Production of Enzymes From Agricultural Wastes and Their Potential Industrial Applications

Enzymatic hydrolysis is the significant technique for the conversion of agricultural wastes into valuable products. Agroindustrial wastes such as rice bran, wheat bran, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, and corncob are cheapest and plentifully available natural carbon sources for the production of industrially important enzymes. Innumerable enzymes that have numerous applications in industrial processes for food, drug, textile, and dye use have been produced from different types of microorganisms from agricultural wastes. Utilization of agricultural wastes offers great potential for reducing the production cost and increasing the use of enzymes for industrial purposes. This chapter focuses on economic production of actinobacterial enzymes from agricultural wastes to make a better alternative for utilization of biomass generated in million tons as waste annually.

Marine Microbial Amylases: Properties and Applications

Amylases are crucial enzymes which hydrolyze internal glycosidic linkages in starch and produce as primary products dextrins and oligosaccharides. Amylases are classified into α-amylase, β-amylase, and glucoamylase based on their three-dimensional structures, reaction mechanisms, and amino acid sequences. Amylases have innumerable applications in clinical, medical, and analytical chemistries as well as in food, detergent, textile, brewing, and distilling industries. Amylases can be produced from plants, animals, and microbial sources. Due to the advantages in microbial production, it meets commercial needs. The pervasive nature, easy production, and wide range of applications make amylase an industrially pivotal enzyme. This chapter will focus on amylases found in marine microorganisms, their potential industrial applications, and how these enzymes can be improved to the required bioprocessing conditions.

Extremozymes from Marine Actinobacteria

Marine microorganisms that have the possibility to survive in diverse conditions such as extreme temperature, pH, pressure, and salinity are known as extremophiles. They produce biocatalysts so named as extremozymes that are active and stable at extreme conditions. These enzymes have numerous industrial applications due to its distinct properties. Till now, only a fraction of microorganisms on Earth have been exploited for screening of extremozymes. Novel techniques used for the cultivation and production of extremophiles, as well as cloning and overexpression of their genes in various expression systems, will pave the way to use these enzymes for chemical, food, pharmaceutical, and other industrial applications.

What is the publication rate for presentations given at the British Academic Conference in Otolaryngology (BACO)?

OBJECTIVES

The publication rate of some large academic meetings such as the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has been reported as 32%. We aimed to compare the rate of publication at the British Academic Conference in Otolaryngology (BACO) to allow surveillance of research activity in the United Kingdom (UK).

DESIGN AND SETTING

The abstract records of both BACO 2009 and 2012 were examined. The MEDLINE database was searched using PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) and an iterative approach. We recorded time to publication as well as the authors' region and journal.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

publication rate by conference, region and journal.

RESULTS

Twice the number of presentations were made at BACO 2012 (n = 814) compared to BACO 2009 (n = 387). Absolute numbers of publications were 158 in 2012 and 92 in 2009. Overall, the publication rate dropped from 24% overall in 2009 to 19% in 2012. This difference in proportions was not significant (P = 0.08). The number of abstracts accepted for BACO 2012 doubled from BACO 2009 in nearly every subspecialty category, except the general/training category, which trebled. For both conferences, head and neck was the largest subspecialty abstract category, as well as the largest subspecialty publication category.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the majority of abstracts presented at BACO 2009 and 2012 did not progress to publication. The rate of publication was similar to that seen in other general ENT meetings but do not compare favourably to the 69% rate seen for presentations made at the Otorhinolaryngological Research Society (ORS). The large increase in accepted abstracts at BACO 2012 may reflect growing competition for entry to specialist training.

A re-appraisal of publication rates of scientific papers presented at the Otorhinolaryngology Research Society meetings

OBJECTIVES

To review the rate of publication of papers in peer-reviewed journals after oral presentations at the Otorhinolaryngology Research Society meetings between 1996 and 2013 and to compare trends with the previous review (1979-1995).

DESIGN

Literature review.

SETTING

Merseyside ENT Research Collaborative.

PARTICIPANTS

The abstracts of presentations at Otorhinolaryngology Research Society meetings are published in Clinical Otolaryngology. A structured search of PubMed was undertaken to identify published Otorhinolaryngology Research Society presentations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Publication rates.

