Simultaneous domestic wastewater treatment and renewable energy production using microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

Microbial fuel cells (MFCS) can be used in wastewater treatment and to simultaneously produce electricity (renewable energy). MFC technology has already been applied successfully in lab-scale studies to treat domestic wastewater, focussing on organic matter removal and energy production. However, domestic wastewater also contains nitrogen that needs to be treated before being discharged. The goal of this paper is to assess simultaneous domestic wastewater treatment and energy production using an air-cathode MFC, paying special attention to nitrogen compound transformations. An air-cathode MFC was designed and run treating 1.39 L d(-1) of wastewater with an organic load rate of 7.2 kg COD m(-3) d(-1) (80% removal efficiency) and producing 1.42 W m(-3). In terms of nitrogen transformations, the study demonstrates that two different processes took place in the MFC: physical-chemical and biological. Nitrogen loss was observed increasing in line with the power produced. A low level of oxygen was present in the anodic compartment, and ammonium was oxidised to nitrite and nitrate.     

In vitro inhibitory effect of tetrahydrocurcuminoids on Fusarium proliferatum growth and fumonisin B₁ biosynthesis

Many plant pathogens produce toxic metabolites when growing on food and feed. Some antioxidative components seem to prevent fungal growth and mycotoxin formation. Recently, we synthesized a new class of powerful antioxidative compounds, i.e. tetrahydrocurcuminoids, and its structure/antioxidant activity relationships have been established. The South West of France produces large amounts of corn, which can be infected by Fusarium species, particularly F. proliferatum. In this context, the efficiency of tetrahydrocurcuminoids, which can be obtained from natural curcuminoids, was investigated to control in vitro the growth of F. proliferatum and the production of its associated mycotoxin, fumonisin B?. The relation between structure and antifungal activity was studied. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC1), with two guaiacyl phenolic subunits, showed the highest inhibitory activity (measured as radial growth on agar medium) against the F. proliferatum development (67% inhibition at a concentration of 13.6 μmol ml?1). The efficiencies of THC2 (36% at a concentration of 11.5 μmol ml?1), which contains syringyl phenolic units, and THC3 (30% at a concentration of 13.6 μmol ml?1), which does not have any substituent on the aromatic rings, were relatively close. These results indicate that the simultaneous presence of guaiacyl phenols and the enolic function of the β-diketone moiety play an important role in the inhibition mechanisms. The importance of this combination was confirmed using n-propylguaiacol and acetylacetone as molecular models. Under the same conditions, ferulic acid and eugenol, other natural phenolic antioxidants, were less efficient in inhibiting fungal growth. THC1 also reduced fumonisin B? production in liquid medium by approximately 35, 50 and 75% at concentrations of 0.8, 1.3, and 1.9 μmol ml?1, respectively. These very low inhibitory concentrations show that tetrahydrocurcuminoids could be one of the most promising biobased molecules for the control of mycotoxinogen fungal strains.     

Active Packaging Applications for Food

The traditional role of food packaging is continuing to evolve in response to changing market needs. Current drivers such as consumer's demand for safer, “healthier,” and higher‐quality foods, ideally with a long shelf‐life; the demand for convenient and transparent packaging, and the preference for more sustainable packaging materials, have led to the development of new packaging technologies, such as active packaging (AP). As defined in the European regulation (EC) No 450/2009, AP systems are designed to “deliberately incorporate components that would release or absorb substances into or from the packaged food or the environment surrounding the food.” Active packaging materials are thereby “intended to extend the shelf‐life or to maintain or improve the condition of packaged food.” Although extensive research on AP technologies is being undertaken, many of these technologies have not yet been implemented successfully in commercial food packaging systems. Broad communication of their benefits in food product applications will facilitate the successful development and market introduction. In this review, an overview of AP technologies, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant or carbon dioxide‐releasing systems, and systems absorbing oxygen, moisture or ethylene, is provided, and, in particular, scientific publications illustrating the benefits of such technologies for specific food products are reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges in applying such AP technologies to food systems and the anticipated direction of future developments are discussed. This review will provide food and packaging scientists with a thorough understanding of the benefits of AP technologies when applied to specific foods and hence can assist in accelerating commercial adoption.     

Integrated SMD pressure/flow/temperature multisensor for compressed air in LTCC technology: Thermal flow and temperature sensing

In this work, we present and analyse the flow-sensing part of a recently-developed multisensor in LTCC (low-temperature co-fired ceramic) technology; this device integrates flow/pressure/temperature sensing and is designed for diagnostics monitoring of standard industrial compressed air circuits and devices such as valves and actuators. In this prototype, flow is sensed using the constant-temperature anemometric principle, with temperature-sensing active and reference thermistors placed in the fluidic channel integrated within the LTCC structure. The LTCC bridge structuration technology and electronics are analysed, and possible improvements in fabrication yield and efficiency outlined.     

Drug inhalation therapy. Therapy for patients with respiratory disorders

We detected a high number of patients suffering from respiratory ailments which require successive hospital stays due to acute setbacks in their chronic respiratory ailments. The majority of these patients receive outpatient clinic treatment based on use of an inhaler. Given the direct relationship between the correct use of an inhaler and its effectiveness, we designed our project with the goal to discover the adroitness these patients have with an inhaler. The results of our study showed that 67% of the patients tested did not correctly use their inhaler, there by annulling or diminished the effectiveness of its use.     

Direct communication on the Internet. Uninet: the university link for Integrate Telematic Services

The importance of Internet as a communication medium is clear due to the amount of information it distributes and the high number of potential recipients it has. The appearance of virtual user communities (CMV) focuses to information classification within subjects of interest for certain groups of people in order to facilitate its search and use. The UniNet project of Integrated Telematic Services for CMV through, as well as other subprojects, the 'propuesta RedUni' encourages the creation of CMV by mean of integration of various computer and Internet resources, such as distribution mailing list, web pages, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), etc. The current state of IRC in such context is presented and the utilities of the known as Scientific-IRC as a professional real time communication tool are discussed.     

Green roofs as passive system for energy savings in buildings during the cooling period: use of rubber crumbs as drainage layer

The building sector is responsible for most of today’s energy and materials consumption. Construction systems such as green roofs can improve the energy performance of buildings, but meanwhile, they themselves should be more sustainable. This research focuses on the study of the benefits, in terms of energy consumption, of an extensive green roof (without insulation layer) in comparison to a conventional flat roof solution (with insulation) under Mediterranean continental climate. Moreover, in order to improve the sustainability of this system, the use of recycled rubber instead of traditional stone materials as drainage material is evaluated as well. For this purpose, the electrical energy consumption of the cooling system and thermal behaviour of three identical experimental cubicles, with only differences on the roof composition, was evaluated during summer period. The results show that a simple extensive green roof 9 cm thickness provides a reduction of 5 % in case of rubber crumbs and 14 % in case of pozzolana, in terms of electrical energy consumption, than a conventional flat roof with an insulation layer of 3 cm polyurethane, even when only the 20 % of the surface is covered by plants. Furthermore, small differences in thermal behaviour were observed when replacing volcanic gravel by recycled rubber crumbs as drainage material.