Updates on the pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks for bioenergy production–a review

Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable energy bioresources available today. Due to its recalcitrant structure, lignocellulosic feedstocks cannot be directly converted into fermentable sugars. Thus, an additional step known as the pretreatment is needed for efficient enzyme hydrolysis for the release of sugars. Various pretreatment technologies have been developed and examined for different biomass feedstocks. One of the major concerns of pretreatments is the degradation of sugars and formation of inhibitors during pretreatment. The inhibitor formation affects in the following steps after pretreatments such as enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation for the release of different bioenergy products. The sugar degradation and formation of inhibitors depend on the types and conditions of pretreatment and types of biomass. This review covers the structure of lignocellulose, followed by the factors affecting pretreatment and challenges of pretreatment. This review further discusses diverse types of pretreatment technologies and different applications of pretreatment for producing biogas, biohydrogen, ethanol, and butanol

Artificial neural network–genetic algorithm-based optimization of biodiesel production from Simarouba glauca

A transesterification reaction was carried out employing an oil of paradise kernel (Simarouba glauca), a non-edible source for producing Simarouba glauca methyl ester (SGME) or biodiesel. In this study, the effects of three variables – reaction temperature, oil-to-alcohol ratio and reaction time – were studied and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) on the free fatty acid (FFA) level. Formation of methyl esters due to a reduction in FFA was observed in gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analysis. It was inferred that optimum conditions such as an oil-to-alcohol ratio of 1:6.22, temperature of 67.25 and duration of 20 h produce a better yield of biodiesel with FFA of 0.765 ± 0.92%. The fuel properties of paradise oil meet the requirements for biodiesel, by Indian standards. The results indicate that the model is in substantial agreement with current research, and simarouba oil can be considered a potential oil source for biodiesel production

Neurodevelopmental and Epilepsy Phenotypes in Individuals With Missense Variants in the Voltage-Sensing and Pore Domains of KCNH5

Background and Objectives KCNH5 encodes the voltage-gated potassium channel EAG2/Kv10.2. We aimed to delineate the neurodevelopmental and epilepsy phenotypic spectrum associated with de novo KCNH5 variants.Methods We screened 893 individuals with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies for KCNH5 variants using targeted or exome sequencing. Additional individuals with KCNH5 variants were identified through an international collaboration. Clinical history, EEG, and imaging data were analyzed; seizure types and epilepsy syndromes were classified. We included 3 previously published individuals including additional phenotypic details.Results We report a cohort of 17 patients, including 9 with a recurrent de novo missense variant p.Arg327His, 4 with a recurrent missense variant p.Arg333His, and 4 additional novel missense variants. All variants were located in or near the functionally critical voltage-sensing or pore domains, absent in the general population, and classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic using the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics criteria. All individuals presented with epilepsy with a median seizure onset at 6 months. They had a wide range of seizure types, including focal and generalized seizures. Cognitive outcomes ranged from normal intellect to profound impairment. Individuals with the recurrent p.Arg333His variant had a self-limited drug-responsive focal or generalized epilepsy and normal intellect, whereas the recurrent p.Arg327His variant was associated with infantile-onset DEE. Two individuals with variants in the pore domain were more severely affected, with a neonatal-onset movement disorder, early-infantile DEE, profound disability, and childhood death.Discussion We describe a cohort of 17 individuals with pathogenic or likely pathogenic missense variants in the voltage-sensing and pore domains of Kv10.2, including 14 previously unreported individuals. We present evidence for a putative emerging genotype-phenotype correlation with a spectrum of epilepsy and cognitive outcomes. Overall, we expand the role of EAG proteins in human disease and establish KCNH5 as implicated in a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy.</p

Development and Validation of Real-Time PCR for Rapid Detection of <i>Mecistocirrus digitatus</i>

