Fundamental studies involving divalent ion intercalated graphene-based hydrogel are still lacking in terms of their adsorption behavior towards dye pollutants. In this study, we prepared a self-assembled Mg2+ and Ca2+ intercalated reduced graphene hydrogel (rGH) using hydrothermal treatment to evaluate the intercalation impact on the adsorption capability towards cationic dyes, methylene blue and rhodamine B. The morphological, structural, thermal, and textural properties of the divalent ion intercalated reduced graphene hydrogels were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller surface area analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The increased adsorption capacity of the divalent ion intercalated reduced graphene-based hydrogels towards the dye molecules resulted from the increase in the specific surface area and pore... [more]

A cost-effective and environmentally friendly method was formulated for rapid dopamine (DA) detection that was based on the fluorescence (FL) quenching of carbon quantum dots (C-dots). Upon adding DA to the C-dots’ solution, we noticed a regular reduction in their fluorescence intensity. The effects of pH, amount of C-dots, reaction temperature and time on the determination of DA were investigated. Under the optimized experimental conditions, trace amounts of DA could be analyzed. Furthermore, dopamine hydrochloride injection and human urine samples with and without spiked DA were analyzed using the developed sensing system. The procedure was validated following the guidelines of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in terms of the following: calibration range (0.3−100 μM), linearity (R2 = 0.9991), limit of detection (LOD) (93 nM). Recoveries of dopamine with spiked samples at three different levels were between 95.0 and 105.9%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were within 2.... [more]

As an alternative to gasoline, bioethanol can be produced from lignocellulosic biomass through hydrolysis using an ionic solution containing zinc chloride (ZnCl2). This method allows for a high yield of glucose from lignocellulose, but entails the removal of ZnCl2 from the hydrolysate using multiple nanofiltration membranes before the fermentation of glucose. This paper presents a mathematical technique for designing such a multistage membrane separation system. The optimization model for the synthesis of membrane networks is based on a superstructure with all feasible interconnections between the membrane units, and consists of mass balances, logical constraints and product specifications. A case study of the separation of a bagasse hydrolysis solution is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. Results show that using both types of nanofiltration membranes allows higher ZnCl2 removal ratios at each membrane unit, hence a decrease in the number of membrane units requ... [more]

We previously developed a conjugate consisting of 10B cluster BSH and tri-arginine peptide (BSH-3R). This could potentially be used as a boron agent for boron neutron capture therapy; however, it possesses poor water solubility and thus needs to be improved for use as medicine. In this study, we devised several means of improving the water solubility of BSH-3R. As one of them, we used cyclodextrin (CD), which was expected to improve the water solubility resulting from interaction of the BSH-3R with CD. We evaluated the solubility of BSH-3R in aqueous CD solution by using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. As we expected, the solubility of BSH-3R was increased in a manner dependent on the addition of β-CD and γ-CD in aqueous solution. Furthermore, we synthesized BSH conjugated to oligoarginine having various chain lengths (BSH-nR) and BSH-3R with ethylene glycol linkers introduced between BSH and 3R (BSH-nEg-3R). The water solubility of these BSH peptides was also eva... [more]

Partial least squares (PLS) and linear regression methods are widely utilized for quality-related fault detection in industrial processes. Standard PLS decomposes the process variables into principal and residual parts. However, as the principal part still contains many components unrelated to quality, if these components were not removed it could cause many false alarms. Besides, although these components do not affect product quality, they have a great impact on process safety and information about other faults. Removing and discarding these components will lead to a reduction in the detection rate of faults, unrelated to quality. To overcome the drawbacks of Standard PLS, a novel method, MI-PLS (mutual information PLS), is proposed in this paper. The proposed MI-PLS algorithm utilizes mutual information to divide the process variables into selected and residual components, and then uses singular value decomposition (SVD) to further decompose the selected part into quality-related an... [more]

