10 CFR 430.70 - Enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...), the Secretary may conduct testing of that covered product under this subpart by means of a test notice... be selected for testing, the method of selecting the test sample, the time at which testing shall be... shall select a batch, a batch sample, and test units from the batch sample in accordance with the...

System Vaccinology for the Evaluation of Influenza Vaccine Safety by Multiplex Gene Detection of Novel Biomarkers in a Preclinical Study and Batch Release Test

PubMed Central

Mizukami, Takuo; Momose, Haruka; Kuramitsu, Madoka; Takizawa, Kazuya; Araki, Kumiko; Furuhata, Keiko; Ishii, Ken J.; Hamaguchi, Isao; Yamaguchi, Kazunari

2014-01-01

Vaccines are beneficial and universal tools to prevent infectious disease. Thus, safety of vaccines is strictly evaluated in the preclinical phase of trials and every vaccine batch must be tested by the National Control Laboratories according to the guidelines published by each country. Despite many vaccine production platforms and methods, animal testing for safety evaluation is unchanged thus far. We recently developed a systems biological approach to vaccine safety evaluation where identification of specific biomarkers in a rat pre-clinical study evaluated the safety of vaccines for pandemic H5N1 influenza including Irf7, Lgals9, Lgalsbp3, Cxcl11, Timp1, Tap2, Psmb9, Psme1, Tapbp, C2, Csf1, Mx2, Zbp1, Ifrd1, Trafd1, Cxcl9, β2m, Npc1, Ngfr and Ifi47. The current study evaluated whether these 20 biomarkers could evaluate the safety, batch-to-batch and manufacturer-to-manufacturer consistency of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine using a multiplex gene detection system. When we evaluated the influenza HA vaccine (HAv) from four different manufactures, the biomarker analysis correlated to findings from conventional animal use tests, such as abnormal toxicity test. In addition, sensitivity of toxicity detection and differences in HAvs were higher and more accurate than with conventional methods. Despite a slight decrease in body weight caused by HAv from manufacturer B that was not statistically significant, our results suggest that HAv from manufacturer B is significantly different than the other HAvs tested with regard to Lgals3bp, Tapbp, Lgals9, Irf7 and C2 gene expression in rat lungs. Using the biomarkers confirmed in this study, we predicted batch-to-batch consistency and safety of influenza vaccines within 2 days compared with the conventional safety test, which takes longer. These biomarkers will facilitate the future development of new influenza vaccines and provide an opportunity to develop in vitro methods of evaluating batch-to-batch consistency and vaccine safety as an alternative to animal testing. PMID:25010690

High-Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) longitudinal controller: Design, analyses, and simulation resultss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostroff, Aaron J.; Hoffler, Keith D.; Proffitt, Melissa S.; Brown, Philip W.; Phillips, Michael R.; Rivers, Robert A.; Messina, Michael D.; Carzoo, Susan W.; Bacon, Barton J.; Foster, John F.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the design, analysis, and nonlinear simulation results (batch and piloted) for a longitudinal controller which is scheduled to be flight-tested on the High-Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV). The HARV is an F-18 airplane modified for and equipped with multi-axis thrust vectoring. The paper includes a description of the facilities, a detailed review of the feedback controller design, linear analysis results of the feedback controller, a description of the feed-forward controller design, nonlinear batch simulation results, and piloted simulation results. Batch simulation results include maximum pitch stick agility responses, angle of attack alpha captures, and alpha regulation for full lateral stick rolls at several alpha's. Piloted simulation results include task descriptions for several types of maneuvers, task guidelines, the corresponding Cooper-Harper ratings from three test pilots, and some pilot comments. The ratings show that desirable criteria are achieved for almost all of the piloted simulation tasks.

Impact of the New Abbott mPLUS Feature on Clinical Laboratory Efficiencies of Abbott RealTime Assays for Detection of HIV-1, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

PubMed Central

Jones, Sara; Wiesneth, Russ; Barry, Cathy; Webb, Erika; Belova, Larissa; Dolan, Peggy; Ho, Shiaolan; Abravaya, Klara; Cloherty, Gavin

2013-01-01

Diagnostic laboratories are under increasing pressure to improve and expand their services. Greater flexibility in sample processing is a critical factor that can improve the time to results while reducing reagent waste, making laboratories more efficient and cost-effective. The introduction of the Abbott mPLUS feature, with the capacity for extended use of amplification reagents, significantly increases the flexibility of the m2000 platform and enables laboratories to customize their workflows based on sample arrival patterns. The flexibility in sample batch size offered by mPLUS enables significant reductions in processing times. For hepatitis B virus tests, a reduction in sample turnaround times of up to 30% (105 min) was observed for batches of 12 samples compared with those for batches of 24 samples; for Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae tests, the ability to run batches of 24 samples reduced the turnaround time by 83% (54 min) compared with that for batches of 48 samples. Excellent correlations between mPLUS and m2000 standard condition results were observed for all RealTime viral load assays evaluated in this study, with correlation r values of 0.998 for all assays tested. For the qualitative RealTime C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae assay, the overall agreements between the two conditions tested were >98% for C. trachomatis and 100% for N. gonorrhoeae. Comparable precision results were observed for the two conditions tested for all RealTime assays. The enhanced mPLUS capability provides clinical laboratories with increased efficiencies to meet increasingly stringent turnaround time requirements without increased costs associated with discarding partially used amplification reagents. PMID:24088850

Impact of the New Abbott mPLUS feature on clinical laboratory efficiencies of abbott RealTime assays for detection of HIV-1, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

PubMed

Lucic, Danijela; Jones, Sara; Wiesneth, Russ; Barry, Cathy; Webb, Erika; Belova, Larissa; Dolan, Peggy; Ho, Shiaolan; Abravaya, Klara; Cloherty, Gavin

2013-12-01

Diagnostic laboratories are under increasing pressure to improve and expand their services. Greater flexibility in sample processing is a critical factor that can improve the time to results while reducing reagent waste, making laboratories more efficient and cost-effective. The introduction of the Abbott mPLUS feature, with the capacity for extended use of amplification reagents, significantly increases the flexibility of the m2000 platform and enables laboratories to customize their workflows based on sample arrival patterns. The flexibility in sample batch size offered by mPLUS enables significant reductions in processing times. For hepatitis B virus tests, a reduction in sample turnaround times of up to 30% (105 min) was observed for batches of 12 samples compared with those for batches of 24 samples; for Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae tests, the ability to run batches of 24 samples reduced the turnaround time by 83% (54 min) compared with that for batches of 48 samples. Excellent correlations between mPLUS and m2000 standard condition results were observed for all RealTime viral load assays evaluated in this study, with correlation r values of 0.998 for all assays tested. For the qualitative RealTime C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae assay, the overall agreements between the two conditions tested were >98% for C. trachomatis and 100% for N. gonorrhoeae. Comparable precision results were observed for the two conditions tested for all RealTime assays. The enhanced mPLUS capability provides clinical laboratories with increased efficiencies to meet increasingly stringent turnaround time requirements without increased costs associated with discarding partially used amplification reagents.

Influence of solid-liquid separation method parameters employed in soil leaching tests on apparent metal concentration.

PubMed

Imoto, Yukari; Yasutaka, Tetsuo; Someya, Masayuki; Higashino, Kazuo

2018-05-15

Soil leaching tests are commonly used to evaluate the leachability of hazardous materials, such as heavy metals, from the soil. Batch leaching tests often enhance soil colloidal mobility and may require solid-liquid separation procedures to remove excess soil particles. However, batch leaching test results depend on particles that can pass through a 0.45μm membrane filter and are influenced by test parameters such as centrifugal intensity and filtration volume per filter. To evaluate these parameters, we conducted batch leaching experiments using metal-contaminated soils and focused on the centrifugal intensity and filtration volume per filter used in solid-liquid separation methods currently employed in standard leaching tests. Our experiments showed that both centrifugal intensity and filtration volume per filter affected the reproducibility of batch leaching tests for some soil types. The results demonstrated that metal concentrations in the filtrates significantly differed according to the centrifugal intensity when it was 3000 g for 2h or less. Increased filtration volume per filter led to significant decreases in filtrate metal concentrations when filter cakes formed during filtration. Comparison of the filtration tests using 0.10 and 0.45μm membrane filters showed statistically significant differences in turbidity and metal concentration. These findings suggest that colloidal particles were not adequately removed from the extract and contributed substantially to the apparent metal concentrations in the leaching test of soil containing colloidal metals. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stratified randomization controls better for batch effects in 450K methylation analysis: a cautionary tale

PubMed Central

Buhule, Olive D.; Minster, Ryan L.; Hawley, Nicola L.; Medvedovic, Mario; Sun, Guangyun; Viali, Satupaitea; Deka, Ranjan; McGarvey, Stephen T.; Weeks, Daniel E.

2014-01-01

Background: Batch effects in DNA methylation microarray experiments can lead to spurious results if not properly handled during the plating of samples. Methods: Two pilot studies examining the association of DNA methylation patterns across the genome with obesity in Samoan men were investigated for chip- and row-specific batch effects. For each study, the DNA of 46 obese men and 46 lean men were assayed using Illumina's Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. In the first study (Sample One), samples from obese and lean subjects were examined on separate chips. In the second study (Sample Two), the samples were balanced on the chips by lean/obese status, age group, and census region. We used methylumi, watermelon, and limma R packages, as well as ComBat, to analyze the data. Principal component analysis and linear regression were, respectively, employed to identify the top principal components and to test for their association with the batches and lean/obese status. To identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs) between obese and lean males at each locus, we used a moderated t-test. Results: Chip effects were effectively removed from Sample Two but not Sample One. In addition, dramatic differences were observed between the two sets of DMP results. After “removing” batch effects with ComBat, Sample One had 94,191 probes differentially methylated at a q-value threshold of 0.05 while Sample Two had zero differentially methylated probes. The disparate results from Sample One and Sample Two likely arise due to the confounding of lean/obese status with chip and row batch effects. Conclusion: Even the best possible statistical adjustments for batch effects may not completely remove them. Proper study design is vital for guarding against spurious findings due to such effects. PMID:25352862

A new statistic for identifying batch effects in high-throughput genomic data that uses guided principal component analysis.

PubMed

Reese, Sarah E; Archer, Kellie J; Therneau, Terry M; Atkinson, Elizabeth J; Vachon, Celine M; de Andrade, Mariza; Kocher, Jean-Pierre A; Eckel-Passow, Jeanette E

2013-11-15

Batch effects are due to probe-specific systematic variation between groups of samples (batches) resulting from experimental features that are not of biological interest. Principal component analysis (PCA) is commonly used as a visual tool to determine whether batch effects exist after applying a global normalization method. However, PCA yields linear combinations of the variables that contribute maximum variance and thus will not necessarily detect batch effects if they are not the largest source of variability in the data. We present an extension of PCA to quantify the existence of batch effects, called guided PCA (gPCA). We describe a test statistic that uses gPCA to test whether a batch effect exists. We apply our proposed test statistic derived using gPCA to simulated data and to two copy number variation case studies: the first study consisted of 614 samples from a breast cancer family study using Illumina Human 660 bead-chip arrays, whereas the second case study consisted of 703 samples from a family blood pressure study that used Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0. We demonstrate that our statistic has good statistical properties and is able to identify significant batch effects in two copy number variation case studies. We developed a new statistic that uses gPCA to identify whether batch effects exist in high-throughput genomic data. Although our examples pertain to copy number data, gPCA is general and can be used on other data types as well. The gPCA R package (Available via CRAN) provides functionality and data to perform the methods in this article. reesese@vcu.edu

Results Of Initial Analyses Of The Salt (Macro) Batch 9 Tank 21H Qualification Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, T.

2015-10-08

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Interim Salt Disposition Project (ISDP) Salt (Macro) Batch 9 for processing through the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). This document reports the initial results of the analyses of samples of Tank 21H. Analysis of the Tank 21H Salt (Macro) Batch 9 composite sample indicates that the material does not display any unusual characteristics. Further results on the chemistry and other tests will be issued in the future.

Influence of the incubation temperature and the batch components on the sensitivity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect Aujeszky's disease virus glycoprotein E (gE).

PubMed

Cay, A B; Van der Stede, Y

2010-12-01

Although licensed batches of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) were used, and the assays were performed within an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited quality control system, certain routine runs of the ADV ELISA were not validated using the quality system criteria, even when all technical parameters were controlled. Incubation at different temperatures and batch composition were identified as parameters that could result in non-validated assays/runs. Therefore, the effect of incubation temperature and batch composition on the analytical sensitivity of the ELISA was investigated. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standard reference serum ADV1 was diluted 1:8 and tested in 94 different glycoprotein E ELISA runs performed with different batches and different incubation temperatures. The incubation temperature and batch components had a significant influence on the qualitative result for the OIE standard reference serum. An incubation temperature of at least 22 degrees C was recommended, based on the results of this analysis. Which of the batch components caused these differences in sensitivity was not investigated further.

Are allergen batch differences and the use of double skin prick test important?

PubMed

Thomsen, Gert F; Schlünssen, Vivi; Skadhauge, Lars R; Malling, Tine Halsen; Sherson, David L; Omland, Øyvind; Sigsgaard, Torben

2015-04-09

Skin prick tests (SPT) are widely used both in clinical diagnostics and in research. The standardization of allergen extracts is well documented to be crucial for the validity of SPT, whereas less emphasis has been placed on reproducibility and the SPT procedure itself. The objectives of this study are to clarify how the double skin prick test procedure influence the sensitivity and specificity of the test and to analyse the differences in weal size in skin prick tests between two batches of allergen extracts from the same vendor. The association between rhinitis and SPT was assessed among 1135 persons from a general population sample. SPT was performed twice with 10 common aeroallergens. In a subsample of 90 persons SPT was performed simultaneously with five of the allergens using different batches. Thirty percent had at least one positive SPT. Among asthmatics this number was 62%. Only minor differences were seen between the sizes of two weals from the same batch. A second SPT with the same batch did not change the association between rhinitis and sensitization. When performing SPT with two different batches disagreement was observed in 2% (Birch) to 11% (Cat) of the subjects. Performing SPT twice with the same allergen batch does not enhance the validity of the test, and value of double testing can be questioned. Considerable differences in SPT response with different batches from the same manufacturer were observed. Thus inter batch differences in allergen extracts might be a source of variability.

40 CFR 204.51 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... tests. (m) Test sample means the collection of compressors from the same category or configuration which is randomly drawn from the batch sample and which will receive emissions tests. (n) Batch size means... category or configuration in a batch. (o) Test sample size means the number of compressors of the same...

Study of twenty preparations of human albumin solution which failed in quality control testing due to elevated sodium content, a poor internal quality control at manufacturing unit.

PubMed

Prasad, J P; Madhu, Y; Singh, Surinder; Soni, G R; Agnihotri, N; Singh, Varsha; Kumar, Pradeep; Jain, Nidhi; Prakash, Anu; Singh, Varun

2016-11-01

Current study is conducted in our laboratory due to failure in quality control testing of twenty batches of Human Albumin solution in which sodium content is higher than the prescribed limit. These batches are received in short duration from indigenous manufacturer and is the first incident of failure of Human albumin preparation in sodium content of manufacturer. On request of manufacturer, study is conducted to rule out the cause. Repeat testing of each out of specification batch is conducted and a trend analysis is drawn between our findings and manufacturer's results, also study of trend analysis of manufacturer for the last one year. Trend analysis data indicated towards poor consistency of batches with major shift at various time intervals in sodium content of human albumin preparation. Further analysis rule out that non-traceable quality of standard used in the internal quality control testing by manufacturer is the root cause of the problem. Copyright © 2016 International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stratified randomization controls better for batch effects in 450K methylation analysis: a cautionary tale.

PubMed

Buhule, Olive D; Minster, Ryan L; Hawley, Nicola L; Medvedovic, Mario; Sun, Guangyun; Viali, Satupaitea; Deka, Ranjan; McGarvey, Stephen T; Weeks, Daniel E

2014-01-01

Batch effects in DNA methylation microarray experiments can lead to spurious results if not properly handled during the plating of samples. Two pilot studies examining the association of DNA methylation patterns across the genome with obesity in Samoan men were investigated for chip- and row-specific batch effects. For each study, the DNA of 46 obese men and 46 lean men were assayed using Illumina's Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. In the first study (Sample One), samples from obese and lean subjects were examined on separate chips. In the second study (Sample Two), the samples were balanced on the chips by lean/obese status, age group, and census region. We used methylumi, watermelon, and limma R packages, as well as ComBat, to analyze the data. Principal component analysis and linear regression were, respectively, employed to identify the top principal components and to test for their association with the batches and lean/obese status. To identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs) between obese and lean males at each locus, we used a moderated t-test. Chip effects were effectively removed from Sample Two but not Sample One. In addition, dramatic differences were observed between the two sets of DMP results. After "removing" batch effects with ComBat, Sample One had 94,191 probes differentially methylated at a q-value threshold of 0.05 while Sample Two had zero differentially methylated probes. The disparate results from Sample One and Sample Two likely arise due to the confounding of lean/obese status with chip and row batch effects. Even the best possible statistical adjustments for batch effects may not completely remove them. Proper study design is vital for guarding against spurious findings due to such effects.

Comprehensive clone screening and evaluation of fed-batch strategies in a microbioreactor and lab scale stirred tank bioreactor system: application on Pichia pastoris producing Rhizopus oryzae lipase

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In Pichia pastoris bioprocess engineering, classic approaches for clone selection and bioprocess optimization at small/micro scale using the promoter of the alcohol oxidase 1 gene (PAOX1), induced by methanol, present low reproducibility leading to high time and resource consumption. Results An automated microfermentation platform (RoboLector) was successfully tested to overcome the chronic problems of clone selection and optimization of fed-batch strategies. Different clones from Mut+P. pastoris phenotype strains expressing heterologous Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL), including a subset also overexpressing the transcription factor HAC1, were tested to select the most promising clones. The RoboLector showed high performance for the selection and optimization of cultivation media with minimal cost and time. Syn6 medium was better than conventional YNB medium in terms of production of heterologous protein. The RoboLector microbioreactor was also tested for different fed-batch strategies with three clones producing different lipase levels. Two mixed substrates fed-batch strategies were evaluated. The first strategy was the enzymatic release of glucose from a soluble glucose polymer by a glucosidase, and methanol addition every 24 hours. The second strategy used glycerol as co-substrate jointly with methanol at two different feeding rates. The implementation of these simple fed-batch strategies increased the levels of lipolytic activity 80-fold compared to classical batch strategies used in clone selection. Thus, these strategies minimize the risk of errors in the clone selection and increase the detection level of the desired product. Finally, the performance of two fed-batch strategies was compared for lipase production between the RoboLector microbioreactor and 5 liter stirred tank bioreactor for three selected clones. In both scales, the same clone ranking was achieved. Conclusion The RoboLector showed excellent performance in clone selection of P. pastoris Mut+ phenotype. The use of fed-batch strategies using mixed substrate feeds resulted in increased biomass and lipolytic activity. The automated processing of fed-batch strategies by the RoboLector considerably facilitates the operation of fermentation processes, while reducing error-prone clone selection by increasing product titers. The scale-up from microbioreactor to lab scale stirred tank bioreactor showed an excellent correlation, validating the use of microbioreactor as a powerful tool for evaluating fed-batch operational strategies. PMID:24606982

21 CFR 320.35 - Requirements for in vitro testing of each batch.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Requirements for in vitro testing of each batch... Determining the Bioavailability or Bioequivalence of Drug Products § 320.35 Requirements for in vitro testing of each batch. If a bioequivalence requirement specifies a currently available in vitro test or an in...

21 CFR 320.35 - Requirements for in vitro testing of each batch.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Requirements for in vitro testing of each batch... Determining the Bioavailability or Bioequivalence of Drug Products § 320.35 Requirements for in vitro testing of each batch. If a bioequivalence requirement specifies a currently available in vitro test or an in...

A Study of the Optimal Model of the Flotation Kinetics of Copper Slag from Copper Mine BOR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanojlović, Rodoljub D.; Sokolović, Jovica M.

2014-10-01

In this study the effect of mixtures of copper slag and flotation tailings from copper mine Bor, Serbia on the flotation results of copper recovery and flotation kinetics parameters in a batch flotation cell has been investigated. By simultaneous adding old flotation tailings in the ball mill at the rate of 9%, it is possible to increase copper recovery for about 20%. These results are compared with obtained copper recovery of pure copper slag. The results of batch flotation test were fitted by MatLab software for modeling the first-order flotation kinetics in order to determine kinetics parameters and define an optimal model of the flotation kinetics. Six kinetic models are tested on the batch flotation copper recovery against flotation time. All models showed good correlation, however the modified Kelsall model provided the best fit.

Investigation of vinegar production using a novel shaken repeated batch culture system.

PubMed

Schlepütz, Tino; Büchs, Jochen

2013-01-01

Nowadays, bioprocesses are developed or optimized on small scale. Also, vinegar industry is motivated to reinvestigate the established repeated batch fermentation process. As yet, there is no small-scale culture system for optimizing fermentation conditions for repeated batch bioprocesses. Thus, the aim of this study is to propose a new shaken culture system for parallel repeated batch vinegar fermentation. A new operation mode - the flushing repeated batch - was developed. Parallel repeated batch vinegar production could be established in shaken overflow vessels in a completely automated operation with only one pump per vessel. This flushing repeated batch was first theoretically investigated and then empirically tested. The ethanol concentration was online monitored during repeated batch fermentation by semiconductor gas sensors. It was shown that the switch from one ethanol substrate quality to different ethanol substrate qualities resulted in prolonged lag phases and durations of the first batches. In the subsequent batches the length of the fermentations decreased considerably. This decrease in the respective lag phases indicates an adaptation of the acetic acid bacteria mixed culture to the specific ethanol substrate quality. Consequently, flushing repeated batch fermentations on small scale are valuable for screening fermentation conditions and, thereby, improving industrial-scale bioprocesses such as vinegar production in terms of process robustness, stability, and productivity. Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Fumaric Acid Production from Alkali-Pretreated Corncob by Fed-Batch Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation Combined with Separated Hydrolysis and Fermentation at High Solids Loading.

PubMed

Li, Xin; Zhou, Jin; Ouyang, Shuiping; Ouyang, Jia; Yong, Qiang

2017-02-01

Production of fumaric acid from alkali-pretreated corncob (APC) at high solids loading was investigated using a combination of separated hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) by Rhizopus oryzae. Four different fermentation modes were tested to maximize fumaric acid concentration at high solids loading. The highest concentration of 41.32 g/L fumaric acid was obtained from 20 % (w/v) APC at 38 °C in the combined SHF and fed-batch SSF process, compared with 19.13 g/L fumaric acid in batch SSF alone. The results indicated that a combination of SHF and fed-batch SSF significantly improved production of fumaric acid from lignocellulose by R. oryzae than that achieved with batch SSF at high solids loading.

Aerobic biodegradability of methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) used in natural gas sweetening plants in batch tests and continuous flow experiments.

PubMed

Fürhacker, M; Pressl, A; Allabashi, R

2003-09-01

Mixtures of different amines including tertiary amines (methyldiethanolamine, MDEA) are commonly used for the removal of CO2 from gas mixtures or in gas sweetening processes for the extraction of CO2 and H2S. The absorber solutions used can be released into the industrial waste water due to continuous substitution of degraded MDEA, periodically cleaning processes or an accidental spill. In this study, the aerobic biodegradability of MDEA was investigated in a standardised batch test and a continuous flow experiment (40 l/d). The results of the batch test indicated that the MDEA-solution was non-biodegradable during the test period of 28 days, whereas the continuous flow experiments showed biodegradation of more than 96% based on TOC-measurements. This was probably due to the adaptation of the microorganisms to this particular waste water contamination during continuous flow experiment.

Addressing case specific biogas plant tasks: industry oriented methane yields derived from 5L Automatic Methane Potential Test Systems in batch or semi-continuous tests using realistic inocula, substrate particle sizes and organic loading.

PubMed

Kolbl, Sabina; Paloczi, Attila; Panjan, Jože; Stres, Blaž

2014-02-01

The primary aim of the study was to develop and validate an in-house upscale of Automatic Methane Potential Test System II for studying real-time inocula and real-scale substrates in batch, codigestion and enzyme enhanced hydrolysis experiments, in addition to semi-continuous operation of the developed equipment and experiments testing inoculum functional quality. The successful upscale to 5L enabled comparison of different process configurations in shorter preparation times with acceptable accuracy and high-through put intended for industrial decision making. The adoption of the same scales, equipment and methodologies in batch and semi-continuous tests mirroring those at full scale biogas plants resulted in matching methane yields between the two laboratory tests and full-scale, confirming thus the increased decision making value of the approach for industrial operations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A short term quality control tool for biodegradable microspheres.

PubMed

D'Souza, Susan; Faraj, Jabar A; Dorati, Rossella; DeLuca, Patrick P

2014-06-01

Accelerated in vitro release testing methodology has been developed as an indicator of product performance to be used as a discriminatory quality control (QC) technique for the release of clinical and commercial batches of biodegradable microspheres. While product performance of biodegradable microspheres can be verified by in vivo and/or in vitro experiments, such evaluation can be particularly challenging because of slow polymer degradation, resulting in extended study times, labor, and expense. Three batches of Leuprolide poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres having varying morphology (process variants having different particle size and specific surface area) were manufactured by the solvent extraction/evaporation technique. Tests involving in vitro release, polymer degradation and hydration of the microspheres were performed on the three batches at 55°C. In vitro peptide release at 55°C was analyzed using a previously derived modification of the Weibull function termed the modified Weibull equation (MWE). Experimental observations and data analysis confirm excellent reproducibility studies within and between batches of the microsphere formulations demonstrating the predictability of the accelerated experiments at 55°C. The accelerated test method was also successfully able to distinguish the in vitro product performance between the three batches having varying morphology (process variants), indicating that it is a suitable QC tool to discriminate product or process variants in clinical or commercial batches of microspheres. Additionally, data analysis utilized the MWE to further quantify the differences obtained from the accelerated in vitro product performance test between process variants, thereby enhancing the discriminatory power of the accelerated methodology at 55°C.

Catalytic wet-oxidation of a mixed liquid waste: COD and AOX abatement.

PubMed

Goi, D; de Leitenburg, C; Trovarelli, A; Dolcetti, G

2004-12-01

A series of catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) reactions, at temperatures of 430-500 K and in a batch bench-top pressure vessel were carried out utilizing a strong wastewater composed of landfill leachate and heavily organic halogen polluted industrial wastewater. A CeO2-SiO2 mixed oxide catalyst with large surface area to assure optimal oxidation performance was prepared. The catalytic process was examined during batch reactions controlling Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Adsorbable Organic Halogen (AOX) parameters, resulting AOX abatement to achieve better effect. Color and pH were also controlled during batch tests. A simple first order-two stage reaction behavior was supposed and verified with the considered parameters. Finally an OUR test was carried out to evaluate biodegradability changes of wastewater as a result of the catalytic reaction.

A direct comparison of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's method 304B and batch tests for determining activated-sludge biodegradation rate constants for volatile organic compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cano, M.L.; Wilcox, M.E.; Compernolle, R. van

Biodegradation rate constants for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in activated-sludge systems are needed to quantify emissions. One current US environmental Protection Agency method for determining a biodegradation rate constant is Method 304B. In this approach, a specific activated-sludge unit is simulated by a continuous biological treatment system with a sealed headspace. Batch experiments, however, can be alternatives to Method 304B. Two of these batch methods are the batch test that uses oxygen addition (BOX) and the serum bottle test (SBT). In this study, Method 304B was directly compared to BOX and SBT experiments. A pilot-scale laboratory reactor was constructed tomore » serve as the Method 304B unit. Biomass from the unit was also used to conduct BOX and modified SBT experiments (modification involved use of a sealed draft-tube reactor with a headspace recirculation pump instead of a serum bottle) for 1,2-dichloroethane, diisopropyl ether, methyl tertiary butyl ether, and toluene. Three experimental runs--each consisting of one Method 304B experiment, one BOX experiment, and one modified SBT experiment--were completed. The BOX and SBT data for each run were analyzed using a Monod model, and best-fit biodegradation kinetic parameters were determined for each experiment, including a first-order biodegradation rate constant (K{sub 1}). Experimental results suggest that for readily biodegradable VOCs the two batch techniques can provide improved means of determining biodegradation rate constants compared with Method 304B. In particular, these batch techniques avoid the Method 304B problem associated with steady-state effluent concentrations below analytical detection limits. However, experimental results also suggest that the two batch techniques should not be used to determine biodegradation rate constants for slowly degraded VOCs (i.e., K{sub 1} {lt} 0.1 L/g VSS-h).« less

Comparison of batch and column tests for the elution of artificial turf system components.

PubMed

Krüger, O; Kalbe, U; Berger, W; Nordhauβ, K; Christoph, G; Walzel, H-P

2012-12-18

Synthetic athletic tracks and turf areas for outdoor sporting grounds may release contaminants due to the chemical composition of some components. A primary example is that of zinc from reused scrap tires (main constituent, styrene butadiene rubber, SBR), which might be harmful to the environment. Thus, methods for the risk assessment of those materials are required. Laboratory leaching methods like batch and column tests are widely used to examine the soil-groundwater pathway. We tested several components for artificial sporting grounds with batch tests at a liquid to solid (LS) ratio of 2 L/kg and column tests with an LS up to 26.5 L/kg. We found a higher zinc release in the batch test eluates for all granules, ranging from 15% higher to 687% higher versus data from column tests for SBR granules. Accompanying parameters, especially the very high turbidity of one ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) eluates, reflect the stronger mechanical stress of batch testing. This indicates that batch test procedures might not be suitable for the risk assessment of synthetic sporting ground components. Column tests, on the other hand, represent field conditions more closely and allow for determination of time-dependent contaminants release.

Results for the Brine Evaporation Bag (BEB) Brine Processing Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delzeit, Lance; Flynn, Michael; Fisher, John; Shaw, Hali; Kawashima, Brian; Beeler, David; Howard, Kevin

2015-01-01

The recent Brine Processing Test compared the NASA Forward Osmosis Brine Dewatering (FOBD), Paragon Ionomer Water Processor (IWP), UMPQUA Ultrasonic Brine Dewatering System (UBDS), and the NASA Brine Evaporation Bag (BEB). This paper reports the results of the BEB. The BEB was operated at 70 deg C and a base pressure of 12 torr. The BEB was operated in a batch mode, and processed 0.4L of brine per batch. Two different brine feeds were tested, a chromic acid-urine brine and a chromic acid-urine-hygiene mix brine. The chromic acid-urine brine, known as the ISS Alternate Pretreatment Brine, had an average processing rate of 95 mL/hr with a specific power of 5kWhr/L. The complete results of these tests will be reported within this paper.

Engineered Option Treatment of Remediated Nitrate Salts: Surrogate Batch-Blending Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anast, Kurt Roy

2016-03-11

This report provides results from batch-blending test work for remediated nitrate salt (RNS) treatment. Batch blending was identified as a preferred option for blending RNS and unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) material with zeolite to effectively safe the salt/Swheat material identified as ignitable (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency code D001). Blending with zeolite was the preferred remediation option identified in the Options Assessment Report and was originally proposed as the best option for remediation by Clark and Funk in their report, Chemical Reactivity and Recommended Remediation Strategy for Los Alamos Remediated Nitrate Salt (RNS) Wastes, and also found to be a preferredmore » option in the Engineering Options Assessment Report: Nitrate Salt Waste Stream Processing. This test work evaluated equipment and recipe alternatives to achieve effective blending of surrogate waste with zeolite.« less

21 CFR 320.34 - Requirements for batch testing and certification by the Food and Drug Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... necessary to assure that all batches of the same drug product meet an appropriate in vitro test, he shall include in the bioequivalence requirement a requirement for manufacturers to submit samples of each batch...

21 CFR 320.34 - Requirements for batch testing and certification by the Food and Drug Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... necessary to assure that all batches of the same drug product meet an appropriate in vitro test, he shall include in the bioequivalence requirement a requirement for manufacturers to submit samples of each batch...

40 CFR 205.57-5 - Reporting of the test results.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Reporting of the test results. 205.57-5... the test results. (a) Within 5 working days after completion of testing of all vehicles in a batch... was authorized by the Administrator, and, if any, the test results for the replaced vehicles. (4) A...

Heater Validation for the NEXT-C Hollow Cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verhey, Timothy R.; Soulas, George C.; Mackey, Jonathan A.

2018-01-01

Swaged cathode heaters whose design was successfully demonstrated under a prior flight project are to be provided by the NASA Glenn Research Center for the NEXT-C ion thruster being fabricated by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Extensive requalification activities were performed to validate process controls that had to be re-established or revised because systemic changes prevented reuse of the past approaches. A development batch of heaters was successfully fabricated based on the new process controls. Acceptance and cyclic life testing of multiple discharge and neutralizer sized heaters extracted from the development batch was initiated in August, 2016, with the last heater completing testing in April, 2017. Cyclic life testing results substantially exceeded the NEXT-C thruster requirement as well as all past experience for GRC-fabricated units. The heaters demonstrated ultimate cyclic life capability of 19050 to 33500 cycles. A qualification batch of heaters is now being fabricated using the finalized process controls. A set of six heaters will be acceptance and cyclic tested to verify conformance to the behavior observed with the development heaters. The heaters for flight use will be then be provided to the contractor from the remainder of the qualification batch. This paper summarizes the fabrication process control activities and the acceptance and life testing of the development heater units.

[Testing of medicinal products produced from pooled plasma].

PubMed

Unkelbach, U; Hunfeld, A; Breitner-Ruddock, S

2014-10-01

Medicinal products produced from human plasma fall under the administrative batch release procedure of the competent authority. In Germany, this has been carried out since 1995 by the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the responsible state control agency for blood products. Medicinal products released for the European and national market are tested for quality, efficacy and safety. Experimental testing of the final product and the starting materials, the plasma pools, as well as control of the production documentation guarantee a constantly high product safety. In the 28,000 batches tested since the beginning of the state controlled batch release testing of these blood products at the PEI, there has been no transmission of infectious viruses (HIV, HBV and HCV) to any patient. The batch release has made a contribution to the improvement of product quality. This procedure is still an important tool to ensure safety of blood products. The PEI is integrated in the batch release network of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Health Care (EDQM) in Strasbourg. Regulations and guidelines for official control authority batch release (OCABR) ensure harmonized procedures for mutual recognition of batch release on the European level. The EU certificates and German national certificates are requested and accepted in over 70 countries worldwide. Experimental testing in the EU and the requisite certificates have developed into a seal of quality for the world market.

40 CFR 1065.545 - Verification of proportional flow control for batch sampling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... control for batch sampling. 1065.545 Section 1065.545 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS ENGINE-TESTING PROCEDURES Performing an Emission Test Over Specified Duty Cycles § 1065.545 Verification of proportional flow control for batch sampling. For any...

Design of a single batch leaching test to assess the environmental impact of volcanic ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Turiel, J.; Ruggieri, F.; Saavedra, J.; Gimeno, D.; Martinez, L.; Galindo, G.; Garcia-Valles, M.; Polanco, E.; Perez-Torrado, F.; Rodriguez-Gonzalez, A.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, D.

2010-12-01

Most of the environmentally mobile constituents of volcanic ashes may be detected by one stage batch leaching tests, but the lack of a standardized procedure makes difficult the comparison between different studies. A series of batch tests were conducted using rhyolithic Andean ashes of the Chaiten 2008 eruption (Chile) and an ancient (hundreds of thousands of years) eruption in the southern Puna (NW Argentina) in order to propose a batch test susceptible of harmonization for volcanic ash. Tests carried out varying amount of ash (0.1 and 1 g), leachant volume (1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 ml of deionized water) and contact time (1.5, 4 and 16 h). The mixture of ash and leachant was shaken at 20 rpm at room temperature in polypropylene test tubes (14x100 mm) or polyethylene (HDPE) reactors (50 and 100 ml), depending on the leachate volume. Leachate solutions, previous centrifugation (3000 rpm) during 15 minutes, were filtered through PVDF syringe filters with tube tip (25 mm diameter and 0.45 µm pore size) and made up to 100 ml volume in 1% (v/v) HNO3. These solutions were analyzed by ICP-OES, ICP-MS and ISE (fluoride). Leaching tests with 0.1 g of ash have a low reproducibility of results whereas leachant volume has not a great influence on the element contents released when 1 g of sample is employed. Batch leaching tests performed at 1.5 and 16 h are less reproducible that those tested at 4 h. The best batch leaching conditions tested correspond to 1 g of ash and 10 ml of deionized water shaking during 4 h. This methodology has been applied to recent and historical eruptions of the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes (Quizapu, 1932; Lonquimay, 1988; Hudson, 1991; Copahue, 2000; Llaima 2008; Chaiten 2008), the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes (Quaternary ashes of different eruptions in southern Puna and neighboring areas in northwestern Argentina), and the recent eruption of Eyjafjallajokull (april-may 2010) in Iceland. The method developed is reproducible, fast and reliable in laboratory conditions and the results easily applicable to environmental impact models. This study was carried out in the framework of the PEGEFA Working Group (Catalonian Government 2009-SGR-972), and was funded by the Project ASH of the Spanish MICINN (CGL2008-00099) and the FPU Grant of the Spanish Ministry of Education of one of the authors (F. Ruggieri, Ref. AP2006-04592).

Foaming of E-Glass II (Report for G Plus Project for PPG)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dong-Sang; Portch, Matthew P.; Matyas, Josef

2005-09-23

In a previous study, the effect of the furnace atmosphere on E glass foaming was investigated with the specific goal to understand the impact of increased water content on foaming in oxy-fired furnaces. The present study extended the previous study and focused on the effect of glass batch chemical composition on E-glass foaming. The present study also included reruns of foam tests performed in a previous study, which resulted in the same trend: the foaming extent increased nearly linearly with the heating rate and no foam was produced when CO2 + 55% H2O atmosphere was introduced at 300°C. It wasmore » shown that the lack of foaming in the test with CO2 + 55% H2O atmosphere introduced at 300°C was caused by a loss of sulfate at T <1250°C because of higher water content at the early stages of melting. The tests with new batches in the present study showed that replacing quicklime with limestone tend to decrease foaming, possibly caused by increased sulfate loss during early stages of melting in the batch with limestone. The batches where Na2SO4 was replaced with NaNO3, NaNO3 + CeO2, or CeO2, produced only very limited foaming regardless of the replacing components. As expected, the foaming extent increased as the sulfate content in the batch increased. The results of the present study suggest that foaming can be reduced by using limestone over quicklime and by decreasing the sulfate addition to a minimum required for refining.« less

Results of Hg speciation testing on DWPF SMECT-8, OGCT-1, AND OGCT-2 samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bannochie, C.

2016-02-22

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked with preparing and shipping samples for Hg speciation by Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences, Inc. in Seattle, WA on behalf of the Savannah River Remediation (SRR) Mercury Task Team. The sixteenth shipment of samples was designated to include a Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Slurry Mix Evaporator Condensate Tank (SMECT) sample from Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) Batch 738 processing and two Off-Gas Condensate Tank (OGCT) samples, one following Batch 736 and one following Batch 738. The DWPF sample designations for the three samples analyzed are provided. The Batch 738 ‘End ofmore » SME Cycle’ SMECT sample was taken at the conclusion of Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) operations for this batch and represents the fourth SMECT sample examined from Batch 738. Batch 738 experienced a sludge slurry carryover event, which introduced sludge solids to the SMECT that were particularly evident in the SMECT-5 sample, but less evident in the ‘End of SME Cycle’ SMECT-8 sample.« less

Results of initial analyses of the salt (macro) batch 9 tank 21H qualification samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, T. B.

2015-10-01

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Interim Salt Disposition Project (ISDP) Salt (Macro) Batch 9 for processing through the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). This document reports the initial results of the analyses of samples of Tank 21H. Analysis of the Tank 21H Salt (Macro) Batch 9 composite sample indicates that the material does not display any unusual characteristics or observations, such as floating solids, the presence of large amount of solids, or unusual colors. Further results on the chemistry and other tests willmore » be issued in the future.« less

Acceptance Test Data for BWXT Coated Particle Batches 93172B and 93173B—Defective IPyC and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunn, John D.; Helmreich, Grant W.; Dyer, John A.

Coated particle batches J52O-16-93172B and J52O-16-93173B were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) as part of the production campaign for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), but were not used in the final fuel composite. However, these batches may be used as demonstration production-scale coated particle fuel for other experiments. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52R-16-69317 containing a mixture ofmore » 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO). The TRISO coatings consisted of four consecutive CVD layers: a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batches were sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93172A). Secondary upgrading by sieving was performed on the A-designated batches to remove particles with missing or very-thin buffer layers that were identified during previous analysis of the individual batches for defective IPyC, as reported in the acceptance test data report for the AGR-5/6/7 production batches [Hunn et al. 2017b]. The additionally-upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter B to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93172B).« less

GICHD Mine Dog Testing Project - Soil Sample Results No.3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

PHELAN, JAMES M.; BARNETT, JAMES L.; BENDER, SUSAN FAE ANN

2003-03-01

A mine dog evaluation project initiated by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining is evaluating the capability and reliability of mine detection dogs. The performance of field-operational mine detection dogs will be measured in test minefields in Afghanistan and Bosnia containing actual, but unfused landmines. Repeated performance testing over two years through various seasonal weather conditions will provide data simulating near real world conditions. Soil samples will be obtained adjacent to the buried targets repeatedly over the course of the test. Chemical analysis results from these soil samples will be used to evaluate correlations between mine dog detection performancemore » and seasonal weather conditions. This report documents the analytical chemical methods and results from the third batch of soils received. This batch contained samples from Kharga, Afghanistan collected in October 2002.« less

GICHD mine dog testing project : soil sample results #5.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnett, James L.; Phelan, James M.; Archuleta, Luisa M.

2004-01-01

A mine dog evaluation project initiated by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining is evaluating the capability and reliability of mine detection dogs. The performance of field-operational mine detection dogs will be measured in test minefields in Afghanistan containing actual, but unfused landmines. Repeated performance testing over two years through various seasonal weather conditions will provide data simulating near real world conditions. Soil samples will be obtained adjacent to the buried targets repeatedly over the course of the test. Chemical analysis results from these soil samples will be used to evaluate correlations between mine dog detection performance and seasonalmore » weather conditions. This report documents the analytical chemical methods and results from the fifth batch of soils received. This batch contained samples from Kharga, Afghanistan collected in June 2003.« less

BIOLAB experiment development status 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinckmann, Enno; Manieri, Pierfilippo

2005-08-01

BIOLAB, ESA's major facility for biological Space research on the International Space Station (ISS), will accommodate the first two batches of experiments after its launch with the "Columbus" Laboratory (spring 2007). Seven experiments have been selected for development: three of the first batch have concluded Phase A/B with the testing of the breadboards, in which the main functions of the scientific studies can be simulated and defined for further inputs to the final design of the experiment hardware. The biological specimens of the first batch are scorpions, plant seedlings, bacteria suspensions and cell cultures of mammalian and invertebrate origin. The experiment protocols request demanding resources ranging from life support for the entire mission (90 days) to skilled crew operations and transport/storage in deep freezers. Even more sophisticated experiments are in preparation for the second batch, dealing with various cell culture systems. This presentation gives an overview about the experiment development status, whilst the science background and breadboard test results will be presented by the respective experiment teams.

The origin of high sulfate concentrations in a coastal plain aquifer, Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, C.J.; Schoonen, M.A.A.

2004-01-01

Ion-exchange batch experiments were run on Cretaceous (Magothy aquifer) clay cores from a nearshore borehole and an inland borehole on Long Island, NY, to determine the origin of high SO42- concentrations in ground water. Desorption batch tests indicate that the amounts of SO 42- released from the core samples are much greater (980-4700 ??g/g of sediment) than the concentrations in ground-water samples. The locally high SO42- concentrations in pore water extracted from cores are consistent with the overall increase in SO 42- concentrations in ground water along Magothy flow paths. Results of the sorption batch tests indicate that SO42- sorption onto clay is small but significant (40-120 ??g/g of sediment) in the low-pH (<5) pore water of clays, and a significant part of the SO42- in Magothy pore water may result from the oxidation of FeS2 by dissolved Fe(III). The acidic conditions that result from FeS2 oxidation in acidic pore water should result in greater sorption of SO42- and other anions onto protonated surfaces than in neutral-pH pore water. Comparison of the amounts of Cl- released from a clay core sample in desorption batch tests (4 ??g/g of sediment) with the amounts of Cl- sorbed to the same clay in sorption tests (3.7-5 ??g/g) indicates that the high concentrations of Cl- in pore water did not originate from connate seawater but were desorbed from sediment that was previously in contact with seawater. Furthermore, a hypothetical seawater transgression in the past is consistent with the observed pattern of sorbed cation complexes in the Magothy cores and could be a significant source of high SO42- concentrations in Magothy ground water.

A high-throughput media design approach for high performance mammalian fed-batch cultures

PubMed Central

Rouiller, Yolande; Périlleux, Arnaud; Collet, Natacha; Jordan, Martin; Stettler, Matthieu; Broly, Hervé

2013-01-01

An innovative high-throughput medium development method based on media blending was successfully used to improve the performance of a Chinese hamster ovary fed-batch medium in shaking 96-deepwell plates. Starting from a proprietary chemically-defined medium, 16 formulations testing 43 of 47 components at 3 different levels were designed. Media blending was performed following a custom-made mixture design of experiments considering binary blends, resulting in 376 different blends that were tested during both cell expansion and fed-batch production phases in one single experiment. Three approaches were chosen to provide the best output of the large amount of data obtained. A simple ranking of conditions was first used as a quick approach to select new formulations with promising features. Then, prediction of the best mixes was done to maximize both growth and titer using the Design Expert software. Finally, a multivariate analysis enabled identification of individual potential critical components for further optimization. Applying this high-throughput method on a fed-batch, rather than on a simple batch, process opens new perspectives for medium and feed development that enables identification of an optimized process in a short time frame. PMID:23563583

Characterizing optical polishing pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varshneya, Rupal; DeGroote, Jessica E.; Gregg, Leslie L.; Jacobs, Stephen D.

2003-05-01

Characterization data for five experimental optical polishing pitch products were compared to those for corresponding standard commercial optical polishing pitches. The experimental pitches were tested for three physical properties: hardness, viscosity at 90°C, and softening point. A Shore A Durometer test was used to measure hardness. Viscosity data were collected using a Stony Brook Scientific falling needle viscometer. Softening point was determined using the ASTM D3104-97 method. Results demonstrate that the softest and the hardest batches of the experimental grades of optical pitch are comparable to the industry-accepted standards, while the other grades of pitch are not. The experimental methodology followed in this research may allow opticians to rapidly compare different brands of pitch to help identify batch-to-batch differences and control pitch quality before use.

Characterizing optical polishing pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varshneya, Rupal

2003-05-01

Characterization data for five experimental optical polishing pitch products were compared to those for corresponding standard commercial optical polishing pitches. The experimental pitches were tested for three physical properties: hardness, viscosity at 90°C, and softening point. A Shore A Durometerl test was used to measure hardness. Viscosity data were collected using a Stony Brook Scientific' falling needle viscometer. Softening point was determined using the ASTM D3104-97 method. Results demonstrate that the softest and the hardest batches of the experimental grades of optical pitch are comparable to the industry-accepted standards, while the other grades of pitch are not. The experimental methodology followed in this research may allow opticians to rapidly compare different brands of pitch to help identify batch- to- batch differences and control pitch quality before use.

Collaborative study for the establishment of the WHO 3(rd) International Standard for Endotoxin, the Ph. Eur. endotoxin biological reference preparation batch 5 and the USP Reference Standard for Endotoxin Lot H0K354.

PubMed

Findlay, L; Desai, T; Heath, A; Poole, S; Crivellone, M; Hauck, W; Ambrose, M; Morris, T; Daas, A; Rautmann, G; Buchheit, K H; Spieser, J M; Terao, E

2015-01-01

An international collaborative study was organised jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO)/National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM/Council of Europe) for the establishment of harmonised replacement endotoxin standards for these 3 organisations. Thirty-five laboratories worldwide, including Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCLs) and manufacturers enrolled in the study. Three candidate preparations (10/178, 10/190 and 10/196) were produced with the same material and same formulation as the current reference standards with the objective of generating a new (3(rd)) International Standard (IS) with the same potency (10 000 IU/vial) as the current (2(nd)) IS, as well as new European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.). and USP standards. The suitability of the candidate preparations to act as the reference standard in assays for endotoxin performed according to compendial methods was evaluated. Their potency was calibrated against the WHO 2(nd) IS for Endotoxin (94/580). Gelation and photometric methods produced similar results for each of the candidate preparations. The overall potency estimates for the 3 batches were comparable. Given the intrinsic assay precision, the observed differences between the batches may be considered unimportant for the intended use of these materials. Overall, these results were in line with those generated for the establishment of the current preparations of reference standards. Accelerated degradation testing of vials stored at elevated temperatures supported the long-term stability of the 3 candidate preparations. It was agreed between the 3 organisations that batch 10/178 be shared between WHO and EDQM and that batches 10/190 and 10/196 be allocated to USP, with a common assigned value of 10 000 IU/vial. This value maintains the continuity of the global harmonisation of reference materials and unitage for the testing of endotoxins in parenteral pharmaceutical products. Based on the results of the collaborative study, batch 10/178 was established by the European Pharmacopoeia Commission as the Ph. Eur. Endotoxin Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) batch 5. The same batch was also established by the Expert Committee on Biological Standardisation (ECBS) of WHO as the WHO 3(rd) IS for Endotoxin. Batch 10/190 was adopted as the USP Endotoxin Reference Standard, lot H0K354 and vials from this same batch (10/190) will serve as the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) Endotoxin Standard, EC-7.

Acceptance Test Data for the AGR-5/6/7 Irradiation Test Fuel Composite Defective IPyC Fraction and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

Coated particle composite J52R-16-98005 was produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This composite was comprised of four coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93165B (26%), 93168B (26%), 93169B (24%), and 93170B (24%), chosen based on the Quality Control (QC) data acquired for each individual candidate AGR-5/6/7 batch. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT Lot J52R-16-69317more » containing a mixture of 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO). The TRISO coatings consisted of four consecutive CVD layers: a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batches were sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165A). Secondary upgrading by sieving was performed on the A-designated batches to remove particles with missing or very-thin buffer layers that were identified during previous analysis of the individual batches for defective IPyC, as reported in the acceptance test data report for the AGR-5/6/7 production batches [Hunn et al. 2017]. The additionally-upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter B to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165B).« less

GICHD mine dog testing project - soil sample results #4.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnett, James L.; Phelan, James M.; Archuleta, Luisa M.

2003-08-01

A mine dog evaluation project initiated by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining is evaluating the capability and reliability of mine detection dogs. The performance of field-operational mine detection dogs will be measured in test minefields in Afghanistan and Bosnia containing actual, but unfused landmines. Repeated performance testing over two years through various seasonal weather conditions will provide data simulating near real world conditions. Soil samples will be obtained adjacent to the buried targets repeatedly over the course of the test. Chemical analysis results from these soil samples will be used to evaluate correlations between mine dog detection performancemore » and seasonal weather conditions. This report documents the analytical chemical methods and results from the fourth batch of soils received. This batch contained samples from Kharga, Afghanistan collected in April 2003 and Sarajevo, Bosnia collected in May 2003.« less

Comparison of batch cultivation strategies for cost-effective biomass production of Micractinium inermum NLP-F014 using a blended wastewater medium.

PubMed

Park, Seonghwan; Kim, Jeongmi; Park, Younghyun; Son, Suyoung; Cho, Sunja; Kim, Changwon; Lee, Taeho

2017-06-01

Two competitive strategies, fed-batch and sequencing-batch cultivation, were compared in cost-effective biomass production of a high lipid microalgae, Micractinium inermum NLP-F014 using a blended wastewater medium. For fed-batch cultivations, additional nutrient was supplemented at day 2 (FB1) or consecutively added at day 2 and 4 (FB2). Through inoculum size test, 1.0g-DCWL -1 was selected for the sequencing-batch cultivation (SB) where about 65% of culture was replaced with fresh medium every 2days. Both fed-batch cultivations showed the maximum biomass productivity of 0.95g-DCWL -1 d -1 , while average biomass productivity in SB was slightly higher as 0.96±0.08g-DCWL -1 d -1 . Furthermore, remained concentrations of organics (426mg-CODL -1 ), total nitrogen (15.4mg-NL -1 ) and phosphorus (0.6mg-PL -1 ) in SB were much lower than those of fed-batch conditions. The results suggested that SB could be a promising strategy to cultivate M. inermum NLP-F014 with the blended wastewater medium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soft sensor modeling based on variable partition ensemble method for nonlinear batch processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Li; Chen, Xiangguang; Yang, Kai; Jin, Huaiping

2017-01-01

Batch processes are always characterized by nonlinear and system uncertain properties, therefore, the conventional single model may be ill-suited. A local learning strategy soft sensor based on variable partition ensemble method is developed for the quality prediction of nonlinear and non-Gaussian batch processes. A set of input variable sets are obtained by bootstrapping and PMI criterion. Then, multiple local GPR models are developed based on each local input variable set. When a new test data is coming, the posterior probability of each best performance local model is estimated based on Bayesian inference and used to combine these local GPR models to get the final prediction result. The proposed soft sensor is demonstrated by applying to an industrial fed-batch chlortetracycline fermentation process.

Improved model for detection of homogeneous production batches of electronic components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazakovtsev, L. A.; Orlov, V. I.; Stashkov, D. V.; Antamoshkin, A. N.; Masich, I. S.

2017-10-01

Supplying the electronic units of the complex technical systems with electronic devices of the proper quality is one of the most important problems for increasing the whole system reliability. Moreover, for reaching the highest reliability of an electronic unit, the electronic devices of the same type must have equal characteristics which assure their coherent operation. The highest homogeneity of the characteristics is reached if the electronic devices are manufactured as a single production batch. Moreover, each production batch must contain homogeneous raw materials. In this paper, we propose an improved model for detecting the homogeneous production batches of shipped lot of electronic components based on implementing the kurtosis criterion for the results of non-destructive testing performed for each lot of electronic devices used in the space industry.

Establishment of hepatitis A detection antibodies set BRR batch 3 for antigen content determination by ELISA.

PubMed

Morgeaux, S; Manniam, I; Variot, P; Daas, A; Costanzo, A

2015-01-01

The current batch of the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Reagents (BRRs) used for the in vitro potency assay of hepatitis A vaccines (HAV) by ELISA (enzymelinked immunosorbent assay) was established in 2012 for use in conjunction with Ph. Eur. general chapter 2.7.14 Assay of hepatitis A vaccine. It is composed of a coating reagent and a set of detection antibodies. As stocks of the latter are running low, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) organised a collaborative study to qualify replacement batches. The candidate BRR antibodies (primary monoclonal antibody and labelled secondary antibody) were prepared under appropriate conditions from starting materials similar to those used for the current batches. The new batches of antibodies were tested alongside previous batches of BRRs to ensure continuity, and the results confirmed that they were suitable for use in the potency assay of hepatitis A vaccines by ELISA using the standard method referenced in Ph. Eur. general chapter 2.7.14 at the same final concentrations as the previous batches, i.e. 1:500 for the primary monoclonal antibody and 1:400 for the secondary conjugated antibody. The outcome of the study allowed their establishment by the Ph. Eur. Commission in March 2015 as anti-hepatitis A virus primary detection antibody BRR batch 3 and conjugated secondary detection antibody BRR batch 3 respectively. They are available from the EDQM as hepatitis A vaccine ELISA detection antibodies set BRR batch 3.

40 CFR 205.57-2 - Test vehicle sample selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test vehicle sample selection. 205.57... vehicle sample selection. (a) Vehicles comprising the batch sample which are required to be tested... test request from a batch of vehicles of the category or configuration specified in the test request...

Collaborative study for the establishment of replacement batches of heparin low- molecular-mass for assay biological reference preparations.

PubMed

Terao, E; Daas, A; Rautmann, G; Buchheit, K-H

2010-10-01

A collaborative study was run by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) in the context of the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP), under the aegis of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, to establish replacement batches for the dwindling stocks of the Heparin low-molecular-mass for assay European Pharmacopoeia Biological Reference Preparation (BRP). The replacement batches of BRP are intended to be used in the assays for anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities, as described in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) monograph Heparins, low-molecular-mass (0828). Three freeze-dried candidate batches were calibrated against the current International Standard (IS) for Heparin, lowmolecular- weight (2nd IS, 01/608). For the purpose of the continuity check between subsequent BRP batches, the current Heparin low-molecular-mass for assay BRP (batch 5) was also included in the test panel. Thirteen official medicines control and manufacturers laboratories from European and non-European countries contributed data. A central statistical analysis of the datasets was performed at the EDQM. On the basis of the results, the 3 candidate materials were assigned a potency of 104 IU/vial for the anti-Xa activity and 31 IU/vial for the anti-IIa activity. Taken into account the preliminary stability data and the results of this collaborative study, the 3 batches of candidate BRP were adopted in June 2010 by the Commission of the Ph. Eur. as Heparin low-molecular-mass for assay BRP batches 6, 7 and 8.

ELISA reader does not interfere by mobile phone radiofrequency radiation

PubMed Central

Mortazavi, Seyyed Mohammad Javad; Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, Hamid Reza; Abdi, Mohammad Reza; Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, Milad; Mostafavi, Nayyer Sadat; Mahmoudi, Golshan; Berenjkoub, Nafiseh; Akmali, Zahra; Hossein-Beigi, Fahimeh; Arsang, Vajiheh

2016-01-01

Background: The increasing number of mobile phones can physically cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in medical environments; can also cause errors in immunoassays in laboratories. The ELISA readers are widely used as a useful diagnostic tool for Enzymun colorimetric assay in medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the ELISA reader could be interfered by the exposure to the 900 MHz cell phones in the laboratory. Materials and Methods: Human serum samples were collected from 14 healthy donors (9 women and 5 men) and each sample was divided into four aliquots and was placed into four batches for the in-vitro quantitative determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). During colorimetric reading of the first, second, and third batches, the ELISA reader (Stat Fax 2100, Awareness Technology, Inc., USA) was exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 W exposure of 900 MHz radiation, respectively. For the forth batch (control group), no radiation was applied. All experiments were performed comparing ELISA read out results of the I, II, and III batches with the control batch, using the Wilcoxon test with criterion level of P = 0.050. Results: The final scores in the exposed batches I, II, and III were not statistically significant relative to the control batch (P > 0.05). The results showed that 900 MHz radiation exposure did not alter the ELISA measured levels of hCG hormone in I (P = 0.219), II (P = 0.909), and III (P = 0.056) batches compared to the control batch. Conclusion: This study showed that ELISA reader does not interfere by mobile phone RF radiation at a closed contact (less than 5 cm distance). However, we recommend that medical institutions discuss these issues in the context of their specific use of technologies and frame a policy that is clear and straightforward to guide staff, patients, and visitors. PMID:27376040

Non destructive testing of soft body armor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhise, Karan

Pristine bullet proof vests are extremely effective at halting pre-determined projectile threats and have saved over 3000 lives. However, the effectiveness of these vests to halt a bullet is seen to decrease over time.Owing to the importance of bullet proof vests over a period of time, tests to determine their effectiveness have been carried out on every batch of vests at the time of inception and at certain time intervals by shooting a bullet through them. A few vests from every batch are picked up and shot at to check for bullet penetration during this process while these results are extrapolated onto the other vests from the batch.One of the main issues with this method is the fact that testing a few jackets among a large set of jackets does not guarantee the safety of every jacket in the entire batch.Further the jackets that are shot-at have the possibility of undergoing substantial damage during the process thus compromising its safety rendering them unsafe for future use.As the vest penetration phenomenon is extremely complex too, there arose a need for a better testing procedure that could not only help ensure more safety, but also save time and money.The new testing procedure proposed a non-destructive evaluation of the jackets that would solve the issues previous faced in testing the vests. This would lead to the building of a portable set up which could be carried to any location to test jackets in a matter of minutes thus saving time and money.

Assessing the performance of multiplexed tandem PCR for the diagnosis of pathogenic genotypes of Theileria orientalis using pooled blood samples from cattle.

PubMed

Gebrekidan, Hagos; Gasser, Robin B; Stevenson, Mark A; McGrath, Sean; Jabbar, Abdul

2017-02-01

Oriental theileriosis caused by multiple genotypes of Theileria orientalis is an important tick-borne disease of bovines. Here, we assessed the performance of an established multiplexed tandem PCR (MT-PCR) for the diagnosis of the two recognized, pathogenic genotypes (chitose and ikeda) of T. orientalis in cattle using pooled blood samples. We used a total of 265 cattle blood samples, which were divided into two groups according to previous MT-PCR results for individual samples. Samples in group 1 (n = 155) were from a herd with a relatively high prevalence of T. orientalis infection; and those in group 2 (n = 110) were from four herds with a low prevalence. For group 1, 31 and 15 batches of five- and ten-pooled samples (selected at random), respectively, were formed. For group 2, 22 and 11 batches of five- and ten-pooled samples (selected at random), respectively, were formed. DNAs from individual pooled samples in each batch and group were then tested by MT-PCR. For group 1, the apparent prevalences estimated using the 31 batches of five-pooled samples (97%) and 15 batches of ten-pooled samples (100%) were significantly higher compared with individual samples (75%). For group 2, higher apparent prevalences (9% and 36%) were also recorded for the 22 and 11 batches of pooled samples, respectively, compared with individual samples (7%). Overall, the average infection intensity recorded for the genotypes of chitose and ikeda were considerably lower in pooled compared with individual samples. The diagnostic specificities of MT-PCR were estimated at 95% and 94%, respectively, when batches of five- and ten-pooled samples were tested, and 94% for individual samples. The diagnostic sensitivity of this assay was estimated at 98% same for all individual, five- and ten-pooled samples. This study shows that screening batches of five- and ten-pooled blood samples from cattle herds are similar to those obtained for individual samples, and, importantly, that the reduced cost for the testing of pooled samples represents a considerable saving to herd managers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic digestion of Chinese cabbage waste silage with swine manure for biogas production: batch and continuous study.

PubMed

Kafle, Gopi Krishna; Bhattarai, Sujala; Kim, Sang Hun; Chen, Lide

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for anaerobic co-digestion of Chinese cabbage waste silage (CCWS) with swine manure (SM). Batch and continuous experiments were carried out under mesophilic anaerobic conditions (36-38°C). The batch test evaluated the effect of CCWS co-digestion with SM (SM: CCWS=100:0; 25:75; 33:67; 0:100, % volatile solids (VS) basis). The continuous test evaluated the performance of a single stage completely stirred tank reactor with SM alone and with a mixture of SM and CCWS. Batch test results showed no significant difference in biogas yield up to 25-33% of CCWS; however, biogas yield was significantly decreased when CCWS contents in feed increased to 67% and 100%. When testing continuous digestion, the biogas yield at organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.0 g VSL⁻¹ d⁻¹ increased by 17% with a mixture of SM and CCWS (SM:CCWS=75:25) (423 mL g⁻¹ VS) than with SM alone (361 mL g⁻¹ VS). The continuous anaerobic digestion process (biogas production, pH, total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) and TVFA/total alkalinity ratios) was stable when co-digesting SM and CCWS (75:25) at OLR of 2.0 g VSL⁻¹ d⁻¹ and hydraulic retention time of 20 days under mesophilic conditions.

Citric Acid-Modified Fenton's Reaction for the Oxidation of Chlorinated Ethylenes in Soil Solution Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seol, Yongkoo; Javandel, Iraj

Fenton's reagent, a solution of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous iron catalyst, is used for an in-situ chemical oxidation of organic contaminants. Sulfuric acid is commonly used to create an acidic condition needed for catalytic oxidation. Fenton's reaction often involves pressure buildup and precipitation of reaction products, which can cause safety hazards and diminish efficiency. We selected citric acid, a food-grade substance, as an acidifying agent to evaluate its efficiencies for organic contaminant removal in Fenton's reaction, and examined the impacts of using citric acid on the unwanted reaction products. A series of batch and column experiments were performed with varyingmore » H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentrations to decompose selected chlorinated ethylenes. Either dissolved iron from soil or iron sulfate salt was added to provide the iron catalyst in the batch tests. Batch experiments revealed that both citric and sulfuric acid systems achieved over 90% contaminant removal rates, and the presence of iron catalyst was essential for effective decontamination. Batch tests with citric acid showed no signs of pressure accumulation and solid precipitations, however the results suggested that an excessive usage of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} relative to iron catalysts (Fe{sup 2+}/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} < 1/330) would result in lowering the efficiency of contaminant removal by iron chelations in the citric acid system. Column tests confirmed that citric acid could provide suitable acidic conditions to achieve higher than 55% contaminant removal rates.« less

Citric acid-modified Fenton's reaction for the oxidation of chlorinated ethylenes in soil solution systems.

PubMed

Seol, Yongkoo; Javandel, Iraj

2008-06-01

Fenton's reagent, a solution of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous iron catalyst, is used for an in situ chemical oxidation of organic contaminants. Sulfuric acid is commonly used to create an acidic condition needed for catalytic oxidation. Fenton's reaction often involves pressure buildup and precipitation of reaction products, which can cause safety hazards and diminish efficiency. We selected citric acid, a food-grade substance, as an acidifying agent to evaluate its efficiencies for organic contaminant removal in Fenton's reaction, and examined the impacts of using citric acid on the unwanted reaction products. A series of batch and column experiments were performed with varying H2O2 concentrations to decompose selected chlorinated ethylenes. Either dissolved iron from soil or iron sulfate salt was added to provide the iron catalyst in the batch tests. Batch experiments revealed that both citric and sulfuric acid systems achieved over 90% contaminant removal rates, and the presence of iron catalyst was essential for effective decontamination. Batch tests with citric acid showed no signs of pressure accumulation and solid precipitations, however the results suggested that an excessive usage of H2O2 relative to iron catalysts (Fe2+/H2O2<1/330) would result in lowering the efficiency of contaminant removal by iron chelation in the citric acid system. Column tests confirmed that citric acid could provide suitable acidic conditions to achieve higher than 55% contaminant removal rates.

Susceptibility to an inoculum of infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) in three batches of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931)

PubMed Central

Escobedo-Bonilla, César Marcial; Rangel, José Luis Ibarra

2014-01-01

Abstract The present study evaluated the susceptibility of three different batches of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei from Mexico to an inoculum of infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV). Each of the three shrimp batches came from a different hatchery. Because of their origin, it was possible that the genetic makeup of these batches was different among each other. The three batches tested showed differences in IHHNV susceptibility. Here, susceptibility is defined as the capacity of the host to become infected, and it can be measured by the infectivity titer. Susceptibility to IHHNV was observed in decreasing order in shrimp from batch 1 (hatchery from El Rosario, Sinaloa), batch 3 (hatchery from Nayarit) and batch 2 (hatchery from El Walamo, Sinaloa), respectively. The largest susceptibility difference between batches was 5012 times, and that between early and late juveniles from the same batch was 25 times. These results indicate that within a species, susceptibility to a pathogen such as IHHNV can have large differences. Susceptibility to pathogens is an important trait to consider before performing studies on pathogenesis. It may influence virological parameters such as speed of replication, pathogenicity and virus titer. In order to evaluate the potential use of IHHNV as a natural control agent against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), it is necessary to know host susceptibility and the kinetics of IHHNV infection. These features can help to determine the conditions in which IHHNV could be used as antagonist in a WSSV infection. PMID:25561847

TESTING AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF NASA 5 CM BY 5 CM BI-SUPPORTED SOLID OXIDE ELECTROLYSIS CELLS OPERATED IN BOTH FUEL CELL AND STEAM ELECTROLYSIS MODES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

R. C. O'Brien; J. E. O'Brien; C. M. Stoots

A series of 5 cm by 5 cm bi-supported Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC) were produced by NASA for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and tested under the INL High Temperature Steam Electrolysis program. The results from the experimental demonstration of cell operation for both hydrogen production and operation as fuel cells is presented. An overview of the cell technology, test apparatus and performance analysis is also provided. The INL High Temperature Steam Electrolysis laboratory has developed significant test infrastructure in support of single cell and stack performance analyses. An overview of the single cell test apparatus is presented. Themore » test data presented in this paper is representative of a first batch of NASA's prototypic 5 cm by 5 cm SOEC single cells. Clearly a significant relationship between the operational current density and cell degradation rate is evident. While the performance of these cells was lower than anticipated, in-house testing at NASA Glenn has yielded significantly higher performance and lower degradation rates with subsequent production batches of cells. Current post-test microstructure analyses of the cells tested at INL will be published in a future paper. Modification to cell compositions and cell reduction techniques will be altered in the next series of cells to be delivered to INL with the aim to decrease the cell degradation rate while allowing for higher operational current densities to be sustained. Results from the testing of new batches of single cells will be presented in a future paper.« less

Comparison of chemiluminescence methods for analysis of hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehrman, R.; Amme, M.; Cachoir, C.

2006-01-01

Assessment of alpha radiolysis influence on the chemistry of geologically disposed spent fuel demands analytical methods for radiolytic product determination at trace levels. Several chemiluminescence methods for the detection of radiolytic oxidants hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals are tested. Two of hydrogen peroxide methods use luminol, catalyzed by either μ-peroxidase or hemin, one uses 10-methyl-9-(p-formylphenyl)-acridinium carboxylate trifluoromethanesulfonate and one potassium periodate. All recipes are tested as batch systems in basic conditions. For hydroxyl radical detection luminophores selected are 3-hydroxyphthalic hydrazide and rutin. Both methods are tested as batch systems. The results are compared and the applicability of the methods for near-field dissolution studies is discussed.