<div><p></p><p>Hematophagous activity of <i>Mecistocirrus digitatus</i>, which causes substantial blood and weight loss in large ruminants, is an emerging challenge due to the economic loss it brings to the livestock industry. Infected animals are treated with anthelmintic drugs, based on the identification of helminth species and the severity of infection; however, traditional methods such as microscopic identification and the counting of eggs for diagnosis and determination of level of infection are laborious, cumbersome and unreliable. To facilitate the detection of this parasite, a SYBR green-based real-time PCR was standardized and validated for the detection of <i>M. digitatus</i> infection in cattle and buffaloes. Oligonucleotides were designed to amplify partial Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)-1 sequence of <i>M. digitatus.</i> The specificity of the primers was confirmed by non-amplification of DNA extracted from other commonly occurring gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. Plasmids were ligated with partial ITS-1 sequence of <i>M. digitatus</i>, serially diluted (hundred fold) and used as standards in the real-time PCR assay. The quantification cycle (Cq) values were plotted against the standard DNA concentration to produce a standard curve. The assay was sensitive enough to detect one plasmid containing the <i>M. digitatus</i> DNA. Clinical application of this assay was validated by testing the DNA extracted from the faeces of naturally infected cattle (n = 40) and buffaloes (n = 25). The results were compared with our standard curve to calculate the quantity of <i>M. digitatus</i> in each faecal sample. The Cq value of the assay depicted a strong linear relationship with faecal DNA content, with a regression coefficient of 0.984 and efficiency of 99%. This assay has noteworthy advantages over the conventional methods of diagnosis because it is more specific, sensitive and reliable.</p></div

Influence Of Pcm Thermal Conductivity And Htf Velocity During Solidification Of Pcm Through The Free Cooling Concept – A Parametric Study

The thermal performance of a latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system can be enhanced by incorporation of fins, metal matrices, lessing rings in the phase change material (PCM) encapsulation and by dispersion of high conductive nanomaterials in the PCM itself. Similarly, to increase the heat transfer to PCM, the surface convective heat transfer coefficient (‘h’) can be enhanced by increasing the heat transfer fluid (HTF) velocity (‘u’). However, it is important to know how much increase in PCM thermal conductivity (‘k’) and ‘h’ will be beneficial during the charging of PCM under real-time ambient conditions and when will we reach the margin of diminishing returns. Understanding these are the motivation of the present work which includes the parametric study of the impact of ‘k’ & ‘u’ on the charging of PCM (RT28HC) through free cooling concept under different operating conditions (two different HTF inlet temperature). The numerical results are validated using the experimental data and they both show good agreement with each other. The major inferences from the results are, i) increasing the PCM thermal conductivity reduces the charging duration of the LHTES system for both lower and higher HTF velocity (1 m/s and 8 m/s). However, reduction in charging duration while increasing ‘k’ is higher when the HTF inlet temperature is lower, ii) increasing the HTF velocity is beneficial only when the inlet HTF temperature is higher. For the case of lower HTF inlet temperature, the effect of increasing the HTF velocity is suppressed by the higher temperature driving potential between the HTF inlet temperature and the PCM phase change temperature. It is inferred from the parametric study that, among the three parameters considered (PCM thermal conductivity, HTF velocity, and HTF inlet temperature), HTF inlet temperature has the most influence on the charging of the PCM, followed by the PCM thermal conductivity and HTF velocity

Species-specific PCR for detection of <i>M.</i><i>digitatus</i>.

<p>Lane 1∶100–1000 bp DNA ladder, Fermentas Lane 2: <i>Mecistocirrus digitatus</i> DNA (182 bp) Lane 3: <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> DNA Lane 4: <i>Trichostrongylus spp.</i> DNA Lane 5: <i>Ostertagia ostertagi</i> DNA Lane 6: <i>Oesophagostomum radiatum</i> DNA Lane 7: <i>Cooperia spp</i>. DNA Lane 8: <i>Nematodirus spp.</i> DNA Lane 9: <i>Trichuris spp</i>. DNA Lane 10: <i>Bunostomum spp.</i> DNA Lane 11: No Template Control.</p

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a child with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on antiretroviral therapy

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) in HIV-infected children is a scarcely reported entity with previous reports describing fulminant course. The impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in altering its course remains unknown. We describe a child with HIV infection, who developed measles at 5 months of age and later developed SSPE at 14 years of age, remaining stable at 7 month follow-up, while on HAART for WHO (World Health Organisation) stage IV disease. The dynamics of HIV-related immunosuppression has an impact on the clinical course of SSPE. Contrary to reported cases of fulminant progression, a classic presentation with slow progression can be expected in children on HAART. We reemphasize the recommendation of “early measles vaccination” to prevent measles infection and subsequent SSPE in these children with an increasingly good life expectancy in the era of HAART

Fluorescence profile for standards and clinical samples used in real-time PCR assay.

<p>Fluorescence profile for standards and clinical samples used in real-time PCR assay.</p

Melt curve analysis of PCR products.

<p>Melt curve analysis of PCR products.</p