Optimization of parameters for cerium（III） biosorption onto biowaste materials of animal and plant origin using 5-level Box-Behnken design：Equilibrium,kinetic, thermodynamic and regeneration studies

Response surface methodology （RSM） employing 5-level Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the biosorption of cerium（III） onto biowaste materials of animal and plant origin viz. prawn carapace （PC） and corn style （CS）. Various process parameters viz. pH （A：3.0-9.0）, biomass dosage （B：0.05-0.35 g/L）, initial metal concentration （C：50-350 mg/L）, contact time （D：2-6 h） and temperature （E：20-60 ℃ were chosen for optimization. A log transformation was suggested by the Box-Cox plot in the present case. A low p-value of〈0.0001 validated the significance of the model. Maximum Ce（III） uptake of 218.3 mg/g for PC and 180.2 mg/g for CS was noted under optimum conditions. Among the equilibrium isotherms, Freundlich model was found to be the best fitted one suggesting a heterogeneous mode of biosorption on PC whereas Langmuir model showed the best fit suggesting homogeneous mode of cerium biosorption on CS. This was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Kinetic studies showed better applicability of pseudo-first order model suggesting physisorption as phenomena underlying the process. Film-diffusion was suggested by the non-linearity of the Boyd plot. Thermodynamic studies showed that the process was endothermic and spontaneous. FTIR analysis confirmed a major involvement of the participation of amide, amines, ketones and primary alcohol groups during Ce（III） biosorption. EDAX analysis confirmed the major participation of carbon group during Ce（III） biosorption. This was the first report on parameter optimization of Ce（III） biosorption onto biowaste materials using 5-level Box-Behnken experimental design which might be helpful for the recovery of Ce（III） from aqueous environment.     

High hydrostatic pressure assisted degradation of patulin in fruit and vegetable juice blends

The degradation of patulin introduced into different juices then treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was evaluated. A model juice prepared from apple and spinach (AS) was studied along with commercially available apple-based beverages; Pineapple:Apple:Mint (PAM), Apple:Carrot:Beet:Lemon:Ginger (CAB) and Romaine:Celery:Cucumber:Apple:Spinach:Kale, Parsley:lemon (GJ). The extent of patulin degradation was found to be dependent on applied pressure and processing time (degradation rates ranged from 0.04 to 0.19 ppb/s). The extent of patulin degradation could also be significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with the sulfhydryl group concentration of the juice with ascorbic acid and nitrite being less significant. HHP treatment of 600 MPa for 300 s at 11 °C resulted in a 62 ppb decrease in patulin introduced into GJ juice which also contained the highest level of thiols (97 μM). The thiol concentration of the other juices ranged between 39 and 69 μM with a corresponding decrease in patulin of 43–49 ppb following the same HHP treatment. The study has illustrated that HHP can be applied as a risk management tool to control patulin in apple based beverages although the extent of mycotoxin degradation is dependent on processing conditions and composition of the juice.     

Quality of dried haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea L.) as affected by prior juice extraction,osmotic treatment,and drying conditions

The effect of juice extraction conditions on the quality of haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea L.) dried at different temperatures (60, 100, and 140°C) was investigated. The conventional juice extraction (process A) consisted of a two-press process, where thawed berries were pressed, and osmotic treatment was applied before pressing again. This was compared with a modified extraction (process B), which applied osmotic treatment during fruit thawing and only one press was used for extraction. The quality parameters investigated included moisture content, pressed berry yield, extraction loss, drying yield, total anthocyanin content (TAC), vitamin C content, and the rehydration characteristics of the final dried berries. Pressing the berries to 70% juice yield resulted in a higher pressed berry yield and better physicochemical quality in the pressed product. The yield was 26.39 and 28.92% in the conventional and modified extraction, with moisture contents of 70.32 and 77.75%, respectively. The TACs of pressed berries from extraction processes A and B were 24.62 and 33.03?mg C-3-G g^?1 DW and the vitamin C contents were 14.14 and 36.18?mg/100?g, respectively. Drying at 60°C until 25% moisture content was better than at higher temperatures, resulting in a better quality dried product. It revealed drying yields of 45.32 and 52.75%, TACs of 4.00 and 4.30?mg C-3-G g^?1 DW, vitamin C contents of 2.97 and 4.91?mg /100?g, and rehydration ratios of 2.22 and 2.37 from processes A and B, respectively. Process B with the one-step extraction is recommended for higher pressed berry yield, higher drying yield, and enhanced quality of the pressed and dried products. It is also a more efficient process, in terms of time, cost, and energy.     