Maize by-product from the bioethanol industry (distiller’s dried grains with solubles, DDGS) is a source of ferulated arabinoxylan (AX), which is a health-promoting polysaccharide. In the present study, AX from DDGS was fermented by a representative colonic bacterial mixture (Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Bacteroides ovatus), and the effect of the fermented AX (AX-f) on the proliferation of the cell line Caco-2 was investigated. AX was efficiently metabolized by these bacteria, as evidenced by a decrease in the polysaccharide molecular weight from 209 kDa to < 50 kDa in AX-f, the release of ferulic acid (FA) from polysaccharide chains (1.14 µg/mg AX-f), and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) production (277 µmol/50 mg AX). AX-f inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells by 80−40% using concentrations from 125−1000 µg/mL. This dose-dependent inverse effect was attributed to the increased viscosity of the media due to the polysaccharide concentration. The... [more]

Over the last decades, nanomechanical sensors have received significant attention from the scientific community, as they find plenty of applications in many different research fields, ranging from fundamental physics to clinical diagnosis. Regarding biological applications, nanomechanical sensors have been used for characterizing biological entities, for detecting their presence, and for characterizing the forces and motion associated with fundamental biological processes, among many others. Thanks to the continuous advancement of micro- and nano-fabrication techniques, nanomechanical sensors have rapidly evolved towards more sensitive devices. At the same time, researchers have extensively worked on the development of theoretical models that enable one to access more, and more precise, information about the biological entities and/or biological processes of interest. This paper reviews the main theoretical models applied in this field. We first focus on the static mode, and then conti... [more]

Synthetic fuel production via gasification of residual biomass streams from the pulp and paper industry can be an opportunity for the mills to enable improved resource utilization and at the same time reduce the production of excess heat. This paper summarizes initial oxygen-blown gasification experiments with two bark residues from a European pulp and paper mill, i.e., a softwood bark and a hardwood bark. The gasification process was characterized by measuring syngas yields and process efficiency to find optimum operating conditions. In addition, impurities in the syngas and ash behavior were characterized. Maximum yields of CO and H2 were obtained from softwood bark and amounted to approximately 29 and 15 mol/kg fuel, respectively. Optimum cold gas efficiency was achieved at an oxygen stoichiometric ratio of λ = 0.40 and was approximately 76% and 70% for softwood bark and hardwood bark, respectively. Increased λ had a reducing effect on pollutants in the syngas, e.g., higher hydrocar... [more]

Forty years after the discovery of metallocene catalysts, there are still several aspects that remain unresolved, especially when the “conventional” alkylaluminum activators are not used. Herein, we systematically investigated the synthesis of polyethylene (PE) via three different zirconocene catalysts, with different alkyl substituents, activated via different organoboron compounds. The polymerization behavior, as well as the properties of the materials, were evaluated. The results demonstrate that the highest catalytic activity is shown by bis(cyclopentadienyl)dimethylzirconium activated by trityl tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate. Additionally, it was found that toluene is the optimum solvent for these systems and at these reaction conditions. Moreover, to validate our experimental results, a comprehensive mathematical model was developed on the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic principles. The concentration of ethylene transferred to the solvent phase (toluene) in a liquid−vapor equi... [more]

Food waste accounts for a substantial portion of the organic waste generated at an increasing rate worldwide. Organic waste, including food waste, is largely subjected to landfill disposal, incineration, and anaerobic digestion; however, more sustainable methods are needed for treating it. Treatment of organic waste using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae is an environmentally safe and cost-efficient method that has been attracting increasing attention worldwide. Black soldier fly decomposes various types of organic waste and converts them into high-value biomasses such as oils and proteins. This review introduces the trends in research related to the treatment of organic waste by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) and their bioconversion efficiencies in Asian countries. Perspectives on the growth of BSFL during waste treatment operation and optimal rearing conditions are provided. The trends in studies related to the application of BSFL as biofuel and anima... [more]

