Drying of Sewage Sludge During Composting in an Updraft Dryer with the Concept of Using Self-Energy Generated Within the System

An innovative technology for sewage treatment systems is proposed. A mixture of sewage sludge and char particle is subjected to drying in the progress of composting in an updraft column. Exothermic heat generated during composting is utilized for energy of sludge drying. The char particle in the mixture contributes to enhancement of composting and drying rate. This study presents drying and composting behaviors of sludge to examine the effect of char addition. A fundamental drying experiment was carried out by hot-air heating of the sample in a small vessel. The drying characteristic curve for a mixture of sludge and char was greater than the sample of only sludge over a whole period if the drying rates were compared with the same moisture content. The drying behavior could be analyzed with a reasonable agreement by the water front receding model. The enhancement effect of drying and composting of sludge by char addition was confirmed by examination using a pilot scale of the updraft column whose volume was 50 m³. Sludge with 400% dry base (80% wet base) in moisture content could be dried successfully to lower moisture content than 67% dry base (40% wet base) only by exothermic heat during composting without supplying any auxiliary energy from the outside, and the treatment time was reduced by mixing char in sludge. The behavior was analyzed with a satisfactory agreement by a theoretical model employing moisture diffusion parameters determined from the drying characteristic curve.     

Molecular Evolution of the TET Gene Family in Mammals

Ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins, a family of Fe²⁺- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, are involved in DNA demethylation. They also help regulate various cellular functions. Three TET paralogs have been identified (TET1, TET2, and TET3) in humans. This study focuses on the evolution of mammalian TET genes. Distinct patterns in TET1 and TET2 vs. TET3 were revealed by codon-based tests of positive selection. Results indicate that TET1 and TET2 genes have experienced positive selection more frequently than TET3 gene, and that the majority of codon sites evolved under strong negative selection. These findings imply that the selective pressure on TET3 may have been relaxed in several lineages during the course of evolution. Our analysis of convergent amino acid substitutions also supports the different evolutionary dynamics among TET gene subfamily members. All of the five amino acid sites that are inferred to have evolved under positive selection in the catalytic domain of TET2 are localized at the protein’s outer surface. The adaptive changes of these positively selected amino acid sites could be associated with dynamic interactions between other TET-interacting proteins, and positive selection thus appears to shift the regulatory scheme of TET enzyme function.     

Novel fatty acid esters of (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin from the marine sponge Ircinia felix

The methanolic extract of the marine sponge Ircinia felix has yielded nine novel fatty acid esters, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin (5Z, 9Z)-22-methyltricosadienoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin (5Z, 9Z)-tetracosadienoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin hexadecanoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin 10-methylhexadecanoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin 15-methylhexadecanoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin 14-methylhexadecanoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin 9-octadecenoate, (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin octadecanoate, and (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin 2,11-dimethyloctadecanoate, along with the recently described (7E, 12E, 18R, 20Z)-variabilin 11-methyloctadecanoate. The characterization of the new fatty acids (5Z, 9Z)-22-methyltricosadienoic and 2,11-dimethyloctadecanoic acids is also described. The chemical structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic, chromatographic, and chemical analyses.     

ION-EXCHANGE PROPERTIES OF HYDROUS TITANIUM DIOXIDE WITH A FIBROUS FORM OBTAINED FROM POTASSIUM DITITANATE

ABSTRACT

Ion-exchange properties of a new type of hydrous titanium dioxide with a fibrous form, which was obtained from potassium dititanate (K₂O(TiO₂)2), have been studied. The pH titration curve snowed that this material behaved as a bifunctional ion-exchanger. Distribution coefficients of some divalent metal ions on this material were measured as a function of pH and the selectivity series were found to be Ba > Sr > Ca > Mg for alkaline earth metal ions and Cu > Zn > Mn > Co > Ni for divalent transition metal ions. Large separation factors were obtained between some metal ion pairs and the mutual separations such as Cu from Sr, Ca, Mg, Co and Ni, and Mg from Ba and Zn have been achieved on columns of this material.     

