Search results for: nitrogen footprint

Authors: Uditi Dhakad, Baldev Ram, Chaman K. Jadon, R. K. Yadav, D. L. Yadav, Pratap Singh, Shalini Meena

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A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2021 at Agricultural Research Station, Kota, to evaluate the effect of different post-emergence herbicides applied to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] on soil enzymes activity viz. dehydrogenase, phosphatase, and urease. The soil of the experimental site was clay loam (vertisols) in texture and slightly alkaline in reaction with 7.7 pH. The soil was low in organic carbon (0.49%), medium in available nitrogen (210 kg/ha), phosphorus (23.5 P2O5 kg/ha), and high in potassium (400 K2O kg/ha) status. The results elucidated that no significant adverse effect on soil dehydrogenase, urease, and phosphatase activity was determined with the application of post-emergence herbicides over the untreated control. Two hands weeding at 20 and 40 DAS registered maximum dehydrogenase enzyme activity (0.329 μgTPF/g soil/d) closely followed by herbicides mixtures and sole herbicide while pre-emergence application of pendimethalin + imazethapyr 960 g a.i./ha and pendimethalin 1.0 kg a.i./ha significantly reduced dehydrogenase enzyme activity compared to control. Urease enzyme activity was not much affected under different weed control treatments and weedy checks. The treatments were found statistically non-significant, and values ranged between 1.16-1.25 μgNH4N/g soil/d. Phosphatase enzyme activity was also not influenced significantly due to various weed control treatments. Though maximum phosphatase enzyme activity (30.17 μgpnp/g soil/hr) was observed under two-hand weeding, followed by fomesafen + fluazifop-p-butyl 220 g a.i./ha. Herbicidal weed control measures did not influence the total bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes population.

Keywords: dehydrogenase, phosphatase, post-emergence, soil enzymes, urease.

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Authors: Shoury Gupta

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Chatbots are a rapidly growing technological trend that has revolutionized the way businesses interact with their customers. With the advancements in artificial intelligence, chatbots can now mimic human-like conversations and provide instant and efficient responses to customer inquiries. In this research paper, we aim to explore the implications of chatbots on the future of globalization for both businesses and consumers. The paper begins by providing an overview of the current state of chatbots in the global market and their growth potential in the future. The focus is on how chatbots have become a valuable tool for businesses looking to expand their global reach, especially in areas with high population density and language barriers. With chatbots, businesses can engage with customers in different languages and provide 24/7 customer service support, creating a more accessible and convenient customer experience. The paper then examines the impact of chatbots on cross-cultural communication and how they can help bridge communication gaps between businesses and consumers from different cultural backgrounds. Chatbots can potentially facilitate cross-cultural communication by offering real-time translations, voice recognition, and other innovative features that can help users communicate effectively across different languages and cultures. By providing more accessible and inclusive communication channels, chatbots can help businesses reach new markets and expand their customer base, making them more competitive in the global market. However, the paper also acknowledges that there are potential drawbacks associated with chatbots. For instance, chatbots may not be able to address complex customer inquiries that require human input. Additionally, chatbots may perpetuate biases if they are programmed with certain stereotypes or assumptions about different cultures. These drawbacks may have significant implications for businesses and consumers alike. To explore the implications of chatbots on the future of globalization in greater detail, the paper provides a thorough review of existing literature and case studies. The review covers topics such as the benefits of chatbots for businesses and consumers, the potential drawbacks of chatbots, and how businesses can mitigate any risks associated with chatbot use. The paper also discusses the ethical considerations associated with chatbot use, such as privacy concerns and the need to ensure that chatbots do not discriminate against certain groups of people. The ethical implications of chatbots are particularly important given the potential for chatbots to be used in sensitive areas such as healthcare and financial services. Overall, this research paper provides a comprehensive analysis of chatbots and their implications for the future of globalization. By exploring both the potential benefits and drawbacks of chatbot use, the paper aims to provide insights into how businesses and consumers can leverage this technology to achieve greater global reach and improve cross-cultural communication. Ultimately, the paper concludes that chatbots have the potential to be a powerful tool for businesses looking to expand their global footprint and improve their customer experience, but that care must be taken to mitigate any risks associated with their use.

Keywords: chatbots, conversational AI, globalization, businesses

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Authors: Rima Alfaraj, Abeer Alarawi, Murtadha AlTammar

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The global energy landscape heavily relies on the oil and gas industry, which faces the critical challenge of reducing its carbon footprint. To address this issue, the integration of advanced materials like aerogels has emerged as a promising solution to enhance sustainability and environmental performance within the industry. This study thoroughly examines the application of aerogel-based technologies in the oil and gas sector, focusing particularly on their role in carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives. Aerogels, known for their exceptional properties, such as high surface area, low density, and customizable pore structure, have garnered attention for their potential in various CCS strategies. The review delves into various fabrication techniques utilized in producing aerogel materials, including sol-gel, supercritical drying, and freeze-drying methods, to assess their suitability for specific industry applications. Beyond fabrication, the practicality of aerogel materials in critical areas such as flow assurance, enhanced oil recovery, and thermal insulation is explored. The analysis spans a wide range of applications, from potential use in pipelines and equipment to subsea installations, offering valuable insights into the real-world implementation of aerogels in the oil and gas sector. The paper also investigates the adsorption and storage capabilities of aerogel-based sorbents, showcasing their effectiveness in capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) molecules. Optimization of pore size distribution and surface chemistry is examined to enhance the affinity and selectivity of aerogels towards CO₂, thereby improving the efficiency and capacity of CCS systems. Additionally, the study explores the potential of aerogel-based membranes for separating and purifying CO₂ from oil and gas streams, emphasizing their role in the carbon capture and utilization (CCU) value chain in the industry. Emerging trends and future perspectives in integrating aerogel-based technologies within the oil and gas sector are also discussed, including the development of hybrid aerogel composites and advanced functional components to further enhance material performance and versatility. By synthesizing the latest advancements and future directions in aerogel used for CCS applications in the oil and gas industry, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of how these innovative materials can aid in transitioning towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious energy landscape. The insights provided can assist in strategic decision-making, drive technology development, and foster collaborations among academia, industry, and policymakers to promote the widespread adoption of aerogel-based solutions in the oil and gas sector.

