Mechanism simulation of polar and nonpolar organic solvent vapor adsorption on a multiwall carbon nanotubes paper gas sensor.

We investigate the adsorption behavior of polar and nonpolar molecules on carbon nanotube interfaces through computational simulations. Gaussian 16 was utilized to calculate the total energy of each possible molecular structure and analyze the adsorption mechanisms in stacked and inline configurations. The study reveals that nonpolar molecules favor stacked adsorption on two graphene interfaces, while polar molecules prefer inline adsorption.

Characterization of Biogenic PbS Quantum Dots.

Heavy metals in a polluted environment are toxic to life. However, some microorganisms can remove or immobilize heavy metals through biomineralization. These bacteria also form minerals with compositions similar to those of semiconductors.

Reaction Rate of Hydrothermal Ammonia Production from Chicken Manure.

Ammonia is an important fertilizer feedstock and an expected next-generation hydrogen carrier. Thus, it is necessary to ensure effective production of ammonia from the waste biomass. In this regard, chicken manure was treated in an autoclave under hydrothermal reaction conditions, and the ammonia release rate was determined in the temperature range of 250-400 °C for holding times ranging from 2 to 120 min.

Reutilization of Algal Supercritical Water Gasification Waste for Microalgae Cultivation.

Effluents obtained through a supercritical water gasification (SCWG) process at 400 and 600 °C were mixed with Bristol Medium to cultivate . Improvement of growth rate was observed only for the medium with the effluent at 600 °C. Low non-purgeable organic carbon implied that the inhibiting material was decomposed due to the high temperature of 600 °C.

Feasible conditions for Japanese woody biomass utilization.

There is an abundance of woody biomass in Japan. However, its economic feasibility is limited. There have been several discussions on whether generation of heat or electrical power is more suitable for woody biomass.

Response of Palladium and Carbon Nanotube Composite Films to Hydrogen Gas and Behavior of Conductive Carriers.

To develop a high-performance hydrogen gas sensor, we fabricated a composite film made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and palladium nanoparticles. Carbon nanotubes were spin-coated onto a glass substrate, and subsequently, palladium nanoparticles were sputtered onto this film. The response to hydrogen gas was measured during two seasons (summer and winter) using a vacuum chamber by introducing a hydrogen/argon gas mixture.

Supercritical Water Gasification of Guaiacol with Acetic Acid as a Radical Scavenger: Interaction Effect on Char Formation and Gas Composition.

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of mixtures of guaiacol and acetic acid was carried out in a continuous reactor at 600 °C and 25 MPa with a residence time of 94 s. Different concentrations of acetic acid were employed to investigate the effect of acetic acid on product yield and gas composition. The interaction between guaiacol and acetic acid during SCWG was discussed.

Flocculation of Chlorella vulgaris by shell waste-derived bioflocculants for biodiesel production: Process optimization, characterization and kinetic studies.

Flocculants are foreign particles that aggregate suspended microalgae cells and due to cost factor and toxicity, harvesting of microalgae biomass has shifted towards the use of bioflocculants. In this study, mild acid-extracted bioflocculants from waste chicken's eggshell and clam shell were used to harvest Chlorella vulgaris that was cultivated using chicken compost as nutrient source. It was found that a maximum of 99% flocculation efficiency can be attained at pH medium of 9.

Complete genome sequence of sp. strain OM-1: A lipid-producing bacterium with potential use in wastewater treatment.

Reducing CO emissions is necessary to alleviate rising global temperature. Renewable sources of energy are becoming an increasingly important substitute for fossil fuels. An important step in this direction is the isolation of novel, technologically relevant microorganisms.

RNase H-assisted RNA-primed rolling circle amplification for targeted RNA sequence detection.

RNA-primed rolling circle amplification (RPRCA) is a useful laboratory method for RNA detection; however, the detection of RNA is limited by the lack of information on 3'-terminal sequences. We uncovered that conventional RPRCA using pre-circularized probes could potentially detect the internal sequence of target RNA molecules in combination with RNase H. However, the specificity for mRNA detection was low, presumably due to non-specific hybridization of non-target RNA with the circular probe.

Isolation of High Carotenoid-producing Aurantiochytrium sp. Mutants and Improvement of Astaxanthin Productivity Using Metabolic Information.

The marine eukaryotic microheterotroph thraustochytrid genus Aurantiochytrium is a known producer of polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, and squalene. We previously constructed a lipid fermentation system for Aurantiochytrium sp. strains using underutilized biomass, such as canned syrup and brown macroalgae.

Comparative study of hydrothermal pretreatment for rice straw and its corresponding mixture of cellulose, xylan, and lignin.

We herein investigated the effect of hemicellulose and lignin on the hydrothermal pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for glucose production from cellulose in terms of structural cross-linking between cellulose and the above components. A comparison was made between the hydrothermal pretreatment of biomass and a mixture containing the individual model compounds in the same composition ratio. Thus, rice straw biomass and the mixture containing cellulose, xylan, and lignin were treated in an autoclave reactor at temperatures between 150 and 250 °C for 30 min.

Supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge in continuous reactor.

