Design of Continuous Reactor Systems for API Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Michael Jønch

-scale production equipment enabled complete replacement of the existing batch production of this intermediate. The crowning achievement in this work was the realization of continuous laboratory reactor setups capable of manufacturing the entire GMP portion of the synthesis of melitracen HCl at H. Lundbeck A....... The methodology provides suggestions on when and how decisions should be made on continuous production methods for Grignard chemistry within pharmaceutical manufacturing. Physicochemical properties, such as solubility, were found to be critical. However, from a business perspective, issues such as the current......The pharmaceutical industry has experienced many changes over the last few decades. Continuous production has been promoted as one of the more promising methods for making the industry more efficient and sustainable. The primary focus of this thesis is on the performance of Grignard chemistry...

Production expansion continues to accelerate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) is continuing its accelerated Crude Oil Expansion Program initiated in 1989 that aims at achieving a 10 million bpd productive capacity by 1995. In addition to major engineering, construction and renovation work related to production expansion, Saudi Aramco drilling and workover operations have been markedly expanded. Since January 1991, rig activity has doubled. As an indication of aging of Saudi production, projects include modernizing current injection water treatment facilities, installing a new seawater injection plant on the Persian Gulf, installing dewatering facilities in a number of locations and installing a pilot gas lift project. In addition, equipment orders indicate the new discoveries south of Riyadh may also need the assistance of water injection from inception of production

Potential of Continuous Manufacturing for Liposomal Drug Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Worsham, Robert D; Thomas, Vaughan; Farid, Suzanne S

2018-05-21

Over the last several years, continuous manufacturing of pharmaceuticals has evolved from bulk APIs and solid oral dosages into the more complex realm of biologics. The development of continuous downstream processing techniques has allowed biologics manufacturing to realize the benefits (e.g. improved economics, more consistent quality) that come with continuous processing. If relevant processing techniques and principles are selected, the opportunity arises to develop continuous manufacturing designs for additional pharmaceutical products including liposomal drug formulations. Liposome manufacturing has some inherent aspects that make it favorable for a continuous process. Other aspects such as formulation refinement, materials of construction, and aseptic processing need development, but present an achievable challenge. This paper reviews the current state of continuous manufacturing technology applicable to liposomal drug product manufacturing and an assessment of the challenges and potential of this application. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Continuous hydroponic wheat production using a recirculating system

Science.gov (United States)

Mackowiak, C. L.; Owens, L. P.; Hinkle, C. R.; Prince, R. P.

1989-01-01

Continuous crop production, where plants of various ages are growing simultaneously in a single recirculating nutrient solution, is a possible alternative to batch production in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System. A study was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center where 8 trays (0.24 sq m per tray) of Triticum aestivum L. Yecora Rojo were grown simultaneously in a growth chamber at 23 C, 65 percent relative humidity, 1000 ppm CO2, continuous light, with a continuous flow, thin film nutrient delivery system. The same modified Hoagland nutrient solution was recirculated through the plant trays from an 80 L reservoir throughout the study. It was maintained by periodic addition of water and nutrients based on chemical analyses of the solution. The study was conducted for 216 days, during which 24 trays of wheat were consecutively planted (one every 9 days), 16 of which were grown to maturity and harvested. The remaining 8 trays were harvested on day 216. Grain yields averaged 520 g m(exp -2), and had an average edible biomass of 32 percent. Consecutive yields were unaffected by nutrient solution age. It was concluded that continual wheat production will work in this system over an extended period of time. Certain micronutrient deficiencies and toxicities posed problems and must be addressed in future continuous production systems.

Continuous thermophilic biohydrogen production in packed bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Shantonu; Vishnuvardhan, M.; Das, Debabrata