RESULTS

A total of 460 abstracts were identified. The interobserver reliability among reviewers was 98%. Of the total, 259 (56.3%) abstracts were published in peer-reviewed journals. The average time from Otorhinolaryngology Research Society presentation to publication was 27.7 months (median 23), which was not significantly different from the previous review. Publication by subspeciality was as follows: head and neck (45.6%), otology (30.5%), rhinology (22%) and others (1.9%). Most published Otorhinolaryngology Research Society presentations were published in Clinical Otolaryngology (22.4%), followed by the Journal of Laryngology and Otology (8.1%) and the Laryngoscope (7.3%). Clinical research was the most common category of abstracts being presented at Otorhinolaryngology Research Society meetings, followed by laboratory-based research. Over half (56.5%) of laboratory research presented were head and neck themed, while otology and rhinology predominated clinical research presentations. Over half (52.1%) of Otorhinolaryngology Research Society abstracts originated from units in the North of England. Bristol presented the most abstracts (30.1%), followed by Newcastle (25.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The publication rate of Otorhinolaryngology Research Society presentations remains high and many are subsequently published in high-impact factor otolaryngology journals. More Otorhinolaryngology Research Society presentations are now published in American and European journals.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of mosquitoes in stream pools of a biosphere reserve of Southern Western Ghats, India

The spatial and temporal dynamics of mosquitoes in stream pools were examined in a biosphere reserve of the Southern Western Ghats, India. The immature mosquitoes in stream pools were collected from stream substrates of bedrock pool, boulder cavity and sand puddle. The collected larvae and pupae were reared and identified. In total, 16 species from four genera of mosquitoes were collected. The mosquito species from Culex and Anopheles were predominantly occurred. The bedrock pool had the highest diversity and abundance of mosquitoes. The statistical analyses showed that the substrate specificity and the seasons were positively related to the distribution of mosquitoes rather than spatial pattern. This study described the spatial and temporal pattern of mosquitoes in stream pools of the Southern Western Ghats. This information would be helpful to National Vector borne disease control program for surveillance and control.

Simulium (Gomphostilbia) (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Southern Western Ghats, India: two new species and DNA barcoding

Two new species of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) (Diptera: Simuliidae) are described on the basis of reared adult, pupal and larval specimens collected from Southern Western Ghats India. The morphological data of two new species S. (Gomphostilbia) panagudiense sp. n. and S. (Gomphostilbia) kottoorense sp. n. are assigned to the batoense species group in the subgenus Gomphostilbia. S. (Gomphostilbia) panagudiense sp.n. is characterized in the female by having the scutum without longitudinal vitta and arms of the genital fork wide basally and in the pupa by the stalk of ventral pair medium-long. S. (Gomphostilbia) kottoorense sp.n. is characterized by the arm of genital fork tapered near apex in the female and style in medial view 0.63 times as long as coxite in the male. Phylogeny of members in the genus Simulium was reconstructed based on DNA barcoding gene (cytochrome oxidase c subunit I). Tree analysis using new technology and maximum likelihood analyses are congruent with evidence of two new species in the subgenus Gomphostilbia and separated from other species.

Technical Efficiency of Shrimp Farming in Andhra Pradesh: Estimation and Implications

Shrimp farming is a key subsector of Indian aquaculture which has seen a remarkable growth in the past decades and has a tremendous potential in future. The present study analyzes the technical efficiency of the shrimp famers of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh using the Stochastic Production Frontier Function with the technical inefficiency effects. The estimates mean technical efficiency of the farmers was 93.06 % which means the farmers operate at 6.94 % below the production frontier production. Age, education, experience of the farmers and their membership status in farmers associations and societies were found to have a significant effect on the technical efficiency. The variation in the technical efficiency also confirms the differences in the extent of adoption of the shrimp farming technology among the farmers. Proper technical training opportunities could facilitate the farmers to adopt the improved technologies to increase their farm productivity.

Development and use of a two-dimensional interferometer to measure mass flow from a multi-shell Z-pinch gas puff

For gas puff Z-pinches, the K-shell x-ray yield is maximized with the use of a multi-shell nozzle. Optimization of the yield, verification of hydrodynamic models of the nozzle flows, and plausible MHD code modeling of the implosions require data on the radial and axial (R,Z) distribution of mass in the nozzle's flow field. Interferometry is a well-established technique for acquiring such data. We describe the development and use of a two-dimensional interferometer with emphasis on the required data reduction methods. We also show that the instrument can derive the flow from each individual nozzle in a multi-shell system.