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1 – 10 of over 5000M. SILLINCE and J.A.A. SILLINCE
The use of sequence and structure databanks is examined in relation to their application in some of the main branches of protein studies. Also the question of availability is…
Abstract
The use of sequence and structure databanks is examined in relation to their application in some of the main branches of protein studies. Also the question of availability is addressed by means of presenting some information on current sequence and structure databanks. Increasingly research in molecular science requires joint access to both sequence and structure databases, and the reasons for this development, together with some of the methods for integrated access, are analysed.
Nur Shahira Abdul Nasir, Revathy Deivasigamani, Muhammad Khairulanwar Abdul Rahim, Siti Nur Ashakirin Mohd Nashruddin, Azrul Azlan Hamzah, M. Farhanulhakim M. Razip Wee and Muhamad Ramdzan Buyong
The purpose of this paper is to visualize protein manipulation using dielectrophoresis (DEP) as a substantial perspective on being an effective protein analysis and biosensor…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to visualize protein manipulation using dielectrophoresis (DEP) as a substantial perspective on being an effective protein analysis and biosensor method as DEP is able to be used as a means for manipulation, fractionation, pre-concentration and separation. This research aims to quantify DEP using an electrochemical technique known as cyclic voltammetry (CV), as albumin is non-visible without any fluorescent probe or dye.
Design/methodology/approach
The principles of DEP were generated by an electric field on tapered DEP microelectrodes. The principle of CV was analysed using different concentrations of albumin on a screen-printed carbon electrode. Using preliminary data from both DEP and CV methods as a future prospect for the integration of both techniques to do electrical quantification of DEP forces.
Findings
The size of the albumin is known to be 0.027 µm. Engineered polystyrene particle of size 0.05 µm was selected to mimic the DEP actuation of albumin. Positive DEP of the sample engineered polystyrene particle was able to be visualized clearly at 10 MHz supplied with 20 Vpp. However, negative DEP was not able to be visualized because of the limitation of the apparatus. However, albumin was not able to be visualized under the fluorescent microscope because of its translucent properties. Thus, a method of electrical quantification known as the CV technique is used. The detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) using the CV method is successful. As the concentration of BSA increases, the peak current obtained from the voltammogram decreases. The peak current can be an indicator of DEP response as it correlates to the adsorption of the protein onto the electrodes. The importance of the results from both CV and DEP shows that the integration of both techniques is possible.
Originality/value
The integration of both methods could give rise to a new technique with precision to be implemented into the dialyzers used in renal haemodialysis treatment for manipulation and sensing of protein albumin.
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Nan Sun, Beibei Tan, Bolun Sun, Jinjie Zhang, Chao Li and Wenge Yang
Sargassum fusiforme is a popular edible seaweed in coastal cities of China that contains diverse nutrients including iodine. Cooking is an effective way to improve food safety…
Abstract
Purpose
Sargassum fusiforme is a popular edible seaweed in coastal cities of China that contains diverse nutrients including iodine. Cooking is an effective way to improve food safety, but it can alter both the contents of elements along with speciation and bioavailability. Three common cooking methods, the soaking, steaming and boiling, were evaluated for their effects on the protein structures, protein digestibility, iodine content and iodine bioavailability of S. fusiforme.
Design/methodology/approach
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study the structural changes of protein, and an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture system was used to evaluate the digestibility of protein, bioaccessibility and bioavailability of iodine.
Findings
Boiling and steaming altered the protein secondary structure demonstrated by increased a-helix and random coil and decreased β-sheet, which improved the in vitro protein digestibility. Iodine content was reduced by cooking, with the highest loss observed after boiling, followed by soaking and steaming, while it was found that both bioaccessibility and cellular uptake of iodine were significantly elevated by boiling and steaming using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture system. The presence of ascorbic acid, citric acid or tyrosine was beneficial for the iodine absorption, while oxalic acid and phytic acid hindered the iodine bioavailability.
Originality/value
The present finding suggested that cooking was conducive to the digestion and absorption of iodine in S. fusiforme. In addition, different dietary factors could have a certain impact on the absorption of iodine. Results of the study are essential for improving the application value of S. fusiforme to ensure reasonable consumption of seaweeds.