Heater Validation for the NEXT-C Hollow Cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verhey, Timothy R.; Soulas, George C.; Mackey, Jonathan Ar.

2017-01-01

Swaged cathode heaters whose design was successfully demonstrated under a prior flight project are to be provided by the NASA Glenn Research Center for the NEXT-C ion thruster being fabricated by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Extensive requalification activities were performed to validate process controls that had to be re-established or revised because systemic changes prevented reuse of the past approaches. A development batch of heaters was successfully fabricated based on the new process controls. Acceptance and cyclic life testing of multiple discharge and neutralizer sized heaters extracted from the development batch was initiated in August, 2016, with the last heater completing testing in April, 2017. Cyclic life testing results substantially exceeded the NEXT-C thruster requirement as well as all past experience for GRC fabricated units. The heaters demonstrated ultimate cyclic life capability of 19050 to 33500 cycles. A qualification batch of heaters is now being fabricated using the finalized process controls. A set of six heaters will be acceptance and cyclic tested to verify conformance to the behavior observed with the development heaters. The heaters for flight use will be then be provided to the contractor. This paper summarizes the fabrication process control activities and the acceptance and life testing of the development heater units.

Testing of the Defense Waste Processing Facility Cold Chemical Dissolution Method in Sludge Batch 9 Qualification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edwards, T.; Pareizs, J.; Coleman, C.

For each sludge batch that is processed in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) tests the applicability of the digestion methods used by the DWPF Laboratory for elemental analysis of Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) Receipt samples and SRAT Product process control samples. DWPF SRAT samples are typically dissolved using a method referred to as the DWPF Cold Chemical or Cold Chem Method (CC), (see DWPF Procedure SW4- 15.201). Testing indicates that the CC method produced mixed results. The CC method did not result in complete dissolution of either the SRAT Receipt ormore » SRAT Product with some fine, dark solids remaining. However, elemental analyses did not reveal extreme biases for the major elements in the sludge when compared with analyses obtained following dissolution by hot aqua regia (AR) or sodium peroxide fusion (PF) methods. The CC elemental analyses agreed with the AR and PF methods well enough that it should be adequate for routine process control analyses in the DWPF after much more extensive side-by-side tests of the CC method and the PF method are performed on the first 10 SRAT cycles of the Sludge Batch 9 (SB9) campaign. The DWPF Laboratory should continue with their plans for further tests of the CC method during these 10 SRAT cycles.« less

Can interpreting sediment toxicity tests a mega sites benefit from novel approaches to normalization to address batching of tests?

EPA Science Inventory

Sediment toxicity tests are a key tool used in Ecological Risk Assessments for contaminated sediment sites. Interpreting test results and defining toxicity is often a challenge. This is particularly true at mega sites where the testing regime is large, and by necessity performed ...

Between-Batch Pharmacokinetic Variability Inflates Type I Error Rate in Conventional Bioequivalence Trials: A Randomized Advair Diskus Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Burmeister Getz, E; Carroll, K J; Mielke, J; Benet, L Z; Jones, B

2017-03-01

We previously demonstrated pharmacokinetic differences among manufacturing batches of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved dry powder inhalation product (Advair Diskus 100/50) large enough to establish between-batch bio-inequivalence. Here, we provide independent confirmation of pharmacokinetic bio-inequivalence among Advair Diskus 100/50 batches, and quantify residual and between-batch variance component magnitudes. These variance estimates are used to consider the type I error rate of the FDA's current two-way crossover design recommendation. When between-batch pharmacokinetic variability is substantial, the conventional two-way crossover design cannot accomplish the objectives of FDA's statistical bioequivalence test (i.e., cannot accurately estimate the test/reference ratio and associated confidence interval). The two-way crossover, which ignores between-batch pharmacokinetic variability, yields an artificially narrow confidence interval on the product comparison. The unavoidable consequence is type I error rate inflation, to ∼25%, when between-batch pharmacokinetic variability is nonzero. This risk of a false bioequivalence conclusion is substantially higher than asserted by regulators as acceptable consumer risk (5%). © 2016 The Authors Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Batch statistical process control of a fluid bed granulation process using in-line spatial filter velocimetry and product temperature measurements.

PubMed

Burggraeve, A; Van den Kerkhof, T; Hellings, M; Remon, J P; Vervaet, C; De Beer, T

2011-04-18

Fluid bed granulation is a batch process, which is characterized by the processing of raw materials for a predefined period of time, consisting of a fixed spraying phase and a subsequent drying period. The present study shows the multivariate statistical modeling and control of a fluid bed granulation process based on in-line particle size distribution (PSD) measurements (using spatial filter velocimetry) combined with continuous product temperature registration using a partial least squares (PLS) approach. Via the continuous in-line monitoring of the PSD and product temperature during granulation of various reference batches, a statistical batch model was developed allowing the real-time evaluation and acceptance or rejection of future batches. Continuously monitored PSD and product temperature process data of 10 reference batches (X-data) were used to develop a reference batch PLS model, regressing the X-data versus the batch process time (Y-data). Two PLS components captured 98.8% of the variation in the X-data block. Score control charts in which the average batch trajectory and upper and lower control limits are displayed were developed. Next, these control charts were used to monitor 4 new test batches in real-time and to immediately detect any deviations from the expected batch trajectory. By real-time evaluation of new batches using the developed control charts and by computation of contribution plots of deviating process behavior at a certain time point, batch losses or reprocessing can be prevented. Immediately after batch completion, all PSD and product temperature information (i.e., a batch progress fingerprint) was used to estimate some granule properties (density and flowability) at an early stage, which can improve batch release time. Individual PLS models relating the computed scores (X) of the reference PLS model (based on the 10 reference batches) and the density, respectively, flowabililty as Y-matrix, were developed. The scores of the 4 test batches were used to examine the predictive ability of the model. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acceptance Test Data for Candidate AGR-5/6/7 TRISO Particle Batches BWXT Coater Batches 93165 93172 Defective IPyC Fraction and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

2017-03-01

Coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93165, 93166, 93168, 93169, 93170, and 93172 were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) for possible selection as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). Some of these batches may alternately be used as demonstration coated particle fuel for other experiments. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52R-16-69317 containing a mixture of 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide andmore » uranium oxide (UCO). The TRISO coatings consisted of four consecutive CVD layers: a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μmnominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batches were sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165A).« less

Analysis and interpretation of the leaching behaviour of waste thermal treatment bottom ash by batch and column tests.

PubMed

Di Gianfilippo, Martina; Costa, Giulia; Verginelli, Iason; Gavasci, Renato; Lombardi, Francesco

2016-10-01

This paper investigates the leaching behaviour of specific types of waste thermal treatment bottom ash (BA) as a function of both pH and the liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S). Specifically, column percolation tests and different types of batch tests (including pH-dependence) were applied to BA produced by hospital waste incineration (HW-I), Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) gasification (RDF-G) and RDF incineration (RDF-I). The results of these tests were interpreted applying an integrated graphical and modelling approach aimed at identifying the main mechanisms (solubility, availability or time-controlled dissolution and diffusion) governing the release of specific constituents from each type of BA. The final aim of this work was in fact to gain insight on the information that can be provided by the leaching tests applied, and hence on which ones may be more suitable to apply for assessing the leaching concentrations expected in the field. The results of the leaching tests showed that the three samples of analysed BA presented differences of orders of magnitude in their leaching behaviour, especially as a function of pH, but also in terms of the L/S. These were mainly related to the differences in mineralogy of the samples. In addition, for the same type of bottom ash, the comparison between the results of batch and percolation column tests, expressed in terms of cumulative release, showed that for some constituents (e.g. Mg for HW-I BA and Cu for RDF-G BA) differences of over one order of magnitude were obtained due to variations in pH and DOC release. Similarly, the eluate concentrations observed in the percolation tests, for most of the investigated elements, were not directly comparable with the results of the pH-dependence tests. In particular, in some cases the percolation test results showed eluate concentrations of some constituents (e.g. K and Ca in HW-I BA) of up to one order of magnitude higher than the values obtained from the pH-dependence experiments at the same pH value. This was attributed to a rapid washout from the column of the soluble phases present in the BA. In contrast, for other constituents (e.g. Mg and Ba for the RDF-G BA), especially at high L/S ratios, the concentrations in the column tests were of up to one order of magnitude lower than the solubility value, indicating release under non-equilibrium conditions. In these cases, batch pH-dependence tests should be preferred, since column tests results could underestimate the concentrations expected in the field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What food and feeding rates are optimum for the Chironomus dilutus sediment toxicity test method?

EPA Science Inventory

Laboratory tests with benthic macroinvertebrates conducted using standard toxicity test procedures are used to assess the potential toxicity of contaminated sediments. Results are compared across sites or for batches of samples, and the performance of organisms in control treatme...

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Four Marketed Formulations of Brahmi

PubMed Central

Saini, Neeti; Mathur, Rajani; Agrawal, S. S.

2012-01-01

This study was conducted with the aim to compare two batches each of four popular commercial formulations of Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi), and report, if any, inter-batch variations. The formulations were procured from local market and analyzed for label specifications, uniformity of weight of capsule, identity, purity and strength parameters (total ash content test, acid insoluble ash content, water soluble extractive, alcohol soluble extractive, loss on drying). Bacoside A, one of the pharmacologically active saponin present in B. monnieri, was quantified in all the formulations using UV-spectrophotometer. In addition each formulation was assessed and compared for variation in biological activity using in vitro test for hemolytic activity using human erythrocytes. The results of the study show that there is a wide variation in the quality and content of herbal drugs marketed by different manufacturers. More importantly this study demonstrates that there exists a bigger challenge of batch-to-batch variation in the quality and content of herbal formulations of the same manufacturer. This challenge of providing standardized formulations is being faced by not any one manufacturing house but by all, and may be attributed firstly to, lack of stringent regulations and secondly to high variability in raw material quality. PMID:23204618

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of four marketed formulations of brahmi.

PubMed

Saini, Neeti; Mathur, Rajani; Agrawal, S S

2012-01-01

This study was conducted with the aim to compare two batches each of four popular commercial formulations of Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi), and report, if any, inter-batch variations. The formulations were procured from local market and analyzed for label specifications, uniformity of weight of capsule, identity, purity and strength parameters (total ash content test, acid insoluble ash content, water soluble extractive, alcohol soluble extractive, loss on drying). Bacoside A, one of the pharmacologically active saponin present in B. monnieri, was quantified in all the formulations using UV-spectrophotometer. In addition each formulation was assessed and compared for variation in biological activity using in vitro test for hemolytic activity using human erythrocytes. The results of the study show that there is a wide variation in the quality and content of herbal drugs marketed by different manufacturers. More importantly this study demonstrates that there exists a bigger challenge of batch-to-batch variation in the quality and content of herbal formulations of the same manufacturer. This challenge of providing standardized formulations is being faced by not any one manufacturing house but by all, and may be attributed firstly to, lack of stringent regulations and secondly to high variability in raw material quality.

ELISA reader does not interfere by mobile phone radiofrequency radiation.

PubMed

Mortazavi, Seyyed Mohammad Javad; Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, Hamid Reza; Abdi, Mohammad Reza; Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, Milad; Mostafavi, Nayyer Sadat; Mahmoudi, Golshan; Berenjkoub, Nafiseh; Akmali, Zahra; Hossein-Beigi, Fahimeh; Arsang, Vajiheh

2016-01-01

The increasing number of mobile phones can physically cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in medical environments; can also cause errors in immunoassays in laboratories. The ELISA readers are widely used as a useful diagnostic tool for Enzymun colorimetric assay in medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the ELISA reader could be interfered by the exposure to the 900 MHz cell phones in the laboratory. Human serum samples were collected from 14 healthy donors (9 women and 5 men) and each sample was divided into four aliquots and was placed into four batches for the in-vitro quantitative determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). During colorimetric reading of the first, second, and third batches, the ELISA reader (Stat Fax 2100, Awareness Technology, Inc., USA) was exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 W exposure of 900 MHz radiation, respectively. For the forth batch (control group), no radiation was applied. All experiments were performed comparing ELISA read out results of the I, II, and III batches with the control batch, using the Wilcoxon test with criterion level of P = 0.050. The final scores in the exposed batches I, II, and III were not statistically significant relative to the control batch (P > 0.05). The results showed that 900 MHz radiation exposure did not alter the ELISA measured levels of hCG hormone in I (P = 0.219), II (P = 0.909), and III (P = 0.056) batches compared to the control batch. This study showed that ELISA reader does not interfere by mobile phone RF radiation at a closed contact (less than 5 cm distance). However, we recommend that medical institutions discuss these issues in the context of their specific use of technologies and frame a policy that is clear and straightforward to guide staff, patients, and visitors.

Collaborative study for the calibration of replacement batches for the heparin low-molecular-mass for assay biological reference preparation.

PubMed

Terao, E; Daas, A

2016-01-01

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) prescribes the control of the activity of low molecular mass heparins by assays for anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities (monograph 0828), using a reference standard calibrated in International Units (IU). An international collaborative study coded BSP133 was launched in the framework of the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP) run under the aegis of the Council of Europe and the European Commission to calibrate replacement batches for the dwindling stocks of the Heparin low-molecular-mass for assay Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) batch 8. Thirteen official medicines control and manufacturers laboratories from European and non-European countries took part in this study to calibrate two freeze-dried candidate batches against the 3rd International Standard (IS) for heparin, low molecular weight (11/176; 3rd IS). The Heparin low-molecular-mass for assay BRP (batch 8) was also included in the test panel to check the continuity between subsequent BRP batches. Taking into account the stability data, the results of this collaborative study and on the basis of the central statistical analysis performed at the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), the 2 candidate batches were officially adopted by the Commission of the European Pharmacopoeia as Heparin low-molecular-mass for assay BRP batches 9 and 10 with assigned anti-Xa activities of 102 and 100 IU/vial and anti-IIa activities of 34 and 33 IU/vial respectively.

Co-digestion of food waste in a municipal wastewater treatment plant: Comparison of batch tests and full-scale experiences.

PubMed

Koch, Konrad; Plabst, Markus; Schmidt, Andreas; Helmreich, Brigitte; Drewes, Jörg E

2016-01-01

The effects of co-digestion of food waste in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were studied in batch tests. The results obtained were compared with the mass balance of a digester at a full-scale WWTP for a one-year period without and with the addition of co-substrate. The specific methane yield calculated from the balance was 18% higher than the one in the batch tests, suggesting a stimulation of methane generation by co-digestion. It was hypothesized that this increase was caused by shifting the C/N ratio of raw sludge (8.8) to a more favourable ratio of the added food waste (17.7). In addition, potential benefits by adding food waste for energy autarky was investigated. While just 25% of the total energy demand of the plant could be recovered by biogas generation when no co-substrate was fed, this percentage has more than doubled when food waste was added at a ratio of 10% (w/w). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent NASA/GSFC cryogenic measurements of the total hemispheric emissivity of black surface preparations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttle, J.; Canavan, E.

2015-12-01

High-emissivity (black) surfaces are commonly used on deep-space radiators and thermal radiation absorbers in test chambers. Since 2011 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has measured the total hemispheric emissivity of such surfaces from 20 to 300 K using a test apparatus inside a small laboratory cryostat. We report the latest data from these measurements, including Aeroglaze Z307 paint, Black Kapton, and a configuration of painted aluminum honeycomb that was not previously tested. We also present the results of batch-to- batch reproducibility studies in Ball Infrared BlackTM and painted aluminum honeycomb. Finally, we describe a recently-adopted temperature control method which significantly speeds the data acquisition, and we discuss efforts to reduce the noise in future data.

"RCL-Pooling Assay": A Simplified Method for the Detection of Replication-Competent Lentiviruses in Vector Batches Using Sequential Pooling.

PubMed

Corre, Guillaume; Dessainte, Michel; Marteau, Jean-Brice; Dalle, Bruno; Fenard, David; Galy, Anne

2016-02-01

Nonreplicative recombinant HIV-1-derived lentiviral vectors (LV) are increasingly used in gene therapy of various genetic diseases, infectious diseases, and cancer. Before they are used in humans, preparations of LV must undergo extensive quality control testing. In particular, testing of LV must demonstrate the absence of replication-competent lentiviruses (RCL) with suitable methods, on representative fractions of vector batches. Current methods based on cell culture are challenging because high titers of vector batches translate into high volumes of cell culture to be tested in RCL assays. As vector batch size and titers are continuously increasing because of the improvement of production and purification methods, it became necessary for us to modify the current RCL assay based on the detection of p24 in cultures of indicator cells. Here, we propose a practical optimization of this method using a pairwise pooling strategy enabling easier testing of higher vector inoculum volumes. These modifications significantly decrease material handling and operator time, leading to a cost-effective method, while maintaining optimal sensibility of the RCL testing. This optimized "RCL-pooling assay" ameliorates the feasibility of the quality control of large-scale batches of clinical-grade LV while maintaining the same sensitivity.

Anti-A and anti-B hemagglutinin depletion during Cohn purification process of 5% immunoglobulin.

PubMed

Salvatore, Alfonso; Esin, Semih; Batoni, Giovanna; Ascione, Ester; Farina, Claudio; Nardini, Claudia

2015-07-01

Polyvalent immunoglobulin G (IgG) products obtained by fractionation of human plasma are widely used to treat a broad range of conditions, including immunodeficiency syndromes and autoimmune, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. For high-quality products and to minimize adverse events related to the use of intravenous IgG (IVIG) it is very important to perform detailed analyses of their components. One of these components, that in rare cases can cause severe hemolytic conditions, is the amount of hemagglutinins, natural antibodies that bind A and/or B (anti-A or -B) antigens present in red blood cells (RBCs). To characterize different IgG batches and to monitor the efficacy of the production procedure in the hemagglutinin reduction, a direct agglutination test (DAT) and a new flow cytometry (FC)-based assay were used for measuring the activity and the content of hemagglutinins in IgG samples obtained at different stages of the purification process. A total of 113 batches of 5% IVIG, produced in 2013 by Kedrion Biopharma, were analyzed for the ability to agglutinate RBCs by DAT. All batches tested were within the limits set by the European Pharmacopoeia. Three batches of 5% IVIG were analyzed for their hemagglutinin levels. The finished products and the production intermediates were evaluated by the DAT and the FC assay. A significant decrease of anti-A and anti-B titer after the Fraction (F)III precipitation was observed in all batches tested and an evaluation of the results obtained by the two methods was performed. This study shows that the hemagglutinin titer, accurately measured in a high number of 5% IVIG batches, is within the allowed limits for the DAT method. The specific production process employed, in particular the FIII precipitation step, successfully removes IgM and significantly reduces IgG class hemagglutinins. © 2015 AABB.

Leaching Behavior Of Mineral Processing Waste: Comparison Of Batch And Column Investigations

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, a comparison of laboratory batch and column experiments on metal release profile from a mineral processing waste (MPW) is presented. Batch (equilibrium) and column (dynamic) leaching tests were conducted on ground MPW at different liquid–solid ratios (LS) to determ...

A Thermal Stability Test for Primary Explosive Stab Sensitizers: Study of the Thermal and Hydrolytic Stability of 2-Picryl-5-Nitrotetrazole,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

have been described previously (2]. The actual batch used was designated Batch D and was identical to that referred to as Batch C in Reference [2...Tetrazene was type RD1357 prepared at Materials Research Laboratories. The batch used was designated Batch 10/83(A). Lead Azide was type RD1343 and was...Preparation of Experimental Detonators Eperimental detonators were prepared in mild steel tubes, 6 mm o.d., 3.2 mm i.d., length 6 mm, prepared from

Pollution prevention applications in batch manufacturing operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sykes, Derek W.; O'Shaughnessy, James

2004-02-01

Older, "low-tech" batch manufacturing operations are often fertile grounds for gains resulting from pollution prevention techniques. This paper presents a pollution prevention technique utilized for wastewater discharge permit compliance purposes at a batch manufacturer of detergents, deodorants, and floor-care products. This manufacturer generated industrial wastewater as a result of equipment rinses required after each product batch changeover. After investing a significant amount of capital on end of pip-line wastewater treatment technology designed to address existing discharge limits, this manufacturer chose to investigate alternate, low-cost approaches to address anticipated new permit limits. Mass balances using spreadsheets and readily available formulation and production data were conducted on over 300 products to determine how each individual product contributed to the total wastewater pollutant load. These mass balances indicated that 22 products accounted for over 55% of the wastewater pollutant. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine whether these same products could accept their individual changeover rinse water as make-up water in formulations without sacrificing product quality. This changeover reuse technique was then implement at the plant scale for selected products. Significant reductions in wastewater volume (25%) and wastewater pollutant loading (85+%) were realized as a direct result of this approach.

Results of Hg speciation testing on DWPF SMECT-4, SMECT-6, and RCT-2 samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bannochie, C. J.

2016-02-04

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked with preparing and shipping samples for Hg speciation by Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences, Inc. in Seattle, WA on behalf of the Savannah River Remediation (SRR) Mercury Task Team.i,ii The fifteenth shipment of samples was designated to include Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Slurry Mix Evaporator Condensate Tank (SMECT) samples from Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) Batch 738 and a Recycle Condensate Tank (RCT) sample from SRAT Batch 736. The DWPF sample designations for the three samples analyzed are provided in Table 1. The Batch 738 ‘Baseline’ SMECT sample was taken priormore » to Precipitate Reactor Feed Tank (PRFT) addition and concentration and therefore, precedes the SMECT-5 sample reported previously. iii The Batch 738 ‘End of SRAT Cycle’ SMECT sample was taken at the conclusion of SRAT operations for this batch (PRFT addition/concentration, acid additions, initial concentration, MCU addition, and steam stripping). Batch 738 experienced a sludge slurry carryover event, which introduced sludge solids to the SMECT that were particularly evident in the SMECT-5 sample, but less evident in the ‘End of SRAT Cycle’ SMECT-6 sample. The Batch 736 ‘After SME’ RCT sample was taken after completion of SMECT transfers at the end of the SME cycle.« less

Development of acceptance criteria for batches of silane primer for external tank thermal protection system bonding applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikes, F.; Mowrey, C.; Reis, E.

1985-01-01

Results of lap shear tests of various silane primers are presented in graphs and tables. The OH-absorption of these primers (FTIR area values) are correlated with the lap shear tests of coated panels.

PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIER STRATEGIES FOR REMEDIATION OF ARSENIC-CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER

EPA Science Inventory

Results are presented from laboratory batch tests using zero-valent iron to treat arsenic-contaminated groundwater. The laboratory tests were conducted using near- neutral pH groundwater from a contaminated aquifer located adjacent to a custom smelting facility. Experiments we...

Groundwater arsenic remediation using zerovalent iron: Batch and column tests

EPA Science Inventory

Recently, increasing efforts have been made to explore the applicability and limitations of zerovalent iron (Fe0) for the treatment of arsenicbearing groundwater and wastewater. The experimental batch and column tests have demonstrated that arsenate and arsenite are removed effec...

Leaching of PFC from soils contaminated with PFC of different origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalbe, Ute; Piechotta, Christian; Rothe, Robert

2017-04-01

Leaching tests are fundamental tools for the assessment of groundwater impact by contaminated soils concerning the soil-groundwater pathway. Such procedures are supposed to serve as the basis for a reliable leachate prognosis. They can be applied to determine the short and long term leaching behaviour as well as the source term of contaminated soils. For this purpose two types of leaching procedures have been validated in Germany for the examination of the leaching behaviour of frequently occurring organic substances (DIN 19528 - column test and DIN 19529 - batch test). A liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S) of 2 L/kg and 10 L/kg) is the basis for the risk assessment which is implemented in different German regulations. The equivalence of test results for both tests for the same material under investigation has been investigated for a variety of pollutants in order to assess their reliability in compliance testing. However, for emerging pollutants there is hardly data available on this issue. Leaching tests on soils contaminated with emerging pollutants such as PFC (Perfluorinated Surfactants) are currently coming more into consideration due to the increasing detection of contaminated sites. Therefore, two soils were investigated in this study from different contamination source (paper sludge containing compost and fire distinguishing foam) using both leaching tests and both liquid-to-solid ratios. The leachability of the various perfluorinated compounds in relation to their content in solid matter was considered. Furthermore the eluate pre-treatment prior analysis (in particular liquid/solid separation step needed for batch tests) has been taken into account. The comparability of the results from batch and column is dependent on the solubility of the various compounds, on the L/S and on the turbidity in the eluates.

Summary Report For The Analysis Of The Sludge Batch 7b (Macrobatch 9) DWPF Pour Stream Glass Sample For Canister S04023

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, F. C.

2013-11-18

In order to comply with the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Waste Form Compliance Plan for Sluldge Batch 7b, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) personnel characterized the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) pour stream (PS) glass sample collected while filling canister S04023. This report summarizes the results of the compositional analysis for reportable oxides and radionuclides and the normalized Product Consistency Test (PCT) results. The PCT responses indicate that the DWPF produced glass that is significantly more durable than the Environmental Assessment glass.

Results from the interim salt disposition program macrobatch 10 tank 21H qualification samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, T. B.; Bannochie, C. J.

2017-02-23

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 10 for the Interim Salt Disposition Program (ISDP). This document reports characterization data on the samples of Tank 21H and fulfills the requirements of Deliverable 3 of the Technical Task Request (TTR). Further work will report the results of the Extraction-Scrub-Strip (ESS) testing (Task 5 of the TTR) using the Tank 21H material. Task 4 of the TTR (MST Strike) will not be completed for Salt Batch 10.

RELATIVE LEACHING AND AQUATIC TOXICITY OF PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD PRODUCTS USING BATCH LEACHING TESTS

EPA Science Inventory

Samples of southern yellow pine dimensional lumber, each treated with one of five different waterborne chemical preservatives, were leached using 18-hour batch leaching tests. The wood preservatives included chromated copper arsenate (CCA), alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), coppe...

Low-temperature catalytic gasification of food processing wastes. 1995 topical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, D.C.; Hart, T.R.

The catalytic gasification system described in this report has undergone continuing development and refining work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for over 16 years. The original experiments, performed for the Gas Research Institute, were aimed at developing kinetics information for steam gasification of biomass in the presence of catalysts. From the fundamental research evolved the concept of a pressurized, catalytic gasification system for converting wet biomass feedstocks to fuel gas. Extensive batch reactor testing and limited continuous stirred-tank reactor tests provided useful design information for evaluating the preliminary economics of the process. This report is a follow-on to previousmore » interim reports which reviewed the results of the studies conducted with batch and continuous-feed reactor systems from 1989 to 1994, including much work with food processing wastes. The discussion here provides details of experiments on food processing waste feedstock materials, exclusively, that were conducted in batch and continuous- flow reactors.« less

Turbidimetric and photometric determination of total tannins in tea using a micro-flow-batch analyzer.

PubMed

Lima, Marcelo B; Andrade, Stéfani I E; Harding, David P; Pistonesi, Marcelo F; Band, Beatriz S F; Araújo, Mário C U

2012-01-15

Both turbidimetric and photometric determinations of total tannins in samples of green and black tea, using a micro-flow-batch analyzer (μFBA) were studied. The miniaturized system was formed using photocurable urethane-acrylate resin and ultraviolet lithography technique. The turbidimetric method was based on the precipitation reaction of Cu (II) with tannins in acetate medium at a pH of 4.5. The photometric method was based on the complexation reaction of tannins with ferrous tartrate. The turbidimetric μFBA was able to test 200 samples per hour. The photometric μFBA allowed 300 analyses per hour, generating 136μL of residue per analysis. The paired t test, at a 95% confidence level, showed no statistically significant differences between results obtained by both methods and the reference method. The urethane-acrylate μFBA maintained satisfactory physical and chemical properties, and represents an improvement over conventional flow-batch analyzer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kinetic modelling of anaerobic hydrolysis of solid wastes, including disintegration processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

García-Gen, Santiago; Sousbie, Philippe; Rangaraj, Ganesh

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Fractionation of solid wastes into readily and slowly biodegradable fractions. • Kinetic coefficients estimation from mono-digestion batch assays. • Validation of kinetic coefficients with a co-digestion continuous experiment. • Simulation of batch and continuous experiments with an ADM1-based model. - Abstract: A methodology to estimate disintegration and hydrolysis kinetic parameters of solid wastes and validate an ADM1-based anaerobic co-digestion model is presented. Kinetic parameters of the model were calibrated from batch reactor experiments treating individually fruit and vegetable wastes (among other residues) following a new protocol for batch tests. In addition, decoupled disintegration kinetics for readily and slowlymore » biodegradable fractions of solid wastes was considered. Calibrated parameters from batch assays of individual substrates were used to validate the model for a semi-continuous co-digestion operation treating simultaneously 5 fruit and vegetable wastes. The semi-continuous experiment was carried out in a lab-scale CSTR reactor for 15 weeks at organic loading rate ranging between 2.0 and 4.7 g VS/L d. The model (built in Matlab/Simulink) fit to a large extent the experimental results in both batch and semi-continuous mode and served as a powerful tool to simulate the digestion or co-digestion of solid wastes.« less

X-ray Analysis of Defects and Anomalies in AGR-5/6/7 TRISO Particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

2017-06-01

Coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93164, 93165, 93166, 93168, 93169, 93170, and 93172 were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) for possible selection as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), or may be used for other tests. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52R-16-69317 containing a mixture of 15.4%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO), with the exception of Batchmore » 93164, which used similar kernels from BWXT lot J52L-16-69316. The TRISO-coatings consisted of a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μmnominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. Each coated particle batch was sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batch was designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93164A). Secondary upgrading by sieving was performed on the upgraded batches to remove specific anomalies identified during analysis for Defective IPyC, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter B to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165B). Following this secondary upgrading, coated particle composite J52R-16-98005 was produced by BWXT as fuel for the AGR Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the INL ATR. This composite was comprised of coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93165B, 93168B, 93169B, and 93170B.« less

Bending Properties of Nickel Electrodes for Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lerch, Brad A.; Wilson, Richard M.; Keller, Dennis; Corner, Ralph

1995-01-01

Recent changes in manufacturing have resulted in nickel-hydrogen batteries that fail prematurely by electrical shorting, This failure is believed to be a result of a blistering problem in the nickel electrodes. In this study the bending properties of nickel electrodes are investigated in an attempt to correlate the bending properties of the electrode with its propensity to blister. Nickel electrodes from three different batches of material were tested in both the as-received and impregnated forms. The effects of specimen curvature and position within the electrode on the bending strength were studied, and within-electrode and batch-to-batch variations were addressed. Two color-imaging techniques were employed to differentiate between the phases within the electrodes. These techniques aided in distinguishing the relative amounts of nickel hyroxide surface loading on each electrode, thereby relating surface loading to bend strength. Bend strength was found to increase with the amount of surface loading.

The Effect of Citric Acid on the Oxidation of Organic Contaminants by Fenton's Reagent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seol, Y.; Javandel, I.; Lee, G.

2003-12-01

Combined with acids and iron catalysts, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as Fenton's reagent is proven to be effective in oxidizing halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Fenton's reagent, traditionally used for waste water treatment technique, has been applied to the remediation of contaminated soil systems and numerous investigators have found intrinsic iron salts are effective source of iron catalyst for the reaction. Citric acid, which is naturally occurring nutrients to microorganisms and less destructive to soil chemical properties, is selected for an acidifying agent to create acidic soil condition. However, citric acid has been considered as a reaction inhibitant because it sequesters ferric iron from Fenton's catalytic cycle by forming strong chelates with iron. This paper presents the feasibility of using citric acid as an acidifying agent of soil matrix for the Fenton-like oxidation. Series of batch tests were performed to test disappearance of VOCs in various aqueous systems with two acidifying agents (citric acid or sulfuric acid) and three iron sources (iron sulfate, water soluble soil iron, or soil matrix). Batch results show that soluble iron is essential for near complete disappearance of VOCs and that citric acid performs similarly to sulfuric acid at low H2O2 dosage (< 1 wt%). The test soil provided water-soluble soil iron but also contained scavengers of the oxidizing agents, resulting in limited removals of VOCs. Column tests confirmed the results of the batch tests, suggesting citric acid is also as effective as sulfuric acid in providing acidic environment for the Fenton-like oxidation. The batch experiments also reveal that higher doses of H2O2 lower the degree of VOC removals in citric acid systems. Potential explanations for this declining include that excessive presence of H2O2 expedites the oxidation of ferrous to ferric iron, which then forms a strong complex with citrate, leading to the sequestration of the iron from the Fenton's reaction cycle. Consequently, additional supply of ferrous iron would be required for continuing oxidation of VOCs, as well as slow injection of H2O2. Detailed mechanistic study would be needed for factual understanding.

Low temperature-pressure batch experiments and field push-pull tests: Assessing potential effects of an unintended CO2 release from CCUS projects on groundwater chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickler, P. J.; Yang, C.; Lu, J.; Reedy, R. C.; Scanlon, B. R.

2012-12-01

Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage projects (CCUS), where CO2 is captured at point sources such as power stations and compressed into a supercritical liquid for underground storage, has been proposed to reduce atmospheric CO2 and mitigate global climate change. Problems may arise from CO2 releases along discreet pathways such as abandoned wells and faults, upwards and into near surface groundwater. Migrating CO2 may inversely impact fresh water resources by increasing mineral solubility and dissolution rates and mobilizing harmful trace elements including As and Pb. This study addresses the impacts on fresh water resources through a combination of laboratory batch experiments, where aquifer sediment are reacted in their corresponding groundwater in 100% CO2 environments, and field push-pull tests where groundwater is equilibrated with 100% CO2, reacted in-situ in the groundwater system, and pulled out for analyses. Batch experiments were performed on aquifer material from carbonate dominated, mixed carbonate/silicalstic, and siliclastic dominated systems. A mixed silicalstic/carbonate system was chosen for the field based push-pull test. Batch experiment results suggest carbonate dissolution increased the concentration of Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, Mn, U and HCO3- in groundwater. In systems with significant carbonate content, dissolution continued until carbonate saturation was achieved at approximately 1000 hr. Silicate dissolution increased the conc. of Si, K Ni and Co, but at much lower rates than carbonate dissolution. The elements As, Mo, V, Zn, Se and Cd generally show similar behavior where concentrations initially increase but soon drop to levels at or below the background concentrations (~48 hours). A Push-Pull test on one aquifer system produced similar geochemical behavior but observed reaction rates are higher in batch experiments relative to push-pull tests. Release of CO2 from CCUS sites into overlying aquifer systems may adversely impact groundwater quality primarily through carbonate dissolution which releases Ca and elements that substitute for Ca in crystal lattices. Silicate weathering releases primarily Si and K at lower rates. Chemical changes with the addition of CO2 may initially mobilize As, Mo, V, Zn, Se and Cd but these elements become immobile in the lowered pH water and sorb onto aquifer minerals. A combined laboratory batch experiment and field push-pull test in fresh water aquifers overlying CCUS projects will best characterize the response of the aquifer to increased pCO2. The long experimental duration of the batch experiments may allow reactions to reach equilibrium however; reaction rates may be artificially high due to increased mineral surface areas. Field based push-pull tests offer a more realistic water rock ratio and test a much larger volume of aquifer material but the test must be shorter in duration because the high pCO2 water is subject to mixing with low pCO2 background water and migration away from the test well with groundwater flow. A comparison of the two methods best characterizes the potential effects on groundwater chemistry

40 CFR 1066.425 - Performing emission tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... as described in paragraph (g)(5) of this section and zero and span all batch gas analyzers as soon as practical before any batch sample analysis. You may perform this batch analyzer zero and span before the end... value after stabilizing a zero gas to the analyzer. Stabilization may include time to purge the analyzer...

Results from a first production of enhanced Silicon Sensor Test Structures produced by ITE Warsaw

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergauer, T.; Dragicevic, M.; Frey, M.; Grabiec, P.; Grodner, M.; Hänsel, S.; Hartmann, F.; Hoffmann, K.-H.; Hrubec, J.; Krammer, M.; Kucharski, K.; Macchiolo, A.; Marczewski, J.

2009-01-01

Monitoring the manufacturing process of silicon sensors is essential to ensure stable quality of the produced detectors. During the CMS silicon sensor production we were utilising small Test Structures (TS) incorporated on the cut-away of the wafers to measure certain process-relevant parameters. Experience from the CMS production and quality assurance led to enhancements of these TS. Another important application of TS is the commissioning of new vendors. The measurements provide us with a good understanding of the capabilities of a vendor's process. A first batch of the new TS was produced at the Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw Poland. We will first review the improvements to the original CMS test structures and then discuss a selection of important measurements performed on this first batch.

Modeling hexavalent chromium reduction in groundwater in field-scale transport and laboratory batch experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedly, J.C.; Davis, J.A.; Kent, D.B.

1995-01-01

A plausible and consistent model is developed to obtain a quantitative description of the gradual disappearance of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from groundwater in a small-scale field tracer test and in batch kinetic experiments using aquifer sediments under similar chemical conditions. The data exhibit three distinct timescales. Fast reduction occurs in well-stirred batch reactors in times much less than 1 hour and is followed by slow reduction over a timescale of the order of 2 days. In the field, reduction occurs on a timescale of the order of 8 days. The model is based on the following hypotheses. The chemical reduction reaction occurs very fast, and the longer timescales are caused by diffusion resistance. Diffusion into the secondary porosity of grains causes the apparent slow reduction rate in batch experiments. In the model of the field experiments, the reducing agent, heavy Fe(II)-bearing minerals, is heterogeneously distributed in thin strata located between larger nonreducing sand lenses that comprise the bulk of the aquifer solids. It is found that reducing strata of the order of centimeters thick are sufficient to contribute enough diffusion resistance to cause the observed longest timescale in the field. A one-dimensional advection/dispersion model is formulated that describes the major experimental trends. Diffusion rates are estimated in terms of an elementary physical picture of flow through a stratified medium containing identically sized spherical grains. Both reduction and sorption reactions are included. Batch simulation results are sensitive to the fraction of reductant located at or near the surface of grains, which controls the amount of rapid reduction, and the secondary porosity, which controls the rate of slow reduction observed in batch experiments. Results of Cr(VI) transport simulations are sensitive to the thickness and relative size of the reducing stratum. Transport simulation results suggest that nearly all of the reductant must be located in the reducing stratum. Within this context and as long as there is adequate reductive capacity present, the transport simulation results are insensitive to the parameters important for the batch simulations. The results illustrate how a combination of field measurements and batch laboratory studies can be used to improve predictive modeling of contaminant transport.

Modelling the anaerobic digestion of solid organic waste - Substrate characterisation method for ADM1 using a combined biochemical and kinetic parameter estimation approach.

PubMed

Poggio, D; Walker, M; Nimmo, W; Ma, L; Pourkashanian, M

2016-07-01

This work proposes a novel and rigorous substrate characterisation methodology to be used with ADM1 to simulate the anaerobic digestion of solid organic waste. The proposed method uses data from both direct substrate analysis and the methane production from laboratory scale anaerobic digestion experiments and involves assessment of four substrate fractionation models. The models partition the organic matter into a mixture of particulate and soluble fractions with the decision on the most suitable model being made on quality of fit between experimental and simulated data and the uncertainty of the calibrated parameters. The method was tested using samples of domestic green and food waste and using experimental data from both short batch tests and longer semi-continuous trials. The results showed that in general an increased fractionation model complexity led to better fit but with increased uncertainty. When using batch test data the most suitable model for green waste included one particulate and one soluble fraction, whereas for food waste two particulate fractions were needed. With richer semi-continuous datasets, the parameter estimation resulted in less uncertainty therefore allowing the description of the substrate with a more complex model. The resulting substrate characterisations and fractionation models obtained from batch test data, for both waste samples, were used to validate the method using semi-continuous experimental data and showed good prediction of methane production, biogas composition, total and volatile solids, ammonia and alkalinity. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Batch test screening of industrial product/byproduct filter materials for agricultural drainage water treatment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Filter treatment may be a viable means for removing the nitrate, phosphate, and pesticides discharged with agricultural drainage waters that cause adverse environmental impacts within the U.S. on local, regional, and national scales. Laboratory batch test screening for agricultural drainage water ...

Kinetic modelling of anaerobic hydrolysis of solid wastes, including disintegration processes.

PubMed

García-Gen, Santiago; Sousbie, Philippe; Rangaraj, Ganesh; Lema, Juan M; Rodríguez, Jorge; Steyer, Jean-Philippe; Torrijos, Michel

2015-01-01

A methodology to estimate disintegration and hydrolysis kinetic parameters of solid wastes and validate an ADM1-based anaerobic co-digestion model is presented. Kinetic parameters of the model were calibrated from batch reactor experiments treating individually fruit and vegetable wastes (among other residues) following a new protocol for batch tests. In addition, decoupled disintegration kinetics for readily and slowly biodegradable fractions of solid wastes was considered. Calibrated parameters from batch assays of individual substrates were used to validate the model for a semi-continuous co-digestion operation treating simultaneously 5 fruit and vegetable wastes. The semi-continuous experiment was carried out in a lab-scale CSTR reactor for 15 weeks at organic loading rate ranging between 2.0 and 4.7 gVS/Ld. The model (built in Matlab/Simulink) fit to a large extent the experimental results in both batch and semi-continuous mode and served as a powerful tool to simulate the digestion or co-digestion of solid wastes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Batch process fault detection and identification based on discriminant global preserving kernel slow feature analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Hanyuan; Tian, Xuemin; Deng, Xiaogang; Cao, Yuping

2018-05-16

As an attractive nonlinear dynamic data analysis tool, global preserving kernel slow feature analysis (GKSFA) has achieved great success in extracting the high nonlinearity and inherently time-varying dynamics of batch process. However, GKSFA is an unsupervised feature extraction method and lacks the ability to utilize batch process class label information, which may not offer the most effective means for dealing with batch process monitoring. To overcome this problem, we propose a novel batch process monitoring method based on the modified GKSFA, referred to as discriminant global preserving kernel slow feature analysis (DGKSFA), by closely integrating discriminant analysis and GKSFA. The proposed DGKSFA method can extract discriminant feature of batch process as well as preserve global and local geometrical structure information of observed data. For the purpose of fault detection, a monitoring statistic is constructed based on the distance between the optimal kernel feature vectors of test data and normal data. To tackle the challenging issue of nonlinear fault variable identification, a new nonlinear contribution plot method is also developed to help identifying the fault variable after a fault is detected, which is derived from the idea of variable pseudo-sample trajectory projection in DGKSFA nonlinear biplot. Simulation results conducted on a numerical nonlinear dynamic system and the benchmark fed-batch penicillin fermentation process demonstrate that the proposed process monitoring and fault diagnosis approach can effectively detect fault and distinguish fault variables from normal variables. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Actual distribution of Cronobacter spp. in industrial batches of powdered infant formula and consequences for performance of sampling strategies.

PubMed

Jongenburger, I; Reij, M W; Boer, E P J; Gorris, L G M; Zwietering, M H

2011-11-15

The actual spatial distribution of microorganisms within a batch of food influences the results of sampling for microbiological testing when this distribution is non-homogeneous. In the case of pathogens being non-homogeneously distributed, it markedly influences public health risk. This study investigated the spatial distribution of Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula (PIF) on industrial batch-scale for both a recalled batch as well a reference batch. Additionally, local spatial occurrence of clusters of Cronobacter cells was assessed, as well as the performance of typical sampling strategies to determine the presence of the microorganisms. The concentration of Cronobacter spp. was assessed in the course of the filling time of each batch, by taking samples of 333 g using the most probable number (MPN) enrichment technique. The occurrence of clusters of Cronobacter spp. cells was investigated by plate counting. From the recalled batch, 415 MPN samples were drawn. The expected heterogeneous distribution of Cronobacter spp. could be quantified from these samples, which showed no detectable level (detection limit of -2.52 log CFU/g) in 58% of samples, whilst in the remainder concentrations were found to be between -2.52 and 2.75 log CFU/g. The estimated average concentration in the recalled batch was -2.78 log CFU/g and a standard deviation of 1.10 log CFU/g. The estimated average concentration in the reference batch was -4.41 log CFU/g, with 99% of the 93 samples being below the detection limit. In the recalled batch, clusters of cells occurred sporadically in 8 out of 2290 samples of 1g taken. The two largest clusters contained 123 (2.09 log CFU/g) and 560 (2.75 log CFU/g) cells. Various sampling strategies were evaluated for the recalled batch. Taking more and smaller samples and keeping the total sampling weight constant, considerably improved the performance of the sampling plans to detect such a type of contaminated batch. Compared to random sampling, stratified random sampling improved the probability to detect the heterogeneous contamination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In-service testing of Ni{sub 3}Al coupons and trays in carburizing furnaces at Delphi Saginaw. CRADA final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sikka, V.K.; Santella, M.L.; Viswanathan, S.

1998-08-01

This Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) report deals with the development of nickel aluminide alloy for improved longer life heat-resistant fixture assemblies for batch and continuous pusher carburizing furnaces. The nickel aluminide development was compared in both coupon and component testing with the currently used Fe-Ni-Cr heat-resisting alloy known as HU. The specific goals of the CRADA were: (1) casting process development, (2) characterization and possible modification of the alloy composition to optimize its manufacturing ability and performance under typical furnace operating conditions, and (3) testing and evaluation of specimens and prototype fixtures. In support of the CRADA objectives,more » coupons of nickel aluminide and the HU alloy were installed in both batch and pusher furnaces. The coupons were taken from two silicon levels and contained welds made with two different filler compositions (IC-221LA and IC-221W). Both nickel-aluminide and HU coupons were removed from the batch and pusher carburizing furnace at time intervals ranging from one month to one year. The exposed coupons were cut and mounted for metallographic, hardness, and microprobe analysis. The results of the microstructural analysis have been transmitted to General Motors Corporation, Saginaw Division (Delphi Saginaw) through reports that were presented at periodic CRADA review meetings. Based on coupon testing and verification of the coupon results with the testing of trays, Delphi Saginaw moved forward with the use of six additional trays in a batch furnace and two assemblies in a pusher furnace. Fifty percent of the trays and fixtures are in the as-cast condition and the remaining trays and fixtures are in the preoxidized condition. The successful operating experience of two assemblies in the pusher furnace for nearly a year formed the basis for a production run of 63 more assemblies. The production run required melting of 94 heats weighing 500 lb. each. Twenty-six of the 94 heats were from virgin stock, and 68 were from the revert that used 50% virgin and 50% revert. Detailed chemical analysis of the 94 heats reflected that the nickel aluminide can be cast into heat-treat fixtures under production conditions. In addition to the chemical analysis, the castings showed excellent dimensional reproducibility. A total of six batch furnace trays and 65 pusher furnace assemblies of nickel aluminide alloy IC-221M are currently operating in production furnaces at Delphi Saginaw. Two of the pusher furnace assemblies have completed two years of service without any failure. The CRADA has accomplished the goal of demonstrating that the nickel aluminide can be produced under commercial production conditions and it has superior performance over the currently used HU alloy in both batch and pusher furnaces.« less

40 CFR 63.1325 - Batch process vents-performance test methods and procedures to determine compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... either total organic HAP or TOC. For purposes of this paragraph (c), the term “batch emission episode... ensure the measurement of total organic HAP or TOC (minus methane and ethane) concentrations in all batch... organic HAP or TOC, as appropriate. Alternatively, any other method or data that has been validated...

Model-based intensification of a fed-batch microbial process for the maximization of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production rate.

PubMed

Penloglou, Giannis; Vasileiadou, Athina; Chatzidoukas, Christos; Kiparissides, Costas

2017-08-01

An integrated metabolic-polymerization-macroscopic model, describing the microbial production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in Azohydromonas lata bacteria, was developed and validated using a comprehensive series of experimental measurements. The model accounted for biomass growth, biopolymer accumulation, carbon and nitrogen sources utilization, oxygen mass transfer and uptake rates and average molecular weights of the accumulated PHB, produced under batch and fed-batch cultivation conditions. Model predictions were in excellent agreement with experimental measurements. The validated model was subsequently utilized to calculate optimal operating conditions and feeding policies for maximizing PHB productivity for desired PHB molecular properties. More specifically, two optimal fed-batch strategies were calculated and experimentally tested: (1) a nitrogen-limited fed-batch policy and (2) a nitrogen sufficient one. The calculated optimal operating policies resulted in a maximum PHB content (94% g/g) in the cultivated bacteria and a biopolymer productivity of 4.2 g/(l h), respectively. Moreover, it was demonstrated that different PHB grades with weight average molecular weights of up to 1513 kg/mol could be produced via the optimal selection of bioprocess operating conditions.

Micro-cost Analysis of ALK Rearrangement Testing by FISH to Determine Eligibility for Crizotinib Therapy in NSCLC: Implications for Cost Effectiveness of Testing and Treatment.

PubMed

Parker, David; Belaud-Rotureau, Marc-Antoine

2014-01-01

Break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the gold standard test for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement. However, this methodology often is assumed to be expensive and potentially cost-prohibitive given the low prevalence of ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. To more accurately estimate the cost of ALK testing by FISH, we developed a micro-cost model that accounts for all cost elements of the assay, including laboratory reagents, supplies, capital equipment, technical and pathologist labor, and the acquisition cost of the commercial test and associated reagent kits and controls. By applying a set of real-world base-case parameter values, we determined that the cost of a single ALK break-apart FISH test result is $278.01. Sensitivity analysis on the parameters of batch size, testing efficiency, and the cost of the commercial diagnostic testing products revealed that the cost per result is highly sensitive to batch size, but much less so to efficiency or product cost. This implies that ALK testing by FISH will be most cost effective when performed in high-volume centers. Our results indicate that testing cost may not be the primary determinant of crizotinib (Xalkori(®)) treatment cost effectiveness, and suggest that testing cost is an insufficient reason to limit the use of FISH testing for ALK rearrangement.

Micro-cost Analysis of ALK Rearrangement Testing by FISH to Determine Eligibility for Crizotinib Therapy in NSCLC: Implications for Cost Effectiveness of Testing and Treatment

PubMed Central

Parker, David; Belaud-Rotureau, Marc-Antoine

2014-01-01

Break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the gold standard test for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement. However, this methodology often is assumed to be expensive and potentially cost-prohibitive given the low prevalence of ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. To more accurately estimate the cost of ALK testing by FISH, we developed a micro-cost model that accounts for all cost elements of the assay, including laboratory reagents, supplies, capital equipment, technical and pathologist labor, and the acquisition cost of the commercial test and associated reagent kits and controls. By applying a set of real-world base-case parameter values, we determined that the cost of a single ALK break-apart FISH test result is $278.01. Sensitivity analysis on the parameters of batch size, testing efficiency, and the cost of the commercial diagnostic testing products revealed that the cost per result is highly sensitive to batch size, but much less so to efficiency or product cost. This implies that ALK testing by FISH will be most cost effective when performed in high-volume centers. Our results indicate that testing cost may not be the primary determinant of crizotinib (Xalkori®) treatment cost effectiveness, and suggest that testing cost is an insufficient reason to limit the use of FISH testing for ALK rearrangement. PMID:25520569

Design and fabrication of a fixed-bed batch type pyrolysis reactor for pilot scale pyrolytic oil production in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Mohammad Abdul; Al-khulaidi, Rami Ali; Rashid, MM; Islam, M. R.; Rashid, MAN

2017-03-01

In this research, a development and performance test of a fixed-bed batch type pyrolysis reactor for pilot scale pyrolysis oil production was successfully completed. The characteristics of the pyrolysis oil were compared to other experimental results. A solid horizontal condenser, a burner for furnace heating and a reactor shield were designed. Due to the pilot scale pyrolytic oil production encountered numerous problems during the plant’s operation. This fixed-bed batch type pyrolysis reactor method will demonstrate the energy saving concept of solid waste tire by creating energy stability. From this experiment, product yields (wt. %) for liquid or pyrolytic oil were 49%, char 38.3 % and pyrolytic gas 12.7% with an operation running time of 185 minutes.

[Monitoring method for macroporous resin column chromatography process of salvianolic acids based on near infrared spectroscopy].

PubMed

Hou, Xiang-Mei; Zhang, Lei; Yue, Hong-Shui; Ju, Ai-Chun; Ye, Zheng-Liang

2016-07-01

To study and establish a monitoring method for macroporous resin column chromatography process of salvianolic acids by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) as a process analytical technology (PAT).The multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) model was developed based on 7 normal operation batches, and 2 test batches (including one normal operation batch and one abnormal operation batch) were used to verify the monitoring performance of this model. The results showed that MSPC model had a good monitoring ability for the column chromatography process. Meanwhile, NIR quantitative calibration model was established for three key quality indexes (rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid and salvianolic acid B) by using partial least squares (PLS) algorithm. The verification results demonstrated that this model had satisfactory prediction performance. The combined application of the above two models could effectively achieve real-time monitoring for macroporous resin column chromatography process of salvianolic acids, and can be used to conduct on-line analysis of key quality indexes. This established process monitoring method could provide reference for the development of process analytical technology for traditional Chinese medicines manufacturing. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Complete Non-Radioactive Operability Tests for Cladding Hull Chlorination

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, Emory D; Johnson, Jared A.; Hylton, Tom D.

2016-04-01

Non-radioactive operability tests were made to test the metal chlorination reactor and condenser and their accessories using batch chlorinations of non-radioactive cladding samples and to identify optimum operating practices and components that need further modifications prior to installation of the equipment into the hot cell for tests on actual used nuclear fuel (UNF) cladding. The operability tests included (1) modifications to provide the desired heating and reactor temperature profile; and (2) three batch chlorination tests using, respectively, 100, 250, and 500 g of cladding. During the batch chlorinations, metal corrosion of the equipment was assessed, pressurization of the gas inletmore » was examined and the best method for maintaining solid salt product transfer through the condenser was determined. Also, additional accessing equipment for collection of residual ash and positioning of the unit within the hot cell were identified, designed, and are being fabricated.« less

Analysis and modeling of metals release from MBT wastes through batch and up-flow column tests.

PubMed

Pantini, Sara; Verginelli, Iason; Lombardi, Francesco

2015-04-01

The leaching behavior of wastes coming out from Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants is still poorly investigated in literature. This work presents an attempt to provide a deeper insight about the contaminants release from this type of waste. To this end, results of several batch and up-flow percolation tests, carried out on different biologically treated waste samples collected from an Italian MBT plant, are reported. The obtained results showed that, despite MBT wastes are characterized by relatively high heavy metals content, only a limited amount was actually soluble and thus bioavailable. Namely, the release percentage was generally lower than 5% of the total content with the only exception of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), Zn, Ni and Co with release percentages up to 20%. The information provided by the different tests also allowed to highlight some key factors governing the kinetics release of DOC and metals from this type of material. In particular, results of up-flow column percolation tests showed that metals such as Cr, Mg, Ni and Zn followed essentially the leaching trend of DOC suggesting that these elements were mainly released as organo-compounds. Actually, a strong linear correlation (R(2) > 0.8) between DOC and metals concentration in eluates was observed, especially for Cr, Ni and Zn (R(2)>0.94). Thus, combining the results of batch and up-flow column percolation tests, partition coefficients between DOC and metals concentration were derived. These data, coupled with a simplified screening model for DOC release, allowed to get a very good prediction of metal release during the different column tests. Finally, combining the experimental data with a simplified model provided some useful indications for the evaluation of long-term emissions from this type of waste in landfill disposal scenarios. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contaminant Flux Reduction Barriers for Managing Difficult to Treat Source Zones in Unconsolidated Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-20

39  Table 7.4:  Description of Case Study Site... Research Flux Reduction Materials: Several novel silica gel/vegetable oil- formulations were developed and tested in lab-scale batch and column studies by...Demonstration Results The project demonstration had these results:  Two grout mixtures were selected based on gel tests and a treatability study by

Comparison of methylisoborneol and geosmin abatement in surface water by conventional ozonation and an electro-peroxone process.

PubMed

Yao, Weikun; Qu, Qiangyong; von Gunten, Urs; Chen, Chao; Yu, Gang; Wang, Yujue

2017-01-01

In this study methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin abatement in a surface water by conventional ozonation and the electro-peroxone (E-peroxone) process was compared. Batch tests with addition of ozone (O 3 ) stock solutions and semi-batch tests with continuous O 2 /O 3 gas sparging (simulating real ozone contactors) were conducted to investigate O 3 decomposition, •OH production, MIB and geosmin abatement, and bromate formation during the two processes. Results show that with specific ozone doses typically used in routine drinking water treatment (0.5-1.0 mg O 3 /mg dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), conventional ozonation could not adequately abate MIB and geosmin in a surface water. While increasing the specific ozone doses (1.0-2.5 mg O 3 /mg DOC) could enhance MIB and geosmin abatement by conventional ozonation, this approach resulted in significant bromate formation. By installing a carbon-based cathode to electrochemically produce H 2 O 2 from cathodic oxygen reduction, conventional ozonation can be conveniently upgraded to an E-peroxone process. The electro-generated H 2 O 2 considerably enhanced the kinetics and to a lesser extent the yields of hydroxyl radical (•OH) from O 3 decomposition. Consequently, during the E-peroxone process, abatement of MIB and geosmin occurred at much higher rates than during conventional ozonation. In addition, for a given specific ozone dose, the MIB and geosmin abatement efficiencies increased moderately in the E-peroxone (by ∼8-9% and ∼10-25% in the batch and semi-batch tests, respectively) with significantly lower bromate formation compared to conventional ozonation. These results suggest that the E-peroxone process may serve as an attractive backup of conventional ozonation processes during accidental spills or seasonal events such as algal blooms when high ozone doses are required to enhance MIB and geosmin abatement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Batch-Process Solar Disinfection on Survival of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in Drinking Water

PubMed Central

Méndez-Hermida, F.; Castro-Hermida, J. A.; Ares-Mazás, E.; Kehoe, S. C.; McGuigan, K. G.

2005-01-01

The results of batch-process solar disinfection (SODIS) of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in water are reported. Oocyst suspensions were exposed to simulated sunlight (830 W m−2) at 40°C. Viability assays (4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole [DAPI]/propidium iodide and excystation) and infectivity tests (Swiss CD-1 suckling mice) were performed. SODIS exposures of 6 and 12 h reduced oocyst infectivity from 100% to 7.5% (standard deviation = 2.3) and 0% (standard deviation = 0.0), respectively. PMID:15746372

Leaching behaviour of hazardous waste under the impact of different ambient conditions.

PubMed

Pecorini, Isabella; Baldi, Francesco; Bacchi, Donata; Carnevale, Ennio Antonio; Corti, Andrea

2017-05-01

The overall objective of this study is to provide an improved basis for the assessment of the leaching behaviour of waste marked as hazardous partly stabilised (European waste catalogue code 19 03 04 ∗ ). Four samples of hazardous partly stabilised waste were subjected to two leaching tests: up-flow column tests and batch equilibrium tests. The research was carried out in two directions: the first aims at comparing the results of the two experimental setups while the second aims at assessing the impact of different ambient conditions on the leaching behaviour of waste. Concerning this latter objective the effect of mesophilic temperature, mechanical constraints and acid environment were tested through column percolation tests. Results showed no significant differences between batch and column leaching test outcomes when comparing average concentrations calculated at a liquid to solid ratio of 10:1 l kg -1  TS. Among the tested ambient conditions, the presence of an acid environment (pH=4.5) accelerated the leaching process resulting in a higher cumulative released quantity measured on the majority of the investigated polluting substances. On the contrary, the effect of temperature and mechanical constraints seemed to not affect the process showing final contents even lower than values found for the standard test. This result was furthermore confirmed by the application of the principal component analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 80.1644 - Sampling and testing requirements for producers and importers of certified ethanol denaturant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... producers and importers of certified ethanol denaturant. 80.1644 Section 80.1644 Protection of Environment... ethanol denaturant. (a) Sample and test each batch of certified ethanol denaturant. (1) Producers and importers of certified ethanol denaturant shall collect a representative sample from each batch of certified...

Sludge batch 9 follow-on actual-waste testing for the nitric-glycolic flowsheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martino, C. J.; Newell, J. D.; Crawford, C. L.

An actual-waste Sludge Batch 9 qualification run with the nitric-glycolic flowsheet (SC-18) was performed in FY16. In order to supplement the knowledge base for the nitric-glycolic flowsheet, additional testing was performed on the product slurries, condensates, and intermediate samples from run SC-18.

40 CFR 1065.245 - Sample flow meter for batch sampling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... rates or total flow sampled into a batch sampling system over a test interval. You may use the... rates or total raw exhaust flow over a test interval. (b) Component requirements. We recommend that you... averaging Pitot tube, or a hot-wire anemometer. Note that your overall system for measuring sample flow must...

Update on EPA Stove Testing, Focus on Batch-Fueled Stoves

EPA Science Inventory

A webinar, entitled Update on EPA Stove Testing, Focus on Batch-Fueled Stoves, will be presented by Jim Jetter, EPA, and will be hosted by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves on August 20, 2013. The purpose of this webinar is to (1) provide an update on the EPA cookstove te...

Phosphate reduction in a hydroxyapatite fluoride removal system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egner, A.

2012-12-01

Fluorosis is a widespread disease that occurs as a result of excess fluoride consumption and can cause severe tooth and bone deformations. To combat fluorosis, several previous studies have examined the potential to replace traditional bone char filters with synthetic hydroxyapatite. Calcite particles with a synthetic hydroxyapatite coating have been shown to effectively removed fluoride, yet the low-cost method for forming these particles leaves high amounts of phosphate both in synthesis waste-water and in filter effluent. High phosphate in filter effluent is problematic because consumption of extremely high phosphate can leach calcium from bones, further exacerbating the fluoride effect. This study examines ways of reducing and reusing waste. In particular, a method of fluoride removal is explored in which fluorapatite coatings may be formed directly. In preliminary studies, batches of 4.1g of Florida limestone (<710 μm) were equilibrated with 100 mL of 10ppm fluoride. In a control batch containing lime but no added phosphate, 14% treatment was achieved, but with added phosphate, 100% treatment was achieved in all batches. Batches with lower levels of phosphate took longer to reach 100% treatment, ranging from less than 24 hours in the highest phosphate batches to approximately 42 hours in the lowest batches. The lower levels tested were well within reasonable levels for drinking water and reached 0ppm fluoride in 42 hours or less.

A Re-Evaluation of the Causes of Deformation in 1Cr-1Mo-0.25V Steel for Turbine Rotors and Shafts Based on iso-Thermal Plots of the Wilshire Equation and the Modelling of Batch to Batch Variation

PubMed Central

Evans, Mark

2017-01-01

The aims of this paper were to: (a) demonstrate how iso-thermal plots of the Wilshire equation can be used to identify the correct structure of this equation (which in turn enables a meaningful description of the creep mechanism involved in deformation to be made); and (b) show how a generalized specification of batch to batch variation could produce less conservative predictions of the time to failure associated with a given degree of risk. Such predictions were obtained using maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters of a generalised F distribution. It was found that the original Wilshire-Scharning assumption of a constant activation energy for this materials is incorrect. Consequently, their interpretation of deformation being due only to dislocation creep with deteriorating microstructure at long duration test times appears to be ill founded, with the varying activation energy suggesting instead that deformation is due to grain boundary sliding accommodated by either dislocation and diffusional creep with dominance changing from the lattice to the grain boundaries as the temperature changes. Modelling batch to batch variation as a function of stress also resulted in a 50% extended safe life prediction (corresponding to a 1% chance of failure) at 873 K and 47 MPa. PMID:28772934

Ultrasound pretreatment for enhanced biogas production from olive mill wastewater.

PubMed

Oz, Nilgun Ayman; Uzun, Alev Cagla

2015-01-01

This study investigates applicability of low frequency ultrasound technology to olive mill wastewaters (OMWs) as a pretreatment step prior to anaerobic batch reactors to improve biogas production and methane yield. OMWs originating from three phase processes are characterized with high organic content and complex nature. The treatment of the wastewater is problematic and alternative treatment options should be investigated. In the first part of the study, OMW samples were subjected to ultrasound at a frequency of 20kHz with applied powers varying between 50 and 100W under temperature controlled conditions for different time periods in order to determine the most effective sonication conditions. The level of organic matter solubilization at ultrasound experiments was assessed by calculating the ratio of soluble chemical oxygen demand/total chemical oxygen demand (SCOD/TCOD). The results revealed that the optimum ultrasonic condition for diluted OMW is 20kHz, 0.4W/mL for 10min. The application of ultrasound to OMW increased SCOD/TCOD ratio from 0.59 to 0.79. Statistical analysis (Friedman's tests) show that ultrasound was significantly effective on diluted OMW (p<0.05) in terms of SCOD parameter, but not for raw OMW (p>0.05). For raw OMW, this increase has been found to be limited due to high concentration of suspended solids (SS). In the second part of the study, biogas and methane production rates of anaerobic batch reactor fed with the ultrasound pretreated OMW samples were compared with the results of control reactor fed with untreated OMW in order to determine the effect of sonication. A nonparametric statistical procedure, Mann-Whitney U test, was used to compare biogas and methane production from anaerobic batch reactors for control and ultrasound pretreated samples. Results showed that application of low frequency ultrasound to OMW significantly improved both biogas and methane production in anaerobic batch reactor fed with the wastewater (p<0.05). Anaerobic batch reactor fed with ultrasound pretreated diluted OMW produced approximately 20% more biogas and methane compared with the untreated one (control reactor). The overall results indicated that low frequency ultrasound pretreatment increased soluble COD in OMW and subsequently biogas production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal Stability of RP-2 for Hydrocarbon Boost Regenerative Cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleinhenz, Julie E.; Deans, Matthew C.; Stiegemeier, Benjamin R.; Psaras, Peter M.

2013-01-01

A series of tests were performed in the NASA Glenn Research Centers Heated Tube Facility to study the heat transfer and thermal stability behavior of RP-2 under conditions similar to those found in rocket engine cooling channels. It has long been known that hydrocarbon fuels, such as RP-2, can decompose at high temperature to form deposits (coke) which can adversely impact rocket engine cooling channel performance. The heated tube facility provides a simple means to study these effects. Using resistively heated copper tubes in a vacuum chamber, flowing RP-2 was heated to explore thermal effects at a range of test conditions. Wall temperature (850-1050F) and bulk fluid temperature (300-500F) were varied to define thermal decomposition and stability at each condition. Flow velocity and pressure were fixed at 75 fts and 1000 psia, respectively. Additionally, five different batches of RP-2 were tested at identical conditions to examine any thermal stability differences resulting from batch to batch compositional variation. Among these tests was one with a potential coke reducing additive known as 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroquinoline (THQ). While copper tubes were used for the majority of tests, two exploratory tests were performed with a copper alloy known as GRCop-42. Each tube was instrumented with 15 thermocouples to examine the temperature profile, and carbon deposition at each thermocouple location was determined post-test in an oxidation furnace. In many tests, intermittent local temperature increases were observed visually and in the thermocouple data. These hot spots did not appear to correspond with a higher carbon deposition.

Kozeny-Carman permeability relationship with disintegration process predicted from early dissolution profiles of immediate release tablets.

PubMed

Kumari, Parveen; Rathi, Pooja; Kumar, Virender; Lal, Jatin; Kaur, Harmeet; Singh, Jasbir

2017-07-01

This study was oriented toward the disintegration profiling of the diclofenac sodium (DS) immediate-release (IR) tablets and development of its relationship with medium permeability k perm based on Kozeny-Carman equation. Batches (L1-L9) of DS IR tablets with different porosities and specific surface area were prepared at different compression forces and evaluated for porosity, in vitro dissolution and particle-size analysis of the disintegrated mass. The k perm was calculated from porosities and specific surface area, and disintegration profiles were predicted from the dissolution profiles of IR tablets by stripping/residual method. The disintegration profiles were subjected to exponential regression to find out the respective disintegration equations and rate constants k d . Batches L1 and L2 showed the fastest disintegration rates as evident from their bi-exponential equations while the rest of the batches L3-L9 exhibited the first order or mono-exponential disintegration kinetics. The 95% confidence interval (CI 95% ) revealed significant differences between k d values of different batches except L4 and L6. Similar results were also spotted for dissolution profiles of IR tablets by similarity (f 2 ) test. The final relationship between k d and k perm was found to be hyperbolic, signifying the initial effect of k perm on the disintegration rate. The results showed that disintegration profiling is possible because a relationship exists between k d and k perm . The later being relatable with porosity and specific surface area can be determined by nondestructive tests.

40 CFR 1065.935 - Emission test sequence for field testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... verifications in emission calculations. (5) You may periodically condition and analyze batch samples in-situ... drift corrected results in emissions calculations. (6) Unless you weighed PM in-situ, such as by using... engine in-use until the engine coolant, block, or head absolute temperature is within ±10% of its mean...

40 CFR 1065.935 - Emission test sequence for field testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... verifications in emission calculations. (5) You may periodically condition and analyze batch samples in-situ... drift corrected results in emissions calculations. (6) Unless you weighed PM in-situ, such as by using... engine in-use until the engine coolant, block, or head absolute temperature is within ±10% of its mean...

40 CFR 1065.935 - Emission test sequence for field testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... verifications in emission calculations. (5) You may periodically condition and analyze batch samples in-situ... drift corrected results in emissions calculations. (6) Unless you weighed PM in-situ, such as by using... engine in-use until the engine coolant, block, or head absolute temperature is within ±10% of its mean...

40 CFR 1065.935 - Emission test sequence for field testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... verifications in emission calculations. (5) You may periodically condition and analyze batch samples in-situ... drift corrected results in emissions calculations. (6) Unless you weighed PM in-situ, such as by using... engine in-use until the engine coolant, block, or head absolute temperature is within ±10% of its mean...

40 CFR 1065.935 - Emission test sequence for field testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... verifications in emission calculations. (5) You may periodically condition and analyze batch samples in-situ... drift corrected results in emissions calculations. (6) Unless you weighed PM in-situ, such as by using... engine in-use until the engine coolant, block, or head absolute temperature is within ±10% of its mean...

