The in situ determination of metals in plants used for phytoremediation is still a challenge that must be overcome to control the plant stress over time due to metals uptake as well as to quantify the concentration of these metals in the biomass for further potential applications. In this exploratory study, we acquired hyperspectral images in the visible/near infrared regions of dried and ground stems and roots of Jatropha curcas L. to which different amounts of copper (Cu) were added. The spectral information was extracted from the images to build classification models based on the concentration of Cu. Optimum wavelengths were selected from the peaks and valleys showed in the loadings plots resulting from principal component analysis, thus reducing the number of spectral variables. Linear discriminant analysis was subsequently performed using these optimum wavelengths. It was possible to differentiate samples without addition of copper from samples with low (0.5−1% wt.) and high (5% w... [more]

Anaerobic sludge stabilization is a commonly used technology. Most fermenters are operated at a mesophilic temperature regime. Modern trends in waste management aim to minimize waste generation. One of the strategies can be achieved by anaerobically stabilizing the sludge by raising the temperature. Higher temperatures will allow faster decomposition of organic matter, shortening the retention time, and increasing biogas production. This work is focused on the description of changes in the community of methanogenic microorganisms at different temperatures during the sludge stabilization. At higher temperatures, biogas contained a higher percentage of methane, however, there was an undesirable accumulation of ammonia in the fermenter. Representatives of the hydrogenotrophic genus Methanoliea were described at all temperatures tested. At temperatures up to 50 °C, a significant proportion of methanogens were also formed by acetoclastic representatives of Methanosaeta sp. and acetoclastic... [more]

Soil pollution is an increasingly urgent problem for the global environment. Soil can be contaminated with potential toxic metals from many anthropogenic activities, besides fossil fuel combustion and crude oil production, ranging from industry to mining and agriculture. Many technologies have been analysed to solve this type of environmental pollution and methods involving the use of minerals (e.g., clay minerals, zeolites, and natural silica adsorbents) are widely described in the literature. This article provides a summary of studies concerning the use of zeolites in soil remediation. A considerable number of these experiments were conducted using natural zeolites, while fewer concerned the utilization of synthetic zeolites. The mechanism controlling the successful application of these minerals was analysed through referring to global data published on this topic over the last few decades. This review also briefly discusses the limitations on zeolite applications and the drawbacks o... [more]

As an important form of additive manufacturing, welding is widely used in steel components welding work of construction, shipbuilding and other fields. In this study, an intelligent welding path generation algorithm based on multi-section interpolation is proposed in order to deal with non-standard multi-pass welding grooves which are difficult to be handled by automatic welding equipment in the construction site. Firstly, the non-standard grooves are classified and the reasons for their occurrence are discussed. Secondly, an automatic welding additive manufacturing system framework is discussed and an appropriate detection method is selected. Then, combining with the welding standard of non-standard grooves and the characteristics of the welding process, a multi-section interpolation-based welding path generation algorithm is proposed. Finally, a visual experiment platform was built to detection the typical non-standard groove and the welding experiment is implemented to verify the fe... [more]

Six yeast strains belonging to Rhodosporidium toruloides, Lipomyces starkeyi, Rhodotorula glutinis and Cryptococcus curvatus were shake-flask cultured on xylose (initial sugar—S0 = 70 ± 10 g/L) under nitrogen-limited conditions. C. curvatus ATCC 20509 and L. starkeyi DSM 70296 were further cultured in media where process waters were partially replaced by the phenol-containing olive mill wastewaters (OMWs). In flasks with S0 ≈ 100 g/L and OMWs added yielding to initial phenolic compounds concentration (PCC0) between 0.0 g/L (blank experiment) and 2.0 g/L, C. curvatus presented maximum total dry cell weight—TDCWmax ≈ 27 g/L, in all cases. The more the PCC0 increased, the fewer lipids were produced. In OMW-enriched media with PCC0 ≈ 1.2 g/L, TDCW = 20.9 g/L containing ≈ 40% w/w of lipids was recorded. In L. starkeyi cultures, when PCC0 ≈ 2.0 g/L, TDCW ≈ 25 g/L was synthesized, whereas lipids in TDCW = 24−28% w/w, similar to the experiments without OMWs, were recorded. Non-negligible dephe... [more]

