Ion doping and microstructure optimization are effective methods for enhancing the piezoelectric properties of Ba0.88Ca0.12Ti0.88Zr0.12O3 (BCZT) ceramics. To investigate the combined effects of Fe3+ doping and grain size on the piezoelectric properties , we doped 0.1 mol% Fe into BCZT and sintered at various temperatures using two-step sintering method. Our results indicate that Fe3+ doping caused the lattice of BCZT to shrink while increasing sintering temperatures, the sintering process was accelerated, resulting in larger grain sizes. It is believed that relatively large grains usually induce larger domains, facilitating the motion of domain walls, and increasing remnant polarization. However, excessively high sintering temperatures and large grain sizes may cause unfavorable compositional changes and harm densification, leading to a reduction in piezoelectric properties, such as d33 and Tc. In this study, the BCZT ceramic samples that were calcined at 1200°C and sintered at T1 of 1550°C and T2 of 1300°C exhibited the optimal performance, with the highest remnant polarization (Pr) ~14.8 μC/cm2, the largest piezoelectric constant (d33) ~420 pC/N at room temperature, and the highest Curie temperature (Tc) ~115°C. These findings suggest that Fe3+ doping and sintering optimization are effective methods for discovering high-performance BCZT ceramics through microstructure optimization.
Research on the anti-cancer properties of bioactive chemicals derived from plant-based diets has surged in recent years due to the pressing need to find novel anti-leukemic medicines with reduced adverse effects and greater efficacy and selectivity for AML cells. The calculated IC50 values in this study indicate that the candidone molecule is a promising inhibitor of both α-amylase and α-glucosidase (IC50: 7.46 ± 0.73 and 1.40 ± 0.20 µM). On the other hand, Adicardin (IC50: 24.92 ± 3.01 and 20.18 ±1.58 µM), and rosirid in (IC50: 51.97 ± 6.32 and 40.62 ± 3.74 µM) were found to inhibit both enzymes in this experiment, with good IC50 values for α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. Additionally, the anti-leukemia capabilities of these natural compounds were examined; the effects of these compounds on several cell lines were assessed, and documented the results of the effects of these compounds on several cell lines. When we examine the leukemia results one by one, some cell lines like K562, HL-60, THP-1, and MOLT-4 had the best results for rosiridin (5.32 ± 0.52, 6.94±0.46, 9.11±0.60, and 2.47±0.25 µM). The chemical interactions of adicardin, rosiridin, and candidone with alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase were evaluated through various methodologies, including molecular docking studies, MM/GBSA calculations, and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Additionally, the anti-cancer properties of these compounds were tested against various leukemia cell lines, specifically K562, HL-60, THP-1, and MOLT-4.
The fermentation performance of <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i> is constrained by factors such as low cell density and fastidious nutritional and environmental requirements, which greatly limit its industrial-scale applications. This study aimed to develop an efficient fermentation condition for <i>L. acidophilus</i> CCFM137 through systematic optimization of both culture medium and environmental parameters, thereby enabling high-yield industrial-scale production of this strain. An optimized medium was developed, consisting of glucose (30 g/L), YEP FM503 (35 g/L), sodium acetate (5 g/L), ammonium citrate (2 g/L), K<sub>2</sub>HPO<sub>4</sub> (2 g/L), MgSO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O (0.1 g/L), MnSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O (0.05 g/L), L-cysteine hydrochloride (0.5 g/L), and Tween 80 (1 mL/L), to achieve a viable cell count of 1.95 × 10<sup>9</sup> CFU/mL, representing a 9.42-fold increase over that of standard MRS broth. Subsequent pH-stat fermentation trials in a 100 L fermenter using the optimized medium revealed morphological and growth characteristics of the strain in variable pH-stat environments. Optimal performance was observed under pH-stat 4.5 rather than the more commonly used 5.7, achieving maximum viable cell counts of 3.37 × 10<sup>9</sup> CFU/mL, accompanied by a transformation of cell morphology toward shorter rod-shaped structures, as well as an increase in substrate utilization rate, cell recovery rate and lyophilization survival rate. The fermentation performance and cellular morphology of <i>L. acidophilus</i> CCFM137 were enhanced by both nutrient composition and pH environment. These results showed that this strategy has potential for application in high cell density fermentation of <i>L. acidophilus</i> CCFM137.