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Continuous H 2 production in whole cell immobilized system was compared with CSTR. • Suitability of environment friendly support matrix for immobilization of whole cells was explored. • Pack bed reactor showed higher stability as compared to CSTR at lower HRTs. • Flow cytometry study showed the influence of recycle ratio on viability of cells. • Novel approach to find out the effect of NADH/NAD + ratio during H 2 production. - Abstract: The present research work deals with the performance of packed bed reactor for continuous H 2 production using cane molasses as a carbon source. Maximum H 2 production rate of 1.7 L L −1 h −1 was observed at a dilution rate and recycle ratio of 0.8 h −1 and 0.6, respectively which was corresponding to the lowest NADH/NAD + ratio. This suggests that the utilization of NADH pool for H 2 and metabolite production might lead to decrement in NADH/NAD + ratio. Thus NADH/NAD + ratio show inverse relation with hydrogen production. The substrate degradation kinetics was investigated as a function of flow rate considering the external film diffusion model. At a flow rate of 245 mL h −1 , the contribution of external film mass transfer coefficient and first order substrate degradation constant were 55.4% and 44.6% respectively. Recycle ratio of 0.6 improved the hydrogen production rates by 9%. The viable cell count was directly proportional to the recycle ratio (within the range 0.1–0.6). Taguchi design showed the significant influence of the feed pH on continuous H 2 production followed by dilution rate and recycle ratio. Thus environmentally friendly and cheaper solid matrix like coconut coir could be efficiently used for thermophilic continuous hydrogen production

Process performance and product quality in an integrated continuous antibody production process.

Science.gov (United States)

Karst, Daniel J; Steinebach, Fabian; Soos, Miroslav; Morbidelli, Massimo

2017-02-01

Continuous manufacturing is currently being seriously considered in the biopharmaceutical industry as the possible new paradigm for producing therapeutic proteins, due to production cost and product quality related benefits. In this study, a monoclonal antibody producing CHO cell line was cultured in perfusion mode and connected to a continuous affinity capture step. The reliable and stable integration of the two systems was enabled by suitable control loops, regulating the continuous volumetric flow and adapting the operating conditions of the capture process. For the latter, an at-line HPLC measurement of the harvest concentration subsequent to the bioreactor was combined with a mechanistic model of the capture chromatographic unit. Thereby, optimal buffer consumption and productivity throughout the process was realized while always maintaining a yield above the target value of 99%. Stable operation was achieved at three consecutive viable cell density set points (20, 60, and 40 × 10 6 cells/mL), together with consistent product quality in terms of aggregates, fragments, charge isoforms, and N-linked glycosylation. In addition, different values for these product quality attributes such as N-linked glycosylation, charge variants, and aggregate content were measured at the different steady states. As expected, the amount of released DNA and HCP was significantly reduced by the capture step for all considered upstream operating conditions. This study is exemplary for the potential of enhancing product quality control and modulation by integrated continuous manufacturing. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 298-307. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Open and continuous fermentation: products, conditions and bioprocess economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Teng; Chen, Xiang-bin; Chen, Jin-chun; Wu, Qiong; Chen, Guo-Qiang

2014-12-01

Microbial fermentation is the key to industrial biotechnology. Most fermentation processes are sensitive to microbial contamination and require an energy intensive sterilization process. The majority of microbial fermentations can only be conducted over a short period of time in a batch or fed-batch culture, further increasing energy consumption and process complexity, and these factors contribute to the high costs of bio-products. In an effort to make bio-products more economically competitive, increased attention has been paid to developing open (unsterile) and continuous processes. If well conducted, continuous fermentation processes will lead to the reduced cost of industrial bio-products. To achieve cost-efficient open and continuous fermentations, the feeding of raw materials and the removal of products must be conducted in a continuous manner without the risk of contamination, even under 'open' conditions. Factors such as the stability of the biological system as a whole during long cultivations, as well as the yield and productivity of the process, are also important. Microorganisms that grow under extreme conditions such as high or low pH, high osmotic pressure, and high or low temperature, as well as under conditions of mixed culturing, cell immobilization, and solid state cultivation, are of interest for developing open and continuous fermentation processes. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Automatic continuity for homomorphisms into free products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slutsky, Konstantin

2013-01-01

A homomorphism from a completely metrizable topological group into a free product of groups whose image is not contained in a factor of the free product is shown to be continuous with respect to the discrete topology on the range. In particular, any completely metrizable group topology on a free ...

