Critical assessment of protozoa contamination and control measures in mass culture of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Physical Review C

We report systematic measurements of dielectron (e+ e−) invariant-mass M e e spectra at midrapidity in Au+ Au collisions at s N N= 27, 39, and 62.4 GeV taken with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. For all energies studied, a significant excess yield of dielectrons is observed in the low-mass region (0.40< M e e< 0.75 MeV/c 2) compared to hadronic cocktail simulations at freeze-out. Models that include an in-medium broadening of the ρ-meson spectral function consistently describe the observed excess. In addition, we report acceptance-corrected dielectron-excess spectra for Au+ Au collisions at midrapidity (| y e e|< 1) in the 0–80% centrality bin for each collision energy. The integrated excess yields for 0.4< M e e< 0.75 GeV/c 2, normalized by the charged particle multiplicity at midrapidity, are compared with previously published measurements for Au+ Au at s N N 1= 19.6 and 200 GeV …

The European Physical Journal C

A search for dark matter in the form of strongly interacting massive particles (SIMPs) using the CMS detector at the LHC is presented. The SIMPs would be produced in pairs that manifest themselves as pairs of jets without tracks. The energy fraction of jets carried by charged particles is used as a key discriminator to suppress efficiently the large multijet background, and the remaining background is estimated directly from data. The search is performed using proton–proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 16.1, collected with the CMS detector in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. For the simplified dark matter model under consideration, SIMPs with masses up to 100 are excluded and further sensitivity is explored towards higher masses.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

The large-scale culture of low-cost algal biomass can be significantly affected by microbial grazing on the algae. To minimize the impact, it is necessary to manage the predators. In this study, we describe a new genus and species of vampyrellid amoeba, Kinopus chlorellivorus, which caused the loss of Chlorella sorokiniana in large-scale cultures. We assigned it to the family Leptophryidae (Vampyrellida) based on morphology and small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Using transmission electron microscopy, we found spherical lucent inclusions, which have not been reported for any leptophryids or other vampyrellids. The gene sequence of SSU rRNA did not match any recognized genera or species and contained four characteristic regions. K. chlorellivorus preys on algae by engulfment. Laboratory feeding experiments confirmed that its grazing rate was as high as 131 Chlorella cells day−1 …

Physics Letters B

Jets containing a prompt J/ψ meson are studied in lead-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV, using the CMS detector at the LHC. Jets are selected to be in the transverse momentum range of 30< p T< 40 GeV. The J/ψ yield in these jets is evaluated as a function of the jet fragmentation variable z, the ratio of the J/ψ p T to the jet p T. The nuclear modification factor, R AA, is then derived by comparing the yield in lead-lead collisions to the corresponding expectation based on proton-proton data, at the same nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy. The suppression of the J/ψ yield shows a dependence on z, indicating that the interaction of the J/ψ with the quark-gluon plasma formed in heavy ion collisions depends on the fragmentation that gives rise to the J/ψ meson.

Nature Physics

Mesons comprising a beauty quark and strange quark can oscillate between particle () and antiparticle () flavour eigenstates, with a frequency given by the mass difference between heavy and light mass eigenstates, Δms. Here we present a measurement of Δms using π+ decays produced in proton–proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The oscillation frequency is found to be Δms = 17.7683 ± 0.0051 ± 0.0032 ps−1, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This measurement improves on the current Δms precision by a factor of two. We combine this result with previous LHCb measurements to determine Δms = 17.7656 ± 0.0057 ps−1, which is the legacy measurement of the original LHCb detector.

Physical review letters

Multiparticle azimuthal correlations of prompt D 0 mesons are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of s NN= 5.02 TeV. For the first time, a four-particle cumulant method is used to extract the second Fourier coefficient of the azimuthal distribution (v 2) of D 0 mesons as a function of event centrality and the D 0 transverse momentum. The ratios of the four-particle v 2 values to previously measured two-particle cumulant results provide direct experimental access to event-by-event fluctuations of charm quark azimuthal anisotropies. These ratios are also found to be comparable to those of inclusive charged particles in the event. However, hints of deviations are seen in the most central and peripheral collisions. To investigate the origin of flow fluctuations in the charm sector, these measurements are compared to a model implementing fluctuations of charm quark energy loss via …