In this study, advanced solar steam technologies are explored for their potential applications in seawater desalination and wastewater purification. We have developed a three-dimensional photothermal evaporator using MXene, luffa sponge (LS), graphitic-carbon nitride (GCN) and activated carbon (AC). The hierarchical Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite photothermal evaporator exhibits superior thermostability, pH stability, and mechanical durability. The Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite evaporator having a dimension of 1.25 cm displays excellent performance, leading to a high evaporation rate of 2.6 kg m−2h−1 and a high solar-thermal conversion efficiency of 96 % under 1 sun illumination. This high efficiency is attributed to the good light absorption by the Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite coupled with a better wetting through the internal microchannels of the LS, which envisages a faster water delivery and evaporation of water. The Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite captures the residual heat from the sidewall surface as an additional source of energy.
BACKGROUND Selenium (Se) is one of the essential trace elements in the human body, which has many biological functions. Insufficient or excessive intake of Se will cause a series of diseases. The trace element Se in the human or animal body cannot be synthesized by itself, but can only be supplemented from external food. Se in food, especially in plant food, mainly comes from soil. Therefore, Se in soil is closely related to human health and animal growth. China is a country lacking in soil Se content, especially in Tibet. The background value of soil Se in Tibet is significantly lower than that of surface soil in China. Therefore, local diseases such as Kashin-Beck disease are common in some areas of Tibet due to long-term insufficient intake of selenium. It is of great significance to investigate the distribution characteristic of soil Se content, delineate the distribution area of selenium-enriched soil resources and determine the influencing factors of soil Se content for promoting the development and utilization of selenium-enriched land resources, develop Se-enriched industries and prevent local diseases. This will also provide reference data for the research of soil Se background value. OBJECTIVES In recent years, it has been a hot topic to investigate the content of Se in soil, to delineate selenium-enriched soil resources and to develop and utilize them. Tibet is the main part of the Qinghai—Tibet Plateau, which has complex and diverse soil parent materials and soil forming processes, forming unique alpine soil types. In addition, Tibet is one of the areas with the least influence of human activities and is the ideal place for environmental geochemistry research. However, due to many factors such as natural geographical location and climate, the research data of soil element geochemistry in Tibet is very limited, and research data of soil Se is rare. Thus, the characteristics, distribution and influencing factors of soil Se content in the study area were studied, to provide a basis for the exploitation and utilization of selenium-enriched land resources, the development of selenium-enriched industry and the prevention of endemic diseases in the frontier ethnic areas of the plateau. METHODS The collection, processing and analysis of samples of surface soil, vertical profile and rock profile were carried out. The samples were collected from the key farming area of Longzi County, Shannan, Tibet Autonomous Region. The surface soil samples were collected in a grid pattern from the third national land survey map spot. The soil sampling points were mainly arranged on agricultural plots, with an average sampling density of 7.9 points/km2. A total of 1587 surface soil samples were collected, with a study area of 200km2. The sampling method for surface soil samples was determined according to the actual plot shape. When the plot was square, "X" type sampling was adopted, and when the plot was rectangular, "S" type sampling was adopted. When sampling cultivated land, 5 sub-sampling points were equally combined into 1 sample; for grassland and woodland sampling, 3-4 sub-sampling points were equally combined into one sample. The samples collected at each sub-sampling point were crushed, small stones, roots and other sundries picked out, and after fully mixing, more than 1000g samples reserved and put into sample bags by quartering method. In the study area, 10 vertical soil profiles were set up, and the sampling interval was 1 sample/20cm. The depth of all the profiles was 160cm except for the profile CM01, which was 140cm deep. In addition, a rock profile was set in the study area, and fresh rock samples were collected. The same kind of rock was collected in a multi-point mode and combined into a sample, with the sample weight of 300g. The surface soil samples, and vertical profile samples collected were naturally dried without pollution, and sieved by -10 mesh nylon sieve, then divided by quartering method, weighed and put into sample bottles and sent to laboratory for analysis. Soil samples were analyzed for Se, available