Orodispersible films: Product transfer from lab-scale to continuous manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Thabet, Yasmin; Breitkreutz, Joerg

2018-01-15

Orodispersible films have been described as new beneficial dosage forms for special patient populations. Due to various production settings, different requirements on film formulations are required for non- continuous and continuous manufacturing. In this study, a continuous coating machine was qualified in regards of the process conditions for film compositions and their effects on the formed films. To investigate differences between both manufacturing processes, various film formulations of hydrochlorothiazide and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) or hydroxypropylmethycellulose (HPMC) as film formers were produced and the resulting films were characterized. The qualification of the continuously operating coating machine reveals no uniform heat distribution during drying. Coating solutions for continuous manufacturing should provide at least a dynamic viscosity of 1 Pa*s (wet film thickness of 500 μm, velocity of 15.9 cm/min). HPC films contain higher residuals of ethanol or acetone in bench-scale than in continuous production mode. Continuous production lead to lower drug content of the films. All continuously produced films disintegrate within less than 30 s. There are observed significant effects of the production process on the film characteristics. When transferring film manufacturing from lab-scale to continuous mode, film compositions, processing conditions and suitable characterization methods have to be carefully selected and adopted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moving from batch towards continuous organic‐chemical pharmaceutical production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili

process understanding. Developing a process within a more flexible design space based on sound engineering judgment potentially allows process optimization once the product has already been approved. Micro‐ and mini‐chemical systems have been envisaged as the optimal scale for pharmaceutical production...... are the highest benefits found? How can a continuous process be designed and implemented? Are continuous processes compatible with slow reactions? Do they allow problem free processing of solid particles? What is the cost needed to implement a continuous process? This PhD thesis tries to answer some of those...... questions through the development of a systematic framework that takes advantage of continuous processing technologies and process systems engineering for the efficient design of continuous pharmaceutical processes. The framework consists of a step‐by‐step procedure that guides the user from drug discovery...

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot B. Kennel; Stephen P. Carpenter; Dady Dadyburjor; Manoj Katakdaunde; Liviu Magean; Peter G. Stansberry; Alfred H. Stiller; John W. Zondlo

2005-06-08

The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. These carbon products include materials used in metals smelting, especially in the aluminum and steel industries, as well as porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. During this reporting period, efforts have focused on the development of continuous processes for hydrogenation as well as continuous production of carbon foam and coke.

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot B. Kennel; Stephen P. Carpenter; Dady Dadyburjor; Manoj Katakdaunde; Liviu Magean; Madhavi Nallani-Chakravartula; Peter G. Stansberry; Alfred H. Stiller; John W. Zondlo

2006-03-27

The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. These carbon products include materials used in metals smelting, especially in the aluminum and steel industries, as well as porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. During this reporting period, efforts have focused on the development of continuous processes for hydrogenation as well as continuous production of carbon foam and coke.

Continuous biohydrogen production from waste bread by anaerobic sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; Huang, Jingang; Zhao, Hongting; Li, Yongfeng

2016-07-01

In this study, continuous biohydrogen production from waste bread by anaerobic sludge was performed. The waste bread was first hydrolyzed by the crude enzymes which were generated by Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus oryzae via solid-state fermentation. It was observed that 49.78g/L glucose and 284.12mg/L free amino nitrogen could be produced with waste bread mass ratio of 15% (w/v). The waste bread hydrolysate was then used for biohydrogen production by anaerobic sludge in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The optimal hydrogen production rate of 7.4L/(Ld) was achieved at chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 6000mg/L. According to the results obtained from this study, 1g waste bread could generate 0.332g glucose which could be further utilized to produce 109.5mL hydrogen. This is the first study which reports continuous biohydrogen production from waste bread by anaerobic sludge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 3.208 - Continued protection of patient safety work product.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Continued protection of patient safety work product... GENERAL PROVISIONS PATIENT SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENT SAFETY WORK PRODUCT Confidentiality and Privilege Protections of Patient Safety Work Product § 3.208 Continued protection of patient safety work...

