Effect of nickel concentration on biohydrogen production: Organic solid waste vs. glucose

In recent years, alternative renewable energy generation sources have been investigated, highlighting the dark fermentation process due to it’s potential to obtain hydrogen-rich gas, which can be used as an energy source. Different trace metals intervene in this biological process. Nickel is one of the most important because it is a component of the [Ni–Fe] hydrogenase enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of H₂ in numerous bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nickel on biohydrogen production from organic solid waste (OSW). The experimental setup was carried out in batch tests using OSW as the substrate, glucose as a reference compound and the valuation of Ni²⁺ doses on the operation in a Sequencing Batch Reactor. The results of the batch tests showed that when using glucose as a substrate, 2 mg Ni²⁺/g VS_inoculum generated the highest hydrogen production (774 ± 7.3 mL H₂/L/d) and highest yield (55.8 ± 3.4 mL H₂/g of glucose), which was 34.4% higher than the control. Testing of different concentrations of nickel using OSW as a carbon source showed that the highest production was obtained without Ni²⁺ addition since the nickel concentration in the residue was 0.17 ± 0.06 mgNi/gVS; consequently, hydrogen production was not affected by the lack of Ni. The addition of 0.5 mg Ni²⁺/g VS_inoculum decreased acetate and butyrate production and increased caproate production.     

Cladophora sp. as a sustainable feedstock for dark fermentative biohydrogen production

Macroalgae are rich in carbohydrates which can be used as a promising substrate for fermentative biohydrogen production. In this study, Cladophora sp. biomass was fermented for biohydrogen production at various inoculum/substrate (I/S) ratios against a control of inoculum without substrate in laboratory-scale batch reactors. The biohydrogen production yield ranged from 40.8 to 54.7 ml H₂/g-VS, with the I/S ratio ranging from 0.0625 to 4. The results indicated that low I/S ratios caused the overloaded accumulation of metabolic products and a significant pH decrease, which negatively affected hydrogen production bacteria's metabolic activity, thus leading to the decrease of hydrogen fermentation efficiency. The overall results demonstrated that Cladophora sp. biomass is an efficient fermentation feedstock for biohydrogen production.     

A Stimulation Method to Assess the Contractile Status of the Lumbar Extensors in a Seated Posture

The purpose of present study was to develop and evaluate methods to assess stimulation responses of the lumbar extensors, as part of a longer‐term goal of detecting fatigue during prolonged sitting. Three stimulation frequencies (2, 5, and 8 Hz) were tested in separate stages, which include 3 stimulation trains and 4 sampling blocks. Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to determine whether any significant differences in mean stimulation responses occurred with respect to stimulation frequency, sampling block, and stimulation train. Reliability of measured stimulation responses was assessed within and between sampling blocks using intraclass correlation coefficients. Stimulation frequencies significantly affected the stimulation responses and time‐to‐potentiation differed between the 3 stimulation frequencies; it was highest for 2 Hz stimulation. All 3 stimulation frequencies resulted in excellent reliability within and between sampling blocks. Use of the current protocol at 2 Hz is recommended as appropriate to measure the lumbar extensors status during prolonged sitting.     

Comparative evaluation of the mesophilic and thermophilic biohydrogen production at optimized conditions using tequila vinasses as substrate

The objective of this work was to comparatively evaluate the production of biohydrogen (bio-H₂) from tequila vinasses at optimized mesophilic and thermophilic conditions and to elucidate the main metabolic routes involved. Optimal temperatures of 35 °C and 55 °C, and pH of 5.5 maximized the bio-H₂ production rates, 25.5 ± 0.01 NmL h⁻¹ and 169.9 ± 8.9 NmL h⁻¹ in the mesophilic and thermophilic regimens, respectively. During the operation of anaerobic sequencing batch reactors, the thermophilic process allowed a volumetric bio-H₂ production rate of 519 ± 13 NmL-H₂ L⁻¹ d⁻¹ equivalent to 750 ± 19 NmL-H₂ L_vinasse⁻¹, while the mesophilic one 448 ± 23 NmL-H₂ L⁻¹ d⁻¹ and 647 ± 33 NmL-H₂ L_vinasse⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, the gas produced under thermophilic conditions showed high hydrogen content (86.5%). Finally, formate degradation and glucose fermentation to acetic and butyric acids were the main metabolic routes involved in bio-H₂ production under thermophilic conditions, while at mesophilic conditions, the lactate and formate degradation pathways governed.     

