In Silico Investigation of Potential Applications of Gamma Carbonic Anhydrases as Catalysts of CO2 Biomineralization Processes: A Visit to the Thermophilic Bacteria Persephonella hydrogeniphila,Persephonella marina,Thermosulfidibacter takaii,and Thermus thermophilus

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) have been identified as ideal catalysts for CO₂ sequestration. Here, we report the sequence and structural analyses as well as the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of four γ-CAs from thermophilic bacteria. Three of these, Persephonella marina, Persephonella hydrogeniphila, and Thermosulfidibacter takaii originate from hydrothermal vents and one, Thermus thermophilus HB8, from hot springs. Protein sequences were retrieved and aligned with previously characterized γ-CAs, revealing differences in the catalytic pocket residues. Further analysis of the structures following homology modeling revealed a hydrophobic patch in the catalytic pocket, presumed important for CO₂ binding. Monitoring of proton shuttling residue His69 (P. marina γ-CA numbering) during MD simulations of P. hydrogeniphila and P. marina’s γ-CAs (γ-PhCA and γ-PmCA), showed a different behavior to that observed in the γ-CA of Escherichia coli, which periodically coordinates Zn²⁺. This work also involved the search for hotspot residues that contribute to interface stability. Some of these residues were further identified as key in protein communication via betweenness centrality metric of dynamic residue network analysis. T. takaii’s γ-CA showed marginally lower thermostability compared to the other three γ-CA proteins with an increase in conformations visited at high temperatures being observed. Hydrogen bond analysis revealed important interactions, some unique and others common in all γ-CAs, which contribute to interface formation and thermostability. The seemingly thermostable γ-CA from T. thermophilus strangely showed increased unsynchronized residue motions at 423 K. γ-PhCA and γ-PmCA were, however, preliminarily considered suitable as prospective thermostable CO₂ sequestration agents.     

农业管理措施对土壤有机碳动态变化的影响

土壤碳固定问题已成为陆地生态系统碳循环研究的热点问题。土壤碳固定是缓解温室效应加剧的有效方法之一。土壤有机碳含量变化受土地利用方式和耕作措施的强烈影响。将自然土壤转变为耕作土壤会导致土壤碳库的迅速下降,使土壤损失有机碳4.1-5.0×1013kg之间。采用新的农业措施会使碳损失量的60-70%重新被固定。这些措施有保护性耕作(少耕或免耕)、合理施用肥料、覆盖作物、应用深根且富含木质素的作物等。土壤除了固定有机碳外,干旱和半干旱地区土壤还具有固定无机碳的巨大潜力。文章还简要介绍了评价土壤有机碳的两种方法,并对今后的工作提出了几点建议。     

Carbon mineralization from composts and food industry wastes added to soil

We have studied the short term C mineralization of six wastes from important food industries, one sludge from a biogas plant and three composts. All the wastes were characterized chemically and fractionated according to the Van Soest method. The fresh wastes were incubated under controlled environment conditions to determine the C mineralization rate. Based on first order mineralization kinetics, we calculated the hypothetical amount of stable C in the wastes as the amount of C that would not be mineralized within one year under field conditions. The percentage of stable organic C in the organic matter was in general much larger in the composts than in the other wastes, but when expressed on dry matter, the non-composted wastes had comparable or larger amounts of stable organic C than the composts and have a considerable potential for supplying organic matter to soils, and hence for C sequestration. The amount of stable organic C could best be predicted by the total N content of the wastes (R _a ² = 0.855), whereas the results of the fractionation had very little predictive power, probably due to problems related to the high ash content of some of the wastes. An index that combined stable organic C and N and P content in the wastes was calculated to assess possible limitations for applying these wastes in agriculture. Under current nutrient legislation in Western Europe, a number of these wastes will only be usable in small amounts, but these and other food industry wastes could still prove to be valuable soil amendments in nutrient poor situations, for increasing soil organic C content and supplying nutrients.     

