Combining phospholipases and a liquid lipase for one-step biodiesel production using crude oils

Background Enzymatic biodiesel is becoming an increasingly popular topic in bioenergy literature because of its potential to overcome the problems posed by chemical processes. However, the high cost of the enzymatic process still remains the main drawback for its industrial application, mostly because of the high price of refined oils. Unfortunately, low cost substrates, such as crude soybean oil, often release a product that hardly accomplishes the final required biodiesel specifications and need an additional pretreatment for gums removal. In order to reduce costs and to make the enzymatic process more efficient, we developed an innovative system for enzymatic biodiesel production involving a combination of a lipase and two phospholipases. This allows performing the enzymatic degumming and transesterification in a single step, using crude soybean oil as feedstock, and converting part of the phospholipids into biodiesel. Since the two processes have never been studied together, an accurate analysis of the different reaction components and conditions was carried out. Results Crude soybean oil, used as low cost feedstock, is characterized by a high content of phospholipids (900 ppm of phosphorus). However, after the combined activity of different phospholipases and liquid lipase Callera Trans L, a complete transformation into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs >95%) and a good reduction of phosphorus (P <5 ppm) was achieved. The combination of enzymes allowed avoidance of the acid treatment required for gums removal, the consequent caustic neutralization, and the high temperature commonly used in degumming systems, making the overall process more eco-friendly and with higher yield. Once the conditions were established, the process was also tested with different vegetable oils with variable phosphorus contents. Conclusions Use of liquid lipase Callera Trans L in biodiesel production can provide numerous and sustainable benefits. Besides reducing the costs derived from enzyme immobilization, the lipase can be used in combination with other enzymes such as phospholipases for gums removal, thus allowing the use of much cheaper, non-refined oils. The possibility to perform degumming and transesterification in a single tank involves a great efficiency increase in the new era of enzymatic biodiesel production at industrial scale

Nucleon electroweak form factors in a meson-cloud model

The meson-cloud model of the nucleon consisting of a system of three valence quarks surrounded by a meson cloud is applied to study the electroweak structure of the proton and neutron. The electroweak nucleon form factors are calculated within a light-front approach, by obtaining an overall good description of the experimental data. Charge densities as a function of the transverse distance with respect to the direction of the three-momentum transfer are also discussed.Comment: Prepared for Proceedings of NSTAR2007, Workshop on the physics of excited nucleons, Bonn (Germany), 5-8 September 200

Skyrmion motion induced by voltage-controlled in-plane strain gradients

[EN] Micromagnetic simulations are used to investigate the motion of magnetic skyrmions in an in-plane strain gradient. The skyrmion diameter and energy are found to depend on the strain, which leads to a force that moves the skyrmion toward regions with higher strain. An analytical expression for the skyrmion velocity as a function of the strain gradient is derived assuming a rigid profile for the skyrmion, and good agreement with simulations is obtained. Furthermore, electromechanical simulations of a hybrid ferromagnetic/piezoelectric device show that the in-plane strain gradients needed to move skyrmions can be achievedProject No. MAT2017-87072-C4-1-P from the (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) Spanish government Project No. SA299P18 from Consejería de Educacíon Junta de Castilla y León

Exomoon simulations

We introduce and describe our newly developed code that simulates light curves and radial velocity curves for arbitrary transiting exoplanets with a satellite. The most important feature of the program is the calculation of radial velocity curves and the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect in such systems. We discuss the possibilities for detecting the exomoons taking the abilities of Extremely Large Telescopes into account. We show that satellites may be detected also by their RM effect in the future, probably using less accurate measurements than promised by the current instrumental developments. Thus, RM effect will be an important observational tool in the exploration of exomoons.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures with 9 figure panels, accepted by EM&

Anchovy Spawning Stock Biomass of the Gulf of Cadiz in 2020 by the DEPM

The Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) to estimate the Anchovy Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) in the Gulf of Cádiz (ICES, Subdivision 9a South) is conducted by Spain (Centro Nacional Instituto Español de Oceanografía, CSIC) every three years, since 2005. BOCADEVA 0720 is the sixth survey of the historical DEPM series for anchovy in the Gulf of Cádiz and was delivered on board R/V Ramón Margalef (CNIEO) from the 9th to the 17th of July 2020. The surveyed area extended from Strait of Gibraltar to Cape San Vicente (Spanish and Portuguese waters in the Gulf of Cadiz). Plankton samples, along a grid of 21 transects perpendicular to the coast were obtained for the spawning area delimitation and density estimation of the daily egg production. The survey objectives also included the characterization of the oceanographic and meteorological conditions in the study area. The samples to estimate adult parameters (sex ratio, female mean weight, batch fecundity and spawning fraction) were obtained in the acoustic survey “ECOCADIZ 2020-07”, carried out during the same period. This working document provides a d escription of the survey, laboratory analysis and estimation procedures used to obtain the Gulf of Cadiz Anchovy SSB by DEPM for 2020 in the South-Atlantic Iberian Stock