Novel chimeric virus-like particles vaccine displaying MERS-CoV receptor-binding domain induce specific humoral and cellular immune response in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong; Zheng, Xuexing; Gai, Weiwei; Wong, Gary; Wang, Hualei; Jin, Hongli; Feng, Na; Zhao, Yongkun; Zhang, Weijiao; Li, Nan; Zhao, Guoxing; Li, Junfu; Yan, Jinghua; Gao, Yuwei; Hu, Guixue; Yang, Songtao; Xia, Xianzhu

2017-04-01

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has continued spreading since its emergence in 2012 with a mortality rate of 35.6%, and is a potential pandemic threat. Prophylactics and therapies are urgently needed to address this public health problem. We report here the efficacy of a vaccine consisting of chimeric virus-like particles (VLP) expressing the receptor binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV. In this study, a fusion of the canine parvovirus (CPV) VP2 structural protein gene with the RBD of MERS-CoV can self-assemble into chimeric, spherical VLP (sVLP). sVLP retained certain parvovirus characteristics, such as the ability to agglutinate pig erythrocytes, and structural morphology similar to CPV virions. Immunization with sVLP induced RBD-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. sVLP-specific antisera from these animals were able to prevent pseudotyped MERS-CoV entry into susceptible cells, with neutralizing antibody titers reaching 1: 320. IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-2 secreting cells induced by the RBD were detected in the splenocytes of vaccinated mice by ELISpot. Furthermore, mice inoculated with sVLP or an adjuvanted sVLP vaccine elicited T-helper 1 (Th1) and T-helper 2 (Th2) cell-mediated immunity. Our study demonstrates that sVLP displaying the RBD of MERS-CoV are promising prophylactic candidates against MERS-CoV in a potential outbreak situation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A stochastic surplus production model in continuous time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Martin Wæver; Berg, Casper Willestofte

2017-01-01

surplus production model in continuous time (SPiCT), which in addition to stock dynamics also models the dynamics of the fisheries. This enables error in the catch process to be reflected in the uncertainty of estimated model parameters and management quantities. Benefits of the continuous-time state......Surplus production modelling has a long history as a method for managing data-limited fish stocks. Recent advancements have cast surplus production models as state-space models that separate random variability of stock dynamics from error in observed indices of biomass. We present a stochastic......-space model formulation include the ability to provide estimates of exploitable biomass and fishing mortality at any point in time from data sampled at arbitrary and possibly irregular intervals. We show in a simulation that the ability to analyse subannual data can increase the effective sample size...

Optimal policies for Production-Clearing Systems under Continuous-Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Germs, R.; Foreest, van Nicky D.; Kilic, Onur A.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we consider a production-clearing system with compound Poisson demand under continuous review. The production facility produces one type of item without stopping and at a constant rate, and stores the product into a buffer to meet future demand. To prevent high inventory levels, a

9 CFR 590.24 - Egg products plants requiring continuous inspection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Egg products plants requiring..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION INSPECTION OF EGGS AND EGG PRODUCTS (EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT) Scope of Inspection § 590.24 Egg products plants requiring continuous inspection. No plant in...

Induction of HIV neutralizing antibodies against the MPER of the HIV envelope protein by HA/gp41 chimeric protein-based DNA and VLP vaccines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Ye

Full Text Available Several conserved neutralizing epitopes have been identified in the HIV Env protein and among these, the MPER of gp41 has received great attention and is widely recognized as a promising target. However, little success has been achieved in eliciting MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies by a number of different vaccine strategies. We investigated the ability of HA/gp41 chimeric protein-based vaccines, which were designed to enhance the exposure of the MPER in its native conformation, to induce MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies. In characterization of the HA/gp41 chimeric protein, we found that by mutating an unpaired Cys residue (Cys-14 in its HA1 subunit to a Ser residue, the modified chimeric protein HA-C14S/gp41 showed increased reactivity to a conformation-sensitive monoclonal antibody against HA and formed more stable trimers in VLPs. On the other hand, HA-C14S/gp41 and HA/gp41 chimeric proteins expressed on the cell surfaces exhibited similar reactivity to monoclonal antibodies 2F5 and 4E10. Immunization of guinea pigs using the HA-C14S/gp41 DNA or VLP vaccines induced antibodies against the HIV gp41 as well as to a peptide corresponding to a segment of MPER at higher levels than immunization by standard HIV VLPs. Further, sera from vaccinated guinea pigs were found to exhibit HIV neutralizing activities. Moreover, sera from guinea pigs vaccinated by HA-C14S/gp41 DNA and VLP vaccines but not the standard HIV VLPs, were found to neutralize HIV pseudovirions containing a SIV-4E10 chimeric Env protein. The virus neutralization could be blocked by a MPER-specific peptide, thus demonstrating induction of MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies by this novel vaccine strategy. These results show that induction of MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies can be achieved through a rationally designed vaccine strategy.