煤层注气强化开采流固耦合效应研究

为准确表征煤层气藏强化开采过程中的复杂地质力学效应,同时考虑多孔介质全组份多过程物质运移特征,构建了煤层气藏强化开采全流固耦合数学模型,开发了相应的数值模拟算法,并据此进一步剖析了地质力学效应以及注入气组成对孔渗参数及注采指标的影响。结果表明,有效应力效应与基质膨胀/收缩作用均可显著地影响孔隙度与渗透率,但两者作用方向相反,注入CO2诱发的基质膨胀可使注入井附近渗透率损失近90%。随着杨氏模量的增大或者基质形变强度的降低,CO2突破时间提前,导致煤层气产量及CO2埋存量降低。研究成果可为煤层气产能准确预测及高效开发提供技术支持。     

A farm level approach to define successful mitigation strategies for GHG emissions from ruminant livestock systems

Ruminant livestock systems are a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Thus far, mitigation options for GHG emissions mainly focused on a single gas, and are treated as isolated activities. The present paper proposes a framework for a farm level approach for the full accounting of GHG emissions. The methodology accounts for the relevant direct and indirect emissions of methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, including carbon sequestration. Furthermore, the potential trade-off with ammonia volatilisation and nitrate leaching are taken into account. A ruminant livestock farm is represented with a conceptual model consisting of five pools: animal, manure, soil, crop and feed. The carbon and nitrogen inputs, throughputs and outputs are described, and the direct emissions are related to the carbon and nitrogen flows. The indirect emissions included in the methodology are mainly carbon dioxide emissions from energy use and nitrous oxide emissions related to imported resources and nitrogen losses. The whole farm approach is illustrated with a case of two dairy farms with contrasting livestock density and grassland management. It is shown that the inclusion of carbon sequestration and all indirect emissions have a major impact on the GHG budget of the farm. For one farm, the effect of four mitigation options on the GHG emissions was quantified. It was concluded that a whole farm approach of full accounting contributes to a better insight in the interactions between the carbon and nitrogen flows and the resulting emissions, within and outside the farm boundaries. Consequently, the methodology can be used to develop efficient and effective mitigation strategies.     

A generalist herbivore in a specialist mode Metabolic,sequestrative, and defensive consequences

Adults of a generalist herbivore, the lubber grasshopper,Romalea guttata, can be converted to functional specialists by feeding them exclusively on catnip,Nepeta cataria. No obvious adverse effects on adult development resulted from this enforced monophagy. Notwithstanding the fact thatR. guttata has had no coevolutionary relationship with this Eurasian mint, it readily sequesters compounds that are identical to or derived from the terpenoid lactones that are characteristic ofN. cataria. R. guttata appears to both biomagnify minor allelochemicals and to sequester metabolites of theNepeta terpenes in its paired defensive glands. The levels of autogenously produced phenolics are not affected by feeding onN. cataria and the defensive secretions of catnip-fed grasshoppers are more repellent to ants than those of wild-fed acridids. Metabolites of theN. cataria monoterpenes are sequestered in the defensive glands when catnip is added to the natural diet ofR. guttata. The ability of a generalist,R. guttata, to facilely bioaccumulate a potpourri of foreign allelochemicals when feeding in a specialist mode is analyzed in terms of its biochemical, physiological, and functional significance. Sequestration is examined as a response to the enteric effronteries represented by the phytochemicals that can be characteristic of the overload in a monophagous diet.     

Iridoid glycoside metabolism and sequestration byPoladryas minuta (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) feeding onPenstemon virgatus (Scrophulariaceae)

A bivoltine checkerspot butterfly,Poladryas minuta, is aPenstemon specialist, not known to utilize any other plant genus for oviposition and larval feeding. At several intermontane plains sites of central Colorado, the butterfly utilizesPenstemon virgatus as its sole host plant. Analysis of the host plant showed it to contain three cinnamyl-type catalpol esters (scutellarioside-II, globularin, globularicisin) and catalpol. The host plant contained an average of 10% dry weight iridoids, but some variation among individual plants and leaves within plants was noted. Field-collected butterflies contained 2.1–8.7% dry weight catalpol, but no other iridoids. Adults from larvae fedP. virgatus in the lab contained 4.2–9.0% dry weight catalpol and excreted large amounts of catalpol in the meconium. No catalpol was found in the larval frass. Larvae did not consume three alternate iridoid-containing host-plant species, and most eventually died rather than feed on the alternate plants. Larvae did consume small amounts of artificial diets containing the alternate species andP. virgatus, but most went into diapause and some died. Survival was good on artificial diet containing 10% dry weight of the iridoid esters fromP. virgatus. Only catalpol was found in pupae and adults, but it was absent from the larval frass. The cinnamic-type acids expected from larval hydrolysis of the esters were not found in larval frass, pupae, or adults. These results are contrasted with those found for another checkerspot,Euphydryas anicia, which consumes a different host-plant species but was present at one of the same sites withPoladryas minuta.Paper 15 in the series Chemistry of the Scrophulariaceae. Paper 14 Boros, C.M., Stermitz, F.R., and Harris, G.H. 1990.J. Nat. Prod. 5372–80.     

