Bioeconomy and green recovery in a post-COVID-19 era.

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a health crisis and repetitive lockdowns that disrupted different economic and societal segments. As the world has placed hope on the vaccination progress to bring back the socio-economic "normal," this article explores how the bioeconomy can enhance the resilience and sustainability of bio-based, food, and energy systems in the post-COVID-19 era. The proposed recovery approach integrates technological innovations, environment, ecosystem services, "biocities," food, rural economies, and tourism.

Operation of marine diesel engines on biogenic fuels: modification of emissions and resulting climate effects.

The modification of emissions of climate-sensitive exhaust compounds such as CO(2), NO(x), hydrocarbons, and particulate matter from medium-speed marine diesel engines was studied for a set of fossil and biogenic fuels. Applied fossil fuels were the reference heavy fuel oil (HFO) and the low-sulfur marine gas oil (MGO); biogenic fuels were palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and animal fat. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the production of biogenic fuels were treated by means of a fuel life cycle analysis which included land use changes associated with the growth of energy plants.

The power of bioenergy-related standards to protect biodiversity.

The sustainable production of bioenergy is vital to avoiding negative impacts on environmental goods such as climate, soil, water, and especially biodiversity. We propose three key issues that should be addressed in any biodiversity risk-mitigation strategy: conservation of areas of significant biodiversity value; mitigation of negative effects related to indirect land-use change; and promotion of agricultural practices with few negative impacts on biodiversity. Focusing on biodiversity concerns, we compared principles and criteria set to address biodiversity and other environmental and social issues in seven standards (defined here as commodity-based standards or roundtables, or relevant European legislation): five voluntary initiatives related to bioenergy feedstocks, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (United Kingdom), and the European Renewable Energy Source Directive.

Cloning of Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases from Comamonas, Xanthobacter and Rhodococcus using polymerase chain reaction with highly degenerate primers.

To clone novel type 1 Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase (BVMO) genes, we isolated or collected 25 bacterial strains able to grow on alicyclic compounds. Twelve of the bacterial strains yielded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragments with highly degenerate primers based on the sequences of known and putative BVMOs. All these fragments were found to encode peptides homologous to published BVMO sequences.

Glucose-induced fibronectin expression in endothelial cells is mediated by protein kinase C.

One of the crucial pathophysiological changes in diabetic angiopathy might be the glucose-induced synthesis of components of the extracellular matrix-like fibronectin. This effect has been described for endothelial and mesangial cells. In order to gain further insight into the mechanisms how glucose-induced fibronectin expression is regulated, confluent monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were incubated with varying concentrations of D-glucose (5-30 mM) in a time-dependent manner.

Biotests using unicellular algae and ciliates for predicting long-term effects of toxicants.

Test systems for predicting long-term effects with the freshwater algae Chlamydomonas reinhardi and Scenedesmus subspicatus and the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis were evaluated with respect to the following reference chemicals: atrazine, bromacil, diuron, methyl parathion, lindane, 3,4-dichloroaniline, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, copper, and the volatile 1,2-dichloropropane. In growth-inhibition tests under static conditions the algae revealed a higher sensitivity to the toxicants than the ciliate except for lindane and methyl parathion. Comparison of the impairment of photosynthetic efficiency (EPR, NOEC 24 hr) with the inhibition of growth (NOEC 72 hr) of S.

Studies on leaching from spruce twigs and beech leaves.

Leaching, depending on the acidity of the eluent, was investigated for K, Mg and Mn. The curves for the leachate concentration versus time could be described by a power function. Leaching from old needles exceeded leaching from young needles to a high degree, but the ratios of the leached elements were almost equal.

cDNA structure and expression of calpactin, a peptide involved in Ca2(+)-dependent cell aggregation in sponges.

Aggregation of cells of the marine sponge Geodia cydonium is mediated by an aggregation factor (AF) particle of Mr 1.3 X 10(8). It is now reported that the AF particle is associated with calpactin, which was ascribed a role in the cell-adhesion process.

