Three-dimensional surface reconstruction and in situ site-specific cutting of the teliospores of Puccinia miscanthi causing leaf rust of the biomass plant Miscanthus sinensis

The rust fungus Puccinia miscanthi on the naturally infected leaves of eulalia grass were investigated by light and electron microscopy. Many black telia were present on both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. The telia were often confluent, protruding distinctly from the leaf surface, and had numerous teliospores. Light microscopy revealed that the teliospores were club-like in shape (clavate), chestnut brown, and produced pedicels from one end. They were measured to be approximately 45 μm × 20 μm in size, and slightly constricted at the septa. Using stereo imaging, it was possible to generate images with more three-dimensionality than conventional scanning electron micrographs. Without the need for the mechanical sectioning of telia, the height of telia from the leaf epidermis could be measured at approximately 230 μm using three-dimensional surface reconstruction. Urediniospores were also found on the leaf surface, and possessed spines on the surface (echinulate). The internal features of the nonembedded teliospores could be unveiled using a focused ion beam system with a field emission scanning electron microscope, allowing for the in situ site-specific cutting of the non-embedded teliospores. These results show that three-dimensional surface reconstruction and targeted cutting are a potential alternative to mechanical sectioning of resin-embedded blocks, and have the potential to eliminate the uncertainty involved in selecting the region of interest.     

Estimation of Winter Wheat Biomass Using Visible Spectral and BP Based Artificial Neural NetworksSCIEI北大核心CSCD

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using color digital image analysis and back propagation (BP) based artificial neural networks (ANN) method to estimate above ground biomass at the canopy level of winter wheat field. Digital color images of winter wheat canopies grown under six levels of nitrogen treatments were taken with a digital camera for four times during the elongation stage and at the same time wheat plants were sampled to measure above ground biomass. Canopy cover (CC) and 10 color indices were calculated from winter wheat canopy images by using image analysis program (developed in Microsoft Visual Basic). Correlation analysis was carried out to identify the relationship between CC, 10 color indices and winter wheat above ground biomass. Stepwise multiple linear regression and BP based ANN methods were used to establish the models to estimate winter wheat above ground biomass. The results showed that CC, and two color indices had a significant correlation with above ground biomass. CC revealed the highest correlation with winter wheat above ground biomass. Stepwise multiple linear regression model constituting CC and color indices of NDI and b, and BP based ANN model with four variables (CC, g, b and NDI) for input was constructed to estimate winter wheat above ground biomass. The validation results indicate that the model using BP based ANN method has a better performance with higher R-2 (0.903) and lower RMSE (61.706) and RRMSE (18.876) in comparation with the stepwise regression model.     

Rapid determination of furfural in biomass hydrolysate by full evaporation headspace gas chromatography

This paper reports a full evaporation (FE) headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) method for rapid determination of furfural in the biomass hydrolysate. The data show that a near-complete mass transfer of furfural in the sample from biomass hydrolysate to the vapor phase (headspace) was achieved within 3 min at 105°C when a very small (<40 μL) sample was added to a 20 mL headspace sample vial. The acid-catalyzed furfural decomposition under these conditions was negligible. The furfural in the vapor phase was then determined by HS-GC using a flame ionization detector. The results showed that the method has an excellent measurement precision (RSD<0.5%) and accuracy (recovery=100.2±1.7%) for furfural quantification in carbohydrate hydrolysate samples. The method requires no sample pretreatment, so it is simple, rapid and accurate, and suitable for applications in lignocellulosic biomass conversion to fuel ethanol or other high value-added products.     

Parallel factor analysis combined with PLS regression applied to the on-line monitoring of Pichia pastoris cultures

Various key variables (biomass, substrate and product) of bioprocesses should be monitored in order to retrieve useful information on the system, with the biomass (the cell density) the principal target. Although several analytical methods have been adapted and used to monitor the evolution of cell density evolution in cultures, a general method for performing this determination has not yet been established, as each technique has its own advantages and drawbacks. In the present work, noninduced glycerol batch cultures (for which biomass and substrate are the key variables) were monitored using multiwavelength fluorescence spectroscopy. The data gathered were modelled via PARAFAC-PLS chemometric methodologies, resulting in important qualitative and quantitative information about the behaviours of different biogenic fluorophors in batch cultures of the yeast Pichia pastoris. This information was used to predict the target process variables in such cultures; this permitted the applicability of this combined technique to bioprocess monitoring to be assessed.     