Low-carbon transition pathways oriented from different transition targets would result in a huge variation of energy system deployment and transition costs. Hydrogen is widely considered as an imperative energy carrier to reach carbon neutral targets. However, hydrogen production, either from non-fossil power or fossil fuels with carbon capture, is closely linked with an energy supply system and has great impacts on its structure. Identifying an economically affordable transition pathway is attractive, and energy infrastructure is critical due to massive investment and long life-span. In this paper, a multi-regional, multi-period, and infrastructure-based model is proposed to quantify energy supply system transition costs with different low-carbon targets and hydrogen production alternatives, and China is taken as a case study. Results show that, fulfilling 2-degree and 1.5-degree temperature increase targets would result in 84% and 151% increases in system transition costs, 114% and 2... [more]

This paper investigates the optimum extraction temperature for enhanced total phenolic yields extracted from avocado fruit flesh (Persea americana) using subcritical water extraction, as well as the impact of fruit ripeness on phenol extraction efficiency. Additionally, extraction yield against extraction time was investigated for time intervals of 10 min over an overall extraction time of 30 min. The subcritical water conditions studied were 18 bar, 87 mL/min, and temperatures of 105 °C, 120 °C, and 140 °C. The total phenolic compounds content was compared for week one avocado flesh and ripe (week four) avocado flesh, with a four-week ripening period between the two samples. The results show that extracting with subcritical water at 105 °C provides the highest phenolic compounds yields of 0.11% and 0.26% by dried mass for week one and ripe fruit (week four), respectively. The experimental results also indicate that the implementation of lower extraction temperatures on week four avoca... [more]

H2 production through dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a hot topic amidst growing environmental and atom-economy concerns. Loading Ni-based reducible mixed oxide systems onto a thermally stable support is a reliable approach for obtaining catalysts of good dispersion and high stability. Herein, NiO was dispersed over MOx-modified-γ-Al2O3 (M = Ti, Mo, Si, or W; x = 2 or 3) through incipient wetness impregnation followed by calcination. The obtained catalyst systems were characterized by infrared, ultraviolet−visible, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and H2 temperature-programmed reduction. The mentioned synthetic procedure afforded the proper nucleation of different NiO-containing mixed oxides and/or interacting-NiO species. With different modifiers, the interaction of NiO with the γ-Al2O3 support was found to change, the Ni2+ environment was reformed exclusively, and the tendency of NiO species to undergo reduction was modified greatly. Catalyst systems 5Ni3MAl (M = Si, W) comp... [more]

Agriculture has long been considered a great source of nitrogen (N) to surface waters and a major cause of eutrophication. Thus, management practices at the farm-scale have since attempted to mitigate the N losses, although often limited in tile-drained agricultural catchments, which speed up the N transport, while minimizing natural removal in the landscape. In this context, surface-flow constructed wetlands (SFWs) have been particularly implemented as an edge-of-field strategy to intercept tile drains and reduce the N loads by re-establishing ecosystems services of previously drained water ponded areas. These systems collect the incoming water volumes in basins sufficiently large to prolong the hydraulic residence time to a degree where biogeochemical processes between the water, soil, sediments, plants, macro and microorganisms can mediate the removal of N. Despite their documented suitability, great intra and inter-variability in N treatment is still observed to date. Therefore, it... [more]

The aim of this study was to find out what kind of “Bianca” wine could be produced when using organic yeast, what are the dynamics of the resulting alcoholic fermentation, and whether this method is suitable for industrial production as well. Due to the stricter rules and regulations, as well as the limited amount and selection of the permitted chemicals, resistant, also known as interspecific or innovative grape varieties, can be the ideal basic materials of alternative cultivation technologies. Well-designed analytical and organoleptic results have to provide the scientific background of resistant varieties, as these cultivars and their environmentally friendly cultivation techniques could be the raw materials of the future. The role of the yeast in wine production is crucial. We fermented wines from the “Bianca” juice samples three times where model chemical solutions were applied. In our research, we aimed to find out how organic yeast influenced the biogenic amine formation of thr... [more]

