Editorial: Towards an Archaeology of Television

Over the last few years, ‘media archaeology’ has evolved from a marginal topic to an academic approach en vogue. Under its banner, conferences and publications bring together scholars from different disciplines who, revisiting the canon of media history and theory, emphasize the necessity for renewed historiographical narratives. Despite, or maybe because of profuse debates, media archaeology remains a loosely defined playground for researchers working at the intersection of history and theory. Far from offering uniform principles or constituting a homogeneous field, its prominent authors – Friedrich Kittler and Wolfgang Ernst, Siegfried Zielinksi, Jussi Parrika and Erkki Huhtamo, to name just a few – distinguish themselves by their heterogeneity regarding methodology and theoretical focus

Les lipases sont des hydrolases atypiques : principales caractéristiques et applications

ipases are atypical hydrolases: principal characteristics and applications. Due to their kinetic and substrate specificities, triacylglycerol acyl-hydrolases or lipases are atypical enzymes. In function of their microenvironment, lipases are able to act as hydrolases in aqueous solution or as biocatalysts in organic synthesis. As hydrolases, they are responsible of the triglycerids catabolism into fatty acids and glycerol. In many organisms, this reaction plays a major role in the fat and lipid metabolism. In addition, lipases are also able to hydrolyse phospholipids and cholesterol esters. In organic solvent, lipases could catalyse reactions such as esterifications, acidolysis or alcoolysis with enantio-, regio- and chimioselectivity. Lipases form a mixed class of enzyme due to their animal, vegetal or microbial origins. All those properties led to the development of many applications in the food and chemical industries but also in the medical and therapeutic field

The popular music heritage of the Dutch pirates: illegal radio and cultural identity

This article explores how cultural identities are negotiated in relation to the heritage of illegal radio in the Netherlands. The term ‘pirate radio’ commonly refers to the offshore radio stations that were broadcasting during the 1960s. These stations introduced commercial radio and popular music genres like beat music, which were not played by public broadcasters at the time. In their wake, land-based pirates began broadcasting for local audiences. This study examines the identities that are constituted by the narrative of pirate radio. Drawing on in-depth interviews with archivists, fans and broadcasters, this article explores the connection between pirate radio, popular music heritage and cultural identity. Moreover, it considers how new technologies such as internet radio provide platforms to engage with this heritage and thus to maintain these local identities. To examine how the memories of pirate radio live on in the present a narrative approach to identity will be used

Doing Experimental Media Archaeology

The volume aims at taking the materiality of past media devices seriously and explores the heuristic possibilities of an experimental study of these devices. It offers a sophisticated reflection on the epistemological and heuristic potential of hands-on media historical research

Production of γ-decalactone by Yarrowia lipolytica : insights into experimental conditions and operating mode optimization

BACKGROUND γ-Decalactone production from ricinoleic acid biotransformation derived from the triglycerides in castor oil by Yarrowia lipolytica, has been widely described in literature in studies concerning lipidic metabolism that leads to lactones production, interactions of cells with the lipid substrate, toxicity of produced metabolites, selection of over-producing mutants and selection of environmental conditions. RESULTS In order to improve technological aspects of γ-decalactone production, oxygen transfer rate (OTR), cell density and oil concentration effects were investigated, in batch and step-wise fed-batch cultures of Yarrowia lipolytica W29. The best γ-decalactone concentration of 5.4 ± 0.5 g L-1 was obtained for batch cultures with 60 g L-1 of cells and substrate concentration. CONCLUSION The direct influence of aeration and agitation rates, thus of OTR, on production of γ-decalactone has been demonstrated. γ-Decalactone productivity of 215 ± 19 mg L-1 h-1 was obtained with 60 g L-1 of cells and castor oil concentration in batch and step-wise fed-batch cultures of Yarrowia lipolytica. The results obtained suggest that these two strategies are good alternatives for industrial production processes.The authors thank the Project 'BioInd - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes, REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028' co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON. 2 - O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER and Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) (SFRH/BD/63701/2009 PhD grant to Adelaide Braga) for the financial support provided and FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013

Lipase induction in Yarrowia lipolytica for castor oil hydrolysis and its effect on γ-decalactone production

γ-Decalactone is an aromatic compound of industrial interest, resulting from the biotransformation of ricinoleic acid, the major constituent of castor oil. In order to increase the availability of the substrate to the cells for the aroma production, castor oil previously hydrolyzed can be used. This hydrolysis may be promoted by enzymatic action, more specifically by lipases. In this work, the influence upon the aroma production of the lipase produced by Yarrowia lipolytica, a microorganism able to carry out the biotransformation, was studied. In a first approach, lipase induction conditions were analyzed using different Y. lipolytica strains and culture conditions, such as the inoculation mode of the lipase production medium. Lipase production was not affected by the cells centrifugation, so this step was eliminated, reducing the time and phases of the process. Moreover, Y. lipolytica W29 was shown to be the most adequate strain for lipase production. To investigate the importance of castor oil hydrolysis, the pre-addition of an inducer of lipase production (olive oil) to the biotransformation medium was tested. Results showed that the highest aroma production (1,600 mg L−1) was obtained without a lipase inducer. However, the pre-induction of lipase decreased the lag phase for γ-decalactone secretion.The authors acknowledge Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) for the financial support provided (SFRH/BD/28039/2006 and SFRH/BD/63701/2009). They also acknowledge the kind supply of Yarrowia lipolytica IMUFRJ 50862 by Professor Alice Coelho from UFRJ, Brazil, and the supply of Y. lipolytica W29 by Prof. Yves Wache, ENSBANA, Dijon, France

Doing Experimental Media Archaeology

The volume aims at taking the materiality of past media devices seriously and explores the heuristic possibilities of an experimental study of these devices. It offers a sophisticated reflection on the epistemological and heuristic potential of hands-on media historical research