Keywords: CCS, porous, carbon capture, oil and gas, sustainability

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Authors: Garba K. Adamu

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This research was carried out in the catchments of five major rivers in Kano State. The catchments have considerable Fadama lands; these include: River Gari which is located in the northwestern part of Kano state, Rivers Challawa and Watari from southernparts of Kano and Katsina states. River Tomas from the northern parts of Kano state, River Jakara which has its source from the Old Kano city, part of Central Business Districts and Industrial Estates. The study was carried out with aim of assessing the fertility status of the Fadama soils found in these major river catchments. A transect was designed to collect samples along farming villages in the five river channels for the study. The findings indicate that the soils are predominantly sandy. The bulk density values vary significantly and range from 0.98mg/m to 1.36mg/m. The pH values for all the sites studied ranges from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. The OC ranged from low to very low in the sites. The EC ranges from 66.3µs/cm to 198µs/cm for all the sites. The mean CEC ranges from 3.864 cm/kg to 10.114 Cmol/kg. The range of values for the SAR was 0.0106 to 0.069. Nitrogen ranges from0.03 to 0.1230ppm. The range of P value fell between 9.9 to 41.1mg/kg.Ca values ranges from 1.0170 to 14.9850 and K values ranges from 4.6550 – 64.40.Mg values range from 0.1380 to 1.8580 and Zn values range from 1.0170 to 14.9850. The Fe values ranged from 15.6500mg/kg to 69.8000mg/kg. The B values range from0.2060 to13.5450. Generally, the values obtained shows a low to medium fertility levels for all the parameters tested and the areas will require the in cooperation of organic manure and chemical fertilizers to improve soil structure and supplements other macro nutrients.

Keywords: assessment, Fadama soils, fertility status, river catchment

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Authors: Chaouki Ghenai

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Computational fluid dynamics analysis of the burning of syngas fuels derived from biomass and plastic solid waste mixture through gasification process is presented in this paper. The syngas fuel is burned in gas turbine can combustor. Gas turbine can combustor with swirl is designed to burn the fuel efficiently and reduce the emissions. The main objective is to test the impact of the alternative syngas fuel compositions and lower heating value on the combustion performance and emissions. The syngas fuel is produced by blending Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) with Polyethylene (PE) waste via catalytic steam gasification (fluidized bed reactor). High hydrogen content syngas fuel was obtained by mixing 30% PE waste with PKS. The syngas composition obtained through the gasification process is 76.2% H2, 8.53% CO, 4.39% CO2 and 10.90% CH4. The lower heating value of the syngas fuel is LHV = 15.98 MJ/m3. Three fuels were tested in this study natural gas (100%CH4), syngas fuel and pure hydrogen (100% H2). The power from the combustor was kept constant for all the fuels tested in this study. The effect of syngas fuel composition and lower heating value on the flame shape, gas temperature, mass of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) per unit of energy generation is presented in this paper. The results show an increase of the peak flame temperature and NO mass fractions for the syngas and hydrogen fuels compared to natural gas fuel combustion. Lower average CO2 emissions at the exit of the combustor are obtained for the syngas compared to the natural gas fuel.

Keywords: CFD, combustion, emissions, gas turbine combustor, gasification, solid waste, syngas, waste to energy

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Authors: Krasimir I. Ivanov, Elitsa N. Kolentsova, Dimitar Y. Dimitrov, Georgi V. Avdeev, Tatyana T. Tabakova

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In recent research copper and manganese systems were found to be the most active in CO and organic compounds oxidation among the base catalysts. The mixed copper manganese oxide has been widely studied in oxidation reactions because of their higher activity at low temperatures in comparison with single oxide catalysts. The results showed that the formation of spinel CuxMn3−xO4 in the oxidized catalyst is responsible for the activity even at room temperature. That is why most of the investigations are focused on the hopcalite catalyst (CuMn2O4) as the best copper-manganese catalyst. Now it’s known that this is true only for CO oxidation, but not for mixture of CO and VOCs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the alumina supported copper-manganese catalysts with different Cu/Mn molar ratio in terms of oxidation of CO, methanol and dimethyl ether. The catalysts were prepared by impregnation of γ-Al2O3 with copper and manganese nitrates and the catalytic activity measurements were carried out in continuous flow equipment with a four-channel isothermal stainless steel reactor. Gas mixtures on the input and output of the reactor were analyzed with a gas chromatograph, equipped with FID and TCD detectors. The texture characteristics were determined by low-temperature (- 196 oС) nitrogen adsorption in a Quantachrome Instruments NOVA 1200e (USA) specific surface area&pore analyzer. Thermal, XRD and TPR analyses were performed. It was established that the active component of the mixed Cu-Mn/γ–alumina catalysts strongly depends on the Cu/Mn molar ratio. Highly active alumina supported Cu-Mn catalysts for CO, methanol and DME oxidation were synthesized. While the hopcalite is the best catalyst for CO oxidation, the best compromise for simultaneous oxidation of all components is the catalyst with Cu/Mn molar ratio 1:5.

Keywords: supported copper-manganese catalysts, CO, VOCs oxidation, combustion of exhaust gases

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Authors: Dhivya Arumugam, Kaliyappan Thananjeyan

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The monomer of (3-((4-(methacryloyloxy)phenylimino)methyl)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid) schiff base polymer was prepared by reacting methacryloyl chloride with imine compound derived from 3-formylsalisylic acid and 4- aminophenol. The monomer was polymerized in DMF at 70oC using benzoyl peroxide as free radical initiator. Polymer metal complex was obtained in DMF solution of polymer with aqueous solution of metal ions. The polymer and the polymer metal complex were characterized by elemental analysis and spectral studies. The elemental analysis data suggest that the metal to ligand ratio is 1:1 and hence, it acts as a binucleating compartmental ligand. The IR spectral data of these complexes suggest that the metals are coordinated through nitrogen of the imine group, the oxygen of carboxylate ion and the oxygen of the phenolic –OH group which also acts as the bridging ligand. The electronic spectra and magnetic moments of the polychelates shows that octahedral and square planar structure for Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes respectively. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that polychelates are highly crystalline. The thermal and electrical properties, catalytic activity, structure property relationships are discussed. Further the synthesized polymer was used for metal uptake studies from waste water, which is one of the effective waste water treatment strategies. And also, the polymers and polychelates were investigated for antimicrobial activity with various microorganisms by using agar well diffusion method and the results have been discussed.