Use of Vegetable Fibers for PRB to Remove Heavy Metals from Contaminated Aquifers-Comparisons among Cabuya Fibers, Broom Fibers and ZVI.

PubMed

Mayacela Rojas, Celia Margarita; Rivera Velásquez, María Fernanda; Tavolaro, Adalgisa; Molinari, Antonio; Fallico, Carmine

2017-06-24

The Zero Valent Iron (ZVI) is the material most commonly used for permeable reactive barriers (PRB). For technical and economic reasons, hoter reactive substances usable in alternative to ZVI are investigated. The present study takes into account a vegetable fibers, the cabuya, investigating its capacity to retain heavy metals. The capacity of the cabuya fibers to adsorb heavy metals was verified in laboratory, by batch and column tests. The batch tests were carried out with cabuya and ZVI, using copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The results obtained by the cabuya fibers showed a very high adsorption capacity of heavy metals and resulted very similar to those obtained for the broom fibers in a previous study. The high value of the absorption capacity of the cabuya fibers was also confirmed by the analogous comparison made with the results of the batch tests carried out with ZVI. Column tests, using copper, zinc and cadmium, allowed to determine for the cabuya fibers the maximum removal percentage of the heavy metals considered, the corresponding times and the time ranges of the release phase. For each metal considered, for a given length and three different times, the constant of degradation of cabuya fibers was determined, obtaining values very close to those reported for broom fibers. The scalar behavior of heavy metal removal percentage was verified. An electron microscope analysis allowed to compare, by SEM images, the characteristics of the cabuya and broom fibers. Finally, to investigate the chemical structure of cabuya and broom fibers, the FTIR technique was used, obtaining their respective infrared spectra.

Use of Vegetable Fibers for PRB to Remove Heavy Metals from Contaminated Aquifers—Comparisons among Cabuya Fibers, Broom Fibers and ZVI

PubMed Central

Mayacela Rojas, Celia Margarita; Rivera Velásquez, María Fernanda; Tavolaro, Adalgisa; Molinari, Antonio; Fallico, Carmine

2017-01-01

The Zero Valent Iron (ZVI) is the material most commonly used for permeable reactive barriers (PRB). For technical and economic reasons, hoter reactive substances usable in alternative to ZVI are investigated. The present study takes into account a vegetable fibers, the cabuya, investigating its capacity to retain heavy metals. The capacity of the cabuya fibers to adsorb heavy metals was verified in laboratory, by batch and column tests. The batch tests were carried out with cabuya and ZVI, using copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The results obtained by the cabuya fibers showed a very high adsorption capacity of heavy metals and resulted very similar to those obtained for the broom fibers in a previous study. The high value of the absorption capacity of the cabuya fibers was also confirmed by the analogous comparison made with the results of the batch tests carried out with ZVI. Column tests, using copper, zinc and cadmium, allowed to determine for the cabuya fibers the maximum removal percentage of the heavy metals considered, the corresponding times and the time ranges of the release phase. For each metal considered, for a given length and three different times, the constant of degradation of cabuya fibers was determined, obtaining values very close to those reported for broom fibers. The scalar behavior of heavy metal removal percentage was verified. An electron microscope analysis allowed to compare, by SEM images, the characteristics of the cabuya and broom fibers. Finally, to investigate the chemical structure of cabuya and broom fibers, the FTIR technique was used, obtaining their respective infrared spectra. PMID:28672800

A comparison of process performance during the anaerobic mono- and co-digestion of slaughterhouse waste through different operational modes.

PubMed

Pagés-Díaz, Jhosané; Pereda-Reyes, Ileana; Sanz, Jose Luis; Lundin, Magnus; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J; Horváth, Ilona Sárvári

2018-02-01

The use of consecutive feeding was applied to investigate the response of the microbial biomass to a second addition of substrates in terms of biodegradation using batch tests as a promising alternative to predict the behavior of the process. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of the slaughterhouse waste (SB) and its co-digestion with manure (M), various crops (VC), and municipal solid waste were evaluated. The results were then correlated to previous findings obtained by the authors for similar mixtures in batch and semi-continuous operation modes. AD of the SB failed showing total inhibition after a second feeding. Co-digestion of the SB+M showed a significant improvement for all of the response variables investigated after the second feeding, while co-digestion of the SB+VC resulted in a decline in all of these response variables. Similar patterns were previously detected, during both the batch and the semi-continuous modes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Real-time monitoring of a coffee roasting process with near infrared spectroscopy using multivariate statistical analysis: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Catelani, Tiago A; Santos, João Rodrigo; Páscoa, Ricardo N M J; Pezza, Leonardo; Pezza, Helena R; Lopes, João A

2018-03-01

This work proposes the use of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in diffuse reflectance mode and multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) based on principal component analysis (PCA) for real-time monitoring of the coffee roasting process. The main objective was the development of a MSPC methodology able to early detect disturbances to the roasting process resourcing to real-time acquisition of NIR spectra. A total of fifteen roasting batches were defined according to an experimental design to develop the MSPC models. This methodology was tested on a set of five batches where disturbances of different nature were imposed to simulate real faulty situations. Some of these batches were used to optimize the model while the remaining was used to test the methodology. A modelling strategy based on a time sliding window provided the best results in terms of distinguishing batches with and without disturbances, resourcing to typical MSPC charts: Hotelling's T 2 and squared predicted error statistics. A PCA model encompassing a time window of four minutes with three principal components was able to efficiently detect all disturbances assayed. NIR spectroscopy combined with the MSPC approach proved to be an adequate auxiliary tool for coffee roasters to detect faults in a conventional roasting process in real-time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of the long-term release of metal(loid)s from construction materials using DGTs.

PubMed

Schmukat, A; Duester, L; Ecker, D; Heininger, P; Ternes, T A

2013-09-15

Long-term leaching experiments are crucial to estimate the potential release of dangerous substances from construction materials. The application of Diffuse Gradients in Thin film (DGT) in static-batch experiments was tested to study the long-term release of metal(loid)s from construction materials for hydraulic engineering, for half a year. Long-term release experiments are essential to improve calculations of the life-time release for this materials. DGTs in batch experiments were found to be a space and labour efficient application, which enabled (i) to study, in a non-invasive manner, the total release of nine metal(loid)s for half a year, (ii) to differentiate between release mechanisms and (iii) to study mechanisms which were contrary to the release or caused experimental artefacts in the batch experiments. For copper slag (test material) it was found that eight metal(loid)s were released over the whole time period of 184 d. Cu, Ni and Pb were found to be released, predominantly caused by (the) weathering of sulphide minerals. Only for Zn a surface depletion mechanism was identified. The results from the long-term batch experiments deliver new information on the release of metal(loid)s during the life cycle of construction materials with regard to river basin management objectives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DESTRUCTION OF TETRAPHENYLBORATE IN TANK 48H USING WET AIR OXIDATION BATCH BENCH SCALE AUTOCLAVE TESTING WITH ACTUAL RADIOACTIVE TANK 48H WASTE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adu-Wusu, K; Paul Burket, P

2009-03-31

Wet Air Oxidation (WAO) is one of the two technologies being considered for the destruction of Tetraphenylborate (TPB) in Tank 48H. Batch bench-scale autoclave testing with radioactive (actual) Tank 48H waste is among the tests required in the WAO Technology Maturation Plan. The goal of the autoclave testing is to validate that the simulant being used for extensive WAO vendor testing adequately represents the Tank 48H waste. The test objective was to demonstrate comparable test results when running simulated waste and real waste under similar test conditions. Specifically: (1) Confirm the TPB destruction efficiency and rate (same reaction times) obtainedmore » from comparable simulant tests, (2) Determine the destruction efficiency of other organics including biphenyl, (3) Identify and quantify the reaction byproducts, and (4) Determine off-gas composition. Batch bench-scale stirred autoclave tests were conducted with simulated and actual Tank 48H wastes at SRNL. Experimental conditions were chosen based on continuous-flow pilot-scale simulant testing performed at Siemens Water Technologies Corporation (SWT) in Rothschild, Wisconsin. The following items were demonstrated as a result of this testing. (1) Tetraphenylborate was destroyed to below detection limits during the 1-hour reaction time at 280 C. Destruction efficiency of TPB was > 99.997%. (2) Other organics (TPB associated compounds), except biphenyl, were destroyed to below their respective detection limits. Biphenyl was partially destroyed in the process, mainly due to its propensity to reside in the vapor phase during the WAO reaction. Biphenyl is expected to be removed in the gas phase during the actual process, which is a continuous-flow system. (3) Reaction byproducts, remnants of MST, and the PUREX sludge, were characterized in this work. Radioactive species, such as Pu, Sr-90 and Cs-137 were quantified in the filtrate and slurry samples. Notably, Cs-137, boron and potassium were shown as soluble as a result of the WAO reaction. (4) Off-gas composition was measured in the resulting gas phase from the reaction. Benzene and hydrogen were formed during the reaction, but they were reasonably low in the off-gas at 0.096 and 0.0063 vol% respectively. Considering the consistency in replicating similar test results with simulated waste and Tank 48H waste under similar test conditions, the results confirm the validity of the simulant for other WAO test conditions.« less

Internal quality assurance in a clinical virology laboratory. II. Internal quality control.

PubMed Central

Gray, J J; Wreghitt, T G; McKee, T A; McIntyre, P; Roth, C E; Smith, D J; Sutehall, G; Higgins, G; Geraghty, R; Whetstone, R

1995-01-01

AIMS--In April 1991 additional quality control procedures were introduced into the virology section of the Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, Cambridge. Internal quality control (IQC) samples were gradually included in the serological assays performed in the laboratory and supplemented kit controls and standard sera. METHODS--From April 1991 to December 1993, 2421 IQC procedures were carried out with reference sera. RESULTS--The IQC samples were evaluated according to the Westgard rules. Violations were recorded in 60 of 1808 (3.3%) controls and were highest in the IQC samples of complement fixation tests (25/312 (8%) of controls submitted for complement fixation tests). CONCLUSIONS--The inclusion of IQC samples in the serological assays performed in the laboratory has highlighted batch to batch variation in commercial assays. The setting of acceptable limits for the IQC samples has increased confidence in the validity of assay results. PMID:7730475

Anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste: main process limitations and microbial community interactions.

PubMed

Palatsi, J; Viñas, M; Guivernau, M; Fernandez, B; Flotats, X

2011-02-01

Fresh pig/cattle slaughterhouse waste mixtures, with different lipid-protein ratios, were characterized and their anaerobic biodegradability assessed in batch tests. The resultant methane potentials were high (270-300 L(CH4) kg(-1)(COD)) making them interesting substrates for the anaerobic digestion process. However, when increasing substrate concentrations in consecutive batch tests, up to 15 g(COD) kg(-1), a clear inhibitory process was monitored. Despite the reported severe inhibition, related to lipid content, the system was able to recover activity and successfully degrade the substrate. Furthermore, 16SrRNA gene-based DGGE results showed an enrichment of specialized microbial populations, such as β-oxidizing/proteolitic bacteria (Syntrophomonas sp., Coprothermobacter sp. and Anaerobaculum sp.), and syntrophic methanogens (Methanosarcina sp.). Consequently, the lipid concentration of substrate and the structure of the microbial community are the main limiting factors for a successful anaerobic treatment of fresh slaughterhouse waste. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Fiber/Matrix Interface and its Composition on Mechanical Properties of Hi-Nicalon/Celsian Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bansal, Narottam P.; Eldridge, Jeffrey I.

1999-01-01

To evaluate the effects of fiber coatings on composite mechanical properties. unidirectional celsian matrix composites reinforced with uncoated Hi-Nicalon fibers and those precoated with a dual BN/SiC layer in two separate batches (batch 1 and batch 2) were tested in three-point flexure. The uncoated-fiber reinforced composites showed catastrophic failure with strength of 210+/-35 MPa and a flat fracture surface. In contrast, composites reinforced with coated fibers exhibited graceful failure with extensive fiber pullout and showed significantly higher ultimate strengths, 904 and 759 MPa for the batch 1 and 2 coatings. respectively. Fiber push-in tests and microscopic examination indicated no chemical reaction at the uncoated or coated fiber-matrix interfaces that might be responsible for fiber strength degradation. Instead, the low strength of composite with uncoated fibers was due to degradation of the fiber strength from mechanical damage during composite processing. Despite identical processing, the first matrix cracking stresses (Sigma(sub mc)) of the composites reinforced with fibers coated in batch 1 and batch 2 were quite different, 436 and 122 MPa, respectively. The large difference in Sigma(sub mc) of the coated-fiber composites was attributed to differences in fiber sliding stresses (Tau(sub friction)), 121.2+/-48.7 and 10.4+/-3.1 MPa, respectively. for the two composites as determined by the fiber push-in method. Such a large difference in Tau(sub friction). for the two composites was found to be due to the difference in the compositions of the interface coatings. Scanning Auger microprobe analysis revealed the presence of carbon layers between the fiber and BN. and also between the BN and SiC coatings in the composite showing lower Tau(sub friction). This resulted in lower Sigma(sub mc) in agreement with the ACK theory. The ultimate strengths of the two composites depended mainly on the fiber volume fraction and were not significantly effected by Tau(sub friction) values, as expected. The poor reproducibility of the fiber coating composition between the two batches was judged to be the primary source of the large differences in performance of the two composites.

Removal of Cesium From Acidic Radioactive Tank Waste Using IONSIV IE-911 (CST)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mann, Nicholas Robert; Todd, Terry Allen

2004-10-01

IONSIV IE-911, or the engineered form of crystalline silicotitanate (CST), manufactured by UOP Molecular Sieves, has been evaluated for the removal of cesium from Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) acidic radioactive tank waste. A series of batch contacts and column tests were performed by using three separate batches of CST. Batch contacts were performed to evaluate the concentration effects of nitric acid, sodium, and potassium ions on cesium sorption. Additional batch tests were performed to determine if americium, mercury, and plutonium would sorb onto IONSIV IE-911. An equilibrium isotherm was generated by using a concentrated tank waste simulant.more » Column tests using a 1.5 cm 3 column and flow rates of 3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 bed volumes (BV)/hr were performed to elucidate dynamic cesium sorption capacities and sorption kinetics. Additional experiments investigated the effect of CST batch and pretreatment on cesium sorption. The thermal stability of IONSIV IE-911 was evaluated by performing thermal gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis. Overall, IONSIV IE-911 was shown to be effective for cesium sorption from complex, highly acidic solutions; however, sorbent stability in these solutions may have a deleterious effect on cesium sorption.« less

Effect of pine bark on the biotransformation of trinitrotoluene and on the bacterial community structure in a batch experiment.

PubMed

Chusova, Olga; Nolvak, Hiie; Nehrenheim, Emma; Truu, Jaak; Odlare, Monica; Oopkaup, Kristjan; Truu, Marika

2014-01-01

Pine bark, a low-cost industrial residue, has been suggested as a promising substitute for granular activated carbon in the on-site treatment of water contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). However, the complex organic structure and indigenous microbial community of pine bark have thus far not been thoroughly described in the context of TNT-contaminated water treatment. This two-week batch study examined the removal efficiency ofTNT from water by (1) adsorption on pine bark and (2) simultaneous adsorption on pine bark and biotransformation by specialized TNT-biotransforming microbial inocula. The bacterial community composition of experimental batches, inocula and pine bark, was profiled by Illumina sequencing of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The results revealed that the inocula and experimental batches were dominated by phylotypes belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family and that the tested inocula had good potential for TNT biotransformation. The type of applied inocula had the most profound effect on the TNT-transforming bacterial community structure in the experimental batches. The indigenous microbial community of pine bark harboured phylotypes that also have a potential to degrade TNT. Altogether, the combination of a specialized inoculum and pine bark proved to be the most efficient treatment option for TNT-contaminated water.

Continuous Cellulosic Bioethanol Fermentation by Cyclic Fed-Batch Cocultivation

PubMed Central

Jiang, He-Long; He, Qiang; He, Zhili; Hemme, Christopher L.; Wu, Liyou

2013-01-01

Cocultivation of cellulolytic and saccharolytic microbial populations is a promising strategy to improve bioethanol production from the fermentation of recalcitrant cellulosic materials. Earlier studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of cocultivation in enhancing ethanolic fermentation of cellulose in batch fermentation. To further enhance process efficiency, a semicontinuous cyclic fed-batch fermentor configuration was evaluated for its potential in enhancing the efficiency of cellulose fermentation using cocultivation. Cocultures of cellulolytic Clostridium thermocellum LQRI and saccharolytic Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus strain X514 were tested in the semicontinuous fermentor as a model system. Initial cellulose concentration and pH were identified as the key process parameters controlling cellulose fermentation performance in the fixed-volume cyclic fed-batch coculture system. At an initial cellulose concentration of 40 g liter−1, the concentration of ethanol produced with pH control was 4.5-fold higher than that without pH control. It was also found that efficient cellulosic bioethanol production by cocultivation was sustained in the semicontinuous configuration, with bioethanol production reaching 474 mM in 96 h with an initial cellulose concentration of 80 g liter−1 and pH controlled at 6.5 to 6.8. These results suggested the advantages of the cyclic fed-batch process for cellulosic bioethanol fermentation by the cocultures. PMID:23275517

Sample Results From The Extraction, Scrub, And Strip Test For The Blended NGS Solvent

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Washington, A. L. II; Peters, T. B.

This report summarizes the results of the extraction, scrub, and strip testing for the September 2013 sampling of the Next Generation Solvent (NGS) Blended solvent from the Modular Caustic Side-Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) Solvent Hold Tank. MCU is in the process of transitioning from the BOBCalixC6 solvent to the NGS Blend solvent. As part of that transition, MCU has intentionally created a blended solvent to be processed using the Salt Batch program. This sample represents the first sample received from that blended solvent. There were two ESS tests performed where NGS blended solvent performance was assessed using either the Tankmore » 21 material utilized in the Salt Batch 7 analyses or a simulant waste material used in the V-5/V-10 contactor testing. This report tabulates the temperature corrected cesium distribution, or D Cs values, step recovery percentage, and actual temperatures recorded during the experiment. This report also identifies the sample receipt date, preparation method, and analysis performed in the accumulation of the listed values. The calculated extraction D Cs values using the Tank 21H material and simulant are 59.4 and 53.8, respectively. The DCs values for two scrub and three strip processes for the Tank 21 material are 4.58, 2.91, 0.00184, 0.0252, and 0.00575, respectively. The D-values for two scrub and three strip processes for the simulant are 3.47, 2.18, 0.00468, 0.00057, and 0.00572, respectively. These values are similar to previous measurements of Salt Batch 7 feed with lab-prepared blended solvent. These numbers are considered compatible to allow simulant testing to be completed in place of actual waste due to the limited availability of feed material.« less

Induced bioelectrochemical metabolism for bioremediation of petroleum refinery wastewater: Optimization of applied potential and flow of wastewater.

PubMed

Mohanakrishna, Gunda; Al-Raoush, Riyadh I; Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M

2018-07-01

Hybrid based bioelectrochemical system (BES) configured with embedded anode and cathode electrodes in soil was tested for the bioelectrochemical degradation of petroleum refinery wastewater (PRW). Four applied potentials were studied to optimize under batch mode operation, among which 2 V resulted in higher COD degradation (69.2%) and power density (725 mW/m 2 ) during 7 days of operation. Further studies with continuous mode of operation at optimized potential (2 V) showed that hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 19 h achieved the highest COD removal (37%) and highest power density (561 mW/m 2 ). BES function with respect to treatment efficiencies of other pollutants of PRW was also identified with respect to oil and grease (batch mode, 91%; continuous mode, 34%), total dissolved salts (batch mode, 53%; continuous mode, 24%) and sulfates (batch mode, 59%; continuous mode, 42%). Soil microenvironment in association with BES forms complex processes, providing suitable conditions for efficient treatment of PRW. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of carbon brush anode size and loading on microbial fuel cell performance in batch and continuous mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanas, Vanessa; Ahn, Yongtae; Logan, Bruce E.

2014-02-01

Larger scale microbial fuel cells (MFCs) require compact architectures to efficiently treat wastewater. We examined how anode-brush diameter, number of anodes, and electrode spacing affected the performance of the MFCs operated in fed-batch and continuous flow mode. All anodes were initially tested with the brush core set at the same distance from the cathode. In fed-batch mode, the configuration with three larger brushes (25 mm diameter) produced 80% more power (1240 mW m-2) than reactors with eight smaller brushes (8 mm) (690 mW m-2). The higher power production by the larger brushes was due to more negative and stable anode potentials than the smaller brushes. The same general result was obtained in continuous flow operation, although power densities were reduced. However, by moving the center of the smaller brushes closer to the cathode (from 16.5 to 8 mm), power substantially increased from 690 to 1030 mW m-2 in fed batch mode. In continuous flow mode, power increased from 280 to 1020 mW m-2, resulting in more power production from the smaller brushes than the larger brushes (540 mW m-2). These results show that multi-electrode MFCs can be optimized by selecting smaller anodes, placed as close as possible to the cathode.

SLUDGE BATCH 4 BASELINE MELT RATE FURNACE AND SLURRY-FED MELT RATE FURNACE TESTS WITH FRITS 418 AND 510 (U)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, M. E.; Jones, T. M.; Miller, D. H.

Several Slurry-Fed Melt Rate Furnace (SMRF) tests with earlier projections of the Sludge Batch 4 (SB4) composition have been performed.1,2 The first SB4 SMRF test used Frits 418 and 320, however it was found after the test that the REDuction/OXidation (REDOX) correlation at that time did not have the proper oxidation state for manganese. Because the manganese level in the SB4 sludge was higher than previous sludge batches tested, the impact of the higher manganese oxidation state was greater. The glasses were highly oxidized and very foamy, and therefore the results were inconclusive. After resolving this REDOX issue, Frits 418,more » 425, and 503 were tested in the SMRF with the updated baseline SB4 projection. Based on dry-fed Melt Rate Furnace (MRF) tests and the above mentioned SMRF tests, two previous frit recommendations were made by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for processing of SB4 in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). The first was Frit 503 based on the June 2006 composition projections.3 The recommendation was changed to Frit 418 as a result of the October 2006 composition projections (after the Tank 40 decant was implemented as part of the preparation plan). However, the start of SB4 processing was delayed due to the control room consolidation outage and the repair of the valve box in the Tank 51 to Tank 40 transfer line. These delays resulted in changes to the projected SB4 composition. Due to the slight change in composition and based on preliminary dry-fed MRF testing, SRNL believed that Frit 510 would increase throughput in processing SB4 in DWPF. Frit 418, which was used in processing Sludge Batch 3 (SB3), was a viable candidate and available in DWPF. Therefore, it was used during the initial SB4 processing. Due to the potential for higher melt rates with Frit 510, SMRF tests with the latest SB4 composition (1298 canisters) and Frits 510 and 418 were performed at a targeted waste loading (WL) of 35%. The '1298 canisters' describes the number of equivalent canisters that would be produced from the beginning of the current contract period before SB3 is blended with SB4. The melt rate for the SMRF SB4/Frit 510 test was 14.6 grams/minute. Due to cold cap mounding problems with the SMRF SB4/Frit 418 feed at 50 weight % solids that prevented a melt rate determination, this feed was diluted to 45 weight % solids. The melt rate for this diluted feed was 8.9 grams/minute. A correction factor of 1.2 for estimating the melt rate at 50 weight % solids from 45 weight % solids test results (based on previous SMRF testing5) was then used to estimate a melt rate of 10.7 grams/minute for SB4/Frit 418 at 50 weight % solids. Therefore, the use of Frit 510 versus Frit 418 with SB4 resulted in a higher melt rate (14.6 versus an estimated 10.7 grams/minute). For reference, a previous SMRF test with SB3/Frit 418 feed at 35% waste loading and 50 weight % solids resulted in a melt rate of 14.1 grams/minute. Therefore, depending on the actual feed rheology, the use of Frit 510 with SB4 could result in similar melt rates as experienced with SB3/Frit 418 feed in the DWPF.« less

Methods for the Calculation of Settling Tanks for Batch Experiments; METODOS DE CALCULO DE ESPESADORES POR ENSAYOS DISCONTINUOS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gasos, P.; Perea, C.P.; Jodra, L.G.

1957-01-01

>In order to calculate settling tanks, some tests on batch sedimentation were made, and with the data obtained the dimensions of the settling tank were found. The mechanism of sedimentation is first briefly described, and then the factors involved in the calculation of the dimensions and the sedimentation velocity are discussed. The Cloe and Clevenger method and the Kynch method were investigated experimentally and compared. The application of the calculations are illustrated. It is shown that the two methods gave markedly different results. (J.S.R.)

An Integer Batch Scheduling Model for a Single Machine with Simultaneous Learning and Deterioration Effects to Minimize Total Actual Flow Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusriski, R.; Sukoyo; Samadhi, T. M. A. A.; Halim, A. H.

2016-02-01

In the manufacturing industry, several identical parts can be processed in batches, and setup time is needed between two consecutive batches. Since the processing times of batches are not always fixed during a scheduling period due to learning and deterioration effects, this research deals with batch scheduling problems with simultaneous learning and deterioration effects. The objective is to minimize total actual flow time, defined as a time interval between the arrival of all parts at the shop and their common due date. The decision variables are the number of batches, integer batch sizes, and the sequence of the resulting batches. This research proposes a heuristic algorithm based on the Lagrange Relaxation. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is determined by comparing the resulting solutions of the algorithm to the respective optimal solution obtained from the enumeration method. Numerical experience results show that the average of difference among the solutions is 0.05%.

Regeneration of Iron-based Adsorptive Media Used for Removing Arsenic from Groundwater

EPA Science Inventory

The journal article will describe batch and column regeneration tests and results that were conducted on six exhausted iron media products to determine whether an iron based media can be successfully regenerated and reused.

Defining level A IVIVC dissolution specifications based on individual in vitro dissolution profiles of a controlled release formulation.

PubMed

González-García, I; García-Arieta, A; Merino-Sanjuan, M; Mangas-Sanjuan, V; Bermejo, M

2018-07-01

Regulatory guidelines recommend that, when a level A IVIVC is established, dissolution specification should be established using averaged data and the maximum difference between AUC and C max between the reference and test formulations cannot be greater than 20%. However, averaging data assumes a loss of information and may reflect a bias in the results. The objective of the current work is to present a new approach to establish dissolution specifications using a new methodology (individual approach) instead of average data (classical approach). Different scenarios were established based on the relationship between in vitro-in vivo dissolution rate coefficient using a level A IVIVC of a controlled release formulation. Then, in order to compare this new approach with the classical one, six additional batches were simulated. For each batch, 1000 simulations of a dissolution assay were run. C max ratios between the reference formulation and each batch were calculated showing that the individual approach was more sensitive and able to detect differences between the reference and the batch formulation compared to the classical approach. Additionally, the new methodology displays wider dissolution specification limits than the classical approach, ensuring that any tablet from the new batch would generate in vivo profiles which its AUC or C max ratio will be out of the 0.8-1.25 range, taking into account the in vitro and in vivo variability of the new batches developed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toxic Element Contamination of Natural Health Products and Pharmaceutical Preparations

PubMed Central

Genuis, Stephen J.; Schwalfenberg, Gerry; Siy, Anna-Kristen J.; Rodushkin, Ilya

2012-01-01

Background Concern has recently emerged regarding the safety of natural health products (NHPs)–therapies that are increasingly recommended by various health providers, including conventional physicians. Recognizing that most individuals in the Western world now consume vitamins and many take herbal agents, this study endeavored to determine levels of toxic element contamination within a range of NHPs. Methods Toxic element testing was performed on 121 NHPs (including Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese, and various marine-source products) as well as 49 routinely prescribed pharmaceutical preparations. Testing was also performed on several batches of one prenatal supplement, with multiple samples tested within each batch. Results were compared to existing toxicant regulatory limits. Results Toxic element contamination was found in many supplements and pharmaceuticals; levels exceeding established limits were only found in a small percentage of the NHPs tested and none of the drugs tested. Some NHPs demonstrated contamination levels above preferred daily endpoints for mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic or aluminum. NHPs manufactured in China generally had higher levels of mercury and aluminum. Conclusions Exposure to toxic elements is occurring regularly as a result of some contaminated NHPs. Best practices for quality control–developed and implemented by the NHP industry with government oversight–is recommended to guard the safety of unsuspecting consumers. PMID:23185404

Hybrid Metaheuristics for Solving a Fuzzy Single Batch-Processing Machine Scheduling Problem

PubMed Central

Molla-Alizadeh-Zavardehi, S.; Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, R.; Lotfi, F. Hosseinzadeh

2014-01-01

This paper deals with a problem of minimizing total weighted tardiness of jobs in a real-world single batch-processing machine (SBPM) scheduling in the presence of fuzzy due date. In this paper, first a fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model is developed. Then, due to the complexity of the problem, which is NP-hard, we design two hybrid metaheuristics called GA-VNS and VNS-SA applying the advantages of genetic algorithm (GA), variable neighborhood search (VNS), and simulated annealing (SA) frameworks. Besides, we propose three fuzzy earliest due date heuristics to solve the given problem. Through computational experiments with several random test problems, a robust calibration is applied on the parameters. Finally, computational results on different-scale test problems are presented to compare the proposed algorithms. PMID:24883359

Sample results from the integrated salt disposition program macrobatch 6 tank 21H qualifications MST solids sample

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, T. B.

2013-02-26

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed experiments on qualification material for use in the Integrated Salt Disposition Program (ISDP) Batch 6 processing. As part of this qualification work, SRNL performed an Actinide Removal Process (ARP) test. From this test, the residual monosodium titanate (MST) was analyzed for radionuclide uptake. The results of these analyses are reported and are within historical precedent.

Testing SLURM open source batch system for a Tierl/Tier2 HEP computing facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donvito, Giacinto; Salomoni, Davide; Italiano, Alessandro

2014-06-01

In this work the testing activities that were carried on to verify if the SLURM batch system could be used as the production batch system of a typical Tier1/Tier2 HEP computing center are shown. SLURM (Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management) is an Open Source batch system developed mainly by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SchedMD, Linux NetworX, Hewlett-Packard, and Groupe Bull. Testing was focused both on verifying the functionalities of the batch system and the performance that SLURM is able to offer. We first describe our initial set of requirements. Functionally, we started configuring SLURM so that it replicates all the scheduling policies already used in production in the computing centers involved in the test, i.e. INFN-Bari and the INFN-Tier1 at CNAF, Bologna. Currently, the INFN-Tier1 is using IBM LSF (Load Sharing Facility), while INFN-Bari, an LHC Tier2 for both CMS and Alice, is using Torque as resource manager and MAUI as scheduler. We show how we configured SLURM in order to enable several scheduling functionalities such as Hierarchical FairShare, Quality of Service, user-based and group-based priority, limits on the number of jobs per user/group/queue, job age scheduling, job size scheduling, and scheduling of consumable resources. We then show how different job typologies, like serial, MPI, multi-thread, whole-node and interactive jobs can be managed. Tests on the use of ACLs on queues or in general other resources are then described. A peculiar SLURM feature we also verified is triggers on event, useful to configure specific actions on each possible event in the batch system. We also tested highly available configurations for the master node. This feature is of paramount importance since a mandatory requirement in our scenarios is to have a working farm cluster even in case of hardware failure of the server(s) hosting the batch system. Among our requirements there is also the possibility to deal with pre-execution and post-execution scripts, and controlled handling of the failure of such scripts. This feature is heavily used, for example, at the INFN-Tier1 in order to check the health status of a worker node before execution of each job. Pre- and post-execution scripts are also important to let WNoDeS, the IaaS Cloud solution developed at INFN, use SLURM as its resource manager. WNoDeS has already been supporting the LSF and Torque batch systems for some time; in this work we show the work done so that WNoDeS supports SLURM as well. Finally, we show several performance tests that we carried on to verify SLURM scalability and reliability, detailing scalability tests both in terms of managed nodes and of queued jobs.

Toward Higher QA: From Parametric Release of Sterile Parenteral Products to PAT for Other Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms.

PubMed

Hock, Sia Chong; Constance, Neo Xue Rui; Wah, Chan Lai

2012-01-01

Pharmaceutical products are generally subjected to end-product batch testing as a means of quality control. Due to the inherent limitations of conventional batch testing, this is not the most ideal approach for determining the pharmaceutical quality of the finished dosage form. In the case of terminally sterilized parenteral products, the limitations of conventional batch testing have been successfully addressed with the application of parametric release (the release of a product based on control of process parameters instead of batch sterility testing at the end of the manufacturing process). Consequently, there has been an increasing interest in applying parametric release to other pharmaceutical dosage forms, beyond terminally sterilized parenteral products. For parametric release to be possible, manufacturers must be capable of designing quality into the product, monitoring the manufacturing processes, and controlling the quality of intermediates and finished products in real-time. Process analytical technology (PAT) has been thought to be capable of contributing to these prerequisites. It is believed that the appropriate use of PAT tools can eventually lead to the possibility of real-time release of other pharmaceutical dosage forms, by-passing the need for end-product batch testing. Hence, this literature review attempts to present the basic principles of PAT, introduce the various PAT tools that are currently available, present their recent applications to pharmaceutical processing, and explain the potential benefits that PAT can bring to conventional ways of processing and quality assurance of pharmaceutical products. Last but not least, current regulations governing the use of PAT and the manufacturing challenges associated with PAT implementation are also discussed. Pharmaceutical products are generally subjected to end-product batch testing as a means of quality control. Due to the inherent limitations of conventional batch testing, this is not the most ideal approach. In the case of terminally sterilized parenteral products, these limitations have been successfully addressed with the application of parametric release (the release of a product based on control of process parameters instead of batch sterility testing at the end of the manufacturing process). Consequently, there has been an increasing interest in applying parametric release to other pharmaceutical dosage forms. With the advancement of process analytical technology (PAT), it is possible to monitor the manufacturing processes closely. This will eventually enable quality control of the intermediates and finished products, and thus their release in real-time. Hence, this literature review attempts to present the basic principles of PAT, introduce the various PAT tools that are currently available, present their recent applications to pharmaceutical processing, and explain the potential benefits that PAT can bring to conventional ways of processing and quality assurance of pharmaceutical products. It will also discuss the current regulations governing the use of PAT and the manufacturing challenges associated with the implementation of PAT.

DWPF Simulant CPC Studies For SB8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Newell, J. D.

2013-09-25

Prior to processing a Sludge Batch (SB) in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), flowsheet studies using simulants are performed. Typically, the flowsheet studies are conducted based on projected composition(s). The results from the flowsheet testing are used to 1) guide decisions during sludge batch preparation, 2) serve as a preliminary evaluation of potential processing issues, and 3) provide a basis to support the Shielded Cells qualification runs performed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). SB8 was initially projected to be a combination of the Tank 40 heel (Sludge Batch 7b), Tank 13, Tank 12, and the Tank 51more » heel. In order to accelerate preparation of SB8, the decision was made to delay the oxalate-rich material from Tank 12 to a future sludge batch. SB8 simulant studies without Tank 12 were reported in a separate report.1 The data presented in this report will be useful when processing future sludge batches containing Tank 12. The wash endpoint target for SB8 was set at a significantly higher sodium concentration to allow acceptable glass compositions at the targeted waste loading. Four non-coupled tests were conducted using simulant representing Tank 40 at 110-146% of the Koopman Minimum Acid requirement. Hydrogen was generated during high acid stoichiometry (146% acid) SRAT testing up to 31% of the DWPF hydrogen limit. SME hydrogen generation reached 48% of of the DWPF limit for the high acid run. Two non-coupled tests were conducted using simulant representing Tank 51 at 110-146% of the Koopman Minimum Acid requirement. Hydrogen was generated during high acid stoichiometry SRAT testing up to 16% of the DWPF limit. SME hydrogen generation reached 49% of the DWPF limit for hydrogen in the SME for the high acid run. Simulant processing was successful using previously established antifoam addition strategy. Foaming during formic acid addition was not observed in any of the runs. Nitrite was destroyed in all runs and no N2O was detected during SME processing. Mercury behavior was consistent with that seen in previous SRAT runs. Mercury was stripped below the DWPF limit on 0.8 wt% for all runs. Rheology yield stress fell within or below the design basis of 1-5 Pa. The low acid Tank 40 run (106% acid stoichiometry) had the highest yield stress at 3.78 Pa.« less

The consistency approach for quality control of vaccines - a strategy to improve quality control and implement 3Rs.

PubMed

De Mattia, Fabrizio; Chapsal, Jean-Michel; Descamps, Johan; Halder, Marlies; Jarrett, Nicholas; Kross, Imke; Mortiaux, Frederic; Ponsar, Cecile; Redhead, Keith; McKelvie, Jo; Hendriksen, Coenraad

2011-01-01

Current batch release testing of established vaccines emphasizes quality control of the final product and is often characterized by extensive use of animals. This report summarises the discussions of a joint ECVAM/EPAA workshop on the applicability of the consistency approach for routine release of human and veterinary vaccines and its potential to reduce animal use. The consistency approach is based upon thorough characterization of the vaccine during development and the principle that the quality of subsequent batches is the consequence of the strict application of a quality system and of a consistent production of batches. The concept of consistency of production is state-of-the-art for new-generation vaccines, where batch release is mainly based on non-animal methods. There is now the opportunity to introduce the approach into established vaccine production, where it has the potential to replace in vivo tests with non-animal tests designed to demonstrate batch quality while maintaining the highest quality standards. The report indicates how this approach may be further developed for application to established human and veterinary vaccines and emphasizes the continuing need for co-ordination and harmonization. It also gives recommendations for work to be undertaken in order to encourage acceptance and implementation of the consistency approach. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Acceptance Test Data for BWXT Coated Particle Batch 93164A Defective IPyC Fraction and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

2017-02-01

Coated particle fuel batch J52O-16-93164 was produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) for possible selection as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), or may be used as demonstration production-scale coated particle fuel for other experiments. The tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidizedbed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace onto 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52L-16-69316. Each kernel contained a mixture of 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO) and was coated with four consecutive CVD layers:more » a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batch was sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batch was designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (i.e., 93164A).« less

Development of In Vitro-In Vivo Correlation/Relationship Modeling Approaches for Immediate Release Formulations Using Compartmental Dynamic Dissolution Data from “Golem”: A Novel Apparatus

PubMed Central

Tuszyński, Paweł K.; Polak, Sebastian; Jachowicz, Renata; Mendyk, Aleksander; Dohnal, Jiří

2015-01-01

Different batches of atorvastatin, represented by two immediate release formulation designs, were studied using a novel dynamic dissolution apparatus, simulating stomach and small intestine. A universal dissolution method was employed which simulated the physiology of human gastrointestinal tract, including the precise chyme transit behavior and biorelevant conditions. The multicompartmental dissolution data allowed direct observation and qualitative discrimination of the differences resulting from highly pH dependent dissolution behavior of the tested batches. Further evaluation of results was performed using IVIVC/IVIVR development. While satisfactory correlation could not be achieved using a conventional deconvolution based-model, promising results were obtained through the use of a nonconventional approach exploiting the complex compartmental dissolution data. PMID:26120580

A novel model-based control strategy for aerobic filamentous fungal fed-batch fermentation processes.

PubMed

Mears, Lisa; Stocks, Stuart M; Albaek, Mads O; Cassells, Benny; Sin, Gürkan; Gernaey, Krist V

2017-07-01

A novel model-based control strategy has been developed for filamentous fungal fed-batch fermentation processes. The system of interest is a pilot scale (550 L) filamentous fungus process operating at Novozymes A/S. In such processes, it is desirable to maximize the total product achieved in a batch in a defined process time. In order to achieve this goal, it is important to maximize both the product concentration, and also the total final mass in the fed-batch system. To this end, we describe the development of a control strategy which aims to achieve maximum tank fill, while avoiding oxygen limited conditions. This requires a two stage approach: (i) calculation of the tank start fill; and (ii) on-line control in order to maximize fill subject to oxygen transfer limitations. First, a mechanistic model was applied off-line in order to determine the appropriate start fill for processes with four different sets of process operating conditions for the stirrer speed, headspace pressure, and aeration rate. The start fills were tested with eight pilot scale experiments using a reference process operation. An on-line control strategy was then developed, utilizing the mechanistic model which is recursively updated using on-line measurements. The model was applied in order to predict the current system states, including the biomass concentration, and to simulate the expected future trajectory of the system until a specified end time. In this way, the desired feed rate is updated along the progress of the batch taking into account the oxygen mass transfer conditions and the expected future trajectory of the mass. The final results show that the target fill was achieved to within 5% under the maximum fill when tested using eight pilot scale batches, and over filling was avoided. The results were reproducible, unlike the reference experiments which show over 10% variation in the final tank fill, and this also includes over filling. The variance of the final tank fill is reduced by over 74%, meaning that it is possible to target the final maximum fill reproducibly. The product concentration achieved at a given set of process conditions was unaffected by the control strategy. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1459-1468. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A multi-run chemistry module for the production of [18F]FDG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sipe, B.; Murphy, M.; Best, B.; Zigler, S.; Lim, J.; Dorman, E.; Mangner, T.; Weichelt, M.

2001-07-01

We have developed a new chemistry module for the production of up to four batches of [18F]FDG. Prior to starting a batch sequence, the module automatically performs a series of self-diagnostic tests, including a reagent detection sequence. The module then executes a user-defined production sequence followed by an automated process to rinse tubing, valves, and the reaction vessel prior to the next production sequence. Process feedback from the module is provided to a graphical user interface by mass flow controllers, radiation detectors, a pressure switch, a pressure transducer, and an IR temperature sensor. This paper will describe the module, the operating system, and the results of multi-site trials, including production data and quality control results.

Runoff forecasting using a Takagi-Sugeno neuro-fuzzy model with online learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talei, Amin; Chua, Lloyd Hock Chye; Quek, Chai; Jansson, Per-Erik

2013-04-01

SummaryA study using local learning Neuro-Fuzzy System (NFS) was undertaken for a rainfall-runoff modeling application. The local learning model was first tested on three different catchments: an outdoor experimental catchment measuring 25 m2 (Catchment 1), a small urban catchment 5.6 km2 in size (Catchment 2), and a large rural watershed with area of 241.3 km2 (Catchment 3). The results obtained from the local learning model were comparable or better than results obtained from physically-based, i.e. Kinematic Wave Model (KWM), Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), and Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) model. The local learning algorithm also required a shorter training time compared to a global learning NFS model. The local learning model was next tested in real-time mode, where the model was continuously adapted when presented with current information in real time. The real-time implementation of the local learning model gave better results, without the need for retraining, when compared to a batch NFS model, where it was found that the batch model had to be retrained periodically in order to achieve similar results.

Development of a mathematical model for the growth associated Polyhydroxybutyrate fermentation by Azohydromonas australica and its use for the design of fed-batch cultivation strategies.

PubMed

Gahlawat, Geeta; Srivastava, Ashok K

2013-06-01

In the present investigation, batch cultivation of Azohydromonas australica DSM 1124 was carried out in a bioreactor for growth associated PHB production. The observed batch PHB production kinetics data was then used for the development of a mathematical model which adequately described the substrate limitation and inhibition during the cultivation. The statistical validity test demonstrated that the proposed mathematical model predictions were significant at 99% confidence level. The model was thereafter extrapolated to fed-batch to identify various nutrients feeding regimes during the bioreactor cultivation to improve the PHB accumulation. The distinct capability of the mathematical model to predict highly dynamic fed-batch cultivation strategies was demonstrated by experimental implementation of two fed-batch cultivation strategies. A significantly high PHB concentration of 22.65 g/L & an overall PHB content of 76% was achieved during constant feed rate fed-batch cultivation which is the highest PHB content reported so far using A. australica. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of a repeated fed-batch process for the production of chitin-glucan complex by Komagataella pastoris.

PubMed

Farinha, Inês; Freitas, Filomena; Reis, Maria A M

2017-07-25

The yeast Komagataella pastoris was cultivated under different fed-batch strategies for the production of chitin-glucan complex (CGC), a co-polymer of chitin and β-glucan. The tested fed-batch strategies included DO-stat mode, predefined feeding profile and repeated fed-batch operation. Although high cell dry mass and high CGC production were obtained under the tested DO-stat strategy in a 94h cultivation (159 and 29g/L, respectively), the overall biomass and CGC productivities were low (41 and 7.4g/Lday, respectively). Cultivation with a predefined profile significantly improved both biomass and CGC volumetric productivity (87 and 10.8g/Lday, respectively). Hence, this strategy was used to implement a repeated fed-batch process comprising 7 consecutive cycles. A daily production of 119-126g/L of biomass with a CGC content of 11-16wt% was obtained, thus proving this cultivation strategy is adequate to reach a high CGC productivity that ranged between 11 and 18g/Lday. The process was stable and reproducible in terms of CGC productivity and polymer composition, making it a promising strategy for further process development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PHYTO-REMOVAL OF TRINITROTOLUENE FROM WATER WITH BATCH KINETIC STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

A series of batch reactor studies were conducted to obtain kinetic data for optimizing phyto-treatment of water contaminated with trinitrotoluene (TNT). A plant screening study indicated that stonewort and parrotfeather were the most effective among the plants tested; parrotfeath...

Rabies deaths in Pakistan: results of ineffective post-exposure treatment.

PubMed

Parviz, Shehzad; Chotani, Rashid; McCormick, Joseph; Fisher-Hoch, Sue; Luby, Stephen

2004-11-01

To estimate the incidence of rabies and the effectiveness of post-exposure treatment (PET) in Pakistan. Rabies cases admitted from July 1993 to December 1994 to a public rabies isolation hospital were analyzed. Two samples (one sample each from a separate peripheral site) of a single batch of sheep brain vaccine (SBV) were also tested for potency by the National Institute of Health (NIH) test in May 1997. Forty patients were admitted with a history of clinical rabies. The median age was 22 years and 55% were under 15. Thirteen (23%) victims did not receive any vaccine; the remaining 27 (67%) received SBV only, and of these, 16 (40%) received a full course of SBV. No rabies immunoglobulins (RIG) or cell culture vaccines were administered. There were frequent power blackouts and no back-up supply at the public hospital. In-house potency testing of the vaccine batch by the manufacturer was adequate, although it was not tested by the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended NIH test. Samples of SBV of the same batch collected at the peripheral sites showed no potency. Rabies incidence was estimated to range between 7.0 to 9.8 cases per million annually. A multi-sectorial approach is needed to decrease rabies incidence in Pakistan. Public and healthcare practitioner education on prompt and appropriate PET, especially the use of cost-effective cell culture intradermal regimens, is needed urgently. The NIH test should be employed for vaccine potency testing. An independent agency is needed for monitoring vaccine quality and strategies are needed for maintaining cold chain. SBV should be replaced by locally manufactured second-generation cell culture rabies vaccine. Purified equine rabies immunoglobulin (ERIG) should be manufactured locally to meet national needs. Furthermore, effective dog control strategies should be implemented to decrease the rabies reservoir.

Applicability of the Monocyte Activation Test (MAT) in the quality control of the 17DD yellow fever vaccine.

PubMed

de Mattos, Katherine Antunes; Navega, Elaine Cristina Azevedo; Silva, Vitor Fernandes; Almeida, Alessandra Santos; da Silva, Cristiane Caldeira; Presgrave, Octavio Augusto França; Junior, Daniel da Silva Guedes; Delgado, Isabella Fernandes

2018-03-01

The need for alternatives to animal use in pyrogen testing has been driven by the Three Rs concept. This has resulted in the inclusion of the monocyte activation test (MAT) in the European Pharmacopoeia, 2010. However, some technical and regulatory obstacles must be overcome to ensure the effective implementation of the MAT by the industry, especially for the testing of biological products. The yellow fever (YF) vaccine (17DD-YFV) was chosen for evaluation in this study, in view of: a) the 2016-2018 outbreak of YF in Brazil; b) the increase in demand for 17DD-YFV doses; c) the complex production process with live attenuated virus; d) the presence of possible test interference factors, such as residual process components (e.g. ovalbumin); and e) the need for the investigation of other pyrogens that are not detectable by the methods prescribed in the YF vaccine monograph. The product-specific testing was carried out by using cryopreserved and fresh whole blood, and IL-6 and IL-1β levels were used as the marker readouts. After assessing the applicability of the MAT on a 1:10 dilution of 17DD-YFV, endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens were quantified in spiked batches, by using the lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid standards, respectively. The quantitative analysis demonstrated the correlation between the MAT and the Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assays, with respect to the limits of endotoxin recovery in spiked batches and the detection of no pyrogenic contamination in commercial batches of 17DD-YFV. The data demonstrated the applicability of the MAT for 17DD-YFV pyrogen testing, and as an alternative method that can contribute to biological quality control studies. 2018 FRAME.

Removal of phosphorus using chemically modified lignocellulosic materials

Treesearch

James S. Han; N. Hur; B. Choi; Soo-Hong Min

2003-01-01

Heavy metals from an acid mine drainage (AMD) site were precipitated on the surface of juniper fiber. The modified fiber was tested in lab-scaled batch and column tests and in the field. Elemental analysis showed that soluble iron species deposited on the fiber act as an inorganic adsorbent for anions. Sorption capacity, determined by fitting results to a Langmuir...

Demonstration of Robustness and Integrated Operation of a Series-Bosch System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abney, Morgan B.; Mansell, Matthew J.; Stanley, Christine; Barnett, Bill; Junaedi, Christian; Vilekar, Saurabh A.; Ryan, Kent

2016-01-01

Manned missions beyond low Earth orbit will require highly robust, reliable, and maintainable life support systems that maximize recycling of water and oxygen. Bosch technology is one option to maximize oxygen recovery, in the form of water, from metabolically-produced carbon dioxide (CO2). A two stage approach to Bosch, called Series-Bosch, reduces metabolic CO2 with hydrogen (H2) to produce water and solid carbon using two reactors: a Reverse Water-Gas Shift (RWGS) reactor and a carbon formation (CF) reactor. Previous development efforts demonstrated the stand-alone performance of a NASA-designed RWGS reactor designed for robustness against carbon formation, two membrane separators intended to maximize single pass conversion of reactants, and a batch CF reactor with both transit and surface catalysts. In the past year, Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) developed and delivered a RWGS reactor for testing at NASA. The reactor design was based on their patented Microlith® technology and was first evaluated under a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) effort in 2010. The RWGS reactor was recently evaluated at NASA to compare its performance and operating conditions with NASA's RWGS reactor. The test results will be provided in this paper. Separately, in 2015, a semi-continuous CF reactor was designed and fabricated at NASA based on the results from batch CF reactor testing. The batch CF reactor and the semi-continuous CF reactor were individually integrated with an upstream RWGS reactor to demonstrate the system operation and to evaluate performance. Here, we compare the performance and robustness to carbon formation of both RWGS reactors. We report the results of the integrated operation of a Series-Bosch system and we discuss the technology readiness level.

Sorption testing and generalized composite surface complexation models for determining uranium sorption parameters at a proposed in-situ recovery site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Raymond H.; Truax, Ryan A.; Lankford, David A.

Solid-phase iron concentrations and generalized composite surface complexation models were used to evaluate procedures in determining uranium sorption on oxidized aquifer material at a proposed U in situ recovery (ISR) site. At the proposed Dewey Burdock ISR site in South Dakota, USA, oxidized aquifer material occurs downgradient of the U ore zones. Solid-phase Fe concentrations did not explain our batch sorption test results,though total extracted Fe appeared to be positively correlated with overall measured U sorption. Batch sorption test results were used to develop generalized composite surface complexation models that incorporated the full genericsorption potential of each sample, without detailedmore » mineralogiccharacterization. The resultant models provide U sorption parameters (site densities and equilibrium constants) for reactive transport modeling. The generalized composite surface complexation sorption models were calibrated to batch sorption data from three oxidized core samples using inverse modeling, and gave larger sorption parameters than just U sorption on the measured solidphase Fe. These larger sorption parameters can significantly influence reactive transport modeling, potentially increasing U attenuation. Because of the limited number of calibration points, inverse modeling required the reduction of estimated parameters by fixing two parameters. The best-fit models used fixed values for equilibrium constants, with the sorption site densities being estimated by the inversion process. While these inverse routines did provide best-fit sorption parameters, local minima and correlated parameters might require further evaluation. Despite our limited number of proxy samples, the procedures presented provide a valuable methodology to consider for sites where metal sorption parameters are required. Furthermore, these sorption parameters can be used in reactive transport modeling to assess downgradient metal attenuation, especially when no other calibration data are available, such as at proposed U ISR sites.« less

Sorption testing and generalized composite surface complexation models for determining uranium sorption parameters at a proposed in-situ recovery site

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Raymond H.; Truax, Ryan A.; Lankford, David A.; ...

2016-02-03

Solid-phase iron concentrations and generalized composite surface complexation models were used to evaluate procedures in determining uranium sorption on oxidized aquifer material at a proposed U in situ recovery (ISR) site. At the proposed Dewey Burdock ISR site in South Dakota, USA, oxidized aquifer material occurs downgradient of the U ore zones. Solid-phase Fe concentrations did not explain our batch sorption test results,though total extracted Fe appeared to be positively correlated with overall measured U sorption. Batch sorption test results were used to develop generalized composite surface complexation models that incorporated the full genericsorption potential of each sample, without detailedmore » mineralogiccharacterization. The resultant models provide U sorption parameters (site densities and equilibrium constants) for reactive transport modeling. The generalized composite surface complexation sorption models were calibrated to batch sorption data from three oxidized core samples using inverse modeling, and gave larger sorption parameters than just U sorption on the measured solidphase Fe. These larger sorption parameters can significantly influence reactive transport modeling, potentially increasing U attenuation. Because of the limited number of calibration points, inverse modeling required the reduction of estimated parameters by fixing two parameters. The best-fit models used fixed values for equilibrium constants, with the sorption site densities being estimated by the inversion process. While these inverse routines did provide best-fit sorption parameters, local minima and correlated parameters might require further evaluation. Despite our limited number of proxy samples, the procedures presented provide a valuable methodology to consider for sites where metal sorption parameters are required. Furthermore, these sorption parameters can be used in reactive transport modeling to assess downgradient metal attenuation, especially when no other calibration data are available, such as at proposed U ISR sites.« less

'Own-Label' Versus Branded Commercial Dental Resin Composite Materials: Mechanical And Physical Property Comparisons.

PubMed

Shaw, Kathryn; Martins, Ricardo; Hadis, Mohammed Abdul; Burke, Trevor; Palin, William

2016-09-01

A majority of dental materials are manufactured by companies who have experience in the field. However, a number of "own label" materials have become available, principally marketed by distributors and other companies with little or no experience in the field. These materials are attractive because of their reduced cost, but they may have no research on which clinicians might base their potential performance. It is therefore the purpose of this work to compare the performance of different batches of a number of "own-label" dental materials with a similar number from manufacturers with experience in the field, using a variety of laboratory test regimes which include filler determination, degree of conversion, flexural strength and flexural modulus, in order to evaluate key material properties. The results indicated that own-label dental resin composites produced similar results to materials from established companies in terms of flexural strength characteristics and degree of conversion. However, a greater batch-to-batch variation in several mechanical and physical properties of the own-label materials was noted. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Cycom 977-2 Composite Material: Impact Test Results (workshop presentation)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engle, Carl; Herald, Stephen; Watkins, Casey

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: Ambient (13A) tests of Cycom 977-2 impact characteristics by the Brucenton and statistical method at MSFC and WSTF. Repeat (13A) tests of tested Cycom from phase I at MSFC to expended testing statistical database. Conduct high-pressure tests (13B) in liquid oxygen (LOX) and GOX at MSFC and WSTF to determine Cycom reaction characteristics and batch effect. Conduct expended ambient (13A) LOX test at MSFC and high-pressure (13B) testing to determine pressure effects in LOX. Expend 13B GOX database.

Collaborative study for the calibration of the Ph. Eur. prekallikrein activator in albumin BRP batches 4, 5 and 6.

PubMed

Lackner, F; Daas, A; Terao, E

2015-01-01

An international collaborative study was organised by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM, Council of Europe) to calibrate replacement batches for the current European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) prekallikrein activator (PKA) in albumin biological reference preparation (BRP), whose stocks were dwindling. The study was run in the framework of the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP) of the Council of Europe and the European Union (EU) Commission. Twenty three laboratories from official medicines control authorities and manufacturers in Europe and outside Europe took part in the study. Three candidate replacement batches were produced from the same material as the one used for the World Health Organization (WHO) 2(nd) International Standard (IS) for PKA in albumin (02/168) and the Ph. Eur. PKA in albumin BRP batches 1, 2 and 3. Participants were requested to evaluate the candidate batches against the current WHO IS using their routine assay method. The Ph. Eur. PKA in albumin BRP batch 3 (BRP3) was also included in the test panel to ensure the continuity of the consecutive BRP batches. The study confirmed the stability of the PKA content of the current BRP3. The candidate batches were found to be comparable. Previous data on the starting material support its high stability. Thermal stress study on the candidate batches confirmed the stability of their PKA activity. The Commission of the Ph. Eur. officially adopted in November 2013 the 3 candidate batches as Ph. Eur. PKA in albumin BRP batches 4, 5 and 6 with an assigned content of 38 IU/vial. The activity of the 3 new batches of Ph. Eur. PKA in albumin BRP will be regularly monitored.

Ethanol production from glycerol using immobilized Pachysolen tannophilus during microaerated repeated-batch fermentor culture.

PubMed

Cha, Hye-Geun; Kim, Yi-Ok; Choi, Woon Yong; Kang, Do-Hyung; Lee, Hyeon-Yong; Jung, Kyung-Hwan

2015-03-01

Herein, we established a repeated-batch process for ethanol production from glycerol by immobilized Pachysolen tannophilus. The aim of this study was to develop a more practical and applicable ethanol production process for biofuel. In particular, using industrial-grade medium ingredients, the microaeration rate was optimized for maximization of the ethanol production, and the relevant metabolic parameters were then analyzed. The microaeration rate of 0.11 vvm, which is far lower than those occurring in a shaking flask culture, was found to be the optimal value for ethanol production from glycerol. In addition, it was found that, among those tested, Celite was a more appropriate carrier for the immobilization of P. tannophilus to induce production of ethanol from glycerol. Finally, through a repeated-batch culture, the ethanol yield (Ye/g) of 0.126 ± 0.017 g-ethanol/g-glycerol (n = 4) was obtained, and this value was remarkably comparable with a previous report. In the future, it is expected that the results of this study will be applied for the development of a more practical and profitable long-term ethanol production process, thanks to the industrial-grade medium preparation, simple immobilization method, and easy repeated-batch operation.

A retrospective audit of bacterial culture results of donated human milk in Perth, Western Australia.

PubMed

Almutawif, Yahya; Hartmann, Benjamin; Lloyd, Megan; Erber, Wendy; Geddes, Donna

2017-02-01

The bacterial content of donated human milk is either endogenous or introduced via contamination. Defining milk bank bacterial content will allow researchers to devise appropriate tests for significant and commonly encountered organisms. A retrospective audit was conducted on data recorded from the Perron Rotary Express Milk Bank, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia. This aimed to describe the incidence of bacterial species detected in donated human milk and to identify potentially pathogenic bacteria. The data comprised of 2890 batches donated by 448 women between 2007 and 2011. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) represented the highest prevalence of bacteria in donated milk, isolated from 85.5% of batches (range: 20 to 650,000CFU/mL) followed by Acinetobacter species in 8.1% of batches (range: 100 to 180,000CFU/mL). Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent potentially pathogenic bacteria in 5% of batches (range: 40 to 100,000CFU/mL). Further investigation is warranted to better define the risks posed by the presence of toxin-producing S. aureus in raw and pasteurized human milk which may allow minimization of risk to the preterm infants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-Alpha Research Vehicle Lateral-Directional Control Law Description, Analyses, and Simulation Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, John B.; Murphy, Patrick C.; Lallman, Frederick J.; Hoffler, Keith D.; Bacon, Barton J.

1998-01-01

This report contains a description of a lateral-directional control law designed for the NASA High-Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV). The HARV is a F/A-18 aircraft modified to include a research flight computer, spin chute, and thrust-vectoring in the pitch and yaw axes. Two separate design tools, CRAFT and Pseudo Controls, were integrated to synthesize the lateral-directional control law. This report contains a description of the lateral-directional control law, analyses, and nonlinear simulation (batch and piloted) results. Linear analysis results include closed-loop eigenvalues, stability margins, robustness to changes in various plant parameters, and servo-elastic frequency responses. Step time responses from nonlinear batch simulation are presented and compared to design guidelines. Piloted simulation task scenarios, task guidelines, and pilot subjective ratings for the various maneuvers are discussed. Linear analysis shows that the control law meets the stability margin guidelines and is robust to stability and control parameter changes. Nonlinear batch simulation analysis shows the control law exhibits good performance and meets most of the design guidelines over the entire range of angle-of-attack. This control law (designated NASA-1A) was flight tested during the Summer of 1994 at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

Sequencing batch-reactor control using Gaussian-process models.

PubMed

Kocijan, Juš; Hvala, Nadja

2013-06-01

This paper presents a Gaussian-process (GP) model for the design of sequencing batch-reactor (SBR) control for wastewater treatment. The GP model is a probabilistic, nonparametric model with uncertainty predictions. In the case of SBR control, it is used for the on-line optimisation of the batch-phases duration. The control algorithm follows the course of the indirect process variables (pH, redox potential and dissolved oxygen concentration) and recognises the characteristic patterns in their time profile. The control algorithm uses GP-based regression to smooth the signals and GP-based classification for the pattern recognition. When tested on the signals from an SBR laboratory pilot plant, the control algorithm provided a satisfactory agreement between the proposed completion times and the actual termination times of the biodegradation processes. In a set of tested batches the final ammonia and nitrate concentrations were below 1 and 0.5 mg L(-1), respectively, while the aeration time was shortened considerably. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of sorbitol on the production of cellulases and xylanases in an airlift bioreactor.

PubMed

Ritter, Carla Eliana Todero; Fontana, Roselei Claudete; Camassola, Marli; da Silveira, Maurício Moura; Dillon, Aldo José Pinheiro

2013-11-01

The production of cellulases and xylanases by Penicillium echinulatum in an airlift bioreactor was evaluated. In batch production, we tested media with isolated or associated cellulose and sorbitol. In fed-batch production, we tested cellulose addition at two different times, 30 h and 48 h. Higher liquid circulation velocities in the downcomer were observed in sorbitol 10 g L(-1) medium. In batch production, higher FPA (filter paper activity) and endoglucanase activities were obtained with cellulose (7.5 g L(-1)) and sorbitol (2.5 g L(-1)), 1.0 U mL(-1) (120 h) and 6.4 U m L(-1) (100 h), respectively. For xylanases, the best production condition was cellulose 10 g L(-1), which achieved 5.5 U mL(-1) in 64 h. The fed-batch process was favorable for obtaining xylanases, but not for FPA and endoglucanases, suggesting that in the case of cellulases, the inducer must be added early in the process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Different cultivation methods to acclimatise ammonia-tolerant methanogenic consortia.

PubMed

Tian, Hailin; Fotidis, Ioannis A; Mancini, Enrico; Angelidaki, Irini

2017-05-01

Bioaugmentation with ammonia tolerant-methanogenic consortia was proposed as a solution to overcome ammonia inhibition during anaerobic digestion process recently. However, appropriate technology to generate ammonia tolerant methanogenic consortia is still lacking. In this study, three basic reactors (i.e. batch, fed-batch and continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTR)) operated at mesophilic (37°C) and thermophilic (55°C) conditions were assessed, based on methane production efficiency, incubation time, TAN/FAN (total ammonium nitrogen/free ammonia nitrogen) levels and maximum methanogenic activity. Overall, fed-batch cultivation was clearly the most efficient method compared to batch and CSTR. Specifically, by saving incubation time up to 150%, fed-batch reactors were acclimatised to nearly 2-fold higher FAN levels with a 37%-153% methanogenic activity improvement, compared to batch method. Meanwhile, CSTR reactors were inhibited at lower ammonia levels. Finally, specific methanogenic activity test showed that hydrogenotrophic methanogens were more active than aceticlastic methanogens in all FAN levels above 540mgNH 3 -NL -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of enhanced biosecurity and selected on-farm factors on Campylobacter colonization of chicken broilers.

PubMed

Georgiev, M; Beauvais, W; Guitian, J

2017-02-01

Human campylobacteriosis is the most commonly reported gastrointestinal bacterial infection in the EU; poultry meat has been identified as the main source of infection. We tested the hypothesis that enhanced biosecurity and other factors such as welfare status, breed, the practice of partial depopulation and number of empty days between flocks may prevent Campylobacter spp. caecal colonization of poultry batches at high levels (>123 000 c.f.u./g in pooled caecal samples). We analysed data from 2314 poultry batches sampled at slaughter in the UK in 2011-2013. We employed random-effects logistic regression to account for clustering of batches within farms and adjust for confounding. We estimated population attributable fractions using adjusted risk ratios. Enhanced biosecurity reduced the odds of colonization at partial depopulation [odds ratio (OR) 0·25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·14-0·47] and, to a lesser extent, at final depopulation (OR 0·47, 95% CI 0·25-0·89). An effect of the type of breed was also found. Under our assumptions, approximately 1/3 of highly colonized batches would be avoided if they were all raised under enhanced biosecurity or without partial depopulation. The results of the study indicate that on-farm measures can play an important role in reducing colonization of broiler chickens with Campylobacter spp. and as a result human exposure.

Combination of bioaugmentation and biostimulation for remediation of paddy soil contaminated with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

PubMed

Yang, Zhiman; Xu, Xiaohui; Dai, Meng; Wang, Lin; Shi, Xiaoshuang; Guo, Rongbo

2018-04-22

The batch and fed-batch tests were performed to evaluate the efficiency of bioaugmentation in combination with biostimulation for remediation of paddy soil contaminated with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). 2,4-D degrading enrichments were used for bioaugmentation, and effluents prepared through biological hydrogen production process were used as substrate for biostimulation. The batch tests indicated that 2,4-D degradation depended on the enrichment/substrate ratio (E/S), where E/S of 0.03 showed an excellent performance. The fed-batch tests showed that biostimulation only led to an improvement in 2,4-D degradation, while the pattern of repeated augmentation of enrichments (FRA) together with biostimulation obviously improved degradation of 2,4-D, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and phenol. DNA-sequencing approach showed that the FRA pattern altered the bacterial community composition, and high removal of 2,4-D, 2-CP and phenol may be attributed to the acclimation and persistence of Thauera. The findings demonstrated the importance of the FRA pattern on remediation of paddy soil contaminated with 2,4-D. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A preliminary evaluation of a reusable digital sterilization indicator prototype.

PubMed

Puttaiah, R; Griggs, J; D'Onofrio, M

2014-09-01

Sterilization of critical and semicritical instruments used in patient care must undergo a terminal process of sterilization. Use of chemical and physical indicators are important in providing information on the sterilizer's performance during each cycle. Regular and periodic monitoring of sterilizers using biological indicators is necessary in periodically validating performance of sterilizers. Data loggers or independent digital parametric indicators are innovative devices that provide more information than various classes chemical indicators. In this study we evaluated a prototype of an independent digital parametric indicator's use in autoclaves. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of an independent digital indicator/data logger prototype (DS1922F) that could be used for multiple cycles within an autoclave.MG Materials and methods: Three batches of the DS1922F (150 samples) were used in this study that was conducted in a series. The first batch was challenged with 300 sterilization cycles within an autoclave and the data loggers evaluated to study failures and the reason for failure, make corrections and improve the prototype design. After changes made based on studying the first batch, the second batch of the prototype (150 samples) were challenged once again with 300 sterilization cycles within an autoclave and failure studied again in further improvement of the prototype. The final batch (3rd batch) of the prototype (150 samples) was challenged again but with 600 cycles to see how long they would last. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis analyses of all three batches was conducted (α = 0.05) and failed samples qualitatively studied in understanding the variables involved in the failure of the prototype, and in improving quality. Each tested batch provided crucial information on device failure and helped in improvement of the prototype. Mean lifetime survival of the final batch (Batch 3) of prototype was 498 (480, 516) sterilization cycles in an autoclave. In this study, the final batch of the DS1922F prototype data logger was found to be robust in withstanding the challenge of 600 autoclave cycles, with a mean lifetime of more than 450 cycles, multiple times more than prescribed number of cycles. Instrument reprocessing is among the important aspects of infection control. While stringent procedures are followed in instrument reprocessing within the clinic in assuring patient safety, regular use of sterilization process indicators and periodic biological validation of the sterilizer's performance is necessary. Chemical indicators for use in Autoclaves provide information on whether the particular cycle's parameters were achieved but do not provide at what specific point in time or temperature the failure occurred. Data loggers and associated reader software as the tested prototype in this evaluation (DS1922F), are designed to provide continuous information on time and temperature of the prescribed cycle. Data loggers provide immediate information on the process as opposed to Biological Indicators that take from days to a week in obtaining a confirmatory result. Further, many countries do not have the sterilization monitoring service infrastructure to meet the demands of the end users. In the absence of sterilization monitoring services, use of digital data loggers for each sterilization cycle is more pragmatic.

Production of biomass and polysaccharides of Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt. :Fr.) P. Karst. (higher Basidiomycetes), by submerged cultivation.

PubMed

Habijanic, Jozica; Berovic, Marin; Boh, Bojana; Wraber, Branka; Petravic-Tominac, Vlatka

2013-01-01

Submerged batch and repeated fed-batch cultivation techniques were used for mycelia cultivation and polysaccharide production of the Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. Although most publications use various Asiatic G. lucidum strains, the growth of the strain Ga.l 4 (Biotechnical Faculty Strain Collection, Ljubljana, Slovenia), originally isolated from the Slovenian forest, is much faster. The results between the batch and repeated fed-batch cultivation are compared with the polysaccharide production in batch cultivation. From the aspect of biomass production, the best results were obtained in repeated fed-batch after 44 days, where 12.4 g/L of dry fungal biomass was obtained.