Physical review letters

The B c+ meson is observed for the first time in heavy ion collisions. Data from the CMS detector are used to study the production of the B c+ meson in lead-lead (Pb-Pb) and proton-proton (p p) collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of s N N= 5.02 TeV, via the B c+→(J/ψ→ μ+ μ−) μ+ ν μ decay. The B c+ nuclear modification factor, derived from the Pb-Pb–to–p p ratio of production cross sections, is measured in two bins of the trimuon transverse momentum and of the Pb-Pb collision centrality. The B c+ meson is shown to be less suppressed than quarkonia and most of the open heavy-flavor mesons, suggesting that effects of the hot and dense nuclear matter created in heavy ion collisions contribute to its production. This measurement sets forth a promising new probe of the interplay of suppression and enhancement mechanisms in the production of heavy-flavor mesons in the quark-gluon plasma.

Physics Letters B

A search for W γ resonances in the mass range between 0.7 and 6.0 TeV is presented. The W boson is reconstructed via its hadronic decays, with the final-state products forming a single large-radius jet, owing to a high Lorentz boost of the W boson. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at s= 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb− 1, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016–2018. The W γ mass spectrum is parameterized with a smoothly falling background function and examined for the presence of resonance-like signals. No significant excess above the predicted background is observed. Model-specific upper limits at 95% confidence level on the product of the cross section and branching fraction to the W γ channel are set. Limits for narrow resonances and for resonances with an intrinsic width equal to 5% of their mass, for spin-0 and spin-1 hypotheses, range …

Quaternary International

During the past several decades, the paleoecology of the Mammuthus-Coelodonta Faunal Complex in the Palearctic has been thoroughly explored, especially using stable isotope analysis. Numerous studies have documented high ecological plasticity and regional heterogeneities for this fauna. However, very limited attention has focused on Northeast Asia, at the southeastern edge of the distribution of the mammoth steppe biome. In the present study, we undertook radiocarbon dating, zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS), and stable isotope analysis on the fossil faunas from Yanjiagang Paleolithic site, Northeast (NE) China, and from the Geographical Society Cave in the nearby Russian Far East, to explore the paleoecology of this fauna in this middle-latitude region. Isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) data from these two sites suggested that the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) was a grazer feeding on …

Quaternary International

The giant short-faced hyena, Pachycrocuta brevirostris, was the largest and most spectacular bone-cracking hyena that ever existed. Although already extinct long ago, it was extensively distributed across Eurasia during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. P. brevirostris is remarkable for a series of iconic craniodental adaptations in sway with a commitment to scavenging off carcasses of other large herbivores, such as the powerfully built skull and massive premolars, yet the most eye-catching aspect is the enormous size as emphasized by its vernacular name. The largest hitherto known skull of this species is the holotype from Sainzelles in Auvergne, France, discovered over a century ago. We hereby report a new discovery from Jinyuan Cave in Dalian, China, which slightly surpasses the holotype in craniodental dimension, posing a new record in Pachycrocuta body size. Three skull fragments of the same individual …

Physics Letters B

Measurements of the second Fourier harmonic coefficient (v 2) of the azimuthal distributions of prompt and nonprompt D 0 mesons produced in p p and p Pb collisions are presented. Nonprompt D 0 mesons come from beauty hadron decays. The data samples are collected by the CMS experiment at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies of 13 and 8.16 TeV, respectively. In high multiplicity p p collisions, v 2 signals for prompt charm hadrons are reported for the first time, and are found to be comparable to those for light-flavor hadron species over a transverse momentum (p T) range of 2–6 GeV. Compared at similar event multiplicities, the prompt D 0 meson v 2 values in p p and p Pb collisions are similar in magnitude. The v 2 values for open beauty hadrons are extracted for the first time via nonprompt D 0 mesons in p Pb collisions. For p T in the range of 2–5 GeV, the results suggest that v 2 for nonprompt D 0 …

Journal of High Energy Physics

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at= 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb− 1, collected in 2017–2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb− 1, collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on …

The European Physical Journal C

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a 40-kton underground liquid argon time projection chamber experiment, will be sensitive to the electron-neutrino flavor component of the burst of neutrinos expected from the next Galactic core-collapse supernova. Such an observation will bring unique insight into the astrophysics of core collapse as well as into the properties of neutrinos. The general capabilities of DUNE for neutrino detection in the relevant few- to few-tens-of-MeV neutrino energy range will be described. As an example, DUNE’s ability to constrain the spectral parameters of the neutrino burst will be considered.