This study aimed to assess and compare the quality of groundwater in the city of Al-Marj in Libya with the international standard guidelines for drinking water recommended by the World Health Organisation. An evaluation of the groundwater wells in the study area was conducted. Standard techniques, such as Minitab (v. 16) and ArcGIS (v.10.2), were used for the analytics of the physicochemical and biological parameters of the groundwater samples. An assessment of the calculation of groundwater quality was conducted on the basis of temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulphate, bicarbonate, total hardness, calcium, potassium, magnesium, ammonia, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate, sodium, copper, iron, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, Escherichia coli and total coliform bacteria. Results indicated that most groundwater wells in the study area display a higher concentration of several pa... [more]

The Sogunjung decoction (SGJD) is a traditional herbal formula that has been used to treat constipation and improve the constitution of infirm children in Korea. In this study, simultaneous quantification of gallic acid (1), magnoflorine (2), albiflorin (3), paeoniflorin (4), liquiritin apioside (5), liquiritin (6), liquiritigenin (7), coumarin (8), cinnamaldehyde (9), benzoylpaeoniflorin (10), and glycyrrhizin (11) was conducted using fast and sensitive liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (LC−MS) multiple-reaction monitoring to develop a quality-control protocol for the SGJD. A Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) was used for the chromatographic separation of the 11 marker compounds in the SGJD using two mobile phases (5 mM ammonium acetate in distilled water containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid, and acetonitrile). The MS parameters for a simultaneous analysis were capillary voltage (3.0 kV), source temperature (150 °C), desolvation temperature (500 °C),... [more]

This study aimed to analyze pharyngeal airflow characteristics and their relationship with the skeletal movement of the maxilla and mandible after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery in patients with skeletal class III (mandibular prognathism) malocclusion. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was conducted before surgery (T0), immediately after surgery (T1), and at least six months after surgery (T2). Digital imaging and communications in medicine files were transferred to InVivo (Anatomage) software to measure the skeletal changes after surgery. The changes in the maxillary and mandibular position, tongue position, and hyoid bone position were analyzed. Patient-specific models were reconstructed using 3D-Doctor software. The models after converting to the stereolithography (STL) file for Ansys integrated computer engineering and manufacturing code for computational fluid dynamics (ICEM CFD), commercial software were used for calculating the geometry, pressure drop and adjusted pressure... [more]

In this article, we focus on the development of a multiscale modeling and recurrent neural network (RNN) based optimization framework of a plasma etch process on a three-dimensional substrate with uniform thickness using the inductive coupled plasma (ICP). Specifically, the gas flow and chemical reactions of plasma are simulated by a macroscopic fluid model. In addition, the etch process on the substrate is simulated by a kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) model. While long time horizon optimization cannot be completed due to the computational complexity of the simulation models, RNN models are applied to approximate the fluid model and kMC model. The training data of RNN models are generated by open-loop simulations of the fluid model and the kMC model. Additionally, the stochastic characteristic of the kMC model is presented by a probability function. The well-trained RNN models and the probability function are then implemented in computing an open-loop optimization problem, in which a moving... [more]

Batch electrocoagulation (BEC), continuous electrocoagulation (CEC), and chemical precipitation (CP) were compared in struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) precipitation from synthetic and authentic water. In synthetic water treatment (SWT), struvite yield was in BEC 1.72, CEC 0.61, and CP 1.54 kg/m3. Corresponding values in authentic water treatment (AWT) were 2.55, 3.04, and 2.47 kg/m3. In SWT, 1 kg struvite costs in BEC, CEC, and CP were 0.55, 0.55, and 0.11 €, respectively, for AWT 0.35, 0.22 and 0.07 €. Phosphate removal in SWT was 93.6, 74.5, and 71.6% in BEC, CEC, and CP, respectively, the corresponding rates in AWT were 89.7, 77.8, and 74.4%. Ammonium removal for SWT in BEC, CEC, and CP were 79.4, 51.5, and 62.5%, respectively, rates in AWT 56.1, 64.1, and 60.9%. Efficiency in CEC and BEC are equal in nutrient recovery in SWT, although energy efficiency was better in CEC. CP is cheaper than BEC and CEC.