Se, organic matter, pH, N, P, available N, available P, available K, etc. Rock samples were analyzed for Se. The contents of Se and available Se were determined by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), organic matter. Available nitrogen and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were determined by volumetric method (VOL), pH value was determined by ion selective electrode method (ISE), N content was determined by elemental analyzer method (EA), and available P, available K, P and TFe2O3 were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The detection limit, accuracy, precision and reporting rate of the analytical method adopted all met the specification requirements, and the sample analysis quality was reliable. RESULTS The results of the content of Se in soil and its influence factors, showed that: (1) The Se content in the topsoil of the study area ranged from 0.14 to 1.51mg/kg, with a median of 0.44mg/kg, which was 2.9 times as high as the average value of Tibet (0.15mg/kg) and 1.5 times as high as the average value of China (0.26mg/kg). The content of available Se in the topsoil ranged from 0.8 to 26.8μg/kg, with a median of 9.2μg/kg. The content of available Se in topsoil was 0.21%-5.79% of total Se. (2) Se-enriched (Se≥0.4mg/kg) soil resource area was 154.53km2, which accounted for 77.25% of the total area. Se-enriched soil was mainly distributed in Longzi Town and Ridang Town. There was no excess or deficiency of soil Se in the study area, which indicated that Se-enriched soil was continuous and had the potential to develop Se-enriched soil resources. (3) The geological background was closely related to the Se content in the soil. The Se rich soil was mainly controlled by the distribution of the Nieru Formation (T3n) and the Ridang Formation (J1r). The median Se content in the soil developed from the Nieru Formation (T3n) and the Ridang Formation (J1r) was 0.44mg/kg and 0.41mg/kg, respectively. Analysis of Se content in rock samples showed that Se content ranged from 0.07 to 11.00mg/kg, with an average of 1.65mg/kg. Se content was high in sericite slate and shale, which further proved that Se-enriched soil was closely related to its parent rock. (4) Soil physical and chemical properties including organic matter, pH, TFe2O3 had no significant effect on soil Se content, but soil available Se was positively correlated with organic matter, pH, N, P, alkali-hydrolyzable N, available P, available K, CEC content. There was a positive correlation between the content of organic matter and the content of available Se (R2=0.2792, P < 0.01), and between the content of organic matter and the ratio of available Se to total Se (R2=0.2597, P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between soil available Se and pH (R2=0.103, P < 0.01). According to the soil pH grading standard, the availability of Se increased gradually from acid to alkaline soil, but in strong alkaline soil, the availability began to decrease due to the methylation reaction of Se. There was a negative correlation between available Se and TFe2O3 (R2=-0.346, P < 0.01). In the study area, the content of soil available Se had significantly positive correlation with the content of N, P, alkali-hydrolyzable N, available P and available K, which indicated that the increase of N, P and K content could significantly improve the bioavailability of soil selenium, which had a certain theoretical significance for the artificial control of soil Se content. (5) 10 vertical soil profiles were constructed in different areas of the study area, and the depth of the other profiles was 160cm except for the CM01 profile, which was 140cm. In that vertical soil profile, the content of Se and available Se decreased with the increase of soil depth. The content of Se in the soil below 100cm was less than 0.4mg/kg, and the content of available Se in the soil at 160cm was 60% less than that in the surface soil. CONCLUSIONS The content of Se in the topsoil of the study area is high, and 77.25% of the study area is in line with the standard of Se-enriched soil. In that soil, the Se content is mainly affected by the parent materials, especially the sericite slate and shale in the Nieru Formation (T3n) and Ridang Formation (J1r). The land use type has little effect on Se content and distribution. Physical and chemical properties of the soil, such as organic matter, pH, N, P, available N, available P, available K and CEC, have little effect on total Se content, but soil available Se is significantly positively correlated with organic matter, pH, N, P, alkali-hydrolyzable N, available P, available K and CEC. Soil nutrient management can further improve bioavailability of soil selenium. Only the characteristics and influencing factors of soil Se content in Longzi County, Tibet Autonomous Region, were discussed, in order to provide a geological basis for the development and utilization of Se-enriched land resources. However, the process of Se uptake by crops is a very complex biogeochemical process, and is affected by many factors. Therefore, it is necessary to further strengthen research on the characteristics of Se content and its migration and transformation in soil-crop system.