Eur. Phys. J. C

A search is performed for heavy neutrinos in the decay of a W boson into two muons and a jet. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately 3. 0 fb− 1 of proton–proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV collected with the LHCb experiment. Both same-sign and opposite-sign muons in the final state are considered. Data are found to be consistent with the expected background. Upper limits on the coupling of a heavy neutrino with the Standard Model neutrino are set at 95% confidence level in the heavy-neutrino mass range from 5 to 50 GeV/c2. These are of the order of 10− 3 for lepton-number-conserving decays and of the order of 10− 4 for lepton-number-violating heavy-neutrino decays.

Physical Review D

A search for C P violation in charmless three-body Ξ b−→ p K− K− decays is performed using p p collision data recorded with the LHCb detector, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1 fb− 1 at a center-of-mass energy s= 7 TeV, 2 fb− 1 at s= 8 TeV and 2 fb− 1 at s= 13 TeV. A good description of the phase-space distribution is obtained with an amplitude model containing contributions from Σ (1385), Λ (1405), Λ (1520), Λ (1670), Σ (1775) and Σ (1915) resonances. The model allows for C P-violation effects, which are found to be consistent with zero. The branching fractions of Ξ b−→ Σ (1385) K−, Ξ b−→ Λ (1405) K−, Ξ b−→ Λ (1520) K−, Ξ b−→ Λ (1670) K−, Ξ b−→ Σ (1775) K− and Ξ b−→ Σ (1915) K− decays are also reported. In addition, an upper limit is placed on the product of ratios of Ω b− and Ξ b− fragmentation fractions and the Ω b−→ p K− K− and Ξ b−→ p K− K− branching fractions.

Quaternary International

Recently, rich fossiliferous deposits dated to the late Cenozoic have been discovered from Jinyuan Cave at Luotuo Hill, an extremely large-sized cave site situated within in the Dalian Puwan Economic Zone of Dalian Municipality, Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Abundant and diverse vertebrate fossils unearthed from different fossiliferous layers of Jinyuan Cave, a site of enormous size with a sedimentary thickness of over 40 m and its deposits can be roughly divided into three fossiliferous deposit units, altogether containing six fossiliferous layers belonging to different ages from the Late Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene. Based on a combination of biostratigraphic and geochronological evidence, the fossil assemblages from Jinyuan Cave can be divided into three successive faunas that span the Late Cenozoic (ca. 3.60–0.35 Ma): the Wanghai fauna from upper faunal unit (Middle Pleistocene, 0.78–0.35 …

Physical Review C

Event-by-event long-range correlations of azimuthal anisotropy Fourier coefficients (v n) in 8.16 TeV p Pb data, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, are extracted using a subevent four-particle cumulant technique applied to very low multiplicity events. Each combination of four charged particles is selected from either two, three, or four distinct subevent regions of a pseudorapidity range from− 2.4 to 2.4 of the CMS tracker, and with transverse momentum between 0.3 and 3.0 GeV. Using the subevent cumulant technique, correlations between v n of different orders are measured as functions of particle multiplicity and compared to the standard cumulant method without subevents over a wide event multiplicity range. At high multiplicities, the v 2 and v 3 coefficients exhibit an anticorrelation; this behavior is observed consistently using various methods. The v 2 and v 4 correlation strength …

Science Bulletin

First evidence of a structure in the J/ψ Λ invariant mass distribution is obtained from an amplitude analysis of Ξ b-→ J/ψ Λ K-decays. The observed structure is consistent with being due to a charmonium pentaquark with strangeness with a significance of 3.1 σ including systematic uncertainties and look-elsewhere effect. Its mass and width are determined to be 4458.8±2.9-1.1+ 4.7 MeV and 17.3±6.5-5.7+ 8.0 MeV, respectively, where the quoted uncertainties are statistical and systematic. The structure is also consistent with being due to two resonances. In addition, the narrow excited Ξ-states, Ξ 1690-and Ξ 1820-, are seen for the first time in a Ξ b-decay, and their masses and widths are measured with improved precision. The analysis is performed using pp collision data corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb-1, collected with the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV.

