Extraction of W, V, and As from spent SCR catalyst by alkali pressure leaching and the pressure leaching mechanism.

Spent selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts are environmentally hazardous and resource-enriching. In this work, V, W, and As in a spent SCR catalyst was extracted by alkali pressure leaching. Results showed that the V, W, and As were loaded on the anatase TiO2 crystal grains as amorphous oxides. The optimum pressure leaching conditions were NaOH concentration of 20 wt%, reaction temperature of 180 °C, reaction time of 120 min, L/S of 10 mL/g, and stirring speed of 300 rpm. The leaching efficiency of W, V, and As reached 98.83%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. The experiment revealed the preferential leaching of V and As rather than W, and the leaching mechanisms of V, W, and As were studied through experiment and density functional theory (DFT). The leaching kinetics of W conformed to a variant of the shrinking core model and the leaching process of W is controlled by both chemical reactions and diffusion processes. During the leaching process, Na2Ti2O4(OH)2 product powder layer was generated, which affects the mass transfer of W. The destruction of the TiO2 skeleton in the spent SCR catalyst is essential for adequate W extraction, especially for the extraction of W embedded in the TiO2 lattice. The DFT simulation result indicated that the V and As loaded onto the TiO2 support are easier to absorb hydroxide ions rather than W, and the leaching reaction energy of V and As was lower than W, As, and V has leaching priority over the leaching of W. Furthermore, an anatase TiO2 photocatalyst with the {001} crystal surface exposed was successfully prepared from the alkali pressure leaching residue. This work provides theoretical support for the metal leaching and utilization of spent SCR catalysts via alkali pressure leaching.

Preparation of controlled low-strength materials from alkali-excited red mud-slag-iron tailings sand and a study of the reaction mechanism.

To address the low utilization of fines in iron tailings sand (IOTs), a controlled low-strength material (CLSM) was prepared from a combination of fine IOTs and red mud (RM) slag. The 7-day unconfined compressive strength (7-d UCS), slump and cost were used as evaluation indicators, and 16 sets of tests were designed with the Box-Behnken design (BBD) response surface method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to study the microscopic morphology and reaction mechanism of the CLSM samples made with the optimal ratios. The results show that the best matching ratio for the alkali-activated RM-slag-IOTs CLSM was a sand ratio of 0.797, an NaOH dose of 3.667% and a mass concentration of 80.657%, and the 7d-UCS, slump and cost indicators verified the feasibility of applying the CLSM to the base course of pavement. Alkali activation of the CLSM also showed that the RM-slag cementation system produced new substances. Internal calcium-silicate-hydrogel (C-S-H) and calcium-aluminosilicate-hydrogel (C-A-S-H) agglomerates were the main sources of strength, and hydration products were interwoven to form a dense structure with crystals as the framework and gels as fillers.

Characterization and immunomodulatory effect of an alkali-extracted galactomannan from Morchella esculenta.

In our continuous exploration for bioactive polysaccharides, a novel polysaccharide FMP-2 was isolated and purified from the fruiting bodies of Morchella esculenta by alkali-assisted extraction. FMP-2 had an average molecular weight of 1.09 × 106 Da and contained mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 4.10:0.22:1.00:5.75:0.44. The backbone of FMP-2 mainly consisted of 1,2-α-D-Galp, 1,6-α-D-Galp, and 1,4-α-D-Manp, with branches of 1,4,6-α-D-Manp and 1,2,6-α-D-Galp. FMP-2 can stimulate phagocytosis and promote the secretion of NO, ROS, and cytokines like IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells ranging from 25 to 400 µg/mL. FMP-2 had great repairing effect on the immune injury of zebrafish induced by chloramphenicol. The phagocytosis ability of zebrafish macrophages and the proliferation of neutrophils can be greatly enhanced by polysaccharide FMP-2 with concentrations from 50 to 200 µg/mL. These findings suggest that FMP-2 might be used as a potential immunomodulator in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Improving the color and functional properties of seabuckthorn seed protein with phytase treatment combined with alkaline solubilization and isoelectric precipitation.

