An artificial neural network model for the effects of chicken manure on ground water

In the areas where broiler industry is located, poultry manure from chicken farms could be a major source of ground water pollution, and this may have extensive effects particularly when the farms use nearby ground water as their fresh water supply. Therefore the prediction the extent of this pollution, either from rigorous mathematical diffusion modeling or from the perspective of experimental data evaluation bears importance. In this work, we have investigated modeling of the effects of chicken manure on ground water by artificial neural networks. An ANN model was developed to predict the total coliform in the ground water well in poultry farms. The back-propagation algorithm was employed for training and testing the network, and the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was utilized for optimization. The MATLAB 7.0 environment with Neural Network Toolbox was used for coding. Given the associated input parameters such as the number of chickens, type of manure pool management and depth of well, the model estimates the possible amount of total coliform in the wells to a satisfactory degree. Therefore it is expected to be of help in future for estimating the ground water pollution resulting from chicken farms.     

Towards more active and stable PdAgCr electrocatalysts for formic acid electrooxidation: The role of optimization via response surface methodology

In this study, multiwall carbon nanotube (MCNT)‐supported Pd (Pd/MWCNT) catalysts are prepared by using NaBH₄ reduction method. In order to maximize the oxidation and reduction of H₂SO₄, synthesis conditions (Pd ratio, molar ratio of NaBH₄/K₂PdCl₄, volume of deionized water, and duration of agitation) are optimized by using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum synthesis conditions are determined as 58.2% of Pd by weight, 154.6 molar ratio of NaBH₄ to K₂PdCl₄, 19.48 mL of deionized water, and 186.16 min of agitation duration. The effect of electrochemical measurement conditions on the oxidation kinetics of Pd/MWCNT is also investigated by RSM. The optimum electrochemical measurement conditions are found as 10 μL of catalyst mixture, 90°C of H₂SO₄ solution, and 5.5 M H₂SO₄. The Pd/MWCNT, Pd₅₀Ag₅₀/MWCNT, and Pd_65.6Ag_33.6Cr_0.80/MWCNT catalysts prepared under optimized conditions are characterized by using X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption‐desorption, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The crystallite sizes of these catalysts are found as 4.85, 5.66, and 5.26 nm for Pd/MWCNT, Pd₅₀Ag₅₀/MWCNT, and Pd_65.6Ag_33.6Cr_0.80/MWCNT catalysts, respectively. Isotherms of all these catalysts are found to be similar to Type V isotherms with H3 hysteresis loop. The average particle size of Pd₅₀Ag₅₀/MWCNT and Pd_65.6Ag_33.6Cr_0.80/MWCNT catalysts are determined as 5.2 and 9.2 nm, respectively. Electrochemical performance of as‐prepared catalysts is evaluated by using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The formic acid electrooxidation (FAEO) activities are found as 18.9, 27.8, and 51.6 mA/cm² for Pd/MWCNT, Pd₅₀Ag₅₀/MWCNT, and Pd_65.6Ag_33.6Cr_0.80/MWCNT, respectively. Pd_65.6Ag_33.6Cr_0.80/MWCNT shows the highest activity and stability. Optimization of synthesis conditions and electrochemical measurement parameters allow us to obtain very good electrochemical activity and stability for FAEO reaction compared with anode catalysts in the literature.     

Technical and Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Water Distribution Systems

An environmental and technical sustainability assessment methodology is developed for both centralized and dual water distribution systems (WDSs) with and without fire flow scenarios. Technical sustainability of potable and reclaimed water networks is measured by a sustainability index (SI) assessment using reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability performance criteria. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPANET software is used to simulate hydraulic (i.e. nodal pressure) and water quality (i.e. water age) analysis in a WDS. Total fresh water use and total energy intensity are considered as environmental sustainability criteria. The procedure considers two separate alternatives for meeting fire flows: (1) adding pumping to a system or (2) adding a non-potable WDS. The reclaimed system is designed using linear programming (LP) optimization. For each alternative, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is used to combine technical and environmental sustainability criteria for an urban WDS.     

Pressure drops along the bores of hollow fibre membranes—their measurement,prediction and effect on fibre bundle performance

Measurements of the pressure drops along the bores of hollow fibres in a B9 fibre bundle have been made under operating conditions. A theoretical model of the fibre behaviour is presented and analysed. An analytical solution is obtained for the case of a fibre in a uniform crossflow of brine of uniform concentration and uniform pressure. A numerical procedure, making use of this analytical solution, is developed to solve the more general problem of detailed bundle behaviour. This procedure takes into account the variation of brine concentration along fibre lengths and the fact that in some cases the product concentration can be significant. Sets of experimental data, including the measurements of bore pressures, are presented and analysed using a computer program based on the numerical procedure presented. Evidence of compression of the fibre bore diameter due to the external brine pressure is found, particularly at higher temperatures and pressures.     

Purification of peroxidase from Amsonia orientalis by three-phase partitioning and its biochemical characterization

The present work describes the purification and characterization of peroxidase from the medicinal plant, Amsonia orientalis, for the first time. The activity recovery for peroxidase was 162% with 12.5-fold purification. Optimal purification parameters were 20% (w/v) (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation at pH 6.0 and 25°C with 1.0:1.0 (v/v) ratio of crude extract to t-butanol ratio for 30 min. The molecular mass of the enzyme was found to be ca. 59 kDa. Peroxidase showed K_m values of 1.88 and 2.0 mM for pyrogallol and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. FeSO₄, CuSO₄, HgCl₂, MnSO₄ and MgSO₄ did not inhibit the enzyme activity.     

Macroanatomic,light, and electron microscopic examination of pecten oculi in the seagull (Larus canus)

The present study was conducted to determine macroanatomic characteristic as well as light and electron microscopic examination (SEM) of pecten oculi and totally 20 bulbus oculi belonging to 10 seagulls (Larus canus) were used. Pecten oculi formations consisted of 18 to 21 pleats and their shape looked like a snail. Apical length of the pleats forming pecten oculi were averagely measured as 5.77 ± 0.56 mm, retina‐dependent base length was 9.01 ± 1.35 mm and height was measured as 6.4 ± 0.62 mm. In pecten oculi formations which extend up to 1/3 of the bulbus oculi, two different vascular formations were determined according to thickness of the vessel diameter. Among these, vessels with larger diameters which are less than the others in count were classified as afferent and efferent vessels, smaller vessels which are greater in size were classified as capillaries. Furthermore, the granules which were observed intensely in apical side of the pleats of pecten oculi were observed to distribute randomly along the plica.     

Separation of catalase from Amsonia orientalis with single step by aqueous two-phase partitioning system (ATPS)

Catalase from Amsonia orientalis was purified by ATPS, and its efficiency was compared against hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Activity recovery and purification fold of purified catalase by ATPS were examined under varying experimental conditions. The effects of various factors such as type of phase-forming salts, (PEG) mass, with their different concentrations, pH and temperature effects on partitioning were investigated. The highest activity recovery (156%) and purification fold (8.67) of catalase were obtained in the ATPS system containing 10% (g/g) PEG4000, 15% (g/g) Na₂SO₄ at pH 6.0 and room temperature. In hydrophobic interaction chromatography, the enzyme has been purified 12.54-fold with 57.5% recovery. The molecular weight of catalase was determined as 75 kDa by SDS-PAGE.