Physical Review Letters

We present an angular analysis of the B+→ K*+(→ K S 0 π+) μ+ μ− decay using 9 fb− 1 of p p collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the full set of C P-averaged angular observables is measured in intervals of the dimuon invariant mass squared. Local deviations from standard model predictions are observed, similar to those in previous LHCb analyses of the isospin-partner B 0→ K* 0 μ+ μ− decay. The global tension is dependent on which effective couplings are considered and on the choice of theory nuisance parameters.

Bioresource Technology

Treating nitrogenous compounds in wastewater is a contemporary challenge, prompting novel approaches for ammonium (NH4+) conversion to molecular nitrogen (N2). This study explores the classic anaerobic ammonium oxidation process (Anammox) coupled to the iron-dependent anaerobic ammonium oxidation process (Feammox) in a sequential discontinuous bioreactor (SBR) for NH4+ removal. Feammox and Anammox cultures were individually enriched and combined, optimizing the coupling, and identifying key variables influencing the enrichment process. Adding sodium acetate as a carbon source significantly reduces Fe3+ to Fe2+, indicating Feammox activity. Both Anammox and Feammox processes were successfully operated in SBRs, achieving efficient NH4+ removal (Anammox: 64.6 %; Feammox: 43.4 %). Combining these pathways in a single SBR enhances the NH4+ removal capacity of 50.8 …

Bioresource Technology

This study focuses on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during hypersaline (4 % salinity) nitritation in continuously fed and mixed fixed bed reactors. In the presence of high concentrations of nitrite and ammonium, the percent yield of N2O emissions from ammonium removed decreased with increasing dissolved oxygen (DO). However, N2O production continued even at a high DO of 15 mg/L. Bulk ammonium concentration (not ammonia) was found to be the main controlling factor for N2O emissions under high and low DO during both nitritation and nitrification. Reducing bulk ammonium concentrations below 1 mg N/L in the nitritation reactor under both high and low DO conditions resulted in a reduction of N2O emissions of approximately 90 %. Under full nitrification and low DO, reducing nitrite concentrations below 0.3 mg N/L resulted in a 60 % reduction in N2O emissions. Similar results were observed in a low …

Bioresource Technology

Anaerobic co-digestion of fat-oil-grease (FOG) and food waste (FW) with sewage sludge (SS) in wastewater treatment plants is a method used to increase biogas production. In this study, digestion scenarios were compared using plant-wide modeling and life cycle assessment: Scenario-0 (mono-digestion of waste-activated sludge (WAS)), Scenario-1 (co-digestion of WAS with FOG), and Scenario-2 (co-digestion of WAS with FW). Scenario-0, with the highest energy use and landfilling of FOG/FW, has the worst environmental impact. Scenario-1 and Scenario-2 minimize the environmental load by energy recovery and avoiding landfilling of organic waste. Scenario-wise, the change in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from treatment was negligible. However, due to the impact of landfilling, GHG emissions in Scenario-0 were 21% and 30% higher than in Scenario-1 and 2, respectively. The environmental benefit of …

Bioresource Technology

This study investigates the effects of fed-batch treatment on the fibrillation degree and properties of Gelidium amansii-derived microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). Fed-batch milling was conducted with the initial solid loading of 1 % w/v followed by three stages of feeding to obtain a final solid concentration of 5 % w/v. This process provides a high-solid MFC of around 10 %, while batch milling only provides the maximum solid loading of 4 %. It also reduces approximately 83 % power consumption of batch milling at the same solid loading (4 %). The obtained MFC 5 % has lower fibrils length (14.9 µm) and width (16.46 nm), but higher consistency index (>250 Pa.s) than MFC 1 % (22 µm, 21 nm, 5.88 Pa.s). The crystallinity and maximum decomposition temperatures of both MFCs are comparable, varying at 49–53 % and 318 °C–320 °C. In summary, fed-batch treatment is promising for the techno …