BACKGROUND: Reducing anti-nutritional factors like phytates in seed protein products requires an ongoing effort. This study was the first to investigate the phytic acid content in seabuckthorn seed protein (SSP) and its reduction by an exogenous phytase during protein isolation from seabuckthorn seed meal through the common alkaline solubilization-isoelectric precipitation process. RESULTS: The additional phytase treatment could reduce the content of phytic acid from 22.46 to 13.27 g kg-1 , leading to SSP products with lighter color (lower ΔE* ), higher protein solubility, higher in vitro digestibility, but lower phenolic antioxidant content (including flavonoids and procyanidins) and some beneficial ions like Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results indicated that the secondary structure of protein changed under the treatment with phytase. Correlation analysis showed that L* was significantly negatively correlated with TP, TPC and TF (P < 0.001), while a* and b* were significantly positively correlated with them (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There may be a trade-off between protein functionalities and other health-promoting components when a phytase treatment is included in SSP isolation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mass spectrometric-based investigation of differentially protected azatryptophan derivatives using Orbitrap mass spectrometry: Differentiation of positional isomers under protonation and alkali-cationization conditions.

RATIONALE: Differentiation and structural characterization of positional isomers of differentially protected azatryptophan derivatives using electrospray ionization high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS/MS) is important from the perspective of drug discovery research. Also, these derivatives can be used as building blocks for the synthesis of various biologically active compounds and have attracted significant attention in the field of modern drug discovery, especially peptide-based drugs, protein folding and protein-protein interactions because of their interesting spectral properties. METHODS: ESI-HRMS/MS in positive ionization mode was used to differentiate and characterize positional isomers of protected azatryptophan derivatives. RESULTS: ESI-HRMS/MS of [M + H]+ and [M + Na]+ ions of positional isomers of differentially protected azatryptophan derivatives display distinct fragmentation patterns. The MS/MS of [M + H]+ ion of isomer 1 showed an additional ion at m/z 358.0846 ([M + H-Boc-C14 H10 -HF]+ ) which was not present for 4. The fragment ion at m/z 332.0857 was observed for 1 and not for 4 which would be formed by the expulsion of butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) and fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) groups. Moreover, the ions 422.0812 and 378.0912 are found to be relatively more abundant for isomer 4 which could be probably attributed to the formation of stable ions. Similarly, other positional isomers exhibited distinct fragmentation from one another. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that ESI-HRMS/MS can be used for differentiation and structural characterization of positional isomers of protected azatryptophan derivatives. The MS/MS of [M + H]+ and [M + Na]+ ions of these positional isomers displayed differences in their fragmentation behaviour. The impact of different substitutions at different positions (1 and 6) of protected azatryptophan derivatives (1-6) on their fragmentation behaviour was also investigated in detail. Also, the nitrogen atom at different positions in the pyrrolopyridine ring led to different fragmentation patterns.

Impact of ocean warming and ocean acidification on asexual reproduction and statolith formation of the symbiotic jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata.

Ocean acidification and warming are challenging marine organisms and ecosystems around the world. The synergetic effects of these two climate change stressors on jellyfish remain still understudied. Here, we examine the independent and combined effects of these two environmental variables on polyp population dynamics of the Mediterranean jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata. An experiment was conducted to examine asexual reproduction by budding and strobilation considering current and ca. 2100 winter (Trial 1, 36 days) and summer (Trial 2, 36 days) conditions under the RCP8.5 (IPCC 2013). In Trial 1, a temperature of 18°C and two pH levels (current: 7.9 and, reduced: 7.7) were tested. Trial 2 considered two temperature levels 24°C and 30°C, under current and reduced acidification conditions (8.0 and 7.7, respectively). Ephyrae size and statolith formation of released ephyrae from polyps exposed to summer temperatures under both acidification treatment was also analyzed. Zooxanthellae density inside the polyps throughout the experiment was measured. C. tuberculata polyps could cope with the conditions mimicked in all experimental treatments and no significant effect of pH, temperature, or the combination of both variables on the abundance of polyps was observed. At 18°C, strobilation was reduced under high PCO2 conditions. Under summer treatments (24°C and 30°C), percentage strobilation was very low and several released ephyrae suffered malformations and reduced size, as a consequence of reduced pH and elevated temperatures, separately. The number of statoliths was not affected by pH or temperature, however, bigger statoliths were formed at elevated temperatures (30°C). Finally, zooxanthellae density was not affected by experimental conditions, even if, the duration of the experiment significantly affected symbiont concentration. Our results show that even though polyps of C. tuberculata would thrive the future worst scenario predicted for the Mediterranean Sea, their capacity to undergo a proper strobilation and to produce healthy ephyrae will be more vulnerable to climate induced environmental conditions, thereby affecting medusae recruitment and, therefore, population dynamics of the species.