A novel multiple batch extraction test to assess contaminant mobilization from porous waste materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iden, S. C.; Durner, W.; Delay, M.; Frimmel, F. H.

2009-04-01

Contaminated porous materials, like soils, dredged sediments or waste materials must be tested before they can be used as filling materials in order to minimize the risk of groundwater pollution. We applied a multiple batch extraction test at varying liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratios to a demolition waste material and a municipal waste incineration product and investigated the release of chloride, sulphate, sodium, copper, chromium and dissolved organic carbon from both waste materials. The liquid phase test concentrations were used to estimate parameters of a relatively simple mass balance model accounting for equilibrium partitioning. The model parameters were estimated within a Bayesian framework by applying an efficient MCMC sampler and the uncertainties of the model parameters and model predictions were quantified. We tested isotherms of the linear, Freundlich and Langmuir type and selected the optimal isotherm model by use of the Deviance Information Criterion (DIC). Both the excellent fit to the experimental data and a comparison between the model-predicted and independently measured concentrations at the L/S ratios of 0.25 and 0.5 L/kg demonstrate the applicability of the model for almost all studied substances and both waste materials. We conclude that batch extraction tests at varying L/S ratios provide, at moderate experimental cost, a powerful complement to established test designs like column leaching or single batch extraction tests. The method constitutes an important tool in risk assessments, because concentrations at soil water contents representative for the field situation can be predicted from easier-to-obtain test concentrations at larger L/S ratios. This helps to circumvent the experimental difficulties of the soil saturation extract and eliminates the need to apply statistical approaches to predict such representative concentrations which have been shown to suffer dramatically from poor correlations.

Axisymmetric Strain Path Tests on Nellis Baseline Sand

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

tested to determine their grain-size distributions, specific gravities , and Atterberg limits. The results of these tests are su-Arized in Table 2.1...plastic limits, plasticity index, and specific gravity . All four batches of NB sand were classified by the Unified Soil Classi- fication System...those contaminated by oil due to membrane leakage. Based on these data and a specific gravity of 2.62, values of dry density, void ratio, degree of

Laboratory-scale integrated ARP filter test

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poirier, M.; Burket, P.

2016-03-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is currently treating radioactive liquid waste with the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). Recently, the low filter flux through the ARP of approximately 5 gallons per minute has limited the rate at which radioactive liquid waste can be treated. Salt Batch 6 had a lower processing rate and required frequent filter cleaning. There is a desire to understand the causes of the low filter flux and to increase ARP/MCU throughput. This task attempted to simulate the entire ARP process, including multiple batches (5), washing, chemical cleaning, andmore » blending the feed with heels and recycle streams. The objective of the tests was to determine whether one of these processes is causing excessive fouling of the crossflow or secondary filter. The authors conducted the tests with feed solutions containing 6.6 M sodium Salt Batch 6 simulant supernate with no MST.« less

Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry, a process analytical technology tool for real-time process monitoring in botanical drug manufacturing.

PubMed

Wang, Lu; Zeng, Shanshan; Chen, Teng; Qu, Haibin

2014-03-01

A promising process analytical technology (PAT) tool has been introduced for batch processes monitoring. Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS), a means of rapid fingerprint analysis, was applied to a percolation process with multi-constituent substances for an anti-cancer botanical preparation. Fifteen batches were carried out, including ten normal operations and five abnormal batches with artificial variations. The obtained multivariate data were analyzed by a multi-way partial least squares (MPLS) model. Control trajectories were derived from eight normal batches, and the qualification was tested by R(2) and Q(2). Accuracy and diagnosis capability of the batch model were then validated by the remaining batches. Assisted with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination, process faults were explained by corresponding variable contributions. Furthermore, a batch level model was developed to compare and assess the model performance. The present study has demonstrated that DART-MS is very promising in process monitoring in botanical manufacturing. Compared with general PAT tools, DART-MS offers a particular account on effective compositions and can be potentially used to improve batch quality and process consistency of samples in complex matrices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reuse of acid coagulant-recovered drinking waterworks sludge residual to remove phosphorus from wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lan; Wei, Jie; Zhang, Yumei; Wang, Jianli; Wang, Dongtian

2014-06-01

Acid coagulant-recovered drinking waterworks sludge residual (DWSR) is a waste product from drinking waterworks sludge (DWS) treatment with acid for coagulant recovery. In this study, we evaluated DWSR as a potential phosphorus (P) removing material in wastewater treatment by conducting a series of batch and semi-continuous tests. Batch tests were carried out to study the effects of pH, initial concentration, and sludge dose on P removal. Batch test results showed that the P removal efficiency of DWSR was highly dependent on pH. Calcinated DWSR (C-DWSR) performed better in P removal than DWSR due to its higher pH. At an optimum initial pH value of 5-6 and a sludge dose of 10 g/L, the P removal rates of DWSR and DWS decreased from 99% and 93% to 84% and 14%, respectively, and the specific P uptake of DWSR and DWS increased from 0.19 and 0.19 mg P/g to 33.60 and 5.72 mg P/g, respectively, when the initial concentration was increased from 2 to 400 mg/L. The effective minimum sludge doses of DWSR and DWS were 0.5 g/L and 10 g/L, respectively, when the P removal rates of 90% were obtained at an initial concentration of 10 mg/L. Results from semi-continuous test indicated that P removal rates over 99% were quickly achieved for both synthetic and actual wastewater (lake water and domestic sewage). These rates could be maintained over a certain time under a certain operational conditions including sludge dose, feed flow, and initial concentration. The physicochemical properties analysis results showed that the contents of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) in DWSR were reduced by 50% and 70%, respectively, compared with DWS. The insoluble Al and Fe hydroxide in DWS converted into soluble Al and Fe in DWSR. Metal leaching test results revealed that little soluble Al and Fe remained in effluent when DWSR was used for P removal. We deduced that chemical precipitation might be the major action for P removal by DWSR and that adsorption played only a marginal role.

Degradation of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction (XU) from different activated sludges during batch digestion tests at ambient temperature.

PubMed

Habermacher, Jonathan; Benetti, Antonio Domingues; Derlon, Nicolas; Morgenroth, Eberhard

2016-07-01

One strategy for the management of excess sludge in small wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) consists in minimizing the excess sludge production by operating the WWTP at very long solids retention times (SRTs > 30 days). A number of recent studies have suggested that sludge minimization at very long SRT results from the degradation of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction (XU) (influent unbiodegradable compounds and endogenous decay products). But the biodegradability of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction has only been evaluated during batch digestion test performed at ambient temperature with sludge fed with synthetic wastewaters. It is not clear to what extent observations made for sludge fed with synthetic influents can be transposed to sludge fed with real influent. The current study thus focused on evaluating the biodegradability of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction for sludge fed with real wastewater. Batch digestion tests (400 days, ambient temperature) were conducted with three different sludges fed with either synthetic or real influents and exposed to aerobic or intermittent aeration conditions. Our results indicate that volatile suspended solids (VSS) decreased even after complete decay of the active biomass (i.e., after 30 days of aerobic batch digestion) indicating that the unbiodegradable particulate fraction is biodegradable. However, very low degradation rates of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction were monitored after day 30 of digestion (0.7-1.7·10(-3) d(-1)). These values were in the lower range of previously published values for synthetic wastewaters (1-7.5·10(-3) d(-1)). The low values determined in our study indicate that the rate could decrease over time or that sludge composition influences the degradability of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction. But our results also demonstrate that extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have a minor impact on the biodegradability of the unbiodegradable particulate fraction. Overall bound EPS were indeed biodegradable under all conditions and thus did not accumulate in the unbiodegradable particulate fraction. Different bound EPS pools (e.g., cation bound EPS) were associated with specific degradation behaviors. Besides improved mechanistic understanding of sludge degradation processes, our results have implications for the development of decentralized wastewater treatment technologies with on-site reduction of excess sludge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of acceptance criteria for batches of silane primer for external tank thermal protection system bonding applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikes, F.

1985-01-01

Concluding tests for the thermogravimetric and FTIR analyses of DC 1200 silane primers are discussed as well as methods for HPLC and GC analyses and for determining titanium and silicon by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Tables summarizes results obtained for residue, ash, titanium, silicone, Si/Ti ratio, OH-absorption, the lap-shear test, and the GC headspace for alcohols.

Performance Validation of Version 152.0 ANSER Control Laws for the F-18 HARV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messina, Michael D.

1996-01-01

The Actuated Nose Strakes for Enhanced Rolling (ANSER) Control Laws were modified as a result of Phase 3 F/A-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) flight testing. The control law modifications for the next software release were designated version 152.0. The Ada implementation was tested in the Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation and results were compared to those obtained with the NASA Langley batch Fortran implementation of the control laws which are considered the 'truth model.' This report documents the performance validation test results between these implementations for ANSER control law version 152.0.

Clinical evaluation of the cartridge-based GeneXpert human papillomavirus assay in women referred for colposcopy.

PubMed

Einstein, Mark H; Smith, Katherine M; Davis, Thomas E; Schmeler, Kathleen M; Ferris, Daron G; Savage, Ashlyn H; Gray, Jermaine E; Stoler, Mark H; Wright, Thomas C; Ferenczy, Alex; Castle, Philip E

2014-06-01

High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing is now being introduced as a potential primary screening test for improved detection of cervical precancer and cancer. Current U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved tests are batch tests that take several hours to complete. A rapid, non-batch test might permit point-of-care (POC) testing, which can facilitate same-day screen and management strategies. For a non-batch, random-access platform (GeneXpert; Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA), a prototype hrHPV assay (Xpert) has been developed where testing for 14 hrHPV types can be completed in 1 h. In the first clinical evaluation, Xpert was compared to two validated hrHPV tests, the cobas HPV test (cobas, Roche Molecular Systems) and Hybrid Capture 2 (hc2, Qiagen), and to histologic outcomes using specimens from colposcopy referral populations at 7 clinical sites in the United States (n = 697). The sensitivity of Xpert for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or more severe diagnoses (CIN2+) (n = 141) was equal to that of cobas (90.8% versus 90.8%, P = 1) and greater than that of hc2 (90.8% versus 81.6%, P = 0.004). Xpert was more specific than cobas (42.6% versus 39.6%, P = 0.02) and less specific than hc2 (42.6% versus 47.7%, P < 0.001). Similar results were observed for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or higher (CIN3+) (n = 91). HPV16 detection by Xpert identified 41.8% of the CIN2+ specimens with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 54.6%. By comparison, HPV16 detection by cobas identified 42.6% of the CIN2+ specimens with a PPV of 55.0%. hrHPV detection by the Xpert demonstrated excellent clinical performance for identifying women with CIN2+ and CIN3+ that was comparable to that of currently available clinically validated tests. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

MODELING HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM REDUCTION IN GROUND- WATER IN FIELD-SCALE TRANSPORT AND LABORATORY BATCH EXPERIMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

A plausible and consistent model is developed to obtain a quantitative description of the gradual disappearance of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from groundwater in a small-scale field tracer test and in batch kinetic experiments using aquifer sediments under similar chemical cond...

40 CFR 63.785 - Compliance procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... violation. If the owner or operator performs the certification testing, only one of the containers in which... coating by affixing a label to each container of coating in the batch or through another means described... batch of the coating by affixing a label to each container of coating or through another means described...

Analytical validation of a new point-of-care assay for serum amyloid A in horses.

PubMed

Schwartz, D; Pusterla, N; Jacobsen, S; Christopher, M M

2018-01-17

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute phase protein in horses. A new point-of-care (POC) test for SAA (Stablelab) is available, but studies evaluating its analytical accuracy are lacking. To evaluate the analytical performance of the SAA POC test by 1) determining linearity and precision, 2) comparing results in whole blood with those in serum or plasma, and 3) comparing POC results with those obtained using a previously validated turbidimetric immunoassay (TIA). Assay validation. Analytical validation of the POC test was done in accordance with American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines using residual equine serum/plasma and whole blood samples from the Clinical Pathology Laboratory at the University of California-Davis. A TIA was used as the reference method. We also evaluated the effect of haematocrit (HCT). The POC test was linear for SAA concentrations of up to at least 1000 μg/mL (r = 0.991). Intra-assay CVs were 13, 18 and 15% at high (782 μg/mL), intermediate (116 μg/mL) and low (64 μg/mL) concentrations. Inter-assay (inter-batch) CVs were 45, 14 and 15% at high (1372 μg/mL), intermediate (140 μg/mL) and low (56 μg/mL) concentrations. SAA results in whole blood were significantly lower than those in serum/plasma (P = 0.0002), but were positively correlated (r = 0.908) and not affected by HCT (P = 0.261); proportional negative bias was observed in samples with SAA>500 μg/mL. The difference between methods exceeded the 95% confidence interval of the combined imprecision of both methods (15%). Analytical validation could not be performed in whole blood, the sample most likely to be used stall side. The POC test has acceptable accuracy and precision in equine serum/plasma with SAA concentrations of up to at least 1000 μg/mL. Low inter-batch precision at high concentrations may affect serial measurements, and the use of the same test batch and sample type (serum/plasma or whole blood) is recommended. Comparison of results between the POC test and the TIA is not recommended. © 2018 EVJ Ltd.

Zoonoses action plan Salmonella monitoring programme: an investigation of the sampling protocol.

PubMed

Snary, E L; Munday, D K; Arnold, M E; Cook, A J C

2010-03-01

The Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) Salmonella Programme was established by the British Pig Executive to monitor Salmonella prevalence in quality-assured British pigs at slaughter by testing a sample of pigs with a meat juice enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies against group B and C(1) Salmonella. Farms were assigned a ZAP level (1 to 3) depending on the monitored prevalence, and ZAP 2 or 3 farms were required to act to reduce the prevalence. The ultimate goal was to reduce the risk of human salmonellosis attributable to British pork. A mathematical model has been developed to describe the ZAP sampling protocol. Results show that the probability of assigning a farm the correct ZAP level was high, except for farms that had a seroprevalence close to the cutoff points between different ZAP levels. Sensitivity analyses identified that the probability of assigning a farm to the correct ZAP level was dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the test, the number of batches taken to slaughter each quarter, and the number of samples taken per batch. The variability of the predicted seroprevalence was reduced as the number of batches or samples increased and, away from the cutoff points, the probability of being assigned the correct ZAP level increased as the number of batches or samples increased. In summary, the model described here provided invaluable insight into the ZAP sampling protocol. Further work is required to understand the impact of the program for Salmonella infection in British pig farms and therefore on human health.

Preparation of Pd-Loaded Hierarchical FAU Membranes and Testing in Acetophenone Hydrogenation.

PubMed

Molinari, Raffaele; Lavorato, Cristina; Mastropietro, Teresa F; Argurio, Pietro; Drioli, Enrico; Poerio, Teresa

2016-03-22

Pd-loaded hierarchical FAU (Pd-FAU) membranes, containing an intrinsic secondary non-zeolitic (meso)porosity, were prepared and tested in the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone (AP) to produce phenylethanol (PE), an industrially relevant product. The best operating conditions were preliminarily identified by testing different solvents and organic hydrogen donors in a batch hydrogenation process where micron-sized FAU seeds were employed as catalyst support. Water as solvent and formic acid as hydrogen source resulted to be the best choice in terms of conversion for the catalytic hydrogenation of AP, providing the basis for the design of a green and sustainable process. The best experimental conditions were selected and applied to the Pd-loaded FAU membrane finding enhanced catalytic performance such as a five-fold higher productivity than with the unsupported Pd-FAU crystals (11.0 vs. 2.2 mgproduct gcat(-1)·h(-1)). The catalytic performance of the membrane on the alumina support was also tested in a tangential flow system obtaining a productivity higher than that of the batch system (22.0 vs. 11.0 mgproduct gcat(-1)·h(-1)).

Effects of anti-foaming agents on biohydrogen production.

PubMed

Sivagurunathan, Periyasamy; Anburajan, Parthiban; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Bakonyi, Péter; Nemestóthy, Nándor; Bélafi-Bakó, Katalin; Kim, Sang-Hyoun

2016-08-01

The effects of antifoaming agents on fermentative hydrogen production using galactose in batch and continuous operations were investigated. Batch hydrogen production assays with LS-303 (dimethylpolysiloxane), LG-109 (polyalkylene), LG-126 (polyoxyethylenealkylene), and LG-299 (polyether) showed that the doses and types of antifoaming agents played a significant role in hydrogen production. During batch tests, LS-303 at 100μL/L resulted in the maximum hydrogen production rate (HPR) and hydrogen yield (HY) of 2.5L/L-d and 1.08mol H2/mol galactoseadded, respectively. The following continuously stirred tank reactor operated at 12h HRT with LS-303 at 100μL/L showed a stable HPR and HY of 4.9L/L-d and 1.17mol H2/mol galactoseadded, respectively, which were higher than those found for the control reactor. Microbial community analysis supported the alterations in H2 generation under different operating conditions and the stimulatory impact of certain antifoaming chemicals on H2 production was demonstrated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of Mixed Batch Reactor and Column Studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Weimin; Criddle, Craig S.

2015-11-16

We (the Stanford research team) were invited as external collaborators to contribute expertise in environmental engineering and field research at the ORNL IFRC, Oak Ridge, TN, for projects carried out at the Argonne National Laboratory and funded by US DOE. Specifically, we assisted in the design of batch and column reactors using ORNL IFRC materials to ensure the experiments were relevant to field conditions. During the funded research period, we characterized ORNL IFRC groundwater and sediments in batch microcosm and column experiments conducted at ANL, and we communicated with ANL team members through email and conference calls and face-to-face meetingsmore » at the annual ERSP PI meeting and national meetings. Microcosm test results demonstrated that U(VI) in sediments was reduced to U(IV) when amended with ethanol. The reduced products were not uraninite but unknown U(IV) complexes associated with Fe. Fe(III) in solid phase was only partially reduced. Due to budget reductions at ANL, Stanford contributions ended in 2011.« less

Generation of OH Radical by Ultrasonic Irradiation in Batch and Circulatory Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Yu; Shimizu, Sayaka; Yamamoto, Takuya; Komarov, Sergey

2018-03-01

Ultrasonic technology has been widely investigated in the past as one of the advance oxidation processes to treat wastewater, in this process acoustic cavitation causes generation of OH radical, which play a vital role in improving the treatment efficiency. In this study, OH radical formation rate was measured in batch and circulatory reactor by using Weissler reaction at various ultrasound output power. It is found that the generation rate in batch reactor is higher than that in circulatory reactor at the same output power. The generation rate tended to be slower when output power exceeds 137W. The optimum condition for circulatory reactor was found to be 137W output and 4L/min flow rate. Results of aluminum foil erosion test revealed a strong dependence of cavitation zone length on the ultrasound output power. This is assumed to be one of the reasons why the generation rate of HO radicals becomes slower at higher output power in circulatory reactor.

Evaluation of pretreatment methods on mixed inoculum for both batch and continuous thermophilic biohydrogen production from cassava stillage.

PubMed

Luo, Gang; Xie, Li; Zou, Zhonghai; Wang, Wen; Zhou, Qi

2010-02-01

Anaerobic sludges, pretreated by chloroform, base, acid, heat and loading-shock, as well as untreated sludge were evaluated for their thermophilic fermentative hydrogen-producing characters from cassava stillage in both batch and continuous experiments. Results showed that the highest hydrogen production was obtained by untreated sludge and there were significant differences (p<0.05) in hydrogen yields (varied from 32.9 to 65.3mlH(2)/gVS) among the tested pretreatment methods in batch experiments. However, the differences in hydrogen yields disappeared in continuous experiments, which indicated the pretreatment methods had only short-term effects on the hydrogen production. Further study showed that alkalinity was a crucial parameter influencing the fermentation process. When the influent was adjusted to pH 6 by NaHCO(3) instead of NaOH, the hydrogen yield increased from about 40 to 52mlH(2)/gVS in all the experiments. Therefore, pretreatment of anaerobic sludge is unnecessary for practical thermophilic fermentative hydrogen production from cassava stillage.

Track analysis of laser-illuminated etched track detectors using an opto-digital imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eghan, Moses J.; Buah-Bassuah, Paul K.; Oppon, Osborne C.

2007-11-01

An opto-digital imaging system for counting and analysing tracks on a LR-115 detector is described. One batch of LR-115 track detectors was irradiated with Am-241 for a determined period and distance for linearity test and another batch was exposed to radon gas. The laser-illuminated etched track detector area was imaged, digitized and analysed by the system. The tracks that were counted on the opto-digital system with the aid of media cybernetics software as well as spark gap counter showed comparable track density results ranging between 1500 and 2750 tracks cm-2 and 65 tracks cm-2 in the two different batch detector samples with 0.5% and 1% track counts, respectively. Track sizes of the incident alpha particles from the radon gas on the LR-115 detector demonstrating different track energies are statistically and graphically represented. The opto-digital imaging system counts and measures other track parameters at an average process time of 3-5 s.

Upscaling of U (VI) desorption and transport from decimeter‐scale heterogeneity to plume‐scale modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtis, Gary P.; Kohler, Matthias; Kannappan, Ramakrishnan; Briggs, Martin A.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.

2015-01-01

Scientifically defensible predictions of field scale U(VI) transport in groundwater requires an understanding of key processes at multiple scales. These scales range from smaller than the sediment grain scale (less than 10 μm) to as large as the field scale which can extend over several kilometers. The key processes that need to be considered include both geochemical reactions in solution and at sediment surfaces as well as physical transport processes including advection, dispersion, and pore-scale diffusion. The research summarized in this report includes both experimental and modeling results in batch, column and tracer tests. The objectives of this research were to: (1) quantify the rates of U(VI) desorption from sediments acquired from a uranium contaminated aquifer in batch experiments;(2) quantify rates of U(VI) desorption in column experiments with variable chemical conditions, and(3) quantify nonreactive tracer and U(VI) transport in field tests.

Automated plasma control with optical emission spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, P. P.

Plasma etching and desmear processes for printed wiring board (PWB) manufacture are difficult to predict and control. Non-uniformity of most plasma processes and sensitivity to environmental changes make it difficult to maintain process stability from day to day. To assure plasma process performance, weight loss coupons or post-plasma destructive testing must be used. These techniques are not real-time methods however, and do not allow for immediate diagnosis and process correction. These tests often require scrapping some fraction of a batch to insure the integrity of the rest. Since these tests verify a successful cycle with post-plasma diagnostics, poor test results often determine that a batch is substandard and the resulting parts unusable. These tests are a costly part of the overall fabrication cost. A more efficient method of testing would allow for constant monitoring of plasma conditions and process control. Process anomalies should be detected and corrected before the parts being treated are damaged. Real time monitoring would allow for instantaneous corrections. Multiple site monitoring would allow for process mapping within one system or simultaneous monitoring of multiple systems. Optical emission spectroscopy conducted external to the plasma apparatus would allow for this sort of multifunctional analysis without perturbing the glow discharge. In this paper, optical emission spectroscopy for non-intrusive, in situ process control will be explored along with applications of this technique to for process control, failure analysis and endpoint determination in PWB manufacture.

Organic compounds in concrete from demolition works.

PubMed

Van Praagh, M; Modin, H; Trygg, J

2015-11-01

This study aims to verify the effect of physically removing the outer surface of contaminated concrete on total contents and on potential mobility of pollutants by means of leaching tests. Reclaimed concrete from 3 industrial sites in Sweden were included: A tar impregnated military storage, a military tar track-depot, as well as concrete constructions used for disposing of pesticide production surplus and residues. Solid materials and leachates from batch and column leaching tests were analysed for metals, Cl, F, SO4, DOC and contents of suspected organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAH, and pesticides/substances for pesticide production such as phenoxy acids, chlorophenols and chlorocresols, respectively). In case of PAH contaminated concrete, results indicate that removing 1 or 5 mm of the surface lead to total concentrations below the Swedish guidelines for recycling of aggregates and soil in groundwork constructions. 3 out of 4 concrete samples contaminated with pesticides fulfilled Swedish guidelines for contaminated soil. Results from batch and column leaching tests indicated, however, that concentrations above environmental quality standards for certain PAH and phenoxy acids, respectively, might occur at site when the crushed concrete is recycled in groundwork constructions. As leaching tests engaged in the study deviated from leaching test standards with a limited number of samples, the potential impact of the leaching tests' equipment on measured PAH and pesticide leachate concentrations has to be evaluated in future work. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment of Filter Materials for Removal of Contaminants From Agricultural Drainage Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allred, B. J.

2007-12-01

Fertilizer nutrients and pesticides applied on farm fields, especially in the Midwest U.S., are commonly intercepted by buried agricultural drainage pipes and then discharged into local streams and lakes, oftentimes resulting in an adverse environmental impact on these surface water bodies. Low cost filter materials have the potential to remove nutrient and pesticide contaminants from agricultural drainage waters before these waters are released from the farm site. Batch tests were conducted to find filter materials potentially capable of removing nutrient (nitrate and phosphate) and pesticide (atrazine) contaminants from subsurface drainage waters. For each batch test, stock solution (40 g) and filter material (5 g) were combined in 50 mL Teflon centrifuge tubes and mixed with a rotator for 24 hours. The stock solution contained 50 mg/L nitrate-N, 0.25 mg/L phosphate-P, 0.4 mg/L atrazine, 570 mg/L calcium sulfate, and 140 mg/L potassium chloride. Calcium sulfate and potassium chloride were added so that the stock solution would contain anions and cations normally found in agricultural drainage waters. There were six replicate batch tests for each filter material. At the completion of each test, solution was removed from the centrifuge tube and analyzed for nitrate-N, phosphate-P, and atrazine. A total of 38 filter materials were tested, which were divided into five classes; high carbon content substances, high iron content substances, high aluminum content substances, surfactant modified clay/zeolite, and coal combustion products. Batch test results generally indicate, that with regard to the five classes of filter materials; high carbon content substances adsorbed atrazine very effectively; high iron content substances worked especially well removing almost all of the phosphate present; high aluminum content substances lowered phosphate levels; surfactant modified clay/zeolite substantially reduced both nitrate and atrazine; and coal combustion products significantly decreased phosphate amounts. For the 38 specific filter materials evaluated, based on a 60 percent contaminant reduction level, 12 materials removed nitrate, 26 materials removed phosphate, and 21 materials removed atrazine. Furthermore, 2 materials removed zero contaminants, 16 materials removed one contaminant, 17 materials removed two contaminants, and 3 of the materials removed all three contaminants. The most effective filter materials proved to be a steam activated carbon, a zero valent iron and sulfer modified iron mixture, and a surfactant modified clay. The findings of this study indicate that there are a variety of filter materials, either separately or in combination, which have the potential to treat agricultural drainage waters.

Tests for the evaluation of ammonium attenuation in MSW landfill leachate by adsorption into bentonite in a landfill liner.

PubMed

Pivato, A; Raga, R

2006-01-01

Uncontrolled leachate emissions are one of the key factors in the environmental impact of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The concentration of ammonium, given the anaerobic conditions in traditional landfills, can remain significantly high for a very long period of time, as degradation does not take place and volatilisation is not significant (the pH is not high enough to considerably shift the equilibrium towards un-ionised ammonia). Recent years have witnessed a continuous enhancement of landfill technology in order to minimize uncontrolled emissions into the environment; bottom lining systems have been improved and more attention has been devoted to the study of the attenuation of the different chemicals in leachate in case of migration through the mineral barrier. Different natural materials have been considered for use as components of landfill liners in the last years and tested in order to evaluate the performance of the different alternatives. Among those materials, bentonite is often used, coupled with other materials in two different ways: in addition to in situ soil or in geocomposite clay liner (GCL). A lab-scale test was carried out in order to further investigate the influence of bentonite on the attenuation of ammonium in leachate passing through a landfill liner. Two different tests were conducted: a standardized batch test with pulverized bentonite and a batch test with compacted bentonite. The latter was proposed in order to better simulate the real conditions in a landfill liner. The two tests produced values for the partition coefficient K(d) higher than the average measured for other natural materials usually utilized as components of landfill liners. Moreover, the two tests showed similar results, thus providing a further validation of the suitability of the standard batch test with pulverized bentonite. A thorough knowledge of attenuation processes of ammonium in landfill liners is the basis for the application of risk analysis models for the evaluation of the failure of bottom liners or their components.

In vitro growth of Curcuma longa L. in response to five mineral elements and plant density in fed-batch culture systems.

PubMed

El-Hawaz, Rabia F; Bridges, William C; Adelberg, Jeffrey W

2015-01-01

Plant density was varied with P, Ca, Mg, and KNO3 in a multifactor experiment to improve Curcuma longa L. micropropagation, biomass and microrhizome development in fed-batch liquid culture. The experiment had two paired D-optimal designs, testing sucrose fed-batch and nutrient sucrose fed-batch techniques. When sucrose became depleted, volume was restored to 5% m/v sucrose in 200 ml of modified liquid MS medium by adding sucrose solutions. Similarly, nutrient sucrose fed-batch was restored to set points with double concentration of treatments' macronutrient and MS micronutrient solutions, along with sucrose solutions. Changes in the amounts of water and sucrose supplementations were driven by the interaction of P and KNO3 concentrations. Increasing P from 1.25 to 6.25 mM increased both multiplication and biomass. The multiplication ratio was greatest in the nutrient sucrose fed-batch technique with the highest level of P, 6 buds/vessel, and the lowest level of Ca and KNO3. The highest density (18 buds/vessel) produced the highest fresh biomass at the highest concentrations of KNO3 and P with nutrient sucrose fed-batch, and moderate Ca and Mg concentrations. However, maximal rhizome dry biomass required highest P, sucrose fed-batch, and a moderate plant density. Different media formulations and fed-batch techniques were identified to maximize the propagation and storage organ responses. A single experimental design was used to optimize these dual purposes.

In Vitro Growth of Curcuma longa L. in Response to Five Mineral Elements and Plant Density in Fed-Batch Culture Systems

PubMed Central

El-Hawaz, Rabia F.; Bridges, William C.; Adelberg, Jeffrey W.

2015-01-01

Plant density was varied with P, Ca, Mg, and KNO3 in a multifactor experiment to improve Curcuma longa L. micropropagation, biomass and microrhizome development in fed-batch liquid culture. The experiment had two paired D-optimal designs, testing sucrose fed-batch and nutrient sucrose fed-batch techniques. When sucrose became depleted, volume was restored to 5% m/v sucrose in 200 ml of modified liquid MS medium by adding sucrose solutions. Similarly, nutrient sucrose fed-batch was restored to set points with double concentration of treatments’ macronutrient and MS micronutrient solutions, along with sucrose solutions. Changes in the amounts of water and sucrose supplementations were driven by the interaction of P and KNO3 concentrations. Increasing P from 1.25 to 6.25 mM increased both multiplication and biomass. The multiplication ratio was greatest in the nutrient sucrose fed-batch technique with the highest level of P, 6 buds/vessel, and the lowest level of Ca and KNO3. The highest density (18 buds/vessel) produced the highest fresh biomass at the highest concentrations of KNO3 and P with nutrient sucrose fed-batch, and moderate Ca and Mg concentrations. However, maximal rhizome dry biomass required highest P, sucrose fed-batch, and a moderate plant density. Different media formulations and fed-batch techniques were identified to maximize the propagation and storage organ responses. A single experimental design was used to optimize these dual purposes. PMID:25830292

Modeling of the adsorptive removal of arsenic(III) using plant biomass: a bioremedial approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Palas; Dey, Uttiya; Chattoraj, Soumya; Mukhopadhyay, Debasis; Mondal, Naba Kumar

2017-06-01

In the present work, the possibility of using a non-conventional finely ground (250 μm) Azadirachta indica (neem) bark powder [AiBP] has been tested as a low-cost biosorbent for the removal of arsenic(III) from water. The removal of As(III) was studied by performing a series of biosorption experiments (batch and column). The biosorption behavior of As(III) for batch and column operations were examined in the concentration ranges of 50-500 µg L-1 and 500.0-2000.0 µg L-1, respectively. Under optimized batch conditions, the AiBP could remove up to 89.96 % of As(III) in water system. The artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed from batch experimental data sets which provided reasonable predictive performance ( R 2 = 0.961; 0.954) of As(III) biosorption. In batch operation, the initial As(III) concentration had the most significant impact on the biosorption process. For column operation, central composite design (CCD) was applied to investigate the influence on the breakthrough time for optimization of As(III) biosorption process and evaluation of interacting effects of different operating variables. The optimized result of CCD revealed that the AiBP was an effective and economically feasible biosorbent with maximum breakthrough time of 653.9 min, when the independent variables were retained at 2.0 g AiBP dose, 2000.0 µg L-1 initial As(III) concentrations, and 3.0 mL min-1 flow rate, at maximum desirability value of 0.969.

EDQM biological reference preparation for rabies vaccine (inactivated) for veterinary use.

PubMed

Daas, A; Bruckner, L; Milne, C

2015-01-01

Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease. Control of rabies in animals by vaccination is an important strategy to protect humans from infection and control the spread of the disease. Requirements for the quality control of rabies vaccines (inactivated) for veterinary use include an in vivo quantitative potency determination as outlined in the Ph. Eur. monograph 0451. Performance of this assay requires a reference preparation calibrated in International Units (IU). A European Pharmacopeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) for rabies vaccines (inactivated) for veterinary use, calibrated in IU, has been established for this purpose. Due to the dwindling stocks of the current batch (batch 4) of Ph. Eur. BRP for rabies vaccines (inactivated) for veterinary use, a collaborative study was run as part of the EDQM Biological Standardisation Programme to establish BRP batch 5. Ten laboratories, including Official Medicines Control Laboratories and manufacturers, participated. The candidate BRP5 was assayed against the 6(th) International Standard for rabies vaccine using the in vivo vaccination-challenge assay (monograph 0451) to assign a potency value. The candidate was also compared to BRP batch 4 to establish continuity. Taking into account the results from the comparisons a potency of 10 IU/vial was assigned and in March 2015 the Ph. Eur. Commission adopted the material as Ph. Eur. BRP for rabies vaccines (inactivated) for veterinary use batch 5. In addition to the in vivo assay 3 laboratories tested the candidate material using their in-house in vitro assays for information.

A Model-based B2B (Batch to Batch) Control for An Industrial Batch Polymerization Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Morimasa

This paper describes overview of a model-based B2B (batch to batch) control for an industrial batch polymerization process. In order to control the reaction temperature precisely, several methods based on the rigorous process dynamics model are employed at all design stage of the B2B control, such as modeling and parameter estimation of the reaction kinetics which is one of the important part of the process dynamics model. The designed B2B control consists of the gain scheduled I-PD/II2-PD control (I-PD with double integral control), the feed-forward compensation at the batch start time, and the model adaptation utilizing the results of the last batch operation. Throughout the actual batch operations, the B2B control provides superior control performance compared with that of conventional control methods.

Flipped clinical training: a structured training method for undergraduates in complete denture prosthesis.

PubMed

K, Anbarasi; K, Kasim Mohamed; Vijayaraghavan, Phagalvarthy; Kandaswamy, Deivanayagam

2016-12-01

To design and implement flipped clinical training for undergraduate dental students in removable complete denture treatment and predict its effectiveness by comparing the assessment results of students trained by flipped and traditional methods. Flipped training was designed by shifting the learning from clinics to learning center (phase I) and by preserving the practice in clinics (phase II). In phase I, student-faculty interactive session was arranged to recap prior knowledge. This is followed by a display of audio synchronized video demonstration of the procedure in a repeatable way and subsequent display of possible errors that may occur in treatment with guidelines to overcome such errors. In phase II, live demonstration of the procedure was given. Students were asked to treat three patients under instructor's supervision. The summative assessment was conducted by applying the same checklist criterion and rubric scoring used for the traditional method. Assessment results of three batches of students trained by flipped method (study group) and three traditionally trained previous batches (control group) were taken for comparison by chi-square test. The sum of traditionally trained three batch students who prepared acceptable dentures (score: 2 and 3) and unacceptable dentures (score: 1) was compared with the same of flipped trained three batch students revealed that the number of students who demonstrated competency by preparing acceptable dentures was higher for flipped training (χ 2 =30.996 with p<0.001). The results reveal the supremacy of flipped training in enhancing students competency and hence recommended for training various clinical procedures.

Recommendation of ruthenium source for sludge batch flowsheet studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodham, W.

Included herein is a preliminary analysis of previously-generated data from sludge batches 7a, 7b, 8, and 9 sludge simulant and real-waste testing, performed to recommend a form of ruthenium for future sludge batch simulant testing under the nitric-formic flowsheet. Focus is given to reactions present in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank cycle, given that this cycle historically produces the most changes in chemical composition during Chemical Process Cell processing. Data is presented and analyzed for several runs performed under the nitric-formic flowsheet, with consideration given to effects on the production of hydrogen gas, nitrous oxide gas, consumption of formate,more » conversion of nitrite to nitrate, and the removal and recovery of mercury during processing. Additionally, a brief discussion is given to the effect of ruthenium source selection under the nitric-glycolic flowsheet. An analysis of data generated from scaled demonstration testing, sludge batch 9 qualification testing, and antifoam degradation testing under the nitric-glycolic flowsheet is presented. Experimental parameters of interest under the nitric-glycolic flowsheet include N2O production, glycolate destruction, conversion of glycolate to formate and oxalate, and the conversion of nitrite to nitrate. To date, the number of real-waste experiments that have been performed under the nitric-glycolic flowsheet is insufficient to provide a complete understanding of the effects of ruthenium source selection in simulant experiments with regard to fidelity to real-waste testing. Therefore, a determination of comparability between the two ruthenium sources as employed under the nitric-glycolic flowsheet is made based on available data in order to inform ruthenium source selection for future testing under the nitric-glycolic flowsheet.« less

Use of response surface methodology in a fed-batch process for optimization of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates to achieve high levels of canthaxanthin from Dietzia natronolimnaea HS-1.

PubMed

Nasri Nasrabadi, Mohammad Reza; Razavi, Seyed Hadi

2010-04-01

In this work, we applied statistical experimental design to a fed-batch process for optimization of tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) intermediates in order to achieve high-level production of canthaxanthin from Dietzia natronolimnaea HS-1 cultured in beet molasses. A fractional factorial design (screening test) was first conducted on five TCA cycle intermediates. Out of the five TCA cycle intermediates investigated via screening tests, alfaketoglutarate, oxaloacetate and succinate were selected based on their statistically significant (P<0.05) and positive effects on canthaxanthin production. These significant factors were optimized by means of response surface methodology (RSM) in order to achieve high-level production of canthaxanthin. The experimental results of the RSM were fitted with a second-order polynomial equation by means of a multiple regression technique to identify the relationship between canthaxanthin production and the three TCA cycle intermediates. By means of this statistical design under a fed-batch process, the optimum conditions required to achieve the highest level of canthaxanthin (13172 + or - 25 microg l(-1)) were determined as follows: alfaketoglutarate, 9.69 mM; oxaloacetate, 8.68 mM; succinate, 8.51 mM. Copyright 2009 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Poultry Waste for Anaerobic Digestion: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salam, Christopher R.

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a biological conversion technology which is being used to produce bioenergy all over the world. This energy is created from biological feedstocks, and can often use waste products from various food and agricultural processors. Biogas from AD can be used as a fuel for heating or for co-generation of electricity and heat and is a renewable substitute to using fossil fuels. Nutrient recycling and waste reduction are additional benefits, creating a final product that can be used as a fertilizer in addition to energy benefits. This project was conducted to investigate the viability of three turkey production wastes as AD feedstock: two turkey litters and a material separated from the turkey processing wastewater using dissolved air flotation (DAF) process. The DAF waste contained greases, oils and other non-commodity portions of the turkey. Using a variety of different process methods, types of bacteria, loading rates and food-to-microorganism ratios, optimal loading rates for the digestion of these three materials were obtained. In addition, the co-digestion of these materials revealed additional energy benefits. In this study, batch digestion tests were carried out to treat these three feedstocks, using mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria, using loading rates of 3 and 6 gVS/L They were tested separately and also as a mixture for co-digestion. The batch reactor used in this study had total and working volumes of 1130 mL and 500 mL, respectively. The initial organic loading was set to be 3 gVS/L, and the food to microorganism ratio was either 0.6 or 1.0 for different treatments based on the characteristics of each material. Only thermophilic (50 +/- 2ºC) temperatures were tested for the litter and DAF wastes in continuous digestion, but mesophilic and thermophilic batch digestion experiments were conducted. The optimum digestion time for all experiments was 14 days. The biogas yields of top litter, mixed litter, and DAF waste under mesophilic batch conditions all at 3 gVS/L loading were determined to be 148.6 +/- 7.82, 176.5 +/- 11.1 and 542.0 +/- 37.9 mL/ gVS, respectively and were 201.9 +/- 10.0, 210.4 +/- 29.3, and 419.3 +/- 12.1 mL/gVS, respectively, for initial loading of 6 gVS/L. Under thermophilic batch conditions, the top litter, mixed litter, and DAF waste had the biogas yields of 255.3 +/- 7.9, 313.4 +/- 30.1and 297.4 +/- 33.8 mL/gVS for loading rate of 3 gVS/L and 233.8 +/- 45.3, 306.5 +/- 11.8 and 185.1 +/- 0.85 mL/gVS for loading rate of 6 gVS/L. The biogas yields from co-digestion of the mixed litter and DAF waste at 3 gVS/L were 461.8 +/- 41.3 mL/gVS under thermophilic conditions. The results from batch anaerobic digestion tests were then used for designing continuous digestion experiments. All the continuous digestion experiments were conducted by using an Anaerobic Phase Solids (APS) digester system operated at a thermophilic temperature. The total volume of the continuous digester system was 4.8 L and the working volume was around 4.4 L. The APS digester system had two hydrolysis reactors and one biogasification reactor. Feedstock was loaded into the hydrolysis reactors in batches. The feedstock digestion time was 14 days and the average organic loading rate (OLR) of the system was 3 gVS/L/day. The experiment has three distinct feedstock stages, first with turkey litter waste, a co-digestion of DAF and turkey litter waste, followed by DAF waste. The biogas yields were determined to be 305.2 +/- 70.6 mL/gVS/d for turkey mixed litter, 455.8 +/- 77.2 mL/gVS/d during the mixture of mixed litter and DAF waste, and 382.0 +/- 39.6 mL/gVS for DAF waste. The biogas yields from the thermophilic batch test yields compare with that of the continuous digester yields. For experiments utilizing turkey litter, batch tests yielded 313.4 +/- 30.1mL/gVS biogas and 305.2 +/- 70.6 mL/gVS/d for continuous experiments. For experiments using codigestion of turkey litter and DAF waste, batches yielded 461.8 +/- 41.3 mL/gVS biogas comparing well to continuous digester operation that yielded 455.8 +/- 77.2 mL/gVS/d. It was mainly in the case for DAF that batch vs. continuous digester testing yielded a significant difference in performance. For experiments using DAF waste, batches yielded 297.4 +/- 33.8 mL/gVS biogas and continuous digester operation yielded 455.8 +/- 77.2 mL/gVS/d. For a case study on the APS digester system, mesophilic DAF waste was chosen as the optimum substrate. Using this material and reactor condition, a case study was built using provided information and experimental results to build a simulation. A reactor site needed to process 11,800 kgVS of DAF waste would require 4,800 m3 of tank volume, and use nearly 4,000 m3 as working volume. This reactor was modeled after a 2 stage APS reactor, with 2 hydrolysis reactors and 1 biogasification reactor, and had a 14 day retention time and a 3 gVS/L/d organic loading rate. The expected biogas output was 550 mL/gVS, and expected waste reduction was 20%. The reactor would produce 7,113 m3/d of biogas, and would be burned for 127,223 MJ/d.

Experimental evaluation of a recursive model identification technique for type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Finan, Daniel A; Doyle, Francis J; Palerm, Cesar C; Bevier, Wendy C; Zisser, Howard C; Jovanovic, Lois; Seborg, Dale E

2009-09-01

A model-based controller for an artificial beta cell requires an accurate model of the glucose-insulin dynamics in type 1 diabetes subjects. To ensure the robustness of the controller for changing conditions (e.g., changes in insulin sensitivity due to illnesses, changes in exercise habits, or changes in stress levels), the model should be able to adapt to the new conditions by means of a recursive parameter estimation technique. Such an adaptive strategy will ensure that the most accurate model is used for the current conditions, and thus the most accurate model predictions are used in model-based control calculations. In a retrospective analysis, empirical dynamic autoregressive exogenous input (ARX) models were identified from glucose-insulin data for nine type 1 diabetes subjects in ambulatory conditions. Data sets consisted of continuous (5-minute) glucose concentration measurements obtained from a continuous glucose monitor, basal insulin infusion rates and times and amounts of insulin boluses obtained from the subjects' insulin pumps, and subject-reported estimates of the times and carbohydrate content of meals. Two identification techniques were investigated: nonrecursive, or batch methods, and recursive methods. Batch models were identified from a set of training data, whereas recursively identified models were updated at each sampling instant. Both types of models were used to make predictions of new test data. For the purpose of comparison, model predictions were compared to zero-order hold (ZOH) predictions, which were made by simply holding the current glucose value constant for p steps into the future, where p is the prediction horizon. Thus, the ZOH predictions are model free and provide a base case for the prediction metrics used to quantify the accuracy of the model predictions. In theory, recursive identification techniques are needed only when there are changing conditions in the subject that require model adaptation. Thus, the identification and validation techniques were performed with both "normal" data and data collected during conditions of reduced insulin sensitivity. The latter were achieved by having the subjects self-administer a medication, prednisone, for 3 consecutive days. The recursive models were allowed to adapt to this condition of reduced insulin sensitivity, while the batch models were only identified from normal data. Data from nine type 1 diabetes subjects in ambulatory conditions were analyzed; six of these subjects also participated in the prednisone portion of the study. For normal test data, the batch ARX models produced 30-, 45-, and 60-minute-ahead predictions that had average root mean square error (RMSE) values of 26, 34, and 40 mg/dl, respectively. For test data characterized by reduced insulin sensitivity, the batch ARX models produced 30-, 60-, and 90-minute-ahead predictions with average RMSE values of 27, 46, and 59 mg/dl, respectively; the recursive ARX models demonstrated similar performance with corresponding values of 27, 45, and 61 mg/dl, respectively. The identified ARX models (batch and recursive) produced more accurate predictions than the model-free ZOH predictions, but only marginally. For test data characterized by reduced insulin sensitivity, RMSE values for the predictions of the batch ARX models were 9, 5, and 5% more accurate than the ZOH predictions for prediction horizons of 30, 60, and 90 minutes, respectively. In terms of RMSE values, the 30-, 60-, and 90-minute predictions of the recursive models were more accurate than the ZOH predictions, by 10, 5, and 2%, respectively. In this experimental study, the recursively identified ARX models resulted in predictions of test data that were similar, but not superior, to the batch models. Even for the test data characteristic of reduced insulin sensitivity, the batch and recursive models demonstrated similar prediction accuracy. The predictions of the identified ARX models were only marginally more accurate than the model-free ZOH predictions. Given the simplicity of the ARX models and the computational ease with which they are identified, however, even modest improvements may justify the use of these models in a model-based controller for an artificial beta cell. 2009 Diabetes Technology Society.

Batch crystallization of rhodopsin for structural dynamics using an X-ray free-electron laser

DOE PAGES

Wu, Wenting; Nogly, Przemyslaw; Rheinberger, Jan; ...

2015-06-27

Rhodopsin is a membrane protein from the G protein-coupled receptor family. Together with its ligand retinal, it forms the visual pigment responsible for night vision. In order to perform ultrafast dynamics studies, a time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography method is required owing to the nonreversible activation of rhodopsin. In such an approach, microcrystals in suspension are delivered into the X-ray pulses of an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) after a precise photoactivation delay. Here in this study, a millilitre batch production of high-density microcrystals was developed by four methodical conversion steps starting from known vapour-diffusion crystallization protocols: (i) screening the low-salt crystallizationmore » conditions preferred for serial crystallography by vapour diffusion, (ii) optimization of batch crystallization, (iii) testing the crystal size and quality using second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging and X-ray powder diffraction and (iv) production of millilitres of rhodopsin crystal suspension in batches for serial crystallography tests; these crystals diffracted at an XFEL at the Linac Coherent Light Source using a liquid-jet setup.« less

Development of freeze dried vegetables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, R. W.

1970-01-01

The development of freeze dried vegetables to be used in the Apollo food system is discussed. After the initial selection and screening of vegetables, several types of freeze dried vegetables were prepared in small batches. From these small batches, two vegetables were judged satisfactory for further testing and evaluation. These vegetables, mashed potatoes and asparagus, were subjected to storage at 100 deg plus or minus 5 F. for two weeks and then taste tested. The vegetables were also tested to determine if they complied with the microbiological requirements for Apollo food. The space food prototype production guide for the vegetables is submitted.

Enhancement of HIV-1 VLP production using gene inhibition strategies.

PubMed

Fuenmayor, Javier; Cervera, Laura; Rigau, Cristina; Gòdia, Francesc

2018-05-01

Gag polyprotein from HIV-1 is able to generate virus-like particles (VLPs) when recombinantly expressed in animal cell platforms. HIV-1 VLP production in HEK293 cells can be improved by the use of different strategies for increasing product titers. One of them is the so-called extended gene expression (EGE), based on repeated medium exchanges and retransfections of the cell culture to prolong the production phase. Another approach is the media supplementation with gene expression enhancers such as valproic acid and caffeine, despite their detrimental effect on cell viability. Valproic acid is a histone deacetylase inhibitor while caffeine has a phosphodiesterase inhibition effect. Here, the combination of the EGE protocol with additive supplementation to maximize VLP production is first tested. As an alternative to the direct additive supplementation, the replacement of these chemical additives by iRNA for obtaining the same inhibition action is also tested. The combination of the EGE protocol with caffeine and valproic acid supplementation resulted in a 1.5-fold improvement in HIV-1 VLP production compared with the EGE protocol alone, representing an overall 18-fold improvement over conventional batch cultivation. shRNAs encoded in the expression vector were tested to substitute valproic acid and caffeine. This novel strategy enhanced VLP production by 2.3 fold without any detrimental effect on cell viability (91.7%) compared with the batch cultivation (92.0%). Finally, the combination of shRNA with EGE resulted in more than 15.6-fold improvement compared with the batch standard protocol traditionally used. The methodology developed enables the production of high titers of HIV-1 VLPs avoiding the toxic effects of additives.

Aquifer recharge with reclaimed water in the Llobregat Delta. Laboratory batch experiments and field test site.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobella, J.

2010-05-01

Summary Spain, as most other Mediterranean countries, faces near future water shortages, generalized pollution and loss of water dependent ecosystems. Aquifer recharge represents a promising option to become a source for indirect potable reuse purposes but presence of pathogens as well as organic and inorganic pollutants should be avoided. To this end, understanding the processes of biogeochemical degradation occurring within the aquifer during infiltration is capital. A set of laboratory batch experiments has been assembled in order to assess the behaviour of selected pesticides, drugs, estrogens, surfactant degradation products, biocides and phthalates under different redox conditions. Data collected during laboratory experiments and monitoring activities at the Sant Vicenç dels Horts test site will be used to build and calibrate a numerical model (i) of the physical-chemical-biochemical processes occurring in the batches and (ii) of multicomponent reactive transport in the unsaturated/saturated zone at the test site. Keywords Aquifer recharge, batch experiments, emerging micropollutants, infiltration, numerical model, reclaimed water, redox conditions, Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT). 1. Introduction In Spain, the Llobregat River and aquifers, which supply water to Barcelona, have been overexploited for years and therefore, suffer from serious damages: the river dries up on summer, riparian vegetation has disappeared and seawater has intruded the aquifer. In a global context, solutions to water stress problems are urgently needed yet must be sustainable, economical and safe. Recent developments of analytical techniques detect the presence of the so-called "emerging" organic micropollutants in water and soils. Such compounds may affect living organisms when occurring in the environment at very low concentrations (microg/l or ng/l). In wastewater and drinking water treatment plants, a remarkable removal of these chemicals from water can be obtained only using advanced and costly treatments. Nevertheless, a number of studies are demonstrating that physical, chemical and biochemical processes associated with water movement within the subsoil represent a natural alternative way to reduce the presence of these contaminants. This processes are called Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT). Aquifer recharge will become a source for indirect potable reuse purposes as long as the presence of pathogens and organic and inorganic pollutants is avoided. To this end, understanding the biogeochemical degradation processes occurring within the aquifer during infiltration is capital. 2. Laboratory batch experiments A set of laboratory batch experiments has been assembled to assess the behaviour of selected pesticides, drugs, estrogens, surfactant degradation products, biocides and phthalates under different redox conditions. The setup of the experiments consists of glass bottles containing 120 g of soil and 240 ml of synthetic water spiked with the mix of micropollutants. A source of easily degradable organic carbon and, depending on the type of test, electron acceptors are added in order to yield aerobic respiration and nitrate/iron/manganese/sulphate reduction conditions. The evolution of the processes is monitored by sacrificing duplicate bottles according to a defined schedule and analysing water for major and minor components as well as for micropollutants. Results from biotic tests are compared with abiotic ones in order to discern biodegradation from other chemical processes. The soil, the synthetic water and the micropollutants selected for the experiments are representative of a test site in the nearby of Barcelona (Spain) where artificial recharge of groundwater through ponds is going to be performed using river water or tertiary effluent from a waste water treatment plant. The results of the experiments improve the knowledge on the behaviour of the selected micropollutants under different redox conditions and provide with useful information on the conditions to develop at the test site during artificial recharge. The data collected during the laboratory experiments and in the test site will be used to build and calibrate a numerical model of the physical-chemical-biochemical processes developing in the batches and of multicomponent reactive transport in the unsaturated/saturated zone in the test site area. 3. Field test site The infiltration site of Sant Vicenç dels Horts has been selected to assessing the biogeochemical processes occurring during SAT. The system consists of two ponds that have been built as compensatory measure for the reduction in natural recharge caused by the construction of the High Speed Train Line. The first pond acts as a decantation pond while the second one acts as an infiltration basin (Figure 1). Recharge water comes from the tertiary treatment plant of the El Prat de Llobregat WWTP and the river (?). The CUADLL (Lower Llobregat Aquifer End-Users Community) is now managing the system operation. Tasks that are currently being carried out at this Test Site aims at (i) improving the local experience on MAR through infiltration ponds operational aspects and (ii) monitoring the changes in water quality during the recharge processes (unsaturated and saturated zone). Special attention is being paid to the fate of emerging organic pollutants (pharmaceuticals, surfactants, pesticides, etc.). The yielding of the monitoring will be compared with the results from the laboratory batch experiments on the behaviour of selected emerging organic pollutants. To this end, observation wells have been constructed, pressure / temperature / electrical conductivity transducers have been installed and the vadose zone under the infiltration pond has been instrumented (tensiometers, water content probes and suction cups). In addition double ring and infiltration tests have been performed in order to forecast the infiltration capacity of the basin.

ANAMMOX-like performances for nitrogen removal from ammonium-sulfate-rich wastewater in an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor.

PubMed

Prachakittikul, Pensiri; Wantawin, Chalermraj; Noophan, Pongsak Lek; Boonapatcharoen, Nimaradee

2016-01-01

Ammonium removal by the ANaerobic AMonium OXidation (ANAMMOX) process was observed through the Sulfate-Reducing Ammonium Oxidation (SRAO) process. The same concentration of ammonium (100 mg N L(-1)) was applied to two anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (AnSBRs) that were inoculated with the same activated sludge from the Vermicelli wastewater treatment process, while nitrite was fed in ANAMMOX and sulfate in SRAO reactors. In SRAO-AnSBR, in substrates that were fed with a ratio of NH4(+)/SO4(2-) at 1:0.4 ± 0.03, a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 48 h and without sludge draining, the Ammonium Removal Rate (ARR) was 0.02 ± 0.01 kg N m(-3).d(-1). Adding specific ANAMMOX substrates to SRAO-AnSBR sludge in batch tests results in specific ammonium and nitrite removal rates of 0.198 and 0.139 g N g(-1) VSS.d, respectively, indicating that the ANAMMOX activity contributes to the removal of ammonium in the SRAO process using the nitrite that is produced from SRAO. Nevertheless, the inability of ANAMMOX to utilize sulfate to oxidize ammonium was also investigated in batch tests by augmenting enriched ANAMMOX culture in SRAO-AnSBR sludge and without nitrite supply. The time course of sulfate in a 24-hour cycle of SRAO-AnSBR showed an increase in sulfate after 6 h. For enriched SRAO culture, the uptake molar ratio of NH4(+)/SO4(2-) at 8 hours in a batch test was 1:0.82 lower than the value of 1:0.20 ± 0.09 as obtained in an SRAO-AnSBR effluent, while the stoichiometric ratio of 1:0.5 that includes the ANAMMOX reaction was in this range. After a longer operation of more than 2 years without sludge draining, the accumulation of sulfate and the reduction of ammonium removal were observed, probably due to the gradual increase in the sulfur denitrification rate and the competitive use of nitrite with ANAMMOX. The 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) and PCR cloning analyses resulted in the detection of the ANAMMOX bacterium (Candidatus Brocadia sinica JPN1) Desulfacinum subterraneum belonging to the genus Desulfacinum and bacteria that are involved in sulfur metabolism (Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain SBTPe-001 and Paracoccus denitrificans strain IAM12479) in SRAO-AnSBR.

Fed batch fermentation and purification strategy for high yield production of Brucella melitensis recombinant Omp 28 kDa protein and its application in disease diagnosis.

PubMed

Karothia, B S; Athmaram, T N; D, Thavaselvam; Ashu, Kumar; Tiwari, Sapna; Singh, Anil K; Sathyaseelan, K; Gopalan, N

2013-07-01

Brucellosis is a disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Brucella. It affects cattle, goat, sheep, dog and humans. The serodiagnosis of brucellosis involves detection of antibodies generated against the LPS or whole cell bacterial extracts, however these tests lack sensitivity and specificity. The present study was performed to optimize the culture condition for the production of recombinant Brucella melitensis outer membrane protein 28 kDa protein in E.coli via fed batch fermentation. Expression was induced with 1.5mM isopropyl β thiogalactoside and the expressed recombinant protein was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. After fed-batch fermentation the dry cell weight of 17.81 g/L and a purified protein yield of 210.10 mg/L was obtained. The purified Brucella melitensis recombinant Omp 28 kDa protein was analyzed through SDS- poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. The obtained recombinant protein was evaluated for its diagnostic application through Indirect ELISA using brucellosis suspected human sera samples. Our results clearly indicate that recombinant Omp28 produced via fed batch fermentation has immense potential as a diagnostic reagent that could be employed in sero monitoring of brucellosis.

Fate and transport with material response characterization of green sorption media for copper removal via desorption process.

PubMed

Chang, Ni-Bin; Houmann, Cameron; Lin, Kuen-Song; Wanielista, Martin

2016-07-01

Multiple adsorption and desorption cycles are required to achieve the reliable operation of copper removal and recovery. A green sorption media mixture composed of recycled tire chunk, expanded clay aggregate, and coconut coir was evaluated in this study for its desorptive characteristics as a companion study of the corresponding adsorption process in an earlier publication. We conducted a screening of potential desorbing agents, batch desorption equilibrium and kinetic studies, and batch tests through 3 adsorption/desorption cycles. The desorbing agent screening revealed that hydrochloric acid has good potential for copper desorption. Equilibrium data fit the Freundlich isotherm, whereas kinetic data had high correlation with the Lagergren pseudo second-order model and revealed a rapid desorption reaction. Batch equilibrium data over 3 adsorption/desorption cycles showed that the coconut coir and media mixture were the most resilient, demonstrating they could be used through 3 or more adsorption/desorption cycles. FE-SEM imaging, XRD, and EDS analyses supported the batch adsorption and desorption results showing significant surface sorption of CuO species in the media mixture and coconut coir, followed by partial desorption using 0.1 M HCl as a desorbing agent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Qualification of the Second Batch Production 9-Cell Cavities Manufactured by AES and Validation of the First US Industrial Cavity Vendor for ILC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geng, R. L.; Golden, B. A.; Kushnick, P.

2011-07-01

One of the major goals of ILC SRF cavity R&D is to develop industrial capabilities of cavity manufacture and processing in all three regions. In the past several years, Jefferson Lab, in collaboration with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, has processed and tested all the 9-cell cavities of the first batch (4 cavities) and second batch (6 cavities) production cavities manufactured by Advanced Energy Systems Inc. (AES). Over the course, close information feedback was maintained, resulting in changes in fabrication and processing procedures. A light buffered chemical polishing was introduced, removing the weld splatters that could not be effectively removed bymore » heavy EP alone. An 800 Celsius 2 hour vacuum furnace heat treatment procedure replaced the original 600 Celsius 10 hour procedure. Four out of the six 9-cell cavities of the second production bath achieved a gradient of 36-41 MV/m at a Q0 of more than 8E9 at 35 MV/m. This result validated AES as the first ''ILC certified'' industrial vendor in the US for ILC cavity manufacture.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Raymond H.; Stone, James; Truax, Ryan

Batch tests, column tests, and predictive reactive transport modeling can be done before ISR begins as part of the decision making/permitting process by bracketing possible post-restoration conditions; Help address stakeholder concerns; The best predictions require actual restored groundwater in contact with the downgradient solid phase; Resulting modeling provides a range of natural attenuation rates and assists with designing the best locations and time frames for continued monitoring; Field pilot tests are the best field-scale data and can provide the best model input and calibration data

Recovery strategies for tackling the impact of phenolic compounds in a UASB reactor treating coal gasification wastewater.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Han, Hongjun

2012-01-01

The impact of phenolic compounds (around 3.2 g/L) resulted in a completely failed performance in a mesophilic UASB reactor treating coal gasification wastewater. The recovery strategies, including extension of HRT, dilution, oxygen-limited aeration, and addition of powdered activated carbon were evaluated in batch tests, in order to obtain the most appropriate way for the quick recovery of the failed reactor performance. Results indicated that addition of powdered activated carbon and oxygen-limited aeration were the best recovery strategies in the batch tests. In the UASB reactor, addition of powdered activated carbon of 1 g/L shortened the recovery time from 25 to 9 days and oxygen-limited aeration of 0-0.5 mgO2/L reduced the recovery time to 17 days. Reduction of bioavailable concentration of phenolic compounds and recovery of sludge activity were the decisive factors for the recovery strategies to tackle the impact of phenolic compounds in anaerobic treatment of coal gasification wastewater. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Sssss of... - Operating Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... activity level of the catalyst at least every 12 months. 7. Each affected batch process unit For each batch... activity level of the catalyst at least every 12 months. 10. Each new kiln that is used to process clay... across the DLA at or above the minimum levels established during the most recent performance test; and b...

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Sssss of... - Operating Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... activity level of the catalyst at least every 12 months. 7. Each affected batch process unit For each batch... activity level of the catalyst at least every 12 months. 10. Each new kiln that is used to process clay... across the DLA at or above the minimum levels established during the most recent performance test; and b...

40 CFR 61.164 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... glass type (i) produced during the 12-month period, as follows: ER17OC00.483 Where: Ti = The theoretical uncontrolled arsenic emission factor for each glass type (i), g/kg (lb/ton). Abi = Fraction by weight of elemental arsenic in the fresh batch for each glass type (I). Wbi = Weight of fresh batch melted per unit...

Butyric acid fermentation of sodium hydroxide pretreated rice straw with undefined mixed culture.

PubMed

Ai, Binling; Li, Jianzheng; Chi, Xue; Meng, Jia; Liu, Chong; Shi, En

2014-05-01

This study describes an alternative mixed culture fermentation technology to anaerobically convert lignocellulosic biomass into butyric acid, a valuable product with wide application, without supplementary cellulolytic enzymes. Rice straw was soaked in 1% NaOH solution to increase digestibility. Among the tested pretreatment conditions, soaking rice straw at 50°C for 72 h removed ~66% of the lignin, but retained ~84% of the cellulose and ~71% of the hemicellulose. By using an undefined cellulose-degrading butyrate-producing microbial community as butyric acid producer in batch fermentation, about 6 g/l of butyric acid was produced from the pretreated rice straw, which accounted for ~76% of the total volatile fatty acids. In the repeated-batch operation, the butyric acid production declined batch by batch, which was most possibly caused by the shift of microbial community structure monitored by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. In this study, batch operation was observed to be more suitable for butyric acid production.

Precise orbit determination using the batch filter based on particle filtering with genetic resampling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Rok; Park, Eunseo; Choi, Eun-Jung; Park, Sang-Young; Park, Chandeok; Lim, Hyung-Chul

2014-09-01

In this study, genetic resampling (GRS) approach is utilized for precise orbit determination (POD) using the batch filter based on particle filtering (PF). Two genetic operations, which are arithmetic crossover and residual mutation, are used for GRS of the batch filter based on PF (PF batch filter). For POD, Laser-ranging Precise Orbit Determination System (LPODS) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) observations of the CHAMP satellite are used. Monte Carlo trials for POD are performed by one hundred times. The characteristics of the POD results by PF batch filter with GRS are compared with those of a PF batch filter with minimum residual resampling (MRRS). The post-fit residual, 3D error by external orbit comparison, and POD repeatability are analyzed for orbit quality assessments. The POD results are externally checked by NASA JPL’s orbits using totally different software, measurements, and techniques. For post-fit residuals and 3D errors, both MRRS and GRS give accurate estimation results whose mean root mean square (RMS) values are at a level of 5 cm and 10-13 cm, respectively. The mean radial orbit errors of both methods are at a level of 5 cm. For POD repeatability represented as the standard deviations of post-fit residuals and 3D errors by repetitive PODs, however, GRS yields 25% and 13% more robust estimation results than MRRS for post-fit residual and 3D error, respectively. This study shows that PF batch filter with GRS approach using genetic operations is superior to PF batch filter with MRRS in terms of robustness in POD with SLR observations.

Kinetic model-based feed-forward controlled fed-batch fermentation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus for the production of lactic acid from Arabic date juice.

PubMed

Choi, Minsung; Al-Zahrani, Saeed M; Lee, Sang Yup

2014-06-01

Arabic date is overproduced in Arabic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq and is mostly composed of sugars (70-80 wt%). Here we developed a fed-batch fermentation process by using a kinetic model for the efficient production of lactic acid to a high concentration from Arabic date juice. First, a kinetic model of Lactobacillus rhamnosus grown on date juice in batch fermentation was constructed in EXCEL so that the estimation of parameters and simulation of the model can be easily performed. Then, several fed-batch fermentations were conducted by employing different feeding strategies including pulsed feeding, exponential feeding, and modified exponential feeding. Based on the results of fed-batch fermentations, the kinetic model for fed-batch fermentation was also developed. This new model was used to perform feed-forward controlled fed-batch fermentation, which resulted in the production of 171.79 g l(-1) of lactic acid with the productivity and yield of 1.58 and 0.87 g l(-1) h(-1), respectively.

Deposition and transport of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in porous media: lab-scale experiments and model analysis.

PubMed

Kwon, Kyu-Sang; Kim, Song-Bae; Choi, Nag-Choul; Kim, Dong-Ju; Lee, Soonjae; Lee, Sang-Hyup; Choi, Jae-Woo

2013-01-01

In this study, the deposition and transport of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on sandy porous materials have been investigated under static and dynamic flow conditions. For the static experiments, both equilibrium and kinetic batch tests were performed at a 1:3 and 3:1 soil:solution ratio. The batch data were analysed to quantify the deposition parameters under static conditions. Column tests were performed for dynamic flow experiments with KCl solution and bacteria suspended in (1) deionized water, (2) mineral salt medium (MSM) and (3) surfactant + MSM. The equilibrium distribution coefficient (K(d)) was larger at a 1:3 (2.43 mL g(-1)) than that at a 3:1 (0.28 mL g(-1)) soil:solution ratio. Kinetic batch experiments showed that the reversible deposition rate coefficient (k(att)) and the release rate coefficient (k(det)) at a soil:solution ratio of 3:1 were larger than those at a 1:3 ratio. Column experiments showed that an increase in ionic strength resulted in a decrease in peak concentration of bacteria, mass recovery and tailing of the bacterial breakthrough curve (BTC) and that the presence of surfactant enhanced the movement of bacteria through quartz sand, giving increased mass recovery and tailing. Deposition parameters under dynamic condition were determined by fitting BTCs to four different transport models, (1) kinetic reversible, (2) two-site, (3) kinetic irreversible and (4) kinetic reversible and irreversible models. Among these models, Model 4 was more suitable than the others since it includes the irreversible sorption term directly related to the mass loss of bacteria observed in the column experiment. Applicability of the parameters obtained from the batch experiments to simulate the column breakthrough data is evaluated.

Parameters of Concrete Modified with Glass Meal and Chalcedonite Dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotwa, Anna

2017-10-01

Additives used for production of concrete mixtures affect the rheological properties and parameters of hardened concrete, including compressive strength, water resistance, durability and shrinkage of hardened concrete. By their application, the use of cement and production costs may be reduced. The scheduled program of laboratory tests included preparation of six batches of concrete mixtures with addition of glass meal and / or chalcedonite dust. Mineral dust is a waste product obtained from crushed aggregate mining, with grain size below 0,063μm. The main ingredient of chalcedonite dust is silica. Glass meal used in the study is a material with very fine grain size, less than 65μm. This particle size is present in 60% - 90% of the sample. Additives were used to replace cement in concrete mixes in an amount of 15% and 25%. The amount of aggregate was left unchanged. The study used Portland cement CEM I 42.5R. Concrete mixes were prepared with a constant rate w / s = 0.4. The aim of the study was to identify the effect of the addition of chalcedonite dust and / or glass meal on the parameters of hardened concrete, i.e. compressive strength, water absorption and capillarity. Additives used in the laboratory tests significantly affect the compressive strength. The largest decrease in compressive strength of concrete samples was recorded for samples with 50% substitutes of cement additives. This decrease is 34.35%. The smallest decrease in compressive strength was noted in concrete with the addition of 15% of chalcedonite dust or 15% glass meal, it amounts to an average of 15%. The study of absorption shows that all concrete with the addition of chalcedonite dust and glass meal gained a percentage weight increase between 2.7 ÷ 3.1% for the test batches. This is a very good result, which is probably due to grout sealing. In capillary action for the test batches, the percentage weight gains of samples ranges from 4.6% to 5.1%. However, the reference concrete obtained the lowest water absorption as compared to other batches.