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Jessica Lambert-De Francesch, JoAnne Labrecque and Stéphanie Lessard
This study identifies new factors influencing the adoption of two recently promoted messages in Canada's updated food guide (FG): enhancing pleasure of eating healthy foods…
Abstract
Purpose
This study identifies new factors influencing the adoption of two recently promoted messages in Canada's updated food guide (FG): enhancing pleasure of eating healthy foods (PEHFs) and shifting food choices towards plant protein foods. Currently, limited and contradictory evidence is available regarding associations between environmental values, nutrition literacy, PEHFs, and plant/animal protein food consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey measuring environmental values; nutrition literacy, distinctively based on previous (2007) and most recent (2019) FG messages; PEHFs; and annual changes in the consumption of protein foods was sent to Quebec residents (N = 128).
Findings
Greater nutrition literacy of both 2007 and 2019 FGs and greater environmental values were associated with greater PEHFs (ß = 0.248, p < 0.01; ß = 0.209, p < 0.05; ß = 0.423, p < 0.001, respectively). Greater PEHFs was associated with greater consumption of plant protein foods (ß = 0.405, p < 0.001). Greater nutrition literacy of the 2007 FG was associated with greater consumption of animal protein foods (ß = 0.409, p < 0.001), whereas greater nutrition literacy of the 2019 FG was linked to lower consumption of animal protein foods (ß = −0.225, p < 0.05).
Practical implications
Enhancing PEHFs may require increasing general FG nutrition literacy and strengthening environmental values. To encourage plant protein food consumption and decrease animal protein food consumption, the authors recommend promoting PEHFs and increasing nutrition literacy based on newest FG recommendations.
Originality/value
This new evidence may help develop strategies promoting PEHFs and plant protein food consumption, thus increasing uptake of new FG recommendations.
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Leipeng Zhang, Binghan Zhang, Bo Fan, Zhenhua Gao and Junyou Shi
This paper aims to focus on the liquefaction of soybean protein to obtain a homogeneous protein solution with a high solid/protein content but low viscosity, which may improve the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the liquefaction of soybean protein to obtain a homogeneous protein solution with a high solid/protein content but low viscosity, which may improve the bond properties and technological applicability of soybean protein adhesive.
Design/methodology/approach
The liquefactions of soybean protein in the presence of various amounts of sodium sulphite, urea and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) are investigated, and their effects on the main properties of liquefied soybean protein and soybean protein adhesives are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), viscosity tracing and plywood evaluation. Meanwhile, the applicability of soybean protein adhesive composed of liquefied protein for particleboard is also investigated.
Findings
Soybean protein can be effectively liquefied to form a homogeneous protein solution with a soybean protein content of 25 per cent and viscosity as low as 772 mPa.s; the addition of sodium sulphite, urea and SDS are beneficial for the liquefaction of soybean protein and have important effects on the technological applicability and water resistance of the obtained adhesive. The optimal liquefying technology of soybean protein is obtained in the presence of 1.5 Wt.% of sodium sulphite, 5 Wt.% of urea, 1.5 Wt.% of SDS and 3 Wt.% of sodium hydroxide. The optimal soybean protein adhesive has the desired water resistance in terms of the boiling-dry-boiling aged wet bond strength, which is up to 1.08 MPa higher than the required value (0.98 MPa) for structural use according to the commercial standard JIS K6806-2003. The optimal liquefied protein has the great potential to prepare particleboard.
Research limitations/implications
The protein content of liquefied soybean protein is expected to further increase from 25 to 40 Wt.% or even higher to further reduce the hot-pressing cycle or energy consumption of wood composites bonded by soybean protein adhesives.
Practical implications
The soybean protein adhesive composed of optimal liquefied protein has potential use in the manufacturing of structural-use plywood and has comparable applicability as a commercial urea-formaldehyde resin for the manufacturing of common particleboard.
Social implications
Soybean protein adhesive is an environmentally safe bio-adhesive that does not lead to the release of toxic formaldehyde, and the renewable and abundant soybean protein can be used with higher value added by the application as wood adhesive.
