Entrained metal aerosol emissions from air-fired biomass and coal combustion for carbon capture applications

Biomass energy with CO₂ capture could achieve net negative emissions, vital for meeting carbon budgets and emission targets. However, biomass often has significant quantities of light metals/inorganics that cause issues for boiler operation and downstream processes; including deposition, corrosion, and solvent degradation. This study investigated the pilot-scale combustion of a typical biomass used for power generation (white wood) and assessed the variations in metal aerosol release compared to bituminous coal. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, it was found that K aerosol levels were significantly greater for biomass than coal, on average 6.5 times, with peaks up to 10 times higher; deposition could thus be more problematic, although Na emissions were only 20% of those for coal. Transition metals were notably less prevalent in the biomass flue gas; with Fe and V release in particular much lower (3⁻4% of those for coal). Solvent degradation may therefore be less severe for biomass-generated flue gases. Furthermore, aerosol emissions of toxic/heavy metals (As/Cd/Hg) were absent from biomass combustion, with As/Cd also not detected in the coal flue gas. Negligible Cr aerosol concentrations were found for both. Overall, except for K, metal aerosol release from biomass combustion was considerably reduced compared to coal

QTL for phytosterol and sinapate ester content in Brassica napus L. collocate with the two erucic acid genes

Improving oil and protein quality for food and feed purposes is an important goal in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) breeding programs. Rapeseed contains phytosterols, used to enrich food products, and sinapate esters, which are limiting the utilization of rapeseed proteins in the feed industry. Increasing the phytosterol content of oil and lowering sinapate ester content of meal could increase the value of the oilseed rape crop. The objective of the present study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for phytosterol and sinapate ester content in a winter rapeseed population of 148 doubled haploid lines, previously found to have a large variation for these two traits. This population also segregated for the two erucic acid genes. A close negative correlation was found between erucic acid and phytosterol content (Spearman’s rank correlation, rs = −0.80**). For total phytosterol content, three QTL were detected, explaining 60% of the genetic variance. The two QTL with the strongest additive effects were mapped on linkage groups N8 and N13 within the confidence intervals of the two erucic acid genes. For sinapate ester content four QTL were detected, explaining 53% of the genetic variance. Again, a close negative correlation was found between erucic acid and sinapate ester content (rs = −0.66**) and the QTL with the strongest additive effects mapped on linkage groups N8 and N13 within the confidence intervals of the two erucic acid genes. The results suggests, that there is a pleiotropic effect of the two erucic acid genes on phytosterol and sinapate ester content; the effect of the alleles for low erucic acid content is to increase phytosterol and sinapate ester content. Possible reasons for this are discussed based on known biosynthetic pathways

Genome and Transcriptome Analysis of the Food-Yeast Candida utilis

The industrially important food-yeast Candida utilis is a Crabtree effect-negative yeast used to produce valuable chemicals and recombinant proteins. In the present study, we conducted whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of C. utilis, which showed that this yeast diverged long before the formation of the CUG and Saccharomyces/Kluyveromyces clades. In addition, we performed comparative genome and transcriptome analyses using next-generation sequencing, which resulted in the identification of genes important for characteristic phenotypes of C. utilis such as those involved in nitrate assimilation, in addition to the gene encoding the functional hexose transporter. We also found that an antisense transcript of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene, which in silico analysis did not predict to be a functional gene, was transcribed in the stationary-phase, suggesting a novel system of repression of ethanol production. These findings should facilitate the development of more sophisticated systems for the production of useful reagents using C. utilis

Acute reduction of serum 8-iso-PGF2-alpha and advanced oxidation protein products in vivo by a polyphenol-rich beverage; a pilot clinical study with phytochemical and in vitro antioxidant characterization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Measuring the effects of the acute intake of natural products on human biomarker concentrations, such as those related to oxidation and inflammation, can be an advantageous strategy for early clinical research on an ingredient or product.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>31 total healthy subjects were randomized in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, acute pilot study with post-hoc subgroup analysis on 20 of the subjects. The study examined the effects of a single dose of a polyphenol-rich beverage (PRB), commercially marketed as "SoZo^®", on serum anti-inflammatory and antioxidant markers. In addition, phytochemical analyses of PRB, and <it>in vitro </it>antioxidant capacity were also performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At 1 hour post-intake, serum values for 8-iso-PGF2-alpha and advanced oxidation protein products decreased significantly by 40% and 39%, respectively. Additionally, there was a trend toward decreased C-reactive protein, and increased nitric oxide levels. Both placebo and PRB treatment resulted in statistically significant increases in hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity (HORAC) compared to baseline; PRB showed a higher percent change (55-75% versus 23-74% in placebo group), but the two groups did not differ significantly from each other.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>PRB produced statistically significant changes in several blood biomarkers related to antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects. Future studies are justified to verify results and test for cumulative effects of repeated intakes of PRB. The study demonstrates the potential utility of acute biomarker measurements for evaluating antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects of natural products.</p

The Role of HIV-Related Knowledge and Ethnicity in Determining HIV Risk Perception and Willingness to Undergo HIV Testing Among Rural Women in Burkina Faso

We conducted a random community based survey of 300 young (15–29 years) rural women in Nouna, Burkina Faso. Only one-third of women were aware that a person could have HIV without having symptoms and these women were significantly more likely to classify themselves to be at high risk for getting HIV. Furthermore, multiple partners, Bwaba ethnicity and having mentioned a health worker as a source of HIV information were significantly associated with perceived high personal risk. Perceived willingness to participate in VCT was high (69%). The dissemination of information on the asymptomatic nature of HIV infection could potentially be very important in forming risk perception, awareness, and their willingness to participate in HIV interventions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44011/1/10461_2005_Article_3905.pd

Controlling capture plants to avoid CO2 emissions penalties during peak load demand

With the introduction of more and more renewables into the electricity system, pressure is mounting on the thermal power plants to operate in more flexible ways. In order to capture maximum emissions at the lowest cost, capture plants integrated with the power plants has to follow the operational regimes of the parent power plant. Therefore, capture plants has to be flexible enough to deal with the load variations on the power plants to meat grid demands. A test campaign has been carried out at the PACT 1tpd CO2 capture pilot plant to investigate capture plant flexibility in relation to power plant load variations. Monoethanolamine (40 wt.%) solvent was used to capture CO2 from gas turbine representative flue gases containing around 5% CO2. Pressurised Hot Water (PHW) is used to regenerate the solvent in the reboiler. Four Capture plant flexibility scenarios i.e. start-up, minimum stable generation, no-stripping and over-stripping, are investigated. No-stripping tests were performed to mimic the unavailability of steam for stripping over varied periods of time by stopping PHW flow to the reboiler. The results indicate that Specific Reboiler Duty (SRD) increased by 8.7 % when the PHW stoppage time was 30 min.. Longer the PHW stoppage time, the longer it takes to recover the capture plant to the original steady state and higher the difference between the steady state capture efficiency and the average capture efficiency over the test period. For over-stripping tests, stripper pressure was reduced to 0.4 barg from the original value of 0.5 barg for a varied period of time followed by no-stripping. It was observed that longer the over-stripping period, longer the recovery time. The results indicates that SRD increased by 36 % when the over-stripping time was increased to an hour. In conclusion, it is possible to maintain 90 % overall capture efficiency, if the solvent is over-stripped for a long enough period, but reboiler duty will be increased. Optimisation of the capture process under these scenarios would be required in order to achieve a commercially-optimised balance i.e. minimum increase in SRD costs while achieving a capture efficiency that also minimises CO2 emission costs