Structural Characterization of an Alkali-Soluble Polysaccharide from Angelica sinensis and Its Antitumor Activity in Vivo.

A novel alkali-soluble polysaccharide (AASP) was isolated from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels under aqueous alkali treatment, and its structural characterization and antitumor activity in Vivo were evaluated in present study. Results of HPGPC and IC revealed that AASP was a neutral polysaccharide containing Ara, Gal and Glc in the mole ratio of 1.00 : 2.26 : 24.43, with the average molecular weight of 4.7 kDa. Periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation, FT-IR, and NMR analyses further demonstrated that a preliminary structure of AASP was proposed as follows: (1→3)-linked arabinose, (1→6)-linked galactose, and (1→), (1→4), (1→6), (1→3,6)-linked glucose with α- and ß-configuration. In Vivo antitumor assays, AASP exhibited prominent antitumor effects on H22 hepatoma cells with an inhibitory ratio of 48.57 % and effectively protected thymuses and spleens of tumor-bearing mice. Besides, AASP displayed a proliferation stimulating activity of immunocytes (splenocytes, peritoneal macrophages and natural killer cells), and an auxo-action for cytokines release (TNF-α, IL-2 and IFN-γ), leading to the apoptosis of H22 solid tumors cells via G0/G1 phase arrested. The above data demonstrated that AASP holds great application potential to be a safe and effective antitumor supplement in the future.

Removing Iron and Organic Substances from Water over the Course of Its Treatment with the Application of Average and Highly Alkaline Polyaluminium Chlorides.

In topic-related literature pertaining to the treatment of water, there is a lack of information on the influence of iron ions in highly basic polyaluminum chlorides on the efficiency of purifying water with increased contents of organic substance. The aim of this work was to determine the changes in the content of organic substances as well as iron compounds in water intended for human consumption following unit treatment processes with particular attention paid to the coagulation process. As coagulants, polyaluminium chloride PAXXL10 with an alkalinity of 70%, as well as polyaluminium chloride PAXXL1911 with an alkalinity of 85% the composition of which also contained iron, were tested. The analysis of the obtained results showed that iron compounds and organic substances were removed to the greatest extent by the coagulation process, which also had a significant influence on the final efficiency of water treatment. The effectiveness of water treatment was determined by the type of tested polyaluminum chloride, which influenced the formation of iron-organic complexes. The reason behind the formation of colored iron-organic complexes during coagulation using PAXXL1911 coagulant was the high pH (approx. 8), at which the functional groups of organic substances, due to their dissociation, are more reactive in relation to iron, and possibly the fact of introducing additional iron ions along with the coagulant.

Carboxymethylation of polysaccharide isolated from Alkaline Peroxide Mechanical Pulping (APMP) waste liquor and its bioactivity.

In recent years, the biological activity of polysaccharides and their derivatives has been widely studied. However, in addition to the natural polysaccharides directly extracted from plants and animals, there are rich polysaccharides in the pulping waste liquor that have not been fully utilized. The extracted polysaccharide from eucalyptus Alkaline Peroxide Mechanical Pulping (APMP) waste liquor was used as a raw material. For the production of carboxymethyl polysaccharide, the effects of temperature (T), the amount of alkali (NaOH) and the amount of etherifying agent (ClCH2COOH) on the degree of substitution (DS) were investigated, the optimal preparation conditions are: reaction time 2 h, temperature 75 °C, and the molar ratio of polysaccharide, NaOH and ClCH2COOH is 1:1:2, the highest DS is 1.47; FT-IR, NMR and GPC were used to characterize the structure and Molecular weight, the results show that the polysaccharide of APMP waste liquor is rich in xylan, and it was proved that the carboxymethyl substitution was successful and the positions of the substituent group were determined. The characterization and biological activity research of xylan polysaccharide (XP) and carboxymethyl xylan polysaccharide (CMXP), such as antioxidation, moisture absorption/retention, bacteriostatic action and cytotoxicity were discussed. CMXP shows better effects compared with XP.

Transesterification via Parametric Modelling and Optimization of Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) Seed Oil Methyl Ester Synthesis.