Bioresource Technology

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) absorbed by algae in the suspended-solid phase photobioreactor (ssPBR) have emerged as an efficient pathway to purify the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, the key operational parameters of the ssPBR need to be optimized. In this study, the stability of the system after sequential batch operations and the efficiency under various influent P concentrations were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the ssPBR maintained a high N/P removal efficiency of 96 % and 98 %, respectively, after 5 cycles. When N was kept at 15 mg/L and P ranged from 1.5 to 3.0 mg/L, the system yielded plenty of algae products and guaranteed the effluent quality that met the discharge standards. Notably, the carriers were a key contributor to the high metabolism of algae and high performance. This work provided theoretical ideas and technical guidance for effluent quality …

Bioresource Technology

The objective was to investigate the impact of the bioaugmentation on chain elongation process using glycerol, lactate and lactose as substrates in an open culture fermentation. In the batch trials the highest selectivity for chain elongation product, i.e. caproate, was observed in trials inoculated with co-culture of Megasphaera elsdenii and Eubacterium limosum grown on glycerol (28.6%), and in non-bioaugmented open culture run on lactose + lactate (14.8%). The results showed that E. limosum, out of two bioaugmented strains, was able to survive in the open culture. A continuous open culture fermentation of glycerol led to caproate and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) formation, while lactate addition led to 1,3-PDO and short chain carboxylates production. Moving the process into batch mode triggered even-carbon chain elongation. Presence of E. limosum promoted odd-carbon chain elongation and valerate …

Bioresource Technology

In this study, the sorption properties of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim on biochar derived from macadamia nut shells were investigated. The raw biomass was pyrolyzed at 600 °C to create a highly porous material with a surface area of 392 m2 g−1. The produced biochar was found to be a valuable material for both environmental remediation and carbon sequestration due to its high carbon and oxygen content. The sorption properties of four antibiotics on the produced biochar were compared using Bayesian nonlinear regression based on second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model. The Bayesian estimation successfully compared the adsorption coefficients of the antibiotics, which can be directly visualized through graphical grammar using the probability density distribution. The results demonstrated the ability of macadamia nut shell biochar to remove antibiotics from water at …

Bioresource Technology

Wheat bran is an abundant and low valued agricultural feedstock rich in valuable biomolecules as arabinoxylans (AX) and ferulic acid with important functional and biological properties. An integrated bioprocess combining subcritical water extraction (SWE) and enzymatic treatments has been developed for maximised recovery of feruloylated arabinoxylans and oligosaccharides from wheat bran. A minimal enzymatic cocktail was developed combining one xylanase from different glycosyl hydrolase families and a feruloyl esterase. The incorporation of xylanolytic enzymes in the integrated SWE bioprocess increased the AX yields up to 75%, higher than traditional alkaline extraction, and SWE or enzymatic treatment alone. The process isolated AX with tailored molecular structures in terms of substitution, molar mass, and ferulic acid, which can be used for structural biomedical applications, food ingredients and …

Bioresource Technology

This study utilizes decision-tree-based models, including Random Forest, XGBoost, artificial neural networks (ANNs), support vector machine regressors, and K nearest neighbors algorithms, to predict sludge solubilization and methane yield in hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) coupled with anaerobic digestion (AD) processes. Analyzing two decades of published research, we find that ANN models exhibit superior fitting accuracy for solubilization prediction, while decision-tree models excel in methane yield prediction. Pretreatment temperature is identified as pivotal among various variables, and heating time surprisingly emerges as equally significant as holding time for solubilization and surpasses it for methane yield. Contrary to prior expectations, the HTP method's impact on sludge solubilization and AD performance is minimal. This study underscores data-driven models' potential as resource-efficient tools for …

Bioresource Technology

Microbial oils are a sustainable biomass-derived substitute for liquid fuels and vegetable oils. Oilcane, an engineered sugarcane with superior feedstock characteristics for biodiesel production, is a promising candidate for bioconversion. This study describes the processing of oilcane stems into juice and hydrothermally pretreated lignocellulosic hydrolysate and their valorization to ethanol and microbial oil using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and engineered Rhodosporidium toruloides strains, respectively. A bioethanol titer of 106 g/L was obtained from S. cerevisiae grown on oilcane juice in a 3 L fermenter, and a lipid titer of 8.8 g/L was obtained from R. toruloides grown on oilcane hydrolysate in a 75 L fermenter. Oil was extracted from the R. toruloides cells using supercritical CO2, and the observed fatty acid profile was consistent with previous studies on this strain. These results demonstrate the feasibility of pilot …

