Optimized microbial fuel cell-powered electro-Fenton processes to enhance electricity and bisphenol A removal by varying external resistance and electrolyte concentrations.

This study is the first to investigate the effects of external resistance and electrolyte concentration on the performance of a bioelectro-Fenton (BEF) system, involving measurements of power density, HO generation, and bisphenol A (BPA) removal efficiency. With optimized operating conditions (external resistance of 1.12 kΩ and cathodic NaCl concentration of 1,657 mg/L), the BEF system achieved a maximum power density of 38.

Optimized combination of zero-valent iron and oxygen-releasing biochar as cathodes of microbial fuel cells to enhance copper migration in sediment.

Membrane-less single-medium sediment microbial fuel cells (single-SMFC) can remove Cu from sediment through electromigration. However, the high mass transfer resistance of the sediment and amount of oxygen at the cathode of the SMFC limit its Cu removal ability. Therefore, this study used an oxygen-releasing bead (ORB) for slow oxygen release to increase oxygen at the SMFC cathode and improve the mass transfer property of the sediment.

Sensitivity and reusability of a simple microbial fuel cell-based sensor for detecting bisphenol A in wastewater.

Polycarbonate plastic processing wastewater contains high concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), requiring a real-time technology to monitor wastewater containing BPA. Since the activity of electrogenic microorganisms on the anode surface of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) sensor is inhibited by exposure to contaminants, the toxicity of contaminants in wastewater can be determined by observing the variation in voltage output from the MFC sensor. The simple MFC sensor that is developed in this work exhibited a significant decrease in voltage output in BPA-containing wastewater concentration of 5-100 mg/L.

Effects of biodegradation, biotoxicity and microbial community on biostimulation of sulfolane.

To evaluate the effectiveness of biostimulation in remediating soil-free groundwater and groundwater with soil, experiments were conducted using soil and groundwater samples that were contaminated with sulfolane. The main objective was to characterize the differences in sulfolane removal efficiency and biotoxicity between in situ soil-free groundwater and groundwater with soil and different concentrations of dissolved oxygen (1 mg/L and 5 mg/L) and various nutrient salts (in situ and spiked). Optimizing the nutrient salt conditions improved the removal efficiency of sulfolane by 1.

Performance of bioelectrochemical systems in treating exhaust gas with power generation: Effects of shock-load, shut-down episodes and microbial community.

A diffusive packed anode-bioelectrochemical (Dpa-Bes) system was constructed by feeding waste gas from the cathode to the anode tank in DPa-Bes through a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The high removal of oxygen by the PEM and the effective combination of the two packing materials reduced the electron loss and enhanced the proton transfer capacity, promoting the removal of acetone from the exhaust gas and increasing the output power. The maximum acetone removal efficiency of the modified Dpa-Bes reached ∼99 % after seven days of closed-circuit operation, with a 3.

Antireflux mucosal intervention (ARMI) procedures for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Endoscopic treatments are increasingly being offered for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Three procedures have similar concepts and techniques: antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS), antireflux mucosal ablation (ARMA), and antireflux band ligation (ARBL); we have collectively termed them antireflux mucosal intervention (ARMI). Here, we systematically reviewed the clinical outcomes and technical aspects.

Waste expanded polystyrene modified with HSO/biodegradable chelating agent for reuse: As a highly efficient adsorbent to remove fluoroquinolone antibiotic from water.

Untreated wastewater containing fluoroquinolone antibiotics poses serious hazards to aquatic species and human health; therefore, treatment of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a crucial environmental matter. In this study, waste EPS was modified with a HSO/biodegradable chelating agent, [S,S]-ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS), and used for highly efficient adsorption of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin. When ciprofloxacin of 25 mg/L was used, the HSO-modified EPS (EPS) adsorbed 60.

Gaseous isopropanol removal in a microbial fuel cell with deoxidizing anode: Performance, anode characteristics and microbial community.