This study investigates Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) seed oil (SBSO) as a novel feedstock for biodiesel production through the transesterification process catalysed by heterogeneous bio-alkali derived from banana (Musa acuminata) peels. Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) tools were used for the modelling and optimization of the process variables. The reaction process parameters considered were methanol/SBSO molar ratio, catalyst loading levels, reaction time and temperature. Central composite design (CCD) was espoused to generate 30 experimental conditions which were deployed in investigating the individual and synergetic effect of the process input variables on Sclerocarya birrea oil methyl ester (SBOME) yield. Appropriate statistical indices were adopted to investigate the predictive aptitude of the two models. Analysis shows that ANN model obtained for the transesterification process has a higher coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9846 and lower absolute average deviation (AAD) of 0.07% compared to RSM model with R2 of 0.9482 and AAD of 0.12%. The process modelling outcome also confirmed ANN performance to be more precise than RSM. At methanol/SBSO ratio of 6:1, catalyst loading level of 2 wt%, process reaction time of 50 min and temperature of 55°C, the experimental maximum SBOME yield was observed to be 96.45 wt % following the ANN predicted yield of 96.45 wt % and RSM predicted yield of 96.65 wt % respectively. The analysed fuel properties of SBOME was found satisfactory within the biodiesel stipulated standard limit(s). The study establishes that SBSO is a good source for biodiesel production and its biodiesel methyl ester is a potential substitute for petroleum diesel and a bioenergy fuel.

Protective effects of Poria cocos and its components against cisplatin-induced intestinal injury.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Poria) is a well-known traditional medicinal fungus. It has been considered to possess spleen-invigorating (Jianpi) effects in traditional Chinese medicine, and is used clinically to treat spleen deficiency (Pixu) with symptoms of intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, indigestion, mucositis and weight loss. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY: To investigate the protective effects of Poria and its three component fractions (Water-soluble polysaccharides, WP; alkali-soluble polysaccharides, AP; triterpene acids, TA) on cisplatin-induced intestinal injury and explore the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were treated with Poria powder (PP), WP, AP and TA by oral gavage respectively for 13 days, and intraperitoneally injected with 10 mg/kg of cisplatin on day 10 to conduct a cisplatin-induced intestinal injury model. Pathological changes of ileum and colon were examined using H&E staining. The composition of gut microbiota and the alteration of host metabolites were characterized by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based untargeted metabolomics analysis. RESULTS: PP and WP attenuated the cisplatin-induced ileum and colon injury, and WP alleviated the weight loss and reversed the elevation of IL-2, IL-6 in serum. Both PP and WP could mitigate cisplatin-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota, in particular PP and WP decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria including Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Ruminococcaceae and Helicobacteraceae, while WP promoted the abundance of probiotics, such as Erysipelotrichaceae and Prevotellaceae. Moreover, WP attenuated the cisplatin-induced alteration of metabolic profiles. The levels of potential biomarkers, including xanthine, L-tyrosine, uridine, hypoxanthine, butyrylcarnitine, lysoPC (18:0), linoleic acid, (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid, D-ribose, thiamine monophosphate, indolelactic acid and plamitic acid, showed significant correlations with intestinal flora. CONCLUSIONS: PP and WP possess protective effects against cisplatin-induced intestinal injury via potentially regulating the gut microbiota and metabolic profiles.

Water-soluble and alkali-soluble polysaccharides from bitter melon inhibited lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans.

Bitter melon polysaccharides (BPS) have been reported to have hypolipidemic effects. However, the precise mechanism of BPS regulating lipid metabolism remains elusive. Water-soluble (WBPS) and alkali-soluble bitter melon polysaccharides (ABPS) were extracted to evaluate the fat-lowering bioactivities in HepG2 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. WBPS and ABPS were slightly different in the uronic acid contents (22.23% and 5.69%), monosaccharide composition, molecular weight (Mw: 332 kDa and 1552 kDa, respectively) and IR spectra. In palmitic acid-treated HepG2 cell, the ABPS exhibited better effects on accelerating glucose consumption and decreasing the triglyceride content than WBPS via stimulating glucose consumption (GLUT4) and gluconeogenesis (PEPCK). In the model of glucose-treated C. elegans, we observed that both WBPS and ABPS obviously suppressed the fat accumulation, more significantly by ABPS, along with no toxicity towards some physical activities. Fat-5, fat-6 and fat-7 mediated fatty acid desaturases pathways were further confirmed to be involved in the lipid-lowering effects of BPSs. Our studies demonstrated that both WBPS and ABPS can exhibit effects on fat- lowering in HepG2 cells and C. elegans.