Bioresource Technology

In this study, two arrested anaerobic digestion bioreactors, fed with food waste, operated under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) exhibited similar total volatile fatty acid (VFA) yields (p = 0.09). 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed distinct microbial structure (p = 0.02) at the two HRTs. However, between the two HRTs, there were no differences in potential (DNA) and extant (mRNA) functionality for the production of acetic (AA)-, propionic (PA)-, butyric (BA)- and valeric-acid (VA), as indicated by the metagenome and metatranscriptome data, respectively. The highest potential and extant functionality for PA production in the reactor microbiomes mirrored the highest abundance of PA in the reactor effluents. Meta-omics analysis of BA production indicated possible metabolite exchange across different community members. Notably, the basis for similar VFA production performance observed under the HRTs …

Bioresource Technology

A novel method for measuring specific anammox activity (SAA) was proposed based on continuous flow tests to accurately determine the SAA of anammox sludge from continuous flow reactors, resolving the challenges of inaccurate SAA assessment caused by substrate shock to anammox bacteria. Results showed SAA of expanded granular sludge bed sludge via batch tests (0.101 ± 0.018 g-N·g-VSS-1·d-1) was lower than continuous flow tests (0.206 ± 0.010 g-N·g-VSS-1·d-1) (p < 0.05), highlighting the impact of substrate shock. Conversely, SAA of sequencing batch reactor sludge assessed via batch tests (0.878 ± 0.008 g-N·g-VSS-1·d-1) was higher than continuous flow tests (0.809 ± 0.005 g-N·g-VSS-1·d-1) (p < 0.01), attributed to endogenous denitrification. The advantages of continuous flow tests over batch tests included milder feeding way, stricter anaerobic conditions, and minimal sampling impact on …

Bioresource Technology

In this study, a hybrid material, MIL-53(Al)@CBS, was synthesized via the solvothermal method, involving the growth of MIL-53(Al) crystals on cocoa bean shell residues (CBS). Physicochemical characterization techniques, including TGA, BET, FTIR, XRD, and SEM, confirmed successful hybridization. MIL-53(Al)@CBS was employed as an adsorbent for antibiotics (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline) separation from aqueous solutions. Parameters like pH, adsorbent dose, concentration, time, and temperature were systematically evaluated. FTIR revealed π-π interactions and hydrogen bonds between tetracyclines and the adsorbent. MIL-53(Al)@CBS exhibited adsorption, with removal rates up to 98.92%, 99.04%, and 98.24% for OTC, TC, and CTC, respectively. Kinetics suggested adsorption depends on active site availability, with TC adsorbing fastest. Microscopic models showed adsorption on three …

Bioresource Technology

This study presents an exergetic analysis of xylitol fermentative production from hemicellulose hydrolysate, aiming to optimize operational conditions in a fluidized bed bioreactor. The aerobic fermentation conditions evaluated in this study (gas flow rate-x 1, hydrolysate concentration factor-x 2, and recirculation flow rate-x 3) were optimized using various exergetic parameters and xylitol yield as objective functions. Four objective functions were defined for the mono-objective optimization process: rational exergetic efficiency, normalized destroyed exergy, thermodynamic sustainability index, and xylitol yield factor. The results reveal that the optimization problem involves conflicting objectives when considering both yield-based and exergy-based approaches. Thus, the bioreactor's performance was formulated as a multi-objective problem, where the yield factor and thermodynamic sustainability index were …

Bioresource Technology

This study focuses on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during hypersaline (4 % salinity) nitritation in continuously fed and mixed fixed bed reactors. In the presence of high concentrations of nitrite and ammonium, the percent yield of N2O emissions from ammonium removed decreased with increasing dissolved oxygen (DO). However, N2O production continued even at a high DO of 15 mg/L. Bulk ammonium concentration (not ammonia) was found to be the main controlling factor for N2O emissions under high and low DO during both nitritation and nitrification. Reducing bulk ammonium concentrations below 1 mg N/L in the nitritation reactor under both high and low DO conditions resulted in a reduction of N2O emissions of approximately 90 %. Under full nitrification and low DO, reducing nitrite concentrations below 0.3 mg N/L resulted in a 60 % reduction in N2O emissions. Similar results were observed in a low …