Ali Bakhtyari, Ali Rasoolzadeh, Behzad Vaferi
et al.
Abstract The current trend of chemical industries demands green processing, in particular with employing natural substances such as sugar-derived compounds. This matter has encouraged academic and industrial sections to seek new alternatives for extracting these materials. Ionic liquids (ILs) are currently paving the way for efficient extraction processes. To this end, accurate estimation of solubility data is of great importance. This study relies on machine learning methods for modeling the solubility data of sugar alcohols (SAs) in ILs. An initial relevancy analysis approved that the SA-IL equilibrium governs by the temperature, density and molecular weight of ILs, as well as the molecular weight, fusion temperature, and fusion enthalpy of SAs. Also, temperature and fusion temperature have the strongest influence on the SAs solubility in ILs. The performance of artificial neural networks (ANNs), least-squares support vector regression (LSSVR), and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) to predict SA solubility in ILs were compared utilizing a large databank (647 data points of 19 SAs and 21 ILs). Among the investigated models, ANFIS offered the best accuracy with an average absolute relative deviation (AARD%) of 7.43% and a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98359. The best performance of the ANFIS model was obtained with a cluster center radius of 0.435 when trained with 85% of the databank. Further analyses of the ANFIS model based on the leverage method revealed that this model is reliable enough due to its high level of coverage and wide range of applicability. Accordingly, this model can be effectively utilized in modeling the solubilities of SAs in ILs.
<p>Composite coatings or films with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are typically utilized to offer superhydrophobic surfaces. However, the superhydrophobic surfaces usually have limited durability and require complicated fabrication methods. Herein, we report the successful integration of PTFE with ZnO ceramics to achieve superhydrophobicity via a one-step sintering method, cold sintering process (CSP), at 300 ℃. (1–<italic>x</italic>) ZnO–<italic>x</italic> PTFE ceramic composites with <italic>x</italic> ranging from 0 to 70 vol% are densified with relative density of over 97%. Micro/nano-scale PTFE polymer is dispersed among ZnO grains forming polymer grain boundary phases, which modulate surface morphology and surface energy of the ZnO–PTFE ceramic composites. For the 60 vol% ZnO–40 vol% PTFE ceramic composite, superhydrophobic properties are optimized with static water contact angles (WCAs) and sliding angles (SAs) of 162° and 7°, respectively. After abrading into various thicknesses (2.52, 2.26, and 1.99 mm) and contaminating with graphite powders on the surface, WCA and SA are still maintained with a high level of 157°–160° and 7°–9.3°, respectively. This work indicates that CSP provides a promising pathway to integrate polymers with ceramics to realize stable superhydrophobicity.</p>
Ebtehag A. E. Sakr, Dena Z. Khater, Zeinab M. H. Kheiralla
et al.