Role of alkali metal oxide type on the degradation and in vivo biocompatibility of soda-lime-borate bioactive glass.

In this work, it is the first time to study the effect of replacing of Na2 O by a fixed amount of Li2 O or K2 O in soda-lime-borate glass on its in vivo biocompatibility. The glass composition was based on xM2 O-20x Na2 O20 CaO60 B2 O3 , (wt %), where, M2 OLi2 O and K2 O, and consequently, samples encoded BN100, BK50, and BL50. The degradation test was carried out in 0.25 M K2 HPO4 solution. The in vivo test was performed in the femoral bone defect of Sprague-Dawley adult male rat. Following up bone formation was conducted by the histological analyses and bone formation markers (alkaline phosphatase [ALP] and osteocalcin [OCN]). Furthermore, the glass effect on the liver and kidney functions was addressed in this study using (alanine transaminase [ALT] and aspartate transaminase [AST]) and (urea and creatinine), respectively. The results of the degradation test showed that the glass dissolution rate was increased by incorporating of K2 O, and its ion release was occurred by a diffusion-controlled process. Moreover, in vivo bioactivity test showed that serum activity of ALP, OCN level, and the newly formed bone was higher in BL50-implanted group than that of BN100 andBK50at 3 w and 6 w post-surgery. As well as, implantation of all glass samples in the femoral bone defect did not alter the liver and kidney functions. In conclusion, the synthesized borate glass was well served as a controlled delivery system for Li+ ion release, which enhanced bone formation as shown from the bone formation markers (ALP and OCN).

Content of Phenolic Compounds in Meadow Vegetation and Soil Depending on the Isolation Method.

The aim of this paper was to determine the effect of the hydrolysis method on the amounts of phenolic compounds in the plant material in soil and, as a consequence, on the parameters to determine the degree of lignins transformation in soils. The study included the plant material (hay, sward, and roots) and soil-Albic Brunic Arenosol (horizon A, AE, and Bsv) samples. Phenolic compounds were isolated at two stages by applying acid hydrolysis followed by alkaline re-hydrolysis. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of phenolic compounds was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography with a DAD. The content of phenolic compounds in the extracts depended on the hydrolysis method and it was determined by the type of the research material. The amounts of phenolic compounds contained in the alkaline hydrolysates accounted for 55.7% (soil, horizon Bsv)-454% (roots) of their content in acid hydrolysates. In the extracts from acid hydrolysates, chlorogenic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were dominant. In the alkaline extracts from the plant material, the highest content was recorded for p-coumaric and ferulic acids, and in the extracts from soil, ferulic and chlorogenic acids. A combination of acid and alkaline hydrolysis ensures the best extraction efficiency of insoluble-bound forms of polyphenols from plant and soil material.

Isolation, Characterization and Bioactive Properties of Alkali-Extracted Polysaccharides from Enteromorpha prolifera.

Four new purified polysaccharides (PAP) were isolated and purified from the Enteromorpha prolifera by alkali extraction, and further characterization was investigated. Their average molecular weights of PAP-1, PAP-2, PAP-3, and PAP-4 were estimated as 3.44 × 104, 6.42 × 104, 1.20 × 105, and 4.82 × 104 Da, respectively. The results from monosaccharide analysis indicated that PAP-1, PAP-2, PAP-3 were acidic polysaccharides and PAP-4 was a neutral polysaccharide. PAP-1 and PAP-2 mainly consist of galacturonic acid, while PAP-3 and PAP-4 mainly contained rhamnose. Congo red test showed that no triple helical structure was detected in the four polysaccharides. The antioxidant activities were investigated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Superoxide, and 2, 2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical assay. In vitro antitumor activities were evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. PAP-1 exhibited relatively stronger antioxidant activities among the four polysaccharides in a dose-dependent manner. At a concentration of 1.00 mg/mL, the antioxidant activities of PAP-1 on the DPPH radical scavenging rate, superoxide anion radical scavenging rate, and ABTS radical rate at 1.00 mg/mL were 56.40%, 54.27%, and 42.07%, respectively. They also showed no significant inhibitory activity against MGC-803, HepG2, T24, and Bel-7402 cells. These investigations of polysaccharides provide a scientific basis for the use of E. prolifera as an ingredient in functional foods and medicines.

Modified citrus pectins by UV/H2O2 oxidation at acidic and basic conditions: Structures and in vitro anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative activities.

