Editorial: Biofuels and Bioenergy

Editorial on the research topic of biofuels and bioenergy

Desulfurization using limestone during sludge incineration in a fluidized bed furnace: Increased risk of particulate matter and heavy metal emissions

Incineration of sludge can be an effective method to minimise waste whilst producing useful heat. However, incineration can cause secondary pollution issues due to the emission of SO2, therefore a set of experiments of sludge incineration in a bubble bed furnace were conducted with limestone addition to study desulfurization of sludge incineration flue gas. As expected, over 93% emission of SO2 was reduced with limestone addition, and that of CO and NOx were increased and decreased respectively when the fuel feeding rate raised. The distribution of fly ash was also increased by raising the fuel feeding rate due to increasing fragmentation of the ash. However, distributions of PM2.5 and heavy metals in submicron particles have dramatically increased with limestone desulfurization. The mechanism was revealed by SEM and EDS statistical analysis, indicating that the reaction between aluminosilicate and calcium made particles agglomerate and eutectic mixtures form, these larger ash particles were found to divide between collection as cyclone ash and fragmentation into finer particles that bypassed the cyclone. Those fine particles provided more surface area for heavy metal condensation. Furthermore, it was found that the reaction mechanism for semi-volatile metals involved them being released from the sludge and forming PM1 particles due to the vaporization-condensation mechanism, leading to higher emission of PM1 and distribution of heavy metals in PM1. Thus, it should be considered that there may actually be higher emission risks of PM and heavy metal emissions when aiming to desulfurize a flue gas using Ca-based minerals in certain circumstance

Cascade conversion of furfural to fuel bioadditive ethyl levulinate over bifunctional zirconium-based catalysts

Abstract(#br)Biomass-derived ethyl levulinate (EL) is currently deemed as a promising fuel bioadditive to improve (bio)diesel combustion performance without the sacrifice of its octane number. In this contribution, a range of Zr–Al bimetallic catalysts were prepared for the cascade conversion of furfural to EL by the integration of transfer hydrogenation and ethanolysis in ethanol. The ratio of Lewis to Brønsted acid sites (L/B) could be tuned by the ratio of Al 2 O 3 to ZrO 2 over SBA-15 support. Among these catalysts, Zr–Al/SBA-15(30:10) with appropriate L/B ratio of 2.25 exhibited an outstanding catalytic performance to give a furfural (FF) conversion up to 92.8% with a EL selectivity as high as 71.4% at 453 K in 3 h

Short-term effects of intravenous batroxobin in treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a propensity score-matched study

BackgroundSudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) can cause great panic in patients. Whether it is advantageous to add intravenous batroxobin in the treatment of SSNHL remains to be determined. This study aimed to compare the short-term efficacy of therapy combined with intravenous batroxobin and that without intravenous batroxobin in SSNHL patients.MethodsThis retrospective study harvested the data of SSNHL patients hospitalized in our department from January 2008 to April 2021. The hearing levels on the admitted day (before treatment) and the discharge day were considered pre-treatment hearing and post-treatment hearing, respectively. The hearing gain was the difference value of pre-treatment hearing and post-treatment hearing. We used Siegel's criteria and the Chinese Medical Association of Otolaryngology (CMAO) criteria to evaluate hearing recovery. The complete recovery rate, overall effective rate, and hearing gain at each frequency were considered outcomes. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to balance the baseline characteristics between the batroxobin group and the non-batroxobin group. Sensitivity analysis was carried out in flat-type and total-deafness SSNHL patients.ResultsDuring the study period, 657 patients with SSNHL were admitted to our department. Among them, a total of 274 patients met the enrolled criteria of our study. After PSM, 162 patients (81 in each group) were included in the analysis. Once the hospitalized treatment was completed, the patients would be discharged the next day. Logistic regression analysis of the propensity score-matched cohort indicated that both the complete recovery rates [Siegel's criteria, OR: 0.734, 95% CI: 0.368–1.466, p = 0.381; CMAO criteria, OR: 0.879, 95% CI: 0.435–1.777, p = 0.720] and the overall effective rates [Siegel's criteria and CMAO criteria, OR: 0.741, 95% CI: 0.399–1.378, p = 0.344] were not significantly different between the two treatment groups. Sensitivity analysis has shown similar results. For flat-type and total-deafness SSNHL patients, no significant difference was found in post-treatment hearing gain at each frequency between the two groups after PSM.ConclusionThere was no significant difference in short-term hearing outcomes between treatment with batroxobin and treatment without batroxobin in SSNHL patients by Siegel's and CMAO criteria after PSM. Future studies for better therapy regimens of SSNHL are still needed

Plant biosystems design research roadmap 1.0

Human life intimately depends on plants for food, biomaterials, health, energy, and a sustainable environment. Various plants have been genetically improved mostly through breeding, along with limited modification via genetic engineering, yet they are still not able to meet the ever-increasing needs, in terms of both quantity and quality, resulting from the rapid increase in world population and expected standards of living. A step change that may address these challenges would be to expand the potential of plants using biosystems design approaches. This represents a shift in plant science research from relatively simple trial-and-error approaches to innovative strategies based on predictive models of biological systems. Plant biosystems design seeks to accelerate plant genetic improvement using genome editing and genetic circuit engineering or create novel plant systems through de novo synthesis of plant genomes. From this perspective, we present a comprehensive roadmap of plant biosystems design covering theories, principles, and technical methods, along with potential applications in basic and applied plant biology research. We highlight current challenges, future opportunities, and research priorities, along with a framework for international collaboration, towards rapid advancement of this emerging interdisciplinary area of research. Finally, we discuss the importance of social responsibility in utilizing plant biosystems design and suggest strategies for improving public perception, trust, and acceptance