A deoxidizing packing material (DPM) with an encapsulated deoxidizing agent (DA) was developed to construct the packed anodes of a trickle-bed microbial fuel cell (TB-MFC) for treating waste gas. The encapsulated DA can consume O in waste gas and increase the voltage output and power density (PD) of the constructed TB-MFC. The DPM effectively enables the circulating water in TB-MFC for maintaining a low level of dissolved oxygen for 80 h.

Improving the performance of biotrickling filter microbial fuel cells in treating exhaust gas by adjusting the oxygen content of the anode tank.

A biotrickling filter (BTF) was combined with a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to remove ethyl acetate from exhaust gas while generating electricity in the process. The results indicated that the use of carbide porous ceramic rings (CPCR) as auxiliary anodes produced more biomass and exhibited a high average removal efficiency (98%), making it a superior microorganism growth carrier compared with carbon coke. When CPCR was used as the cathode in the BTF-MFC, the maximum power density (PD) was 5.

Rapid modification of waste expanded polystyrene with HSO/trace persulfate in one pot for effective adsorption of fluoroquinolone antibiotic and its regeneration.

Norfloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is widely used to treat microbial infections. However, untreated norfloxacin-containing wastewater poses serious threats to the ecosystem and human health. The treatment of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) by landfilling or incineration could cause environmental problems.

Critical factors for enhancing the bioremediation of a toxic pollutant at high concentrations in groundwater: Toxicity evaluation, degrader tolerance, and microbial community.

Groundwater near refinery and natural gas plants often contain elevated concentrations of toxic sulfolane. Studies on any concentration of sulfolane are limited. Column experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of adding a low dose of HO and nutrient on bioremediation.

Evaluation use of bioaugmentation and biostimulation to improve degradation of sulfolane in artificial groundwater.

Column systems were used to evaluate the effectiveness of different bioremediation methods (biostimulation (BS) and bioaugmentation (BA)) in treating sulfolane-contaminated groundwater. Batch test results confirmed that Cupriavidus sp. Y9 (Y9) was the most effective strain for BA.

Kinetics of biocathodic electron transfer in a bioelectrochemical system coupled with chemical absorption for NO removal.

A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been developing for enhanced absorbent regeneration in a chemical absorption-biological reduction integrated process for NO removal. In this work, the kinetics of electron transfer involved in the biocathodes along Fe(III)EDTA and Fe(II)EDTA-NO reduction was analyzed simultaneously. A modified Nernst-Monod kinetics considering the Faraday efficiency was applied to describe the electron transfer kinetics of Fe(III)EDTA reduction.

Enhancement of power generation with concomitant removal of toluene from artificial groundwater using a mini microbial fuel cell with a packed-composite anode.

Composite beads are packed in the anode chamber of a microbial fuel cell (MFC), providing more area for microbial attachment and growth, increasing the efficiency of removal of toluene from toluene-contaminated groundwater. The composite beads were fabricated by integrating carbon coke (CC) with a relatively large specific surface area to which microorganisms easily adhere with conductive carbon black (CCB), which has low electrical resistance. Since the advantages of both are complementary, the power generation of MFC is improved.

Inducing laccase activity in white rot fungi using copper ions and improving the efficiency of azo dye treatment with electricity generation using microbial fuel cells.

This work presents a white rot fungus-microbial fuel cell (WRF-MFC) that uses WRF that is grown at its cathode. Adding Cu to the fungi-containing solid medium stimulated WRF-secreting laccase, which catalyzed the redox reaction in the MFC and thereby promoting the generation of electricity. Adding 12.

Performance of trickling bed microbial fuel cell treating isopropyl alcohol vapor: Effects of shock-load and shut-down episodes.

This work investigates the enhancement in the removal efficiency of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor by a hollow trickling-bed microbial fuel cell (TB-MFC) that can be achieved by certain modifications. The effects of shock load and shutdown on the performance of TB-MFC were evaluated. When organic loading (OL) of IPA was approximately 22.

Bioremediation capability evaluation of benzene and sulfolane contaminated groundwater: Determination of bioremediation parameters.