Towards continuous enzyme-catalysed processes for the production of biodiesel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordblad, Mathias; Pedersen, Anders Kristian; Meyland, Lene Have

The application of lipases in the production of biodiesel can find several roles: in pretreating high FFA oils via esterification, transesterification for converting oil to biodiesel and polishing via esterification to ensure the product is within specification. In all these cases the potential...... size of the process plants, suggest that continuous operation would be highly beneficial due to the economies of scale. To investigate this, we have examined both oil pretreatment via esterification and biodiesel production via transesterification in batch stirred tank reactors (BSTRs), continuous...

Continuous counter-current chromatography for capture and polishing steps in biopharmaceutical production.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinebach, Fabian; Müller-Späth, Thomas; Morbidelli, Massimo

2016-09-01

The economic advantages of continuous processing of biopharmaceuticals, which include smaller equipment and faster, efficient processes, have increased interest in this technology over the past decade. Continuous processes can also improve quality assurance and enable greater controllability, consistent with the quality initiatives of the FDA. Here, we discuss different continuous multi-column chromatography processes. Differences in the capture and polishing steps result in two different types of continuous processes that employ counter-current column movement. Continuous-capture processes are associated with increased productivity per cycle and decreased buffer consumption, whereas the typical purity-yield trade-off of classical batch chromatography can be surmounted by continuous processes for polishing applications. In the context of continuous manufacturing, different but complementary chromatographic columns or devices are typically combined to improve overall process performance and avoid unnecessary product storage. In the following, these various processes, their performances compared with batch processing and resulting product quality are discussed based on a review of the literature. Based on various examples of applications, primarily monoclonal antibody production processes, conclusions are drawn about the future of these continuous-manufacturing technologies. Copyright © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design and operation of a continuous integrated monoclonal antibody production process.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinebach, Fabian; Ulmer, Nicole; Wolf, Moritz; Decker, Lara; Schneider, Veronika; Wälchli, Ruben; Karst, Daniel; Souquet, Jonathan; Morbidelli, Massimo

2017-09-01

The realization of an end-to-end integrated continuous lab-scale process for monoclonal antibody manufacturing is described. For this, a continuous cultivation with filter-based cell-retention, a continuous two column capture process, a virus inactivation step, a semi-continuous polishing step (twin-column MCSGP), and a batch-wise flow-through polishing step were integrated and operated together. In each unit, the implementation of internal recycle loops allows to improve the performance: (a) in the bioreactor, to simultaneously increase the cell density and volumetric productivity, (b) in the capture process, to achieve improved capacity utilization at high productivity and yield, and (c) in the MCSGP process, to overcome the purity-yield trade-off of classical batch-wise bind-elute polishing steps. Furthermore, the design principles, which allow the direct connection of these steps, some at steady state and some at cyclic steady state, as well as straight-through processing, are discussed. The setup was operated for the continuous production of a commercial monoclonal antibody, resulting in stable operation and uniform product quality over the 17 cycles of the end-to-end integration. The steady-state operation was fully characterized by analyzing at the outlet of each unit at steady state the product titer as well as the process (HCP, DNA, leached Protein A) and product (aggregates, fragments) related impurities. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1303-1313, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

A continuous-time control model on production planning network ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A continuous-time control model on production planning network. DEA Omorogbe, MIU Okunsebor. Abstract. In this paper, we give a slightly detailed review of Graves and Hollywood model on constant inventory tactical planning model for a job shop. The limitations of this model are pointed out and a continuous time ...

Operational Aspects of Continuous Pharmaceutical Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mitic, Aleksandar

Introduction of the Process Analytical Technolo gy (PAT) Initiative, the Quality by Design (QbD) approach and the Continuous Improvement (CI) methodology/philosophy is considered as a huge milestone in the modern pharmaceutical indust ry. The above concepts, when applied to a pharmaceutical...... satisfaction of the demands defined by the PA T Initiative. This approach could be considered as establishing a Lean Production System (LPS) whic h is usually supported with tools associated with Process Intensifaction (PI) a nd Process Optimization (PO). Development of continuous processes is often c onnected...... tools, such as microwave assisted organic synthesis (MAOS), ultrasounds, meso-scale flow chemistry and microprocess technology. Furthermore, developmen t of chemical catalysts and enzymes enabled further acceleration of some chemical reactions that were known as very slow or impossible to be performed...

