Biosorption of Phenol onto Posidonia oceanica (L.) Seagrass in Batch System: Equilibrium and Kinetic Modelling

In this research, the biosorption of phenol using the fibres of a Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) was studied. Batch experimental procedures were made to investigate the ability of this novel marine biomass to remove phenol from aqueous phase. The influences of pH and contact time at different initial concentrations were evaluated. The results showed that biosorption capacity was enhanced using solution pH equal to 5.2. The modelling results showed that pseudo‐second‐order and Redlich‐Peterson models were found to be the most suitable to satisfactory describe the kinetic and equilibrium adsorption data, respectively.     

Pilot-plant results of the electro-Fenton treatment of olive mill wastewaters followed by anaerobic digestion.

In this work, we investigated an integrated technology for the treatment of the recalcitrant contaminants of olive mill wastewaters (OMW), allowing water recovery and reuse for agricultural purposes. The method involves an electrochemical pre-treatment step of the wastewater using the electro-Fenton reaction followed by an anaerobic bio-treatment. The electro-Fenton pre-treatment process removed 66% of the total polyphenolic compounds and subsequently decreased the OMW toxicity from 100 to 66.9%, which resulted in improving the performance of the anaerobic digestion. A continuous laboratory-scale methanogenic reactor was operated at a loading rate of 10g COD/L per day without any apparent toxicity. Furthermore, in the combined process, a high overall reduction in COD, suspended solids, polyphenols and lipids content was achieved by the two successive stages. Moreover, this combined process which was experimented at a real scale (25 m3 digester) demonstrated its technical feasibility and opens promising perspectives for industrial application in the Mediterranean countries because of its easy conception and high energy (methane) production.     

3D Target Scale Estimation and Target Feature Separation for Size Preserving Tracking in PTZ Video

To achieve size preserving tracking, in addition to controlling the camera’s pan and tilt motions to keep the object of interest in the camera’s field of view (FOV), the camera’s focal length is adjusted automatically to compensate for the changes in the target’s image size caused by the relative motion between the camera and the target. The estimation accuracy of these changes determines the effectiveness of the resulting zoom control. The existing method of choice for real-time target scale estimation applies structure from motion (SFM) based on the weak perspective projection model. In this paper we propose a target scale estimation algorithm with a linear solution based on the more advanced paraperspective projection model, which improves the accuracy of scale estimation by considering center offset. Another key issue in SFM based algorithms is the separation of target and background features, especially when composite camera (pan/tilt/zoom) and target motions are involved. This paper designs a fast target feature separation/grouping algorithm, the 3D affine shape method. The resulting separation automatically adapts to the target’s 3D geometry and motion and is able to accommodate a large amount of off-plane rotation, which most existing separation/grouping algorithms find difficult to achieve. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scale estimation and feature separation algorithms in tracking translating and rotating objects with a PTZ camera while preserving their sizes. In comparison with the leading size preserving tracking algorithm described by Tordoff and Murray, our algorithm is able to reduce the cumulative tracking error significantly from 17.4% to 3.3%.     

Extraction of phenolic compounds from Vitex agnus-castus L.

The primary objective of this study was to valorized Vitex agnus-castus residues in terms of phenolic compounds. The effects of extraction time (30–360 min), solid to liquid ratio (0.1–0.3 g_DryBiomass/ml_Solvent), type of solvent and different tissue types (leave, roots and seeds) on total polyphenols, o-diphenols, total flavonoids and anthocyanins were evaluated. The highest total polyphenol (31.5 mg_{CaffeicAcidEquivalent}/g_DryBiomass) and o-diphenol (12.4 mg_{CaffeicAcidEquivalent}/g_DryBiomass) contents were obtained from methanolic extract of leaves after 180 min using a solid/liquid ratio of 0.1 g_DryBiomass/ml_Solvent, while total flavonoids, reached a maximum value of 19.4 mg_{CatechinEquivalent}/g_DryBiomass after 360 min under the same conditions. Roots of V. agnus-castus were found to be a good source of anthocyanins with the highest yield of 0.62 mg_{MalvidinEquivalent}/g_DryBiomass using ethanol as a solvent (180 min and 0.2 g_DryBiomass/ml_Solvent). The maximum antiradical power (178.5 μl_extract/μg_DPPH) was exhibited by the methanolic leave extract obtained after 360 min at solid/liquid ratio of 0.3 g_DryBiomass/ml_Solvent.     

Purification of wet process phosphoric acid by solvent extraction liquid-liquid equilibrium at 25 and 40°C of the system water-phosphoric acid-methylisobutylketone

Solubility and liquid-liquid phase equilibrium data are presented for the ternary system water-phosphoric acid-methyl isobutyl ketone at 25 and 40°C. Binodal curves, tie lines and distribution curves have been determined. Hand's method has been used to correlate tie lines and to calculate coordinates of plait points. The heterogeneous region at 40°C appeared to be slightly broader than that at 25°C, and the slopes of tie lines somewhat higher: the solubility of this system increases with decreasing temperature. The distribution curves indicated that methyl isobutyl ketone was an effective extractant for concentrated phosphoric acid solutions only.     

Optimization of anodic layer properties on aluminium in mixed oxalic/sulphuric acid bath using statistical experimental methods

The properties of oxide layer obtained on aluminium in mixed electrolytes of oxalic acid-sulphuric acid are optimized using experimental design. For this purpose, a four variables Doehlert design (bath temperature, anodic current density, sulphuric acid and oxalic acid concentrations), was achieved. In order to maximize the growth rate and the microhardness of the anodic oxide layer and to minimize in the same time their chemical and abrasion resistances, a multicriteria optimization using desirability function was conducted. Dissolution rate of the oxide in phospho-chromic acid solution (ASTM B 680-80) was used to express its chemical resistance.Under the determined optimal anodizing conditions (C_ox = 12.6 g L^− 1, 10 °C, 2.6 A dm^− 2, C_sul = 183.6 g L^− 1), the estimated response values were 0.73 μm min^− 1, 4.38 g m^− 2 min^− 1, 481 Hv and 53.3 g m^− 2 for growth rate, dissolution rate, microhardness and weight loss after abrasion respectively. The higher abrasion and chemical resistances of the optimum anodic layer can be correlated with its morphology revealed by AFM and SEM observations.     

Calciphylaxis in a chronic hemodialysis patient with protein S deficiency

Vascular calcifications are common in uremic patients whereas calciphylaxis is rare. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman on chronic hemodialysis since 1977. She had a subtotal parathyroidectomy in 1985, aortic and mitral valve replacement in 1986, and has been treated since then with nicoumalone. In June 1991, she presented with repeated, painful cutaneous necrosis suggesting panniculitis. A skin biopsy showed lobular panniculitis and evidence of calciphylaxis. There was an obvious biological hyperparathyroidism. Protein C functional level was in the normal range whereas protein S functional level was low, i.e. 42%. The patient underwent cervical surgery to remove two parathyroid glands, and daily hemodialysis sessions. Despite this treatment, cutaneous necrosis progressed with superinfection. A few weeks later, the patient died from a septic shock after a myocardic infarction. Necropsy was not performed.