Benzene and sulfolane are commonly used but hazardous chemicals in the petrochemical industry and their leakage and inappropriate disposal certainly causes serious soil and groundwater contamination. In this research, the bioremediation potential of groundwater contaminated with benzene and sulfolane was evaluated, and the operating parameters for bioremediation were established through laboratory batch experiments. Among the various bacterial consortia, the bacterial population of monitoring well c (MWc) contained the highest sulfolane and benzene removal efficiencies.

Innovative encapsulated oxygen-releasing beads for bioremediation of BTEX at high concentration in groundwater.

Both a low concentration of dissolved oxygen and the toxicity of a high concentration of BTEX inhibit the bioremediation of BTEX in groundwater. A novel method of preparing encapsulated oxygen-releasing beads (encap-ORBs) for the biodegradation of BTEX in groundwater was developed. Experimental results show that the integrality and oxygen-releasing capacity of encap-ORBs exceeded those of ORBs.

Electricity production and benzene removal from groundwater using low-cost mini tubular microbial fuel cells in a monitoring well.

A low-cost mini tubular microbial fuel cell (MFC) was developed for treating groundwater that contained benzene in monitoring wells. Experimental results indicate that increasing the length and density, and reducing the size of the char particles in the anode effectively reduced the internal resistance. Additionally, a thinner polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel separator and PVA with a higher molecular weight improved electricity generation.

Automated in situ brain imaging for mapping the Drosophila connectome.

Mapping the connectome, a wiring diagram of the entire brain, requires large-scale imaging of numerous single neurons with diverse morphology. It is a formidable challenge to reassemble these neurons into a virtual brain and correlate their structural networks with neuronal activities, which are measured in different experiments to analyze the informational flow in the brain. Here, we report an in situ brain imaging technique called Fly Head Array Slice Tomography (FHAST), which permits the reconstruction of structural and functional data to generate an integrative connectome in Drosophila.

Polyethylene glycol-coated graphene oxide attenuates antigen-specific IgE production and enhanced antigen-induced T-cell reactivity in ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice.

Background: Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising nanomaterial for potential application in the versatile field of biomedicine. Graphene-based nanomaterials have been reported to modulate the functionality of immune cells in culture and to induce pulmonary inflammation in mice. Evidence pertaining to the interaction between graphene-based nanomaterials and the immune system in vivo remains scarce.

Wheatstone bridge giant-magnetoresistance based cell counter.

A Wheatstone bridge giant magnetoresistance (GMR) biosensor was proposed here for the detection and counting of magnetic cells. The biosensor was made of a top-pinned spin-valve layer structure, and it was integrated with a microchannel possessing the function of hydrodynamic focusing that allowed the cells to flow in series one by one and ensured the accuracy of detection. Through measuring the magnetoresistance variation caused by the stray field of the magnetic cells that flowed through the microchannel above the GMR biosensor, we can not only detect and count the cells but we can also recognize cells with different magnetic moments.

Triterpenoids and steroids from Ganoderma mastoporum and their inhibitory effects on superoxide anion generation and elastase release.

The methanol extracts of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma mastoporum collected in Vietnam was purified to afford eight compounds, including three triterpenoids and five steroids. The purified compounds were examined for their inhibitory effects against superoxide anion generation and elastase release. Among the tested compounds, ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (3) exhibited the most significant inhibition towards superoxide anion generation and elastase release with IC50 values of 2.

Alleviation of metal and BTEX inhibition on BTEX degradation using PVA-immobilized degrader: kinetic model of BTEX degradation.

Alleviation of metal inhibition on BTEX degradation using PVA-immobilized degrader (Mycobacterium sp. CHXY119) was investigated. When BTEX of 29 mg L(-1) [B:T:E:X = 1:1:1:1 (mg)] was used, more than 99 % of BTEX was simultaneously degraded by the free cells within 170 h.

Bioaugmented remediation of high concentration BTEX-contaminated groundwater by permeable reactive barrier with immobilized bead.

Ineffective biostimulation requires immediate development of new technologies for remediation of high concentration BTEX-contaminated (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) groundwater. In this study, bioaugmentation with Mycobacterium sp. CHXY119 and Pseudomonas sp.