European policy demands climate neutrality by the year 2050. Therefore, any manufacturing optimization needs to be achieved in the well-known pareto of global warming potential (GWP) reduction combined with cost of goods (COG) reduction at increasing product amounts, while still being able to compete in the world market. The chemical−pharmaceutical industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries. The pharmaceutical industry operates with low batch sizes, but high margins. This study analyzes, based on the literature and Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi; English: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)-funded project results, the technical potentials for energy and GWP reduction, while focusing on biologics and botanicals, because those are already widely based on natural raw material resources. The potential impact for green technologies is pointed out in relation to climate-neutral manufacturing.

Green analytical technologies for the determination of a bioactive compound diosmin (DIOM) in the real samples of pharmaceutical formulations and biological fluids are scarce in literature. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to develop a novel, rapid, simple, and economical green “reversed phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC)” method for the determination of DIOM in commercial tablets and in-house developed spray-dried microparticles (MPs). The quantification of DIOM was conducted via “RP-18 silica gel 60 F254S HPTLC plates”. The binary combination of green solvents, i.e., ethanol:water (5.5:4.5 v/v) was proposed as a green mobile phase. The analysis of DIOM was conducted in absorbance/reflectance mode of densitometry at λmax = 348 nm. The densitograms of DIOM from the commercial tablets and in-house developed spray-dried MPs were verified by recording their single band at Rf = 0.80 ± 0.02 compared to standard DIOM. Green RP-HPTLC method was obs... [more]

Although the benefits of pulsating multiphase flows and the concomitant opportunity to intensify heat and mass transfer processes for, e.g., drying, extraction or chemical reactions have been known for some time, the industrial implementation is still limited. This is particularly due to the lack of understanding of basic influencing factors, such as amplitude and frequency of the pulsating flow and the resulting particle dynamics. The pulsation generates oscillation of velocity, pressure, and temperature, intensifying the heat and mass transfer by a factor of up to five compared to stationary gas flow. With the goal of process intensification and targeted control of sub-processes or even the development of completely new processing routes for the formation, drying or conversion of particulate solids in pulsating gas flows as utilized in, e.g., pulse combustion drying or pulse combustion spray pyrolysis, the basic understanding of occurring transport processes is becoming more and more... [more]

This research presents a comprehensive bibliographic review from 2006 through 2020 about the state of the art of the compression−absorption cascade systems for refrigeration. In consequence of this review, this research identifies the significant development of systems that consider lithium bromide as a working fluid; however, the use of other working fluids has not been developed. This study is motivated toward the development of a parametric analysis of the cascade system using NH3-LiNO3, NH3-NaSCN and NH3-H2O in the absorption cycle and R134a in the compression cycle. In this study, the effect of the heat source temperature, condensation temperature in the compression cycle, the use of heat exchangers in the system (also known as economizers) and their contribution to the coefficient of performance is deepened numerically. The economizers evaluated are the following: an internal heat exchanger, a refrigerant heat exchanger, a solution refrigerant heat exchanger, and a solution heat... [more]

Magnetic fields (MF) are increasingly being applied in food processing to preserve food quality. They can be static (SMF), oscillating (OMF) or pulsed (PMF) depending on the type of equipment. The food characteristics can be influenced by several configurations of the applied magnetic field as its flux density, frequency, polarity and exposure time. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the effects of magnetic fields on foods. Some of them propose interactions at the subatomic particle level that show quantum behavior, such as the radical pair and cyclotron resonance mechanisms. Other proposals are at the level of DNA, compounds, subcellular organelles and cells. The interactions between food and magnetic fields are addressed in a general way in this work, highlighting the applications and action models involved and their effects on the physicochemical, enzymatic and microbiological characteristics of food.