Electricity production by integration of acidogenic fermentation of fruit juice wastewater and fuel cells

In this work, the potential application of bio-hydrogen in a fuel cell was studied. To do that an activated sludge was acclimatized to an acidogenic culture producing bio-hydrogen. Once reached the steady state, several batch experiments were carried out by feeding a synthetic fruit juice industry wastewater to the acidogenic culture. The bio-hydrogen yield obtained when this synthetic fruit juice industry wastewater was fed was 1403 mol H₂/mol hexose and the hydrogen percent in gas phase was 57%. In an average size fruit juice industry, this bio-hydrogen yield corresponds to a bio-hydrogen production of about 6000 mol H₂/d. In the subsequent stage, a synthetic bio-hydrogen stream with the same composition of the cleaned bio-hydrogen obtained in the acidogenic fermentation was fed as fuel in a Fuel Cell, obtaining very similar power and polarization curves than that obtained when feeding pure hydrogen, differences lower than 10%. These results showed that the hydrogen stream obtained by the acidogenic fermentation could be used to produce electricity in a high temperature PEMFC.     

A novel developed method based on single primer isothermal amplification for rapid detection of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in apple juice

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (A. acidoterrestris), as one of the most major spoilage-causing species within the Alicyclobacillus genus, can survive and multiply in the pasteurization process. Nowadays, A. acidoterrestris has become worldwide issue in the fruit juice industry due to its spore-forming and thermo-acidophilic features. A novel single primer isothermal amplification assay (SPIA) was developed for the rapid detection of A. acidoterrestris in apple juice. This assay was designed to target the 16S rRNA gene with a DNA/RNA chimeric primer. Detection of gene amplification was accomplished by amplification curve, turbidity and addition of single strand DNA binding dye SYBR Green II allowing visualization under ultra violet light. The specificity of the assay was confirmed using 7 strains of A. acidoterrestris and 30 strains of non-A. acidoterrestris. The SPIA was highly sensitive and the detection limit was as low as 4.8 CFU/mL. Furthermore, the apple juice inoculated with 61 CFU/mL of A. acidoterrestris could be detected as positive. The novel SPIA with visualization results was successfully applied for the detection of A. acidoterrestris and exhibited high specificity and sensitivity, making it a powerful tool for the detection of A. acidoterrestris in fruit juice industry and being conveniently applied in developing countries with limited resource.     

How Brittany and Florida coasts cope with green tides

Although the direct involvement of nitrogen and phosphorus has been shown, eutrophication remains poorly managed to this day. The excessive growth of some opportunist seaweeds is the consequence in coastal ecosystems close to agricultural or strongly urbanized and industrialized zones. In Brittany, a leading tourist region of France, green tides set down on the beaches big quantities of Ulva, of which some 100,000 m³ are harvested annually, with significant ecological and economic consequences. In Florida, although the macroalgae (notably Codium) drift about with the currents, they are of sufficient mass and spread over such areal extent to inhibit penetration of sunlight through the water column to the coral reef surface. They strand also on the beaches. Stabilization of algae by composting and methanization of hydrolyzed and pressed algae juice are two methods which have been studied in Brittany and can be used to enhance the value of the harvested seaweed, depending on local conditions and on evolution of needs in energy, basic materials or organic products. But the parallel made here between two very different ecosystems, both disturbed, leads above all to the question of what course to follow now to avoid a worldwide disaster.