Originality/value
A novel liquefaction approach of soybean protein is proposed, and the soybean protein adhesive based on the liquefied protein is obtained with good technological applicability and desired bond properties that extend the applications of the soybean protein adhesive from interior plywood to particleboard and exterior or structural plywood.
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Kuniaki Kawabata, Mutsunori Takahashi, Kanako Saitoh, Mitsuaki Sugahara, Hajime Asama, Taketoshi Mishima and Masashi Miyano
The purpose of this paper is to propose a state discrimination for crystallization samples (droplets), the purpose of which is to discriminate between diffractable extracts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a state discrimination for crystallization samples (droplets), the purpose of which is to discriminate between diffractable extracts (crystal) and other objects.
Design/methodology/approach
The line feature from the image of the protein droplet was extracted and the state discriminated using a classifier based on line features. A support vector machine is used as the classifier.
Findings
In order to verify the performance of the proposed method, the growth state was discriminated experimentally using the images taken by TERA, an automated crystallization system. The correction ratio was determined to exceed 80 percent.
Originality/value
Contribution to automated evaluation process of the growth state of protein crystallization samples.
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Jasvinder Singh, Pulak Mohan Pandey, Tejinder Kaur and Neetu Singh
The purpose of this paper is to fabricate pre-existing geometries of the stents using solvent cast 3D printing (SC3P) and encapsulation of each stent with heparin drug by using…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to fabricate pre-existing geometries of the stents using solvent cast 3D printing (SC3P) and encapsulation of each stent with heparin drug by using aminolysis reaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The iron pentacarbonyl powder and poly-ɛ-caprolactone blend (PCIP) were used to print stent designs of Art18z, Palmaz-Schatz and Abbott Bvs1.1. The properties of antithrombosis, anticoagulation and blood compatibility were introduced in the stents by conjugation of heparin drug via the aminolysis process. The aminolysis process was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy due to presence of amide group and nitrogen peak in the respective analysis. Biological studies were performed to depict the cell viability, hemocompatibility and antithrombotic properties. Besides, mechanical behaviors were analyzed to study the behavior of the stents under radial compression load and bending load.
Findings
The amount of heparin immobilized on the Art18z, Palmaz-Schatz and Abbott Bvs1.1 stents were 255 ± 27, 222 ± 30 and 212 ± 13 µg, respectively. The cell viability studies using L929 fibroblast cells confirmed the cytocompatibility of the stents. The heparinized SC3P printed stents displayed excellent thrombo-resistance, anticoagulation properties and hemocompatibility as confirmed by blood coagulation analysis, platelet adhesion test and hemolysis analysis. Besides, mechanical behavior was found in context of the real-life stents. All these assessments confirmed that the developed stents have the potential to be used in the real environment of coronary arteries.
Originality/value
Various customized shaped biodegradable stents were fabricated using 3D printing technique and encapsulated with heparin drug using aminolysis process.
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Chengsheng Gui, J. Zhu, Xq Liu and Zhongtao Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to prepare a water-resistant adhesive (SA) from soy flour (SF) with less water-soluble components.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to prepare a water-resistant adhesive (SA) from soy flour (SF) with less water-soluble components.
Design/methodology/approach
Defatted SF was suspended and stirred in water. Then, the pH of dispersion was adjusted to a predetermined value (i.e. 8, 9 or 10) by the addition of 2M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. After stirring at a predetermined temperature (25°C, 35°C, 45°C) for different time (1 h, 2 h, 3 h), the 2M hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution was added in a dropwise manner into the dispersion until the pH value was adjusted to 4.5. Then, the dispersion was centrifuged at 6,000 rpm for 2 min. The obtained precipitate with less water-soluble components was used as an adhesive (SA) directly.
Findings
SA had a wet strength of 1.02 MPa when used for the fabrication of poplar plywood. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution was applied to improve the tack of SAs to wood surface and the viscosities of SAs were decreased from 10,200 cP to 4,100 cP at room temperature after the PVA addition. The soy proteins in SAs were not denatured to a large extent according to the differential scanning calorimetry and light microscopy. The remained multilevel structures of soy protein played a positive contribution to the water resistance of SAs, and the bond lines of cured SAs were much more stable than those of the cured SF and soy protein concentrate (SPC).