Two modified citrus pectins, MCP4 and MCP10, were prepared by UV/H2O2 treatment at pH 4 and pH 10, respectively, and their structures were characterized. MCP10 had a rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) enriched backbone with a high degree of branching (DB ∼61 %) and a low methoxylation degree (24 %). MCP4 had a homogalacturonan enriched backbone with a high degree (46 %) of methoxylation and a low DB (∼41 %) of RG-I branches. MCP10 exhibited a higher anti-inflammatory activity than MCP4 in suppressing the NF-κB expression and the production of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1ß of THP-1 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. MCP10 also showed a stronger inhibitory effect on Caco-2 cell proliferation. The stronger bioactivities of MCP10 may be attributable to the abundant branches and the proper length of terminal galactan residues attached to the RG-I domain.

Alkalinity and Its Consequences for the Performance of Steel-Reinforced Geopolymer Materials.

This paper investigates the development of the alkalinity and its impact on carbon steel reinforcement embedded in alkali-activated fly ashes (AAFA) and alkali-activated fly ashes with ten percentage mass (wt%) of blast furnace slag (AAFAS)-based materials (geopolymer-GP). The pH analysis of eluates indicates a remarkable decrease of alkalinity in AAFA and AAFAS in the first hours of the geopolymerization process. Phenolphthalein solution and pore solution tests on concretes also show a sharp decrease of alkalinity with increased Ca content in the binder due to carbonation. Micro X-ray computer tomography (µXCT) and electrochemical techniques indicate that the changed pH in the GP systems was accompanied by a decrease in the corrosion rates of steel reinforcement when compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) systems. In contrast to calcite and vaterite, which were detected in OPC and AAFAS after a carbonation process, only sodium carbonate natron was determined at lower levels in AAFA by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

VS2 and its doped composition: Catalytic depolymerization of alkali lignin for increased bio-oil production.

VS2 spheres and VS2 sheets with doped compositions (Mo, Ag and graphite) were successfully prepared by one-step hydrothermal method and characterized by different techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption isotherms. Catalysts were applied for the depolymerization of alkali lignin. VS2 spheres exhibited lower yield of degraded lignin and bio-oil than those with VS2 sheets and VS2 flowers heated to 250 °C and held for 1.5 h with 2.0 MPa H2. The catalytic depolymerization performance was markedly affected by the dopant in the VS2 sheets, with the highest degraded lignin yield of 81.22%, achieved over 5 wt% Ag-VS2 at 290 °C under 2.0 MPa H2 for 1.5 h, yielding 61.23% bio-oil. The VS2-based catalysts show excellent selectivity in the interruption of the lignin structure and target production of bio-oil. The bio-oil showed that the relevant contents of a phenolic-type compound changes significantly according to the dopant in the VS2 catalyst.

Alkali Comet Assay in Genotoxicity Tests.

DNA damage detected by the in vivo comet assay is an initial factor for Clastogenicity and gene mutation, and it is considered that the potential for carcinogenesis can be evaluated. However, there is a problem that the test results were not stable because the results fluctuated largely depending on the test execution conditions. Therefore, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) test guideline have described the conditions under which tests should be conducted in order to obtain stable data. Herein, I describe an in vivo comet assay that is based on recently approved the OECD test guideline (TG 489).

Protein extraction from excess sludge by alkali-thermal hydrolysis.

The protein in excess sludge can be extracted effectively by the alkali-thermal method, and the extracted protein can be used as a foaming agent and in other industrial raw materials to realize its resource utilization. In this paper, the factors influencing sludge protein extraction by the alkali-thermal method were optimized based on the protein extraction rate and the polypeptide content, which determine the foaming performance of the extracted protein. The results showed that the optimal conditions were a pH of 12, a temperature of 120 °C, a reaction time of 4 h, and a sludge moisture content of 92%. Under these optimized conditions, the extraction rate of protein and the concentration of polypeptides were 88.3% and 6599 mg/L, respectively. Additionally, the foaming performance of the extracted protein solution was tested, and the foamability and foam stability were close to 450% and 88.8%, respectively. Therefore, the sludge protein extracted by the alkali-thermal method can meet the relevant standards of foam extinguishing agents and concrete foaming agents in China. In addition, the dewatering performance of the hydrolyzed sludge was improved by 93.1%, which provided favorable conditions for the subsequent separation of the protein solution.