related to play and independence, whereas they mostly use vocabulary related to professions and sex roles when referring to the future. These findings indicate that social factors are of immense importance from a very early age, especially among girls. Moreover, the results show that drawings done by children with the weakest motor sills are rather symptomatic.

Information about the International Scientific and Professional Conference 15th Ružička Days on the theme "Today science, tomorrow industry" held in Vukovar, Croatia, from September 11-12, 2014, is presented. Topics include chemical and biochemical engineering, food biotechnology, medical biochemistry and pharmacy, and chemistry in agriculture and forestry.

The ParABS system plays a critical role in bacterial chromosome segregation. The key component of this system, ParB, loads and spreads along DNA to form a local protein-DNA condensate known as a partition complex. As bacterial chromosomes are heavily supercoiled due to the continuous action of RNA polymerases, topoisomerases and nucleoid-associated proteins, it is important to study the impact of DNA supercoiling on the ParB-DNA partition complex formation. Here, we use an in-vitro single-molecule assay to visualize ParB on supercoiled DNA. Unlike most DNA-binding proteins, individual ParB proteins are found to not pin plectonemes on supercoiled DNA, but freely diffuse along supercoiled DNA. We find that DNA supercoiling enhances ParB-DNA condensation, which initiates at lower ParB concentrations than on DNA that is torsionally relaxed. ParB proteins induce a DNA-protein condensate that strikingly absorbs all supercoiling writhe. Our findings provide mechanistic insights that have important implications for our understanding of bacterial chromosome organization and segregation., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is promising feedstock for the production of various bio-based products. However, due to its heterogenous character, complex chemical structure and recalcitrance, it is necessary to know its structural composition in order to optimize pretreatment process and further (bio)conversion into bio-based products. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a fast and reliable method that can provide advanced data on the molecular architecture and composition of lignocellulosic biomass. In this brief overview, characteristic examples of the use of high-resolution NMR spectroscopy for the investigation of various types of LB and their structural units are given and the main drawbacks and future perspectives are outlined., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Grape pomace (GP) is considered a natural source of bioactive compounds. To improve the extractability of bioactive compounds, in this work, GP was biologically treated for 15 days with the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor in laboratory jars and a tray bioreactor under solid-state fermentation (SSF) conditions. During SSF, the activity of lignolytic (laccase and manganese peroxidase) and hydrolytic (xylanase, cellulase, β -glucosidase, and invertase) enzymes was measured, with the activities of laccase (2.66 U/g db in jars and 0.96 U/g db in the bioreactor) and xylanase (346.04 U/g db in jars and 200.65 U/g db in the bioreactor) being the highest. The effect of the complex enzyme system was reflected in the changes in the chemical composition of GP with increasing ash, crude protein, and free fat content: 28%, 10%, and 17% in the laboratory jars, and 29%, 11%, and 7% in the bioreactor, respectively. In addition, the biological treatment improved the extractability of 13 individual phenolic compounds. Therefore, the applied SSF technique represents an effective strategy to improve the profile of phenolic compounds and the nutritional composition of GP, promoting their valorization and opening the door for potential applications in the food industry and other sectors.

Klebsiella pneumoniae can use glucose or glycerol as carbon sources to produce 1,3-propanediol or 2,3-butanediol, respectively. In the metabolism of Klebsiella pneumoniae, hydrogenase-3 is responsible for H 2 production from formic acid, but it is not directly related to the synthesis pathways for 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol. In the first part of this research, hycEFG, which encodes subunits of the enzyme hydrogenase-3, was knocked out, so K. pneumoniae ΔhycEFG lost the ability to produce H 2 during cultivation using glycerol as a carbon source. As a consequence, the concentration of 1,3-propanediol increased and the substrate (glycerol) conversion ratio reached 0.587 mol/mol. Then, K. pneumoniae ΔldhAΔhycEFG was constructed to erase lactic acid synthesis which led to the further increase of 1,3-propanediol concentration. A substrate (glycerol) conversion ratio of 0.628 mol/mol in batch conditions was achieved, which was higher compared to the wild type strain (0.545 mol/mol). Furthermore, since adhE encodes an alcohol dehydrogenase that catalyzes ethanol production from acetaldehyde, K. pneumoniae ΔldhAΔadhEΔhycEFG was constructed to prevent ethanol production. Contrary to expectations, this did not lead to a further increase, but to a decrease in 1,3-propanediol production. In the second part of this research, glucose was used as the carbon source to produce 2,3-butanediol. Knocking out hycEFG had distinct positive effect on 2,3-butanediol production. Especially in K. pneumoniae ΔldhAΔadhEΔhycEFG, a substrate (glucose) conversion ratio of 0.730 mol/mol was reached, which is higher compared to wild type strain (0.504 mol/mol). This work suggests that the inactivation of hydrogenase-3 may have a global effect on the metabolic regulation of K. pneumoniae, leading to the improvement of the production of two industrially important bulk chemicals, 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Bacterial chromosomes are folded into tightly regulated three-dimensional structures to ensure proper transcription, replication, and segregation of the genetic information. Direct visualization of chromosomal shape within bacterial cells is hampered by cell-wall confinement and the optical diffraction limit. Here, we combine cell-shape manipulation strategies, high-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques, and genetic engineering to visualize the shape of unconfined bacterial chromosome in real-time in live Bacillus subtilis cells that are expanded in volume. We show that the chromosomes predominantly exhibit crescent shapes with a non-uniform DNA density that is increased near the origin of replication (oriC). Additionally, we localized ParB and BsSMC proteins - the key drivers of chromosomal organization - along the contour of the crescent chromosome, showing the highest density near oriC. Opening of the BsSMC ring complex disrupted the crescent chromosome shape and instead yielded a torus shape. These findings help to understand the threedimensional organization of the chromosome and the main protein complexes that underlie its structure., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bacterial cells require DNA segregation machinery to properly distribute a genome to both daughter cells upon division. The most common system involved in chromosome and plasmid segregation in bacteria is the ParABS system. A core protein of this system - partition protein B (ParB) - regulates chromosome organization and chromosome segregation during the bacterial cell cycle. Over the past decades, research has greatly advanced our knowledge of the ParABS system. However, many intricate details of the mechanism of ParB proteins were only recently uncovered using in vitro single-molecule techniques. These approaches allowed the exploration of ParB proteins in precisely controlled environments, free from the complexities of the cellular milieu. This review covers the early developments of this field but emphasizes recent advances in our knowledge of the mechanistic understanding of ParB proteins as revealed by in vitro single-molecule methods. Furthermore, we provide an outlook on future endeavors in investigating ParB, ParB-like proteins, and their interaction partners., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