Investigating the feasibility of temperature-controlled accelerated drug release testing for an intravaginal ring.

PubMed

Externbrink, Anna; Clark, Meredith R; Friend, David R; Klein, Sandra

2013-11-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate if temperature can be utilized to accelerate drug release from Nuvaring®, a reservoir type intravaginal ring based on polyethylene vinyl acetate copolymer that releases a constant dose of contraceptive steroids over a duration of 3 weeks. The reciprocating holder apparatus (USP 7) was utilized to determine real-time and accelerated etonogestrel release from ring segments. It was demonstrated that drug release increased with increasing temperature which can be attributed to enhanced drug diffusion. An Arrhenius relationship of the zero-order release constants was established, indicating that temperature is a valid parameter to accelerate drug release from this dosage form and that the release mechanism is maintained under these accelerated test conditions. Accelerated release tests are particularly useful for routine quality control to assist during batch release of extended release formulations that typically release the active over several weeks, months or even years, since they can increase the product shelf life. The accelerated method should therefore be able to discriminate between formulations with different release characteristics that can result from normal manufacturing variance. In the case of Nuvaring®, it is well known that the process parameters during the extrusion process strongly influence the polymeric structure. These changes in the polymeric structure can affect the permeability which, in turn, is reflected in the release properties. Results from this study indicate that changes in the polymeric structure can lead to a different temperature dependence of the release rate, and as a consequence, the accelerated method can become less sensitive to detect changes in the release properties. When the accelerated method is utilized during batch release, it is therefore important to take this possible restriction into account and to evaluate the accelerated method with samples from non-conforming batches that are explicitly "out of specification" under real-time test conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality-by-Design approach to monitor the operation of a batch bioreactor in an industrial avian vaccine manufacturing process.

PubMed

Largoni, Martina; Facco, Pierantonio; Bernini, Donatella; Bezzo, Fabrizio; Barolo, Massimiliano

2015-10-10

Monitoring batch bioreactors is a complex task, due to the fact that several sources of variability can affect a running batch and impact on the final product quality. Additionally, the product quality itself may not be measurable on line, but requires sampling and lab analysis taking several days to be completed. In this study we show that, by using appropriate process analytical technology tools, the operation of an industrial batch bioreactor used in avian vaccine manufacturing can be effectively monitored as the batch progresses. Multivariate statistical models are built from historical databases of batches already completed, and they are used to enable the real time identification of the variability sources, to reliably predict the final product quality, and to improve process understanding, paving the way to a reduction of final product rejections, as well as to a reduction of the product cycle time. It is also shown that the product quality "builds up" mainly during the first half of a batch, suggesting on the one side that reducing the variability during this period is crucial, and on the other side that the batch length can possibly be shortened. Overall, the study demonstrates that, by using a Quality-by-Design approach centered on the appropriate use of mathematical modeling, quality can indeed be built "by design" into the final product, whereas the role of end-point product testing can progressively reduce its importance in product manufacturing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Migration of inorganic ions from the leachate of the Rio das Ostras landfill: a comparison of three different configurations of protective barriers.

PubMed

Lacerda, Cláudia Virgínia; Ritter, Elisabeth; Pires, João Antônio da Costa; de Castro, José Adilson

2014-11-01

Batch tests and diffusion tests were performed to analyze the efficiency of a protective barrier in a landfill consisting of compacted soil with 10% bentonite compared to the results obtained for only compacted soil and for compacted soil covered with a 1-mm-thick HDPE geomembrane; the soil and leachate were collected from the Rio das Ostras Landfill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The diffusion tests were performed for periods of 3, 10 and 60 days. After the test period, the soil pore water was analyzed and the profiles for chloride, potassium and ammonium were determined along a 6-cm soil depth. The results of the batch tests performed to define sorption parameters were used to adjust the profiles obtained in the diffusion cell experiment by applying an ion transfer model between the interstitial solution and the soil particles. The MPHMTP model (Multi Phase Heat and Mass Transfer Program), which is based upon the solution of the transport equations of the ionic contaminants, was used to solve the inverse problem of simultaneously determining the effective diffusion coefficients. The results of the experimental tests and of the model simulation confirmed that the compacted soil with 10% bentonite was moderately efficient in the retention of chloride, potassium and ammonium ions compared to the configurations of compacted soil with a geomembrane and compacted soil alone, representing a solution that is technically feasible and requires potentially lower costs for implementation in landfills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of utilisation of uncompleted handouts on power point presentations (PPT) in rural Indian medical institute

PubMed Central

BHAISARE, ROSHAN; KAMBLE, BHAVNA

2016-01-01

Introduction Note taking while attending a PPT requires high activity of memory and writing process which ultimately leads to what is called “death by power point” referring to boredom and fatigue.  To overcome this we planned to evaluate the impact of utilisation of uncompleted handouts given prior to PPT presentations. Methods Final year MBBS students were divided in 2 batches, batch A and batch B.  For a set of lectures one batch was provided with handouts before lecture while the other batch was given lectures only. Crossover was done to avoid bias, all the lectures being given by the same presenter.  At the end of each lecture, a short questionnaire of 10 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) was provided to the students. Mean scores were calculated for lectures with handouts and without handouts. Results For a set of lectures, when batch A was provided with handouts, the mean score was 28.2; for batch B to which no handouts were given the mean score was 23.4. Similarly, for batch B when provided with handouts the mean score was 29.1, for batch A which was not provided with handouts the mean score was 24. There was an average increase of 4.2 marks. Actual gain when handouts were provided was 1.2 marks per lecture.  It was more for the batch comprising of repeater students as compared to the batch of fresher students. Increase in attendance was also noted. Conclusion Providing uncompleted handouts before a didactic lecture definitely results in increase in knowledge gain; repeater students benefit more with uncompleted handouts, PMID:27382583

Reductive Dechlorination of Carbon Tetrachloride by Tetrachloroethene and Trichloroethene Respiring Anaerobic Mixed Cultures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vickstrom, K. E.; Azizian, M.; Semprini, L.

2015-12-01

Carbon tetrachloride (CT) is a toxic and recalcitrant groundwater contaminant with the potential to form a broad range of transformation products. Of the possible biochemical pathways through which CT can be degraded, reductive dehalogenation to less chlorinated compounds and mineralization to carbon dioxide (CO2) appear to be the most frequently utilized pathways by anaerobic organisms. Results will be presented from batch experiments of CT degradation by the Evanite (EV), Victoria Strain (VS) and Point Mugu (PM) anaerobic dechlorinating cultures. The cultures are grown in chemostats and are capable of transforming tetrachloroethene (PCE) or trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene by halorespiration via reductive dehalogenase enzymes. For the batch CT transformation tests, the cells along with supernatant were harvested from chemostats fed PCE or TCE, but never CT. The batch reactors were initially fed 0.0085 mM CT and an excess of formate (EV and VS) or lactate (PM) as electron donor. Transformation of CT was 100% with about 20% converted to chloroform (CF) and undetected products. Multiple additions of CT showed a slowing of pseudo first-order CT transformation rates across all cultures. Batch reactors were then established and fed 0.085 mM CT with an excess of electron donor in order to better quantify the reductive pathway. CT was transformed to CF and dichloromethane (DCM), with trace amounts of chloromethane (CM) detected. Between 60-90% of the mass added to the system was accounted for, showing that the majority of the carbon tetrachloride present is being reductively dehalogenated. Results from batch reactors that were poisoned using sodium azide, and from reactors not provided electron donor will be presented to distinguish between biotic and abiotic reactions. Furthermore, results from reactors prepared with acetylene (a potent, reversible inhibitor of reductive dehalogenases (1)) will be presented as a means of identifying the enzymes involved in the transformation of CT. The results clearly demonstrate that reductive dechlorination of CT can be promoted by anaerobic cultures not previously acclimated to CT. 1. G. Pon, M. R. Hyman, L. Semprini, Environ. Sci. Technol. 37, 3181-3188 (2003).

Collaborative study for the establishment of erythropoietin BRP batch 4.

PubMed

Burns, C; Bristow, A F; Daas, A; Costanzo, A

2015-01-01

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) for erythropoietin (EPO) is used as a working standard for potency determination of EPO preparations by in vivo bioassay as prescribed in the Ph. Eur. monograph Erythropoietin concentrated solution (1316). The BRP batch 3 was calibrated in 2006 and its stocks are depleted. The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) thus initiated a project to calibrate a replacement batch in International Units against the WHO 3(rd) International Standard (IS) for Erythropoietin, recombinant, for bioassay (11/170). A Ph. Eur. Chemical Reference Substance (CRS) was established recently for use as reference in some of the physicochemical tests prescribed in the monograph. Therefore, the EPO BRP batch 4 was only calibrated for the normocythaemic and polycythaemic mouse in vivo bioassays described in the Assay section of the Ph. Eur. monograph (1316). The collaborative study involved seven laboratories from Europe, the USA and South America. The results confirmed that the candidate BRP (cBRP) is suitable for use as a reference preparation in the potency determination of EPO medicinal products by bioassay (using the normocythaemic or polycythaemic mouse methods). The outcome of the study enabled the Ph. Eur. Commission to establish the proposed standard as erythropoietin BRP batch 4 in November 2014 for use as a reference preparation solely for the polycythaemic and normocythaemic mouse bioassay, with an assigned potency of 13 000 IU/vial. Furthermore, the potency of BRP3 was confirmed during the study, thus warranting a good continuity of the IU.

Risk-based Methodology for Validation of Pharmaceutical Batch Processes.

PubMed

Wiles, Frederick

2013-01-01

In January 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published new process validation guidance for pharmaceutical processes. The new guidance debunks the long-held industry notion that three consecutive validation batches or runs are all that are required to demonstrate that a process is operating in a validated state. Instead, the new guidance now emphasizes that the level of monitoring and testing performed during process performance qualification (PPQ) studies must be sufficient to demonstrate statistical confidence both within and between batches. In some cases, three qualification runs may not be enough. Nearly two years after the guidance was first published, little has been written defining a statistical methodology for determining the number of samples and qualification runs required to satisfy Stage 2 requirements of the new guidance. This article proposes using a combination of risk assessment, control charting, and capability statistics to define the monitoring and testing scheme required to show that a pharmaceutical batch process is operating in a validated state. In this methodology, an assessment of process risk is performed through application of a process failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (PFMECA). The output of PFMECA is used to select appropriate levels of statistical confidence and coverage which, in turn, are used in capability calculations to determine when significant Stage 2 (PPQ) milestones have been met. The achievement of Stage 2 milestones signals the release of batches for commercial distribution and the reduction of monitoring and testing to commercial production levels. Individuals, moving range, and range/sigma charts are used in conjunction with capability statistics to demonstrate that the commercial process is operating in a state of statistical control. The new process validation guidance published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January of 2011 indicates that the number of process validation batches or runs required to demonstrate that a pharmaceutical process is operating in a validated state should be based on sound statistical principles. The old rule of "three consecutive batches and you're done" is no longer sufficient. The guidance, however, does not provide any specific methodology for determining the number of runs required, and little has been published to augment this shortcoming. The paper titled "Risk-based Methodology for Validation of Pharmaceutical Batch Processes" describes a statistically sound methodology for determining when a statistically valid number of validation runs has been acquired based on risk assessment and calculation of process capability.

Quality control and batch testing of MRPC modules for BESIII ETOF upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Li, X.; Sun, Y. J.; Li, C.; Heng, Y. K.; Chen, T. X.; Dai, H. L.; Shao, M.; Sun, S. S.; Tang, Z. B.; Yang, R. X.; Wu, Z.; Wang, X. Z.

2017-12-01

The end-cap time-of-flight (ETOF) system for the Beijing Spectrometer III (BESIII) has been upgraded using the Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) technology (Williams et al., 1999; Li et al., 2001; Blanco et al., 2003; Fonte et al., 2013, [1-4]). A set of quality-assurance procedures has been developed to guarantee the performances of the 72 mass-produced MRPC modules installed. The cosmic ray batch testing show that the average detection efficiency of the MRPC modules is about 95%. Two different calibration methods indicate that MRPCs' time resolution can reach 60 ps in the cosmic ray test.

Development and validation of a discriminating in vitro dissolution method for a poorly soluble drug, olmesartan medoxomil: comparison between commercial tablets.

PubMed

Bajerski, Lisiane; Rossi, Rochele Cassanta; Dias, Carolina Lupi; Bergold, Ana Maria; Fröehlich, Pedro Eduardo

2010-06-01

A dissolution test for tablets containing 40 mg of olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) was developed and validated using both LC-UV and UV methods. After evaluation of the sink condition, dissolution medium, and stability of the drug, the method was validated using USP apparatus 2, 50 rpm rotation speed, and 900 ml of deaerated H(2)O + 0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate (w/v) at pH 6.8 (adjusted with 18% phosphoric acid) as the dissolution medium. The model-independent method using difference factor (f(1)) and similarity factor (f(2)), model-dependent method, and dissolution efficiency were employed to compare dissolution profiles. The kinetic parameters of drug release were also investigated. The obtained results provided adequate dissolution profiles. The developed dissolution test was validated according to international guidelines. Since there is no monograph for this drug in tablets, the dissolution method presented here can be used as a quality control test for OLM in this dosage form, especially in a batch to batch evaluation.

Testnodes: a Lightweight Node-Testing Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fay, R.; Bland, J.

2014-06-01

A key aspect of ensuring optimum cluster reliability and productivity lies in keeping worker nodes in a healthy state. Testnodes is a lightweight node testing solution developed at Liverpool. While Nagios has been used locally for general monitoring of hosts and services, Testnodes is optimised to answer one question: is there any reason this node should not be accepting jobs? This tight focus enables Testnodes to inspect nodes frequently with minimal impact and provide a comprehensive and easily extended check with each inspection. On the server side, Testnodes, implemented in python, interoperates with the Torque batch server to control the nodes production status. Testnodes remotely and in parallel executes client-side test scripts and processes the return codes and output, adjusting the node's online/offline status accordingly to preserve the integrity of the overall batch system. Testnodes reports via log, email and Nagios, allowing a quick overview of node status to be reviewed and specific node issues to be identified and resolved quickly. This presentation will cover testnodes design and implementation, together with the results of its use in production at Liverpool, and future development plans.

Releasing characteristics and fate of heavy metals from phytoremediation crop residues during anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Lee, Jongkeun; Park, Ki Young; Cho, Jinwoo; Kim, Jae Young

2018-01-01

In this study, lab-scale batch tests were conducted to investigate releasing characteristics of heavy metals according to degradation of heavy metal containing biomass. The fate of heavy metals after released from biomass was also determined through adsorption tests and Visual MINTEQ simulation. According to the anaerobic batch test results as well as volatile solids and carbon balance analyses, maximum of 60% by wt. of biomass was degraded. During the anaerobic biodegradation, among Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, only Cu and Zn were observed in soluble form (approximately 40% by wt. of input mass). The discrepancy between degradation ratio of biomass and ratio of released heavy metals mass from biomass was observed. It seems that this discordance was caused by the fate (i.e., precipitated with sulfur/hydroxide or adsorbed onto sorbents) of each heavy metal types in solution after being released from biomass. Thus, releasing characteristics and fate of heavy metal should be considered carefully to predict stability of anaerobic digestion process for heavy metal-containing biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practical considerations, column studies and natural organic material competition for fluoride removal with bone char and aluminum amended materials in the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley.

PubMed

Brunson, Laura R; Sabatini, David A

2014-08-01

The fluoride removal capacities of three materials, bone char (BC), aluminum oxide coated bone char (ACBC) and aluminum oxide impregnated wood char (AIWC), along with activated alumina (AA) as a baseline material, were investigated in batch and column studies, including comparison between synthetic and natural groundwater. Results suggest that in all cases the laboratory column results exhibited higher fluoride removal efficiency than the field studies conducted in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Further studies indicate that the reduced effectiveness in the field was likely due to a combination of the high pH of groundwater (8.2) and the presence of competing ions (sulfate). Batch studies testing potential competition from natural organic material (NOM) showed no statistical evidence of NOM competition with BC and minor evidence of competition with ACBC and AIWC. To provide evidence for using Rapid Scale Small Column Test (RSSCT) principles for BC two different column volume and particle sizes were used. The results indicate that RSSCT scaling equations, developed for activated carbon, are applicable for BC removal of fluoride. These results thus provide valuable insights for translating laboratory results of novel sorbents for mitigating fluoride tainted groundwater in the field. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioreactor Performance Parameters for an Industrially-Promising Methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1

DOE PAGES

Gilman, Alexey; Laurens, Lieve M.; Puri, Aaron W.; ...

2015-11-16

Methane is a feedstock of interest for the future, both from natural gas and from renewable biogas sources. Methanotrophic bacteria have the potential to enable commercial methane bioconversion to value-added products such as fuels and chemicals. A strain of interest for such applications is Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1, due to its robust growth characteristics. But, to take advantage of the potential of this methanotroph, it is important to generate comprehensive bioreactor-based datasets for different growth conditions to compare bioprocess parameters. The datasets of growth parameters, gas utilization rates, and products (total biomass, extracted fatty acids, glycogen, excreted acids) were obtained formore » cultures of M. buryatense 5GB1 grown in continuous culture under methane limitation and O2 limitation conditions. Additionally, experiments were performed involving unrestricted batch growth conditions with both methane and methanol as substrate. All four growth conditions show significant differences. The most notable changes are the high glycogen content and high formate excretion for cells grown on methanol (batch), and high O2:CH4 utilization ratio for cells grown under methane limitation. The results presented here represent the most comprehensive published bioreactor datasets for a gamma-proteobacterial methanotroph. This information shows that metabolism by M. buryatense 5GB1 differs significantly for each of the four conditions tested. O2 limitation resulted in the lowest relative O2 demand and fed-batch growth on methane the highest. Future studies are needed to understand the metabolic basis of these differences. However, these results suggest that both batch and continuous culture conditions have specific advantages, depending on the product of interest.« less

An approach to optimize the batch mixing process for improving the quality consistency of the products made from traditional Chinese medicines*

PubMed Central

Yan, Bin-jun; Qu, Hai-bin

2013-01-01

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on the combined effects of its constituents. Variation in chemical composition between batches of TCM has always been the deterring factor in achieving consistency in efficacy. The batch mixing process can significantly reduce the batch-to-batch quality variation in TCM extracts by mixing them in a well-designed proportion. However, reducing the quality variation without sacrificing too much of the production efficiency is one of the challenges. Accordingly, an innovative and practical batch mixing method aimed at providing acceptable efficiency for industrial production of TCM products is proposed in this work, which uses a minimum number of batches of extracts to meet the content limits. The important factors affecting the utilization ratio of the extracts (URE) were studied by simulations. The results have shown that URE was affected by the correlation between the contents of constituents, and URE decreased with the increase in the number of targets and the relative standard deviations of the contents. URE could be increased by increasing the number of storage tanks. The results have provided a reference for designing the batch mixing process. The proposed method has possible application value in reducing the quality variation in TCM and providing acceptable production efficiency simultaneously. PMID:24190450

An approach to optimize the batch mixing process for improving the quality consistency of the products made from traditional Chinese medicines.

PubMed

Yan, Bin-jun; Qu, Hai-bin

2013-11-01

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on the combined effects of its constituents. Variation in chemical composition between batches of TCM has always been the deterring factor in achieving consistency in efficacy. The batch mixing process can significantly reduce the batch-to-batch quality variation in TCM extracts by mixing them in a well-designed proportion. However, reducing the quality variation without sacrificing too much of the production efficiency is one of the challenges. Accordingly, an innovative and practical batch mixing method aimed at providing acceptable efficiency for industrial production of TCM products is proposed in this work, which uses a minimum number of batches of extracts to meet the content limits. The important factors affecting the utilization ratio of the extracts (URE) were studied by simulations. The results have shown that URE was affected by the correlation between the contents of constituents, and URE decreased with the increase in the number of targets and the relative standard deviations of the contents. URE could be increased by increasing the number of storage tanks. The results have provided a reference for designing the batch mixing process. The proposed method has possible application value in reducing the quality variation in TCM and providing acceptable production efficiency simultaneously.

Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico.

PubMed

Heerspink, Brent Porter; Pandey, Sachin; Boukhalfa, Hakim; Ware, Doug S; Marina, Oana; Perkins, George; Vesselinov, Velimir V; WoldeGabriel, Giday

2017-09-01

High-explosive compounds including hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) were used extensively in weapons research and testing at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Liquid effluents containing RDX were released to an outfall pond that flowed to Cañon de Valle at LANL's Technical Area 16 (TA-16), resulting in the contamination of the alluvial, intermediate and regional groundwater bodies. Monitoring of groundwater within Cañon de Valle has shown persistent RDX in the intermediate perched zone located between 225 and 311 m below ground surface. Monitoring data also show detectable levels of RDX putative anaerobic degradation products. Batch and column experiments were conducted to determine the extent of adsorption-desorption and transport of RDX and its degradation products (MNX, DNX, and TNX) in major rock types that are within the RDX plume. All experiments were performed in the dark using water obtained from a well located at the center of the plume, which is fairly oxic and has a neutral pH of 7.5. Retardation factors and partitioning coefficient (K d ) values for RDX were calculated from batch experiments. Additionally, retardation factors and K d values for RDX and its degradation products were calibrated from column experiments using a one-dimensional transport model with equilibrium sorption (linear isotherm). Results from the column and batch experiments showed little to no sorption of RDX to the aquifer materials tested, with retardation factors ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 and K d values varying from 0 to 0.70 L/kg. Results also showed no measurable differences between the transport properties of RDX and its degradation products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico

DOE PAGES

Heerspink, Brent Porter; Pandey, Sachin; Boukhalfa, Hakim; ...

2017-05-02

High-explosive compounds including hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) were used extensively in weapons research and testing at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Liquid effluents containing RDX were released to an outfall pond that flowed to Cañon de Valle at LANL's Technical Area 16 (TA-16), resulting in the contamination of the alluvial, intermediate and regional groundwater bodies. Monitoring of groundwater within Cañon de Valle has shown persistent RDX in the intermediate perched zone located between 225 and 311 m below ground surface. Monitoring data also show detectable levels of RDX putative anaerobic degradation products. Batch and column experiments were conducted to determine the extentmore » of adsorption-desorption and transport of RDX and its degradation products (MNX, DNX, and TNX) in major rock types that are within the RDX plume. All experiments in this paper were performed in the dark using water obtained from a well located at the center of the plume, which is fairly oxic and has a neutral pH of 7.5. Retardation factors and partitioning coefficient (K d) values for RDX were calculated from batch experiments. Additionally, retardation factors and K d values for RDX and its degradation products were calibrated from column experiments using a one-dimensional transport model with equilibrium sorption (linear isotherm). Results from the column and batch experiments showed little to no sorption of RDX to the aquifer materials tested, with retardation factors ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 and K d values varying from 0 to 0.70 L/kg. Finally, results also showed no measurable differences between the transport properties of RDX and its degradation products.« less

Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heerspink, Brent Porter; Pandey, Sachin; Boukhalfa, Hakim

High-explosive compounds including hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) were used extensively in weapons research and testing at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Liquid effluents containing RDX were released to an outfall pond that flowed to Cañon de Valle at LANL's Technical Area 16 (TA-16), resulting in the contamination of the alluvial, intermediate and regional groundwater bodies. Monitoring of groundwater within Cañon de Valle has shown persistent RDX in the intermediate perched zone located between 225 and 311 m below ground surface. Monitoring data also show detectable levels of RDX putative anaerobic degradation products. Batch and column experiments were conducted to determine the extentmore » of adsorption-desorption and transport of RDX and its degradation products (MNX, DNX, and TNX) in major rock types that are within the RDX plume. All experiments in this paper were performed in the dark using water obtained from a well located at the center of the plume, which is fairly oxic and has a neutral pH of 7.5. Retardation factors and partitioning coefficient (K d) values for RDX were calculated from batch experiments. Additionally, retardation factors and K d values for RDX and its degradation products were calibrated from column experiments using a one-dimensional transport model with equilibrium sorption (linear isotherm). Results from the column and batch experiments showed little to no sorption of RDX to the aquifer materials tested, with retardation factors ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 and K d values varying from 0 to 0.70 L/kg. Finally, results also showed no measurable differences between the transport properties of RDX and its degradation products.« less

[Evaluation of pipetting systems. III. Micropipette precision in a routine task].

PubMed

Salas, R; Loría, A; Rocha, C

1995-01-01

To establish a norm of the precision achievable with a micropipette in an IRMA assay under routine conditions. A micropipette (Gilson) adjusted to dispense 100 microL was used by a single analyst with experience in its use. In each assay, ten aliquots of radioactive antiprolactin were pipetted in clean tubes (PRE-batch tubes), followed by pipetting of the tubes being processed in the assay, and at the end, a second pipetting of 10 aliquots in clean tubes (POST-batch tubes). The study includes the data of 15 consecutive batches during a seven month period with an overall mean of 283 tubes per batch. The PRE- and POST-tubes were read in a gamma counter (Crystal plus). The mean, SD and CV for PRE, POST and global (PRE+POST) tubes were calculated for each batch. The global CV of the 15 batches ranged from 1.6 to 6.9%, mean of 3.1%. We found no evidence of increased imprecision due to fatigue of the analyst, but surprisingly, we observed that in nine of the 15 batches there was a significant difference in the means of the PRE-tubes vs the POST-tubes (t test) without differences in precision. Thus, part of the global variability is due to what we have called pseudoimprecision (i.e. an increase in CV due to differences in means). In addition, the POST-tubes had higher values in the first 7 batches but the opposite occurred in the last 8 batches (table 2). This shift in the sign of the PRE-POST differences suggests the presence of opposite factors operating in time, i.e. one or more factors increased the volume of pipetting after using the pipette more than 150 times (batches 1-7) whereas other/others decreased it (batches 8-15). 1. Our first approximation to a norm of micropipetting precision in batches of 200-300 tubes was a CV of 3.1%. 2. This norm was influenced by a problem of pseudoimprecision detected ex-post-facto. 3. Our findings justify continuation studies to detect the pseudoimprecision and evaluate its causes prospectively.

40 CFR 63.2460 - What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... (ii) When you conduct a performance test or design evaluation for a non-flare control device used to... paragraphs (c)(9)(ii)(A) through (D) of this section. The design evaluation option for small control devices...) of this section. (b) Group status. If a process has batch process vents, as defined in § 63.2550, you...

40 CFR 63.2460 - What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... (ii) When you conduct a performance test or design evaluation for a non-flare control device used to... paragraphs (c)(9)(ii)(A) through (D) of this section. The design evaluation option for small control devices...) of this section. (b) Group status. If a process has batch process vents, as defined in § 63.2550, you...

40 CFR 63.2460 - What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

.... (ii) When you conduct a performance test or design evaluation for a non-flare control device used to... paragraphs (c)(9)(ii)(A) through (D) of this section. The design evaluation option for small control devices... (c) of this section. (b) Group status. If a process has batch process vents, as defined in § 63.2550...

40 CFR 63.2460 - What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

.... (ii) When you conduct a performance test or design evaluation for a non-flare control device used to... paragraphs (c)(9)(ii)(A) through (D) of this section. The design evaluation option for small control devices... (c) of this section. (b) Group status. If a process has batch process vents, as defined in § 63.2550...

40 CFR 63.2460 - What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.... (ii) When you conduct a performance test or design evaluation for a non-flare control device used to... paragraphs (c)(9)(ii)(A) through (D) of this section. The design evaluation option for small control devices... (c) of this section. (b) Group status. If a process has batch process vents, as defined in § 63.2550...

Using MATLAB Software on the Peregrine System | High-Performance Computing

Science.gov Websites

Learn how to run MATLAB software in batch mode on the Peregrine system. Below is an example MATLAB job in batch (non-interactive) mode. To try the example out, create both matlabTest.sub and /$USER. In this example, it is also the directory into which MATLAB will write the output file x.dat

40 CFR 63.490 - Batch front-end process vents-performance test methods and procedures to determine compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... may be based on either total organic HAP or TOC. For purposes of this paragraph (c), the term “batch... inlet sampling sites shall ensure the measurement of total organic HAP or TOC (minus methane and ethane... used to determine the concentration of organic HAP or TOC, as appropriate. Alternatively, any other...

Quantitative determinations using portable Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Navin, Chelliah V; Tondepu, Chaitanya; Toth, Roxana; Lawson, Latevi S; Rodriguez, Jason D

2017-03-20

A portable Raman spectrometer was used to develop chemometric models to determine percent (%) drug release and potency for 500mg ciprofloxacin HCl tablets. Parallel dissolution and chromatographic experiments were conducted alongside Raman experiments to assess and compare the performance and capabilities of portable Raman instruments in determining critical drug attributes. All batches tested passed the 30min dissolution specification and the Raman model for drug release was able to essentially reproduce the dissolution profiles obtained by ultraviolet spectroscopy at 276nm for all five batches of the 500mg ciprofloxacin tablets. The five batches of 500mg ciprofloxacin tablets also passed the potency (assay) specification and the % label claim for the entire set of tablets run were nearly identical, 99.4±5.1 for the portable Raman method and 99.2±1.2 for the chromatographic method. The results indicate that portable Raman spectrometers can be used to perform quantitative analysis of critical product attributes of finished drug products. The findings of this study indicate that portable Raman may have applications in the areas of process analytical technology and rapid pharmaceutical surveillance. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Establishment of the Ph. Eur. erythropoietin chemical reference substance batch 1.

PubMed

Burns, C; Bristow, A F; Buchheit, K H; Daas, A; Wierer, M; Costanzo, A

2015-01-01

The Erythropoietin (EPO) European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) batch 3 was calibrated in 2006 by in vivo bioassay and was used as a reference preparation for these assays as well as for the physicochemical methods in the Ph. Eur. monograph Erythropoietin concentrated solution (1316). In order to avoid the frequent replacement of this standard and thus reduce the use of animals, a new EPO Chemical Reference Substance (CRS) was established to be used solely for the physicochemical methods. Here we report the outcome of a collaborative study aimed at demonstrating the suitability of the candidate CRS (cCRS) as a reference for the physicochemical methods in the Ph. Eur. monograph. Results from the study demonstrated that for the physicochemical methods currently required in the monograph (capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)/immunoblotting and peptide mapping), the cCRS is essentially identical to the existing BRP. However, data also indicated that, for the physicochemical methods under consideration for inclusion in a revised monograph (test for oxidised forms and glycan mapping), the suitability of the cCRS as a reference needs to be confirmed with additional work. Further to completion of the study, the Ph. Eur. Commission adopted the cCRS as "Erythropoietin for physicochemical tests CRS batch 1" to be used for CZE, PAGE/immunoblotting and peptide mapping.

Bioconversion of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol in thin stillage-based media by engineered Lactobacillus panis PM1.

PubMed

Kang, Tae Sun; Korber, Darren R; Tanaka, Takuji

2014-04-01

Thin stillage (TS) is a waste residue that remains after bioethanol production, and its disposal reflects the high costs of bioethanol production. Thus, the development of cost-effective ways to process TS is a pending issue in bioethanol plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilization of TS for the production of the valuable chemical, 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), by Lactobacillus panis PM1. Different fermentation parameters, including temperature, pH and strains [wild-type and a recombinant strain expressing a NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase (YqhD) gene] were tested in batch and fed-batch cultivations. The highest 1,3-PDO concentration (12.85 g/L) and yield (0.84 g/g) were achieved by batch fermentation at pH-4.5/30 °C by the YqhD recombinant strain. Furthermore, pH-controlled batch fermentation reduced the total fermentation period, resulting in the maximal 1,3-PDO concentration of 16.23 g/L and yield of 0.72 g/g in TS without an expensive nutrient or nitrogen (e.g., yeast extract, beef extract, and peptone) supplementation. The addition of two trace elements, Mg(2+) and Mn(2+), in TS increased 1,3-PDO yield (0.74 g/g) without 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde production, the only intermediate of 1,3-PDO biosynthetic pathway in L. panis PM1. Our results suggest that L. panis PM1 can offer a cost-effective process that utilizes the TS to produce a value-added chemical, 1,3-PDO.

Laboratory Evaluation of Expedient Low-Temperature Admixtures for Runway Craters in Cold Weather

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

ignores typical concerns, such as long-term durability, aesthetics, and corrosion , that are of minimal importance in this expedient field- use ...those identified to be in common use although it was acknowledged that the chloride based compounds caused corrosion problems (Korhonen 1990...batch to batch when using less than a 2000 lb batch, our ability to model and predict results with each batch is degraded. How- ever, when we control

Batch and fed-batch production of butyric acid by Clostridium butyricum ZJUCB

PubMed Central

He, Guo-qing; Kong, Qing; Chen, Qi-he; Ruan, Hui

2005-01-01

The production of butyric acid by Clostridium butyricum ZJUCB at various pH values was investigated. In order to study the effect of pH on cell growth, butyric acid biosynthesis and reducing sugar consumption, different cultivation pH values ranging from 6.0 to 7.5 were evaluated in 5-L bioreactor. In controlled pH batch fermentation, the optimum pH for cell growth and butyric acid production was 6.5 with a cell yield of 3.65 g/L and butyric acid yield of 12.25 g/L. Based on these results, this study then compared batch and fed-batch fermentation of butyric acid production at pH 6.5. Maximum value (16.74 g/L) of butyric acid concentration was obtained in fed-batch fermentation compared to 12.25 g/L in batch fermentation. It was concluded that cultivation under fed-batch fermentation mode could enhance butyric acid production significantly (P<0.01) by C. butyricum ZJUCB. PMID:16252341

UV-absorbing and other sun-protecting substances: genotoxicity of 2-ethylhexyl P-methoxycinnamate.

PubMed

Bonin, A M; Arlauskas, A P; Angus, D S; Baker, R S; Gallagher, C H; Greenoak, G; Brown, M M; Meher-Homji, K M; Reeve, V

1982-11-01

The mutagenicity of 2-ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate was demonstrated when 25 sunscreen ingredients were tested in the Salmonella/microsome assay. This substance also increased the frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster. A trace contaminant may be implicated because many samples were obtained from several sources and the results were batch-related.

[Application of microscopic spectroscopy in quality control of Niuhuang Qingxin pills].

PubMed

Nie, Li-Xing; Zhang, Ye; Zhang, Nan-Ping; Hu, Xiao-Ru; Kang, Shuai; Hou, Jian-Zhong; Dai, Zhong; Ma, Shuang-Cheng

2016-10-01

Application of microscopic spectroscopy in quality control of Niuhuang Qingxin pills was discussed. First, microscopic characteristics specified by the statutory standard of Niuhuang Qingxin pills were summarized. Then new identification method was established for Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Saigae Tataricae Cornu, Cinnamomi Cortex and Saposhnikoviae Radix. Finally, microscopic spectroscopy was used for test of Dioscoreae Rhizoma's adulterant Dioscoreae Fordii Rhizoma.It was the first time for this technology being applied in adulteration test of Chinese patent medicine.The results showed that Saigae Tataricae Cornu was not detected in 2 batches of Niuhuang Qingxin pills from 1 manufacturer while Dioscoreae Fordii Rhizoma was detected in 3 batches of samples from 2 manufacturers. The proposed methods were accurate, simple, rapid, objective and economic, which offered a more comprehensive approach for quality control of Niuhuang Qingxin pills. It was indicated that conventional technology such as microscopic spectroscopy could play an important role in identification of traditional Chinese medicine whose index ingredient was deficient or tiny. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Upscaling of U(VI) Desorption and Transport from Decimeter-Scale Heterogeneity to Plume-Scale Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Curtis, Gary P.; Kohler, Matthias; Kannappan, Ramakrishnan

2015-02-24

Scientifically defensible predictions of field scale U(VI) transport in groundwater requires an understanding of key processes at multiple scales. These scales range from smaller than the sediment grain scale (less than 10 μm) to as large as the field scale which can extend over several kilometers. The key processes that need to be considered include both geochemical reactions in solution and at sediment surfaces as well as physical transport processes including advection, dispersion, and pore-scale diffusion. The research summarized in this report includes both experimental and modeling results in batch, column and tracer tests. The objectives of this research weremore » to: (1) quantify the rates of U(VI) desorption from sediments acquired from a uranium contaminated aquifer in batch experiments;(2) quantify rates of U(VI) desorption in column experiments with variable chemical conditions, and(3) quantify nonreactive tracer and U(VI) transport in field tests.« less

Volatile fatty acids productions by mesophilic and thermophilic sludge fermentation: Biological responses to fermentation temperature.

PubMed

Hao, Jiuxiao; Wang, Hui

2015-01-01

The volatile fatty acids (VFAs) productions, as well as hydrolases activities, microbial communities, and homoacetogens, of mesophilic and thermophilic sludge anaerobic fermentation were investigated to reveal the microbial responses to different fermentation temperatures. Thermophilic fermentation led to 10-fold more accumulation of VFAs compared to mesophilic fermentation. α-glucosidase and protease had much higher activities in thermophilic reactor, especially protease. Illumina sequencing manifested that raising fermentation temperature increased the abundances of Clostridiaceae, Microthrixaceae and Thermotogaceae, which could facilitate either hydrolysis or acidification. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that under thermophilic condition the relative abundance of homoacetogens increased in batch tests and reached higher level at stable fermentation, whereas under mesophilic condition it only increased slightly in batch tests. Therefore, higher fermentation temperature increased the activities of key hydrolases, raised the proportions of bacteria involved in hydrolysis and acidification, and promoted the relative abundance of homoacetogens, which all resulted in higher VFAs production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochar enables anaerobic digestion of aqueous phase from intermediate pyrolysis of biomass.

PubMed

Torri, Cristian; Fabbri, Daniele

2014-11-01

Intermediate pyrolysis produces a two-phase liquid whose aqueous phase is characterized by low heating value and high water content (aqueous pyrolysis liquid, APL). Anaerobic digestion can be the straightest way to produce a fuel (methane) from this material. Batch tests showed poor performance in anaerobic digestion of APL, which underlined the inhibition of biological process. Nutrient supplementation was ineffective, whereas biochar addition increased yield of methane (60±15% of theoretical) with respect to pure APL (34±6% of theoretical) and improved the reaction rate. On the basis of batch results, a semi-continuous biomethanation test was set up, by adding an increasingly amount of APL in a 30ml reactor preloaded with biochar (0.8gml(-1)). With a daily input of 5gd(-1)l(-1) of APL (corresponding to overall amount of 0.1kgl(-1) added before the end of the study) the yield of methane was 65±5% of the theoretical. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SLUDGE WASHING AND DEMONSTRATION OF THE DWPF FLOWSHEET IN THE SRNL SHIELDED CELLS FOR SLUDGE BATCH 7A QUALIFICATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pareizs, J.; Billings, A.; Click, D.

2011-07-08

Waste Solidification Engineering (WSE) has requested that characterization and a radioactive demonstration of the next batch of sludge slurry (Sludge Batch 7a*) be completed in the Shielded Cells Facility of the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) via a Technical Task Request (TTR). This characterization and demonstration, or sludge batch qualification process, is required prior to transfer of the sludge from Tank 51 to the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) feed tank (Tank 40). The current WSE practice is to prepare sludge batches in Tank 51 by transferring sludge from other tanks. Discharges of nuclear materials from H Canyon are oftenmore » added to Tank 51 during sludge batch preparation. The sludge is washed and transferred to Tank 40, the current DWPF feed tank. Prior to transfer of Tank 51 to Tank 40, SRNL simulates the Tank Farm and DWPF processes with a Tank 51 sample (referred to as the qualification sample). Sludge Batch 7a (SB7a) is composed of portions of Tanks 4, 7, and 12; the Sludge Batch 6 heel in Tank 51; and a plutonium stream from H Canyon. SRNL received the Tank 51 qualification sample (sample ID HTF-51-10-125) following sludge additions to Tank 51. This report documents: (1) The washing (addition of water to dilute the sludge supernate) and concentration (decanting of supernate) of the SB7a - Tank 51 qualification sample to adjust sodium content and weight percent insoluble solids to Tank Farm projections. (2) The performance of a DWPF Chemical Process Cell (CPC) simulation using the washed Tank 51 sample. The simulation included a Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) cycle, where acid was added to the sludge to destroy nitrite and reduce mercury, and a Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycle, where glass frit was added to the sludge in preparation for vitrification. The SME cycle also included replication of five canister decontamination additions and concentrations. Processing parameters were based on work with a non-radioactive simulant. (3) Vitrification of a portion of the SME product and characterization and durability testing (as measured by the Product Consistency Test (PCT)) of the resulting glass. (4) Rheology measurements of the initial slurry samples and samples after each phase of CPC processing. This program was controlled by a Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP), and analyses were guided by an Analytical Study Plan. This work is Technical Baseline Research and Development (R&D) for the DWPF. It should be noted that much of the data in this document has been published in interoffice memoranda. The intent of this technical report is bring all of the SB7a related data together in a single permanent record and to discuss the overall aspects of SB7a processing.« less

Effects of Feedstock Sources on Inoculant Acclimatization: Start-up Strategies and Reactor Performance.

PubMed

Yang, Qian; Wei, Liang-Huan; Li, Wei-Zun; Chen, Yu; Ju, Mei-Ting

2017-11-01

Different inoculum sources and acclimatization methods result in different substrate adaptation and biodegradability. To increase straw degradation rate, shorten the digester start-up time, and enhance the biogas production, we domesticated anaerobic sludge by adding microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). During acclimatization, the start-up strategies and reactor performance were investigated to analyze changes in feedstock adaption, biodegradability, and methanogen activity. The effect of the domesticated inoculum was evaluated by testing batch un-pretreated corn stover with a dewatered sludge (DS)-domesticated inoculum as a control. The results showed that (1) using MCC as a substrate rapidly improved microorganism biodegradability and adaptation. (2) MCC as domesticated substrate has relatively stable system and high mass conversion, but with low buffer capacity. (3) Macro- and micronutrients should be added for improving the activity of methanogenic and system's buffer capacity. (4) Using the domesticated inoculums and batch tests to anaerobically digest untreated corn stover yielded rapid biogas production of 292 mL, with an early peak value on the first day. The results indicated that cultivating directional inoculum can efficiently and quickly start-up digester. These investigated results to promote anaerobic digestion of straw for producing biogas speed up the transformation of achievements of biomass solid waste utilization have a positive promoting significance.

Identifying and mitigating batch effects in whole genome sequencing data.

PubMed

Tom, Jennifer A; Reeder, Jens; Forrest, William F; Graham, Robert R; Hunkapiller, Julie; Behrens, Timothy W; Bhangale, Tushar R

2017-07-24

Large sample sets of whole genome sequencing with deep coverage are being generated, however assembling datasets from different sources inevitably introduces batch effects. These batch effects are not well understood and can be due to changes in the sequencing protocol or bioinformatics tools used to process the data. No systematic algorithms or heuristics exist to detect and filter batch effects or remove associations impacted by batch effects in whole genome sequencing data. We describe key quality metrics, provide a freely available software package to compute them, and demonstrate that identification of batch effects is aided by principal components analysis of these metrics. To mitigate batch effects, we developed new site-specific filters that identified and removed variants that falsely associated with the phenotype due to batch effect. These include filtering based on: a haplotype based genotype correction, a differential genotype quality test, and removing sites with missing genotype rate greater than 30% after setting genotypes with quality scores less than 20 to missing. This method removed 96.1% of unconfirmed genome-wide significant SNP associations and 97.6% of unconfirmed genome-wide significant indel associations. We performed analyses to demonstrate that: 1) These filters impacted variants known to be disease associated as 2 out of 16 confirmed associations in an AMD candidate SNP analysis were filtered, representing a reduction in power of 12.5%, 2) In the absence of batch effects, these filters removed only a small proportion of variants across the genome (type I error rate of 3%), and 3) in an independent dataset, the method removed 90.2% of unconfirmed genome-wide SNP associations and 89.8% of unconfirmed genome-wide indel associations. Researchers currently do not have effective tools to identify and mitigate batch effects in whole genome sequencing data. We developed and validated methods and filters to address this deficiency.

Evaluation of intensity drift correction strategies using MetaboDrift, a normalization tool for multi-batch metabolomics data.

PubMed

Thonusin, Chanisa; IglayReger, Heidi B; Soni, Tanu; Rothberg, Amy E; Burant, Charles F; Evans, Charles R

2017-11-10

In recent years, mass spectrometry-based metabolomics has increasingly been applied to large-scale epidemiological studies of human subjects. However, the successful use of metabolomics in this context is subject to the challenge of detecting biologically significant effects despite substantial intensity drift that often occurs when data are acquired over a long period or in multiple batches. Numerous computational strategies and software tools have been developed to aid in correcting for intensity drift in metabolomics data, but most of these techniques are implemented using command-line driven software and custom scripts which are not accessible to all end users of metabolomics data. Further, it has not yet become routine practice to assess the quantitative accuracy of drift correction against techniques which enable true absolute quantitation such as isotope dilution mass spectrometry. We developed an Excel-based tool, MetaboDrift, to visually evaluate and correct for intensity drift in a multi-batch liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics dataset. The tool enables drift correction based on either quality control (QC) samples analyzed throughout the batches or using QC-sample independent methods. We applied MetaboDrift to an original set of clinical metabolomics data from a mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT). The performance of the method was evaluated for multiple classes of metabolites by comparison with normalization using isotope-labeled internal standards. QC sample-based intensity drift correction significantly improved correlation with IS-normalized data, and resulted in detection of additional metabolites with significant physiological response to the MMTT. The relative merits of different QC-sample curve fitting strategies are discussed in the context of batch size and drift pattern complexity. Our drift correction tool offers a practical, simplified approach to drift correction and batch combination in large metabolomics studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of soil moisture on sunflower oil extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from a manufactured gas plant soil.

PubMed

Gong, Zongqiang; Wilke, B-M; Alef, Kassem; Li, Peijun

2005-05-01

The influence of soil moisture on efficiency of sunflower oil extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soil was investigated. The PAH-contaminated soil was collected from a manufactured gas plant (MGP) site in Berlin, Germany. Half of the soil was air-dried, and the other half was kept as field-moist soil. Batch experiments were performed using air-dried and field-moist soils, and sunflower oil was used as extractant at oil/soil ratios of 2:1 and 1:1 (v/m). The experimental data were fitted to a first-order empirical model to describe mass-transfer profiles of the PAHs. Column extraction experiments were also conducted. Field-moist and air-dried soils in the column were extracted using sunflower oil at an oil/soil ratio of 2:1. In the batch experiments, PAHs were more rapidly extracted from air-dried soil than from field-moist soil. Removal rate of total PAH increased 23% at oil/soil ratio of 1:1 and 15.5% at oil/soil ratio of 2:1 after the soil was air dried. The most favorable conditions for batch extraction were air-dried soil, with an oil/soil ratio of 2:1. In the column experiments, the removal rate of total PAH from air-dried soil was 30.7% higher than that from field-moist soil. For field-moist soil, extraction efficiencies of the batch extraction (67.2% and 81.5%) were better than that for column extraction (65.6%). However, this difference between the two methods became less significant for the air-dried soil, with a total removal rate of 96.3% for column extraction and 90.2% and 97% for batch extractions. A mass-balance test was carried out for analytical quality assurance. The results of both batch and column experiments indicated that drying the soil increased efficiency of extraction of PAHs from the MGP soil.

Development of acceptance criteria for batches of silane primer for external tank thermal protection system bonding applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikes, F.

1985-01-01

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is currently the best technique for observing hydrolytic changes in DC 1200 silane the primers caused by moisture in the atmosphere. To further prove that FTIR can be used as a criterion test for acceptance of silane primer lots, intensities of the FTIR OH- band are being compared with primer adhesive bond strength using a mechanical test suggested by NASA. Results of tests for shear strength and Oh-absorption are tabulated and compared with FTIR absorption intensities in the OH-region.

Protocol for quantitative tracing of surface water with synthetic DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foppen, J. W.; Bogaard, T. A.

2012-04-01

Based on experiments we carried out in 2010 with various synthetic single stranded DNA markers with a size of 80 nucleotides (ssDNA; Foppen et al., 2011), we concluded that ssDNA can be used to carry out spatially distributed multi-tracer experiments in the environment. Main advantages are in principle unlimited amount of tracers, environmental friendly and tracer recovery at very high dilution rates (detection limit is very low). However, when ssDNA was injected in headwater streams, we found that at selected downstream locations, the total mass recovery was less than 100%. The exact reason for low mass recovery was unknown. In order to start identifying the cause of the loss of mass in these surface waters, and to increase our knowledge of the behaviour of synthetic ssDNA in the environment, we examined the effect of laboratory and field protocols working with artificial DNA by performing numerous batch experiments. Then, we carried out several field tests in different headwater streams in the Netherlands and in Luxembourg. The laboratory experiments consisted of a batch of water in a vessel with in the order of 10^10 ssDNA molecules injected into the batch. The total duration of each experiment was 10 hour, and, at regular time intervals, 100 µl samples were collected in a 1.5 ml Eppendorf vial for qPCR analyses. The waters we used ranged from milliQ water to river water with an Electrical Conductivity of around 400 μS/cm. The batch experiments were performed in different vessel types: polyethylene bottles, polypropylene copolymer bottles , and glass bottles. In addition, two filter types were tested: 1 µm pore size glass fibre filters and 0.2 µm pore size cellulose acetate filters. Lastly, stream bed sediment was added to the batch experiments to quantify interaction of the DNA with sediment. For each field experiment around 10^15 ssDNA molecules were injected, and water samples were collected 100 - 600 m downstream of the point of injection. Additionally, the field tests were performed with salt and deuterium as tracer. To study possible decay by sunlight and/or microbial activity for synthetic DNA, immediately in the field and for the duration of the entire experiment, we carried out batch experiments. All samples were stored in a 1.5 ml Eppendorf vial in a cool-box in dry ice (-80°C). Quantitative PCR on a Mini Opticon (Bio Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) was carried out to determine DNA concentrations in the samples. Results showed the importance of a strict protocol for working with ssDNA as a tracer for quantitative tracing, since ssDNA interacts with surface areas of glass and plastic, depending on water quality and ionic strength. Interaction with the sediment and decay due to sunlight and/or microbial activity was negligible in most cases. The ssDNA protocol was then tested in natural streams. Promising results were obtained using ssDNA as quantitative tracer. The breakthrough curves using ssDNA were similar to the ones of salt or deuterium. We will present the revised protocol to use ssDNA for multi-tracing experiments in natural streams and discuss the opportunities and limitations.

Solar oxidation and removal of arsenic--Key parameters for continuous flow applications.

PubMed

Gill, L W; O'Farrell, C

2015-12-01

Solar oxidation to remove arsenic from water has previously been investigated as a batch process. This research has investigated the kinetic parameters for the design of a continuous flow solar reactor to remove arsenic from contaminated groundwater supplies. Continuous flow recirculated batch experiments were carried out under artificial UV light to investigate the effect of different parameters on arsenic removal efficiency. Inlet water arsenic concentrations of up to 1000 μg/L were reduced to below 10 μg/L requiring 12 mg/L iron after receiving 12 kJUV/L radiation. Citrate however was somewhat surprisingly found to promote a detrimental effect on the removal process in the continuous flow reactor studies which is contrary to results found in batch scale tests. The impact of other typical water groundwater quality parameters (phosphate and silica) on the process due to their competition with arsenic for photooxidation products revealed a much higher sensitivity to phosphate ions compared to silicate. Other results showed no benefit from the addition of TiO2 photocatalyst but enhanced arsenic removal at higher temperatures up to 40 °C. Overall, these results have indicated the kinetic envelope from which a continuous flow SORAS single pass system could be more confidently designed for a full-scale community groundwater application at a village level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Secondary Waste Form Screening Test Results—Cast Stone and Alkali Alumino-Silicate Geopolymer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierce, Eric M.; Cantrell, Kirk J.; Westsik, Joseph H.

2010-06-28

PNNL is conducting screening tests on the candidate waste forms to provide a basis for comparison and to resolve the formulation and data needs identified in the literature review. This report documents the screening test results on the Cast Stone cementitious waste form and the Geopolymer waste form. Test results suggest that both the Cast Stone and Geopolymer appear to be viable waste forms for the solidification of the secondary liquid wastes to be treated in the ETF. The diffusivity for technetium from the Cast Stone monoliths was in the range of 1.2 × 10-11 to 2.3 × 10-13 cm2/smore » during the 63 days of testing. The diffusivity for technetium from the Geopolymer was in the range of 1.7 × 10-10 to 3.8 × 10-12 cm2/s through the 63 days of the test. These values compare with a target of 1 × 10-9 cm2/s or less. The Geopolymer continues to show some fabrication issues with the diffusivities ranging from 1.7 × 10-10 to 3.8 × 10-12 cm2/s for the better-performing batch to from 1.2 × 10-9 to 1.8 × 10-11 cm2/s for the poorer-performing batch. In the future more comprehensive and longer term performance testing will be conducted, to further evaluate whether or not these waste forms will meet the regulation and performance criteria needed to cost-effectively dispose of secondary wastes.« less

Semi-industrial scale (30 m3) fed-batch fermentation for the production of D-lactate by Escherichia coli strain HBUT-D15.

PubMed

Fu, Xiangmin; Wang, Yongze; Wang, Jinhua; Garza, Erin; Manow, Ryan; Zhou, Shengde

2017-02-01

D(-)-lactic acid is needed for manufacturing of stereo-complex poly-lactic acid polymer. Large scale D-lactic acid fermentation, however, has yet to be demonstrated. A genetically engineered Escherichia coli strain, HBUT-D, was adaptively evolved in a 15% calcium lactate medium for improved lactate tolerance. The resulting strain, HBUT-D15, was tested at a lab scale (7 L) by fed-batch fermentation with up to 200 g L -1 of glucose, producing 184-191 g L -1 of D-lactic acid, with a volumetric productivity of 4.38 g L -1  h -1 , a yield of 92%, and an optical purity of 99.9%. The HBUT-D15 was then evaluated at a semi-industrial scale (30 m 3 ) via fed-batch fermentation with up to 160 g L -1 of glucose, producing 146-150 g L -1 of D-lactic acid, with a volumetric productivity of 3.95-4.29 g L -1  h -1 , a yield of 91-94%, and an optical purity of 99.8%. These results are comparable to that of current industrial scale L(+)-lactic acid fermentation.

40 CFR 63.1325 - Batch process vents-performance test methods and procedures to determine compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... production or activity level. (1) If the expected mix of products serves as the basis for the batch mass... from the high-level calibration gas is at least 20 times the standard deviation of the response from... 25A, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, is acceptable if the response from the high-level calibration gas is...

Energy efficiency of batch and semi-batch (CCRO) reverse osmosis desalination.

PubMed

Warsinger, David M; Tow, Emily W; Nayar, Kishor G; Maswadeh, Laith A; Lienhard V, John H

2016-12-01

As reverse osmosis (RO) desalination capacity increases worldwide, the need to reduce its specific energy consumption becomes more urgent. In addition to the incremental changes attainable with improved components such as membranes and pumps, more significant reduction of energy consumption can be achieved through time-varying RO processes including semi-batch processes such as closed-circuit reverse osmosis (CCRO) and fully-batch processes that have not yet been commercialized or modelled in detail. In this study, numerical models of the energy consumption of batch RO (BRO), CCRO, and the standard continuous RO process are detailed. Two new energy-efficient configurations of batch RO are analyzed. Batch systems use significantly less energy than continuous RO over a wide range of recovery ratios and source water salinities. Relative to continuous RO, models predict that CCRO and batch RO demonstrate up to 37% and 64% energy savings, respectively, for brackish water desalination at high water recovery. For batch RO and CCRO, the primary reductions in energy use stem from atmospheric pressure brine discharge and reduced streamwise variation in driving pressure. Fully-batch systems further reduce energy consumption by not mixing streams of different concentrations, which CCRO does. These results demonstrate that time-varying processes can significantly raise RO energy efficiency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fuzzy logic feedback control for fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass.

PubMed

Tai, Chao; Voltan, Diego S; Keshwani, Deepak R; Meyer, George E; Kuhar, Pankaj S

2016-06-01

A fuzzy logic feedback control system was developed for process monitoring and feeding control in fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic biomass, dilute acid-pretreated corn stover. Digested glucose from hydrolysis reaction was assigned as input while doser feeding time and speed of pretreated biomass were responses from fuzzy logic control system. Membership functions for these three variables and rule-base were created based on batch hydrolysis data. The system response was first tested in LabVIEW environment then the performance was evaluated through real-time hydrolysis reaction. The feeding operations were determined timely by fuzzy logic control system and efficient responses were shown to plateau phases during hydrolysis. Feeding of proper amount of cellulose and maintaining solids content was well balanced. Fuzzy logic proved to be a robust and effective online feeding control tool for fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis.

An optimized work-flow to reduce time-to-detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) using direct testing from rectal swabs.

PubMed

O'Connor, C; Kiernan, M G; Finnegan, C; O'Hara, M; Power, L; O'Connell, N H; Dunne, C P

2017-05-04

Rapid detection of patients with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is essential for the prevention of nosocomial cross-transmission, allocation of isolation facilities and to protect patient safety. Here, we aimed to design a new laboratory work-flow, utilizing existing laboratory resources, in order to reduce time-to-diagnosis of CPE. A review of the current CPE testing processes and of the literature was performed to identify a real-time commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that could facilitate batch testing of CPE clinical specimens, with adequate CPE gene coverage. Stool specimens (210) were collected; CPE-positive inpatients (n = 10) and anonymized community stool specimens (n = 200). Rectal swabs (eSwab™) were inoculated from collected stool specimens and a manual DNA extraction method (QIAamp® DNA Stool Mini Kit) was employed. Extracted DNA was then processed on the Check-Direct CPE® assay. The three step process of making the eSwab™, extracting DNA manually and running the Check-Direct CPE® assay, took <5 min, 1 h 30 min and 1 h 50 min, respectively. It was time efficient with a result available in under 4 h, comparing favourably with the existing method of CPE screening; average time-to-diagnosis of 48/72 h. Utilizing this CPE work-flow would allow a 'same-day' result. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results, as is current practice, would remain a 'next-day' result. In conclusion, the Check-Direct CPE® assay was easily integrated into a local laboratory work-flow and could facilitate a large volume of CPE screening specimens in a single batch, making it cost-effective and convenient for daily CPE testing.

Aging properties of Kodak type 101 emulsions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dohne, B.; Feldman, U.; Neupert, W.

1984-01-01

Aging tests for several batches of Kodak type 101 emulsion show that storage conditions significantly influence how well the film will maintain its sensitometric properties, with sensitivity and density increasing to a maximum during this period. Any further aging may result in higher fog levels and sensitivity loss. It is noted that storage in an environment free of photographically active compounds allows film property optimization, and that film batches with different sensitivities age differently. Emulsions with maximum 1700-A sensitivity are 2.5 times faster than those at the low end of the sensitivity scale. These sensitive emulsions exhibit significantly accelerated changes in aging properties. Their use in space applications requires careful consideration of time and temperature profiles, encouraging the use of less sensitive emulsions when the controllability of these factors is limited.

Parvovirus B19V DNA contamination in Chinese plasma and plasma derivatives

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To ensure the safety of plasma derivatives, screening for human parvovirus B19V genomic DNA in donated plasma using a pooling strategy is performed in some countries. We investigated the prevalence of B19V DNA and anti-B19V antibodies in Chinese plasma pools, plasma derivatives and plasma donations to evaluate the risk posed by B19V. Methods Using a Q-PCR assay developed in-house, we tested for B19V genomic DNA in 142 plasma pools collected between January 2009 and June 2011 from two Chinese blood products manufacturers. Plasma derivatives collected between 1993–1995 (10 batches of albumin, 155 batches of intravenous immunoglobulin, IVIG) and 2009–2011 (50 batches of albumin, 54 batches of IVIG, 35 batches of factor VIII, 7 batches of fibrinogen, and 17 batches of prothrombin complex concentrate, PCC) were also tested for B19V contamination. In addition, B19V genome prevalence in minipools(including 90 individual donations) of 49680 individual plasma samples collected between August 2011 and March 2012 by a single Chinese manufacturer was investigated. IgM/IgG was also investigated in plasma pools/derivatives and in minipools with B19V-DNA titers above 1x104 and 1x106 geq/mL using B19 ELISA IgM/IgG assay(Virion-Serion, Würzburg, Germany), respectively. Results B19V-DNA was detected in 54.2% of plasma pools from two Chinese blood product manufacturers; among recently produced blood products, B19V was detected in 21/54 IVIG samples, 19/35 factor VIII samples, 6/7 fibrinogen samples, and 12/17 PCC samples, but not in albumin samples. The levels of B19V-DNA in these samples varied from 102-107 geq/mL. In samples with >104 geq/mL genome DNA, B19V-specific IgG was also found in all corresponding plasma pools and IVIG, whereas none was detected in the majority of other plasma derivatives. Screening of plasma donations indicated that most minipools were contaminated with B19V-DNA (102-108 geq/mL) and one donation had 1.09 × 1010 geq/mL B19V genomic DNA along with a non-classical IgG/IgM profile. Conclusions Despite the implementation of some inactivation/removal methods designed to prevent viral contamination, B19V DNA was detectable in Chinese plasma pools and plasma derivatives. Thus, the introduction of B19V screening and discard donation with high viramic concentration for Chinese plasma donors would be desirable. PMID:22978673

Study of the effect of mixing approach on cross-linking efficiency of hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel cross-linked with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether.

PubMed

Al-Sibani, Mohammed; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed; Neubert, Reinhard H H

2016-08-25

Regardless of various strategies reported for cross-linking hyaluronic acid (HA) with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE), seeking new strategies that enhance cross-linking efficiency with a low level of cross-linker is essential. In this work, we studied the influence of mixing approach on two cross-linked BDDE-HA hydrogels prepared by two different mixing approaches; the large-batch mixing approach in which the hydrogel quantities were all mixed as a single lump in one container (hydrogel 1), and the small-batches mixing approach in which the hydrogel quantities were divided into smaller batches, mixed separately at various HA/BDDE ratios then combined in one reaction mixture (hydrogel 2). The result showed that the cross-linking reaction was mixing process-dependent. Degradation tests proved that, in relation to hydrogel 1, hydrogel 2 was more stable, and exhibited a higher resistance towards hyaluronidase activity. The swelling ratio of hydrogel 1 was significantly higher than that of hydrogel 2 in distilled water; however, in phosphate buffer saline, both hydrogels showed no significant difference. SEM images demonstrated that hydrogel 2 composite showed a denser network structure and smaller pore-size than hydrogel 1. In comparison to native HA, the occurrence of chemical modification in the cross-linked hydrogels was confirmed by FTIR and NMR distinctive peaks. These peaks also provided evidence that hydrogel 2 exhibited a higher degree of modification than hydrogel 1. In conclusion, the small-batches mixing approach proved to be more effective than large-batch mixing in promoting HA-HA entanglement and increasing the probability of BDDE molecules for binding with HA chains. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous biodegradation of three mononitrophenol isomers by a tailor-made microbial consortium immobilized in sequential batch reactors.

PubMed

Fu, H; Zhang, J-J; Xu, Y; Chao, H-J; Zhou, N-Y

2017-03-01

The ortho-nitrophenol (ONP)-utilizing Alcaligenes sp. strain NyZ215, meta-nitrophenol (MNP)-utilizing Cupriavidus necator JMP134 and para-nitrophenol (PNP)-utilizing Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3 were assembled as a consortium to degrade three nitrophenol isomers in sequential batch reactors. Pilot test was conducted in flasks to demonstrate that a mixture of three mononitrophenols at 0·5 mol l -1 each could be mineralized by this microbial consortium within 84 h. Interestingly, neither ONP nor MNP was degraded until PNP was almost consumed by strain WBC-3. By immobilizing this consortium into polyurethane cubes, all three mononitrophenols were continuously degraded in lab-scale sequential reactors for six batch cycles over 18 days. Total concentrations of ONP, MMP and PNP that were degraded were 2·8, 1·5 and 2·3 mol l -1 during this time course respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that each member in the microbial consortium was relatively stable during the entire degradation process. This study provides a novel approach to treat polluted water, particularly with a mixture of co-existing isomers. Nitroaromatic compounds are readily spread in the environment and pose great potential toxicity concerns. Here, we report the simultaneous degradation of three isomers of mononitrophenol in a single system by employing a consortium of three bacteria, both in flasks and lab-scale sequential batch reactors. The results demonstrate that simultaneous biodegradation of three mononitrophenol isomers can be achieved by a tailor-made microbial consortium immobilized in sequential batch reactors, providing a pilot study for a novel approach for the bioremediation of mixed pollutants, especially isomers present in wastewater. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Detailed studies of full-size ATLAS12 sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hommels, L. B. A.; Allport, P. P.; Baca, M.; Broughton, J.; Chisholm, A.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Pyatt, S.; Thomas, J. P.; Wilson, J. A.; Kierstead, J.; Kuczewski, P.; Lynn, D.; Arratia, M.; Klein, C. T.; Ullan, M.; Fleta, C.; Fernandez-Tejero, J.; Bloch, I.; Gregor, I. M.; Lohwasser, K.; Poley, L.; Tackmann, K.; Trofimov, A.; Yildirim, E.; Hauser, M.; Jakobs, K.; Kuehn, S.; Mahboubi, K.; Mori, R.; Parzefall, U.; Clark, A.; Ferrere, D.; Gonzalez Sevilla, S.; Ashby, J.; Blue, A.; Bates, R.; Buttar, C.; Doherty, F.; McMullen, T.; McEwan, F.; O`Shea, V.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Unno, Y.; Takashima, R.; Chilingarov, A.; Fox, H.; Affolder, A. A.; Casse, G.; Dervan, P.; Forshaw, D.; Greenall, A.; Wonsak, S.; Wormald, M.; Cindro, V.; Kramberger, G.; Mandić, I.; Mikuž, M.; Gorelov, I.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Palni, P.; Seidel, S.; Taylor, A.; Toms, K.; Wang, R.; Hessey, N. P.; Valencic, N.; Hanagaki, K.; Dolezal, Z.; Kodys, P.; Bohm, J.; Stastny, J.; Mikestikova, M.; Bevan, A.; Beck, G.; Milke, C.; Domingo, M.; Fadeyev, V.; Galloway, Z.; Hibbard-Lubow, D.; Liang, Z.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Seiden, A.; To, K.; French, R.; Hodgson, P.; Marin-Reyes, H.; Parker, K.; Jinnouchi, O.; Hara, K.; Sato, K.; Sato, K.; Hagihara, M.; Iwabuchi, S.; Bernabeu, J.; Civera, J. V.; Garcia, C.; Lacasta, C.; Marti i Garcia, S.; Rodriguez, D.; Santoyo, D.; Solaz, C.; Soldevila, U.

2016-09-01

The "ATLAS ITk Strip Sensor Collaboration" R&D group has developed a second iteration of single-sided n+-in-p type micro-strip sensors for use in the tracker upgrade of the ATLAS experiment at the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC. The full size sensors measure approximately 97 × 97mm2 and are designed for tolerance against the 1.1 ×1015neq /cm2 fluence expected at the HL-LHC. Each sensor has 4 columns of 1280 individual 23.9 mm long channels, arranged at 74.5 μm pitch. Four batches comprising 120 sensors produced by Hamamatsu Photonics were evaluated for their mechanical, and electrical bulk and strip characteristics. Optical microscopy measurements were performed to obtain the sensor surface profile. Leakage current and bulk capacitance properties were measured for each individual sensor. For sample strips across the sensor batches, the inter-strip capacitance and resistance as well as properties of the punch-through protection structure were measured. A multi-channel probecard was used to measure leakage current, coupling capacitance and bias resistance for each individual channel of 100 sensors in three batches. The compiled results for 120 unirradiated sensors are presented in this paper, including summary results for almost 500,000 strips probed. Results on the reverse bias voltage dependence of various parameters and frequency dependence of tested capacitances are included for validation of the experimental methods used. Comparing results with specified values, almost all sensors fall well within specification.

An integer batch scheduling model considering learning, forgetting, and deterioration effects for a single machine to minimize total inventory holding cost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusriski, R.; Sukoyo; Samadhi, T. M. A. A.; Halim, A. H.

2018-03-01

This research deals with a single machine batch scheduling model considering the influenced of learning, forgetting, and machine deterioration effects. The objective of the model is to minimize total inventory holding cost, and the decision variables are the number of batches (N), batch sizes (Q[i], i = 1, 2, .., N) and the sequence of processing the resulting batches. The parts to be processed are received at the right time and the right quantities, and all completed parts must be delivered at a common due date. We propose a heuristic procedure based on the Lagrange method to solve the problem. The effectiveness of the procedure is evaluated by comparing the resulting solution to the optimal solution obtained from the enumeration procedure using the integer composition technique and shows that the average effectiveness is 94%.

Fermentation and microflora of plaa-som, a thai fermented fish product prepared with different salt concentrations.