Results from the ORPHEUS dark matter detector

The ORPHEUS dark matter detector consists of 450 g superconducting tin granules with diameters of 28 and 36 μm. The detector has been operating in the shallow site of the underground laboratory in Bern (70 m.w.e). First preliminary results on WIMP detection sensitivity will be presented.     

The GENIUS-test-facility—first results on background from Rn daughters

GENIUS-TF (Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 511 (2003) 341; Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 481 (2002) 149.) is a test-facility for the GENIUS project (GENIUS-Proposal, 20 November 1997; Z. Phys. A 359 (1997) 351; CERN Courier, November 1997, 16; J. Phys. G 24 (1998) 483; Z. Phys. A 359 (1997) 361; in: H.V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H. Pas. (Eds.), First International Conference on Particle Physics Beyond the Standard Model, Castle Ringberg, Germany, 8–14 June 1997, IOP Bristol (1998) 485 and in Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 13 (1998) 3953; in: H.V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, I.V. Krivosheina (Eds.), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Particle Physics Beyond the Standard Model BEYOND’ 99, Castle Ringberg, Germany 6–12 June 1999, IOP Bristol (2000) 915), a proposed large scale underground observatory for rare events which is based on operation of naked germanium detectors in liquid nitrogen for an extreme background reduction. Operation of naked Ge crystals in liquid nitrogen has been applied routinely already for more than 20 years by the CANBERRA Company for technical functions tests (CANBERRA Company, private communication, 5 March 2004.), but it never had found entrance into basic research. Only in 1997 first tests of application of this method for nuclear spectroscopy have been performed, successfully, in Heidelberg (Klapdor-Kleingrothaus et al., 1997, 1998; J. Hellmig and H.V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, 1997).

On May 5, 2003 the first four naked high-purity germanium detectors (total mass 10.52 kg) were installed in liquid nitrogen in the GENIUS Test Facility at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory. Since then the experiment has been running continuously, testing for the first time the novel technique in an underground laboratory and for a long-lasting period.

In this work, we present the first analysis of the GENIUS-TF background after the completion of the external shielding, which took place in December 2003. We focus especially on the background coming from ²²²Rn daughters. This is found to be at present by a factor of 200 higher than expected from simulation. It is still compatible with the scientific goal of GENIUS-TF, namely to search for cold dark matter by the modulation signal, but on the present level would cause serious problems for a full GENIUS—like experiment using liquid nitrogen.     

大面积1.54μm波长测距用InGaAs雪崩光电二极管

设计并研制成功适合人的眼睛安全测距应用的ＩｎＧａＡｓ雪崩光电二极管（ＡＰＤ）。器件直径为２００μｍ，工作在２１℃，１５４０ｎｍ波长时响应为０．６４Ａ／Ｗ，典型暗电流和噪声因子分别为３０ｎＡ和６．５。介绍了该器件的工作原理，设计和制作工艺。     

本征吸除硅片特性研究

本文描述硅本征吸杂片的特性参数,如吸除区宽度、洁净度,氧沉淀密度、MOS电容寿命,介绍了表面态密度及残余间隙氧浓度的检测方法和工艺对参数的影响及参数之间的内在联系,文章还实验论证了不同参数水平对器件成品率的影响,建立了以MOS电容寿命为主导的参数控制方法,利用本文提供的控制参数,可使CCD-512器件成品率达60％,以上优品率≥85％。     

具有势垒增强层的MSM光电探测器暗电流的计算

将具有完全晶格匹配势垒增强层的MSM－PD简化为一维模型，并通过理论分析，得出了它的暗电流特性，进一步得到器件暗电流与势垒增强层的关系。     

In0.53Ga0.47As／InP异质结光电二极管的深能级

采用深能级瞬态谱仪（ＤＬＴＳ）测定了Ｉｎ０．５３Ｇａ０．４７Ａｓ／ＩｎＰ异质结光电二极管的ＤＬＴＳ谱。发现存在一电子陷阱，该陷阱能级位于导带底以下０．４４ｅＶ处，能级密度为３．１０×１０１３ｃｍ－３，电子俘获截面为１．７２×１０－１２ｃｍ－２。由于深能级的存在，导致了该器件存在一种新的“暗电流”──“深能级协助隧穿电流”。