The large scale and complexity of Carbon, Capture, Storage (CCS) projects necessitates time and cost saving strategies to strengthen investment and widespread deployment of this technology. Here, we successfully demonstrate a novel geologic site characterization workflow using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) at the Southeast Regional Carbon Anthropogenic Test in Citronelle, Alabama. The Anthropogenic Test Site occurs within the Citronelle oilfield which contains hundreds of wells with electrical logs that lack critical porosity measurements. Three new test wells were drilled at the injection site and each well was paired with a nearby legacy well containing vintage electrical logs. The test wells were logged for measurements of density porosity and cored over the storage reservoir. An Artificial Neural Network was developed, trained, and validated using patterns recognized between the between vintage electrical logs and modern density porosity measurements at each well pair. The tra... [more]

The results presented in this study highlight the level of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and protein-precipitating capacity (PPC) correlated with the antioxidant capacity of new cider varieties enriched with valuable bio compounds by the addition of blueberry and black carrot extracts. The cider variants were treated with ultrasound (constant frequency of 20 kHz) at 20%, 30% and 40% amplitude (A) for two, five or seven minutes. TPC determination was performed by Folin−Ciocâlteu method and TFC was determined by an aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The antioxidant capacity was determined by ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) assay and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. The results showed that the antioxidant performance indicators (FRAP, ABTS and DPPH) were positively correlated with the TPC and TFC of the ultrasound-treated cider variants, suggesti... [more]

For the past three centuries, there has been a very high demand for stainless steel for different applications, due to its corrosion resistance coupled with the good strength and low cost of the metal. Several welding techniques have been adopted in the fabrication of stainless steel, with the choice of welding technique hinged on the desired requirements. Advancement has been made in its dissimilar welding with other metals like aluminum, copper and titanium. While similar welding of stainless steel faces the challenge of weld metal property deterioration, dissimilar welding poses more serious challenges due to the differential in chemical composition and the thermophysical properties of the base metals. A review of the literature reveals that considerable progress has been made in the improvement of the properties of the weld joint by the application of several weld treatment processes. It was discovered that most of the researchers focused on the effect of these weld treatment proce... [more]

The flow of viscoelastic fluids may, under certain conditions, exhibit shear-banding characteristics that result from their susceptibility to unusual flow instabilities. In this work, we explore both the existing shear banding mechanisms in the literature, namely; constitutive instabilities and flow-induced inhomogeneities. Shear banding due to constitutive instabilities is modelled via either the Johnson−Segalman or the Giesekus constitutive models. Shear banding due to flow-induced inhomogeneities is modelled via the Rolie−Poly constitutive model. The Rolie−Poly constitutive equation is especially chosen because it expresses, precisely, the shear rheometry of polymer solutions for a large number of strain rates. For the Rolie−Poly approach, we use the two-fluid model wherein the stress dynamics are coupled with concentration equations. We follow a computational analysis approach via an efficient and versatile numerical algorithm. The numerical algorithm is based on the Finite Volume... [more]

The dust-collection system, as the core of a sweeper vehicle, directly inhales dust particles on the pavement. The influence of variable operational conditions on particle-separation performance was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Euler−Lagrange multiphase model. The particle-separation performance efficiency and retention time were used to evaluate the dust-collection efficiency. The uniform design (UD) and multiple regression analysis (MRA) methods were employed to predict and optimize the effects of reverse-blowing flow rate, pressure drop, and traveling speed on separation efficiency. The results indicated that the dust-collection performance initially increased and then decreased with increasing reverse-blowing flow rate. As the pressure drop increased, there was an increase in total dust-collection efficiency. However, the efficiency decreased with increasing traveling speed. The regression model showed that the proposed approach was able to predict the part... [more]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a recent rising concern amongst diabetics and diabetologist. Characterized by abnormal renal function and ending in total loss of kidney function, this is becoming a lurking danger for the ever increasing population of diabetics. This review touches upon the intensity of this complication and briefly reviews the role of bioinformatics in the area of diabetes. The advances made in the area of DN using proteomic approaches are presented. Compared to the enumerable inputs observed through the use of bioinformatics resources in the area of proteomics and even diabetes, the existing scenario of skeletal application of bioinformatics advances to DN is highlighted and the reasons behind this discussed. As this review highlights, almost none of the well-established tools that have brought breakthroughs in proteomic research have been applied into DN. Laborious, voluminous, cost expensive and time-consuming methodologies and advances in diagnostics and biomarker dis... [more]