Bioresource Technology

Two novel biogas upgrading strategies that recover high-value chemicals or CO2 liquid fertilizer from biogas besides biomethane were evaluated from the view of global warming potential (GWP) through life cycle assessment in comparison with conventional approaches. Results show that the scenarios producing biomethane with nano calcium carbonate or CO2 liquid fertilizer from biogas present significantly lower GWP (–3.4 kgCO2-eq/Nm3-biogas and –4.4 kgCO2-eq/Nm3-biogas, respectively), compared to combined heat and power scenario (–2.4 kgCO2-eq/Nm3-biogas) and biogas upgrading by high pressure water scrubbing scenario (–1.3 kgCO2-eq/Nm3-biogas). The carbon sequestration and utilization from CO2-rich water significantly enhanced carbon reduction in overall biogas management. Furthermore, considering cleaner electricity in the future, strategies focusing on managing biogas for materials …

Bioresource Technology

Electrochemical sludge pretreatment is receiving increasing attention because of its small footprint and higher environmental compatibility. However, the limited effective area of electrode plates and the low conductivity of sludge hinder the widespread application of electrochemical pretreatment. In this study, granular activated carbon (GAC) was employed to construct a fluidized electrode electrochemical system (FEE) to promote electrochemical pretreatment. Under the optimal operating parameters, the FEE system could effectively facilitate sludge decomposition, indicated by 126% increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and 23.1% reduction in sludge volume. Mechanism study revealed that the addition of GAC significantly enhanced the conductivity of sludge, thereby promoting the oxidation capacity of FEE system. Furthermore, continuously generated H2O2 in FEE further promoted sludge …

Bioresource Technology

Electrode-driven microbial electron transfer enables the conversion of CO2 into multi-carbon compounds. The electrosynthetic biofilms grow slowly on the surface and are highly susceptible to operational influences, such as hydrodynamic shear stress. In this study, a cylindrical roll-up carbon felt electrode was developed as a novel strategy to protect biofilms from shear stress within the reactor. The fabricated electrode allowed hydrogen bubble formation inside the structure, which enabled microbes to uptake hydrogen and convert CO2 to multi-carbon organic compounds. The roll-up electrode exhibited faster start-up and biofilm formation than the conventional linear shape carbon felt. The acetate yield and cathodic faradaic efficiency increased by 80% and 34%, respectively, and the bioelectrochemical stability was improved significantly. The roll-up structure increased biofilm development per unit electrode …

Bioresource Technology

Electrochemical sludge pretreatment is receiving increasing attention because of its small footprint and higher environmental compatibility. However, the limited effective area of electrode plates and the low conductivity of sludge hinder the widespread application of electrochemical pretreatment. In this study, granular activated carbon (GAC) was employed to construct a fluidized electrode electrochemical system (FEE) to promote electrochemical pretreatment. Under the optimal operating parameters, the FEE system could effectively facilitate sludge decomposition, indicated by 126% increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and 23.1% reduction in sludge volume. Mechanism study revealed that the addition of GAC significantly enhanced the conductivity of sludge, thereby promoting the oxidation capacity of FEE system. Furthermore, continuously generated H2O2 in FEE further promoted sludge …

Bioresource Technology

The efficiency of deep aerated vertical flow constructed wetlands (DA-VFCWs) being operated in Hyderabad, India, was evaluated herein using physicochemical analysis and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results showed 2–4-fold higher removal rate coefficients for Biochemical oxygen demand (1.32–––3.53 m/d) and nitrogen (0.88––1.36 m/d) in DA-VFCWs than those of passive VFCWs. Elevated sulfate concentration in the DA-VFCWs effluent (84–113 mg/L) indicated possibility of sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification (SDAD) as a major pathway operating in these wetlands besides the classical nitrogen removal pathways. The presence of nitrifiers (3.09–10.02 %), heterotrophic and aerobic denitrifiers (0.79–0.83 %), anammox bacteria (1.31–2.22 %) and SDAD bacteria (0.08–0.73 %) in the biofilm samples collected from the DA-VFCWs exemplify an interplay of Carbon-Nitrogen-Sulfur cycles in these …