Volatile sulphur compounds in wines related to yeast metabolism and nitrogen composition of grape musts

The influence of nitrogen compounds in grape musts on the content of sulphur compounds of wines was studied. Different vinifications were performed with the addition of methionine (20 mg l−1) and/or cysteine (40 mg l−1) to grape musts before alcoholic fermentation. Six grape musts, with different nitrogen composition, from cultivars of the ‘Vinhos Verdes’ Region, in Portugal, were used. Addition of methionine to grape musts enhanced the content of wines in 3-(methylthio)-1-propanol, acetic acid-3-(methylthio)propyl ester, 3-(methylthio)propionic acid and some unidentified sulphur compounds. Increase of cysteine concentration in musts led to the production of wines with high levels of hydrogen sulphide and cis-2-methyltetrahydrothiophene- 3-OL and also unidentified sulphur compounds; however, the content of 3-(methylthio)propionic acid in the wines decreased considerately with the addition of cysteine to grape musts. This work showed that cultivars from the Vinho Verde Region show different sulphur compound contents. Avesso wines, elaborated from grape musts with low amino acids level, presented the highest total sulphur compounds content. Wines from Azal branco and Alvarinho were characterised by high contents of 4-(methylthio)-1-butanol and 3-(methylthio)propionic acid, respectively. A high content of N-(3-(methylthio) propyl)-acetamide and dimethylsulphone characterise the Loureiro wines. In contrast, Trajadura wines, produced from a must rich in amino acids, presented a low total sulphur compounds content; however, these wines were also characterised by high concentrations of 4-(methylthio)-1-butanol, acetic acid-3-(methylthio)propyl ester and hydrogen sulphide

Integrating microalgae production with anaerobic digestion: a biorefinery approach

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Uggetti, E. , Sialve, B. , Trably, E. and Steyer, J. (2014), Integrating microalgae production with anaerobic digestion: a biorefinery approach. Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref, 8: 516-529. doi:10.1002/bbb.1469], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1469. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-ArchivingIn the energy and chemical sectors, alternative production chains should be considered in order to simultaneously reduce the dependence on oil and mitigate climate change. Biomass is probably the only viable alternative to fossil resources for production of liquid transportation fuels and chemicals since, besides fossils, it is one of the only available sources of carbon-rich material on Earth. Over recent years, interest in microalgae biomass has grown in both fundamental and applied research fields. The biorefinery concept includes different technologies able to convert biomass into added-value chemicals, products (food and feed) and biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen). As in oil refinery, a biorefinery aims at producing multiple products, maximizing the value derived from differences in biomass components, including microalgae. This paper provides an overview of the various microalgae-derived products, focusing on anaerobic digestion for conversion of microalgal biomass into methane. Special attention is paid to the range of possible inputs for anaerobic digestion (microalgal biomass and microalgal residue after lipid extraction) and the outputs resulting from the process (e.g. biogas and digestate). The strong interest in microalgae anaerobic digestion lies in its ability to mineralize microalgae containing organic nitrogen and phosphorus, resulting in a flux of ammonium and phosphate that can then be used as substrate for growing microalgae or that can be further processed to produce fertilizers. At present, anaerobic digestion outputs can provide nutrients, CO2 and water to cultivate microalgae, which in turn, are used as substrate for methane and fertilizer generation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ХИМИЧЕСКИЕ И ФИЗИКО-ХИМИЧЕСКИЕ МЕТОДЫ УДАЛЕНИЯ ФОСФАТОВ ИЗ СТОЧНЫХ ВОД

Actual information in the field of wastewater treatment from phosphates is provided. The article describes the most common effective methods used for wastewater treatment from phosphates, such as chemical and physico-chemical methods.Приведена актуальная информация в области очистки сточных вод от фосфатов. В статье дано описание наиболее распространенных эффективных используемых способов очистки сточных вод от фосфатов, таких как химических и физико-химических методов

Sedimentological and paleoenvironmental characterisation of transgressive sediments on the Guadiana Shelf (Northern Gulf of Cadiz, SW Iberia)

12 pages, 7 figures.During the transgression following the Last Glacial Maximum, four backstepping parasequences were deposited on the northern Gulf of Cádiz shelf (SW Iberia). In contrast to other areas on the shelf, these transgressive deposits are at, or very close to, the surface to the southeast of the Guadiana Estuary mouth. This is particularly true for transgressive parasequence TC, possibly associated with the Younger Dryas event, and the youngest parasequence TD, probably linked to a slow-down in sea-level rise at around 8.2 ka BP, both of which form a sandy transgressive bulge on the upper middle shelf. The older and more distal parasequence TC is characterised on seismic records by convex low-angle sigmoidal clinoforms, and contains high amounts of quartz and bioclasts. In contrast, the younger and more proximal parasequence TD shows relatively steep concave prograding clinoforms, and contains high amounts of quartz and other terrigenous components, but comparatively low amounts of bioclasts. Furthermore, the difference in age between both parasequences is clearly marked by a difference in the content of glauconite. The results indicate that sediments found in parasequence TC are associated with deposition related to storm events, with frequent reworking of components, and the more proximal and younger sediments in TD are the result of rapid sediment accumulation related to floods in the Guadiana River basin, possibly during the transition from a dry cold period to a warmer more humid period, when vegetation cover was lowest and flood frequency increased. Additionally, accumulations of terrigenous components directly associated with the Guadiana River basin found on the outer shelf indicate that, at least during the beginning of the transgression, overflow channels active during large-scale flood events may have spilled material to an area located immediately to the south of the Guadiana Estuary mouth.This study has been financed by the project CRIDA (PDCTM/PP/MAR15289/1999/CRIDA) and RIMAR (PRAXIS 2/2.1/MAR/1743/95). Sampling of the shelf was financed by the projects EMERGE and SIRIA. We wish to thank the crew of the NRP Andromeda for their help, hospitality and support. Furthermore, we also wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.Peer reviewe

Faster automatic ASSR detection using sequential tests

Objective: Objective Response Detection (ORD) can be used for auditory steady-state response (ASSR) detection. In conventional ORD methods, the statistical tests are applied at the end of data collection (‘single-shot tests’). In sequential ORD methods, statistical tests are applied repeatedly, while data is being collected. However, repeated testing can increase False Positive (FP) rates. One solution is to infer that response is present only after the test remains significant for a predefined number of consecutive detections (NCD). Thus, this paper describes a new method for finding the required NCD that control the FP rate for ASSR detection. Design: NCD values are estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. Study sample: ASSR signals were recorded from 8 normal-hearing subjects. Results: The exam time was reduced by up to 38.9% compared to the single-shot test with loss of approximately 5% in detection rate. Alternatively, lower gains in time were achieved for a smaller (non-significant) loss in detection rate. The FP rates at the end of the test were kept at the nominal level expected (1%). Conclusion: The sequential test strategy with NCD as the stopping criterion can improve the speed of ASSR detection and prevent higher than expected FP rates