R & D Needs - Drying of Ceramics

ABSTRACT

New research and development needs for the drying of ceramics are prooosed. The researches on the ceramic drying are briefly reviewed and the role of the drying in the ceramic production process iS summarized. The drying must deal with molded materials and the problem is of significant difference from another drying with particulate materials. It means that the drying must be performed with keeping the molded feature and the insufficient completion of drying and the careless operation influence directly on the product quality The importnance of the R & D on the heat and moisture transfer. shrinking mechanism. the deformation behavior and the strain-stress formation in the molded clay issuggested. The subjects are also pointed out for the further improvement of the ceramic drying process and the precise design of molding with high quality.     

EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT HEATING ON DRYING-INDUCED STRAIN-STRESS OF MOLDED CLAY

ABSTRACT

Parametric analyses of the strain-stress in the drying process are performed to study the influence of the intermittent drying on the behaviors of drying-induced strain-stress and deformation as well as the drying characteristic. The transient three-dimensional problem of strain-stress and heat and moisture transfer in a slab is solved simultaneously by the finite element method. The dimensionless parameters are introduced to generalize the problem in the conservation equations of heat and moisture transfer. The intermittent drying is modeled by applying periodically smaller and larger Biot numbers to the boundary conditions. The maximum tensile and compressive stresses fluctuate, and fall remarkably during the smaller Biot number period when a slab is heated intermittently. The peak stress of the fluctuation exceeds beyond the case in the continuous healing where the overall drying rate is almost equivalent to that in the intermittent beating, but the reduction of the stresses takes place rapidly in the low heating period.     

ADSORPTION BEHAVIOR OF COBALT( II) IONS ON LAYERED DIHYDROGEN TETRATITANATE HYDRATE FIBERS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS IN THE RANGE FROM 298 to 523 K

The adsorption properties of cobalt(II) ions have been studied on layered dihydrogen tetratitanate hydrate fibers, H₂Ti₄O₉,?nH₂O, in the temperature range from 298 to 523?K. The distribution coefficients of the adsorption of cobalt (II) ions were increased with increasing temperatures up to 367?K, but were decreased in the temperature range between 367 and 523?K. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the fibers indicate that the fibers hold layer structure up to 367?K, but change to low crystalline anatase or its precursor above that temperature. It is notable that the material has the capability of cobalt (II) adsorption even at 523?K, although the maximum is present at 367?K.     

Simple,Mild, and Practical Esterification,Thioesterification, and Amide Formation Utilizing p‐Toluenesulfonyl Chloride and N‐Methylimidazole

We have developed an efficient method for the esterification or thioesterification of equimolar amounts of carboxylic acids and alcohols or thiols using a novel reagent, p‐toluenesulfonyl chloride (TsCl) together with N‐methylimidazole. The present method is simple, mild, and reactive, uses readily available and economical reagents. The choice of amine is critical for the present method. The amine, N‐methylimidazole, has two roles: (i) as an HCl scavenger for the initial smooth generation of mixed anhydrides between carboxylic acids and TsCl and (ii) successive formation of highly reactive ammonium intermediates from mixed anhydrides. This method could be applied to various types of carboxylic acids, alcohols, and thiols: a) several functionalities were tolerated; b) two N‐Cbz amino acids were smoothly esterified without racemization; and c) the labile 1β‐methylcarbapenem key intermediate and a pyrethroid insecticide, prallethrin, were successfully prepared. The related amide formation between carboxylic acids and primary or secondary amines was also performed. The proposed reaction mechanism involves a novel method for producing the reactive acylammonium intermediates. The production of these intermediates was rationally supported by a careful ¹H NMR monitoring study.     

Synthetic strategies of marine polycyclic ethers via intramolecular allylations: linear and convergent approaches

Strategies for the synthesis of polycyclic ethers based on intramolecular allylations are overviewed. The intramolecular condensation of allylic stannanes and aldehydes is a powerful tool for the synthesis of oxepane derivatives. The reaction is successfully applied to the iterative total synthesis of hemibrevetoxin B (2). Further, the intramolecular allylation of alpha-acetoxy ethers provides an efficient method for the convergent synthesis of polycyclic ethers. The usefulness of the latter strategy is demonstrated in the convergent total synthesis of gambierol (4).