Role of phospholipase A2 in the stimulation of sponge cell proliferation by homologous lectin.

Using the Geodia cydonium system, we showed that after incubation of competent sponge cells in the presence of lectin, phospholipase A2 was released from the cells. The substrates for this enzyme, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, were identified in the extracellular material of sponge tissue. In addition, the phospholipase A2 inhibitor calelectrin was identified by immunobiochemical techniques; this molecule was associated with the aggregation factor.

[Status and development of peripartal mortality in East Germany].

Based on records drawn up by the Special Commission on Maternal Death Prevention, the article gives a description of the development of the peripartal mortality in the GDR during the years 1952-1987. Special regard is paid to expert opinions on the avoidability of maternal deaths and the causes of maternal mortality determined by the Special Commissions. In addition, the article analyzes all peripartal deaths recorded in the years 1984-1987 by considering the respective ages and places of death.

Ca2+- and phospholipid-binding properties of Torpedo electric organ calelectrin.

The Ca2+-regulated lipid-binding properties of the H- and L-forms of calelectrin present in the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata have been compared. Binding of H-calelectrin required Ca2+ in millimolar concentrations, whereas that of L-calelectrin occurred in the micromolar range. Dissociation of H-calelectrin previously bound to lipids in the presence of 2 mM Ca2+ took place only when the Ca2+ concentration was reduced to micromolar concentrations.

The separation and characterization of two forms of Torpedo electric organ calelectrin.

Two methods for extracting calelectrin, a Ca2+-regulated membrane-binding protein from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata, have been compared and the more promising one was modified to increase the yield to 7-8 mg.kg-1 wet weight of tissue, that is 4-5 times greater than the original method. The calelectrin so obtain could be resoloved into a minor component (designated L-calelectrin) eluted from an anion-exchange column at relatively low ionic strength (100 mM NaCl) and a major component (H-calelectrin) eluted at higher ionic strength (300 mM NaCl).

Antibodies to calcium/phospholipid binding protein (calelectrin) recognize neurons, astrocytes and Schwann cells in the nervous system of rat.

We report on the identification of proteins Mr 32 kDa, 34 kDa, 68 kDa in rat brain or sciatic nerve which cross-react (by immunoblotting) with antibodies to purified Ca2+/phospholipid binding protein calelectrin from Torpedo marmorata. Immunocytochemical staining revealed that anti-calelectrin antibodies labeled cell bodies and processes of cortical neurons and astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). In sciatic nerve, calelectrin-like immunoreactivity was expressed in the cytoplasm of Schwann cells of adult as well as newborn rat.

A consensus amino-acid sequence repeat in Torpedo and mammalian Ca2+-dependent membrane-binding proteins.

A group of calcium-binding proteins which bind to biomembranes has recently been identified in widely different cells and tissues (refs 1-7, reviewed in ref. 8). Three of these proteins (p70, p36 and p32.

Characterization of calelectrin, a Ca2+-binding protein isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata.

We report a fast (less than 1 day) and efficient (2-3 mg protein/100 g tissue) isolation method for calelectrin, a protein of Mr 34,000 in the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata that binds to membranes in the presence of Ca2+. Purified protein was used to investigate the nature of its interaction with membranes and with Ca2+. Calelectrin binds to liposomes composed of total extractable lipids from the electric organ in a Ca2+-dependent and -specific manner with half-maximal binding between 3 and 7 microM free Ca2+.

Isolation of mammalian calelectrins: a new class of ubiquitous Ca2+-regulated proteins.

In a new approach to isolating proteins which participate in the Ca2+-dependent regulation of membrane traffic in animal cells, two new Ca2+-binding proteins (Mr 67 000 and 32 500) have been identified in and purified from bovine liver, brain, and adrenal medulla. These proteins specifically and reversibly bind to chromaffin granule membranes at low Ca2+ concentrations (half-maximal binding at 5.5 microM Ca2+) and greatly potentiate the Ca2+-induced aggregation of these membranes at higher concentrations (above 10 microM).