| 1. |
- Anasontzis, George E, 1980
(author)
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Biomass modifying enzymes: From discovery to application
- 2012
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In: Oral presentation at the Chalmers Life Science AoA conference.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- It has now been realized that the road towards the bio-based economy is a one-way street, leaving gradually the oil-based technology and driving slowly towards a more sustainable society. The current non-biodegradable hydrocarbon fuels and plastics will be replaced by new products which will derive from natural and renewable resources. The synthesis of such biofuels and biochemicals is still challenged by the difficulties to cost efficiently degrade lignocellulosic material to fermentable sugars or to isolate the intact polymers. Biomass degrading and modifying enzymes play an integral role both in the separation of the polymers from the wood network, as well as in their subsequent modification, prior to further product development.Our group interests focus on all levels of applied enzyme research of biomass acting enzymes: Discovery, assay development, production and application. Relevant examples will be provided: What is our strategy for discovering novel microorganisms and enzymes from the tropical forests and grasslands of Vietnam? How do we design novel real-world assays for enzyme activity determination? Which are the bottlenecks in the enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis? How enzymes can be used to produce high added value compounds from biomass?
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| 2. |
- Sul, Young-Taeg, 1960, et al.
(author)
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A novel in vivo method for quantifying the interfacial biochemical bond strength of bone implants
- 2010
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In: Journal of the Royal Society Interface. - London, United Kingdom : Royal Society. - 1742-5689 .- 1742-5662. ; 7:42, s. 81-90
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Quantifying the in vivo interfacial biochemical bond strength of bone implants is a biological challenge. We have developed a new and novel in vivo method to identify an interfacial biochemical bond in bone implants and to measure its bonding strength. This method, named biochemical bond measurement (BBM), involves a combination of the implant devices to measure true interfacial bond strength and surface property controls, and thus enables the contributions of mechanical interlocking and biochemical bonding to be distinguished from the measured strength values. We applied the BBM method to a rabbit model, and observed great differences in bone integration between the oxygen (control group) and magnesium (test group) plasma immersion ion-implanted titanium implants (0.046 versus 0.086 MPa, n=10, p=0.005). The biochemical bond in the test implants resulted in superior interfacial behaviour of the implants to bone: (i) close contact to approximately 2 μm thin amorphous interfacial tissue, (ii) pronounced mineralization of the interfacial tissue, (iii) rapid bone healing in contact, and (iv) strong integration to bone. The BBM method can be applied to in vivo experimental models not only to validate the presence of a biochemical bond at the bone–implant interface but also to measure the relative quantity of biochemical bond strength. The present study may provide new avenues for better understanding the role of a biochemical bond involved in the integration of bone implants.
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| 3. |
- Martinez Avila, Hector, 1985, et al.
(author)
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Biocompatibility evaluation of densified bacterial nanocellulose hydrogel as an implant material for auricular cartilage regeneration
- 2014
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In: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0614 .- 0175-7598. ; 98:17, s. 7423-7435
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), synthesized by the bacterium Gluconacetobacter xylinus, is composed of highly hydrated fibrils (99 % water) with high mechanical strength. These exceptional material properties make BNC a novel biomaterial for many potential medical and tissue engineering applications. Recently, BNC with cellulose content of 15 % has been proposed as an implant material for auricular cartilage replacement, since it matches the mechanical requirements of human auricular cartilage. This study investigates the biocompatibility of BNC with increased cellulose content (17 %) to evaluate its response in vitro and in vivo. Cylindrical BNC structures (48 Au 20 mm) were produced, purified in a built-in house perfusion system, and compressed to increase the cellulose content in BNC hydrogels. The reduction of endotoxicity of the material was quantified by bacterial endotoxin analysis throughout the purification process. Afterward, the biocompatibility of the purified BNC hydrogels with cellulose content of 17 % was assessed in vitro and in vivo, according to standards set forth in ISO 10993. The endotoxin content in non-purified BNC (2,390 endotoxin units (EU)/ml) was reduced to 0.10 EU/ml after the purification process, level well below the endotoxin threshold set for medical devices. Furthermore, the biocompatibility tests demonstrated that densified BNC hydrogels are non-cytotoxic and cause a minimal foreign body response. In support with our previous findings, this study concludes that BNC with increased cellulose content of 17 % is a promising non-resorbable biomaterial for auricular cartilage tissue engineering, due to its similarity with auricular cartilage in terms of mechanical strength and host tissue response.