Draft genome sequence of the mulberry tree Morus notabilis

Human utilization of the mulberry–silkworm interaction started at least 5,000 years ago and greatly influenced world history through the Silk Road. Complementing the silkworm genome sequence, here we describe the genome of a mulberry species Morus notabilis. In the 330-Mb genome assembly, we identify 128 Mb of repetitive sequences and 29,338 genes, 60.8% of which are supported by transcriptome sequencing. Mulberry gene sequences appear to evolve ~3 times faster than other Rosales, perhaps facilitating the species’ spread worldwide. The mulberry tree is among a few eudicots but several Rosales that have not preserved genome duplications in more than 100 million years; however, a neopolyploid series found in the mulberry tree and several others suggest that new duplications may confer benefits. Five predicted mulberry miRNAs are found in the haemolymph and silk glands of the silkworm, suggesting interactions at molecular levels in the plant–herbivore relationship. The identification and analyses of mulberry genes involved in diversifying selection, resistance and protease inhibitor expressed in the laticifers will accelerate the improvement of mulberry plants

Pathways and Characteristics of Lead Uptake and Transportation in <i>Rhus chinensis</i> Mill

Rhus chinensis Mill is a potential plant for phytoremediation of Pb and is able to uptake a copious amount of Pb. However, little is known about the pathways and properties of Pb uptake in this plant. Here, controlled experiments were used to assess Pb uptake and translocation in R. chinensis. The whole time-kinetics of Pb uptake were divided into two stages: rapid uptake and slower accumulation, and the two processes were fitted with a linear model. The concentration-dependent kinetics of Pb uptake were characterized by a modified Michaelis–Menten equation. The Km and Vmax value of Pb influx in roots were 19.44 and 14.83, respectively. Transpiration inhibitors had no significant effect on the Pb concentration of root and shoot. Low temperatures (4 °C) and metabolic inhibitors (carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and 2,4-dinitrophenol) significantly reduced the Pb concentration in the roots and leaves of R. chinensis plants. Furthermore, the addition of calcium ion channel inhibitors and protein synthesis inhibitors significantly reduced the Pb concentration in the roots of R. chinensis plants. These results show that both active and passive processes of Pb uptake and translocation exist in the roots of R. chinensis plants. In addition, Pb uptake by the roots of R. chinensis plants was related to calcium ion channels

ThNAC13, a NAC Transcription Factor from Tamarix hispida, Confers Salt and Osmotic Stress Tolerance to Transgenic Tamarix and Arabidopsis

NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) proteins play critical roles in many plant biological processes and environmental stress. However, NAC proteins from Tamarix hispida have not been functionally characterized. Here, we studied a NAC gene from T. hispida, ThNAC13, in response to salt and osmotic stresses. ThNAC13 is a nuclear protein with a C-terminal transactivation domain. ThNAC13 can bind to NAC recognized sites and calmodulin-binding NAC (CBNAC) binding element. Overexpression of ThNAC13 in Arabidopsis improved seed germination rate and increased root growth and fresh weight gain under salt or osmotic stress. Transgenic T. hispida plants transiently overexpressing ThNAC13 and with RNAi-silenced ThNAC13 were generated for gain- and loss-of-function experiments. Following exposure to salt or osmotic stress, overexpression of ThNAC13 induced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities, chlorophyll and proline contents; decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde levels; and reduced electrolyte leakage rates in both transgenic Tamarix and Arabidopsis plants. In contrast, RNAi-silenced ThNAC13 showed the opposite results in transgenic Tamarix. Furthermore, ThNAC13 induced the expression of SODs and PODs in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results suggest that ThNAC13 improves salt and osmotic tolerance by enhancing the ROS-scavenging capability and adjusting osmotic potential

Identification of microRNAs involved in regeneration of the secondary vascular system in populus tomentosa carr

© 2016 Tang, Wei, Zhao, Wang, Zheng and Lu. Wood formation is a complex developmental process primarily controlled by a regulatory transcription network. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can modulate the expression of target genes involved in plant growth and development by inducing mRNA degradation and translational repression. In this study, we used a model of secondary vascular system regeneration established in Populus tomentosa to harvest differentiating xylem tissues over time for high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs. Analysis of the sequencing data identified 209 known and 187 novel miRNAs during this regeneration process. Degradome sequencing analysis was then performed, revealing 157 and 75 genes targeted by 21 known and 30 novel miRNA families, respectively. Gene ontology enrichment of these target genes revealed that the targets of 15 miRNAs were enriched in the auxin signaling pathway, cell differentiation, meristem development, and pattern specification process. The major biological events during regeneration of the secondary vascular system included the sequential stages of vascular cambium initiation, formation, and differentiation stages in sequence. This study provides the basis for further analysis of these miRNAs to gain greater insight into their regulatory roles in wood development in trees