Keywords: acyclic compartmental ligands, binucleating ligand, 3-formylsalicylic acid, free radical polymerization, polluting ions, polychelate

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Authors: María D. Groppa, Andrea Trentini, Myriam Zawoznik, Roxana Bigi, Carlos Nadra, Patricia L. Marconi

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In the present work, a remediation bioprocess based on the use of a local isolate of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris immobilized in alginate beads is proposed. This process was shown to be effective for the reduction of several chemical and microbial contaminants present in Cildáñez stream, a water course that is part of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin (Buenos Aires, Argentina). The bioprocess, involving the culture of the microalga in autotrophic conditions in a stirred-tank bioreactor supplied with a marine propeller for 6 days, allowed a significant reduction of Escherichia coli and total coliform numbers (over 95%), as well as of ammoniacal nitrogen (96%), nitrates (86%), nitrites (98%), and total phosphorus (53%) contents. Pb content was also significantly diminished after the bioprocess (95%). Standardized cytotoxicity tests using Allium cepa seeds and Cildáñez water pre- and post-remediation were also performed. Germination rate and mitotic index of onion seeds imbibed in Cildáñez water subjected to the bioprocess was similar to that observed in seeds imbibed in distilled water and significantly superior to that registered when untreated Cildáñez water was used for imbibition. Our results demonstrate the potential of this simple and cost-effective technology to remove urban-water contaminants, offering as an additional advantage the possibility of an easy biomass recovery, which may become a source of alternative energy.

Keywords: bioreactor, bioremediation, Chlorella vulgaris, Matanza-Riachuelo Basin, microalgae

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Authors: Q. Rzina, M. Lahrouni, S. Rida, N. Saadaoui, Y. Almossaid, K. Oufdou, K. Fares

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Many organic solid wastes are produced in the world. Poultry manure (PM), municipal organic wastes (MOW) and sugar beet lime sludge (LS) are produced in large quantities in Morocco. The co-composting of these organic wastes was investigated. The recycling and the valorization of such wastes is environmentally and economically beneficial especially for PM which is known source of bacterial pathogens. The aerobic biodegradation process was carried out by using three windrows of variable compositions: C1 prepared without LS (only MOW were composted with PM), C2 prepared from MOW plus PM and10% LS; and the last one C3 from MOW plus PM and 20% LS. The main process physico-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, humidity and C/N) and microbiological populations (mesophilic and thermophilic flora, total coliform, fecal coliform, Streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and mesophilic fungi) were monitored over three months to ascertain the compost maturity and to ensure the compost hygienic aspect. The final products were characterized by their relatively high organic matter content, and low C/N ratio of 10.6-10.9. The organic matter degradation was reached approximately 59% for C2 and C3. In addition, the monitoring of the microbial population showed that the produced composts are mature and hygienic. The agronomic valorization of the final composts was tested on radish plant with tree level of composts and poultry manure without composting. The primary results of field trial showed a growth of radish plant biomass and root development without any phytotoxicity detected which reflects the quality of the composts produced. As for poultry manure it allowed to have a better results than other composts because of its readily available nitrogen.

Keywords: compost, municipal organic wastes, poultry manure, radish crop, sugar beet lime sludge

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Authors: Saddam Hussain, Ghadeer Mohsen Albadrani

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Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Being a country where 23% of the country’s GDP relies on agriculture, this is a serious cause of concern. Introducing industrial hemp in Pakistan can help build climate resilience in the agricultural sector of the country, as hemp has recently emerged as a sustainable, eco-friendly, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient crop globally. Hemp has the potential to absorb huge amounts of CO₂, nourish the soil, and be used to create various biodegradable and eco-friendly products. Hemp is twice as effective as trees at absorbing and locking up carbon, with 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of hemp reckoned to absorb 8 to 22 tonnes of CO₂ a year, more than any woodland. Along with its high carbon-sequestration ability, it produces higher biomass and can be successfully grown as a cover crop. Hemp can grow in almost all soil conditions and does not require pesticides. It has fast-growing qualities and needs only 120 days to be ready for harvest. Compared with cotton, hemp requires 50% less water to grow and can produce three times higher fiber yield with a lower ecological footprint. Recently, the Government of Pakistan has allowed the cultivation of industrial hemp for industrial and medicinal purposes, making it possible for hemp to be reinserted into the country’s economy. Pakistan’s agro-climatic and edaphic conditions are well-suitable to produce industrial hemp, and its cultivation can bring economic benefits to the country. Pakistan can enter global markets as a new exporter of hemp products. The production of hemp in Pakistan can be most exciting to the workforce, especially for farmers participating in hemp markets. The minimum production cost of hemp makes it affordable to small holding farmers, especially those who need their cropping system to be as highly sustainable as possible. Dr. Saddam Hussain is leading the first pilot project of Industrial Hemp in Pakistan. In the past three years, he has been able to recruit high-impact research grants on industrial hemp as Principal Investigator. He has already screened the non-toxic hemp genotypes, tested the adaptability of exotic material in various agroecological conditions, formulated the production agronomy, and successfully developed the complete value chain. He has developed prototypes (fabric, denim, knitwear) using hemp fibre in collaboration with industrial partners and has optimized the indigenous fibre processing techniques. In this lecture, Dr. Hussain will talk on hemp agronomy and its complete fibre value chain. He will discuss the current progress, and will highlight the major challenges and future research direction on hemp research.

Keywords: industrial hemp, agricultural sustainability, agronomic evaluation, hemp value chain

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Authors: Iis Diatin, Yani Hadiroseyani, Muhammad Mujahid, Ahmad Teduh, Juang R. Matangaran

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One of silica quarry managed by a mining company is located at Sukabumi District of West Java Province Indonesia with an area of approximately 70 hectares. Since 2013 this company stopped the mining activities. The company tries to restore the ecosystem post-mining with rehabilitation activities such as reclamation and revegetation of their ex-mining area. After three years planting the area the trees grown well. Not only planting some tree species but also some cover crop has covered the soil surface. There are two settling ponds located in the middle of the ex-mining area. Those settling pond were built in order to prevent the effect of acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage (AMD) or the acidic water is created when sulphide minerals are exposed to air and water and through a natural chemical reaction produce sulphuric acid. AMD is the main pollutant at the open pit mining. The objective of the research was to analyze the effect of revegetation on water quality change at the settling pond. The physical and chemical of water quality parameter were measured and analysed at site and at the laboratory. Physical parameter such as temperature, turbidity and total organic matter were analyse. Also heavy metal and some other chemical parameter such as dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, pH, total ammonia nitrogen, nitrate and nitrite were analysed. The result showed that the acidity of first settling pond was higher than that of the second settling pond. Both settling pond water’s contained heavy metal. The turbidity and total organic matter were the parameter of water quality which become better after revegetation.