In this study, a process for the continuous recovery of phosphorus and generation of gas from sewage sludge is investigated for the first time using supercritical water gasification (SCWG). A continuous reactor was employed and experiments were conducted by varying the temperature (500-600 °C) and residence time (5-60 s) while fixing the pressure at 25 MPa. The behavior of phosphorus during the SCWG process was studied.

Efficient conversion of mannitol derived from brown seaweed to fructose for fermentation with a thraustochytrid.

Macroalgae are a promising biomass feedstock for energy and valuable chemicals. Mannitol and alginate are the major carbohydrates found in the microalga Laminaria japonica (Konbu). To convert mannitol to fructose for its utilization as a carbon source in mannitol non-assimilating bacteria, a psychrophile-based simple biocatalyst (PSCat) was constructed using a psychrophile as a host by expressing mesophilic enzymes, including mannitol 2-dehydrogenase for mannitol oxidation, and NADH oxidase and alkyl hydroxyperoxide reductase for NAD regeneration.

Improved methanization and microbial diversity during batch mode cultivation with repetition of substrate addition using defined organic matter and marine sediment inoculum at seawater salinity.

The activation of microbes, which are needed to initiate continuous methane production, can be accomplished by fed-batch methanization. In the present study, marine sediment inoculum was activated by batch mode methanization with repetition of substrate addition using defined organic matter from sugar, protein, or fat at seawater salinity to investigate the potential for application of the activation method to various types of saline waste and microbial community compositions. All substrates had methane potentials close to the theoretical value except for bovine serum albumin (BSA) whose methane potential was lower, but the maximum methane potential reached the value during repeated methanization.

Continuous production of biodiesel under supercritical methyl acetate conditions: Experimental investigation and kinetic model.

In this study, biodiesel production by using supercritical methyl acetate in a continuous flow reactor was investigated for the first time. The aim of this study was to elucidate the reaction kinetics of biodiesel production by using supercritical methyl. Experiments were conducted at various reaction temperatures (300-400°C), residence times (5-30min), oil-to-methyl acetate molar ratio of 1:40, and a fixed pressure of 20MPa.

Isolation and characterization of bacterium producing lipid from short-chain fatty acids.

Anaerobic fermentation generates propionic acid, which inhibits microbial growth and accumulates in wastewater containing increased amounts of organic matter. We therefore isolated a propionic acid-assimilating bacterium that could produce triacylglycerol, for use in wastewater treatment. Nitratireductor sp.

Semi-continuous methane production from undiluted brown algae using a halophilic marine microbial community.

Acclimated marine sediment-derived culture was used for semi-continuous methane production from materials equivalent to raw brown algae, without dilution of salinity and without nutrient supply, under 3 consecutive conditions of varying organic loading rates (OLRs) and hydraulic retention time (HRT). Methane production was stable at 2.0gVS/kg/day (39-day HRT); however, it became unstable at 2.

Effect of salinity on methanogenic propionate degradation by acclimated marine sediment-derived culture.

Degradation of propionate under high salinity is needed for biomethane production from salt-containing feedstocks. In this study, marine sediment-derived culture was evaluated to determine the effect of salinity on methanogenic propionate degradation. Microbes in marine sediments were subjected to fed-batch cultivation on propionate for developing acclimatized cultures.

Dysgonomonas alginatilytica sp. nov., an alginate-degrading bacterium isolated from a microbial consortium.

Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain HUA-2T, was isolated from an alginate-degrading microbial consortium. Strain HUA-2T was related to Dysgonomonas capnocytophagoides JCM 16697T, Dysgonomonas macrotermitis JCM 19375T and Dysgonomonas mossii CCUG 43457T with 95.1 %, 94.

Energy analysis for the production of biodiesel in a spiral reactor using supercritical tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE).

In this study, energy analysis was conducted for the production of biodiesel in a spiral reactor using supercritical tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE). This study aims to determine the net energy ratio (NER) and energy efficiency for the production of biodiesel using supercritical MTBE and to verify the effectiveness of the spiral reactor in terms of heat recovery efficiency. The analysis results revealed that the NER for this process was 0.

Characterization of a halotolerant acetoclastic methanogen highly enriched from marine sediment and its application in removal of acetate.

A marine sediment collected from Hiroshima Bay was cultured in artificial seawater, containing 0.51 M NaCl and 60 mM acetate and was found to exhibit active methane production at 37°C. Following four successive serial dilutions of cultures in medium containing 0.

A comparative study of biodiesel production using methanol, ethanol, and tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) under supercritical conditions.

In this study, biodiesel production under supercritical conditions among methanol, ethanol, and tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) was compared in order to elucidate the differences in their reaction behavior. A continuous reactor was employed, and experiments were conducted at various reaction temperatures (270-400 °C) and reaction times (3-30 min) and at a fixed pressure of 20 MPa and an oil-to-reactant molar ratio of 1:40. The results showed that under the same reaction conditions, the supercritical methanol method provided the highest yield of biodiesel.

Improved methane production from brown algae under high salinity by fed-batch acclimation.

Here, a methanogenic microbial community was developed from marine sediments to have improved methane productivity from brown algae under high salinity. Fed-batch cultivation was conducted by adding dry seaweed at 1wt% total solid (TS) based on the liquid weight of the NaCl-containing sediment per round of cultivation. The methane production rate and level of salinity increased 8-fold and 1.