DNA stores our genetic information and is ubiquitous in applications, where it interacts with binding partners ranging from small molecules to large macromolecular complexes. Binding is modulated by mechanical strains in the molecule and can change local DNA structure. Frequently, DNA occurs in closed topological forms where topology and supercoiling add a global constraint to the interplay of binding-induced deformations and strain-modulated binding. Here, we present a quantitative model with a straight-forward numerical implementation of how the global constraints introduced by DNA topology modulate binding. We focus on fluorescent intercalators, which unwind DNA and enable direct quantification via fluorescence detection. Our model correctly describes bulk experiments using plasmids with different starting topologies, different intercalators, and over a broad range of intercalator and DNA concentrations. We demonstrate and quantitatively model supercoiling-dependent binding in a single-molecule assay, where we directly observe the different intercalator densities going from supercoiled to nicked DNA. The single-molecule assay provides direct access to binding kinetics and DNA supercoil dynamics. Our model has broad implications for the detection and quantification of DNA, including the use of psoralen for UV-induced DNA crosslinking to quantify torsional tension in vivo, and for the modulation of DNA binding in cellular contexts., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

2-Hydroxyisovalerate is a valuable chemical that can be used in the production of biodegradable polyesters. In nature, it was only produced at a very low level by Lactococcus lactis. 2-Ketoisovalerate is an intermediate metabolite of the branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway, and Klebsiella pneumoniae ΔbudAΔldhA (Kp ΔbudAΔldhA) was a 2-ketoisovalerate producing strain. In this research, 2-hydroxyisovalerate was identified as a metabolite of Kp ΔbudAΔldhA, and its synthesis pathway was revealed. It was found that 2-ketoisovalerate and 2-hydroxyisovalerate were produced by Kp ΔbudA and Kp ΔbudAΔldhA, but not by Kp ΔbudAΔldhAΔilvD in which the 2-ketoisovalerate synthesis was blocked. budA, ldhA, and ilvD encode α-acetolactate decarboxylase, lactate dehydrogenase, and dihydroxy acid dehydratase, respectively. Thus, it was deduced that 2-hydroxyisovalerate was synthesized from 2-ketoisovalerate. Isoenzymes of ketopantoate reductase PanE, PanE2, and IlvC were suspected of being responsible for this reaction. Kinetic parameters of these enzymes were detected, and they all hold the 2-ketoisovalerate reductase activities. PanE and PanE2 use both NADH and NADPH as co-factors. While IlvC only uses NADH as a co-factor. Over-expression of panE, panE2, or ilvC in Kp ΔbudAΔldhA all enhanced the production of 2-hydroxyisovalerate. Accordingly, 2-hydroxyisovalerate levels were reduced by knocking out panE or panE2. In fed-batch fermentation, 14.41 g/L of 2-hydroxyisovalerate was produced by Kp ΔbudAΔldhA-panE, with a substrate conversion ratio of 0.13 g/g glucose., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In most bacteria, chromosome segregation is driven by the ParABS system where the CTPase protein ParB loads at the parS site to trigger the formation of a large partition complex. Here, we present in vitro studies of the partition complex for Bacillus subtilis ParB, using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and AFM imaging to show that transient ParB-ParB bridges are essential for forming DNA condensates. Molecular Dynamics simulations confirm that condensation occurs abruptly at a critical concentration of ParB and show that multimerization is a prerequisite for forming the partition complex. Magnetic tweezer force spectroscopy on mutant ParB proteins demonstrates that CTP hydrolysis at the N-terminal domain is essential for DNA condensation. Finally, we show that transcribing RNA polymerases can steadily traverse the ParB-DNA partition complex. These findings uncover how ParB forms a stable yet dynamic partition complex for chromosome segregation that induces DNA condensation and segregation while enabling replication and transcription., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Grape pomace is a sustainable source of bioactive phenolic compounds used in various industries. The recovery of phenolic compounds could be improved by biological pretreatment of grape pomace, as they are released from the lignocellulose structure by the activity of the enzymes produced. The influence of grape pomace pretreatment with Rhizopus oryzae under solid-state conditions (SSF) on the phenolic profile and chemical composition changes was studied. SSF was performed in laboratory jars and in a tray bioreactor for 15 days. Biological pretreatment of grape pomace resulted in an increase in the content of 11 individual phenolic compounds (from 1.1 to 2.5-fold). During SSF, changes in the chemical composition of the grape pomace were observed, including a decrease in ash, protein, and sugar content, and an increase in fat, cellulose, and lignin content. A positive correlation ( r > 0.9) was observed between lignolytic enzymes and the hydrolytic enzyme's xylanase and stilbene content. Finally, after 15 days of SSF, a weight loss of GP of 17.6% was observed. The results indicate that SSF under experimental conditions is a sustainable bioprocess for the recovery of phenolic compounds and contributes to the zero-waste concept by reducing waste.