Keywords: acid mine drainage, ex-mining area, revegetation, settling pond, water quality

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Authors: Chia-Chia Chang, Jhen-Ting Huang, Hu-Cheng Weng, An-Ya Lo

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This study developed a simple hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) synthesis process and used for supercapacitor application. In which, mesopore provides huge specific surface area, meanwhile, macropore provides excellent mass transfer. Thus the hierarchical porous electrode improves the charge-discharge performance. On the other hand, cerium oxide (CeO2) have also got a lot research attention owing to its rich in content, low in price, environmentally friendly, good catalytic properties, and easy preparation. Besides, a rapid redox reaction occurs between trivalent cerium and tetravalent cerium releases oxygen atom and increase the conductivity. In order to prevent CeO2 from disintegration under long-term charge-discharge operation, the CeO2 carbon porous materials were was integrated as composite material in this study. For in the ex-situ analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis were adopted to identify the surface morphology, crystal structure, and microstructure of the composite. 77K Nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis was used to analyze the porosity of each specimen. For the in-situ test, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronopotentiometry (CP) were conducted by potentiostat to understand the charge and discharge properties. Ragone plot was drawn to further analyze the resistance properties. Based on above analyses, the effect of macropores/mespores and the CeO2/HPC ratios on charge-discharge performance were investigated. As a result, the capacitance can be greatly enhanced by 2.6 times higher than pristine mesoporous carbon electrode.

Keywords: hierarchical porous carbon, cerium oxide, supercapacitor

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Authors: Thidarat Imyen, Paisan Kongkachuichay

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Cu-Zn/core-shell Al-MCM-41 catalyst with various copper species, prepared by a combination of three methods—substitution, ion-exchange, and impregnation, was studied for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3 at 300 °C for 150 min. In order to investigate the effects of Zn introduction on the nature of the catalyst, Cu/core-shell Al-MCM-41 and Zn/core-shell Al-MCM-41 catalysts were also studied. The roles of Zn promoter in the acidity and the NOx adsorption properties of the catalysts were investigated by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of NH3 and NOx adsorption, and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of NH3 and NOx. The results demonstrated that the acidity of the catalyst was enhanced by the Zn introduction, as exchanged Zn(II) cations loosely bonded with Al-O-Si framework could create Brønsted acid sites by interacting with OH groups. Moreover, Zn species also provided the additional sites for NO adsorption in the form of nitrite (NO2–) and nitrate (NO3–) species, which are the key intermediates for SCR reaction. In addition, the effect of Zn on the nature of copper was studied by in situ FTIR of CO adsorption and in situ X-ray adsorption near edge structure (XANES). It was found that Zn species hindered the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(0), resulting in higher Cu(I) species in the Zn promoted catalyst. The Cu-Zn/core-shell Al-MCM-41 exhibited higher catalytic activity compared with that of the Cu/core-shell Al-MCM-41 for the whole reaction time, as it possesses the highest amount of Cu(I) sites, which are responsible for SCR catalytic activity. The Cu-Zn/core-shell Al-MCM-41 catalyst also reached the maximum NO conversion of 100% with the average NO conversion of 76 %. The catalytic performance of the catalyst was further improved by using Zn promoter in the form of ZnO instead of reduced Zn species. The Cu-ZnO/core-shell Al-MCM-41 catalyst showed better catalytic performance with longer working reaction time, and achieved the average NO conversion of 81%.

Keywords: Al-MCM-41, copper, nitrogen oxide, selective catalytic reduction, zinc

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Authors: Zainab Bibi, Afsheen Aman, Shah Ali Ul Qader

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Endo-β-1,4-xylanases [EC 3.2.1.8] are one of the major groups of enzymes that are involved in degradation process of xylan and have several applications in food, textile and paper processing industries. Due to broad utility of endo-β-1,4-xylanase, researchers are focusing to increase the productivity of this hydrolase from various microbial species. Harsh industrial condition, faster reaction rate and efficient hydrolysis of xylan with low risk of contamination are critical requirements of industry that can be fulfilled by synthesizing the enzyme with efficient properties. In the current study, a newly isolated thermophile Geobacillus stearothermophilus KIBGE-IB29 was used in order to attain the maximum production of endo-1,4-β-xylanase. Bacterial culture was isolated from soil, collected around the blast furnace site of a steel processing mill, Karachi. Optimization of various nutritional and physical factors resulted the maximum synthesis of endo-1,4-β-xylanase from a thermophile. High production yield was achieved at 60°C and pH-6.0 after 24 hours of incubation period. Various nitrogen sources viz. peptone, yeast extract and meat extract improved the enzyme synthesis with 0.5%, 0.2% and 0.1% optimum concentrations. Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (0.25%), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (0.05%), ammonium sulfate (0.05%) and calcium chloride (0.01%) were noticed as valuable salts to improve the production of enzyme. The thermophilic nature of isolate, with its broad pH stability profile and reduced fermentation time indicates its importance for effective xylan saccharification and for large scale production of endo-1,4-β-xylanase.

Keywords: geobacillus, optimization, production, xylanase

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Authors: Ines Antunes, Andrea Massari, Concetta Bartucca