The processing of fine and ultrafine particles using a fluidized bed is challenging in view of their unpredictable hydrodynamic behavior due to interparticle forces. The use of assisted fluidization techniques in such cases can be effective in improving the bed hydrodynamics. This work investigates the dynamics of pulsed fluidized bed of ultrafine nanosilica subjected to square-wave flow pulsations. The pulse duration used in this study is sufficient to allow the complete collapse of the pulsed fluidized bed between two consecutive flow pulsations. The proposed pulsation strategy is carefully implemented using electronic mass flow controllers with the help of analog output signals from data acquisition system. Given that the different regions of the fluidized bed exhibit varying dynamics, which together contribute to overall bed dynamics, the bed transients in the upper, central, and lower regions of the fluidized bed are monitored using several sensitive pressure transducers located a... [more]

Based on fifteen European plant species, a statistical model for the estimation of the anaerobic biodegradability of plant material was developed. We show that this new approach represents an accurate and cost-effective method to identify valuable energy plants for sustainable energy production. In particular, anaerobic biodegradability (Bo) of lignocellulosic material was empirically found to be related to the amount of cellulose plus lignin, as analytically assessed by the van Soest method, i.e., the acid detergent fiber (ADF) value. Apart from being theoretically meaningful, the ADF-based empirical model requires the least effort compared to the other four proposed conceptual models proposed, as individual fractions of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin do not need to be assessed, which also enhances the predictive accuracy of the model’s estimation. The model’s results showed great predictability power, allowing us to identify interesting crops for sustainable crop rotations. Fin... [more]

In this study, the response surface methodology (RSM) and desirability function (DF) were utilized to optimize the recycling conditions of aluminum (AA6061) chips, in the presence of particulate alumina (Al2O3), to obtain a metal matrix composite of recycled aluminum (MMC-AlR) using hot press forging processes. The effects of temperature (430−530 °C) and holding time (60−120 min) were investigated. The introduction of 2.0 wt. % of Al2O3 to the aluminum matrix was based on preliminary research and some pilot tests. This study employed the 2k factorial design of experiments that should satisfy the operating temperatures (T) of 430 °C and 530 °C with holding times (t) of 60 min and 120 min. The central composite design (CCD) was utilized for RSM with the axial and center point to evaluate the responses to the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), elongation to failure (ETF), and microhardness (MH). Based on RSM, with the desirability of 97.6%, the significant parameters T = 530 °C and t = 120... [more]

The aim of this study was to characterize the properties of lactoferrin (LF) obtained in a process developed for its isolation from acid whey derived from the production of fresh curd cheese, using a unique technology of ion-exchange chromatography on CIM® monolithic columns. The freeze-dried lactoferrin samples produced on the pilot plant (capacity 1 m3) were examined for the purity, iron-binding capacity, antibacterial activity, and pH- and temperature-stability. Apo-LF inhibited several tested strains (enterobacteria, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus salivarius) except clostridia, lactic acid bacteria, and bifidobacteria. Sample of LF intentionally saturated with Fe3+ lost its antibacterial activity, indicating the involvement of mechanisms based on depriving bacteria of an iron source. All samples, regardless of the iron-saturation level, exhibited stability in pH range 4.0 to 11.0. LF with higher iron content (A-value = 41.9%) showed better thermal stability. Heat treatment up to 72... [more]