Background: Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. Consumption of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals such as phenolic compounds may help combat colorectal carcinoma. The effect of two phenolic-rich extracts prepared from biotransformed grape pomace on the antioxidant properties and antiproliferative activity against two colorectal cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and SW620) were investigated., Methods: A 15-day solid-state fermentation with the white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes gibbosa was used to biotransform grape pomace. Solid-liquid extraction was then performed to extract bioactive compounds. The extract was analyzed for the determination of phenolic compounds by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and in vitro assays of biological activities (antioxidant activity, antiproliferative activity, cell cycle analysis)., Results: The 4 days of solid-state fermentation proved to be the optimal period to obtain the maximum yield of phenolic compounds. The tested extracts showed significant antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Grape pomace treated with P. chrysosporium and T. gibbosa reduced cancer cell growth by more than 60% at concentrations (solid/liquid ratio) of 1.75 mg/mL and of 2.5 mg/mL, respectively. The cell cycle perturbations induced by the grape pomace extracts resulted in a significant increase in the number of cells in the S (9.8%) and G2/M (6.8%) phases of SW620 exposed to T. gibbosa after 48 hours, while P. chrysosporium increased the percentage of cells in the G1 phase by 7.7%. The effect of grape pomace extracts on Caco-2 was less pronounced., Conclusions: The obtained results suggest the presence of bioactive compounds in biotransformed grape pomace as a residue from winemaking, which could be used to prevent colon cancer., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is an important secondary raw material that provides a readily available natural source of nutraceuticals. It finds its largest application as animal feed and part of the human diet, while the future perspective predicts an application in the production of value-added products. In order to investigate a sustainable BSG treatment method, two BSG samples (BSG1 and BSG2) were evaluated as substrates for the production of hydrolytic (xylanase, β-glucosidase and cellulase) and lignolytic enzymes (laccase, manganese peroxidase and lignin peroxidase) by solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Trametes versicolor while improving BSG nutritional value. The biological treatment was successful for the production of all hydrolytic enzymes and laccase and manganese peroxidase, while it was unsuccessful for the production of lignin peroxidase. Because the two BSGs were chemically different, the Trametes versicolor enzymes were synthesized at different fermentation times and had different activities. Consequently, the chemical composition of the two BSG samples at the end of fermentation was also different. The biological treatment had a positive effect on the increase in protein content, ash content, polyphenolic compounds, and sugars in BSG1. In BSG2, there was a decrease in the content of reducing sugars. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were degraded in BSG1, whereas only cellulose was degraded in BSG2, and the content of hemicellulose and lignin increased. The fat content decreased in both samples. The safety-related correctness analysis showed that the biologically treated sample did not contain any harmful components and was therefore safe for use in nutritionally enriched animal feed.

The ParAB S system is essential for prokaryotic chromosome segregation. After loading at parS on the genome, ParB (partition protein B) proteins rapidly redistribute to distances of ~15 kilobases from the loading site. It has remained puzzling how this large-distance spreading can occur along DNA loaded with hundreds of proteins. Using in vitro single-molecule fluorescence imaging, we show that ParB from Bacillus subtilis can load onto DNA distantly of parS , as loaded ParB molecules themselves are found to be able to recruit additional ParB proteins from bulk. Notably, this recruitment can occur in cis but also in trans, where, at low tensions within the DNA, newly recruited ParB can bypass roadblocks as it gets loaded to spatially proximal but genomically distant DNA regions. The data are supported by molecular dynamics simulations, which show that cooperative ParB-ParB recruitment can enhance spreading. ParS -independent recruitment explains how ParB can cover substantial genomic distance during chromosome segregation, which is vital for the bacterial cell cycle.