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Greenhouse gasses (GHG) role in the atmosphere has been well known since the 19th century; however, researchers have begun to relate them to climate changes only in the second half of the following century. From this moment, scientists started to correlate the presence of GHG such as CO₂ with the global warming phenomena. This has raised the awareness not only of those who were experts in this field but also of public opinion, which is becoming more and more sensitive to environmental pollution and sustainability issues. Nowadays the reduction of GHG emissions is one of the principal objectives of EU nations. The target is an 80% reduction of emissions in 2050 and to reach the important goal of carbon neutrality. Road sector is responsible for an important amount of those emissions (about 20%). The most part is due to traffic, but a good contribution is also given directly or indirectly from road construction and maintenance. Raw material choice and reuse of post-consumer plastic rather than a cleverer design of roads have an important contribution to reducing carbon footprint. Bituminous membranes can be successfully used as reinforcement systems in asphalt layers to improve road pavement performance against cracking. Composite materials coupling membranes with grids and/or fabrics should be able to combine improved tensile properties of the reinforcement with stress absorbing and waterproofing effects of membranes. Polyglass, with its brand dedicated to road construction and maintenance called Polystrada, has done more than this. The company's target was not only to focus sustainability on the final application but also to implement a greener mentality from the cradle to the grave. Starting from production, Polyglass has made important improvements finalized to increase efficiency and minimize waste. The installation of a trigeneration plant and the usage of selected production scraps inside the products as well as the reduction of emissions into the environment, are one of the main efforts of the company to reduce impact during final product build-up. Moreover, the benefit given by installing Polystrada products brings a significant improvement in road lifetime. This has an impact not only on the number of maintenance or renewal that needs to be done (build less) but also on traffic density due to works and road deviation in case of operations. During the end of the life of a road, Polystrada products can be 100% recycled and milled with classical systems used without changing the normal maintenance procedures. In this work, all these contributions were quantified in terms of CO₂ emission thanks to an LCA analysis. The data obtained were compared with a classical system or a standard production of a membrane. What it is possible to see is that the usage of Polyglass products for street maintenance and building gives a significant reduction of emissions in case of membrane installation under the road wearing course.

Keywords: CO₂ emission, LCA, maintenance, sustainability

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Authors: Yuri A. Kalvachev, Totka D. Todorova

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Zeolite mordenite has been investigated as a transition metal support for the preparation of efficient catalysts in the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The highly crystalline mordenite samples were treated with hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride to get hierarchical material with secondary porosity. The obtained supports by this method have a high active surface area, good diffusion properties and prevent the extraction of metal components during catalytic reactions. The active metal phases platinum and copper were loaded by impregnation on both mordenite materials (parent and acid treated counterparts). Monometalic Pt and Cu, and bimetallic Pt/Cu catalysts were obtained. The metal phases were fine dispersed as nanoparticles on the functional porous materials. The catalysts synthesized in this way were investigated in the reaction of complete oxidation of propane and benzene. Platinum, copper and platinum/copper were loaded and there catalytic activity was investigated and compared. All samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron measurements (XPS) and temperature programed reduction (TPR). The catalytic activity of the samples obtained is investigated in the reaction of complete oxidation of propane and benzene by using of Gas Chromatography (GC). The oxidation of three organic molecules was investigated—methane, propane and benzene. The activity of metal loaded mordenite catalysts for methane oxidation is almost the same for parent and treated mordenite as a support. For bigger molecules as propane and benzene, the activity of catalysts based on treated mordenite is higher than those based on parent zeolite.

Keywords: metal loaded catalysts, mordenite, VOCs oxidation, zeolites

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Authors: Ahmed F. Azmy, Amal E. Saafan, Tamer M. Essam, Magdy A. Amin, Shaban H. Ahmed

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Bacterial strains capable of degradation of malathion from the domestic sewage were isolated by an enrichment culture technique. Three bacterial strains were screened and identified as Acinetobacter baumannii (AFA), Pseudomonas aeruginosae (PS1),andPseudomonas mendocina (PS2) based on morphological, biochemical identification and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Acinetobacter baumannii AFA was the most efficient malathion degrading bacterium, so used for further biodegradation study. AFA was able to grow in mineral salt medium (MSM) supplemented with malathion (100 mg/l) as a sole carbon source, and within 14 days, 84% of the initial dose was degraded by the isolate measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Strain AFA could also degrade other organophosphorus compounds including diazenon, chlorpyrifos and fenitrothion. The effect of different culture conditions on the degradation of malathion like inoculum density, other carbon or nitrogen sources, temperature and shaking were examined. Degradation of malathion and bacterial cell growth were accelerated when culture media were supplemented with yeast extract, glucose and citrate. The optimum conditions for malathion degradation by strain AFA were; an inoculum density of 1.5x 1012CFU/ml at 30°C with shaking. A specific polymerase chain reaction primers were designed manually using multiple sequence alignment of the corresponding carboxylesterase enzymes of Acinetobacter species. Sequencing result of amplified PCR product and phylogenetic analysis showed low degree of homology with the other carboxylesterase enzymes of Acinetobacter strains, so we suggested that this enzyme is a novel esterase enzyme. Isolated bacterial strains may have potential role for use in bioremediation of malathion contaminated.

Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii, biodegradation, malathion, organophosphate pesticides

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Authors: A. O Amosu, A. M Hammed, G. W. Maneveldt, D. V. Robertson-Andersson

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In aquaculture, feed utilization is an important factor affecting growth of the target species, and thus the success of the aquaculture operation. Growth of C. gariepinus fingerlings (weight 1.60 ± 0.05 g; length 4.50 ± 0.07cm) was monitored in a closed door hatchery for a period of 21 days in an experiment consisting of 4 treatments stocked at 20 fish/10 litre tanks, fed in triplicate twice daily (08:30, 17:30) at 4% body weight with weight changes recorded every 3 days. Treatments were: 1) FeedX; 2) 35% crude protein diet + non enriched Ulva spp (11.18% crude protein) (CD + NEU); 3) 35% crude protein diet + enriched Ulva spp (11.98% crude protein)(CD +EU) and 4) control diet of 35% crude protein (CD). The production of Ulva spp. biomass was cultivated for a period of 3 months. The result shows that the fish fed macroalgal enriched diet had good growth, though no significant difference (p > 0.05) was recorded amongst the weight gain, %weight gain, specific growth rates and nitrogen metabolism of diets CD + NEU, CD + EU and CD. Significant differences (p < 0.05), were, however, found in the food conversion ratio (FCR) and gross food conversion ratio (gFCR) among the fingerlings across all the different experimental diets. The best FCRs were recorded for control diet (0.79 ± 2.39) and the Ulva enriched (1.75 ± 1.34) diets. The results suggest that the fingerlings were able to utilize Ulva supplemented with control diet better than the FeedX. We have shown that Ulva supplemented diets are good substitutes for formulated and commercial feeds, with potential to be successful fish feed in aquaculture systems.