The use of biochar as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment purposes has been hindered due to its lower surface area compared to activated carbon. Current research on increasing surface functional groups on biochar surfaces to improve its adsorption performance suggests using high chemical concentration and long period of modification. This study solves these problems by focusing on improving surface functionalities of biochar via the hydrothermal functionalization process. Oil palm empty fruit bunch biochar was functionalized using autoclave with nitric acid as the functionalization agent. Functionalized biochar properties such as Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area and surface functional groups were analyzed and compared with untreated biochar. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis shows a significant increase in absorption by oxygen functional groups and is corroborated with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The process does not result in any major cha... [more]

This paper describes the state of the art and future opportunities for process design and sustainable development. In the Introduction, the main global megatrends and the European Union’s response to two of them, the European Green Deal, are presented. The organization of professionals in the field, their conferences, and their publications support the two topics. A brief analysis of the published documents in the two most popular databases shows that the environmental dimension predominates, followed by the economic one, while the social pillar of sustainable development is undervalued. The main design tools for sustainability are described. As an important practical case, the European chemical and process industries are analyzed, and their achievements in sustainable development are highlighted; in particular, their strategies are presented in more detail. The conclusions cover the most urgent future development areas of (i) process industries and carbon capture with utilization or s... [more]

After the occurrence of a hydrogen fluoride leakage accident that triggered massive losses in Gumi, South Korea in 2012, the government and companies have been interested in installing mitigation systems to minimize the loss of a leakage accident. What lacks in previous researches studying mitigation systems is an evaluation of how much a mitigation system can reduce the impact of accidents. Therefore, modeling-based simulations of mitigation systems should be urgently developed to analysis of the performance of a mitigation system. This study aims to design a mitigation system to reduce the amount of materials leaked to the outside when a leakage accident of a storage tank occurs and determine its design specifications through the use of modeling. The basic concept is that when leakage occurs, leakage material in a dike is drained to a remote impoundment installed under the ground, while the material in the storage vessel is transferred to a reserve tank by a pump at the same time. To... [more]

In Switzerland, waste wood fly ash (WWFA) must be treated before deposition on landfills due to its high pollutant load (Cr(VI) and heavy metals). Acid fly ash leaching, the process used for heavy metal recovery from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWIFA), represents a possible treatment for heavy metal depletion and Cr(VI) reduction in WWFA. The co-processing of WWFA with MSWIFA during acid fly ash leaching was investigated in laboratory- and industrial-scale experiments with different setups. Of interest were the effects on heavy metal recovery efficiency, the successful outcome of Cr(VI) reduction and consumption of neutralizing chemicals (HCl, H2O2). Detailed chemical and mineralogical characterization of two WWFA types and MSWIFA showed that MSWIFA has higher concentrations in potentially harmful elements than WWFA. However, both WWFA types showed high concentrations in Pb and Cr(VI), and therefore need treatment prior to deposition. Depending on the waste wood propor... [more]

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Oenothera biennis sprout extract (OBS-E) on skin-function improvement in an in vitro system and to identify its pharmaceutically active components. OBS-E showed antioxidant ability in radical scavenging and reducing power assays, significantly inhibited matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -2, and increased the production of type I collagen, indicating its anti-wrinkle activity. Furthermore, OBS-E significantly increased the level of hyaluronic acid (HA) and the expression of moisturizing genes, such as hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2) and aquaporin 3 (AQP3), indicating it is effective in enhancing skin hydration. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses showed that OBS-E contained high levels of polyphenolic acids, such as gallic acid and ellagic acid, in addition to flavonoid glycosides, such as luteolin 7-glucuronide and quercetin 3-glucuronide. Our results suggest that these major phytochemica... [more]