Ethanol production in immobilized-cell bioreactors from mixed sugar syrups and enzymatic hydrolysates of steam-exploded biomass

We investigated ethanol production from mixed sugar syrups. Hydrolysates were prepared from enzymatic saccharification of steam-pretreated aspen chips. Syrups containing 45 g/L of glucose and 12 g/L of xylose were detoxified through two ion-exchange resins and then fermented with Pichia stipitis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in Ca-alginate gel beads. Combinations of different gel fractions in the fermentation volume, amount of yeast cells, and ratios of P. stipitis vs S. cerevisiae within each bead were compared. In the best conditions, by using a total beads volume corresponding to 25% of the working volume, we obtained a yield of 0.39 g_ethanol/g_{initial sugars}. This amount of gel entrapped an initial cell concentration of 6×10¹²cells/L with ratio of S. cerevisiae/P. stipitis of 0.25 g/g. Modified stirredtank reactors were obtained either by adding marbles or by inserting a perforated metal cylinder, which reduced considerably the rupture of beads while visibly improving oxygenation of the medium.     

An investigation of the thermal and catalytic behaviour of potassium in biomass combustion

Potassium, a key nutrient in biomass growth, contributes to problematic ash chemistry and corrosion in combustion. This study seeks to examine the behaviour and fate of potassium in biomass combustion under high temperature flame conditions. A model to predict potassium release is presented. Short rotation willow coppice was treated to reduce metals, by water-washing, and remove them, by demineralisation, and then potassium was doped into the demineralised sample. The resultant fuels have been studied for their combustion behaviours in methane–air flames, both as suspended, moving particles, and as stationary, supported particles, using high speed digital video. In the latter case, potassium release was measured simultaneously by emission spectroscopy. In both experiments, potassium was seen to catalyse devolatilisation, and for the stationary particles it was possible to detect potassium catalysis in the char burn-out rates. Demineralised willow was seen to melt in the flame and combustion resembled heavy oil combustion, rather than solid fuel combustion. The residual char was extremely slow to burn-out. In the potassium-doped particles, potassium was seen to evolve over three regimes, devolatilisation, char burn-out and, less significantly, during ash cooking. The first two evolution processes have been modelled using an apparent first order devolatilisation rate for the first stage, and a KOH evaporation model for the second stage.     

Recent advances in paired electrolysis of biomass-derived compounds toward cogeneration of value-added chemicals and fuels

Pairing the electrocatalytic hydrogenation reaction with different anodic reactions driven by renewable electricity offers a greener way for producing value-added chemicals and fuels. In particular, replacing the sluggish water oxidation with a biomass-based upgrading reaction can reduce the overall energy cost, thus allowing for the simultaneous generation of high-value products at both electrodes. This mini-review summarized the recent progress in paired electrolysis of biomass-derived compounds, particularly the furanic chemicals. Some perspectives and outlooks were proposed for further improvements in this research area.     

A robust numerical model for characterizing the syngas composition in a downdraft gasification process

This study proposes a numerical model developed to characterize the chemical composition, heating value and temperature of the syngas produced by a downdraft gasifier fueled with residual biomasses. The process of gasification is essentially described through a global reaction that includes all the gaseous species and the yields of char and tar.The syngas chemical composition has been obtained solving a set of equations that are mass and energy balances, methanation and the water-gas shift reactions, which govern the gasification process. The proposed model was calibrated and validated through the comparison with two sets of experimental data. The comparison between the results of simulation and the experimental data has shown a very good agreement that allows pointing out the capability of the model to characterize the syngas composition and the temperature of the producer gas.Moreover, the performed sensitivity analysis shows the influence of moisture content and equivalent ratio on the chemical composition, equilibrium temperature and heating value of the producer gas.     

Biomass-based Carbon Dots as Peroxidase Mimics for Colorimetric Detection of Glutathione and L-Cysteine

Biomass-carbon dots(named as B-CDs) have been successfully prepared via facile one-step hydrothermal reflux treatment at a low temperature from passion fruit peel. The as-prepared B-CDs had a uniform sphere morphology and size of 1-3 nm, which possessed rich nitrogen/oxygen-containing functional groups. B-CDs could imitate peroxidase and accelerate the reaction process of H₂O₂ oxidizing the substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine(TMB), which caused an obvious color change in the solution due to the oxidization of achromic TMB into blue oxidation product(ox-TMB) with an absorption peak at 652 nm. Furthermore, the product could be further reduced to native colorless TMB by the reducing agent glutathione or L-Cysteine. Thus, depending on the peroxidase-like properties of B-CDs, we developed a colorimetric approach to detecting both glutathione and L-Cysteine, which showed superior selective and sensitive detection towards glutathione and L-Cysteine in a linear range of 0-20 µmol/L. The limits of detection were 0.62 and 0.58 µmol/L, respectively.