PubMed

Paludan-Müller, Christine; Madsen, Mette; Sophanodora, Pairat; Gram, Lone; Møller, Peter Lange

2002-02-25

Plaa-som is a Thai fermented fish product prepared from snakehead fish, salt, palm syrup and sometimes roasted rice. We studied the effects of different salt concentrations on decrease in pH and on microflora composition during fermentation. Two low-salt batches were prepared, containing 6% and 7% salt (w/w) as well as two high-salt batches, containing 9% and 11% salt. pH decreased rapidly from 6 to 4.5 in low-salt batches, whereas in high-salt batches, a slow or no decrease in pH was found. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts were isolated as the dominant microorganisms during fermentation. LAB counts increased to 10(8)-10(9) cfu g(-1) and yeast counts to 10(7)-5 x 10(7) cfu g(-1) in all batches, except in the 11% salt batch, where counts were 1-2 log lower. Phenotypic tests, ITS-PCR, carbohydrate fermentations and 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified LAB isolates as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus alimentarius/farciminis, Weisella confusa, L. plantarum and Lactococcus garviae. The latter species was only isolated from high-salt batches. Phenotypic characteristics, ITS-PCR and carbohydrate assimilation identified 95% of the yeasts as Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. It is concluded that the fermentation of plaa-som is delayed by a salt-level of 9% due to an inhibition of LAB growth. The growth of Z. rouxii has no influence on the fermentation rate, but may contribute positively to the flavour development of the product.

Hierarchical Bayesian models to assess between- and within-batch variability of pathogen contamination in food.

PubMed

Commeau, Natalie; Cornu, Marie; Albert, Isabelle; Denis, Jean-Baptiste; Parent, Eric

2012-03-01

Assessing within-batch and between-batch variability is of major interest for risk assessors and risk managers in the context of microbiological contamination of food. For example, the ratio between the within-batch variability and the between-batch variability has a large impact on the results of a sampling plan. Here, we designed hierarchical Bayesian models to represent such variability. Compatible priors were built mathematically to obtain sound model comparisons. A numeric criterion is proposed to assess the contamination structure comparing the ability of the models to replicate grouped data at the batch level using a posterior predictive loss approach. Models were applied to two case studies: contamination by Listeria monocytogenes of pork breast used to produce diced bacon and contamination by the same microorganism on cold smoked salmon at the end of the process. In the first case study, a contamination structure clearly exists and is located at the batch level, that is, between batches variability is relatively strong, whereas in the second a structure also exists but is less marked. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Establishing column batch repeatability according to Quality by Design (QbD) principles using modeling software.

PubMed

Rácz, Norbert; Kormány, Róbert; Fekete, Jenő; Molnár, Imre

2015-04-10

Column technology needs further improvement even today. To get information of batch-to-batch repeatability, intelligent modeling software was applied. Twelve columns from the same production process, but from different batches were compared in this work. In this paper, the retention parameters of these columns with real life sample solutes were studied. The following parameters were selected for measurements: gradient time, temperature and pH. Based on calculated results, batch-to-batch repeatability of BEH columns was evaluated. Two parallel measurements on two columns from the same batch were performed to obtain information about the quality of packing. Calculating the average of individual working points at the highest critical resolution (R(s,crit)) it was found that the robustness, calculated with a newly released robustness module, had a success rate >98% among the predicted 3(6) = 729 experiments for all 12 columns. With the help of retention modeling all substances could be separated independently from the batch and/or packing, using the same conditions, having high robustness of the experiments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of indigenous and added iron on copper extraction from soil.

PubMed

Di Palma, Luca

2009-10-15

Experimental tests of copper leaching from a low permeability soil are presented and discussed. The objective of the experiments was to investigate the influence of indigenous and added iron in the soil towards copper mobilization. Metals' leaching was performed by flushing (column tests) or washing (batch tests) the soil with an aqueous solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA. An excess of EDTA was used in flushing tests (up to a EDTA:Cu molar ratio of about 26.2:1), while, in washing tests, the investigated EDTA vs. copper molar ratios were in the range between 1 (equimolar tests) and 8. Copper extraction yield in flushing tests (up to about 85%) was found to depend upon contact time between the soil and the leaching solution and the characteristics of the conditioning solution. The saturation of the soil with a NaNO(3) solution before the treatment, favoured the flushing process reducing the time of percolation, but resulted in a lower metal extraction during the following percolation of EDTA. The indigenous iron was competitive with copper to form EDTA complexes only when it was present in the organic and oxides-hydroxides fractions. Artificial iron addition to the soil resulted in an increase of both the exchangeable iron and the iron bonded to the organic fraction of the soil, thus increasing the overall amount of iron available to extraction. In both batch and continuous tests, the mechanism of copper extraction was found to involve the former dissolution of metal salts, that lead to an initial high concentration of both copper and selected competitive cations (essentially Ca(2+)), and the following EDTA exchange reaction between calcium and copper complexes. The initial metal salts dissolution was found to be pH-dependant.

Mineralogical characterization of selected shales in support of nuclear waste repository studies: Progress report, October 1987--September 1988

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, S. Y.; Hyder, L. K.; Baxter, P. M.

1989-07-01

One objective of the Sedimentary Rock Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been to examine end-member shales to develop a data base that will aid in evaluations if shales are ever considered as a repository host rock. Five end-member shales were selected for comprehensive characterization: the Chattanooga Shale from Fentress County, Tennessee; the Pierre Shale from Gregory County, South Dakota; the Green River Formation from Garfield County, Colorado; and the Nolichucky Shale and Pumpkin Valley Shale from Roane County, Tennessee. Detailed micromorphological and mineralogical characterizations of the shales were completed by Lee et al. (1987) in ORNL/TM-10567. Thismore » report is a supplemental characterization study that was necessary because second batches of the shale samples were needed for additional studies. Selected physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were determined for the second batches; and their properties were compared with the results from the first batches. Physical characterization indicated that the second-batch and first-batch samples had a noticeable difference in apparent-size distributions but had similar primary-particle-size distributions. There were some differences in chemical composition between the batches, but these differences were not considered important in comparison with the differences among the end-member shales. The results of x-ray diffraction analyses showed that the second batches had mineralogical compositions very similar to the first batches. 9 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Potential of hydrolysis of particulate COD in extended anaerobic conditions to enhance biological phosphorous removal.

PubMed

Jabari, P; Yuan, Q; Oleszkiewicz, J A

2016-11-01

The effect of anaerobic hydrolysis of particulate COD (pCOD) on biological phosphorous removal in extended anaerobic condition was investigated through (i) sequencing batch reactors (SBR)s with anaerobic hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.8, 2, and 4 h; (ii) batch tests using biomass from a full scale biological nutrient removal (BNR) plant; and (iii) activated sludge modeling (BioWin 4.1 simulation). The results from long-term SBRs operation showed that phosphorus removal was correlated to the ratio of filtered COD (FCOD) to total phosphorus (TP) in the influent. Under conditions with low FCOD/TP ratio (average of 20) in the influent, extending anaerobic HRT to 4 h in the presence of pCOD did not significantly improve overall phosphorous removal. During the period with high FCOD/TP ratio (average of 37) in the influent, all SBRs removed phosphorous completely, and the long anaerobic HRT did not have negative effect on overall phosphorous removal. The batch tests also showed that pCOD at different concentration during 4 h test did not affect the rate of anaerobic phosphorus release. The rate of anaerobic hydrolysis of pCOD was significantly low and extending the anaerobic HRT was ineffective. The simulation (BioWin 4.1) of SBRs with low influent FCOD/TP ratio showed that the default kinetics of anaerobic hydrolysis in ASM2d overestimated phosphorous removal in the SBRs (high anaerobic hydrolysis of pCOD). The default anaerobic hydrolysis rate in BioWin 4.1 (ten times lower) could produce similar phosphorous removal to that in the experiment. Results showed that the current kinetics of anaerobic hydrolysis in ASM2d could lead to considerable error in predicting phosphorus removal in processes with extended anaerobic HRT. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2377-2385. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Work flow analysis of around-the-clock processing of blood culture samples and integrated MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections.

PubMed

Schneiderhan, Wilhelm; Grundt, Alexander; Wörner, Stefan; Findeisen, Peter; Neumaier, Michael

2013-11-01

Because sepsis has a high mortality rate, rapid microbiological diagnosis is required to enable efficient therapy. The effectiveness of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis in reducing turnaround times (TATs) for blood culture (BC) pathogen identification when available in a 24-h hospital setting has not been determined. On the basis of data from a total number of 912 positive BCs collected within 140 consecutive days and work flow analyses of laboratory diagnostics, we evaluated different models to assess the TATs for batch-wise and for immediate response (real-time) MALDI-TOF MS pathogen identification of positive BC results during the night shifts. The results were compared to TATs from routine BC processing and biochemical identification performed during regular working hours. Continuous BC incubation together with batch-wise MALDI-TOF MS analysis enabled significant reductions of up to 58.7 h in the mean TATs for the reporting of the bacterial species. The TAT of batch-wise MALDI-TOF MS analysis was inferior by a mean of 4.9 h when compared to the model of the immediate work flow under ideal conditions with no constraints in staff availability. Together with continuous cultivation of BC, the 24-h availability of MALDI-TOF MS can reduce the TAT for microbial pathogen identification within a routine clinical laboratory setting. Batch-wise testing of positive BC loses a few hours compared to real-time identification but is still far superior to classical BC processing. Larger prospective studies are required to evaluate the contribution of rapid around-the-clock pathogen identification to medical decision-making for septicemic patients.

Sorption, desorption and displacement of ibuprofen, estrone, and 17β estradiol in wastewater irrigated and rainfed agricultural soils.

PubMed

Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Prado, Blanca; Ferroud, Anouck; Juayerk, Narcedalia; Jiménez-Cisneros, Blanca

2014-03-01

Sorption and leaching potential of ibuprofen, estrone and 17β estradiol were tested in two agricultural soils: one irrigated using municipal wastewater and the other used in rainfed agriculture. Batch sorption-desorption experiments and undisturbed soil column assays were carried out using both soils to which were added a mixture of the target compounds. The three compounds were sorbed to a different extent by both soils: estrone>17β estradiol>ibuprofen. Higher sorption was observed in the irrigated soil, which was attributed to the accumulation of organic matter caused by wastewater irrigation. Desorption of hormones was hysteretic in the irrigated soil, while ibuprofen showed low hysteresis in both soils. Retardation of the compounds' displacement was consistent with the sorption pattern observed in the batch tests. Retardation factor (RF) was similar for the three compounds in the two tested soils, indicating that the target compounds are much more mobile in the soil columns than would be predicted based on their equilibrium sorption parameters. The results obtained in the experiments clarify the role of wastewater irrigated soils as a filter and degradation media for the target micropollutants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) using Raman spectroscopy for in-line culture cell monitoring considering time-varying batches synchronized with correlation optimized warping (COW).

PubMed

Liu, Ya-Juan; André, Silvère; Saint Cristau, Lydia; Lagresle, Sylvain; Hannas, Zahia; Calvosa, Éric; Devos, Olivier; Duponchel, Ludovic

2017-02-01

Multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) is increasingly popular as the challenge provided by large multivariate datasets from analytical instruments such as Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of complex cell cultures in the biopharmaceutical industry. However, Raman spectroscopy for in-line monitoring often produces unsynchronized data sets, resulting in time-varying batches. Moreover, unsynchronized data sets are common for cell culture monitoring because spectroscopic measurements are generally recorded in an alternate way, with more than one optical probe parallelly connecting to the same spectrometer. Synchronized batches are prerequisite for the application of multivariate analysis such as multi-way principal component analysis (MPCA) for the MSPC monitoring. Correlation optimized warping (COW) is a popular method for data alignment with satisfactory performance; however, it has never been applied to synchronize acquisition time of spectroscopic datasets in MSPC application before. In this paper we propose, for the first time, to use the method of COW to synchronize batches with varying durations analyzed with Raman spectroscopy. In a second step, we developed MPCA models at different time intervals based on the normal operation condition (NOC) batches synchronized by COW. New batches are finally projected considering the corresponding MPCA model. We monitored the evolution of the batches using two multivariate control charts based on Hotelling's T 2 and Q. As illustrated with results, the MSPC model was able to identify abnormal operation condition including contaminated batches which is of prime importance in cell culture monitoring We proved that Raman-based MSPC monitoring can be used to diagnose batches deviating from the normal condition, with higher efficacy than traditional diagnosis, which would save time and money in the biopharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor for treatment of stillage from fruit distillation.

PubMed

Rada, Elena Cristina; Ragazzi, Marco; Torretta, Vincenzo

2013-01-01

This work describes batch anaerobic digestion tests carried out on stillages, the residue of the distillation process on fruit, in order to contribute to the setting of design parameters for a planned plant. The experimental apparatus was characterized by three reactors, each with a useful volume of 5 L. The different phases of the work carried out were: determining the basic components of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the stillages; determining the specific production of biogas; and estimating the rapidly biodegradable COD contained in the stillages. In particular, the main goal of the anaerobic digestion tests on stillages was to measure the parameters of specific gas production (SGP) and gas production rate (GPR) in reactors in which stillages were being digested using ASBR (anaerobic sequencing batch reactor) technology. Runs were developed with increasing concentrations of the feed. The optimal loads for obtaining the maximum SGP and GPR values were 8-9 gCOD L(-1) and 0.9 gCOD g(-1) volatile solids.

Hydraulic and environmental behavior of recycled asphalt pavement in highway shoulder applications

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-01

Hydraulic conductivity of seven recycled asphalt pavement materials (RAPs) was evaluated through a series of constant-head tests, while their leaching potential was determined through batch leach tests and column leach tests. The contaminant transpor...

Kinetics of nitrification in a fixed biofilm reactor using dewatered sludge-fly ash composite ceramic particle as a supporting medium.

PubMed

Lee, Mong-Chuan; Lin, Yen-Hui; Yu, Huang-Wei

2014-11-01

A mathematical model system was derived to describe the kinetics of ammonium nitrification in a fixed biofilm reactor using dewatered sludge-fly ash composite ceramic particle as a supporting medium. The model incorporates diffusive mass transport and Monod kinetics. The model was solved using a combination of the orthogonal collocation method and Gear's method. A batch test was conducted to observe the nitrification of ammonium-nitrogen ([Formula: see text]-N) and the growth of nitrifying biomass. The compositions of nitrifying bacterial community in the batch kinetic test were analyzed using PCR-DGGE method. The experimental results show that the most staining intensity abundance of bands occurred on day 2.75 with the highest biomass concentration of 46.5 mg/L. Chemostat kinetic tests were performed independently to evaluate the biokinetic parameters used in the model prediction. In the column test, the removal efficiency of [Formula: see text]-N was approximately 96 % while the concentration of suspended nitrifying biomass was approximately 16 mg VSS/L and model-predicted biofilm thickness reached up to 0.21 cm in the steady state. The profiles of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of different microbial communities demonstrated that indigenous nitrifying bacteria (Nitrospira and Nitrobacter) existed and were the dominant species in the fixed biofilm process.

Hot-bench simulation of the active flexible wing wind-tunnel model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buttrill, Carey S.; Houck, Jacob A.

1990-01-01

Two simulations, one batch and one real-time, of an aeroelastically-scaled wind-tunnel model were developed. The wind-tunnel model was a full-span, free-to-roll model of an advanced fighter concept. The batch simulation was used to generate and verify the real-time simulation and to test candidate control laws prior to implementation. The real-time simulation supported hot-bench testing of a digital controller, which was developed to actively control the elastic deformation of the wind-tunnel model. Time scaling was required for hot-bench testing. The wind-tunnel model, the mathematical models for the simulations, the techniques employed to reduce the hot-bench time-scale factors, and the verification procedures are described.

CO 2-induced chemo-mechanical alteration in reservoir rocks assessed via batch reaction experiments and scratch testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aman, Michael; Espinoza, D. Nicolas; Ilgen, Anastasia G.

Here, the injection of carbon dioxide (CO 2) into geological formations results in a chemical re-equilibration between the mineral assemblage and the pore fluid, with ensuing mineral dissolution and re-precipitation. Hence, target rock formations may exhibit changes of mechanical and petrophysical properties due to CO 2 exposure. We conducted batch reaction experiments with Entrada Sandstone and Summerville Siltstone exposed to de-ionized water and synthetic brine under reservoir pressure (9–10 MPa) and temperature (80°C) for up to four weeks. Samples originate from the Crystal Geyser field site, where a naturally occurring CO 2 seepage alters portions of these geologic formations. Wemore » conducted micro-scratch tests on rock samples without alteration, altered under laboratory conditions, and naturally altered over geologic time. Scratch toughness and hardness decrease as a function of exposure time and water salinity up to 52% in the case of Entrada and 87% in the case of Summerville after CO 2-induced alteration in the laboratory. Imaging of altered cores with SEM-EDS and X-ray microCT methods show dissolution of carbonate and silica cements and matrix accompanied by minor dissolution of Fe-oxides, clays, and other silicates. Parallel experiments using powdered samples confirm that dissolution of carbonate and silica are the primary reactions. The batch reaction experiments in the autoclave utilize a high fluid to rock volume ratio and represent an end member of possible alteration associated with CO 2 storage systems. These types of tests serve as a pre-screening tool to identify the susceptibility of rock facies to CO 2-related chemical-mechanical alteration during long-term CO 2 storage.« less

CO 2-induced chemo-mechanical alteration in reservoir rocks assessed via batch reaction experiments and scratch testing

DOE PAGES

Aman, Michael; Espinoza, D. Nicolas; Ilgen, Anastasia G.; ...

2017-09-22

Here, the injection of carbon dioxide (CO 2) into geological formations results in a chemical re-equilibration between the mineral assemblage and the pore fluid, with ensuing mineral dissolution and re-precipitation. Hence, target rock formations may exhibit changes of mechanical and petrophysical properties due to CO 2 exposure. We conducted batch reaction experiments with Entrada Sandstone and Summerville Siltstone exposed to de-ionized water and synthetic brine under reservoir pressure (9–10 MPa) and temperature (80°C) for up to four weeks. Samples originate from the Crystal Geyser field site, where a naturally occurring CO 2 seepage alters portions of these geologic formations. Wemore » conducted micro-scratch tests on rock samples without alteration, altered under laboratory conditions, and naturally altered over geologic time. Scratch toughness and hardness decrease as a function of exposure time and water salinity up to 52% in the case of Entrada and 87% in the case of Summerville after CO 2-induced alteration in the laboratory. Imaging of altered cores with SEM-EDS and X-ray microCT methods show dissolution of carbonate and silica cements and matrix accompanied by minor dissolution of Fe-oxides, clays, and other silicates. Parallel experiments using powdered samples confirm that dissolution of carbonate and silica are the primary reactions. The batch reaction experiments in the autoclave utilize a high fluid to rock volume ratio and represent an end member of possible alteration associated with CO 2 storage systems. These types of tests serve as a pre-screening tool to identify the susceptibility of rock facies to CO 2-related chemical-mechanical alteration during long-term CO 2 storage.« less

Role of bacterial adhesion in the microbial ecology of biofilms in cooling tower systems.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Wei; Sileika, Tadas; Warta, Richard; Cianciotto, Nicholas P; Packman, Aaron

2009-01-01

The fate of the three heterotrophic biofilm forming bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Flavobacterium sp. in pilot scale cooling towers was evaluated both by observing the persistence of each species in the recirculating water and the formation of biofilms on steel coupons placed in each cooling tower water reservoir. Two different cooling tower experiments were performed: a short-term study (6 days) to observe the initial bacterial colonization of the cooling tower, and a long-term study (3 months) to observe the ecological dynamics with repeated introduction of the test strains. An additional set of batch experiments (6 days) was carried out to evaluate the adhesion of each strain to steel surfaces under similar conditions to those found in the cooling tower experiments. Substantial differences were observed in the microbial communities that developed in the batch systems and cooling towers. P. aeruginosa showed a low degree of adherence to steel surfaces both in batch and in the cooling towers, but grew much faster than K. pneumoniae and Flavobacterium in mixed-species biofilms and ultimately became the dominant organism in the closed batch systems. However, the low degree of adherence caused P. aeruginosa to be rapidly washed out of the open cooling tower systems, and Flavobacterium became the dominant microorganism in the cooling towers in both the short-term and long-term experiments. These results indicate that adhesion, retention and growth on solid surfaces play important roles in the bacterial community that develops in cooling tower systems.

Role of bacterial adhesion in the microbial ecology of biofilms in cooling tower systems

PubMed Central

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Wei; Sileika, Tadas; Warta, Richard; Cianciotto, Nicholas P.; Packman, Aaron

2009-01-01

The fate of the three heterotrophic biofilm forming bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Flavobacterium sp. in pilot scale cooling towers was evaluated both by observing the persistence of each species in the recirculating water and the formation of biofilms on steel coupons placed in each cooling tower water reservoir. Two different cooling tower experiments were performed: a short-term study (6 days) to observe the initial bacterial colonization of the cooling tower, and a long-term study (3 months) to observe the ecological dynamics with repeated introduction of the test strains. An additional set of batch experiments (6 days) was carried out to evaluate the adhesion of each strain to steel surfaces under similar conditions to those found in the cooling tower experiments. Substantial differences were observed in the microbial communities that developed in the batch systems and cooling towers. P. aeruginosa showed a low degree of adherence to steel surfaces both in batch and in the cooling towers, but grew much faster than K. pneumoniae and Flavobacterium in mixed-species biofilms and ultimately became the dominant organism in the closed batch systems. However, the low degree of adherence caused P. aeruginosa to be rapidly washed out of the open cooling tower systems, and Flavobacterium became the dominant microorganism in the cooling towers in both the short-term and long-term experiments. These results indicate that adhesion, retention and growth on solid surfaces play important roles in the bacterial community that develops in cooling tower systems. PMID:19177226

Removing Batch Effects from Longitudinal Gene Expression - Quantile Normalization Plus ComBat as Best Approach for Microarray Transcriptome Data

PubMed Central

Müller, Christian; Schillert, Arne; Röthemeier, Caroline; Trégouët, David-Alexandre; Proust, Carole; Binder, Harald; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Beutel, Manfred; Lackner, Karl J.; Schnabel, Renate B.; Tiret, Laurence; Wild, Philipp S.; Blankenberg, Stefan

2016-01-01

Technical variation plays an important role in microarray-based gene expression studies, and batch effects explain a large proportion of this noise. It is therefore mandatory to eliminate technical variation while maintaining biological variability. Several strategies have been proposed for the removal of batch effects, although they have not been evaluated in large-scale longitudinal gene expression data. In this study, we aimed at identifying a suitable method for batch effect removal in a large study of microarray-based longitudinal gene expression. Monocytic gene expression was measured in 1092 participants of the Gutenberg Health Study at baseline and 5-year follow up. Replicates of selected samples were measured at both time points to identify technical variability. Deming regression, Passing-Bablok regression, linear mixed models, non-linear models as well as ReplicateRUV and ComBat were applied to eliminate batch effects between replicates. In a second step, quantile normalization prior to batch effect correction was performed for each method. Technical variation between batches was evaluated by principal component analysis. Associations between body mass index and transcriptomes were calculated before and after batch removal. Results from association analyses were compared to evaluate maintenance of biological variability. Quantile normalization, separately performed in each batch, combined with ComBat successfully reduced batch effects and maintained biological variability. ReplicateRUV performed perfectly in the replicate data subset of the study, but failed when applied to all samples. All other methods did not substantially reduce batch effects in the replicate data subset. Quantile normalization plus ComBat appears to be a valuable approach for batch correction in longitudinal gene expression data. PMID:27272489

Multi-stage high cell continuous fermentation for high productivity and titer.

PubMed

Chang, Ho Nam; Kim, Nag-Jong; Kang, Jongwon; Jeong, Chang Moon; Choi, Jin-dal-rae; Fei, Qiang; Kim, Byoung Jin; Kwon, Sunhoon; Lee, Sang Yup; Kim, Jungbae

2011-05-01

We carried out the first simulation on multi-stage continuous high cell density culture (MSC-HCDC) to show that the MSC-HCDC can achieve batch/fed-batch product titer with much higher productivity to the fed-batch productivity using published fermentation kinetics of lactic acid, penicillin and ethanol. The system under consideration consists of n-serially connected continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) with either hollow fiber cell recycling or cell immobilization for high cell-density culture. In each CSTR substrate supply and product removal are possible. Penicillin production is severely limited by glucose metabolite repression that requires multi-CSTR glucose feeding. An 8-stage C-HCDC lactic acid fermentation resulted in 212.9 g/L of titer and 10.6 g/L/h of productivity, corresponding to 101 and 429% of the comparable lactic acid fed-batch, respectively. The penicillin production model predicted 149% (0.085 g/L/h) of productivity in 8-stage C-HCDC with 40 g/L of cell density and 289% of productivity (0.165 g/L/h) in 7-stage C-HCDC with 60 g/L of cell density compared with referring batch cultivations. A 2-stage C-HCDC ethanol experimental run showed 107% titer and 257% productivity of the batch system having 88.8 g/L of titer and 3.7 g/L/h of productivity. MSC-HCDC can give much higher productivity than batch/fed-batch system, and yield a several percentage higher titer as well. The productivity ratio of MSC-HCDC over batch/fed-batch system is given as a multiplication of system dilution rate of MSC-HCDC and cycle time of batch/fed-batch system. We suggest MSC-HCDC as a new production platform for various fermentation products including monoclonal antibody.

Identification of a Panax ginseng fruit fingerprint by HPLC-ESI-MS.

PubMed

Zhao, H F; Xu, F F; Guo, Y T; Mi, H

2016-03-11

Over many years, parts of Panax ginseng (root and rhizome) have been identified and applied for medical purposes as traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Recently, research has indicated that ginseng fruit also contains similar compounds and is as rich as the other parts of the ginseng. This discovery may dramatically improve the efficient of outputs derived from ginseng products. Here, a new technique combining high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was employed to identify the fingerprint of P. ginseng fruit. Using HPLC, compounds that are important for medical purposes were extracted and purified. Combined with ESI-MS, the characteristic peaks (nine common peaks) of those compounds were identified, and the accuracy was confirmed by analysis using the Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System (2004A edition). Overall, 15 batches of ginseng fruit had a similarity of more than 0.80, 13 batches of samples had a similarity between 0.97 and 0.99, and two batches had a similarity less than 0.90. The test solution and mobile phase selection was discussed. The HPLC-ESI-MS method can produce repeatable and reliable results and can be applied in the quality control of P. ginseng fruit.

Knowledge management in secondary pharmaceutical manufacturing by mining of data historians-A proof-of-concept study.

PubMed

Meneghetti, Natascia; Facco, Pierantonio; Bezzo, Fabrizio; Himawan, Chrismono; Zomer, Simeone; Barolo, Massimiliano

2016-05-30

In this proof-of-concept study, a methodology is proposed to systematically analyze large data historians of secondary pharmaceutical manufacturing systems using data mining techniques. The objective is to develop an approach enabling to automatically retrieve operation-relevant information that can assist the management in the periodic review of a manufactory system. The proposed methodology allows one to automatically perform three tasks: the identification of single batches within the entire data-sequence of the historical dataset, the identification of distinct operating phases within each batch, and the characterization of a batch with respect to an assigned multivariate set of operating characteristics. The approach is tested on a six-month dataset of a commercial-scale granulation/drying system, where several millions of data entries are recorded. The quality of results and the generality of the approach indicate that there is a strong potential for extending the method to even larger historical datasets and to different operations, thus making it an advanced PAT tool that can assist the implementation of continual improvement paradigms within a quality-by-design framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic co-digestion of chicken manure and corn stover in batch and continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR).

PubMed

Li, Yeqing; Zhang, Ruihong; He, Yanfeng; Zhang, Chenyu; Liu, Xiaoying; Chen, Chang; Liu, Guangqing

2014-03-01

Anaerobic co-digestion of chicken manure and corn stover in batch and CSTR were investigated. The batch co-digestion tests were performed at an initial volatile solid (VS) concentration of 3gVS/L, carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 20, and retention time of 30d. The methane yield was determined to be 281±12mL/gVSadded. Continuous reactor was carried out with feeding concentration of 12% total solids and C/N ratio of 20 at organic loading rates (OLRs) of 1-4gVS/L/d. Results showed that at OLR of 4gVS/L/d, stable and preferable methane yield of 223±7mL/gVSadded was found, which was equal to energy yield (EY) of 8.0±0.3MJ/kgVSadded. Post-digestion of digestate gave extra EY of 1.5-2.6MJ/kgVSadded. Pyrolysis of digestate provided additional EY of 6.1MJ/kgVSadded. Pyrolysis can be a promising technique to reduce biogas residues and to produce valuable gas products simultaneously. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of autochthonous mixed starter for controlled Kedong sufu fermentation in pilot plant tests.

PubMed

Feng, Zhen; Xu, Miao; Zhai, Shuang; Chen, Hong; Li, Ai-li; Lv, Xin-tong; Deng, Hong-ling

2015-01-01

Traditional sufu is fermented by back-slopping and back-slopping has many defects. The objective of this study was to apply autochthonous mixed starter to control Kedong sufu fermentation. Sufu was manufactured using back-slopping (batch A) and autochthonous mixed starter (batch B) with Kocuria kristinae F7, Micrococcus luteus KDF1, and Staphylococcus carnosus KDFR1676. Considering physicochemical properties of sufu, 150-day sufu samples from batch A and 90-day sufu samples from batch B met the standard requirements, respectively. Considering sensory characteristics of sufu, 150-day sufu samples from batch A and 90-day sufu samples from batch B showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). The maturation period of sufu was shortened by 60 d. Profiles of free amino acids and peptides partly revealed the mechanism of typical sensory quality and shorter ripening time of sufu manufactured by autochthonous mixed starter. In final products, content of total biogenic amines was reduced by 48%. Autochthonous mixed starter performed better than back-slopping. Fermentation had a positive influence on the quality, safety, and sensory properties of sufu. The application of autochthonous mixed starter does not change the sensory characteristics of traditional fermented sufu. In addition, it reduces maturation period and improves their homogeneity and safety. It is possible to substitute autochthonous mixed starter for back-slopping in the manufacture of sufu. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Perspectives on the manufacture of combination vaccines.

PubMed

Vose, J R

2001-12-15

Evolving regulatory requirements in the United States and Europe create major challenges for manufacturers tasked with production of vaccines that contain > or =9 separate antigens capable of protecting against infectious diseases, such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza b, in a single shot. This article describes 10 steps that can facilitate the process of licensing these complex vaccines. It also points out problems associated with the use of animal tests for the crucial step of potency testing for batch release caused by the inherent variability of such tests and the difficulties of interpreting their results.

Validation of an assay for quantification of free normetanephrine, metanephrine and methoxytyramine in plasma by high performance liquid chromatography with coulometric detection: Comparison of peak-area vs. peak-height measurements.

PubMed

Nieć, Dawid; Kunicki, Paweł K

2015-10-01

Measurements of plasma concentrations of free normetanephrine (NMN), metanephrine (MN) and methoxytyramine (MTY) constitute the most diagnostically accurate screening test for pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. The aim of this article is to present the results from a validation of an analytical method utilizing high performance liquid chromatography with coulometric detection (HPLC-CD) for quantifying plasma free NMN, MN and MTY. Additionally, peak integration by height and area and the use of one calibration curve for all batches or individual calibration curve for each batch of samples was explored as to determine the optimal approach with regard to accuracy and precision. The method was validated using charcoal stripped plasma spiked with solutions of NMN, MN, MTY and internal standard (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylamine) with the exception of selectivity which was evaluated by analysis of real plasma samples. Calibration curve performance, accuracy, precision and recovery were determined following both peak-area and peak-height measurements and the obtained results were compared. The most accurate and precise method of calibration was evaluated by analyzing quality control samples at three concentration levels in 30 analytical runs. The detector response was linear over the entire tested concentration range from 10 to 2000pg/mL with R(2)≥0.9988. The LLOQ was 10pg/mL for each analyte of interest. To improve accuracy for measurements at low concentrations, a weighted (1/amount) linear regression model was employed, which resulted in inaccuracies of -2.48 to 9.78% and 0.22 to 7.81% following peak-area and peak-height integration, respectively. The imprecisions ranged from 1.07 to 15.45% and from 0.70 to 11.65% for peak-area and peak-height measurements, respectively. The optimal approach to calibration was the one utilizing an individual calibration curve for each batch of samples and peak-height measurements. It was characterized by inaccuracies ranging from -3.39 to +3.27% and imprecisions from 2.17 to 13.57%. The established HPLC-CD method enables accurate and precise measurements of plasma free NMN, MN and MTY with reasonable selectivity. Preparing calibration curve based on peak-height measurements for each batch of samples yields optimal accuracy and precision. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ferrous Iron Oxidation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans: Inhibition with Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

PubMed Central

Onysko, Steven J.; Kleinmann, Robert L. P.; Erickson, Patricia M.

1984-01-01

Benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and sodium lauryl sulfate at low concentrations (5 to 10 mg/liter) each effectively inhibited bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron in batch cultures of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The rate of chemical oxidation of ferrous iron in low-pH, sterile batch reactors was not substantially affected at the tested concentrations (5 to 50 mg/liter) of any of the compounds. PMID:16346592

Impact of utilisation of uncompleted handouts on power point presentations (PPT) in rural Indian medical institute.

PubMed

Bhaisare, Roshan; Kamble, Bhavna

2016-07-01

Note taking while attending a PPT requires high activity of memory and writing process which ultimately leads to what is called "death by power point" referring to boredom and fatigue.  To overcome this we planned to evaluate the impact of utilisation of uncompleted handouts given prior to PPT presentations. Final year MBBS students were divided in 2 batches, batch A and batch B.  For a set of lectures one batch was provided with handouts before lecture while the other batch was given lectures only. Crossover was done to avoid bias, all the lectures being given by the same presenter.  At the end of each lecture, a short questionnaire of 10 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) was provided to the students. Mean scores were calculated for lectures with handouts and without handouts. For a set of lectures, when batch A was provided with handouts, the mean score was 28.2; for batch B to which no handouts were given the mean score was 23.4. Similarly, for batch B when provided with handouts the mean score was 29.1, for batch A which was not provided with handouts the mean score was 24. There was an average increase of 4.2 marks. Actual gain when handouts were provided was 1.2 marks per lecture.  It was more for the batch comprising of repeater students as compared to the batch of fresher students. Increase in attendance was also noted. Providing uncompleted handouts before a didactic lecture definitely results in increase in knowledge gain; repeater students benefit more with uncompleted handouts.

Ultrasound assisted biogas production from landfill leachate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oz, Nilgün Ayman, E-mail: nilgunayman@comu.edu.tr; Yarimtepe, Canan Can

Highlights: • Effect of low frequency ultrasound pretreatment on leachate was investigated. • Three different ultrasound energy inputs (200, 400 and 600 W/l) was applied. • Low-frequency ultrasound treatment increased soluble COD in landfill leachate. • Application of ultrasound to leachate increased biogas production about 40%. • Application of ultrasound to leachate increased total methane production rate about 20%. - Abstract: The aim of this study is to increase biogas production and methane yield from landfill leachate in anaerobic batch reactors by using low frequency ultrasound as a pretreatment step. In the first part of the study, optimum conditions formore » solubilization of organic matter in leachate samples were investigated using various sonication durations at an ultrasound frequency of 20 kHz. The level of organic matter solubilization during ultrasonic pretreatment experiments was determined by calculating the ratio of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) to total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD). The sCOD/tCOD ratio was increased from 47% in raw leachate to 63% after 45 min sonication at 600 W/l. Non-parametric Friedman’s test indicated that ultrasonic pretreatment has a significant effect on sCOD parameter for leachate (p < 0.05). In the second part of the study, anaerobic batch reactors were operated for both ultrasonically pretreated and untreated landfill leachate samples in order to assess the effect of sonication on biogas and methane production rate. In anaerobic batch reactor feed with ultrasonically pretreated leachate, 40% more biogas was obtained compared to the control reactor. For statistical analysis, Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare biogas and methane production rates for raw and pretreated leachate samples and it has been found that ultrasonic pretreatment significantly enhanced biogas and methane production rates from leachate (p < 0.05) in anaerobic batch reactors. The overall results showed that low frequency ultrasound pretreatment can be potentially used for wastewater management especially with integration of anaerobic processes.« less

[Identification of the authentic quality of Longdanxiegan pill by systematic quantified fingerprint method based on three wavelength fusion chromatogram].

PubMed

Sun, Guoxiang; Zhang, Jingxian

2009-05-01

The three wavelength fusion high performance liquid chromatographic fingerprin (TWFFP) of Longdanxiegan pill (LDXGP) was established to identify the quality of LDXGP by the systematic quantified fingerprint method. The chromatographic fingerprints (CFPs) of the 12 batches of LDXGP were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The technique of multi-wavelength fusion fingerprint was applied during processing the fingerprints. The TWFFPs containing 63 co-possessing peaks were obtained when choosing baicalin peak as the referential peak. The 12 batches of LDXGP were identified with hierarchical clustering analysis by using macro qualitative similarity (S(m)) as the variable. According to the results of classification, the referential fingerprint (RFP) was synthesized from 10 batches of LDXGP. Taking the RFP for the qualified model, all the 12 batches of LDXGP were evaluated by the systematic quantified fingerprint method. Among the 12 batches of LDXGP, 9 batches were completely qualified, the contents of 1 batch were obviously higher while the chemical constituents quantity and distributed proportion in 2 batches were not qualified. The systematic quantified fingerprint method based on the technique of multi-wavelength fusion fingerprint ca effectively identify the authentic quality of traditional Chinese medicine.

Evaluation of a metering, mixing, and dispensing system for mixing polysulfide adhesive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Kurt B.

1989-01-01

Tests were performed to evaluate whether a metered mixing system can mix PR-1221 polysulfide adhesive as well as or better than batch-mixed adhesive; also, to evaluate the quality of meter-mixed PR-1860 and PS-875 polysulfide adhesives. These adhesives are candidate replacements for PR-1221 which will not be manufactured in the future. The following material properties were evaluated: peel strength, specific gravity and adhesive components of mixed adhesives, Shore A hardness, tensile adhesion strength, and flow rate. Finally, a visual test called the butterfly test was performed to observe for bubbles and unmixed adhesive. The results of these tests are reported and discussed.

Impact of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on the Marine Corps’ Supply Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

Hypothetical Improvement Using a Real-Time Order Processing System Vice a Batch Order Processing System ................56 3. As-Is: The Current... Processing System Vice a Batch Order Processing System ................58 V. RESULTS ................................................69 A. SIMULATION...Time: Hypothetical Improvement Using a Real-Time Order Processing System Vice a Batch Order Processing System ................71 3. As-Is: The

A comparative study of biodegradability of a carcinogenic aromatic amine (4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane) with OECD 301 test methods.

PubMed

Mei, Cheng-Fang; Liu, Yan-Zhen; Long, Wei-Nian; Sun, Guo-Ping; Zeng, Guo-Qu; Xu, Mei-Ying; Luan, Tian-Gang

2015-01-01

4,4'-Diaminodiphenylmethane (MDA) is a widely used compound in industries. Studies on the biodegradability of MDA are necessary for environmental hazard identification and risk assessment. Previous studies have suggested that MDA was not readily biodegradable. In the present study, three batches of biodegradation tests (OECD 301A, B, D and F tests) were performed on MDA in June, August and December of 2012. MDA was found to be readily biodegradable and produced colored intermediates in the 301A, B and F test systems. MDA biodegradation measurements were consistent among the three batches of tests. Differences in the extent of biodegradation determined in different methods originated from different test conditions and assessment endpoints. The 301D test has stringent test conditions and is usually performed on chemicals that are toxic to microorganisms, so the test results obtained from 301D tests are less meaningful for evaluating the biodegradability of MDA. The low MDA biodegradation measurements in the 301B tests compared to the 301A and F tests were due to the assessment method, which did not account for MDA incorporation into biomass in its calculation of CO2 formation rate. The differences in the biodegradation rates, as measured by the different OECD 301 test systems, could also be related to the structure and properties of the chemical. For test substances that can be assessed by all OECD 301 test methods, the highest biodegradation values may be obtained from the 301A and F test methods. This study provides new information to assess the environmental fate in the risk assessment of MDA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PLA recycling by hydrolysis at high temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cristina, Annesini Maria; Rosaria, Augelletti; Sara, Frattari, E-mail: sara.frattari@uniroma1.it

In this work the process of PLA hydrolysis at high temperature was studied, in order to evaluate the possibility of chemical recycling of this polymer bio-based. In particular, the possibility to obtain the monomer of lactic acid from PLA degradation was investigated. The results of some preliminary tests, performed in a laboratory batch reactor at high temperature, are presented: the experimental results show that the complete degradation of PLA can be obtained in relatively low reaction times.

Direct data access protocols benchmarking on DPM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furano, Fabrizio; Devresse, Adrien; Keeble, Oliver; Mancinelli, Valentina

2015-12-01

The Disk Pool Manager is an example of a multi-protocol, multi-VO system for data access on the Grid that went though a considerable technical evolution in the last years. Among other features, its architecture offers the opportunity of testing its different data access frontends under exactly the same conditions, including hardware and backend software. This characteristic inspired the idea of collecting monitoring information from various testbeds in order to benchmark the behaviour of the HTTP and Xrootd protocols for the use case of data analysis, batch or interactive. A source of information is the set of continuous tests that are run towards the worldwide endpoints belonging to the DPM Collaboration, which accumulated relevant statistics in its first year of activity. On top of that, the DPM releases are based on multiple levels of automated testing that include performance benchmarks of various kinds, executed regularly every day. At the same time, the recent releases of DPM can report monitoring information about any data access protocol to the same monitoring infrastructure that is used to monitor the Xrootd deployments. Our goal is to evaluate under which circumstances the HTTP-based protocols can be good enough for batch or interactive data access. In this contribution we show and discuss the results that our test systems have collected under the circumstances that include ROOT analyses using TTreeCache and stress tests on the metadata performance.

Interpretation of size-exclusion chromatography for the determination of molecular-size distribution of human immunoglobulins.

PubMed

Christians, S; Schluender, S; van Treel, N D; Behr-Gross, M-E

2016-01-01

Molecular-size distribution by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) [1] is used for the quantification of unwanted aggregated forms in therapeutic polyclonal antibodies, referred to as human immunoglobulins (Ig) in the European Pharmacopoeia. Considering not only the requirements of the monographs for human normal Ig (0338, 0918 and 2788) [2-4], but also the general chapter on chromatographic techniques (2.2.46) [5], several chromatographic column types are allowed for performing this test. Although the EDQM knowledge database gives only 2 examples of suitable columns as a guide for the user, these monographs permit the use of columns with different lengths and diameters, and do not prescribe either particle size or pore size, which are considered key characteristics of SEC columns. Therefore, the columns used may differ significantly from each other with regard to peak resolution, potentially resulting in ambiguous peak identity assignment. In some cases, this may even lead to situations where the manufacturer and the Official Medicines Control Laboratory (OMCL) in charge of Official Control Authority Batch Release (OCABR) have differing molecular-size distribution profiles for aggregates of the same batch of Ig, even though both laboratories follow the requirements of the relevant monograph. In the present study, several formally acceptable columns and the peak integration results obtained therewith were compared. A standard size-exclusion column with a length of 60 cm and a particle size of 10 µm typically detects only 3 Ig fractions, namely monomers, dimers and polymers. This column type was among the first reliable HPLC columns on the market for this test and very rapidly became the standard for many pharmaceutical manufacturers and OMCLs for batch release testing. Consequently, the distribution of monomers, dimers and polymers was established as the basis for the interpretation of the results of the molecular-size distribution test in the relevant monographs. However, modern columns with a smaller particle size provide better resolution and also reveal a class of components designated here as oligomers. This publication addresses the interpretation of the SEC test for Ig with respect to the following questions: - how can molecular-size distribution tests benefit from the use of the most recent column technology without changing the sense of well-established quality parameters? - is it possible to mathematically define a way to interpret chromatograms generated with various column types with the same fractionation range but different resolution power? - how should oligomers be considered regarding compliance with compendial specifications?

Enhanced methane production via repeated batch bioaugmentation pattern of enriched microbial consortia.

PubMed

Yang, Zhiman; Guo, Rongbo; Xu, Xiaohui; Wang, Lin; Dai, Meng

2016-09-01

Using batch and repeated batch cultivations, this study investigated the effects of bioaugmentation with enriched microbial consortia (named as EMC) on methane production from effluents of hydrogen-producing stage of potato slurry, as well as on the indigenous bacterial community. The results demonstrated that the improved methane production and shift of the indigenous bacterial community structure were dependent on the EMC/sludge ratio and bioaugmentation patterns. The methane yield and production rate in repeated batch bioaugmentation pattern of EMC were, respectively, average 15% and 10% higher than in one-time bioaugmentation pattern of EMC. DNA-sequencing approach showed that the enhanced methane production in the repeated batch bioaugmentation pattern of EMC mainly resulted from the enriched iron-reducing bacteria and the persistence of the introduced Syntrophomonas, which led to a rapid degradation of individual VFAs to methane. The findings contributed to understanding the correlation between the bioaugmentation of microbial consortia, community shift, and methane production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Batch solar disinfection inactivates oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum and cysts of Giardia muris in drinking water.

PubMed

McGuigan, K G; Méndez-Hermida, F; Castro-Hermida, J A; Ares-Mazás, E; Kehoe, S C; Boyle, M; Sichel, C; Fernández-Ibáñez, P; Meyer, B P; Ramalingham, S; Meyer, E A

2006-08-01

To determine whether batch solar disinfection (SODIS) can be used to inactivate oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum and cysts of Giardia muris in experimentally contaminated water. Suspensions of oocysts and cysts were exposed to simulated global solar irradiation of 830 W m(-2) for different exposure times at a constant temperature of 40 degrees C. Infectivity tests were carried out using CD-1 suckling mice in the Cryptosporidium experiments and newly weaned CD-1 mice in the Giardia experiments. Exposure times of > or =10 h (total optical dose c. 30 kJ) rendered C. parvum oocysts noninfective. Giardia muris cysts were rendered completely noninfective within 4 h (total optical dose >12 kJ). Scanning electron microscopy and viability (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole/propidium iodide fluorogenic dyes and excystation) studies on oocysts of C. parvum suggest that inactivation is caused by damage to the oocyst wall. Results show that cysts of G. muris and oocysts of C. parvum are rendered completely noninfective after batch SODIS exposures of 4 and 10 h (respectively) and is also likely to be effective against waterborne cysts of Giardia lamblia. These results demonstrate that SODIS is an appropriate household water treatment technology for use as an emergency intervention in aftermath of natural or man-made disasters against not only bacterial but also protozoan pathogens.

Cocoa residues as viable biomass for renewable energy production through anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Acosta, Nayaret; De Vrieze, Jo; Sandoval, Verónica; Sinche, Danny; Wierinck, Isabella; Rabaey, Korneel

2018-05-31

The aim of this work was to evaluate the bioenergy potential of cocoa residue via anaerobic digestion. Batch and fed-batch lab-scale reactors were operated under low and high solids conditions. In the batch tests, 59 ± 4% of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was recovered as methane. This corresponded with an average methane yield of 174 (wet) and 193 (dry) L kg -1 volatile solids fed, whereas a series of fed-batch reactors produced 70 ± 24 (wet) and 107 ± 39 (dry) L CH 4  kg -1 volatile solids fed during stable conditions. A case study was developed for canton Balao (Ecuador) based on our experimental data, operational estimates and available cocoa waste in the area. Annually, 8341 MWh could be produced, meeting 88% of the current electricity demand in Balao. This case study proves the potential for cocoa waste as a source of renewable energy in rural areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of Batch Industrial Crystallization with Growth, Nucleation, and Agglomeration. Part 1: Modeling with Method of Characteristics.

PubMed

Porru, Marcella; Özkan, Leyla

2017-05-24

This paper develops a new simulation model for crystal size distribution dynamics in industrial batch crystallization. The work is motivated by the necessity of accurate prediction models for online monitoring purposes. The proposed numerical scheme is able to handle growth, nucleation, and agglomeration kinetics by means of the population balance equation and the method of characteristics. The former offers a detailed description of the solid phase evolution, while the latter provides an accurate and efficient numerical solution. In particular, the accuracy of the prediction of the agglomeration kinetics, which cannot be ignored in industrial crystallization, has been assessed by comparing it with solutions in the literature. The efficiency of the solution has been tested on a simulation of a seeded flash cooling batch process. Since the proposed numerical scheme can accurately simulate the system behavior more than hundred times faster than the batch duration, it is suitable for online applications such as process monitoring tools based on state estimators.

Neuro-estimator based GMC control of a batch reactive distillation.

PubMed

Prakash, K J Jithin; Patle, Dipesh S; Jana, Amiya K

2011-07-01

In this paper, an artificial neural network (ANN)-based nonlinear control algorithm is proposed for a simulated batch reactive distillation (RD) column. In the homogeneously catalyzed reactive process, an esterification reaction takes place for the production of ethyl acetate. The fundamental model has been derived incorporating the reaction term in the model structure of the nonreactive distillation process. The process operation is simulated at the startup phase under total reflux conditions. The open-loop process dynamics is also addressed running the batch process at the production phase under partial reflux conditions. In this study, a neuro-estimator based generic model controller (GMC), which consists of an ANN-based state predictor and the GMC law, has been synthesized. Finally, this proposed control law has been tested on the representative batch reactive distillation comparing with a gain-scheduled proportional integral (GSPI) controller and with its ideal performance (ideal GMC). Copyright © 2011 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of Batch Industrial Crystallization with Growth, Nucleation, and Agglomeration. Part 1: Modeling with Method of Characteristics

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This paper develops a new simulation model for crystal size distribution dynamics in industrial batch crystallization. The work is motivated by the necessity of accurate prediction models for online monitoring purposes. The proposed numerical scheme is able to handle growth, nucleation, and agglomeration kinetics by means of the population balance equation and the method of characteristics. The former offers a detailed description of the solid phase evolution, while the latter provides an accurate and efficient numerical solution. In particular, the accuracy of the prediction of the agglomeration kinetics, which cannot be ignored in industrial crystallization, has been assessed by comparing it with solutions in the literature. The efficiency of the solution has been tested on a simulation of a seeded flash cooling batch process. Since the proposed numerical scheme can accurately simulate the system behavior more than hundred times faster than the batch duration, it is suitable for online applications such as process monitoring tools based on state estimators. PMID:28603342

NMSBA Leveraged Project Interim Status Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivanov, Sergei A.

We have investigated the quality of copper particles available on the market today and determined their complete unsuitability to be used for copper inks, since all of them were significantly oxidized: there was only 50% of metallic copper in each batch and the rest was Cu 2O and CuO. To date, we have fully identified the challenges and developed the synthesis for large amounts of the copper ink precursor, namely, copper(I) mesityl. Currently, the amounts of tens of grams of the precursor have been obtained. From this precursor, four small batches of copper nanoparticles (50 mg each) have been synthesizedmore » to investigate the possibility of decreasing particle sensitivity to oxygen. These particles have been treated with different surface-stabilizing agents (namely, octylamine, oleylamine, pyridine, benzotriazole, and dodecanethiol) in order to investigate their influence on particle oxygen sensitivity. A batch of copper nanoparticles in the amount of 2 grams has also been synthesized in order to start preparation of test ink batches with different solvents, surfactants, and stabilizers.« less

Simultaneously bio treatment of textiles and food industries effluent at difference ratios with the aid of e-beam radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakar, Khomsaton Abu; Selambakkannu, Sarala; Ting, Teo Ming; Shariff, Jamaliah

2012-09-01

The combination of irradiation and biological technique was used to study COD, BOD5 and colour removal of textiles effluent in the presence of food industry wastewater at two different ratios. Two biological treatment system, the first consisting a mix of unirradiated textile and food industry wastewater and the second a mix of irradiated textile wastewater and food industry wastewater were operated in parallel. The experiment was conducted by batch. For the first batch the ratio was use for textile wastewater and food industry wastewater in biological treatment was 1:1. Meanwhile, for the second batch the ratio used for textile wastewater and food industry wastewater in biological treatment was 1:2. The results obtained for the first and second batch varies from each other. After irradiation, COD reduce in textile wastewater for the both batches are roughly 29% - 33% from the unirradiated wastewater. But after undergoing the biological treatment the percentage of COD reduction for first batch and second batch was 62.1% and 80.7% respectively. After irradiation the BOD5 of textile wastewater reduced by 22.2% for the first batch and 55.1% for the second batch. But after biological treatment, the BOD5 value for the first batch was same as its initial, 36mg/l and 40.4mg/l for the second batch. Colour had decreased from 899.5 ADMI to 379.3 ADMI after irradiation and decrease to 109.3 after undergoes biological treatment for the first batch. Meantime for the batch two, colour had decreased from 1000.44 ADMI to 363.40 ADMI after irradiation and dropped to 79.20 ADMI after biological treatment. The experiment show that 1:2 ratio show better reduction on COD, BOD5 and colour, compared to the ratio of 1:1.

Influence of quality control variables on failure of graphite/epoxy under extreme moisture conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, L. L.; Lee, P. R.

1980-01-01

Tension tests on graphite/epoxy composites were performed to determine the influence of various quality control variables on failure strength as a function of moisture and moderate temperatures. The extremely high and low moisture contents investigated were found to have less effect upon properties than did temperature or the quality control variables of specimen flaws and prepreg batch to batch variations. In particular, specimen flaws were found to drastically reduce the predicted strength of the composite, whereas specimens from different batches of prepreg displayed differences in strength as a function of temperature and extreme moisture exposure. The findings illustrate the need for careful specimen preparation, studies of flaw sensitivity, and careful quality control in any study of composite materials.

Coalesced chitosan activated carbon composite for batch and fixed-bed adsorption of cationic and anionic dyes.

PubMed

Auta, M; Hameed, B H

2013-05-01

A renewable waste tea activated carbon (WTAC) was coalesced with chitosan to form composite adsorbent used for waste water treatment. Adsorptive capacities of crosslinked chitosan beads (CCB) and its composite (WTAC-CCB) for Methylene blue dye (MB) and Acid blue 29 (AB29) were evaluated through batch and fixed-bed studies. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms were tested for the adsorption process and the experimental data were best fitted by Langmuir model and least by Freundlich model; the suitability of fitness was adjudged by the Chi-square (χ(2)) and Marquadt's percent standard deviation error functions. Judging by the values of χ(2), pseudo-second-order reaction model best described the adsorption process than pseudo-first-order kinetic model for MB/AB29 on both adsorbents. After five cycles of adsorbents desorption test, more than 50% WTAC-CCB adsorption efficiency was retained while CCB had <20% adsorption efficiency. The results of this study revealed that WTAC-CCB composite is a promising adsorbent for treatment of anionic and cationic dyes in effluent wastewaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mineralogical determination and geo-chemical modeling of chromium release from AOD slag: Distribution and leachability aspects.

PubMed

Li, Junguo; Liu, Bao; Zeng, Yanan; Wang, Ziming

2017-01-01

AOD (argon oxygen decarburization) slag, which is the by-product of the stainless steel refining process, is a recyclable slag because of its high content of calcium and silicon. The leaching toxicity cannot be ignored in the recycling process because the slag contains a certain amount of Cr. In this study, the mineral analysis, batch leaching tests and thermodynamic and kinetic modeling by PHREEQC combined with FactSage software were performed to explore the influence of the dissolution of primary minerals and the precipitation of secondary minerals on the elution of Cr from AOD slag. The results indicated that the main minerals in the original AOD slag are larnite, merwinite, pyroxene and periclase. Cr was dispersed in the mineral phases mentioned above. The simulation of Cr leaching controlled by Cr(III)-hydroxide corresponded better to the batch leaching tests, while the Cr leaching controlled by chromite or double control was underestimated. Increasing the L/S ratio enhances the pH of the leachate and restrains the elution of Cr from the AOD slag. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving cellulase productivity of Penicillium oxalicum RE-10 by repeated fed-batch fermentation strategy.

PubMed

Han, Xiaolong; Song, Wenxia; Liu, Guodong; Li, Zhonghai; Yang, Piao; Qu, Yinbo

2017-03-01

Medium optimization and repeated fed-batch fermentation were performed to improve the cellulase productivity by P. oxalicum RE-10 in submerged fermentation. First, Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and central composite design (CCD) were used to optimize the medium for cellulase production. PBD demonstrated wheat bran and NaNO 3 had significant influences on cellulase production. The CCD results showed the maximum filter paper activity (FPA) production of 8.61U/mL could be achieved in Erlenmeyer flasks. The maximal FPA reached 12.69U/mL by submerged batch fermentation in a 7.5-L stirred tank, 1.76-fold higher than that on the original medium. Then, the repeated fed-batch fermentation strategy was performed successfully for increasing the cellulase productivity from 105.75U/L/h in batch fermentation to 158.38U/L/h. The cellulase activity and the glucan conversion of delignined corn cob residue hydrolysis had no significant difference between the enzymes sampled from different cycles of the repeated fed-batch fermentation and that from batch culture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of using continuous chromatography in downstream processing: Comparison of costs and product quality for a hybrid process vs. a conventional batch process.

PubMed

Ötes, Ozan; Flato, Hendrik; Winderl, Johannes; Hubbuch, Jürgen; Capito, Florian

2017-10-10

The protein A capture step is the main cost-driver in downstream processing, with high attrition costs especially when using protein A resin not until end of resin lifetime. Here we describe a feasibility study, transferring a batch downstream process to a hybrid process, aimed at replacing batch protein A capture chromatography with a continuous capture step, while leaving the polishing steps unchanged to minimize required process adaptations compared to a batch process. 35g of antibody were purified using the hybrid approach, resulting in comparable product quality and step yield compared to the batch process. Productivity for the protein A step could be increased up to 420%, reducing buffer amounts by 30-40% and showing robustness for at least 48h continuous run time. Additionally, to enable its potential application in a clinical trial manufacturing environment cost of goods were compared for the protein A step between hybrid process and batch process, showing a 300% cost reduction, depending on processed volumes and batch cycles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neoprene pads for capping concrete cylinders.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

The possibility of using neoprene pads as an alternate to sulfur mortar for capping concrete specimens subjected to compression tests was investigated. In preliminary tests to determine the feasibility of the investigation, two batches of concrete we...

[A SAS marco program for batch processing of univariate Cox regression analysis for great database].

PubMed

Yang, Rendong; Xiong, Jie; Peng, Yangqin; Peng, Xiaoning; Zeng, Xiaomin

2015-02-01

To realize batch processing of univariate Cox regression analysis for great database by SAS marco program. We wrote a SAS macro program, which can filter, integrate, and export P values to Excel by SAS9.2. The program was used for screening survival correlated RNA molecules of ovarian cancer. A SAS marco program could finish the batch processing of univariate Cox regression analysis, the selection and export of the results. The SAS macro program has potential applications in reducing the workload of statistical analysis and providing a basis for batch processing of univariate Cox regression analysis.

Comparison of Reductive Dechlorination of Chlorinated Ethylene in Batch and Continuous-Flow Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, S.; Jonghwan, L.; Hong, U.; Kim, N.; Ahn, H.; Lee, S.; Kim, Y.

2010-12-01

A 1.28 L-Batch reactor and continuous-flow stirred tank reactor (CFSTR) fed with formate and trichloriethene (TCE) were operated for 120 days and 72 days, respectively, to study the effect of formate as electron donor on reductive dechlorination of TCE to cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (c-DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and ethylene (ETH). In batch reactor, injected 60 μmol TCE was completely degraded in presence of 20% hydrogen gas (H2) in less than 8 days by Evanite culture (300 mg-soluble protein) with ability to completely degrade tetrachloroethene (PCE) and TCE to ETH under anaerobic conditions. To determine the effect of formate as electron donor instead of H2, about 3 or 11 mmol of formate injected into batch-reactor every 15 days was enough to support H2 for dechlorination of c-DCE to VC and ETH. Soluble protein concentration of Evanite culture during the batch test increased from 300 mg to 688 mg for 120 days. In CFSTR test, TCE was fed continuously at 9.9 ppm (75.38 μmol/L) and the influent formate feed concentration increased stepwise from 1.3 mmol/L to 14.3 mmol/L. Injected TCE was accumulated at HRT 18 days for 13 days, but TCE was completed degraded at HRT 36 days without accumulation during left of experiment period, getting H2 from fermentative hydrogen production of injected formate. Although c-DCE was also accumulated for 23 days after CFSTR operation, it reached steady-state without accumulation in presence of excessive formate. However, since c-DCE in CFSTR was not completely dechlorinated, we will determine the transcriptional level of enzyme involved in reductive dechlorination of TCE, c-DCE, and VC in our future work.

Seven-Year Clinical Surveillance Program Demonstrates Consistent MARD Accuracy Performance of a Blood Glucose Test Strip.

PubMed

Setford, Steven; Grady, Mike; Mackintosh, Stephen; Donald, Robert; Levy, Brian

2018-05-01

MARD (mean absolute relative difference) is increasingly used to describe performance of glucose monitoring systems, providing a single-value quantitative measure of accuracy and allowing comparisons between different monitoring systems. This study reports MARDs for the OneTouch Verio® glucose meter clinical data set of 80 258 data points (671 individual batches) gathered as part of a 7.5-year self-surveillance program Methods: Test strips were routinely sampled from randomly selected manufacturer's production batches and sent to one of 3 clinic sites for clinical accuracy assessment using fresh capillary blood from patients with diabetes, using both the meter system and standard laboratory reference instrument. Evaluation of the distribution of strip batch MARD yielded a mean value of 5.05% (range: 3.68-6.43% at ±1.96 standard deviations from mean). The overall MARD for all clinic data points (N = 80 258) was also 5.05%, while a mean bias of 1.28 was recorded. MARD by glucose level was found to be consistent, yielding a maximum value of 4.81% at higher glucose (≥100 mg/dL) and a mean absolute difference (MAD) of 5.60 mg/dL at low glucose (<100 mg/dL). MARD by year of manufacture varied from 4.67-5.42% indicating consistent accuracy performance over the surveillance period. This 7.5-year surveillance program showed that this meter system exhibits consistently low MARD by batch, glucose level and year, indicating close agreement with established reference methods whilste exhibiting lower MARD values than continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and providing users with confidence in the performance when transitioning to each new strip batch.

[Improvement of municipal sewage sludge dewaterability by bioleaching: a pilot-scale study with sequence batch reaction model].

PubMed

Liu, Fen-Wu; Zhou, Li-Xiang; Zhou, Jun; Jiang, Feng; Wang, Dian-Zhan

2011-07-01

To observe the bioleaching effect on sewage sludge dewaterability, three consecutive batch bioleaching experiments were conducted through a bioleaching bio-reactor with 700 L of working volume. Subsequently, the bioleached sludge was dewatered by using chamber filter press. The results show that the 1st batch bioleaching process can be finished within 90 hours if the aeration amount was 1.2 m3/h with the 1: 15 mixing ratio of bioleached sludge to raw sludge. The pH of sludge declines from initial 6.11 to 2.33 while ORP increased from initial -134 mV to finial 507 mV. The specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of the tested sludge was decreased from original 1.00 x 10(13) m/kg to final 0.09 x 10(13) m/kg after bioleaching. For the subsequent two batch trials, the bioleaching process can be finished in 40 hours and 46 hours, respectively. Likewise, sludge SRF is also significantly decreased to 0.19 x 10(13) m/kg and 0.36 x 10(13) m/kg if the mixing ratio of bioleached sludge to fresh sludge is 1:1 although the microbial nutrient substance dosage is reduced by 25% and 50% for 2nd, and 3rd batch experiments, respectively. The harvested bioleached sludge from three batch trails is dewatered by chamber filter press with 0.3-0.4 MPa working pressure for 2 hours. It is found that the moisture of dewatered sludge cake can be reduced to 58%, and that the dewatered sludge cake is of khaki appearance and didn't emit any offensive odor. In addition, it is also observes that sludge organic matter only changed a bit from 52.9% to 48.0%, but 58% of sludge-borne Cu and 88% of sludge-borne Zn can be removed from sludge by bioleaching process. Therefore, dual goals for sludge-borne heavy metal removal and sludge dewatering of high efficiency can be achieved simultaneously through the approach mentioned above. Therefore, bioleaching technique is of great engineering application for the treatment of sewage sludge.

First report of Trichinella pseudospiralis in a red fox in mainland Britain.

PubMed

Learmount, Jane; Boughtflower, Valerie; Allanson, Peter C; Hartley, Kayleigh M; Gutierrez, Alba Barrecheguren; Stephens, Nathalie A; Marucci, Gianluca; Smith, Graham C

2015-03-15

Active surveillance of red foxes for Trichinella has been undertaken in mainland Britain since 1999. Post-mortems are carried out, followed by a magnetic stirrer method for sample digestion based on European Commission (EC) Regulation 216/2014 (which amends 2075/2005). Initially samples are tested in batches of 20 foxes and in December 2013, for the first time under the surveillance programme, a batch tested positive for Trichinella at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, York. Further individual tests identified one infected fox, from the Bristol area. The larvae were identified as Trichinella pseudospiralis. This is the first report of T. pseudospiralis in Great Britain and suggests the possibility of a cycle of infection existing in wildlife. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Minimizing makespan in a two-stage flow shop with parallel batch-processing machines and re-entrant jobs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, J. D.; Liu, J. J.; Chen, Q. X.; Mao, N.

2017-06-01

Against a background of heat-treatment operations in mould manufacturing, a two-stage flow-shop scheduling problem is described for minimizing makespan with parallel batch-processing machines and re-entrant jobs. The weights and release dates of jobs are non-identical, but job processing times are equal. A mixed-integer linear programming model is developed and tested with small-scale scenarios. Given that the problem is NP hard, three heuristic construction methods with polynomial complexity are proposed. The worst case of the new constructive heuristic is analysed in detail. A method for computing lower bounds is proposed to test heuristic performance. Heuristic efficiency is tested with sets of scenarios. Compared with the two improved heuristics, the performance of the new constructive heuristic is superior.

Improving tablet coating robustness by selecting critical process parameters from retrospective data.

PubMed

Galí, A; García-Montoya, E; Ascaso, M; Pérez-Lozano, P; Ticó, J R; Miñarro, M; Suñé-Negre, J M

2016-09-01

Although tablet coating processes are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, they often lack adequate robustness. Up-scaling can be challenging as minor changes in parameters can lead to varying quality results. To select critical process parameters (CPP) using retrospective data of a commercial product and to establish a design of experiments (DoE) that would improve the robustness of the coating process. A retrospective analysis of data from 36 commercial batches. Batches were selected based on the quality results generated during batch release, some of which revealed quality deviations concerning the appearance of the coated tablets. The product is already marketed and belongs to the portfolio of a multinational pharmaceutical company. The Statgraphics 5.1 software was used for data processing to determine critical process parameters in order to propose new working ranges. This study confirms that it is possible to determine the critical process parameters and create design spaces based on retrospective data of commercial batches. This type of analysis is thus converted into a tool to optimize the robustness of existing processes. Our results show that a design space can be established with minimum investment in experiments, since current commercial batch data are processed statistically.

[Investigation on the homogeneity and stability of quality controlling cosmetic samples containing arsenic].

PubMed

Dong, Bing; Song, Yu; Fan, Wenjia; Zhu, Ying

2010-11-01

To study the homogeneity and stability of arsenic in quality controlling cosmetic samples. Arsenic was determined by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometric method. The t-test and F-test were used to evaluate the significant difference of the within-bottle and between-bottle results with three batches. The RSDs of arsenic obtained in different time were compared with the relative expanding uncertainties to evaluate the stability. Average and variance of within-bottle and between-bottle results of arsenic were not different significantly. The RSDs of Arsenic were less than the relative expanding uncertainties. Quality controlling cosmetic samples containing arsenic were considered homogeneous and stable.

Transgenic crops get a test in the wild

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cherfas, J.

1991-02-22

A novel British research program called PROSAMO - Planned Release of Selected and Modified Organisms - has just produced its first batch of results on the ecological behavior of a genetically manipulated variety of oil seed rape (known to Americans as canola). As expected, the preliminary data indicate that these plants do not outgrow their competitors in the wild, nor is there any evidence that they pass on their foreign genes to other species. PROSAMO is moving on to test other crops with other foreign genes. If these results are as reassuring, scientists around the world will have solid evidencemore » with which to soothe fears.« less

Production of citric acid using its extraction wastewater treated by anaerobic digestion and ion exchange in an integrated citric acid-methane fermentation process.

PubMed

Xu, Jian; Chen, Yang-Qiu; Zhang, Hong-Jian; Tang, Lei; Wang, Ke; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Chen, Xu-Sheng; Mao, Zhong-Gui

2014-08-01

In order to solve the problem of extraction wastewater pollution in citric acid industry, an integrated citric acid-methane fermentation process is proposed in this study. Extraction wastewater was treated by mesophilic anaerobic digestion and then used to make mash for the next batch of citric acid fermentation. The recycling process was done for seven batches. Citric acid production (82.4 g/L on average) decreased by 34.1 % in the recycling batches (2nd-7th) compared with the first batch. And the residual reducing sugar exceeded 40 g/L on average in the recycling batches. Pigment substances, acetic acid, ammonium, and metal ions in anaerobic digestion effluent (ADE) were considered to be the inhibitors, and their effects on the fermentation were studied. Results indicated that ammonium, Na(+) and K(+) in the ADE significantly inhibited citric acid fermentation. Therefore, the ADE was treated by acidic cation exchange resin prior to reuse to make mash for citric acid fermentation. The recycling process was performed for ten batches, and citric acid productions in the recycling batches were 126.6 g/L on average, increasing by 1.7 % compared with the first batch. This process could eliminate extraction wastewater discharge and reduce water resource consumption.

Effects of dissolved oxygen level on cell growth and total lipid accumulation in the cultivation of Rhodotorula glutinis.