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| 4. |
- Ahmed, Sheikh Ali, et al.
(author)
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Development of a new rapid method for mould testing in a climate chamber : preliminary tests
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Wood and Wood Products. - : Springer. - 0018-3768 .- 1436-736X. ; 71:4, s. 451-461
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to develop fast, simple and robust solid wood mould testing methods for the use in small-scale laboratory tests. The objective was to investigate mould susceptibility of different wood materials within the batches. The proposed method is based on natural contamination of non-sterile surfaces in climates conducive to mould growth. For this purpose, a climate chamber with regulated temperature and relative humidity was used. The conditioning chamber was divided into upper and lower chamber by a thin layer of stainless steel placed horizontally above the fan to minimise air circulation to the sample in the upper compartment. Mould-infected samples from outdoor tests were used as a source of mould inocula, and test trials were conducted on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood. Samples were suspended from the top of the upper chamber, and the chamber was exposed to different temperature and humidity levels. Severe mould infestation was observed after 12–14 days of incubation. Visual mould rating was then performed. Regardless of some constraints, this test method was very simple, fast, and effective. More importantly, unlike other test methods, it closely models mould infestation as it would occur under natural condition.
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| 5. |
- Ahmed, Sheikh Ali, et al.
(author)
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Mould susceptibility of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood : Impact of drying, thermal modification, and copper-based preservative
- 2013
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In: International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. - : Elsevier. - 0964-8305 .- 1879-0208. ; 85, s. 284-288
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of mould on wood surfaces depends on several factors. Although mould does not affect the mechanical properties of wood, it greatly reduces the aesthetic value of wood such as the sapwood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), which is very prone to mould. In addition, adverse health effects of mould on humans are a great concern. Different types of dried and treated wood were used to observe whether they had enhanced durability against mould following an accelerated laboratory test method in a climate chamber. Samples were green, air-dried, industrially thermally modified, treated with copper-based preservative, and kiln-dried wood, which were tested within a single test run. The test produced the following main results: The thermal modification increased the durability of the wood, and the protective effectiveness of alternative treatments was comparable to that of commercially available copper-based treatment. However, the initial moisture content of the samples during mould exposure had a great influence on the onset of mould growth. The risk of mould susceptibility of industrial kiln-dried lumber can be reduced by drying using the double-layering technique and planing off the nutrient enriched evaporation surfaces.
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| 6. |
- Aitomäki, Yvonne, et al.
(author)
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Estimating material properties of solid and hollow fibers in suspension using ultrasonic attenuation
- 2013
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In: IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control. - 0885-3010 .- 1525-8955. ; 60:7, s. 1424-1434
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Estimates of the material properties of hollow fibers suspended in a fluid using ultrasound measurements and a simple, computationally efficient analytical model are made. The industrial application is to evaluate the properties of wood fibers in paper pulp. The necessity of using a layered cylindrical model (LCM) as opposed to a solid cylindrical model (SCM) for modeling ultrasound attenuation in a suspension of hollow fibers is evaluated. The two models are described and used to solve the inverse problem of estimating material properties from attenuation in suspensions of solid and hollow polyester fibers. The results show that the measured attenuation of hollow fibers differs from that of solid fibers. Elastic properties estimates using LCM with hollow-fiber suspension measurements are similar to those using SCM with solid-fiber suspension measurements and compare well to block polyester values for elastic moduli. However, using the SCM with the hollow-fiber suspension did not produce realistic estimations. In conclusion, the LCM gives reasonable estimations of hollow fiber properties and the SCM is not sufficiently complex to model hollow fibers. The results also indicate that the use of a distributed radius in the model is important in estimating material properties from fiber suspensions.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Helene, 1983, et al.