Keywords: aquaculture, clarias gariepinus, growth, macroalgae, nutrient, ulva

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Authors: Y. Hajjam, I. T. Alami, S. M. Udupa, S. Cherkaoui

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Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important food legume crop in Morocco. It is mainly used as human food and feed for animals. Faba bean also plays an important role in cereal-based cropping systems, when rotated with cereals it improves soil fertility by fixing N2 in root nodules mediated by Rhizobium. Both faba bean and its biological nitrogen fixation symbiotic bacterium Rhizobium are affected by different stresses such as: salinity, drought, pH, heavy metal, and the uptake of inorganic phosphate compounds. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the phenotypic diversity among the faba bean rhizobial isolates and to select the tolerant strains that can fix N2 under environmental constraints for inoculation particularly for affected soils, in order to enhance the productivity of faba bean and to improve soil fertility. Result have shown that 62% of isolates were fast growing with the ability of producing acids compounds , while 38% of isolates are slow growing with production of alkalins. Moreover, 42.5% of these isolates were able to solubilize inorganic phosphate Ca3(PO4)2 and the index of solubilization was ranged from 2.1 to 3.0. The resistance to extreme pH, temperature, water stress heavy metals and antibiotics lead us to classify rhizobial isolates into different clusters. Finally, the authentication test under greenhouse conditions showed that 55% of the rhizobial isolates could induce nodule formation on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) under greenhouse experiment. This phenotypic characterization may contribute to improve legumes and non legumes crops especially in affected soils and also to increase agronomic yield in the dry areas.

Keywords: rhizobia, vicia faba, phenotypic characterization, nodule formation, environmental constraints

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Authors: Chinwendu R. Nnabalu, Gioia Falcone, Imma Bortone

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Petroleum refining is a chemical process in which the raw material (crude oil) is converted to finished commercial products for end users. The fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit is a key asset in refineries, requiring optimised processes in the context of engineering design. Following the first stage of separation of crude oil in a distillation tower, an additional 40 per cent quantity is attainable in the gasoline pool with further conversion of the downgraded product of crude oil (residue from the distillation tower) using a catalyst in the FCC process. Effective removal of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon and heavy metals from FCC gasoline requires greater separation efficiency and involves an enormous environmental significance. The FCC unit is primarily a reactor and regeneration system which employs cyclone systems for separation.  Catalyst losses in FCC cyclones lead to high particulate matter emission on the regenerator side and fines carryover into the product on the reactor side. This paper aims at demonstrating the importance of FCC unit design criteria in terms of technical performance and compliance with environmental legislation. A systematic review of state-of-the-art FCC technology was carried out, identifying its key technical challenges and sources of emissions.  Case studies of petroleum refineries in Nigeria were assessed against selected global case studies. The review highlights the need for further modelling investigations to help improve FCC design to more effectively meet product specification requirements while complying with stricter environmental legislation.

Keywords: design, emission, fluid catalytic cracking, petroleum refineries

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Authors: Olalekan Adekola, Margaret Gatonye, Paul Orina

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The growing demand for farmed fish by underdeveloped and developing countries as a means of contributing positively towards eradication of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition for their fast growing populations has implications to the environment. Likewise, climate change poses both an immediate and future threat to local fish production with capture fisheries already experiencing a global decline. This not only raises fundamental questions concerning how aquaculture practices affect the environment, but also how ready are aquaculture farmers to adapt to climate related hazards. This paper assesses existing aquaculture practices and approaches to adapting to climate hazards in Kenya, where aquaculture has grown rapidly since the year 2009. The growth has seen rise in aquaculture set ups mainly along rivers and streams, importation of seed and feed and intensification with possible environmental implications. The aquaculture value chain in the context of climate change and their implication for practice is further investigated, and the strategies necessary for an improved implementation of resilient aquaculture system in Kenya is examined. Data for the study are collected from interviews, questionnaires, two workshops and document analysis. Despite acclaimed nutritional benefit of fish consumption in Kenya, poor management of effluents enriched with nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and suspended solids has implications not just on the ecosystem, goods, and services, but is also potential source of resource-use conflicts especially in downstream communities and operators in the livestock, horticulture, and industrial sectors. The study concluded that aquaculture focuses on future orientation, climate resilient infrastructure, appropriate site selection and invest on biosafety as the key sustainable strategies against climate hazards.

Keywords: aquaculture, resilience, environment, strategies, Kenya

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Authors: Nasim Rasuli, Akram Ahmadi, Hossein Riahi, Zeinab Shariatmadari, Majid Ghorbani Nohooji, Pooyan Mehraban Joubani

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Cyanobacteria are one of the most promising sources of new biostimulants and have received much attention due to their diverse applications in biotechnology. These microorganisms enhance the growth and productivity of plants by producing plant growth stimulants and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Thymus vulgaris L., a valuable medicinal plant from the Lamiaceae family, is widely distributed across the globe. essential oil of T. vulgaris is best characterized by the prominence of phenols, making them the key compounds in its composition. Lignin biosynthesis as a natural plant polyphenol plays a crucial role in promoting plant growth, strengthening cell walls, and increasing resistance to pathogens. In this study, the bioelicitor activity of five cyanobacterial suspensions including Anabaena torulosa ISB213, Nostoc calcicola ISB215, Nostoc ellipsosporum ISB217, Trichormus doliolum ISB214, and Oscillatoria sp. ISB2116 on the lignin content of the T. vulgaris L. was investigated. Pot experiments were performed by inoculation of a %2 algal extract to the soil of treated plants one week before planting and then every 20 days. After four months, the lignin content in the leaves of both treated and control plants was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the application of cyanobacteria significantly increased the lignin content in the leaves of treated plants compared to the control. The treatment with Oscillatoria sp. ISB216 and N. ellipsosporum ISB217 resulted in the highest lignin content, with an increase of 93.33% and 86.67%, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of cyanobacteria as bioelicitors, offering a viable alternative for enhancing the production of secondary metabolites in T. vulgaris. Consequently, this could contribute to the economic value of this medicinal plant.