This study aimed to investigate the performance of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) as a green approach for the recovery of polyphenols and pigments from wild nettle leaves (NL). ASE was operated at different temperatures (20, 50, 80 and 110 °C), static times (5 and 10 min) and cycle numbers (1−4) using ethanol (96%) as an extraction solvent. In order to compare the efficiency of ASE, ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) at 80 °C for 30 min was performed as a referent. Polyphenol and pigment analyses were carried out by HPLC and antioxidant capacity was assessed by ORAC. Seven polyphenols from subclasses of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids, along with chlorophylls a and b and their derivatives and six carotenoids and their derivatives were identified and quantified. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant polyphenol and chlorophyll a represented the dominant pigment. ASE conditions at 110 °C/10 min/3 or 4 cycles proved to be the optimal for achieving the highest yields of analyz... [more]

Oxidative stress is a prominent event in several acute and chronic diseases including neoplasia. Although its direct involvement in carcinogenesis still remains to be clearly defined, a deeper knowledge of oxidative stress in oncologic patients could help to monitor their clinical outcome and to develop new therapeutic approaches. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore redox status in blood of neoplastic dogs affected either by multicentric lymphoma or by primary cutaneous mastocytoma. Superoxide anion (O2 •−), nitric oxide (NO) and hydroperoxides (ROOH) were measured. Detoxifying enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP)) were assessed. The oxidative stress index (OSi) both for enzymatic (OSiE) and non-enzymatic (OSiNE) scavengers were evaluated. Both pathologies, showed a reduced NO generation, while O2 •− levels were decreased only in mastocytoma. The oxidative stress indexes showed a sign... [more]

The paper describes the process of n-butanol abatement by unicellular fungi, able to deplete n-butanol content in gas, by using n-butanol as source of carbon. Isolated and identified fungi species Candida albicans and Candida subhashii were subjected to a viability process via assimilation of carbon from hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds. The isolates, which exhibited the ability to assimilate carbon, were immobilized on four different types of artificial support materials used for biotrickling filtration. Application of optical microscopy, flow cytometry and the tests employing propidium iodide and annexin V revealed viability of the fungi isolated on support materials’ surfaces at the average level of 95%. The proposed method of immobilization and its evaluation appeared to be effective, cheap and fast. Based on performed comparative analyses, it was shown that polyurethane foam and Bialecki rings (25 × 25) could be attractive support materials in biotrickling filtration.

This paper discusses the results of the influences of subcritical (T = 320 °C; P = 17 MPa) and supercritical water (T = 374 °C; P = 24.6 MPa) on the yield and composition of oil hydrocarbons generated from carbonaceous−siliceous Domanic shale rocks with total organic content (Corg) of 7.07%. It was revealed that the treatment of the given shale rock in sub- and supercritical water environments resulted in the decrease of oil content due to the intensive gas formation. The content of light hydrocarbon fractions (saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons) increased at 320 °C from 33.98 to 39.63%, while at 374 °C to 48.24%. Moreover, the content of resins decreased by almost twice. Insoluble coke-like compounds such as carbene−carboids were formed due to decomposition of kerogen after supercritical water treatment. Analysis of oil hydrocarbons with FTIR method revealed a significant number of oxygen-containing compounds, which are the hydrogenolysis products of structural fragments formed after... [more]

Pyrolysis process has been considered to be an efficient approach for valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil and value-added chemicals. Bio-oil refers to biomass pyrolysis liquid, which contains alkanes, aromatic compounds, phenol derivatives, and small amounts of ketone, ester, ether, amine, and alcohol. Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and sustainable energy resource for carbon that is readily available in the environment. This review article provides an outline of the pyrolysis process including pretreatment of biomass, pyrolysis mechanism, and process products upgrading. The pretreatment processes for biomass are reviewed including physical and chemical processes. In addition, the gaps in research and recommendations for improving the pretreatment processes are highlighted. Furthermore, the effect of feedstock characterization, operating parameters, and types of biomass on the performance of the pyrolysis process are explained. Recent progress in the identificat... [more]