PubMed

Yen, Hong-Wei; Zhang, Zhiyong

2011-07-01

The total amount of lipids produced in Rhodotorula glutinis is a subject which has attracted increasing attention due to the potential biodiesel conversion from these microbial oils. The effects of the dissolved oxygen (DO) level in lipid accumulation were examined in this study. Variations of different medium volumes (30, 40 and 50ml) and shaking speed (60, 150 and 210rpm) in the flask trials were adopted to explore the DO effects on lipid production. All of the results revealed that a low DO could retard cell growth, while enhancing lipid accumulation. The 5l-fermentor results also confirm that a low DO (25 ± 10%) batch could have higher lipid content than that of high DO batch (60 ± 10%). Nevertheless, the DO level would not obviously affect the lipid composition profile. Oleic acid (C18:1) was the primary fatty acid in both batches. Due to the slow biomass growth rate resulting from the low DO, a two-stage DO controlled strategy (consisting of a high DO stage and following a low DO stage) was performed to improve the cell growth and lipid accumulation simultaneously. However, the strategy was not successful on the enhancement of total lipid production as compared to other batches. Conclusively, even a low DO could retard cell growth; the total production of lipids in the batch with low DO was higher that of the high DO batch due to the enhancement of lipid accumulation. Therefore, the batch operation of R. glutinis at the low DO was suggested for the purpose of lipid production. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Trona on the leaching of trace elements from coal fly ash.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-07-01

Fly ashes were sampled from the ESPs by on-site contractors during air emission control tests. The injection tests were short-term, : lasting approximately three hours per test condition. EPRI received three batches of samples since November 2011, re...

Cycom 977-2 Composite Material: Impact Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engel, Carl D.; Herald, Stephen; Watkins, Casey

2005-01-01

The reaction frequency data from 13A testing by MSFC and WSTF appear well behaved for the sample number used by each and exhibit the same type of energy level dependency. The reaction frequency shift in energy level is unexplained at this time. All the 13A data suggest that only a small amount of material is consumed when reactions take place. At ambient pressure, most of not all reactions are quenched as indicated by the small mass loss. As test pressure is increased in LOX using 13B results. Cycom does not support initiation of reactions or propagations of reactions in GOX at 100 psis based on tests at MSFC and WSTF at 72 ft-lb impact energy. No batch effect was identified in LOX or GOX.

Field Testing of Rapid Electrokinetic Nanoparticle Treatment for Corrosion Control of Steel in Concrete

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardenas, Henry E.; Alexander, Joshua B.; Kupwade-Patil,Kunal; Calle, Luz Marina

2009-01-01

This work field tested the use of electrokinetics for delivery of concrete sealing nanoparticles concurrent with the extraction of chlorides. Several cylinders of concrete were batched and placed in immersion at the Kennedy Space Center Beach Corrosion Test Site. The specimens were batched with steel reinforcement and a 4.5 wt.% (weight percent) content of sodium chloride. Upon arrival at Kennedy Space Center, the specimens were placed in the saltwater immersion pool at the Beach Corrosion Test Site. Following 30 days of saltwater exposure, the specimens were subjected to rapid chloride extraction concurrent with electrokinetic nanoparticle treatment. The treatments were operated at up to eight times the typical current density in order to complete the treatment in 7 days. The findings indicated that the short-term corrosion resistance of the concrete specimens was significantly enhanced as was the strength of the concrete.

Materials samples face rigors of space.

PubMed

Flinn, Edward D

2002-07-01

The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) is described. This project is designed to conduct long duration materials tests on samples attached to the ISS. A batch of 750 material samples were delivered on STS-105 and attached to the ISS airlock. They will be exposed to the space environment for 18 months and are slated to return on STS-114. A second batch of 750 samples is being prepared. The experiment containers were used originally for the Mir Environmental Effects Payload, which tested a variety of substances, including some slated for use on the ISS. Researchers are particularly interested in the effects of atomic oxygen on the samples. Some samples are being tested to determine their use in radiation protection. As part of the MISSE project, ultrathin tether materials are being tested for use on the Propulsive Small Expendable Depoloyer System (ProSEDS), which will use a tether system to change a satellite's orbital altitude.

Inorganic fouling mitigation by salinity cycling in batch reverse osmosis.

PubMed

Warsinger, David M; Tow, Emily W; Maswadeh, Laith A; Connors, Grace B; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Lienhard V, John H

2018-06-15

Enhanced fouling resistance has been observed in recent variants of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination which use time-varying batch or semi-batch processes, such as closed-circuit RO (CCRO) and pulse flow RO (PFRO). However, the mechanisms of batch processes' fouling resistance are not well-understood, and models have not been developed for prediction of their fouling performance. Here, a framework for predicting reverse osmosis fouling is developed by comparing the fluid residence time in batch and continuous (conventional) reverse osmosis systems to the nucleation induction times for crystallization of sparingly soluble salts. This study considers the inorganic foulants calcium sulfate (gypsum), calcium carbonate (calcite), and silica, and the work predicts maximum recovery ratios for the treatment of typical water sources using batch reverse osmosis (BRO) and continuous reverse osmosis. The prediction method is validated through comparisons to the measured time delay for CaSO 4 membrane scaling in a bench-scale, recirculating reverse osmosis unit. The maximum recovery ratio for each salt solution (CaCO 3 , CaSO 4 ) is individually predicted as a function of inlet salinity, as shown in contour plots. Next, the maximum recovery ratios of batch and conventional RO are compared across several water sources, including seawater, brackish groundwater, and RO brine. Batch RO's shorter residence times, associated with cycling from low to high salinity during each batch, enable significantly higher recovery ratios and higher salinity than in continuous RO for all cases examined. Finally, representative brackish RO brine samples were analyzed to determine the maximum possible recovery with batch RO. Overall, the induction time modeling methodology provided here can be used to allow batch RO to operate at high salinity and high recovery, while controlling scaling. The results show that, in addition to its known energy efficiency improvement, batch RO has superior inorganic fouling resistance relative to conventional RO. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do lab-derived distribution coefficient values of pesticides match distribution coefficient values determined from column and field-scale experiments? A critical analysis of relevant literature.

PubMed

Vereecken, H; Vanderborght, J; Kasteel, R; Spiteller, M; Schäffer, A; Close, M

2011-01-01

In this study, we analyzed sorption parameters for pesticides that were derived from batch and column or batch and field experiments. The batch experiments analyzed in this study were run with the same pesticide and soil as in the column and field experiments. We analyzed the relationship between the pore water velocity of the column and field experiments, solute residence times, and sorption parameters, such as the organic carbon normalized distribution coefficient ( ) and the mass exchange coefficient in kinetic models, as well as the predictability of sorption parameters from basic soil properties. The batch/column analysis included 38 studies with a total of 139 observations. The batch/field analysis included five studies, resulting in a dataset of 24 observations. For the batch/column data, power law relationships between pore water velocity, residence time, and sorption constants were derived. The unexplained variability in these equations was reduced, taking into account the saturation status and the packing status (disturbed-undisturbed) of the soil sample. A new regression equation was derived that allows estimating the values derived from column experiments using organic matter and bulk density with an value of 0.56. Regression analysis of the batch/column data showed that the relationship between batch- and column-derived values depends on the saturation status and packing of the soil column. Analysis of the batch/field data showed that as the batch-derived value becomes larger, field-derived values tend to be lower than the corresponding batch-derived values, and vice versa. The present dataset also showed that the variability in the ratio of batch- to column-derived value increases with increasing pore water velocity, with a maximum value approaching 3.5. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Quality evaluation of Hypericum ascyron extract by two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method.

PubMed

Li, Xiu-Mei; Luo, Xue-Gang; Zhang, Chao-Zheng; Wang, Nan; Zhang, Tong-Cun

2015-02-01

In this paper, a heart-cutting two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was established for controlling the quality of different batches of Hypericum ascyron extract for the first time. In comparison with the common one-dimensional fingerprint, the second-dimensional fingerprint compiled additional spectral data and was hence more informative. The quality of H. ascyron extract was further evaluated by similarity measures and the same results were achieved, the correlation coefficients of the similarity of ten batches of H. ascyron extract were ＞0.99. Furthermore, we also evaluated the quality of the ten batches of H. ascyron extract by antibacterial activity. The result demonstrated that the quality of the ten batches of H. ascyron extract was not significantly different by MTT. Finally, we demonstrated that the second-dimensional fingerprint coupled with the MTT method was a more powerful tool to characterize the quality of samples of batch to batch. Therefore the proposed method could be used to comprehensively conduct the quality control of traditional Chinese medicines. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Efficient arachidonic acid-rich oil production by Mortierella alpina through a repeated fed-batch fermentation strategy.

PubMed

Ji, Xiao-Jun; Zhang, Ai-Hui; Nie, Zhi-Kui; Wu, Wen-Jia; Ren, Lu-Jing; Huang, He

2014-10-01

Arachidonic acid (ARA)-rich oil production by Mortierella alpina is a long fermentation period needed process due to the low growth rate of the filamentous fungus used. This causes the low productivity of ARA-rich oil and hinders its industrial mass scale production. In the present study, different fed-batch strategies were conducted to shorten the fermentation period. The result showed that compared with the batch culture, the fermentation period was shortened from 7days to 5days with the productivity of ARA-rich oil increased from 0.9g/(L·d) to 1.3g/(L·d) by using the fed-batch fermentation strategy. Furthermore, repeated fed-batch fermentation strategy was adopted to achieve the purpose of continuous production. By using this strategy, the fermentation period was shortened from 40days to 26days in a four cycle repeated fed-batch fermentation. This strategy proved to be convenient and economical for ARA-rich oil commercial production process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stepwise heating in Stille polycondensation toward no batch-to-batch variations in polymer solar cell performance.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Myeon; Park, Kwang Hyun; Jung, Seungon; Park, Hyesung; Yang, Changduk

2018-05-14

For a given π-conjugated polymer, the batch-to-batch variations in molecular weight (M w ) and polydispersity index (Ð) can lead to inconsistent process-dependent material properties and consequent performance variations in the device application. Using a stepwise-heating protocol in the Stille polycondensation in conjunction with optimized processing, we obtained an ultrahigh-quality PTB7 polymer having high M w and very narrow Ð. The resulting ultrahigh-quality polymer-based solar cells demonstrate up to 9.97% power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), which is over 24% enhancement from the control devices fabricated with commercially available PTB7. Moreover, we observe almost negligible batch-to-batch variations in the overall PCE values from ultrahigh-quality polymer-based devices. The proposed stepwise polymerization demonstrates a facile and effective strategy for synthesizing high-quality semiconducting polymers that can significantly improve device yield in polymer-based solar cells, an important factor for the commercialization of organic solar cells, by mitigating device-to-device variations.

Pre-Clinical Testing of New Hydroxybutyrate Analogues

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

representative of any past or future Batches/Lots. The methodology and/or techniques of analysis used to obtailrthese results may or may not be...purpose. For additional information regarding this product and its analysis , please contact your Eastman representative. This material is NOT for human...COMPOSITION INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS (Typical romposition is given. and it may vaty. A cerlifica /8 of analysis em be provided, if avalabl8.) WeiQht

Overall effect of carbon production and nutrient release in sludge holding tank on mainstream biological nutrient removal efficiency.

PubMed

Jabari, Pouria; Yuan, Qiuyan; Oleszkiewicz, Jan A

2017-09-11

The potential of hydrolysis/fermentation of activated sludge in sludge holding tank (SHT) to produce additional carbon for the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process was investigated. The study was conducted in anaerobic batch tests using the BNR sludge (from a full-scale Westside process) and the mixture of BNR sludge with conventional non-BNR activated sludge (to have higher biodegradable particulate chemical oxygen demand (bpCOD) in sludge). The BioWin 4.1 was used to simulate the anaerobic batch test of the BNR sludge. Also, the overall effect of FCOD production and nutrient release on BNR efficiency of the Westside process was estimated. The experimental results showed that the phosphorous uptake of sludge increased during hydrolysis/ fermentation condition up to the point when poly-P was completely utilized; afterwards, it decreased significantly. The BioWin simulation could not predict the loss of aerobic phosphorous uptake after poly-P was depleted. The results showed that in the case of activated sludge with relatively higher bpCOD (originating from plants with short sludge retention time or without primary sedimentation), beneficial effect of SHT on BNR performance is feasible. In order to increase the potential of SHT to enhance BNR efficiency, a relatively low retention time and high sludge load is recommended.

A novel bioaugmentation strategy to accelerate methanogenesis via adding Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA in anaerobic digestion system.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuo; Chang, Jiali; Liu, Wei; Pan, Yiran; Cui, Kangping; Chen, Xi; Liang, Peng; Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Wu, Qing; Qiu, Yong; Huang, Xia

2018-06-12

Based on the new syntrophic methanogenesis route via direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), a novel bioaugmentation method by adding exoelectrogenic Geobacter species to accelerate methanogenesis was developed in this study. Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA, type exoelectrogenic strain of Geobacter species was chosen for the research. To clarify the effect of G. sulfurreducens on methanogenesis, batch tests of CH 4 production were carried out. Acetate, the most typical precursor of methanogenesis was chosen as the substrate of batch tests. Amendment of G. sulfurreducens accelerated CH 4 production remarkably. The lag phase of CH 4 production was shortened, and the maximum CH 4 production rate was increased by 78%. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that G. sulfurreducens closely gathered with methanogens. For the archaeal communities, the high-throughput sequencing results demonstrated that Methanosaetaceae and Methanobacteriaceae were potential bioaugmented methanogens. We speculated that the accelerated methanogenesis by adding G. sulfurreducens may result from the syntrophic association between G. sulfurreducens and methanogens affiliated with Methanosaetaceae and Methanobacteriaceae. This research provides a new route to enhance methanogenesis through the utilization of G. sulfurreducens. Through this study, the role of Geobacter in the anaerobic engineering and carbon cycling of nature should be paid more attention. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers for monitoring phenanthrene in stormwater.

PubMed

Dou, Yueqin; Zhang, Tian C; Zeng, Jing; Stansbury, John; Moussavi, Massoum; Richter-Egger, Dana L; Klein, Mitchell R

2016-04-01

Pollution from highway stormwater runoff has been an increasing area of concern. Many structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been implemented for stormwater treatment and management. One challenge for these BMPs is to sample stormwater and monitor BMP performance. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers (PSs) for sampling phenanthrene (PHE) in highway stormwater runoff and BMPs. Tests were conducted using batch reactors, glass-tube columns, and laboratory-scale BMPs (bioretention cells). Results indicate that sorption for PHE by PUF is mainly linearly relative to time, and the high sorption capacity allows the PUF passive sampler to monitor stormwater events for months or years. The PUF passive samplers could be embedded in BMPs for monitoring influent and effluent PHE concentrations. Models developed to link the results of batch and column tests proved to be useful for determining removal or sorption parameters and performance of the PUF-PSs. The predicted removal efficiencies of BMPs were close to the real values obtained from the control columns with errors ranging between -8.46 and 1.52%. This research showed that it is possible to use PUF passive samplers for sampling stormwater and monitoring the performance of stormwater BMPs, which warrants the field-scale feasibility studies in the future.

Parameter identification of thermophilic anaerobic degradation of valerate.

PubMed

Flotats, Xavier; Ahring, Birgitte K; Angelidaki, Irini

2003-01-01

The considered mathematical model of the decomposition of valerate presents three unknown kinetic parameters, two unknown stoichiometric coefficients, and three unknown initial concentrations for biomass. Applying a structural identifiability study, we concluded that it is necessary to perform simultaneous batch experiments with different initial conditions for estimating these parameters. Four simultaneous batch experiments were conducted at 55 degrees C, characterized by four different initial acetate concentrations. Product inhibition of valerate degradation by acetate was considered. Practical identification was done optimizing the sum of the multiple determination coefficients for all measured state variables and for all experiments simultaneously. The estimated values of kinetic parameters and stoichiometric coefficients were characterized by the parameter correlation matrix, the confidence interval, and the student's t-test at 5% significance level with positive results except for the saturation constant, for which more experiments for improving its identifiability should be conducted. In this article, we discuss kinetic parameter estimation methods.

Coal desulfurization by low temperature chlorinolysis, phase 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Rohatgi, N. K.; Ernest, J.

1981-01-01

Laboratory scale, bench scale batch reactor, and minipilot plant tests were conducted on 22 bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coals. Chemical pretreatment and post treatment of coals relative to the chlorination were tried as a means of enhancing desulfurization by the chlorinolysis process. Elevated temperature (500-700 C) hydrogen treatment of chlorinolysis-processed coal at atmospheric pressure was found to substantially increase coal desulfurization up to 90 percent. Sulfur forms, proximate and ultimate analyses of the processed coal are included. Minipilot plant operation indicates that the continuous flow reactor provides coal desulfurization results comparable to those obtained in the batch reactor. Seven runs were conducted at coal feed rates of 1.5 to 8.8 kg per hour using water and methylchloroform solvents, gaseous chlorine feed of 3 to 31.4 SCFH at 21 to 70 C, and atmospheric pressure for retention times of 20 to 120 minutes.

Removal of mercury from an alumina refinery aqueous stream.

PubMed

Mullett, Mark; Tardio, James; Bhargava, Suresh; Dobbs, Charles

2007-06-01

Digestion condensate is formed as a by-product of the alumina refinery digestion process. The solution exhibits a high pH and is chemically reducing, containing many volatile species such as water, volatile organics, ammonia, and mercury. Because digestion condensate is chemically unique, an innovative approach was required to investigate mercury removal. The mercury capacity and adsorption kinetics were investigated using a number of materials including gold, silver and sulphur impregnated silica and a silver impregnated carbon. The results were compared to commercial sorbents, including extruded and powdered virgin activated carbons and a sulphur impregnated mineral. Nano-gold supported on silica (88% removal under batch conditions and 95% removal under flow conditions) and powdered activated carbon (91% under batch conditions and 98% removal under flow conditions) were the most effective materials investigated. The silver and sulphur impregnated materials were unstable in digestion condensate under the test conditions used.

Authentication of Trappist beers by LC-MS fingerprints and multivariate data analysis.

PubMed

Mattarucchi, Elia; Stocchero, Matteo; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Giordano, Giuseppe; Reniero, Fabiano; Guillou, Claude

2010-12-08

The aim of this study was to asses the applicability of LC-MS profiling to authenticate a selected Trappist beer as part of a program on traceability funded by the European Commission. A total of 232 beers were fingerprinted and classified through multivariate data analysis. The selected beer was clearly distinguished from beers of different brands, while only 3 samples (3.5% of the test set) were wrongly classified when compared with other types of beer of the same Trappist brewery. The fingerprints were further analyzed to extract the most discriminating variables, which proved to be sufficient for classification, even using a simplified unsupervised model. This reduced fingerprint allowed us to study the influence of batch-to-batch variability on the classification model. Our results can easily be applied to different matrices and they confirmed the effectiveness of LC-MS profiling in combination with multivariate data analysis for the characterization of food products.

Batch and dynamic sorption of Ni(II) ions by activated carbon based on a native lignocellulosic precursor.

PubMed

Nabarlatz, Debora; de Celis, Jorge; Bonelli, Pablo; Cukierman, Ana Lea

2012-04-30

Vinal-derived Activated Carbon (VAC) developed by phosphoric acid activation of sawdust from Prosopis ruscifolia native wood was tested for the adsorption of Ni(II) ions from dilute solutions in both batch and dynamic modes, comparing it with a Commercial Activated Carbon (CAC). Batch experiments were performed to determine adsorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms for both carbons. It was possible to remove near 6.55 mg Ni g(-1) VAC and 7.65 mg Ni g(-1) CAC after 5 h and 10 h contact time, respectively. A pseudo second order equation fitted well with the kinetics of the process, and Langmuir adsorption model was used to adjust the experimental results concerning the adsorption isotherm. The parameters obtained indicate a stronger interaction between sorbent and sorbate for VAC (K = 26.56 L mmol(-1)) than for CAC (K = 19.54 L mmol(-1)). Continuous experiments were performed in a fixed-bed column packed with the investigated carbons, evaluating the influence of operational parameters such as flow rate, bed height and feed concentration on the breakthrough curves obtained. The breakthrough occurred more slowly for low concentrations of the metal ion in the feed, low flow rates and high bed height. The breakthrough curves were properly represented by Hall's model for both carbon types. Regeneration of the vinal activated carbon in column was tested, obtaining the same breakthrough curve in a new cycle of use. Finally, vinal-derived activated carbon can effectively be used to treat wastewater having until 30 ppm Ni(II). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Heat Recuperation in a Concentric Hydrogen Reduction Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linne, Diane; Kleinhenz, Julie; Hegde, Uday

2012-01-01

Heat recuperation in an ISRU reactor system involves the recovery of heat from a reacted regolith batch by transferring this energy into a batch of fresh regolith. One concept for a hydrogen reduction reactor is a concentric chamber design where heat is transferred from the inner, reaction chamber into fresh regolith in the outer, recuperation chamber. This concept was tested and analyzed to define the overall benefit compared to a more traditional single chamber batch reactor. Data was gathered for heat-up and recuperation in the inner chamber alone, simulating a single chamber design, as well as recuperation into the outer chamber, simulating a dual chamber design. Experimental data was also used to improve two analytical models, with good agreement for temperature behavior during recuperation, calculated mass of the reactor concepts, and energy required during heat-up. The five tests, performed using JSC-1A regolith simulant, also explored the effectiveness of helium gas fluidization, hydrogen gas fluidization, and vibrational fluidization. Results indicate that higher hydrogen volumetric flow rates are required compared to helium for complete fluidization and mixing, and that vibrational fluidization may provide equivalent mixing while eliminating the need to flow large amounts of excess hydrogen. Analysis of the total energy required for heat-up and steady-state operations for a variety of conditions and assumptions shows that the dual-chamber concept requires the same or more energy than the single chamber concept. With no clear energy savings, the added mass and complexity of the dual-chamber makes it unlikely that this design concept will provide any added benefit to the overall ISRU oxygen production system.

Determination of oxidant exposure during ozonation of secondary effluent to predict contaminant removal.

PubMed

Zucker, Ines; Avisar, Dror; Mamane, Hadas; Jekel, Martin; Hübner, Uwe

2016-09-01

The use of kinetic models to predict oxidation performance in wastewater is limited due to fast ozone depletion during the first milliseconds of the reaction. This paper introduces the Quench Flow Module (QFM), a bench-scale experimental technique developed to measure the first 5-500 milliseconds of ozone depletion for accurate determination of ozone exposure in wastewater-ozonation processes. Calculated ozone exposure in QFM experiments was up to 24% lower than in standard batch experiments, strongly depending on the initial sampling point for measurement in batch experiments. However, oxidation rates of slowly- and moderately-reacting trace organic compounds (TrOCs) were accurately predicted from batch experiments based on integration of ozone depletion and removal of an ozone-resistant probe compound to calculate oxidant exposures. An alternative concept, where ozone and hydroxyl radical exposures are back-calculated from the removal of two probe compounds, was tested as well. Although the QFM was suggested to be an efficient mixing reactor, ozone exposure ranged over three orders of magnitude when different probe compounds reacting moderately with ozone were used for the calculation. These effects were beyond uncertainty ranges for apparent second order rate constants and consistently observed with different ozone-injection techniques, i.e. QFM, batch experiments, bubble columns and venturi injection. This indicates that previously suggested mixing effects are not responsible for the difference and other still unknown factors might be relevant. Results furthermore suggest that ozone exposure calculations from the relative residual concentration of a probe compound are not a promising option for evaluation of ozonation of secondary effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study on the Reuse of Plastic Concrete Using Extended Set-Retarding Admixtures.

PubMed

Lobo, Colin; Guthrie, William F; Kacker, Raghu

1995-01-01

The disposal of ready mixed concrete truck wash water and returned plastic concrete is a growing concern for the ready mixed concrete industry. Recently, extended set-retarding admixtures, or stabilizers, which slow or stop the hydration of portland cement have been introduced to the market. Treating truck wash-water or returned plastic concrete with stabilizing admixtures delays its setting and hardening, thereby facilitating the incorporation of these typically wasted materials in subsequent concrete batches. In a statistically designed experiment, the properties of blended concrete containing stabilized plastic concrete were evaluated. The variables in the study included (1) concrete age when stabilized, (2) stabilizer dosage, (3) holding period of the treated (stabilized) concrete prior to blending with fresh ingredients, and (4) amount of treated concrete in the blended batch. The setting time, strength, and drying shrinkage of the blended concretes were evaluated. For the conditions tested, batching 5 % treated concrete with fresh material did not have a significant effect on the setting time, strength, or drying shrinkage of the resulting blended concrete. Batching 50 % treated concrete with fresh materials had a significant effect on the setting characteristics of the blended cocnrete, which in turn affected the water demand to maintain slump. The data suggests that for a known set of conditions, the stabilizer dosage can be optimized within a relatively narrow range to produce desired setting characteristics. The strength and drying shrinkage of the blended concretes were essentially a function of the water content at different sampling ages and the relationship followed the general trend of control concrete.

A Study on the Reuse of Plastic Concrete Using Extended Set-Retarding Admixtures

PubMed Central

Lobo, Colin; Guthrie, William F.; Kacker, Raghu

1995-01-01

The disposal of ready mixed concrete truck wash water and returned plastic concrete is a growing concern for the ready mixed concrete industry. Recently, extended set-retarding admixtures, or stabilizers, which slow or stop the hydration of portland cement have been introduced to the market. Treating truck wash-water or returned plastic concrete with stabilizing admixtures delays its setting and hardening, thereby facilitating the incorporation of these typically wasted materials in subsequent concrete batches. In a statistically designed experiment, the properties of blended concrete containing stabilized plastic concrete were evaluated. The variables in the study included (1) concrete age when stabilized, (2) stabilizer dosage, (3) holding period of the treated (stabilized) concrete prior to blending with fresh ingredients, and (4) amount of treated concrete in the blended batch. The setting time, strength, and drying shrinkage of the blended concretes were evaluated. For the conditions tested, batching 5 % treated concrete with fresh material did not have a significant effect on the setting time, strength, or drying shrinkage of the resulting blended concrete. Batching 50 % treated concrete with fresh materials had a significant effect on the setting characteristics of the blended cocnrete, which in turn affected the water demand to maintain slump. The data suggests that for a known set of conditions, the stabilizer dosage can be optimized within a relatively narrow range to produce desired setting characteristics. The strength and drying shrinkage of the blended concretes were essentially a function of the water content at different sampling ages and the relationship followed the general trend of control concrete. PMID:29151762

In vitro encystment of Himasthla elongata cercariae (Digenea, Echinostomatidae) in the haemolymph of blue mussels Mytilus edulis as a tool for assessing cercarial infectivity and molluscan susceptibility.

PubMed

Levakin, I A; Losev, E A; Nikolaev, K E; Galaktionov, K V

2013-06-01

Infectivity of Himasthla elongata cercariae to mussels, their second intermediate hosts, and resistance by these hosts to infection were assessed on the basis of the cercariae's ability to encyst in mussel haemolymph in vitro. A series of experimental in vivo infections of mussels with batches of cercariae, each batch released from a different single infected mollusc and referred to as a clone (due to their shared genotype), demonstrated that the results of the in vitro tests corresponded to the actual indices of infectivity/susceptibility of the parasites and their hosts. Most cercarial clones had high infectivity, with a few clones having very high or, at the other extreme, very low infectivity. A similar pattern was revealed in mussel resistance to cercarial infection. Most of the molluscs tested were moderately susceptible to cercarial infection, but at each extreme a small fraction (less than 10%) displayed very high or very low susceptibility. It was shown that there were no totally compatible or totally incompatible 'cercaria clone/mussel' combinations. Results obtained are compared with the data on intra-population variability using the characters parasite infectivity/host compatibility for trematode/mollusc-first intermediate host associations. Results are made relevant to actual infection levels in mussel settlements at the White Sea.

Effect of the concentration of essential oil on orange peel waste biomethanization: Preliminary batch results.

PubMed

Calabrò, P S; Pontoni, L; Porqueddu, I; Greco, R; Pirozzi, F; Malpei, F

2016-02-01

The cultivation of orange (Citrus×sinensis) and its transformation is a major industry in many countries in the world, it leads to the production of about 25-30Mt of orange peel waste (OPW) per year. Until now many options have been proposed for the management of OPW but although they are technically feasible, in many cases their economic/environmental sustainability is questionable. This paper analyse at lab scale the possibility of using OPW as a substrate for anaerobic digestion. Specific objectives are testing the possible codigestion with municipal biowaste, verifying the effect on methane production of increasingly high concentration of orange essential oil (EO, that is well known to have antioxidant properties that can slower or either inhibit biomass activity) and obtaining information on the behaviour of d-limonene, the main EO component, during anaerobic digestion. The results indicate that OPW can produce up to about 370LnCH4/kgVS in mesophilic conditions and up to about 300LnCH4/kgVS in thermophilic conditions. The presence of increasingly high concentrations of EO temporary inhibits methanogenesis, but according to the results of batch tests, methane production restarts while d-limonene is partially degraded through a pathway that requires its conversion into p-cymene as the main intermediate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial counts of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus and Gryllodes sigillatus) from different rearing companies and different production batches.

PubMed

Vandeweyer, D; Crauwels, S; Lievens, B; Van Campenhout, L

2017-02-02

The rising interest in insects for human consumption and the changing regulations in Europe require a profound insight into the food safety of insects reared and sold in Western society. The microbial quality of edible insects has only been studied occasionally. This study aimed at generating an overview of intrinsic parameters (pH, water activity and moisture content) and microbial quality of fresh mealworm larvae and crickets for several rearing companies and for several batches per rearer. In total, 21 batches obtained from 7 rearing companies were subjected to analysis of intrinsic parameters, a range of plate counts and presence-absence tests for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. The microbial counts of the fresh insects were generally high. Different rearing batches from a single rearing company showed differences in microbial counts which could not be explained by variations in intrinsic properties. The largest variations were found in numbers of bacterial endospores, psychrotrophs and fungi. Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not detected in any of the samples. Altogether, our study shows that large variations were found between batches from individual rearers. As a consequence, no overall differences between rearers could be observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between microbiological and serological prevalence of human pathogenic Yersinia spp. in pigs and pig batches.

PubMed

Vanantwerpen, Gerty; Berkvens, Dirk; De Zutter, Lieven; Houf, Kurt

2015-07-09

Pigs are the main reservoir of human pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, and the microbiological and serological prevalence of this pathogen differs between pig farms. The infection status of pig batches at moment of slaughter is unknown while it is a possibility to classify batches. A relation between the presence of human pathogenic Yersinia spp. and the presence of antibodies could help to predict the infection of the pigs prior to slaughter. Pigs from 100 different batches were sampled. Tonsils and pieces of diaphragm were collected from 7047 pigs (on average 70 pigs per batch). The tonsils were analyzed using a direct plating method and the meat juice collected from the pieces of diaphragm was analyzed by Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay. The microbiological and serological results were compared using a mixed-effects logistic regression at pig and batch level. Yersinia spp. were found in 2031 (28.8%) pigs, antibodies were present in 4692 (66.6%) pigs. According to the logistic regression, there was no relation at pig level between the presence of Yersinia spp. in tonsils and the presence of antibodies. Contrarily, at batch level, a mean activity value of 37 Optical Density (OD)% indicated a Yersinia spp. positive farm and the microbiological prevalence in pig batches could be estimated before shipment to the slaughterhouse. This offers the opportunity to classify batches based on their potential risk to contaminate carcasses with human pathogenic Yersinia spp. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recommendations of the VAC2VAC workshop on the design of multi-centre validation studies.

PubMed

Halder, Marlies; Depraetere, Hilde; Delannois, Frédérique; Akkermans, Arnoud; Behr-Gross, Marie-Emmanuelle; Bruysters, Martijn; Dierick, Jean-François; Jungbäck, Carmen; Kross, Imke; Metz, Bernard; Pennings, Jeroen; Rigsby, Peter; Riou, Patrice; Balks, Elisabeth; Dobly, Alexandre; Leroy, Odile; Stirling, Catrina

2018-03-01

Within the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI 2) project VAC2VAC (Vaccine batch to vaccine batch comparison by consistency testing), a workshop has been organised to discuss ways of improving the design of multi-centre validation studies and use the data generated for product-specific validation purposes. Moreover, aspects of validation within the consistency approach context were addressed. This report summarises the discussions and outlines the conclusions and recommendations agreed on by the workshop participants. Copyright © 2018.

Sludge Settling Rate Observations and Projections at the Savannah River Site - 13238

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gillam, Jeffrey M.; Shah, Hasmukh B.; Keefer, Mark T.

2013-07-01

Since 2004, sludge batches have included a high percentage of stored sludge generated from the H- modified (HM) process. The slow-settling nature of HM sludge means that the settling is often the major part of the washing tank quiescent period between required pump runs to maintain flammability control. Reasonable settling projections are needed to wash soluble salts from sludge in an efficient manner, to determine how much sludge can be washed in a batch within flammability limits, and to provide composition projections for batch qualification work done in parallel with field preparation. Challenges to providing reasonably accurate settling projections includemore » (1) large variations in settling behavior from tank-to-tank, (2) accounting for changing initial concentrations, sludge masses, and combinations of different sludge types, (3) changing the settling behavior upon dissolving some sludge compounds, and (4) sludge preparation schedules that do not allow for much data collection for a particular sludge before washing begins. Scaling from laboratory settling tests has provided inconsistent results. Several techniques have been employed to improve settling projections and therefore the overall batch preparation efficiency. Before any observations can be made on a particular sludge mixture, projections can only be made based on historical experience with similar sludge types. However, scaling techniques can be applied to historical settling models to account for different sludge masses, concentrations, and even combinations of types of sludge. After sludge washing/settling cycles begin, the direct measurement of the sludge height, once generally limited to a single turbidity meter measurement per settle period, is now augmented by examining the temperature profile in the settling tank, to help determine the settled sludge height over time. Recently, a settling model examined at PNNL [1,2,3] has been applied to observed thermocouple and turbidity meter readings to quickly provide settling correlations to project settled heights for other conditions. These tools improve the accuracy and adaptability of short and mid-range planning for sludge batch preparation. (authors)« less

Assessment of NASA Dual Microstructure Heat Treatment Method for Multiple Forging Batch Heat Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gayda, John (Technical Monitor); Lemsky, Joe

2004-01-01

NASA dual microstructure heat treatment technology previously demonstrated on single forging heat treat batches of a generic disk shape was successfully demonstrated on a multiple disk batch of a production shape component. A group of four Rolls-Royce Corporation 3rd Stage AE2100 forgings produced from alloy ME209 were successfully dual microstructure heat treated as a single heat treat batch. The forgings responded uniformly as evidenced by part-to-part consistent thermocouple recordings and resultant macrostructures, and from ultrasonic examination. Multiple disk DMHT processing offers a low cost alternative to other published dual microstructure processing techniques.

Testing of veterinary clostridial vaccines: from mouse to microtitre plate.

PubMed

Redhead, K; Wood, K; Jackson, K

2012-01-01

Vaccines to protect against clostridial diseases are among the most common veterinary biologicals. Each batch of these materials is subjected to a variety of toxicity and antigenicity tests. The potency of the final vaccine is then assessed by Toxin Neutralisation Test (TNT). All of these tests use mice and have lethal endpoints. Development of alternatives for potency testing was based on ELISAs able to measure antibody levels to the specific toxins relative to a standard serum with a defined unitage. These alternative assays were shown to correlate with the relevant TNTs and have been accepted by European Regulatory Authorities as batch release potency tests. Recently we have developed in vitro cell line alternatives for the toxicity and antigenicity tests for Cl. septicum using the VERO cell line. With this cell line it has been possible to develop in vitro assays which, when compared with the in vivo tests, gave correlations of 87% to 100%. Having shown proof of principle, similar cell line assays have been developed for Cl. novyi and Cl. perfringens types C and D.

Waste Water for Power Generation via Energy Efficient Selective Silica Separations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nenoff, Tina M.; Brady, Patrick Vane; Sasan, Koroush

Silica is ubiquitous in produced and industrial waters, and plays a major disruptive role in water recycle. Herein we have investigated the use of mixed oxides for the removal of silica from these waters, and their incorporation into a low cost and low energy water purification process. High selectivity hydrotalcite (HTC, (Mg 6Al 2(OH) 16(CO 3)•4H 2O)), is combined in series with high surface area active alumina (AA, (Al 2O 3)) as the dissolved silica removal media. Batch test results indicated that combined HTC/AA is a more effective method for removing silica from industrial cooling tower wasters (CTW) than usingmore » HTC or AA separately. The silica uptake via ion exchange on the mixed oxides was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Furthermore, HTC/AA effectively removes silica from CTW even in the presence of large concentrations of competing anions, such as Cl -, NO 3 - HCO 3 -, CO 3 2- and SO 4 2-. Similar to batch tests, Single Path Flow Through (SPFT) tests with sequential HTC/AA column filtration has very high silica removal too. Technoeconomic Analysis (TEA) was simultaneously performed for cost comparisons to existing silica removal technologies.« less

Rapid detection of frozen-then-thawed minced beef using multispectral imaging and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ropodi, Athina I; Panagou, Efstathios Z; Nychas, George-John E

2018-01-01

In recent years, fraud detection has become a major priority for food authorities, as fraudulent practices can have various economic and safety consequences. This work explores ways of identifying frozen-then-thawed minced beef labeled as fresh in a rapid, large-scale and cost-effective way. For this reason, freshly-ground beef was purchased from seven separate shops at different times, divided in fifteen portions and placed in Petri dishes. Multi-spectral images and FTIR spectra of the first five were immediately acquired while the remaining were frozen (-20°C) and stored for 7 and 32days (5 samples for each time interval). Samples were thawed and subsequently subjected to similar data acquisition. In total, 105 multispectral images and FTIR spectra were collected which were further analyzed using partial least-squares discriminant analysis and support vector machines. Two meat batches (30 samples) were reserved for independent validation and the remaining five batches were divided in training and test set (75 samples). Results showed 100% overall correct classification for test and external validation MSI data, while FTIR data yielded 93.3 and 96.7% overall correct classification for FTIR test set and external validation set respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the repeatability and border-plate effects of the B158/B60 enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay for the detection of circulating antigens (Ag-ELISA) of Taenia saginata.

PubMed

Jansen, Famke; Dorny, Pierre; Berkvens, Dirk; Van Hul, Anke; Van den Broeck, Nick; Makay, Caroline; Praet, Nicolas; Gabriël, Sarah

2016-08-30

The monoclonal antibody-based circulating antigen detecting ELISA (B158/B60 Ag-ELISA) has been used elaborately in several studies for the diagnosis of human, bovine and porcine cysticercosis. Interpretation of test results requires a good knowledge of the test characteristics, including the repeatability and the effect of the borders of the ELISA plates. Repeatability was tested for 4 antigen-negative and 5 antigen-positive reference bovine serum samples by calculating the Percentage Coefficient of Variation (%CV) within and between plates, within and between runs, overall, for two batches of monoclonal antibodies and by 2 laboratory technicians. All CV values obtained were below 20% (except one: 24.45%), which indicates a good repeatability and a negligible technician error. The value of 24.45% for indicating the variability between batches of monoclonal antibodies for one positive sample is still acceptable for repeatability measures. Border effects were determined by calculating the %CV values between the inner and outer wells of one plate for 2 positive serum samples. Variability is a little more present in the outer wells but this effect is very small and no significant border effect was found. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance of the auxotrophic Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 as host for the production of IL-1β in aerated fed-batch reactor: role of ACA supplementation, strain viability, and maintenance energy

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 is an auxotrophic commonly used strain. In this work it has been used as host for the expression and secretion of human interleukin-1β (IL1β), using the cell wall protein Pir4 as fusion partner. To achieve high cell density and, consequently, high product yield, BY4741 [PIR4-IL1β] was cultured in an aerated fed-batch reactor, using a defined mineral medium supplemented with casamino acids as ACA (auxotrophy-complementing amino acid) source. Also the S. cerevisiae mutant BY4741 Δyca1 [PIR4-IL1β], carrying the deletion of the YCA1 gene coding for a caspase-like protein involved in the apoptotic response, was cultured in aerated fed-batch reactor and compared to the parental strain, to test the effect of this mutation on strain robustness. Viability of the producer strains was examined during the runs and a mathematical model, which took into consideration the viable biomass present in the reactor and the glucose consumption for both growth and maintenance, was developed to describe and explain the time-course evolution of the process for both, the BY4741 parental and the BY4741 Δyca1 mutant strain. Results Our results show that the concentrations of ACA in the feeding solution, corresponding to those routinely used in the literature, are limiting for the growth of S. cerevisiae BY4741 [PIR4-IL1β] in fed-batch reactor. Even in the presence of a proper ACA supplementation, S. cerevisiae BY4741 [PIR4-IL1β] did not achieve a high cell density. The Δyca1 deletion did not have a beneficial effect on the overall performance of the strain, but it had a clear effect on its viability, which was not impaired during fed-batch operations, as shown by the kd value (0.0045 h-1), negligible if compared to that of the parental strain (0.028 h-1). However, independently of their robustness, both the parental and the Δyca1 mutant ceased to grow early during fed-batch runs, both strains using most of the available carbon source for maintenance, rather than for further proliferation. The mathematical model used evidenced that the energy demand for maintenance was even higher in the case of the Δyca1 mutant, accounting for the growth arrest observed despite the fact that cell viability remained comparatively high. Conclusions The paper points out the relevance of a proper ACA formulation for the outcome of a fed-batch reactor growth carried out with S. cerevisiae BY4741 [PIR4-IL1β] strain and shows the sensitivity of this commonly used auxotrophic strain to aerated fed-batch operations. A Δyca1 disruption was able to reduce the loss of viability, but not to improve the overall performance of the process. A mathematical model has been developed that is able to describe the behaviour of both the parental and mutant producer strain during fed-batch runs, and evidence the role played by the energy demand for maintenance in the outcome of the process. PMID:20042083

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Newell, J; Miller, D; Stone, M

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked to provide an assessment of the downstream impacts to the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) of decisions regarding the implementation of Al-dissolution to support sludge mass reduction and processing. Based on future sludge batch compositional projections from the Liquid Waste Organization's (LWO) sludge batch plan, assessments have been made with respect to the ability to maintain comparable projected operating windows for sludges with and without Al-dissolution. As part of that previous assessment, candidate frits were identified to provide insight into melt rate for average sludge batches representing with and without Al-dissolution flowsheets.more » Initial melt rate studies using the melt rate furnace (MRF) were performed using five frits each for Cluster 2 and Cluster 4 compositions representing average without and with Al-dissolution. It was determined, however, that the REDOX endpoint (Fe{sup 2+}/{Sigma}Fe for the glass) for Clusters 2 and 4 resulted in an overly oxidized feed which negatively affected the initial melt rate tests. After the sludge was adjusted to a more reduced state, additional testing was performed with frits that contained both high and low concentrations of sodium and boron oxides. These frits were selected strictly based on the ability to ascertain compositional trends in melt rate and did not necessarily apply to any acceptability criteria for DWPF processing. The melt rate data are in general agreement with historical trends observed at SRNL and during processing of SB3 (Sludge Batch 3)and SB4 in DWPF. When MAR acceptability criteria were applied, Frit 510 was seen to have the highest melt rate at 0.67 in/hr for Cluster 2 (without Al-dissolution), which is compositionally similar to SB4. For Cluster 4 (with Al-dissolution), which is compositionally similar to SB3, Frit 418 had the highest melt rate at 0.63 in/hr. Based on this data, there appears to be a slight advantage of the Frit 510 based system without Al-dissolution relative to the Frit 418 based system with Al-dissolution. Though the without aluminum dissolution scenario suggests a slightly higher melt rate with frit 510, several points must be taken into consideration: (1) The MRF does not have the ability to assess liquid feeds and, thus, rheology impacts. Instead, the MRF is a 'static' test bed in which a mass of dried melter feed (SRAT product plus frit) is placed in an 'isothermal' furnace for a period of time to assess melt rate. These conditions, although historically effective in terms of identifying candidate frits for specific sludge batches and mapping out melt rate versus waste loading trends, do not allow for assessments of the potential impact of feed rheology on melt rate. That is, if the rheological properties of the slurried melter feed resulted in the mounding of the feed in the melter (i.e., the melter feed was thick and did not flow across the cold cap), melt rate and/or melter operations (i.e., surges) could be negatively impacted. This could affect one or both flowsheets. (2) Waste throughput factors were not determined for Frit 510 and Frit 418 over multiple waste loadings. In order to provide insight into the mission life versus canister count question, one needs to define the maximum waste throughput for both flowsheets. Due to funding limitations, the melt rate testing only evaluated melt rate at a fixed waste loading. (3) DWPF will be processing SB5 through their facility in mid-November 2008. Insight into the over arching questions of melt rate, waste throughput, and mission life can be obtained directly from the facility. It is recommended that processing of SB5 through the facility be monitored closely and that data be used as input into the decision making process on whether to implement Al-dissolution for future sludge batches.« less

Detecting potential impacts of deep subsurface CO2 injection on shallow drinking water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smyth, R. C.; Yang, C.; Romanak, K.; Mickler, P. J.; Lu, J.; Hovorka, S. D.

2012-12-01

Presented here are results from one aspect of collective research conducted at Gulf Coast Carbon Center, BEG, Jackson School at UT Austin. The biggest hurdle to public acceptance of CCS is to show that drinking water resources will not be impacted. Since late 1990s our group has been supported by US DOE NETL and private industry to research how best to detect potential impacts to shallow (0 to ~0.25 km) subsurface drinking water from deep (~1 to 3.5 km) injection of CO2. Work has and continues to include (1) field sampling and testing, (2) laboratory batch experiments, (3) geochemical modeling. The objective has been to identify the most sensitive geochemical indicators using data from research-level investigations, which can be economically applied on an industrial-scale. The worst-case scenario would be introduction of CO2 directly into drinking water from a leaking wellbore at a brownfield site. This is unlikely for a properly screened and/or maintained site, but needs to be considered. Our results show aquifer matrix (carbonate vs. clastic) to be critical to interpretation of pH and carbonate (DIC, Alkalinity, and δ13C of DIC) parameters because of the influence of water-rock reaction (buffering vs. non-buffering) on aqueous geochemistry. Field groundwater sampling sites to date are Cranfield, MS and SACROC, TX CO2-EOR oilfields. Two major aquifer types are represented, one dominated by silicate (Cranfield) and the other by carbonate (SACROC) water-rock reactions. We tested sensitivity of geochemical indicators (pH, DIC, Alkalinity, and δ13C of DIC) by modeling the effects of increasing pCO2 on aqueous geochemistry, and laboratory batch experiments, both with partial pressure of CO2 gas (pCO2) at 1x105 Pa (1 atm). Aquifer matrix and groundwater data provided constraints for the geochemical models. We used results from modeling and batch experiments to rank geochemical parameter sensitivity to increased pCO2 into weakly, mildly and strongly sensitive categories for both aquifer systems. DIC concentration is strongly sensitive to increased pCO2 for both aquifers; however, CO2 outgassing during sampling complicates direct field measurement of DIC. Interpretation of data from in-situ push-pull aquifer tests is ongoing and will be used to augment results summarized here. We are currently designing groundwater monitoring plans for two additional industrial-scale sites where we will further test the sensitivity and utility of our sampling approach.

Dermal penetration and metabolism of p-aminophenol and p-phenylenediamine: application of the EpiDerm human reconstructed epidermis model.

PubMed

Hu, Ting; Bailey, Ruth E; Morrall, Stephen W; Aardema, Marilyn J; Stanley, Lesley A; Skare, Julie A

2009-07-24

To address the provision of the 7th Amendment to the EU Cosmetics Directive banning the use of in vivo genotoxicity assays for testing cosmetic ingredients in 2009, the 3D EpiDerm reconstructed human skin micronucleus assay has been developed. To further characterise the EpiDerm tissue for potential use in genotoxicity testing, we have evaluated the dermal penetration and metabolism of two hair dye ingredients, p-aminophenol (PAP) and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) in this reconstructed epidermis model. When EpiDerm tissue was topically exposed to PAP or PPD for 30 min (typical for a hair dye exposure), the majority (80->90%) of PAP or PPD was excluded from skin tissue and removed by rinsing. After a 23.5h recovery period, the PAP fraction that did penetrate was completely N-acetylated to acetaminophen (APAP). Similarly, 30 min topical application of PPD resulted in the formation of the N-mono- and N,N'-diacetylated metabolites of PPD. These results are consistent with published data on the dermal metabolism of these compounds from other in vitro systems as well as from in vivo studies. When tissue was exposed topically (PAP) or via the culture media (PPD) for 24h, there was good batch-to-batch and donor-to-donor reproducibility in the penetration and metabolism of PAP and PPD. Overall, the results demonstrate that these two aromatic amines are biotransformed in 3D EpiDerm tissue via N-acetylation. Characterising the metabolic capability of EpiDerm tissue is important for the evaluation of this model for use in genotoxicity testing.

Long-term biological hydrogen production by agar immobilized Rhodobacter capsulatus in a sequential batch photobioreactor.

PubMed

Elkahlout, Kamal; Alipour, Siamak; Eroglu, Inci; Gunduz, Ufuk; Yucel, Meral

2017-04-01

In this study, agar immobilization technique was employed for biological hydrogen production using Rhodobacter capsulatus DSM 1710 (wild type) and YO3 (hup-mutant) strains in sequential batch process. Different agar and glutamate concentrations were tested with defined nutrient medium. Agar concentration 4% (w/v) and 4 mM glutamate were selected for bacterial immobilization in terms of rate and longevity of hydrogen production. Acetate concentration was increased from 40 to 60-100 and 60 mM gave best results with both bacterial strains immobilized in 4% (w/v) agar. Cell concentration was increased from 2.5 to 5 mg dcw mL -1 agar and it was found that increasing cell concentration of wild-type strain caused decrease in yield and productivity while these parameters improved by increasing cell concentration of mutant strain. Also, the hydrogen production time has extended from 17 days up to 60 days according to the process conditions and parameters. Hydrogen production by immobilized photosynthetic bacteria is a convenient technology for hydrogen production as it enables to produce hydrogen with high organic acid concentrations comparing to suspended cultures. Besides, immobilization increases the stability of the system and allowed sequential batch operation for long-term application.

An innovative approach to the safety evaluation of natural products: cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) leaf aqueous extract as a case study.

PubMed

Booth, Nancy L; Kruger, Claire L; Wallace Hayes, A; Clemens, Roger

2012-09-01

Assessment of safety for a food or dietary ingredient requires determination of a safe level of ingestion compared to the estimated daily intake from its proposed uses. The nature of the assessment may require the use of different approaches, determined on a case-by-case basis. Natural products are chemically complex and challenging to characterize for the purpose of carrying out a safety evaluation. For example, a botanical extract contains numerous compounds, many of which vary across batches due to changes in environmental conditions and handling. Key components integral to the safety evaluation must be identified and their variability established to assure that specifications are representative of a commercial product over time and protective of the consumer; one can then extrapolate the results of safety studies on a single batch of product to other batches that are produced under similar conditions. Safety of a well-characterized extract may be established based on the safety of its various components. When sufficient information is available from the public literature, additional toxicology testing is not necessary for a safety determination on the food or dietary ingredient. This approach is demonstrated in a case study of an aqueous extract of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) leaves. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Geographically distributed Batch System as a Service: the INDIGO-DataCloud approach exploiting HTCondor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiftimiei, D. C.; Antonacci, M.; Bagnasco, S.; Boccali, T.; Bucchi, R.; Caballer, M.; Costantini, A.; Donvito, G.; Gaido, L.; Italiano, A.; Michelotto, D.; Panella, M.; Salomoni, D.; Vallero, S.

2017-10-01

One of the challenges a scientific computing center has to face is to keep delivering well consolidated computational frameworks (i.e. the batch computing farm), while conforming to modern computing paradigms. The aim is to ease system administration at all levels (from hardware to applications) and to provide a smooth end-user experience. Within the INDIGO- DataCloud project, we adopt two different approaches to implement a PaaS-level, on-demand Batch Farm Service based on HTCondor and Mesos. In the first approach, described in this paper, the various HTCondor daemons are packaged inside pre-configured Docker images and deployed as Long Running Services through Marathon, profiting from its health checks and failover capabilities. In the second approach, we are going to implement an ad-hoc HTCondor framework for Mesos. Container-to-container communication and isolation have been addressed exploring a solution based on overlay networks (based on the Calico Project). Finally, we have studied the possibility to deploy an HTCondor cluster that spans over different sites, exploiting the Condor Connection Broker component, that allows communication across a private network boundary or firewall as in case of multi-site deployments. In this paper, we are going to describe and motivate our implementation choices and to show the results of the first tests performed.

Combined statistical analyses for long-term stability data with multiple storage conditions: a simulation study.

PubMed

Almalik, Osama; Nijhuis, Michiel B; van den Heuvel, Edwin R

2014-01-01

Shelf-life estimation usually requires that at least three registration batches are tested for stability at multiple storage conditions. The shelf-life estimates are often obtained by linear regression analysis per storage condition, an approach implicitly suggested by ICH guideline Q1E. A linear regression analysis combining all data from multiple storage conditions was recently proposed in the literature when variances are homogeneous across storage conditions. The combined analysis is expected to perform better than the separate analysis per storage condition, since pooling data would lead to an improved estimate of the variation and higher numbers of degrees of freedom, but this is not evident for shelf-life estimation. Indeed, the two approaches treat the observed initial batch results, the intercepts in the model, and poolability of batches differently, which may eliminate or reduce the expected advantage of the combined approach with respect to the separate approach. Therefore, a simulation study was performed to compare the distribution of simulated shelf-life estimates on several characteristics between the two approaches and to quantify the difference in shelf-life estimates. In general, the combined statistical analysis does estimate the true shelf life more consistently and precisely than the analysis per storage condition, but it did not outperform the separate analysis in all circumstances.

Adsorption experiment of toxic micro-pollutants derived from automobiles using red soil.

PubMed

Kawai, Takahiro; Ichiki, Atsushi; Sawada, Yasunori

2015-01-01

In some countries, non-point source pollution derived from a city's economic activities tends to be a barrier to the improvement of water quality. Roadway runoff is known to contain toxic micro-pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Conversely, red soil is known to adsorb some organic matter. In this study, artificial roadway runoff water containing toxic micro-pollutants was made using roadway dust collected from a highway, and used for both batch-type tests and soil column tests with red soil in order to understand adsorption ability of the red soil on such toxic micro-pollutants, especially PAHs. In the batch-type tests, PAHs could be removed by approximately 40% when the contact time was 90 minutes. In the soil column tests, PAHs were removed by more than 80% while suspended solids were removed by more than 90%. Notably, PAHs with a high molecular weight were removed more readily in the tests than PAHs with a low molecular weight.

40 CFR Appendix I to Part 204 - Appendix I to Part 204

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... plane composition: Operating speed as tested: Beginning of test rpm End of test rpm Air pressure... acceptance not permitted for this number of batches. Table IV—Recommended Format for Portable Air Compressor... capacity: cfm (m3/in). Configuration identification: Category identification: Portable air compressor...

40 CFR Appendix I to Part 204 - Appendix I to Part 204

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... plane composition: Operating speed as tested: Beginning of test rpm End of test rpm Air pressure... acceptance not permitted for this number of batches. Table IV—Recommended Format for Portable Air Compressor... capacity: cfm (m3/in). Configuration identification: Category identification: Portable air compressor...

40 CFR Appendix I to Part 204 - Appendix I to Part 204

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... plane composition: Operating speed as tested: Beginning of test rpm End of test rpm Air pressure... acceptance not permitted for this number of batches. Table IV—Recommended Format for Portable Air Compressor... capacity: cfm (m3/in). Configuration identification: Category identification: Portable air compressor...

Collaborative study for the establishment of the Ph. Eur. Hepatitis E virus RNA for NAT testing biological reference preparation batch 1.

PubMed

Baylis, S A; Terao, E; Blümel, J; Hanschmann, K-M O

2017-01-01

A new European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) biological reference preparation (BRP) had to be established further to the decision to include nucleic acid testing (NAT) for the detection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA in the monograph Human plasma (pooled and treated for virus inactivation) (1646). To this purpose, an international collaborative study was launched in the framework of the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP) of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) and the Commission of the European Union (EU). The study was run in conjunction with the establishment of the 1 st World Health Organization (WHO) international reference panel (IRP) for hepatitis E virus RNA genotypes (8578/13). Twenty-three laboratories used in-house developed and commercially available assays to calibrate a lyophilised candidate BRP prepared from a HEV 3f strain positive human plasma against the 1 st WHO International Standard (IS) for HEV RNA (6329/10). Results from quantitative and qualitative assays were in good agreement and were combined to calculate an assigned potency. Real-time stability studies indicated that the candidate BRP is very stable at lower temperatures and is thus suitable for long-term use. Based on these results, in February 2016, the Ph. Eur. Commission adopted the candidate material as the hepatitis E virus RNA for NAT testing BRP batch 1, with an assigned unitage of 2.1 × 10 4 IU/vial (4.32 log 10 IU/vial).

Direct infusion mass spectrometry metabolomics dataset: a benchmark for data processing and quality control

PubMed Central

Kirwan, Jennifer A; Weber, Ralf J M; Broadhurst, David I; Viant, Mark R

2014-01-01

Direct-infusion mass spectrometry (DIMS) metabolomics is an important approach for characterising molecular responses of organisms to disease, drugs and the environment. Increasingly large-scale metabolomics studies are being conducted, necessitating improvements in both bioanalytical and computational workflows to maintain data quality. This dataset represents a systematic evaluation of the reproducibility of a multi-batch DIMS metabolomics study of cardiac tissue extracts. It comprises of twenty biological samples (cow vs. sheep) that were analysed repeatedly, in 8 batches across 7 days, together with a concurrent set of quality control (QC) samples. Data are presented from each step of the workflow and are available in MetaboLights. The strength of the dataset is that intra- and inter-batch variation can be corrected using QC spectra and the quality of this correction assessed independently using the repeatedly-measured biological samples. Originally designed to test the efficacy of a batch-correction algorithm, it will enable others to evaluate novel data processing algorithms. Furthermore, this dataset serves as a benchmark for DIMS metabolomics, derived using best-practice workflows and rigorous quality assessment. PMID:25977770

Assessing the use of food coloring as an appropriate visual guide for homogenously mixed capsule powders in extemporaneous compounding.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Brittany; Carlson, Christie; Rao, Deepa A

2014-01-01

The purpose of this work was to assess the use of food colors as a visual aid to determine homogeneous mixing in the extemporaneous preparation of capsules. Six different batches of progesterone slow-release 200-mg capsules were prepared by different mixing methods until visually determined as homogeneous based on yellow food coloring distribution in the preparation by the Central Iowa Compounding Pharmacy, Des Moines, Iowa. UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to extract and evaluate yellow food coloring content in each of these batches and compared to an in-house, small-batch geometric dilution preparation of progesterone slow- release 200-mg capsules. Of the 6 batches tested, only one, which followed the principles of additive dilution and an appropriate mixing time, was both visually and quantitatively homogeneous in the detection of yellow food coloring. The use of food coloring alone is not a valid quality-assurance tool in determining homogeneous mixing. Principles of geometric and/or additive dilution and appropriate mixing times along with the food color can serve as a quality-assurance tool.

Harnessing dark fermentative hydrogen from pretreated mixture of food waste and sewage sludge under sequencing batch mode.

PubMed

Nam, Joo-Youn; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Kim, Sang-Hyoun; Lee, Wontae; Shin, Hang-Sik; Kim, Hyun-Woo

2016-04-01

Food waste and sewage sludge are the most abundant and problematic organic wastes in any society. Mixture of these two wastes may provide appropriate substrate condition for dark fermentative biohydrogen production based on synergistic mutual benefits. This work evaluates continuous hydrogen production from the cosubstrate of food waste and sewage sludge to verify mechanisms of performance improvement in anaerobic sequencing batch reactors. Volatile solid concentration and mixing ratio of food waste and sludge were adjusted to 5 % and 80:20, respectively. Five different hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 36, 42, 48, 72, and 108 h were tested using anaerobic sequencing batch reactors to find out optimal operating condition. Results show that the best performance was achieved at HRT 72 h, where the hydrogen yield, the hydrogen production rate, and hydrogen content were 62.0 mL H2/g VS, 1.0 L H2/L/day, and ~50 %, respectively. Sufficient solid retention time (143 h) and proper loading rate (8.2 g COD/L/day as carbohydrate) at HRT 72h led to the enhanced performance with better hydrogen production showing appropriate n-butyrate/acetate (B/A) ratio of 2.6. Analytical result of terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed that specific peaks associated with Clostridium sp. and Bacillus sp. were strongly related to enhanced hydrogen production from the cosubstrate of food waste and sewage sludge.

A waste characterisation procedure for ADM1 implementation based on degradation kinetics.

PubMed

Girault, R; Bridoux, G; Nauleau, F; Poullain, C; Buffet, J; Steyer, J-P; Sadowski, A G; Béline, F

2012-09-01

In this study, a procedure accounting for degradation kinetics was developed to split the total COD of a substrate into each input state variable required for Anaerobic Digestion Model n°1. The procedure is based on the combination of batch experimental degradation tests ("anaerobic respirometry") and numerical interpretation of the results obtained (optimisation of the ADM1 input state variable set). The effects of the main operating parameters, such as the substrate to inoculum ratio in batch experiments and the origin of the inoculum, were investigated. Combined with biochemical fractionation of the total COD of substrates, this method enabled determination of an ADM1-consistent input state variable set for each substrate with affordable identifiability. The substrate to inoculum ratio in the batch experiments and the origin of the inoculum influenced input state variables. However, based on results modelled for a CSTR fed with the substrate concerned, these effects were not significant. Indeed, if the optimal ranges of these operational parameters are respected, uncertainty in COD fractionation is mainly limited to temporal variability of the properties of the substrates. As the method is based on kinetics and is easy to implement for a wide range of substrates, it is a very promising way to numerically predict the effect of design parameters on the efficiency of an anaerobic CSTR. This method thus promotes the use of modelling for the design and optimisation of anaerobic processes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methane production from food waste leachate in laboratory-scale simulated landfill.

PubMed

Behera, Shishir Kumar; Park, Jun Mo; Kim, Kyeong Ho; Park, Hung-Suck

2010-01-01

Due to the prohibition of food waste landfilling in Korea from 2005 and the subsequent ban on the marine disposal of organic sludge, including leachate generated from food waste recycling facilities from 2012, it is urgent to develop an innovative and sustainable disposal strategy that is eco-friendly, yet economically beneficial. In this study, methane production from food waste leachate (FWL) in landfill sites with landfill gas recovery facilities was evaluated in simulated landfill reactors (lysimeters) for a period of 90 d with four different inoculum-substrate ratios (ISRs) on volatile solid (VS) basis. Simultaneous biochemical methane potential batch experiments were also conducted at the same ISRs for 30 d to compare CH(4) yield obtained from lysimeter studies. Under the experimental conditions, a maximum CH(4) yield of 0.272 and 0.294 L/g VS was obtained in the batch and lysimeter studies, respectively, at ISR of 1:1. The biodegradability of FWL in batch and lysimeter experiments at ISR of 1:1 was 64% and 69%, respectively. The calculated data using the modified Gompertz equation for the cumulative CH(4) production showed good agreement with the experimental result obtained from lysimeter study. Based on the results obtained from this study, field-scale pilot test is required to re-evaluate the existing sanitary landfills with efficient leachate collection and gas recovery facilities as engineered bioreactors to treat non-hazardous liquid organic wastes for energy recovery with optimum utilization of facilities. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 158.260 - Experimental use permit data requirements for environmental fate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Leaching and adsorption/desorption R NR NR NR R NR TGAI or PAIRA 3 (d) Test notes. The following test notes... cranberry bogs and rice paddies. 3. Adsorption and desorption using a batch equilibrium method is preferred...

40 CFR 158.260 - Experimental use permit data requirements for environmental fate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Leaching and adsorption/desorption R NR NR NR R NR TGAI or PAIRA 3 (d) Test notes. The following test notes... cranberry bogs and rice paddies. 3. Adsorption and desorption using a batch equilibrium method is preferred...

40 CFR 158.260 - Experimental use permit data requirements for environmental fate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Leaching and adsorption/desorption R NR NR NR R NR TGAI or PAIRA 3 (d) Test notes. The following test notes... cranberry bogs and rice paddies. 3. Adsorption and desorption using a batch equilibrium method is preferred...

40 CFR 158.260 - Experimental use permit data requirements for environmental fate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Leaching and adsorption/desorption R NR NR NR R NR TGAI or PAIRA 3 (d) Test notes. The following test notes... cranberry bogs and rice paddies. 3. Adsorption and desorption using a batch equilibrium method is preferred...

Actual Waste Demonstration of the Nitric-Glycolic Flowsheet for Sludge Batch 9 Qualification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. D. Newell; Pareizs, J. M.; Martino, C. J.

For each sludge batch that is processed in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performs qualification testing to demonstrate that the sludge batch is processable. Testing performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory has shown glycolic acid to be effective in replacing the function of formic acid in the DWPF chemical process. The nitric-glycolic flowsheet reduces mercury, significantly lowers the catalytic generation of hydrogen and ammonia which could allow purge reduction in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT), stabilizes the pH and chemistry in the SRAT and the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME), allowsmore » for effective rheology adjustment, and is favorable with respect to melter flammability. In order to implement the new flowsheet, SRAT and SME cycles, designated SC-18, were performed using a Sludge Batch (SB) 9 slurry blended from SB8 Tank 40H and Tank 51H samples. The SRAT cycle involved adding nitric and glycolic acids to the sludge, refluxing to steam strip mercury, and dewatering to a targeted solids concentration. Data collected during the SRAT cycle included offgas analyses, process temperatures, heat transfer, and pH measurements. The SME cycle demonstrated the addition of glass frit and the replication of six canister decontamination additions. The demonstration concluded with dewatering to a targeted solids concentration. Data collected during the SME cycle included offgas analyses, process temperatures, heat transfer, and pH measurements. Slurry and condensate samples were collected for subsequent analysis« less

Evaluation of the repeatability of a crude adult indirect Ostertagia ostertagi ELISA and methods of expressing test results.

PubMed

Sanchez, J; Dohoo, I R; Markham, F; Leslie, K; Conboy, G

2002-10-16

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies against Ostertagia ostertagi using a crude adult worm antigen was evaluated using serum and milk samples from adult cows, as well as from bulk tank milk. Within and between plate repeatabilities were determined. In addition, the effects of factors such as antigen batch, freezing, preserving of the samples and somatic cell counts (SCCs) of the samples were evaluated. Raw optical densities (ODs) and normalized values were compared using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), the coefficient of variation (CV), Bland-Altman plots (BA). Based on raw OD values, there was a high repeatability within a plate (CCC approximately 0.96 and CV<10%). Repeatability between plates was evaluated following normalization of OD values by four methods. Computing normalized values as (OD-Nt)/(Pst-Nt), gave the most repeatable results, with the CCC being approximately 0.95 and the CV approximately 11%. When the OD values were higher than 1.2 and 0.3 for the positive and the negative controls, respectively, none of the normalization methods evaluated provided highly repeatable results and it was necessary to repeat the test. Two batches of the crude antigen preparation were evaluated for repeatability, and no difference was found (CCC=0.96). The use of preservative (bronopol) did not affect test results, nor did freezing the samples for up to 8 months. A significant positive relationship between ELISA OD for milk samples and SCC score was found. Therefore, the use of composite milk samples, which have less variable SCC than samples taken from each quarter, would be more suitable when the udder health status is unknown. The analytical methods used to evaluate repeatability provided a practical way to select among normalization procedures.

Optical Tracking Data Validation and Orbit Estimation for Sparse Observations of Satellites by the OWL-Net.

PubMed

Choi, Jin; Jo, Jung Hyun; Yim, Hong-Suh; Choi, Eun-Jung; Cho, Sungki; Park, Jang-Hyun

2018-06-07

An Optical Wide-field patroL-Network (OWL-Net) has been developed for maintaining Korean low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites' orbital ephemeris. The OWL-Net consists of five optical tracking stations. Brightness signals of reflected sunlight of the targets were detected by a charged coupled device (CCD). A chopper system was adopted for fast astrometric data sampling, maximum 50 Hz, within a short observation time. The astrometric accuracy of the optical observation data was validated with precise orbital ephemeris such as Consolidated Prediction File (CPF) data and precise orbit determination result with onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the target satellite. In the optical observation simulation of the OWL-Net for 2017, an average observation span for a single arc of 11 LEO observation targets was about 5 min, while an average optical observation separation time was 5 h. We estimated the position and velocity with an atmospheric drag coefficient of LEO observation targets using a sequential-batch orbit estimation technique after multi-arc batch orbit estimation. Post-fit residuals for the multi-arc batch orbit estimation and sequential-batch orbit estimation were analyzed for the optical measurements and reference orbit (CPF and GPS data). The post-fit residuals with reference show few tens-of-meters errors for in-track direction for multi-arc batch and sequential-batch orbit estimation results.

Passing in Command Line Arguments and Parallel Cluster/Multicore Batching in R with batch.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Thomas J

2011-03-01

It is often useful to rerun a command line R script with some slight change in the parameters used to run it - a new set of parameters for a simulation, a different dataset to process, etc. The R package batch provides a means to pass in multiple command line options, including vectors of values in the usual R format, easily into R. The same script can be setup to run things in parallel via different command line arguments. The R package batch also provides a means to simplify this parallel batching by allowing one to use R and an R-like syntax for arguments to spread a script across a cluster or local multicore/multiprocessor computer, with automated syntax for several popular cluster types. Finally it provides a means to aggregate the results together of multiple processes run on a cluster.