Bien que le rôle de l’azote et du phosphore dans les processus d’eutrophication ait été montré, celle‐ci reste mal contrôlée à ce jour. La croissance excessive d’algues opportunistes en est la conséquence dans des écosystèmes côtiers proches de zones agricoles ou fortement urbanisées et industrialisées. En Bretagne, région touristique de France, des marées vertes déversent sur les plages de grandes quantités d’ulves, dont environ 100,000 m³ sont récoltés annuellement, avec d’importantes conséquences écologiques et économiques. En Floride, bien que les macroalgues (notamment Codium) dérivent avec les courants, elles sont en masse suffisante et suffisamment réparties pour empêcher la pénétration de la lumière dans la colonne d’eau jusqu’au récif de corail. Elles s’échouent également sur les plages. La stabilisation par compostage et la méthanisation de jus d’algues hydrolysées et pressées sont deux méthodes qui ont été étudiées en Bretagne afin de valoriser l’algue récoltée, en fonction des conditions locales et de l’évolution des besoins en énergie, matières premières ou produits organiques. Mais le parallèle fait ici entre deux écosystèmes très différents, tous deux perturbés, mène surtout à se demander quelle voie suivre maintenant pour éviter un désastre mondial.     

硫酸脲复合肥对玉米生长指标及产量的影响

通过田间试验方式研究硫酸脲复合肥、普通缓释肥、硫基肥、BB肥对玉米生长和产量的影响。结果表明,4种肥料处理均能促进玉米植株茎粗、穗粗和穗行数的增加,特别是硫酸脲复合肥处理,较CK分别增加了3.8%、3.6%和18.2%;而且4种肥料处理对玉米也有不同程度的增产效应,其中硫酸脲复合肥处理增产率最高,为21.09%。     

Characterization of Crude and Partially Purified Lipase from Geotrichum candidum Obtained with Different Nitrogen Sources

Lipases from Geotrichum candidum were produced in two different medium: A = 12 % (w/v) clarified corn steep liquor (CCSL) + 0.6 % (w/v) soybean oil (SO) and B = 3.5 % (w/v) yeast hydrolysate (YH) + 0.7 % (w/v) SO. Lipases were partially purified from both media by hydrophobic interaction chromatography using 3.0 mol L^?1 of NaCl as mobile phase, and they were characterized in the crude and partially purified forms. The recovery of lipase activity from CCSL and YH via HIC were 96 and 94.3 %, and the purification factors were 44.3 and 86.7‐fold, respectively. All evaluated lipases had similar optimum pH (7.0–7.7), but, for the CCSL crude lipase, optimum temperature (47 °C) was 10 °C higher than others lipases evaluated. CCSL crude lipase possessed a higher thermo stability than YH crude lipase, e.g., at 37 °C (pH 7.0) the half‐life of CCSL crude lipase was 19.25 h and at pH 8.0 (30 °C) the half‐life was 48 h, which are five and ten times higher than with YH crude lipase, respectively. On the other hand, the YH crude lipase possessed a higher catalytic constant (k_cat = 2.3 min^?1) but with almost the same catalytic efficiency (K_m/k_cat = 32.12 mg mL min^?1) in relation to CCSL crude lipase. The lipases differ in biocatalytic properties between substrates, suggesting that the two lipases can be employed for different applications.     

阿维菌素在玉米和土壤中的消解动态及最终残留

2014—2015年,采用高效液相色谱-质谱联用研究了5%阿维菌素水乳剂在玉米和土壤中的消解动态及最终残留情况。结果表明:阿维菌素在玉米植株和土壤中的半衰期分别为0.73~2.25d和1.65~2.76 d。施药量为15~22.5 g/hm~2,施药2~3次,阿维菌素在玉米植株中的残留量≤0.16mg/kg,而所有青玉米、熟玉米和土壤样品中均无阿维菌素检出(0.01 mg/kg)。