Cold weather operability is sometimes a limiting factor in the use of biodiesel blends for transportation. Regional temperature variability can therefore influence biodiesel adoption, with potential economic and environmental implications. This study assesses present and future biodiesel cold weather operability limits in North America according to temperature data from weather stations, atmospheric reanalysis, and global climate models with highest resolution over Ontario, Canada.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA key motivation behind the development and adoption of industrial biotechnology is the reduction of negative environmental impacts. However, accurately assessing these impacts remains a formidable task. Environmental impacts of industrial biotechnology may be significant across a number of categories that include, but may not be limited to, nonrenewable resource depletion, water withdrawals and consumption, climate change, and natural land transformation/occupation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCan J Kidney Health Dis
May 2018
Kt/V is a nondimensional number and a scaling parameter that has, with arbitrary definitions, been recast as a measure of dialysis by Gotch and Lysaght. This editorial discusses the concept of nondimensional numbers within the context of dialysis measurement, modeling, and medical evidence. It concludes that Gotch's Kt/V, Lysaght's Kt/V, and standardized Kt/V are not well suited to measure dialysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLignocellulosic ethanol has potential for lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline and conventional grain-based ethanol. Ethanol production 'pathways' need to meet economic and environmental goals. Numerous life cycle assessments of lignocellulosic ethanol have been published over the last 15 years, but gaps remain in understanding life cycle performance due to insufficient data, and model and methodological issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper aims to comprehensively distinguish among the merits of different vehicles using a common primary energy source. In this study, we consider compressed natural gas (CNG) use directly in conventional vehicles (CV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and natural gas-derived electricity (NG-e) use in plug-in battery electric vehicles (BEV). This study evaluates the incremental life cycle air emissions (climate change and human health) impacts and life cycle ownership costs of non-plug-in (CV and HEV) and plug-in light-duty vehicles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur study evaluates life cycle energy use and GHG emissions of lignocellulosic ethanol and bioelectricity use in U.S. light-duty vehicles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Non-dimensional analysis is a powerful approach that can be applied to multivariate problems to better understand their behaviour and interpret complex interactions of variables. It is has not been rigorously applied to the parameters that define renal dialysis treatments and may provide insight into the planning of hemodialysis treatments.
Methods: Buckingham's non-dimensional approach was applied to the parameters that define hemodialysis treatments.
In this article, the mechanisms of thermoinactivation of glucose isomerase (GI) from Streptomyces rubiginosus (in soluble and immobilized forms) were investigated, particularly the contributions of thiol oxidation of the enzyme's cysteine residue and a "Maillard-like" reaction between the enzyme and sugars in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Soluble GI (SGI) was successfully immobilized on silica gel (13.5 microm particle size), with an activity yield between 20 and 40%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Biochem Biotechnol
September 2006
Studies were conducted on maltodextrin saccharification and on simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with various commercial glucoamylases. In kinetics studies, none of the glucoamylases were able to completely convert maltodextrin into glucose. Typically, about 85% conversion was obtained, and glucose yields were about 75%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Biochem Biotechnol
July 2004
The performance of cellulase and amylase immobilized on siliceous supports was investigated. Enzyme uptake onto the support depended on the enzyme source and immobilization conditions. For amylase, the uptake ranged between 20 and 60%, and for cellulase, 7-10%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe degradation of phenol by tyrosinase immobilized on chemically modified sodium aluminosilicate (NaA), calcium aluminosilicate (CaA), and silica gel was studied. Phenol conversion by immobilized tyrosinase ranged between approximately 15% and 60%, depending upon the initial phenol concentration, pH, and enzyme loading. Tyrosinase immobilized on CaA and on NaA could be re-used repeatedly without any decrease in performance.
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