Keywords: cyanobacteria, bioelicitor, thymus vulgaris, lignin

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Authors: Eisa Younes Alblooshi

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Counterterrorism strategies, to be effective and efficient, require a sound understanding of the dynamics, the interlinked organizational elements of the terrorist outfits being combated, with a view to having cognizance of their strong points to be guarded against, as well as the vulnerable zones that can be targeted for optimal results in a timely fashion by counterterrorism agencies. A unique model regarding the organizational imperatives was evolved in this research through likening the terrorist organizations with the traditional commercial ones, with a view to understanding in detail the dynamics of interconnectivity and dependencies, and the related compulsions facing the leaderships of such outfits that provide counterterrorism agencies with opportunities for forging better strategies. It involved assessing the evolving organizational dynamics and imperatives of different types of terrorist organizations, to enable the researcher to construct a prototype model that defines the progression and linkages of the related organizational elements of such organizations. It required detailed analysis of how the various elements are connected, with sequencing identified, as any outfit positions itself with respect to its external environment and internal dynamics. A case study focusing on a transnational radical religious state-sponsored terrorist organization was conducted to validate the research findings and to further strengthen the specific counterterrorism strategies. Six different variants of the business model of terrorist organizations were identified, categorized based on their outreach, mission, and status of any state sponsorship. The variants represent vast majority of the range of terrorist organizations acting locally or globally. The model shows the progression and dynamics of these organizations through various dimensions including mission, leadership, outreach, state sponsorship status, resulting in the organizational structure, state of autonomy, preference divergence in its fold, recruitment core, propagation avenues, down to their capacity to adapt, resulting critically in their own life cycles. A major advantage of the model is the utility of mapping terrorist organizations according to their fits to the sundry identified variants, allowing for flexibility and differences within, enabling the researchers and counterterrorism agencies to observe a neat blueprint of the organization’s footprint, along with highlighting the areas to be evaluated for focused target zone selection and timing of counterterrorism interventions. Special consideration is given to the dimension of financing, keeping in context the latest developments regarding cryptocurrencies, hawala, and global anti-money laundering initiatives. Specific counterterrorism strategies and intervention points have been identified for each of the respective model variants, with a view to efficient and effective deployment of resources.

Keywords: terrorism, counterterrorism, model, strategy

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Authors: Melanie Macgregor-Ramiasa, Isabel Hopp, Patricia Murray, Krasimir Vasilev

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Stem cells based therapies are one of the greatest promises of new-age medicine due to their potential to help curing most dreaded conditions such as cancer, diabetes and even auto-immune disease. However, establishing suitable in vitro culture materials allowing to control the fate of stem cells remain a challenge. Amongst the factor influencing stem cell behavior, substrate chemistry and nanotopogaphy are particularly critical. In this work, we used plasma assisted surface modification methods to produce model substrates with tailored nanotopography and controlled chemistry. Three different sizes of gold nanoparticles were bound to amine rich plasma polymer layers to produce homogeneous and gradient surface nanotopographies. The outer chemistry of the substrate was kept constant for all substrates by depositing a thin layer of our patented biocompatible polyoxazoline plasma polymer on top of the nanofeatures. For the first time, protein adsorption and stem cell behaviour (mouse kidney stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells) were evaluated on nanorough plasma deposited polyoxazoline thin films. Compared to other nitrogen rich coatings, polyoxazoline plasma polymer supports the covalent binding of proteins. Moderate surface nanoroughness, in both size and density, triggers cell proliferation. In association with polyoxazoline coating, cell proliferation is further enhanced on nanorough substrates. Results are discussed in term of substrates wetting properties. These findings provide valuable insights on the mechanisms governing the interactions between stem cells and their growth support.

Keywords: nanotopography, stem cells, differentiation, plasma polymer, oxazoline, gold nanoparticles

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Authors: Jamal Radaideh

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Al-Asfar Lake is located about 14 km east of Al-Ahsa and is one of the most important wetland lakes in the Al Ahsa/Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Al-Ahsa is may be the largest oasis in the world, having an area of 20,000 hectares, in addition, it is of the largest and oldest agricultural centers in the region. The surplus farm irrigation water beside additional water supplied by treated wastewater from Al-Hofuf sewage station is collected by a drainage network and discharged into Al-Asfar Lake. The lake has good wetlands, sand dunes as well as large expanses of open and shallow water. Salt tolerant vegetation is present in some of the shallow areas around the lake, and huge stands of Phragmites reeds occur around the lake. The lake presents an important habitat for wildlife and birds, something not expected to find in a large desert. Although high evaporation rates in the range of 3250 mm are common, the water remains in the evaporation lakes during all seasons of the year is used to supply cattle with drinking water and for aquifer recharge. Investigations showed that high concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and salinity discharge to Al Asfar Lake from the D2 drain exist. It is expected that the majority of BOD, COD and N originates from wastewater discharge and leachate from surplus irrigation water which also contribute to the majority of P and salinity. The significant content of nutrients and biological oxygen demand reduces available oxygen in the water. The present project aimed to improve the water quality of the lake using constructed wetland trains which will be built around the lake. Phragmites reeds, which already occur around the lake, will be used.

Keywords: Al Asfar lake, constructed wetland, water quality, water treatment

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Authors: Faraz Zarghami, Elham Anari, Nosratollah Zarghami, Yones Pilehvar-Soltanahmadi, Abolfazl Akbarzadeh, Sepideh Jalilzadeh-Tabrizi

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The development of nanotherapy has presented a new method of drug delivery targeted directly to the neoplasmic tissues, to maximize the action with fewer dose requirements. In the past two decades, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has frequently been investigated by many researchers and is a popular polymeric candidate, due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability, exhibition of a wide range of erosion times, tunable mechanical properties, and most notably, because it is a FDA-approved polymer. Chrysin is a natural flavonoid which has been reported to have some significant biological effects on the processes of chemical defense, nitrogen fixation, inflammation, and oxidation. However, the low solubility in water decreases its bioavailability and consequently disrupts the biomedical benefits. Being loaded with PLGA-PEG increases chrysin solubility and drug tolerance, and decreases the discordant effects of the drug. The well-structured chrysin efficiently accumulates in the breast cancer cell line (T47D). In the present study, the structure and chrysin loading were delineated using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the in vitro cytotoxicity of pure and nanochrysin was studied by the MTT assay. Next, the RNA was exploited and the cytotoxic effects of chrysin were studied by real-time PCR. In conclusion, the nanochrysin therapy developed is a novel method that could increase cytotoxicity to cancer cells without damaging the normal cells, and would be promising in breast cancer therapy.