Switching the mode of sucrose utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

Badotti, Fernanda; Dário, Marcelo G; Alves, Sergio L; Cordioli, Maria Luiza A; Miletti, Luiz C; de Araujo, Pedro S; Stambuk, Boris U

2008-01-01

Background Overflow metabolism is an undesirable characteristic of aerobic cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during biomass-directed processes. It results from elevated sugar consumption rates that cause a high substrate conversion to ethanol and other bi-products, severely affecting cell physiology, bioprocess performance, and biomass yields. Fed-batch culture, where sucrose consumption rates are controlled by the external addition of sugar aiming at its low concentrations in the fermentor, is the classical bioprocessing alternative to prevent sugar fermentation by yeasts. However, fed-batch fermentations present drawbacks that could be overcome by simpler batch cultures at relatively high (e.g. 20 g/L) initial sugar concentrations. In this study, a S. cerevisiae strain lacking invertase activity was engineered to transport sucrose into the cells through a low-affinity and low-capacity sucrose-H+ symport activity, and the growth kinetics and biomass yields on sucrose analyzed using simple batch cultures. Results We have deleted from the genome of a S. cerevisiae strain lacking invertase the high-affinity sucrose-H+ symporter encoded by the AGT1 gene. This strain could still grow efficiently on sucrose due to a low-affinity and low-capacity sucrose-H+ symport activity mediated by the MALx1 maltose permeases, and its further intracellular hydrolysis by cytoplasmic maltases. Although sucrose consumption by this engineered yeast strain was slower than with the parental yeast strain, the cells grew efficiently on sucrose due to an increased respiration of the carbon source. Consequently, this engineered yeast strain produced less ethanol and 1.5 to 2 times more biomass when cultivated in simple batch mode using 20 g/L sucrose as the carbon source. Conclusion Higher cell densities during batch cultures on 20 g/L sucrose were achieved by using a S. cerevisiae strain engineered in the sucrose uptake system. Such result was accomplished by effectively reducing sucrose uptake by the yeast cells, avoiding overflow metabolism, with the concomitant reduction in ethanol production. The use of this modified yeast strain in simpler batch culture mode can be a viable option to more complicated traditional sucrose-limited fed-batch cultures for biomass-directed processes of S. cerevisiae. PMID:18304329

Real-Time Dynamic Modeling - Data Information Requirements and Flight Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morelli, Eugene A.; Smith, Mark S.

2008-01-01

Practical aspects of identifying dynamic models for aircraft in real time were studied. Topics include formulation of an equation-error method in the frequency domain to estimate non-dimensional stability and control derivatives in real time, data information content for accurate modeling results, and data information management techniques such as data forgetting, incorporating prior information, and optimized excitation. Real-time dynamic modeling was applied to simulation data and flight test data from a modified F-15B fighter aircraft, and to operational flight data from a subscale jet transport aircraft. Estimated parameter standard errors and comparisons with results from a batch output-error method in the time domain were used to demonstrate the accuracy of the identified real-time models.

Real-Time Dynamic Modeling - Data Information Requirements and Flight Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morelli, Eugene A.; Smith, Mark S.

2010-01-01

Practical aspects of identifying dynamic models for aircraft in real time were studied. Topics include formulation of an equation-error method in the frequency domain to estimate non-dimensional stability and control derivatives in real time, data information content for accurate modeling results, and data information management techniques such as data forgetting, incorporating prior information, and optimized excitation. Real-time dynamic modeling was applied to simulation data and flight test data from a modified F-15B fighter aircraft, and to operational flight data from a subscale jet transport aircraft. Estimated parameter standard errors, prediction cases, and comparisons with results from a batch output-error method in the time domain were used to demonstrate the accuracy of the identified real-time models.

Preservation of commonly applied fluorescent tracers in complex water samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Viet; Schaffer, Mario; Jin, Yulan; Licha, Tobias

2017-06-01

Water sample preservation and pre-treatment are important steps for achieving accurate and reproductive results from tracer tests. However, this is particularly challenging for complex water mixtures prior to fluorescence analysis. In this study, the interference of iron and calcium precipitation with nine commonly applied conservative tracers, uranine, eosin, 1-naphthalene sulfonate, 1,5-naphthalene disulfonate, 2,6-naphthalene disulfonate, 4-amino-1-naphthalene sulfonate, 6-hydroxy-2-naphthalene sulfonate, 1,3,6-naphthalene trisulfonate, and 1,3,6,8-pyrene tetrasulfonate, was investigated in batch experiments. In general, the observed results are influenced by precipitates. A technique consisting of pH adjustment and centrifugation is described for preserving samples and avoiding the impact of these precipitates on the tracer test results.

Enhanced production and immunological characterization of recombinant West Nile virus envelope domain III protein.

PubMed

Tripathi, Nagesh K; Karothia, Divyanshi; Shrivastava, Ambuj; Banger, Swati; Kumar, Jyoti S

2018-05-13

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne virus which is responsible for severe and fatal encephalitis in humans and for which there is no licensed vaccine or therapeutic available to prevent infection. The envelope domain III protein (EDIII) of WNV was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using a two-step chromatography process which included immobilized metal affinity chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. E. coli cells were grown in a bioreactor to high density using batch and fed-batch cultivation. Wet biomass obtained after batch and fed-batch cultivation processes was 11.2 g and 84 g/L of culture respectively. Protein yield after affinity purification was 5.76 mg and 5.81 mg/g wet cell weight after batch and fed-batch processes respectively. The purified WNV EDIII elicited specific antibodies in rabbits, confirming its immunogenicity. Moreover, the antibodies were able to neutralize WNV in vitro. These results established that the refolded and purified WNV EDIII could be a potential vaccine candidate. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of skill laboratory training on academic performance of medical students.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Alamgir; Shabbir, Faizania; Qamar, Khadija; Rajput, Tausif Ahmed

2017-05-01

To observe the effect of skill lab training on academic performance of final year medical students in terms of marks obtained in long case, short case, objective structured clinical examination and viva. The cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at Army Medical College, Rawalpindi from February to April 2015. Two batches of final year MBBS were recruited for the study. Batch 1 received conventional training, and Batch 2 received skill lab training. The performance of students was assessed by comparing the marks obtained in long case, short case, objective structured clinical examination and viva. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Of the 335 subjects, 168(50.1%) were male and 167(49.9%) were female students with a mean age of 21.79±1.02 years. Batch 1 had 151(45%) students and Batch 2 had 184(55%). Batch 2 got significantly higher marks in long case, short case and objective structured clinical examination (p<0.05 each). Viva result was not found to be related to training (p>0.05). Acquisition of clinical skills significantly improved when medial students were trained in skill laboratories.

Novel method for screening of enteric film coatings properties with magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Dorożyński, Przemysław; Jamróz, Witold; Niwiński, Krzysztof; Kurek, Mateusz; Węglarz, Władysław P; Jachowicz, Renata; Kulinowski, Piotr

2013-11-18

The aim of the study is to present the concept of novel method for fast screening of enteric coating compositions properties without the need of preparation of tablets batches for fluid bed coating. Proposed method involves evaluation of enteric coated model tablets in specially designed testing cell with application of MRI technique. The results obtained in the testing cell were compared with results of dissolution studies of mini-tablets coated in fluid bed apparatus. The method could be useful in early stage of formulation development for screening of film coating properties that will shorten and simplify the development works. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combining SBR systems for chemical and biological treatment: the destruction of the nerve agent VX.

PubMed

Irvine, R L; Haraburda, S S; Galbis-Reig, C

2004-01-01

The US Army is pilot testing the neutralization of VX nerve agent stockpiled at Newport, Indiana using caustic hydrolysis in a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The resulting hydrolysate was tested at the bench-scale for treatment with activated sludge biodegradation in two distinct studies, one in the SBR and another, in the PACT process. The feed to both biological systems was pretreated to enhance the biodegradability of the hydrolysis products. Both biodegradation studies demonstrated that the hydrolysate could easily meet the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty and US environmental regulations following pretreatment.

A comparative evaluation of IONSIV{reg_sign} IE-911 and chabazite zeolite for the removal of radiostrontium and cesium from wastewater

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bostick, D.T.; DePaoli, S.M.; Guo, B.

1998-11-01

Natural chabazite zeolite was selected as the baseline treatment technology for the removal of fission products, namely {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs, from near-neutral-pH process wastewater and groundwater. The sorbent IONSIV{reg_sign} IE-911, a crystalline silicotitanate manufactured by UOP, was recently tested in this capacity and found to compare extremely well against the baseline material. This paper presents and compares the results of similar batch and column tests performed using both materials, and summarizes the physical and chemical characteristics of the sorbents.

40 CFR 792.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED... following terms shall have the meanings specified: Batch means a specific quantity or lot of a test, control... substance is combined for administration to a test system. Control substance means any chemical substance or...

40 CFR 792.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED... following terms shall have the meanings specified: Batch means a specific quantity or lot of a test, control... substance is combined for administration to a test system. Control substance means any chemical substance or...

40 CFR 792.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED... following terms shall have the meanings specified: Batch means a specific quantity or lot of a test, control... substance is combined for administration to a test system. Control substance means any chemical substance or...

40 CFR 792.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED... following terms shall have the meanings specified: Batch means a specific quantity or lot of a test, control... substance is combined for administration to a test system. Control substance means any chemical substance or...

40 CFR 792.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED... following terms shall have the meanings specified: Batch means a specific quantity or lot of a test, control... substance is combined for administration to a test system. Control substance means any chemical substance or...

Preparation of 99Tcm-MAG3: no confirmation that sodium chloride injections from plastic containers affect radiochemical purity.

PubMed

Millar, A M; O'Brien, L M

1998-05-01

Reports have suggested that when sodium chloride injections from a plastic ampoule are used during the preparation of 99Tcm-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99Tcm-MAG3), the radiochemical purity of the final product might be reduced. A study was therefore undertaken to examine the effect of sodium chloride injections from five manufacturers on the radiochemical purity and stability of 99Tcm-MAG3. One sodium chloride injection was supplied in a glass vial, three in plastic ampoules and one in a plastic infusion bag. Three batches of sodium chloride injections from each manufacturer were tested. The radiopharmaceutical was prepared at a radioactive concentration of 1.1 GBq in 10 ml according to the instructions of the manufacturer of TechneScan MAG3. Analysis of radiochemical purity was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography immediately after preparation and 6 h later. Using 95% as the minimum acceptable radiochemical purity, all the products were satisfactory over the 6 h test period. No manufacturer's sodium chloride injection was found to have a statistically significant effect on the radiochemical purity. Based on the 15 batches of sodium chloride injection tested, this study cannot confirm that sodium chloride injections from a plastic container affect the radiochemical purity of 99Tcm-MAG3. However, in view of the known sensitivity of some 99Tcm radiopharmaceuticals to external influences, it is probably good practice to test radiochemical purity when new batches of ancillary materials, such as sodium chloride injections, are introduced.

Adaptive Batch Mode Active Learning.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Shayok; Balasubramanian, Vineeth; Panchanathan, Sethuraman

2015-08-01

Active learning techniques have gained popularity to reduce human effort in labeling data instances for inducing a classifier. When faced with large amounts of unlabeled data, such algorithms automatically identify the exemplar and representative instances to be selected for manual annotation. More recently, there have been attempts toward a batch mode form of active learning, where a batch of data points is simultaneously selected from an unlabeled set. Real-world applications require adaptive approaches for batch selection in active learning, depending on the complexity of the data stream in question. However, the existing work in this field has primarily focused on static or heuristic batch size selection. In this paper, we propose two novel optimization-based frameworks for adaptive batch mode active learning (BMAL), where the batch size as well as the selection criteria are combined in a single formulation. We exploit gradient-descent-based optimization strategies as well as properties of submodular functions to derive the adaptive BMAL algorithms. The solution procedures have the same computational complexity as existing state-of-the-art static BMAL techniques. Our empirical results on the widely used VidTIMIT and the mobile biometric (MOBIO) data sets portray the efficacy of the proposed frameworks and also certify the potential of these approaches in being used for real-world biometric recognition applications.

Treatment of Cr(VI)-containing wastewaters with exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria in pilot flow through and batch systems.

PubMed

Colica, Giovanni; Mecarozzi, Pier Cesare; De Philippis, Roberto

2010-08-01

Seven exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria were tested with regard to their capability to remove Cr(VI) from the wastewater of a plating industry. The cyanobacterium which showed, under lab conditions, the most promising features with regard to both Cr(VI) removal (about 12 mg of Cr(VI) removed per gram of dry biomass) and growth characteristics (highest growth rate and simplest culture medium) was Nostoc PCC7936. Furthermore, in lab experiments, it was also found that a HCl pretreatment is essential to abate the concentration of Cr(VI) in solution and that the viability of the biomass is not necessary. Subsequently, three pilot devices were tested, one batch (a dialysis cell) and two flow-through systems (a filter press and a column filled with quartz grain). The best performances were obtained with the filter press, where it was observed a sharp decrease in the concentration of Cr(VI), partly due to the adsorption of the metal by the biomass (about 50%) and partly due to its reduction to Cr(III). The results are discussed in terms of the role played by the different components (biomass and polysaccharide) of the cyanobacterial cultures in the removal of Cr(VI).

Anaerobic digestion of grass: the effect of temperature applied during the storage of substrate on the methane production.

PubMed

Míchal, Pavel; Švehla, Pavel; Plachý, Vladimír; Tlustoš, Pavel

2017-07-01

Within this research, biogas production, representation of methane in biogas and volatile solids (VSs) removal efficiency were compared using batch tests performed with the samples of intensively and extensively planted grasses originating from public areas. Before the batch tests, the samples were stored at different temperatures achievable on biogas plants applying trigeneration strategy (-18°C, +3°C, +18°C and +35°C). Specific methane production from intensively planted grasses was relatively high (0.33-0.41 m 3 /kg VS) compared to extensively planted grasses (0.20-0.33 m 3 /kg VS). VSs removal efficiency reached 59.8-68.8% for intensively planted grasses and 34.6-56.5% for extensively planted grasses. Freezing the intensively planted grasses at -18°C proved to be an effective thermal pretreatment leading to high biogas production (0.61 m 3 /kg total solid (TS)), high representation of methane (64.0%) in biogas and good VSs removal efficiency (68.8%). The results of this research suggest that public areas or sport parks seem to be available, cheap and at the same time very effective feedstock for biogas production.

Bacteriophage PRD1 batch experiments to study attachment, detachment and inactivation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, Gholamreza; Schijven, Jack F.; Behrends, Thilo; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid; van Genuchten, Martinus Th.

2013-09-01

Knowledge of virus removal in subsurface environments is pivotal for assessing the risk of viral contamination of water resources and developing appropriate protection measures. Columns packed with sand are frequently used to quantify attachment, detachment and inactivation rates of viruses. Since column transport experiments are very laborious, a common alternative is to perform batch experiments where usually one or two measurements are done assuming equilibrium is reached. It is also possible to perform kinetic batch experiments. In that case, however, it is necessary to monitor changes in the concentration with time. This means that kinetic batch experiments will be almost as laborious as column experiments. Moreover, attachment and detachment rate coefficients derived from batch experiments may differ from those determined using column experiments. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of kinetic batch experiments and investigate the effects of different designs of the batch experiments on estimated attachment, detachment and inactivation rate coefficients. The experiments involved various combinations of container size, sand-water ratio, and mixing method (i.e., rolling or tumbling by pivoting the tubes around their horizontal or vertical axes, respectively). Batch experiments were conducted with clean quartz sand, water at pH 7 and ionic strength of 20 mM, and using the bacteriophage PRD1 as a model virus. Values of attachment, detachment and inactivation rate coefficients were found by fitting an analytical solution of the kinetic model equations to the data. Attachment rate coefficients were found to be systematically higher under tumbling than under rolling conditions because of better mixing and more efficient contact of phages with the surfaces of the sand grains. In both mixing methods, more sand in the container yielded higher attachment rate coefficients. A linear increase in the detachment rate coefficient was observed with increased solid-water ratio using tumbling method. Given the differences in the attachment rate coefficients, and assuming the same sticking efficiencies since chemical conditions of the batch and column experiments were the same, our results show that collision efficiencies of batch experiments are not the same as those of column experiments. Upscaling of the attachment rate from batch to column experiments hence requires proper understanding of the mixing conditions. Because batch experiments, in which the kinetics are monitored, are as laborious as column experiments, there seems to be no major advantage in performing batch instead of column experiments.

Effectiveness of problem based learning as an instructional tool for acquisition of content knowledge and promotion of critical thinking among medical students.

PubMed

Tayyeb, Rakhshanda

2013-01-01

To assess effectiveness of PBL as an instructional tool in clinical years to improve learning of undergraduate students in terms of acquisition of content knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving skills through problem based learning and traditional way of teaching. Quasi-experimental study. Fatima Jinnah Medical College for Women, Lahore, from October 2009 to April 2010. Final year medical students attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Surgery rotations were inducted as participants in this study. Two batches of 50 students each attended Gynaecology rotation and two batches attended Surgery rotation, i.e. 100 students in each. Each batch was divided into two groups i.e. A and B of 25 students each. Group-A learnt through traditional teaching, involving bedside teaching and lectures in wards and Group-B learnt relevant clinical knowledge through a modified PBL process. Content knowledge was tested by MCQs testing recall while clinical reasoning and problem were assessed by MCQs testing analysis and critical thinking. Intra-group comparison of mean scores of pre and post-test scores was done using paired sample t-tests while for intergroup comparison of mean scores was done through independent sample t-test. Teaching through traditional method significantly improved content knowledge, (p = 0.001) but did not considerably improve clinical reasoning and problem solving skills (p = 0.093) whereas, content knowledge of students who studied through PBL remained the same (p = 0.202) but there was marked improvement in their clinical reasoning and problem solving skills (p = < 0.001). PBL is an effective instructional tool to foster critical thinking and problem solving skills among medical students.

Removal of phosphorus using AMD-treated lignocellulosic material

Treesearch

James S. Han; Soo-Hong Min; Yeong-Kwan Kim

2005-01-01

Excess nutrients, including phosphorus, can cause eutrophication in surface water and reservoirs. We tested the phosphate removal capacity of juniper fiber through isotherm, kinetic, column, and field tests. Heavy metals from an acid mine drainage (AMD) site were precipitated on the surface ofjuniper fiber. The modified fiber was tested in laboratory- caled batch and...

Techniques employed by the NASA White Sands Test Facility to ensure oxygen system component safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stradling, J. S.; Pippen, D. L.; Frye, G. W.

1983-01-01

Methods of ascertaining the safety and suitability of a variety of oxygen system components are discussed. Additionally, qualification and batch control requirements for soft goods in oxygen systems are presented. Current oxygen system component qualification test activities in progress at White Sands Test Facility are described.

AFTER: Batch jobs on the Apollo ring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hofstadler, P.

1987-07-01

This document describes AFTER, a system that allows users of an Apollo ring to submit batch jobs to run without leaving themselves logged in to the ring. Jobs may be submitted to run at a later time or on a different node. Results from the batch job are mailed to the user through some designated mail system. AFTER features an understandable user interface, good on line help, and site customization. This manual serves primarily as a user's guide to AFTER although administration and installation are covered for completeness.

Easily constructed spectroelectrochemical cell for batch and flow injection analyses.

PubMed

Flowers, Paul A; Maynor, Margaret A; Owens, Donald E

2002-02-01

The design and performance of an easily constructed spectroelectrochemical cell suitable for batch and flow injection measurements are described. The cell is fabricated from a commercially available 5-mm quartz cuvette and employs 60 ppi reticulated vitreous carbon as the working electrode, resulting in a reasonable compromise between optical sensitivity and thin-layer electrochemical behavior. The spectroelectrochemical traits of the cell in both batch and flow modes were evaluated using aqueous ferricyanide and compare favorably to those reported previously for similar cells.

Biosorption of praseodymium (III) using Terminalia arjuna bark powder in batch systems: isotherm and kinetic studies.

PubMed

Swain, Krishna Kumari; Mishra, Pravat Manjari; Devi, Aparna Prabha

2018-02-01

The high demand for rare earth elements (REEs) used in various advanced materials implies demand for increased production of REEs or the recycling of solutions to recover the REEs they contain. In this study, the biosorption of Pr(III) from aqueous solution by bark powder of Terminalia arjuna was examined in a batch system as a function of metal concentration, biosorbent dosage, pH and contact time. Results showed that T. arjuna bark powder has a high affinity for adsorbing Pr(III): more than 90% at pH 6.63. The adsorption of Pr(III) by T. arjuna bark powder was investigated by the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The kinetics of the biosorption process was tested with pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models, and the results showed that the biosorption process was better fitted to the pseudo-second-order model. From Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, it is confirmed that the biomolecules of T. arjuna bark powder are involved in the biosorption process of Pr(III) metal ions.

Development Of ABEC Column For Separation Of Tc-99 From Northstar Dissolved Target Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stepinski, Dominique C.; Bennett, Megan E.; Naik, Seema R.

Batch and column breakthrough experiments were performed to determine isotherms and mass-transfer parameters for adsorption of Tc on aqueous biphasic extraction chromatographic (ABEC) sorbent in two solutions: 200 g/L Mo, 5.1 M K +, 1 M OH -, and 0.1 M NO 3 - (Solution A) and 200 g/L Mo, 9.3 M K +, 5 M OH -, and 0.1 M NO 3 - (Solution B). Good agreement was found between the isotherm values obtained by batch and column breakthrough studies for both Solutions A and B. Potassium-pertechnetate intra-particle diffusivity on ABEC resin was estimated by VERSE simulations, and goodmore » agreement was found among a series of column-breakthrough experiments at varying flow velocities, column sizes, and technetium concentrations. However, testing of 10 cc cartridges provided by NorthStar with Solutions A and B did not give satisfactory results, as significant Tc breakthrough was observed and ABEC cartridge performance varied widely among experiments. These different experimental results are believed to be due to inconsistent preparation of the ABEC resin prior to packing and/or inconsistent packing.« less

Influence of exchange group of modified glycidyl methacrylate polymer on phenol removal: A study by batch and continuous flow processes.

PubMed

Aversa, Thiago Muza; da Silva, Carla Michele Frota; da Rocha, Paulo Cristiano Silva; Lucas, Elizabete Fernandes

2016-11-01

Contamination of water by phenol is potentially a serious problem due to its high toxicity and its acid character. In this way some treatment process to remove or reduce the phenol concentration before contaminated water disposal on the environment is required. Currently, phenol can be removed by charcoal adsorption, but this process does not allow easy regeneration of the adsorbent. In contrast, polymeric resins are easily regenerated and can be reused in others cycles of adsorption process. In this work, the interaction of phenol with two polymeric resins was investigated, one of them containing a weakly basic anionic exchange group (GD-DEA) and the other, a strongly basic group (GD-QUAT). Both ion exchange resins were obtained through chemical modifications from a base porous resin composed of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and divinyl benzene (DVB). Evaluation tests with resins were carried out with 30 mg/L of phenol in water solution, at pH 6 and 10, employing two distinct processes: (i) batch, to evaluate the effect of temperature, and (ii) continuous flow, to assess the breakthrough of the resins. Batch tests revealed that the systems did not follow the model proposed by Langmuir due to the negative values obtained for the constant b and for the maximum adsorption capacity, Q0. However, satisfactory results for the constants KF and n allowed assuming that the behavior of systems followed the Freundlich model, leading to the conclusion that resin GD-DEA had the best interaction with the phenol when in a solution having pH 10 (phenoxide ions). The continuous flow tests corroborated this conclusion since the performance of GD-DEA in removing phenol was also best at pH 10, indicating that the greater availability of the electron pair in the resin with the weakly basic donor group contributed to enhance the resin's interaction with the phenoxide ions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pin bearing evaluation of LTM25 composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, C. H.; Postyn, A. S.

1996-01-01

This report summarizes pin bearing evaluations of LTM25 composite materials. Northrop Grumman Corporation conducted pin bearing testing and fabricate two panels from composite materials that cure at low temperatures. These materials are being incorporated into Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) to reduce manufacturing costs since they allow the use of low-cost tooling and facilities. Two composite prepreg product forms were evaluated; MR50/LTM25 unidirectional tape, batch 2881vd and CFS003/LTM25 woven cloth, batch 2216. Northrop Grumman fabricated, machined, and tested specimens to determine the bearing strength in accordance with MIL-HDBK-17D, Volume 1, Section 7.2.4. Quasi-isotropic laminates from the two product forms were fabricated for these tests. In addition, 2 quasi-isotropic panels of dimensions 12 in. x 28 in. were fabricated (one each from the two product forms), inspected, and shipped to NASA Langley for further evaluation.

Modeling Lab-sized Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor (AFBR) for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment: from Batch to Continuous Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mufti Azis, Muhammad; Sudibyo, Hanifrahmawan; Budhijanto, Wiratni

2018-03-01

Indonesia is aiming to produce 30 million tones/year of crude palm oil (CPO) by 2020. As a result, 90 million tones/year of POME will be produced. POME is highly polluting wastewater which may cause severe environmental problem due to its high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Due to the limitation of open pond treatment, the use of AFBR has been considered as a potential technology to treat POME. This study aims to develop mathematical models of lab-sized Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor (AFBR) in batch and continuous processes. In addition, the AFBR also utilized natural zeolite as an immobilized media for microbes. To initiate the biomass growth, biodiesel waste has been used as an inoculum. In the first part of this study, a batch AFBR was operated to evaluate the COD, VFA, and CH4 concentrations. By comparing the batch results with and without zeolite, it showed that the addition of 17 g/gSCOD zeolite gave larger COD decrease within 20 days of operation. In order to elucidate the mechanism, parameter estimations of 12 kinetic parameters were proposed to describe the batch reactor performance. The model in general could describe the batch experimental data well. In the second part of this study, the kinetic parameters obtained from batch reactor were used to simulate the performance of double column AFBR where the acidogenic and methanogenic biomass were separated. The simulation showed that a relatively long residence time (Hydraulic Residence Time, HRT) was required to treat POME using the proposed double column AFBR. Sensitivity analyses was conducted and revealed that μm1 appeared to be the most sensitive parameter to reduce the HRT of double column AFBR.

Bacterial, viral and turbidity removal by intermittent slow sand filtration for household use in developing countries: experimental investigation and modeling.

PubMed

Jenkins, Marion W; Tiwari, Sangam K; Darby, Jeannie

2011-11-15

A two-factor three-block experimental design was developed to permit rigorous evaluation and modeling of the main effects and interactions of sand size (d(10) of 0.17 and 0.52 mm) and hydraulic head (10, 20, and 30 cm) on removal of fecal coliform (FC) bacteria, MS2 bacteriophage virus, and turbidity, under two batch operating modes ('long' and 'short') in intermittent slow sand filters (ISSFs). Long operation involved an overnight pause time between feeding of two successive 20 L batches (16 h average batch residence time (RT)). Short operation involved no pause between two 20 L batch feeds (5h average batch RT). Conditions tested were representative of those encountered in developing country field settings. Over a ten week period, the 18 experimental filters were fed river water augmented with wastewater (influent turbidity of 5.4-58.6 NTU) and maintained with the wet harrowing method. Linear mixed modeling allowed systematic estimates of the independent marginal effects of each independent variable on each performance outcome of interest while controlling for the effects of variations in a batch's actual residence time, days since maintenance, and influent turbidity. This is the first study in which simultaneous measurement of bacteria, viruses and turbidity removal at the batch level over an extended duration has been undertaken with a large number of replicate units to permit rigorous modeling of ISSF performance variability within and across a range of likely filter design configurations and operating conditions. On average, the experimental filters removed 1.40 log fecal coliform CFU (SD 0.40 log, N=249), 0.54 log MS2 PFU (SD 0.42 log, N=245) and 89.0 percent turbidity (SD 6.9 percent, N=263). Effluent turbidity averaged 1.24 NTU (SD 0.53 NTU, N=263) and always remained below 3 NTU. Under the best performing design configuration and operating mode (fine sand, 10 cm head, long operation, initial HLR of 0.01-0.03 m/h), mean 1.82 log removal of bacteria (98.5%) and mean 0.94 log removal of MS2 viruses (88.5%) were achieved. Results point to new recommendations regarding filter design, manufacture, and operation for implementing ISSFs in local settings in developing countries. Sand size emerged as a critical design factor on performance. A single layer of river sand used in this investigation demonstrated removals comparable to those reported for 2 layers of crushed sand. Pause time and increased residence time each emerged as highly beneficial for improving removal performance on all four outcomes. A relatively large and significant negative effect of influent turbidity on MS2 viral removal in the ISSF was measured in parallel with a much smaller weaker positive effect of influent turbidity on FC bacterial removal. Disturbance of the schmutzdecke by wet harrowing showed no effect on virus removal and a modest reductive effect on the bacterial and turbidity removal as measured 7 days or more after the disturbance. For existing coarse sand ISSFs, this research indicates that a reduction in batch feed volume, effectively reducing the operating head and increasing the pore:batch volume ratio, could improve their removal performance by increasing batch residence time. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human platelet lysate in mesenchymal stromal cell expansion according to a GMP grade protocol: a cell factory experience.

PubMed

Becherucci, Valentina; Piccini, Luisa; Casamassima, Serena; Bisin, Silvia; Gori, Valentina; Gentile, Francesca; Ceccantini, Riccardo; De Rienzo, Elena; Bindi, Barbara; Pavan, Paola; Cunial, Vanessa; Allegro, Elisa; Ermini, Stefano; Brugnolo, Francesca; Astori, Giuseppe; Bambi, Franco

2018-05-02

The use of platelet lysate (PL) for the ex-vivo expansion of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) was initially proposed by Doucet et al. in 2005, as an alternative to animal serum. Moreover, regulatory authorities discourage the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS) or other animal derivatives, to avoid risk of zoonoses and xenogeneic immune reactions. Even if many studies investigated PL composition, there still are some open issues related to its use in ex-vivo MSC expansion, especially according to good manufacturing practice (GMP) grade protocols. As an authorized cell factory, we report our experience using standardized PL produced by Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Meyer Transfusion Service for MSC expansion according to a GMP grade clinical protocol. As suggested by other authors, we performed an in-vitro test on MSCs versus MSCs cultured with FBS that still represents the best way to test PL batches. We compared 12 MSC batches cultured with DMEM 5% PL with similar batches cultured with DMEM 10% FBS, focusing on the MSC proliferation rate, MSC surface marker expression, MSC immunomodulatory and differentiation potential, and finally MSC relative telomere length. Results confirmed the literature data as PL increases cell proliferation without affecting the MSC immunophenotype, immunomodulatory potential, differentiation potential and relative telomere length. PL can be considered a safe alternative to FBS for ex-vivo expansion of MSC according to a GMP grade protocol. Our experience confirms the literature data: a large number of MSCs for clinical applications can be obtained by expansion with PL, without affecting the MSC main features. Our experience underlines the benefits of a close collaboration between the PL producers (transfusion service) and the end users (cell factory) in a synergy of skills and experiences that can lead to standardized PL production.

A novel pooled-sample multiplex luminex assay for high-throughput measurement of relative telomere length.

PubMed

Jasmine, Farzana; Shinkle, Justin; Sabarinathan, Mekala; Ahsan, Habibul; Pierce, Brandon L; Kibriya, Muhammad G

2018-03-12

Relative telomere length (RTL) is a potential biomarker of aging and risk for chronic disease. Previously, we developed a probe-based RTL assay on Luminex platform, where probes for Telomere (T) and reference gene (R) for a given DNA sample were tested in a single well. Here, we describe a method of pooling multiple samples in one well to increase the throughput and cost-effectiveness. We used four different microbeads for the same T-probe and four different microbeads for the same R-probe. Each pair of probe sets were hybridized to DNA in separate plates and then pooled in a single plate for all the subsequent steps. We used DNA samples from 60 independent individuals and repeated in multiple batches to test the precision. The precision was good to excellent with Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.908 (95% CI 0.856-0.942). More than 67% of the variation in the RTL could be explained by sample-to-sample variation; less than 0.1% variation was due to batch-to-batch variation and 0.3% variation was explained by bead-to-bead variation. We increased the throughput of RTL Luminex assay from 60 to 240 samples per run. The new assay was validated against the original Luminex assay without pooling (r = 0.79, P = 1.44 × 10 -15 ). In an independent set of samples (n = 550), the new assay showed a negative correlation of RTL with age (r = -0.41), a result providing external validation for the method. We describe a novel high throughput pooled-sample multiplex Luminex assay for RTL with good to excellent precision suitable for large-scale studies. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Removal of vanadium from industrial wastewater using iron sorbents in batch and continuous flow pilot systems.

PubMed

Leiviskä, Tiina; Khalid, Muhammad Kamran; Sarpola, Arja; Tanskanen, Juha

2017-04-01

This study investigated the removal of vanadium from real industrial wastewater by using six iron materials: commercial iron sorbent (CFH-12), commercial mineral sorbent (AQM), blast furnace sludge (BFS), steel converter sludge (SCS), ferrochrome slag (FeCr) and slag from a steel foundry (OKTO). Batch tests revealed that CFH-12 (ferric oxyhydroxide) removed vanadium most efficiently, which was explained by its high iron content and the amorphous form of the iron, and that the sorption followed the Langmuir isotherm. With a dosage of 10 g/l and an initial vanadium concentration of 58.2 mg/l, 91-94% removal rates for vanadium were achieved in the studied pH range (3-9). Other sorbents showed significantly lower efficiency than CFH-12, with the exception of BFS at acidic pH (93%). Based on the batch test results, CFH-12 was selected for a pilot study made on site. The pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of CFH-12 to remove vanadium at high temperature (80 °C) from concentrated industrial wastewater with fluctuating water quality (vanadium concentration varied from 51 to 83 mg/l, pH about 9 (at 25 °C)). Leaching of impurities (mainly S, Ca, Mg and K) into the effluent occurred during the first day, but subsequently good quality effluent was produced (e.g. <0.1 mg/l V). During the pilot study, the amorphous iron material of CFH-12 was crystallized into a hematite-like phase (Fe 1.67 H 0.99 O 3 ), and goethite (FeO(OH)) with a higher average pore diameter, probably due to the hot process conditions to which CFH-12 was exposed for over five days. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biopharmaceutic Risk Assessment of Brand and Generic Lamotrigine Tablets.

PubMed

Vaithianathan, Soundarya; Raman, Siddarth; Jiang, Wenlei; Ting, Tricia Y; Kane, Maureen A; Polli, James E

2015-07-06

The therapeutic equivalence of generic and brand name antiepileptic drugs has been questioned by neurologists and the epilepsy community. A potential contributor to such concerns is pharmaceutical quality. The objective was to assess the biopharmaceutic risk of brand name Lamictal 100 mg tablets and generic lamotrigine 100 mg tablets from several manufacturers. Lamotrigine was characterized in terms of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS), including aqueous solubility and Caco-2 permeability. A panel of pharmaceutical quality tests was also performed on three batches of Lamictal, three batches of Teva generic, and one batch of each of four other generics: appearance, identity, assay, impurity, uniformity of dosage units, disintegration, dissolution, friability, and loss on drying. These market surveillance results indicate that all brand name and generic lamotrigine 100 mg tablets passed all tests and showed acceptable pharmaceutical quality and low biopharmaceutic risk. Lamotrigine was classified as a BCS class IIb drug, exhibiting pH-dependent aqueous solubility and dissolution. At pH 1.2 and 4.5, lamotrigine exhibited high solubility, whereas lamotrigine exhibited low solubility at pH 6.8, including non-sink dissolution. Lamotrigine showed high Caco-2 permeability. The apparent permeability (Papp) of lamotrigine was (73.7 ± 8.7) × 10(-6) cm/s in the apical-to-basolateral (AP-BL) direction and (41.4 ± 1.6) × 10(-6) cm/s in the BL-AP direction, which were higher than metoprolol's AP-BL Papp of (21.2 ± 0.9) × 10(-6) cm/s and BL-AP Papp of (34.6 ± 4.6) × 10(-6) cm/s. Overall, lamotrigine's favorable biopharmaceutics from a drug substance perspective and favorable quality characteristics from a tablet formulation perspective suggest that multisource lamotrigine tablets exhibit a low biopharmaceutic risk.

Laboratory diagnosis of gestational diabetes: An in silico investigation into the effects of pre-analytical processing on the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the oral glucose tolerance test.

PubMed

Mansell, Erin; Lunt, Helen; Docherty, Paul

2017-06-01

Delayed separation of red cells from plasma causes pre analytical glucose loss, which in turn results in an under-diagnosis of GDM (gestational diabetes) based on the OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test). In silico investigations may help laboratory decision making, when exploring pragmatic improvements to sample processing. Late pregnancy 0, 1 and 2h 75g OGTT values were obtained from two distinct populations of pregnant women: 1. Values derived from the HAPO (Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome) Study and 2. New Zealand women identified as at higher risk of GDM by their caregivers, undergoing OGTT during routine antenatal care. In both populations studied, in silico modelling focussed on the effects of pre-analytical delays in plasma separation, when using fluoride collection tubes. Using a model that 'batched' samples from the three OGTT collection times, diagnostic sensitivity was estimated as follows: 66.1% for HAPO research population and 48.4% for the 1305 women receiving routine antenatal care. If samples were not batched, but processed shortly after each blood sample was collected, then sensitivity increased to 81%. Exploration of a range of clinical and laboratory scenarios using in silico modelling, showed that delaying the processing of pregnancy OGTT samples, using batched sample collection into fluoride tubes, causes unacceptable loss of GDM diagnostic sensitivity across two distinct population groups. This modelling approach will hopefully provide information that helps with final decision making around improved laboratory processing techniques. Copyright © 2017 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Batch-batch stable microbial community in the traditional fermentation process of huyumei broad bean pastes.

PubMed

Zhu, Linjiang; Fan, Zihao; Kuai, Hui; Li, Qi

2017-09-01

During natural fermentation processes, a characteristic microbial community structure (MCS) is naturally formed, and it is interesting to know about its batch-batch stability. This issue was explored in a traditional semi-solid-state fermentation process of huyumei, a Chinese broad bean paste product. The results showed that this MCS mainly contained four aerobic Bacillus species (8 log CFU per g), including B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. methylotrophicus, and B. tequilensis, and the facultative anaerobe B. cereus with a low concentration (4 log CFU per g), besides a very small amount of the yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii (2 log CFU per g). The dynamic change of the MCS in the brine fermentation process showed that the abundance of dominant species varied within a small range, and in the beginning of process the growth of lactic acid bacteria was inhibited and Staphylococcus spp. lost its viability. Also, the MCS and its dynamic change were proved to be highly reproducible among seven batches of fermentation. Therefore, the MCS naturally and stably forms between different batches of the traditional semi-solid-state fermentation of huyumei. Revealing microbial community structure and its batch-batch stability is helpful for understanding the mechanisms of community formation and flavour production in a traditional fermentation. This issue in a traditional semi-solid-state fermentation of huyumei broad bean paste was firstly explored. This fermentation process was revealed to be dominated by a high concentration of four aerobic species of Bacillus, a low concentration of B. cereus and a small amount of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus spp. lost its viability at the beginning of fermentation. Such the community structure was proved to be highly reproducible among seven batches. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Examination of Technetium Transport Through Soils Under Contrasting Redox Conditions: Batch and Column Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dozier, R.; Montgomery, D.; Wylie, E. M.; Dogan, M.; Moysey, S. M.; Powell, B. A.; Martinez, N. E.

2015-12-01

Experiments were performed under various reducing conditions to evaluate the transport behavior of technetium-99 (99Tc) in the presence of sandy clay loam soil from the Savannah River Site (SRS) and goethite, magnetite, and iron sulfide, which were selected for their increasing reducing potential. The experiments were conducted to investigate how redox reaction equilibria and rates affect the overall mobility of 99Tc as it transitions between the mobile Tc(VII) and immobile Tc(IV). Under oxygen-rich conditions, batch sorption isotherms measured for TcO4- across the concentration range 0.5 to 50 μg/L were linear with distribution coefficients (Kd) of 0.78 mL/g or lower, with decreasing sorption for goethite, magnetite, and iron sulfide, respectively. Addition of Na2S resulted in a marked increase in apparent 99Tc sorption to the solid phase, with Kd of 43 mL/g, 35 mL/g, and 29 mL/g, following the same mineral trend as previously. The increased Kd values are possibly due to reduction of Tc(VII) to Tc(IV), resulting in the formation of TcO2(s). SRS soil batch sorption isotherms measured for TcO4- across the same concentration range were also linear, with Kd of 0.7 mL/g for unadjusted pH, 5.1 mL/g for pH of around 6, and 6.7 mL/g for pH of around 4. Kinetic batch sorption tests showed less than 10% 99Tc sorption in an oxidizing environment and greater than 95% sorption in a reducing environment, with both reactions occurring on the order of minutes. In contrast, desorption experiments initiated by transferring the samples from a reducing environment (0.1% H2(g)/99.9% N2(g)) to atmospheric conditions resulted in a slow desorption step on the order of days. Column experiments conducted with the SRS sands indicate a retardation factor of 1.17 for 99Tc under oxygen rich conditions. Additional column experiments are being conducted to evaluate 99Tc transport dependencies on transitions between oxygen rich and poor conditions.

Image processing in digital pathology: an opportunity to solve inter-batch variability of immunohistochemical staining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Eycke, Yves-Rémi; Allard, Justine; Salmon, Isabelle; Debeir, Olivier; Decaestecker, Christine

2017-02-01

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a widely used technique in pathology to evidence protein expression in tissue samples. However, this staining technique is known for presenting inter-batch variations. Whole slide imaging in digital pathology offers a possibility to overcome this problem by means of image normalisation techniques. In the present paper we propose a methodology to objectively evaluate the need of image normalisation and to identify the best way to perform it. This methodology uses tissue microarray (TMA) materials and statistical analyses to evidence the possible variations occurring at colour and intensity levels as well as to evaluate the efficiency of image normalisation methods in correcting them. We applied our methodology to test different methods of image normalisation based on blind colour deconvolution that we adapted for IHC staining. These tests were carried out for different IHC experiments on different tissue types and targeting different proteins with different subcellular localisations. Our methodology enabled us to establish and to validate inter-batch normalization transforms which correct the non-relevant IHC staining variations. The normalised image series were then processed to extract coherent quantitative features characterising the IHC staining patterns.

Image processing in digital pathology: an opportunity to solve inter-batch variability of immunohistochemical staining

PubMed Central

Van Eycke, Yves-Rémi; Allard, Justine; Salmon, Isabelle; Debeir, Olivier; Decaestecker, Christine

2017-01-01

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a widely used technique in pathology to evidence protein expression in tissue samples. However, this staining technique is known for presenting inter-batch variations. Whole slide imaging in digital pathology offers a possibility to overcome this problem by means of image normalisation techniques. In the present paper we propose a methodology to objectively evaluate the need of image normalisation and to identify the best way to perform it. This methodology uses tissue microarray (TMA) materials and statistical analyses to evidence the possible variations occurring at colour and intensity levels as well as to evaluate the efficiency of image normalisation methods in correcting them. We applied our methodology to test different methods of image normalisation based on blind colour deconvolution that we adapted for IHC staining. These tests were carried out for different IHC experiments on different tissue types and targeting different proteins with different subcellular localisations. Our methodology enabled us to establish and to validate inter-batch normalization transforms which correct the non-relevant IHC staining variations. The normalised image series were then processed to extract coherent quantitative features characterising the IHC staining patterns. PMID:28220842

Isolation, characterization and investigation of Cordia dichotoma fruit polysaccharide as a herbal excipient.

PubMed

Pawar, Harshal Ashok; Jadhav, Pravin

2015-01-01

The objective of the present research work was to isolate, purify and characterize Cordia dichotoma gum and investigate its disintegration property in oral tablets. The isolated gum was tested for physicochemical characteristics such as solubility, pH (1% w/w in water), swelling index, loss on drying, ash value, bulk and tapped density, Carr's index, Hausner's ratio and angle of repose. The Orodispersible tablets of valsartan were prepared by direct compression method and evaluated for average weight (mg), drug content (%), thickness (mm), hardness (kg/cm(2)), friability (%), wetting time (sec), water absorption ratio (%) and disintegration time (sec). FTIR studies revealed that there was no interaction between drug, gum and other excipients used in the study. The F4 batch with disintegration time 26.34 ± 0.78 s and in vitro release 99.64 ± 0.43% was selected as optimized formulation. This formulation was compared with conventional marketed formulation and was found superior. Batch F4 was subjected to stability studies for three months and was tested for its disintegration time, drug contents and dissolution behaviour. Batch F4 was found stable for three months at accelerated temperature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Economic and kinetic studies of the biological production of farm energy and chemicals from biomass. Annual progress report, March 1979-August 1980

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gaddy, J.L.

1981-08-01

A system has been designed and built to test the technical and economic feasibility of producing farm energy from cellulosic residues. The system has the capacity to produPropinibactriume 1300 CF of biogas and 180 kwh per day, using four parallel batch anaerobic digesters which are agitated mechanically and heated with waste heat from the engine-generator. This system has been satisfactorily operated for a one year period utilizing native grasses as the raw material. Laboratory reactors have been operated to determine the proper inoculation ratio for starting batch cultures with cellulosic raw materials. Procedures for startup and operation of batch digestionmore » systems have been developed and are presented. Energy and economic analyses of the operation of the test unit have been performed. Studies to determine the fertilizer potential of anaerobic digestor sludge (from agricultural residues) have been conducted. Additional studies reported include determinations of the feasibility of separating the stages of anaerobic digestion, the production of acetic and propionic acids by the micro-organism Propionibacterium acidi-propionici, the production of methane from acid hydrolyzates, and the kinetics of the continuos digestion of corn stover.« less

Batch Effect Confounding Leads to Strong Bias in Performance Estimates Obtained by Cross-Validation

PubMed Central

Delorenzi, Mauro

2014-01-01

Background With the large amount of biological data that is currently publicly available, many investigators combine multiple data sets to increase the sample size and potentially also the power of their analyses. However, technical differences (“batch effects”) as well as differences in sample composition between the data sets may significantly affect the ability to draw generalizable conclusions from such studies. Focus The current study focuses on the construction of classifiers, and the use of cross-validation to estimate their performance. In particular, we investigate the impact of batch effects and differences in sample composition between batches on the accuracy of the classification performance estimate obtained via cross-validation. The focus on estimation bias is a main difference compared to previous studies, which have mostly focused on the predictive performance and how it relates to the presence of batch effects. Data We work on simulated data sets. To have realistic intensity distributions, we use real gene expression data as the basis for our simulation. Random samples from this expression matrix are selected and assigned to group 1 (e.g., ‘control’) or group 2 (e.g., ‘treated’). We introduce batch effects and select some features to be differentially expressed between the two groups. We consider several scenarios for our study, most importantly different levels of confounding between groups and batch effects. Methods We focus on well-known classifiers: logistic regression, Support Vector Machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (kNN) and Random Forests (RF). Feature selection is performed with the Wilcoxon test or the lasso. Parameter tuning and feature selection, as well as the estimation of the prediction performance of each classifier, is performed within a nested cross-validation scheme. The estimated classification performance is then compared to what is obtained when applying the classifier to independent data. PMID:24967636

The Mechanical Property of Batch Annealed High Strength Low Alloy Steel HC260LA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaojiang; Xia, Mingsheng; Zhang, Hongbo; Han, Bin; Li, Guilan

Cold rolled high strength low alloy steel is widely applied in the automotive parts due to its excellent formability and weldability. In this paper, the steel grade HC260LA according to European Norm was developed with batch annealing process. With commercial C-Mn mild steel as a benchmark, three different groups of chemistry namely C-Mn-Si, C-Mn-Nb-Ti and C-Mn-Nb were compared in terms of yield-tensile strength (Y/T) ratio. Microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized as well. Based on industrial production results, chemistry and detailed process parameters for batch annealing were identified. In the end the optimal Y/T ratio was proposed for this steel grade under batch annealing process.

Application of gain scheduling to the control of batch bioreactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardello, Ralph; San, Ka-Yiu

1987-01-01

The implementation of control algorithms to batch bioreactors is often complicated by the inherent variations in process dynamics during the course of fermentation. Such a wide operating range may render the performance of fixed gain PID controllers unsatisfactory. In this work, a detailed study on the control of batch fermentation is performed. Furthermore, a simple batch controller design is proposed which incorporates the concept of gain-scheduling, a subclass of adaptive control, with oxygen uptake rate as an auxiliary variable. The control of oxygen tension in the biorector is used as a vehicle to convey the proposed idea, analysis and results. Simulation experiments indicate significant improvement in controller performance can be achieved by the proposed approach even in the presence of measurement noise.

ADSORPTION MECHANISMS AND TRANSPORT BEHAVIOR BETWEEN SELENATE AND SELENITE ON DIFFERENT SORBENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snyder, Michelle MV; Um, Wooyong

Adsorption of different oxidation species of selenium (Se), selenate (SeO42-) and selenite (SeO32-), with varying pHs (2 - 10) and ionic strengths (I = 0.01 M, 0.1 M and 1.0 M NaNO3) was measured on quartz, aluminum oxide, and synthetic iron oxide (ferrihydrite) using batch reactors to obtain a more detailed understanding of the adsorption mechanisms (e.g., inner- and outer-sphere complex). In addition to the batch experiments with single minerals contained in native Hanford Site sediment, additional batch adsorption studies were conducted with native Hanford Site sediment and groundwater as a function of 1) total Se concentration (from 0.01 tomore » 10 mg L-1) and 2) soil to solution ratios (1:20 and 1:2 grams per mL). Results from these batch studies were compared to a set of saturated column experiments that were conducted with natural Hanford sediment and groundwater spiked with either selenite or selenate to observe the transport behavior of these species. Both batch and column results indicated that selenite adsorption was consistently higher than that of selenate in all experimental conditions used. These different adsorption mechanisms between selenite and selenate result in the varying mobility of Se in the subsurface environment and explain the dependence on the oxidation species.« less

Selective adsorption of flavor-active components on hydrophobic resins.

PubMed

Saffarionpour, Shima; Sevillano, David Mendez; Van der Wielen, Luuk A M; Noordman, T Reinoud; Brouwer, Eric; Ottens, Marcel

2016-12-09

This work aims to propose an optimum resin that can be used in industrial adsorption process for tuning flavor-active components or removal of ethanol for producing an alcohol-free beer. A procedure is reported for selective adsorption of volatile aroma components from water/ethanol mixtures on synthetic hydrophobic resins. High throughput 96-well microtiter-plates batch uptake experimentation is applied for screening resins for adsorption of esters (i.e. isoamyl acetate, and ethyl acetate), higher alcohols (i.e. isoamyl alcohol and isobutyl alcohol), a diketone (diacetyl) and ethanol. The miniaturized batch uptake method is adapted for adsorption of volatile components, and validated with column breakthrough analysis. The results of single-component adsorption tests on Sepabeads SP20-SS are expressed in single-component Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips isotherm models and multi-component versions of Langmuir and Sips models are applied for expressing multi-component adsorption results obtained on several tested resins. The adsorption parameters are regressed and the selectivity over ethanol is calculated for each tested component and tested resin. Resin scores for four different scenarios of selective adsorption of esters, higher alcohols, diacetyl, and ethanol are obtained. The optimal resin for adsorption of esters is Sepabeads SP20-SS with resin score of 87% and for selective removal of higher alcohols, XAD16N, and XAD4 from Amberlite resin series are proposed with scores of 80 and 74% respectively. For adsorption of diacetyl, XAD16N and XAD4 resins with score of 86% are the optimum choice and Sepabeads SP2MGS and XAD761 resins showed the highest affinity towards ethanol. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Batch Scheduling for Hybrid Assembly Differentiation Flow Shop to Minimize Total Actual Flow Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maulidya, R.; Suprayogi; Wangsaputra, R.; Halim, A. H.

2018-03-01

A hybrid assembly differentiation flow shop is a three-stage flow shop consisting of Machining, Assembly and Differentiation Stages and producing different types of products. In the machining stage, parts are processed in batches on different (unrelated) machines. In the assembly stage, each part of the different parts is assembled into an assembly product. Finally, the assembled products will further be processed into different types of final products in the differentiation stage. In this paper, we develop a batch scheduling model for a hybrid assembly differentiation flow shop to minimize the total actual flow time defined as the total times part spent in the shop floor from the arrival times until its due date. We also proposed a heuristic algorithm for solving the problems. The proposed algorithm is tested using a set of hypothetic data. The solution shows that the algorithm can solve the problems effectively.

On time discretizations for the simulation of the batch settling-compression process in one dimension.

PubMed

Bürger, Raimund; Diehl, Stefan; Mejías, Camilo

2016-01-01

The main purpose of the recently introduced Bürger-Diehl simulation model for secondary settling tanks was to resolve spatial discretization problems when both hindered settling and the phenomena of compression and dispersion are included. Straightforward time integration unfortunately means long computational times. The next step in the development is to introduce and investigate time-integration methods for more efficient simulations, but where other aspects such as implementation complexity and robustness are equally considered. This is done for batch settling simulations. The key findings are partly a new time-discretization method and partly its comparison with other specially tailored and standard methods. Several advantages and disadvantages for each method are given. One conclusion is that the new linearly implicit method is easier to implement than another one (semi-implicit method), but less efficient based on two types of batch sedimentation tests.

Sliding mode control of dissolved oxygen in an integrated nitrogen removal process in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR).

PubMed

Muñoz, C; Young, H; Antileo, C; Bornhardt, C

2009-01-01

This paper presents a sliding mode controller (SMC) for dissolved oxygen (DO) in an integrated nitrogen removal process carried out in a suspended biomass sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The SMC performance was compared against an auto-tuning PI controller with parameters adjusted at the beginning of the batch cycle. A method for cancelling the slow DO sensor dynamics was implemented by using a first order model of the sensor. Tests in a lab-scale reactor showed that the SMC offers a better disturbance rejection capability than the auto-tuning PI controller, furthermore providing reasonable performance in a wide range of operation. Thus, SMC becomes an effective robust nonlinear tool to the DO control in this process, being also simple from a computational point of view, allowing its implementation in devices such as industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

E-cigarette liquids: Constancy of content across batches and accuracy of labeling.

PubMed

Etter, Jean-François; Bugey, Aurélie

2017-10-01

To assess whether bottles of refill liquids for e-cigarettes were filled true to label, whether their content was constant across two production batches, and whether they contained impurities. In 2013, we purchased on the Internet 18 models from 11 brands of e-liquids. We purchased a second sample of the same models 4months later. We analyzed their content in nicotine, anabasine, propylene glycol, glycerol, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, and tested their pH. The median difference between the nicotine value on the labels and the nicotine content in the bottles was 0.3mg/mL (range -5.4 to +3.5mg/mL, i.e. -8% to +30%). For 82% of the samples, the actual nicotine content was within 10% of the value on the labels. All models contained glycerol (median 407mg/mL), and all but three models contained propylene glycol (median 650mg/mL). For all samples, levels of anabasine, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol were below our limits of detection. The pH of all the e-liquids was alkaline (median pH=9.1; range 8.1 to 9.9). The measured content of two batches of the same model varied by a median of 0% across batches for propylene glycol, 1% for glycerol, 0% for pH, and 0.5% for nicotine (range -15% to +21%; 5th and 95th percentiles: -15% and +10%). The nicotine content of these e-liquids matched the labels on the bottles, and was relatively constant across production batches. The content of propylene glycol and glycerol was also stable across batches, as was the pH. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment of Pharmaceutical Products.

PubMed

Eissa, Mostafa Essam

2017-01-01

Monitoring of microbiological quality in the pharmaceutical industry is an important criterion that is required to justify safe product release to the drug market. Good manufacturing practice and efficient control on bioburden level of product components are critical parameters that influence the microbiological cleanliness of medicinal products. However, because microbial dispersion through the samples follows Poisson distribution, the rate of detection of microbiologically defective samples lambda (λ) decreases when the number of defective units per batch decreases. When integrating a dose-response model of infection (P inf ) of a specific objectionable microbe with a contamination module, the overall probability of infection from a single batch of pharmaceutical product can be estimated. The combination of P inf with detectability chance of the test (P det ) will yield a value that could be used as a quantitative measure of the possibility of passing contaminated batch units of product with a certain load of a specific pathogen and infecting the final consumer without being detected in the firm. The simulation study can be used to assess the risk of contamination and infection from objectionable microorganisms for sterile and non-sterile products. LAY ABSTRACT: Microbial contamination of pharmaceutical products is a global problem that may lead to infection and possibly death. While reputable pharmaceutical companies strive to deliver microbiologically safe products, it would be helpful to apply an assessment system for the current risk associated with pharmaceutical batches delivered to the drug market. The current methodology may be helpful also in determining the degree of improvement or deterioration on the batch processing flow until reaching the final consumer. Moreover, the present system is flexible and can be applied to other industries such as food, cosmetics, or medical devices manufacturing and processing fields to assess the microbiological risk of the processed and manufactured batch. © PDA, Inc. 2017.

42 CFR 493.1261 - Standard: Bacteriology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) For antimicrobial susceptibility tests, the laboratory must check each batch of media and each lot number and shipment of antimicrobial agent(s) before, or concurrent with, initial use, using approved...

Emulsion of Chloramphenicol: an Overwhelming Approach for Ocular Delivery.

PubMed

Ashara, Kalpesh C; Shah, Ketan V

2017-03-01

Ophthalmic formulations of chloramphenicol have poor bioavailability of chloramphenicol in the ocular cavity. The present study aimed at exploring the impact of different oil mixtures in the form of emulsion on the permeability of chloramphenicol after ocular application. Selection of oil mixture and ratio of the components was made by an equilibrium solubility method. An emulsifier was chosen according to its emulsification properties. A constrained simplex centroid design was used for the assessment of the emulsion development. Emulsions were evaluated for physicochemical properties; zone of inhibition, in-vitro diffusion and ex-vivo local accumulation of chloramphenicol. Validation of the design using check-point batch and reduced polynomial equations were also developed. Optimization of the emulsion was developed by software Design® expert 6.0.8. Assessment of the osmolarity, ocular irritation, sterility testing and isotonicity of optimized batch were also made. Parker Neem®, olive and peppermint oils were selected as an oil phase in the ratio 63.64:20.2:16.16. PEG-400 was selected as an emulsifier according to a pseudo-ternary phase diagram. Constrained simplex-centroid design was applied in the range of 25-39% water, 55-69% PEG-400, 5-19% optimized oil mixture, and 1% chloramphenicol. Unpaired Student's t-test showed for in-vitro and ex-vivo studies that there was a significant difference between the optimized batch of emulsion and Chloramphenicol eye caps (a commercial product) according to both were equally safe. The optimized batch of an emulsion of chloramphenicol was found to be as safe as and more effective than Chloramphenicol eye caps.

Improvement of the antigenicity of antirabies vaccine by pooling checked by post-challenge vaccination of guinea-pigs.

PubMed

VEERARAGHAVAN, N

1959-01-01

The author describes some studies carried out at the Pasteur Institute of Southern India, Coonoor, with the object of developing an antirabies vaccine of uniform potency.It was found that by pooling batches of vaccine from several infected sheep brains a vaccine was produced which was superior in antigenicity (as determined by potency tests in mice) to the NIH (United States National Institutes of Health) Reference Vaccine 155-D as well as to most of the individual batches of vaccine tested. Furthermore, the pooled vaccine conferred a significant degree of protection on guinea-pigs challenged with virulent strains of street virus, even when not administered until an hour after infection.A brief outline is given of the method used for pooling the vaccine.

Improvement of the antigenicity of antirabies vaccine by pooling checked by post-challenge vaccination of guinea-pigs

PubMed Central

Veeraraghavan, N.

1959-01-01

The author describes some studies carried out at the Pasteur Institute of Southern India, Coonoor, with the object of developing an antirabies vaccine of uniform potency. It was found that by pooling batches of vaccine from several infected sheep brains a vaccine was produced which was superior in antigenicity (as determined by potency tests in mice) to the NIH (United States National Institutes of Health) Reference Vaccine 155-D as well as to most of the individual batches of vaccine tested. Furthermore, the pooled vaccine conferred a significant degree of protection on guinea-pigs challenged with virulent strains of street virus, even when not administered until an hour after infection. A brief outline is given of the method used for pooling the vaccine. PMID:13638794

Materials selection for kraft batch digesters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wensley, A.; Moskal, M.; Wilton, W.

1997-08-01

Several candidate materials were evaluated by corrosion testing in autoclaves containing white and black liquors for batch digesters. The relationship between corrosion rate and corrosion potential was determined for ASTM SA516-Grade 70 carbon steel, UNS S30403 (Type 304L) austenitic stainless steel, UNS S31803 (2205) and UNS S32550 (2605) duplex stainless steels, and two stainless steel weld overlays, applied by the GMAW (gas metal arc welding) and SAW (submerged arc welding) processes. The tests revealed that SA516-Grade 70 carbon steel and type 304L stainless steel can experience high rates of corrosion. For the duplex stainless steels and weld overlays, corrosion resistancemore » improved with chromium content. A chromium content of at least 25% was found to be necessary for good corrosion resistance.« less

40 CFR 1065.805 - Sampling system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sampling system. 1065.805 Section 1065... ENGINE-TESTING PROCEDURES Testing With Oxygenated Fuels § 1065.805 Sampling system. (a) Dilute engine exhaust, and use batch sampling to collect proportional flow-weighted dilute samples of the applicable...

40 CFR 1065.805 - Sampling system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling system. 1065.805 Section 1065... ENGINE-TESTING PROCEDURES Testing With Oxygenated Fuels § 1065.805 Sampling system. (a) Dilute engine exhaust, and use batch sampling to collect proportional flow-weighted dilute samples of the applicable...

Batch and fed-batch cultivation for excretive production of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) with recombinant E. Coli K12 system.

PubMed

Wang, J; Chen, J; Xu, R; Xu, Z

2008-01-01

Batch and fed-batch production of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) was studied in an E. coli secretary expression system. By using MMBL medium containing 5 g/L glucose, controlling the temperature at 32 degrees C and maintaining the dissolved oxgen level over 20% saturation, a high yield of hEGF (32 mg/L) was obtained after an 18 hr batch cultivation with 0.2 mM IPTG induction at mid-log phase. Three different glucose feeding strategies were employed to further improve hEGF productivity in a bench top fermentor. Compared with the batch results, hEGF yield was improved up to 25.5% or 28.1%, respectively by intermittent or pH-stat glucose feeding, and up to 150% improvement of hEGF production was achieved by constant feeding of 200 g/L glucose solution at a rate of 0.11 mL/min. The effects of further combined feeding with other medium components and inducer on hEGF yield were also examined in the benchtop fermentor. This work is very helpful to further improve the productivity of extracellular hEGF in the recombinant E. coli system.

Nisin production of Lactococcus lactis N8 with hemin-stimulated cell respiration in fed-batch fermentation system.

PubMed

Kördikanlıoğlu, Burcu; Şimşek, Ömer; Saris, Per E J

2015-01-01

In this study, nisin production of Lactococcus lactis N8 was optimized by independent variables of glucose, hemin and oxygen concentrations in fed-batch fermentation in which respiration of cells was stimulated with hemin. Response surface model was able to explain the changes of the nisin production of L. lactis N8 in fed-batch fermentation system with high fidelity (R(2) 98%) and insignificant lack of fit. Accordingly, the equation developed indicated the optimum parameters for glucose, hemin, and dissolved oxygen were 8 g L(-1) h(-1) , 3 μg mL(-1) and 40%, respectively. While 1711 IU mL(-1) nisin was produced by L. lactis N8 in control fed-batch fermentation, 5410 IU mL(-1) nisin production was achieved within the relevant optimum parameters where the respiration of cell was stimulated with hemin. Accordingly, nisin production was enhanced 3.1 fold in fed-batch fermentation using hemin. In conclusion the nisin production of L. lactis N8 was enhanced extensively as a result of increasing the biomass by stimulating the cell respiration with adding the hemin in the fed-batch fermentation. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Response of microbial growth to orthophosphate and organic carbon influx in copper and plastic based plumbing water systems.

PubMed

Park, Se-Keun; Kim, Yeong-Kwan; Choi, Sung-Chan

2008-07-01

Consequences of orthophosphate addition for corrosion control in water distribution pipes with respect to microbial growth were investigated using batch and dynamic tests. Batch tests showed that the release of copper in either low or high organic carbon content water was decreased by 69% and 56% with addition 206 microg PO(4)-P, respectively. Dosing of orthophosphate against corrosion did not increase microbial growth potential in the water and in the biofilm in both corroded and uncorroded systems receiving tap water with a low content of organic carbon and of biodegradable organic fraction. However, in tap water having a high concentration of organic carbon from acetate addition, orthophosphate addition promoted the growth of bacteria, allowed more bacteria to assemble on corroded and uncorroded surfaces, and increased the consumption of organic carbon. Orthophosphate consumption did not exceed 1% of the amount of easily biodegradable organic carbon required for microbial growth, and the orthophosphate demand for corrosion control greatly exceeded the nutritional requirement of microbial growth. The results of the dynamic tests demonstrated that there was a significant effect of interaction between biodegradable organic carbon and orthophosphate on biofilm growth, whereby the effect of orthophosphate flux on microbial growth was dependent on the levels of biodegradable organic carbon. Controlling an easily biodegradable organic carbon would be therefore necessary to minimize the microbial growth potential induced by orthophosphate-based anticorrosion treatment.

Electrochemical treatment of tannery effluent using a battery integrated DC-DC converter and solar PV power supply--an approach towards environment and energy management.

PubMed

Iyappan, K; Basha, C Ahmed; Saravanathamizhan, R; Vedaraman, N; Tahiyah Nou Shene, C A; Begum, S Nathira

2014-01-01

Electrochemical oxidation of tannery effluent was carried out in batch, batch recirculation and continuous reactor configurations under different conditions using a battery-integrated DC-DC converter and solar PV power supply. The effect of current density, electrolysis time and fluid flow rate on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and energy consumption has been evaluated. The results of batch reactor show that a COD reduction of 80.85% to 96.67% could be obtained. The results showed that after 7 h of operation at a current density of 2.5 A dm(-2) and flow rate of 100 L h(-1) in batch recirculation reactor, the removal of COD is 82.14% and the specific energy consumption was found to be 5.871 kWh (kg COD)(-1) for tannery effluent. In addition, the performance of single pass flow reactors (single and multiple reactors) system of various configurations are analyzed.

Hydrolytic activities of extracellular enzymes in thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic sequencing-batch reactors treating organic fractions of municipal solid wastes.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Woo; Nam, Joo-Youn; Kang, Seok-Tae; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Jung, Kyung-Won; Shin, Hang-Sik

2012-04-01

Extracellular enzymes offer active catalysis for hydrolysis of organic solid wastes in anaerobic digestion. To evidence the quantitative significance of hydrolytic enzyme activities for major waste components, track studies of thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic sequencing-batch reactors (TASBR and MASBR) were conducted using a co-substrate of real organic wastes. During 1day batch cycle, TASBR showed higher amylase activity for carbohydrate (46%), protease activity for proteins (270%), and lipase activity for lipids (19%) than MASBR. In particular, the track study of protease identified that thermophilic anaerobes degraded protein polymers much more rapidly. Results revealed that differences in enzyme activities eventually affected acidogenic and methanogenic performances. It was demonstrated that the superior nature of enzymatic capability at thermophilic condition led to successive high-rate acidogenesis and 32% higher CH(4) recovery. Consequently, these results evidence that the coupling thermophilic digestion with sequencing-batch operation is a viable option to promote enzymatic hydrolysis of organic particulates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mini-batch optimized full waveform inversion with geological constrained gradient filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hui; Jia, Junxiong; Wu, Bangyu; Gao, Jinghuai

2018-05-01

High computation cost and generating solutions without geological sense have hindered the wide application of Full Waveform Inversion (FWI). Source encoding technique is a way to dramatically reduce the cost of FWI but subject to fix-spread acquisition setup requirement and slow convergence for the suppression of cross-talk. Traditionally, gradient regularization or preconditioning is applied to mitigate the ill-posedness. An isotropic smoothing filter applied on gradients generally gives non-geological inversion results, and could also introduce artifacts. In this work, we propose to address both the efficiency and ill-posedness of FWI by a geological constrained mini-batch gradient optimization method. The mini-batch gradient descent optimization is adopted to reduce the computation time by choosing a subset of entire shots for each iteration. By jointly applying the structure-oriented smoothing to the mini-batch gradient, the inversion converges faster and gives results with more geological meaning. Stylized Marmousi model is used to show the performance of the proposed method on realistic synthetic model.

Results of initial analyses of the salt (macro) batch 10 tank 21H qualification samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, T. B.

2017-01-01

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Interim Salt Disposition Project (ISDP) Salt (Macro) Batch 10 for processing through the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). This document reports the initial results of the analyses of samples of Tank 21H. Analysis of the Tank 21H Salt (Macro) Batch 10 composite sample indicates that the material does not display any unusual characteristics or observations, such as floating solids, the presence of large amount of solids, or unusual colors. Further sample results will be reported in a futuremore » document. This memo satisfies part of Deliverable 3 of the Technical Task Request (TTR).« less

Results of initial analyses of the salt (macro) batch 11 Tank 21H qualification samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, T. B.

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Interim Salt Disposition Project (ISDP) Salt (Macro) Batch 11 for processing through the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). This document reports the initial results of the analyses of samples of Tank 21H. Analysis of the Tank 21H Salt (Macro) Batch 11 composite sample indicates that the material does not display any unusual characteristics or observations, such as floating solids, the presence of large amounts of solids, or unusual colors. Further sample results will be reported in a futuremore » document. This memo satisfies part of Deliverable 3 of the Technical Task Request (TTR).« less