BOCADEVA 0720. Anchovy DEPM survey in the Gulf of Cadiz

The Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) to estimate the Anchovy Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) in the Gulf of Cádiz (ICES, Subdivision 9.a South) is conducted by Spain (Instituto Español de Oceanografía, IEO) every three years, since 2005. BOCADEVA 0720 is the sixth survey of the historical DEPM series for anchovy in the Gulf of Cádiz and was delivered on board R/V Ramón Margalef (IEO) from the 9th to the 17th of July 2020.This working document provides a brief description of the survey and the progress status of t h e laboratory analysis c a r ri e d o u t to obtain the Anchovy SSB by the a ppl i c at i o n o f th e DEPM in the South-Atlantic Iberian Stock

PROFIT: a new alternative for emission-line PROfile FITting

I briefly describe a simple routine for emission-line profiles fitting by Gaussian curves or Gauss-Hermite series. The PROFIT (line-PROfile FITting) routine represent a new alternative for use in fits data cubes, as those from Integral Field Spectroscopy or Fabry-Perot Interferometry, and may be useful to better study the emission-line flux distributions and gas kinematics in distinct astrophysical objects, such as the central regions of galaxies and star forming regions. The PROFIT routine is written in IDL language and is available at http://www.ufsm.br/rogemar/software.html. The PROFIT routine was used to fit the [Fe II]1.257um emission-line profiles for about 1800 spectra of the inner 350 pc of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk1066 obtained with Gemini NIFS and shows that the line profiles are better reproduced by Gauss-Hermite series than by the commonly used Gaussian curves. The two-dimensional map of the h_3 Gauss-Hermite moment shows its highest absolute values in regions close to the edge of the radio structure. These high values may be originated in an biconical outflowing gas associated with the radio jet - previously observed in the optical [O III] emission. The analysis of this kinematic component indicates that the radio jet leaves the center of the galaxy with the north-west side slightly oriented towards us and the south-east side away from us, being partially hidden by the disc of the galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication Astrophysics & Space Science - 7 pges; 4 Fig

Multidisciplinary study of mud volcanoes and diapirs and their relationship to seepages and bottom currents in the Gulf of Cádiz continental slope (northeastern sector)

The seabed morphology, type of sediments, and dominant benthic species on eleven mud volcanoes and diapirs located on the northern sector of the Gulf of Cádiz continental slope have been studied. The morphological characteristics were grouped as: (i) fluid-escape-related features, (ii) bottom current features, (iii) mass movement features, (iv) tectonic features and (v) biogenic-related features. The dominant benthic species associated with fluid escape, hard substrates or soft bottoms, have also been mapped. A bottom current velocity analysis allowed, the morphological features to be correlated with the benthic habitats and the different sedimentary and oceanographic characteristics. The major factors controlling these features and the benthic habitats are mud flows and fluid-escape-related processes, as well as the interaction of deep water masses with the seafloor topography. Mud volcano eruptions give rise to mud flows and/or aqueous fluid seepage. These processes sustain chemosynthesis-based communities, closely associated with fluid seepage. Large depressions in the nearby area are influenced by collapse-related phenomena, where active fluid escape and the erosive effect of bottom currents have been identified. When the extrusion activity of the mud volcano is low and the seepage is diffuse, authigenic carbonates form within the edifice sediments. The bottom current sweeps the seafloor from the SE to the NW. When the velocity is moderate, sedimentary contourite processes take place on both sides of the edifices. At high velocities, the authigenic carbonates may be exhumed and colonised by species associated with hard substrates. Small carbonate mounds are found at the summits of some volcanoes and diapirs. Living corals have been found on the tops of the shallowest mud volcanoes, revealing different oceanographic conditions and strong bottom currents that favour the availability of nutrients and organic particles. The edifices affected by very high current velocities are located in the channels where erosive processes dominate.Postprint2,517