Lignin-carbohydrate bonds in a residual soda spruce pulp lignin

Summary The behaviour of lignin-polysaccharide complex of spruce wood in soda pulping was studied by the characterization of lignin-saccharide fractions isolated from a series of soda pulps. The dioxane pulp lignins contain 8–14% of carbohydrates in which glucose was the predominant component. Its content increased with increasing degree of delignification indicating the formation of secondary lignin-carbohydrate linkage. Both glycosidic and ether type of bond between residual lignin and cellulose in pulp was proved by methylation analysis of the pulp dioxane lignin.The work was supported by the Slovak Academy of Sciences grant number 2/999389/92.     

The impact of initial concentration of selected pharmaceuticals on their early stage of dissipation in soils

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Dissipation of pharmaceutical compounds entered into the natural environment is an important process minimizing the adverse effects on the living organisms. The aim...     

Cross-reactions between crude antigens of larval Taenia solium (Cysticercus cellulosae) and other helminths of pigs

A crude antigen extract of larval Taenia solium was shown by immunodiffusion (ID) and immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) to cross-react with rabbit antisera against pig serum proteins and larval T. hydatigena, and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with antisera against pig serum proteins, Fasciolopsis buski, larval T. hydatigena, hydatid cyst, Hymenolepis diminuta and Dipylidium caninum. Immunoblotting demonstrated that the crude antigens extract contained epitopes of pig serum proteins of 48 and 66 kDa. The crude extract also contained a subunit of antigen B (95 kDa) which was also found in T. hydatigena and H. diminuta. Immunoperoxidase and indirect immunofluorescence studies showed that cross-reacting antigens were distributed mainly on the tegument of T. solium.     

Schisandrin B protects against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury in BJ human fibroblasts

The effects of schisandrin B (Sch B) and its analogs on solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury were examined in BJ human fibroblasts. Sch B and schisandrin C (Sch C) increased cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) level and protected against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury. The photoprotection was paralleled by decreases in the elastases-type protease activity and matrix-metalloproteinases-1 expression in solar-irradiated fibroblasts. The cytochrome P-450-mediated metabolism of Sch B or Sch C caused ROS production. The results suggest that by virtue of its pro-oxidant action and the subsequent glutathione antioxidant response, Sch B or Sch C may offer the prospect of preventing skin photo-aging.     

Distribution and structural variation of arabinoxylans in common wheat mill streams

In 19 wheat-milling fractions total pentosan content, calculated as 0.88 x (% L-arabinose + % D-xylose), varied between 1.44 and 30.66% on dry matter (dm). It increased with ash content once the latter exceeded 0.6% (dm basis). Water-extractable arabinoxylans were recovered by saturating water extracts to 65% ethanol. Their contents in the milling fractions varied between 0.35 and 1.38%, and above 0.6% ash content also increased with this parameter. Their L-arabinose-to-D-xylose ratios ranged between 0.65 and 0.39, with the lowest values found for the fractions with highest ash content, indicating that the ash-rich tissues contain more arabinoxylans that are less branched. (1)H NMR spectroscopy revealed that the decrease in L-arabinose-to-D-xylose ratio was accompanied by an increase in unsubstituted xylose residues and a decrease in disubstituted xylose residues, while the contents of monosubstituted xyloses were virtually constant.     

A study on construction costs per unit area of irrigation projects

The cost constructing for irrigation is often given in $/ha. In deciding whether a project is worth undertaking, it is important to weigh the anticipated benefits against the expected costs. In this study, unit area construction costs based on the way of project water supply (gravity, pump) and scheme type (classic canal, flume, pipe) were calculated for the 211 irrigation projects operated and constructed by DSI (State Hydraulic Works) in Turkey. In a case study of the 27 irrigation schemes constructed by DSI in the Büyük Menderes and West Mediterranean basins, construction costs per unit area, irrigation ratio, and amount of unproductive costs were determined. As a result, though the area of 76383 ha was constructed for irrigation schemes, this area wasn??t under irrigation services with several various reasons; therefore, 641 million $US according to water supply way, and 574 million $US to the scheme type were unproductive investment for irrigation projects researched in the basins.