Keywords: MTT assay, chrysin, flavonoids, nanotherapy

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Authors: Bhairi Lakshminarayana, Surajit Sarker, Ch. Subrahmanyam

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The present study reports the development of noble metal free nano catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation and water gas shift reaction. Mn-substituted CeO2 solid solution catalysts were synthesized by co-precipitation, combustion and hydrothermal methods. The formation of solid solution was confirmed by XRD with Rietveld refinement and the percentage of carbon and nitrogen doping was ensured by CHNS analyzer. Raman spectroscopic confirmed the oxygen vacancies. The surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution confirmed by N2 physisorption analysis, whereas, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and XPS data confirmed the oxidation state of the Mn ion. The particle size and morphology (spherical shape) of the material was confirmed using FESEM and HRTEM analysis. Ce0.8Mn0.2O2-δ was calcined at 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the catalyst calcined at 400 °C has the best redox properties. The activity of the designed catalysts for CO oxidation (0.2 vol%), carried out with GHSV of 21,000 h-1 and it has been observed that co-precipitation favored the best active catalyst towards CO oxidation and water gas shift reaction, due to the high surface area, improved reducibility, oxygen mobility and highest quantity of surface oxygen species. The activation energy of low temperature CO oxidation on Ce0.8Mn0.2O2- δ (combustion) was 5.5 kcal.K-1.mole-1. The designed catalysts were tested for water gas shift reaction. The present study demonstrates that Mn ion substituted ceria at 400 °C calcination temperature prepared by co-precipitation method promise to revive a green sustainable energy production approach.

Keywords: Ce0.8Mn0.2O2-ð, CO oxidation, physicochemical characterization, water gas shift reaction (WGS)

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Authors: Sreetama Ghosh, Sundara Ramaprabhu

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Carbon dioxide gas has been a major cause for the worldwide increase in green house effect, which leads to climate change and global warming. So CO₂ capture & sequestration has become an effective way to reduce the concentration of CO₂ in the environment. One such way to capture CO₂ in porous materials is by adsorption process. A potential material in this aspect is porous hexagonal boron nitride or 'white graphene' which is a well-known two-dimensional layered material with very high thermal stability. It had been investigated that the sample with hierarchical pore structure and high specific surface area shows excellent performance in capturing carbon dioxide gas and thereby mitigating the problem of environmental pollution to the certain extent. Besides, the presence of sulfur as well as nitrogen in the sample synergistically helps in the increase in adsorption capacity. In this work, a cost effective single step synthesis of highly porous boron nitride nanosheets doped with sulfur had been demonstrated. Besides, the CO₂ adsorption-desorption studies were carried on using a pressure reduction technique. The studies show that the nanosheets exhibit excellent cyclic stability in storage performance. Thermodynamic studies suggest that the adsorption takes place mainly through physisorption. The studies show that the nanosheets exhibit excellent cyclic stability in storage performance. Further, the surface modification of the highly porous nano sheets carried out by incorporating ionic liquids had further enhanced the capturing capability of CO₂ gas in the nanocomposite, revealing that this particular material has the potential to be an excellent adsorbent of carbon dioxide gas.

Keywords: CO₂ capture, hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, porous network, sulfur doping

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Authors: Parul Johri, Mala Trivedi

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Major Intrinsic proteins (MIPs), actively involved in the passive transport of small polar molecules across the membranes of almost all living organisms. MIPs that specifically transport water molecules are named aquaporins (AQPs). The permeability of membranes is actively controlled by the regulation of the amount of different MIPs present but also in some cases by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the channel. Based on sequence similarity, MIPs have been classified into many categories. All of the proteins are made up of the 20 amino acids, the only difference is there in their orientations. Again all the 20 amino acids are made up of the basic five elements namely: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur and nitrogen. These elements are responsible for giving the amino acids the properties of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity which play an important role in protein interactions. The hydrophobic amino acids characteristically have greater number of carbon atoms as carbon is the main element which contributes to hydrophobic interactions in proteins. It is observed that the carbon level of proteins in different species is different. In the present work, we have taken a sample set of 150 aquaporins proteins from Uniprot database and a dynamic programming code was written to calculate the carbon percentage for each sequence. This carbon percentage was further used to barcode the aqauporins of animals and plants. The protein taken from Oryza sativa, Zea mays and Arabidopsis thaliana preferred to have carbon percentage of 31.8 to 35, whereas on the other hand sequences taken from Mus musculus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Homo sapiens, Bos Taurus, and Rattus norvegicus preferred to have carbon percentage of 31 to 33.7. This clearly demarks the carbon range in the aquaporin proteins from plant and animal origin. Hence the atom level analysis of protein sequences can provide us with better results as compared to the residue level comparison.

Keywords: aquaporins, carbon, dynamic prgramming, MIPs

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Authors: Seongwon Im, Jimin Kim, Kyeongcheol Kim, Dong-Hoon Kim

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Cattle manure (CM) produced from farmhas been utilized to soils for increasing crop production owing to high nutrients content and effective microorganisms. Some cities with the concentrated activity of livestock industry have suffered from environmental problems, such as odorous gas emissions and soil and water pollution, caused by excessive use of compost. As an alternative option, the anaerobic digestion (AD) process can be utilized, which can reduce the volume of organic waste but also produce energy. According to Korea-Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (KMTIE), the energy potential of CM via biogas production was estimated to be 0.8 million TOE per year, which is higher than that of other organic wastes. However, limited energy is recovered since useful organic matter, capable of converting to biogas, may be degraded during the long storage period (1-6 months).In this study, the effect of storage period on biogas potential of CM was investigated. Compared to fresh CM (VS 14±1 g/L, COD 205±5 g/L, TKN 7.4±0.8 g/L, NH4+-N 1.5±0.1), old CM has higher organic (35-37%) and nitrogen content (50-100%) due to the drying process during storage. After stabilization period, biogas potential of 0.09 L CH4/g VS was obtained in R1 (old CM supplement) at HRT of 150-100 d, and it was decreased further to 0.06 L CH4/g VS at HRT of 80 d. The drop of pH and organic acids accumulation were not observed during the whole operation of R1. Ammonia stripping and pretreatment of CM were found to be not effective to increase CH4 yield. On the other hand, a sudden increase of biogas potential to 0.19-0.22 L CH4/g VS was achieved in R2 after changing feedstock to fresh CM. The expected reason for the low biogas potential of old CM might be related with the composition of organic matters in CM. Easily biodegradable organic matters in the fresh CM were contained in high concentration, butthey were removed by microorganisms during storing CM in a farm, resulting low biogas yield. This study implies that fresh storage is important to make AD process applicable for CM.

Keywords: storage period, cattle manure, biogas potential, microbial analysis

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