Research limitations/implications
The fluidity and solid content of soy adhesives is much lower than formaldehyde adhesives. Further investigations are needed to improve the fluidity of soy adhesives with high solid contents.
Originality/value
Novel water-resistant soy adhesives were provided.
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Dhruba Jyoti Borgohain, Raj Kumar Bhardwaj and Manoj Kumar Verma
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology and turned into a field of knowledge that has been consistently displacing technologies for a change in human life. It is…
Abstract
Purpose
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology and turned into a field of knowledge that has been consistently displacing technologies for a change in human life. It is applied in all spheres of life as reflected in the review of the literature section here. As applicable in the field of libraries too, this study scientifically mapped the papers on AAIL and analyze its growth, collaboration network, trending topics, or research hot spots to highlight the challenges and opportunities in adopting AI-based advancements in library systems and processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was developed with a bibliometric approach, considering a decade, 2012 to 2021 for data extraction from a premier database, Scopus. The steps followed are (1) identification, selection of keywords, and forming the search strategy with the approval of a panel of computer scientists and librarians and (2) design and development of a perfect algorithm to verify these selected keywords in title-abstract-keywords of Scopus (3) Performing data processing in some state-of-the-art bibliometric visualization tools, Biblioshiny R and VOSviewer (4) discussing the findings for practical implications of the study and limitations.
Findings
As evident from several papers, not much research has been conducted on AI applications in libraries in comparison to topics like AI applications in cancer, health, medicine, education, and agriculture. As per the Price law, the growth pattern is exponential. The total number of papers relevant to the subject is 1462 (single and multi-authored) contributed by 5400 authors with 0.271 documents per author and around 4 authors per document. Papers occurred mostly in open-access journals. The productive journal is the Journal of Chemical Information and Modelling (NP = 63) while the highly consistent and impactful is the Journal of Machine Learning Research (z-index=63.58 and CPP = 56.17). In the case of authors, J Chen (z-index=28.86 and CPP = 43.75) is the most consistent and impactful author. At the country level, the USA has recorded the highest number of papers positioned at the center of the co-authorship network but at the institutional level, China takes the 1st position. The trending topics of research are machine learning, large dataset, deep learning, high-level languages, etc. The present information system has a high potential to improve if integrated with AI technologies.
Practical implications
The number of scientific papers has increased over time. The evolution of themes like machine learning implicates AI as a broad field of knowledge that converges with other disciplines. The themes like large datasets imply that AI may be applied to analyze and interpret these data and support decision-making in public sector enterprises. Theme named high-level language emerged as a research hotspot which indicated that extensive research has been going on in this area to improve computer systems for facilitating the processing of data with high momentum. These implications are of high strategic worth for policymakers, library stakeholders, researchers and the government as a whole for decision-making.
Originality/value
The analysis of collaboration, prolific authors/journals using consistency factor and CPP, testing the relationship between consistency (z-index) and impact (h-index), using state-of-the-art network visualization and cluster analysis techniques make this study novel and differentiates it from the traditional bibliometric analysis. To the best of the author's knowledge, this work is the first attempt to comprehend the research streams and provide a holistic view of research on the application of AI in libraries. The insights obtained from this analysis are instrumental for both academics and practitioners.
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Anne‐Katrin Bock, Dolores Ibarreta, Karine Lheureux, Monique Libeau and Hans Nilsagård
In February this year the sequence of the human genome was published, opening a new chapter in medicine. Soon genetic testing will be at the heart of diagnosis, epidemiology, drug…
Abstract
In February this year the sequence of the human genome was published, opening a new chapter in medicine. Soon genetic testing will be at the heart of diagnosis, epidemiology, drug development and even regenerative medicine. Before we are born there will be new opportunities to remedy genetic defects, and afterwards to make almost lifelong prognoses. The debate will intensify on the use of human embryos in medical research, while the prospect of human cloning will fascinate some scientists and horrify others. Europe needs to be in the vanguard of this new industrial revolution, but a host of ethical concerns must first be addressed – because genomics is as much about privacy as Petri dishes.
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