Abstract Background The application of exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria (EPS) in dual chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFC) is critical which can minimize the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of molasses with bioelectricity production. Hence, our study aimed to evaluate the EPS production by the novel strain Bacillus piscis by using molasses waste. Therefore, statistical modeling was used to optimize the EPS production. Its structure was characterized by UV, FTIR, NMR, and monosaccharides compositions. Eventually, to highlight B. piscis' adaptability in energy applications, bioelectricity production by this organism was studied in the BCMFC fed by an optimized molasses medium. Results B. piscis OK324045 characterized by 16S rRNA is a potent EPS-forming organism and yielded a 6.42-fold increase upon supplementation of molasses (5%), MgSO4 (0.05%), and inoculum size (4%). The novel exopolysaccharide produced by Bacillus sp. (EPS-BP5M) was confirmed by the structural analysis. The findings indicated that the MFC's maximum close circuit voltage (CCV) was 265 mV. The strain enhanced the performance of DCMFC achieving maximum power density (PD) of 31.98 mW m−2, COD removal rate of 90.91%, and color removal of 27.68%. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry (CV) revealed that anodic biofilms may directly transfer electrons to anodes without the use of external redox mediators. Additionally, CV measurements made at various sweep scan rates to evaluate the kinetic studies showed that the electron charge transfer was irreversible. The SEM images showed the biofilm growth distributed over the electrode’s surface. Conclusions This study offers a novel B. piscis strain for EPS-BP5M production, COD removal, decolorization, and electricity generation of the optimized molasses medium in MFCs. The biosynthesis of EPS-BP5M by a Bacillus piscis strain and its electrochemical activity has never been documented before. The approach adopted will provide significant benefits to sugar industries by generating bioelectricity using molasses as fuel and providing a viable way to improve molasses wastewater treatment.
Enteric methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) is an important greenhouse gas emitted by ruminants. Cervidae produces less CH<sub>4</sub> than other ruminants, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we measured and compared the gas production, nutrient digestibility, gut microbiota composition, and fermentation characteristics of roe deer (<i>n</i> = 4) and goats (<i>n</i> = 4). After the animals had adapted to the same total mixed ration for 21 days, the gas yield was measured using respiration chambers, and fecal samples were collected. The CH<sub>4</sub> yield (g/kg DMI) was significantly lower in roe deer than in goats (<i>p</i> < 0.001), while the difference in carbon dioxide yield was not significant (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Roe deer showed lower digestibility of dry matter (<i>p</i> = 0.005), crude protein (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and neutral detergent fiber (<i>p</i> = 0.02) than goats. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the bacterial and methanogen communities were significantly different between roe deer and goats, indicating a potential role of host genetics. Roe deer and goats showed enrichment of specific key bacterial and methanogen taxa. The relative abundances of <i>Bifidobacterium</i>, <i>Ruminococcus</i>, <i>Succinivibrio</i>, <i>Treponema</i>, <i>Prevotella</i>, <i>Lachnoclostridium</i>, Christensenellaceae R7, and members of the family Lachnospiraceae were higher in roe deer than in goats (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>Methanocorpusculum</i> and <i>Methanobrevibacter</i> were dominant methanogens in the guts of roe deer and goats, respectively, but their species compositions differed significantly between the host species. The predicted metabolic pathways, including those for butyrate and propionate, were significantly more abundant in roe deer than in goats (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The molar proportions of propionate and branched volatile fatty acids were significantly higher in roe deer and goats (<i>p</i> < 0.01), respectively. The variation in CH<sub>4</sub> yield was characterized by correlations between digestibility, bacteria and methanogens between roe deer and goats, particularly for members within the taxa Lachnospiraceae and <i>Methanosphaera</i>. In summary, our results revealed that gut bacteria and methanogens differ significantly between high- and low-CH<sub>4</sub> emitters and identified microbial taxa potentially involved in the mitigation of CH<sub>4</sub> production in ruminants.