(author)
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Effects of molecular weight on permeability and microstructure of mixed ethyl-hydroxypropyl-cellulose films
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 0928-0987 .- 1879-0720. ; 48:1-2, s. 240-248
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Films of ethyl cellulose (EC) and water-soluble hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) can be used for extended release coatings in oral formulations. The permeability and microstructure of free EC/HPC films with 30% w/w HPC were studied to investigate effects of EC molecular weight. Phase separation during film spraying and subsequent HPC leaching after immersion in aqueous media cause pore formation in such films. It was found that sprayed films were porous throughout the bulk of the films after water immersion. The molecular weight affected HPC leaching, pore morphology and film permeability; increasing the molecular weight resulted in decreasing permeability. A model to distinguish the major factors contributing to diffusion retardation in porous films showed that the trend in permeability was determined predominantly by factors associated with the geometry and arrangement of pores, independent of the diffusing species. The film with the highest molecular weight did, however, show an additional contribution from pore wall/permeant interactions. In addition, rapid drying and increasing molecular weight resulted in smaller pores, which suggest that phase separation kinetics affects the final microstructure of EC/HPC films. Thus, the molecular weight influences the microstructural features of pores, which are crucial for mass transport in EC/HPC films.
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| 8. |
- Wernersson, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Swelling of cellulose fibres in composite materials: Constraint effects of the surrounding matrix
- 2013
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In: Composites Science and Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 74, s. 52-59
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wood fibres have several highly desirable properties as reinforcement in composite materials for structural applications, e.g. high specific stiffness and strength, renewability and low cost. However, one of the main drawbacks is the swelling of these hydrophilic fibres due to moisture uptake. Since the fibres in the composite are generally embedded in a relatively hydrophobic matrix, the surrounding matrix should restrain the swelling of the fibres. The present study investigates this constraint effect and establishes a micromechanical model to predict the swelling of embedded fibres based on experimentally characterised microstructural parameters and hygroelastic properties of the constituents. The predicted swelling is in concert with direct measurement of various wood-pulp fibre composites by means of three-dimensional X-ray microtomographic images. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Metreveli, Giorgi, et al.
(author)
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A Size-Exclusion Nanocellulose Filter Paper for Virus Removal
- 2014
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In: Advanced Healthcare Materials. - : Wiley. - 2192-2640 .- 2192-2659. ; 10:3, s. 1546-1550
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This is the first time a 100% natural, unmodified nanofibrous polymer-based membrane is demonstrated capable of removing viruses solely based on the size-exclusion principle, with log10 reduction value (LRV) ≥ 6.3 as limited by the assay lower detection limit and the feed virus titre, thereby matching the performance of industrial synthetic polymer virus removal filters.
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| 10. |
- Ahmed, Sheikh Ali, et al.
(author)
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Accelerated Mold Test on Dried Pine Sapwood Boards : Impact of Contact Heat Treatment
- 2013
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In: Journal of wood chemistry and technology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-3813 .- 1532-2319. ; 33:3, s. 174-187
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We test the hypothesis that the combination of kiln drying of double-stacked boards and contact heat treatment will reduce the susceptibility of treated boards to colonization by mold fungi. Winter-felled Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood boards were double-stacked in an industrial kiln in ''sapwood out'' and ''sapwood in'' positions. Dried samples were then contact heat-treated using a hot press at three different temperatures (140°C, 170°C, and 200°C) for three different periods (1, 3, and 10 min). An accelerated mold test was performed in a climate chamber where naturally mold-infected samples were used as a source of mold inocula. Contact heat treatment degraded the saccharides that accumulated at dried surfaces, and reduced the mold growth. The threshold temperature and time for inhibiting mold growth were 170°C for 10 min. However, for industrial application, the most feasible combination of temperature and time would be 200°C for 3 min. We concluded that double stacking/contact heat treatment used is an environmentally friendly alternative to chemicals for reducing mold on Scots pine sapwood boards.
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