Nanobiotechnology for the production of biofuels from spent tea

Bioenergy is the only alternative and cheap source of energy which can be made easily available to the world. The present experiment included three steps for the conversion of spent tea (Camellia sinensis) into biofuels. In the first step, spent tea was gasified using Co nano catalyst at 300°C and atmospheric pressure. Catalytic gasification of spent tea yielded 60% liquid extract, 28% fuel gases and 12% charcoal. Gaseous products contain 53.03% ethene, 37.18% methanol and 4.59% methane. In the second step of the experiment, liquid extract of spent tea obtained from gasification, on transesterification gave 40.79% ethyl ester (biodiesel). In the third step, Aspergillus niger’s growth on spent tea produced 57.49% bioethanol. This study reports an interesting finding that spent tea (solid waste) could be used not only for the production of biodiesel and bioethanol but also hydrocarbon fuel gases. The world today is consuming several million tons of tea yearly. The present technology could be utilized to produce alternate energy

New nanomaterial and process for the production of biofuel from metal hyper accumulator water hyacinth

Three different studies were performed for the conversion of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) plant into biofuel. In the first study, water hyacinth was saccharified with diluted sulfuric acid (1% v/v at 110°C for one hour), fermented by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The results showed the formation of 55.20% ethanol and 41.66% acetic acid. In another experiment, water hyacinth was gasified by using Ni and Co nano catalysts at 50 - 400°C and atmospheric pressure. In catalytic gasification, CH4 (2.41 - 6.67%), C2H4 (19.74 - 45.52%), C3H4 (21.04 - 45.52%), CH3OH (1.43 - 24.67%), and C3H8 / CH3CHO (0.33 -26.09%) products were obtained. In this study, anatase form of titanium dioxide photocatalyst was used. The reaction was performed at room temperature which gives methane, methanol and ethanol.This study also reports an interesting finding that metal contaminated water hyacinth could be used for not only the production of biofuel but also hydrocarbons

Phytoremediation technologies for Ni++ by water hyacinth

Phytoremediation of metal contaminated soil and water by Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) is promising. The study was conducted to compare the phytoremoval of Ni++ from soil and wastewater. For the measurement of phytoremoval from soil, E. crassipes was used in a pot experiment. Results showed the removal of (Ni) 24.23 μg/g dry weight of plant and large level calculations show removal of 3449.76 kg/ha of soil, corresponding to 25 μg/g of the added Ni++. In the second experiment, Ni++ contaminated Hoagland’s solution was used for the hydroponic growth of water hyacinth. The result of hydroponic experiment showed the phytoremoval of Ni++ from Ni++ contaminated wastewater; maximum removal was 1.954 μg/g of dry weight. In third experiment, ash of water hyacinth was used for the adsorption and desorption of Ni++. The adsorption capacity was 1.978 μg/g of ash. For the extraction(desorption) of Ni++, 3 M HNO3 was used. Desorption capacity was 3.71 μg/g of ash. The results of comparative study show order of nickel phytoremediation from soil to be greater than that from water by adsorption which was greater than that from water by hydroponic study. For phytoremoval of Ni++ from soil and water, water hyacinth plant and its ash showed excellence. The desorbed Ni++ can be used in the industries e.g. in Ni plating.Keywords: Nickel, phytoremediation, soil, waste water, water hyacinth, biosorptio

Selective scattering between Floquet-Bloch and Volkov states in a topological insulator

The coherent optical manipulation of solids is emerging as a promising way to engineer novel quantum states of matter. The strong time periodic potential of intense laser light can be used to generate hybrid photon-electron states. Interaction of light with Bloch states leads to Floquet-Bloch states which are essential in realizing new photo-induced quantum phases. Similarly, dressing of free electron states near the surface of a solid generates Volkov states which are used to study non-linear optics in atoms and semiconductors. The interaction of these two dynamic states with each other remains an open experimental problem. Here we use Time and Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (Tr-ARPES) to selectively study the transition between these two states on the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. We find that the coupling between the two strongly depends on the electron momentum, providing a route to enhance or inhibit it. Moreover, by controlling the light polarization we can negate Volkov states in order to generate pure Floquet-Bloch states. This work establishes a systematic path for the coherent manipulation of solids via light-matter interaction.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, final version to appear in Nature Physic

The Formation of the First Massive Black Holes

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are common in local galactic nuclei, and SMBHs as massive as several billion solar masses already exist at redshift z=6. These earliest SMBHs may grow by the combination of radiation-pressure-limited accretion and mergers of stellar-mass seed BHs, left behind by the first generation of metal-free stars, or may be formed by more rapid direct collapse of gas in rare special environments where dense gas can accumulate without first fragmenting into stars. This chapter offers a review of these two competing scenarios, as well as some more exotic alternative ideas. It also briefly discusses how the different models may be distinguished in the future by observations with JWST, (e)LISA and other instruments.Comment: 47 pages with 306 references; this review is a chapter in "The First Galaxies - Theoretical Predictions and Observational Clues", Springer Astrophysics and Space Science Library, Eds. T. Wiklind, V. Bromm & B. Mobasher, in pres

Expected Performance of the ATLAS Experiment - Detector, Trigger and Physics

A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN

In-situ local phase-transitioned MoSe2 in La0.5Sr0.5CoO3-?? heterostructure and stable overall water electrolysis over 1000 hours

Developing efficient bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting that are earth-abundant, cost-effective, and durable is of considerable importance from the practical perspective to mitigate the issues associated with precious metal-based catalysts. Herein, we introduce a heterostructure comprising perovskite oxides (La0.5Sr0.5CoO3?????) and molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) as an electrochemical catalyst for overall water electrolysis. Interestingly, formation of the heterostructure of La0.5Sr0.5CoO3????? and MoSe2 induces a local phase transition in MoSe2, 2???H to 1???T phase, and more electrophilic La0.5Sr0.5CoO3????? with partial oxidation of the Co cation owing to electron transfer from Co to Mo. Together with these synergistic effects, the electrochemical activities are significantly improved for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. In the overall water splitting operation, the heterostructure showed excellent stability at the high current density of 100???mA???cm???2 over 1,000???h, which is exceptionally better than the stability of the state-of-the-art platinum and iridium oxide couple

The novel homozygous KCNJ10 c.986T>C (p.(Leu329Pro)) variant is pathogenic for the SeSAME/EAST homologue in Malinois dogs.

SeSAME/EAST syndrome is a multisystemic disorder in humans, characterised by seizures, sensorineural deafness, ataxia, developmental delay and electrolyte imbalance. It is exclusively caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous variations in the KCNJ10 gene. Here we describe a similar syndrome in two families belonging to the Malinois dog breed, based on clinical, neurological, electrodiagnostic and histopathological examination. Genetic analysis detected a novel pathogenic KCNJ10 c.986T>C (p.(Leu329Pro)) variant that is inherited in an autosomal recessive way. This variant has an allele frequency of 2.9% in the Belgian Malinois population, but is not found in closely related dog breeds or in dog breeds where similar symptoms have been already described. The canine phenotype is remarkably similar to humans, including ataxia and seizures. In addition, in half of the dogs clinical and electrophysiological signs of neuromyotonia were observed. Because there is currently no cure and treatment is nonspecific and unsatisfactory, this canine translational model could be used for further elucidating the genotype/phenotype correlation of this monogenic multisystem disorder and as an excellent intermediate step for drug safety testing and efficacy evaluations before initiating human studies