Due to environmental and financial concerns, there is a growing demand for composite materials in a wide range of industries, including construction and automotive industries. In 2020, the market for wood plastic composites was estimated to be worth $5.4 billion. By 2030, it is expected to have grown to $12.6 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% between 2021 and 2030. The fundamental disadvantage of reinforced composites by natural fibers is the different nature of the hydrophilic lignocellulosic and the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymers, although natural fibers would lower total costs. These composites typically fail mechanically as a result of fiber debonding, breaking, and pull-out. In a fiber-reinforced composite, the matrix’s function could be described as distributing the force to the added fibers using interfacial shear stresses. A strong connection between the polymeric matrix and the fibers is necessary for this procedure. Weak adhesion at the interface prevents the composite from being used to its maximum potential and leaves it open to attacks from the environment that could damage it and shorten its lifespan. Poor mechanical performance is caused by insufficient adhesion between hydrophobic polymers and hydrophilic fibers in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Consequently, during the past 20 years, a variety of chemical, thermal, and physical methods have been employed to address these issues. These methods largely concentrated on the grafting of chemical groups that could enhance the interfacial contacts between the matrix and natural fibers. This review article aimed to give information on several types of fiber treatments and natural fiber-treated composites with a specific focus on their physical and mechanical properties.
This work explored the potential of methanol pre-chamber combustion (PCC) for heavy-duty engine applications. An optical engine experiment was conducted to visualize the jet flame development. The measured pressure traces and natural flame luminosity images were also used for the validation of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations. It was demonstrated that the main chamber (MC) combustion was successfully established by the reactive jet issued from the pre-chamber. Compared to methane PCC in our previous study, the distributed reacting jets were significantly thinner, in particular at the learner condition. The active PCC mode, which comprises enrichment of the mixture in the pre-chamber (PC) by means of direct methane injection, was effective in improving the engine performance. However, excessive PC fueling ratio (PCFR) resulted in lower thermal efficiency due to the higher wall heat transfer and combustion losses. In addition, the effects of various PC and piston geometries on the methanol/methane PC combustion were evaluated. The combination of an optimized PC and a flat piston yielded the highest thermal efficiency owing to the relatively lower combustion and wall heat transfer losses. At engine loads higher than 12.5 bar indicated mean effective pressure, exhaust gas recirculation must be implemented to avoid end-gas autoignition and reduce nitric oxides (NOx) emissions. As expected, the increase in (CR) further promoted engine work because of the higher expansion ratio. With CR of 13 and 14, higher thermal efficiency and lower NOx emission were simultaneously achieved under both intermediate and high loads when the engine was operating at the pure methanol PC combustion mode.
Fuel, Energy industries. Energy policy. Fuel trade
As the core powertrain component of electric vehicles, batteries release heat when charging and discharging due to the chemical reactions between the battery elements and internal resistance. To avoid problems resulting from abnormal temperatures, such as performance and lifespan issues, an effective battery cooling system is required. This paper presents a fundamental study of battery module liquid cooling through a three-dimensional numerical analysis. CFD numerical tests as conducted here are based on the heat transfer characteristics and on the liquid cooling theory, and the temperature distribution and thermal conductivity are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using Simcenter STAR CCM+ version 2016 (Siemens Digital Industries Software, Plano, TX, USA). A simulation uses a square-shell lithium-ion battery-made module with two different liquid cooling systems at different positions of the module. The results of the numerical study indicate that the bottom cooling system shows a better battery module temperature difference that is approximately 80% less than that of the side cooling system. For the side cooling system, it is better in terms of the maximum temperature of the battery module, which is approximately 20% lower than that in the bottom cooling system, but this system does not offer very good control of the temperature difference, which is also its greatest shortcoming compared to the bottom cooling system.
Thermodynamics, Descriptive and experimental mechanics
Process optimization is no longer an option for processes, but an obligation to survive in the market in any industry. This argument also applies to anaerobic digestion in biogas plants. The contribution of biogas plants to renewable energy can be increased through more productive systems with less waste, which brings the common goal of minimizing costs and maximizing yields in processes. With the help of data science and predictive analytics, it is possible to take conventional process optimization and operational excellence methods, such as statistical process control and Six Sigma, to the next level. The more advanced the process optimization aspect, the more transparent and responsive the systems. In this study, seven different machine learning algorithms—linear regression, logistic regression, K-NN, decision trees, random forest, support vector machine (SVM) and XGBoost—were compared with laboratory results to define and predict the possible impacts of wide range temperature fluctuations on process stability. SVM provided the best accuracy with 0.93 according to the metric precision of the models calculated using the confusion matrix.