Oxyfuel boiler design in a lignite-fired power plant

In the context of CO₂ capture and storage, the oxyfuel technology provides a promising option applicable in centralised power production schemes. This technology is based on combustion with pure oxygen instead of air and the flue gas mainly consists of CO₂ and H₂O. The work presented in this paper is focused in the application of the oxyfuel technology in a lignite-fired power plant. Significant design issues are the required extended flue gas recirculation in order to provide the ballasting effect of the absent N₂ and moderate the furnace temperatures. Therefore, a modified design of heat exchange surfaces of the oxyfuel steam boiler was formulated and was compared to a conventional air-fired boiler. A typical modern Greek air-fired power plant has been used as reference. The dominating factors that affect the dimensioning of the oxyfuel boiler are the higher radiative heat transfer - due to the high concentrations of CO₂ and H₂O in the flue gas - and the different flue gas mass flow, compared to a conventional air-fired boiler. For the determination of the thermodynamic cycle characteristics, simulations were made with the use of a thermodynamic cycle calculation software [Stamatelopoulos GN. Calculation and optimisation of power plant thermodynamic cycles, VDI-Regulations, Series 6, Nr. 340. Braunchweig, Mechanical Engineering Department; 1996 [in German]].     

Addressing the CO2 dilemma

Perspectives are offered for reducing the impact of huge amounts of CO₂ produced today from power generation and transportation vehicles. The origins of the dilemma between the world’s increasing use of hydrocarbons as an energy source and the cogeneration of CO₂ which results as a co-product are discussed. Hydrocarbons will provide much of the fuel needs for these major, global industries for the next 20 years and meet 60% of the world’s energy demand. With the growth of both power generation and transportation vehicles around the world, CO₂ levels will continue to increase in the atmosphere. Renewables such as wind, dams, and biomass will not be able to handle all the energy demand. Technology breakthroughs are needed to reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, which will be aggravated by the drive to use more coal. Current approaches for removing CO₂ are discussed as well as near term and future options with particular focus on how catalysis can offer some solutions. In particular, solar photocatalysis based approaches offer a potentially viable energy solution.     

Flavonoid pigments in chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon Poda) and other lycaenid butterflies

Nine flavonoids, namely, kaempferol, kaempferol 7-rharanoside, kaempferol 3-rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-glucoside, kaempferol 3-glucoside, 7-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-glucoside, quercetin 3,7-diglucoside, isorhamnetin 3-glucoside, and isorhamnetin 3,7-diglucoside, have been identified in the body and wings of the chalkhill blue butterflyLysandra coridon Poda. Flavonoids have also been found in 15 of a further 17 lycaenid species examined. Analysis of the two-dimensional paper chromatographic flavonoid patterns and aglycone results has shown that the flavonoid content ofL. coridon and the other lycaenids is dependent on the flavonoid content of the larval diet. Differences in the flavonoid patterns ofL. coridon and its leguminous larval food plantsHippocrepis comosa, Anthyllis vulneraria, andLotus corniculatus, indicate that the ingested flavonoids are metabolized byL. coridon or its gut flora before sequestration. Despite the presence of fiavones, glycoflavones, and isoflavones in the larval food plant species, only flavonols are sequestered by the lycaenid species examined. The relationship between lycaenid butterflies and their larval food plants, and the possible role(s) of flavonoids in lycaenids has been discussed. Interactions between ants, plants, flavonoids, and myrmecophilous lycaenids have also been considered.