Siriwan D. Martens, Vicki Wildner, Jörg M. Greef
et al.
Solid-state fermentation with white-rot fungi is an interesting alternative to chemical straw treatment for ruminant nutrition. However, for practical implementation on farms, feasible handling and its effect on nutritional characteristics have to be tested beforehand. Chopped wheat straw was either soaked and drained or just remoistened to about 24% dry matter without subsequent sterilization. Moist straw was inoculated with <i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>, <i>Ceriporiopsis subvermispora</i>, or <i>Volvariella volvacea</i>. Fermentation lasted up to 42 d with weekly or shorter sampling intervals. Fiber fractions, minerals and elements, and non-starch polysaccharides were analyzed, and microflora was plate counted. Lactic acid bacteria of selected samples were identified by MALDI-TOF. All inoculated fungi grew well under the selected conditions expressed by the visible mycelium and specific smell. <i>P. ostreatus</i> developed fruiting bodies in the given time. Initial numbers of lactic acid bacteria were >8.0 log cfu/g. In the beginning, <i>Weissella confusa</i>/<i>cibaria</i> dominated. However, neither decrease in lignin nor cellulose concentration was observed during the period in either of the treatments, thus seeming to be inappropriate for ruminant nutrition purposes. Some elements and minerals peaked, especially towards the second and third week (Na, Cl, Mg, Fe, and Mn). Growth conditions for mushrooms were optimized by remoistening the straw with a defined amount of water.
The mechanical properties of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Cementitious Composite (UHPFRCC) is basically influenced by the type of fibres and reactive binders used. Fibres primarily influence the ductility whereas reactive binders influence the compressive strength of UHPFRCC. Among the commonly used reactive binders, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (SL) with its vitreous nature has the ability of influencing both the compressive strength and ductility of UHPFRCC. This study discussed the microstructure and mechanical properties of six different mixtures made up of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% 75% and 90% cement replacement of SL. The XRD results indicated that, increased levels of C-S-H and ettringite retard the hydration process leading to lower compressive strength and vice versa. The SL-cementitious composite can achieve a compressive strength of up to 108.1MPa and ductility of up to 1.67% without the use of fibres. The maximum compressive strength and ductility were achieved with 40% SL replacement of cement whereas the minimum compressive strength and ductility were achieved with 60% and 20% SL contents, respectively. Moreover, the optimum mechanical properties (i.e. compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and tensile strain) were achieved with a 40% SL replacement of cement in the cementitious composite.
Olive mill wastes are signicant environmental problem especially in Mediterranean areas where they are generated in huge quantities in a short period of time. They are phytotoxic materials because of their high phenol, lipid and organic acid concentrations, but these wastes also contain valuable resources that could be recycled such as a large proportion of organic matter and a wide range of nutrients. The effluent from olive oil mills contains a large amount of polyphenols that have antioxidant properties. The market value of these antioxidants is high and they are commonly used in the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutics and chemical industries. For the management of olive mill wastewater (OMW) and other olive residues, various treatment methods can be used. Many scientists work on more efficient and cheaper treatment alternatives. Due to the great variety of compounds in the waste, several technologies to remove the harmful compounds for the environment should be used single or together. Some of the most used OMW treatments are drying / evaporation, forced evaporation, thermal treatment, centrifugation-ultraltration, electrocoagulation, composting, lagooning, adsorption, powdered activated carbon, filtration, sand filtration, membrane filtration, ultrafiltration, precipitation / flocculation, distillation, electrolysis, co-composting, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as ozonation, hydrogen peroxide / ferrous iron oxidation (the so-called Fentons reagent). Several OMW treatment technologies have been developed aiming at the removal of the main toxic organic compounds. A lot of factors must be considered to choose the treatment methods among them the investment, required area, specic training of the workers, noise and odour emissions and seasonality of production.