Preclinical Development and Production of Virus-Like Particles As Vaccine Candidates for Hepatitis C

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makutiro Ghislain Masavuli

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis C Virus (HCV infects 2% of the world’s population and is the leading cause of liver disease and liver transplantation. It poses a serious and growing worldwide public health problem that will only be partially addressed with the introduction of new antiviral therapies. However, these treatments will not prevent re-infection particularly in high risk populations. The introduction of a HCV vaccine has been predicted, using simulation models in a high risk population, to have a significant effect on reducing the incidence of HCV. A vaccine with 50 to 80% efficacy targeted to high-risk intravenous drug users could dramatically reduce HCV incidence in this population. Virus like particles (VLPs are composed of viral structural proteins which self-assemble into non-infectious particles that lack genetic material and resemble native viruses. Thus, VLPs represent a safe and highly immunogenic vaccine delivery platform able to induce potent adaptive immune responses. Currently, many VLP-based vaccines have entered clinical trials, while licensed VLP vaccines for hepatitis B virus (HBV and human papilloma virus (HPV have been in use for many years. The HCV core, E1 and E2 proteins can self-assemble into immunogenic VLPs while inclusion of HCV antigens into heterogenous (chimeric VLPs is also a promising approach. These VLPs are produced using different expression systems such as bacterial, yeast, mammalian, plant, or insect cells. Here, this paper will review HCV VLP-based vaccines and their immunogenicity in animal models as well as the different expression systems used in their production.

Improvement production of bacterial cellulose by semi-continuous process in molasses medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Cakar, Fatih; Ozer, Işılay; Aytekin, A Özhan; Sahin, Fikrettin

2014-06-15

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has unique properties such as structural, functional, physical and chemical. The mass production of BC for industrial application has recently become attractive to produce more economical and high productive cellulose. In this study, to improve the productivity of bacterial cellulose (BC), BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus FC01 was investigated in molasses medium with static semi-continuous operation mode. Cell dry weight, polysaccharide, sugar and cellulose concentrations were monitored and cellulose was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The highest cellulose yield (1.637 g/L) was obtained in SCP50-7d, which molasses of 1/2 ratio for 7 days by static semi-continuous operation mode. The results show that BC can be highly produced by G. xylinus in molasses with static semi-continuous process than batch process. We claimed that low-cost medium with semi-continuous operation mode in static culture is a good candidate for industrial scale BC productions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial production of a biofuel (acetone-butanol-ethanol) in a continuous bioreactor: impact of bleed and simultaneous product removal

Science.gov (United States)

Acetone butanol ethanol (ABE) was produced in an integrated continuous fermentation and product recovery system using a microbial strain Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 for ABE production and fermentation gases (CO2 and H2) for product removal by gas stripping. This represents a continuation of our ...

Characterizing Enterovirus 71 and Coxsackievirus A16 virus-like particles production in insect cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Somasundaram, Balaji; Chang, Cindy; Fan, Yuan Y; Lim, Pei-Yin; Cardosa, Jane; Lua, Linda

2016-02-15

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) are two viruses commonly responsible for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children. The lack of prophylactic or therapeutic measures against HFMD is a major public health concern. Insect cell-based EV71 and CVA16 virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising vaccine candidates against HFMD and are currently under development. In this paper, the influence of insect cell line, incubation temperature, and serial passaging effect and stability of budded virus (BV) stocks on EV71 and CVA16 VLP production was investigated. Enhanced EV71 and CVA16 VLP production was observed in Sf9 cells compared to High Five™ cells. Lowering the incubation temperature from the standard 27°C to 21°C increased the production of both VLPs in Sf9 cells. Serial passaging of CVA16 BV stocks in cell culture had a detrimental effect on the productivity of the structural proteins and the effect was observed with only 5 passages of BV stocks. A 2.7× higher production yield was achieved with EV71 compared to CVA16. High-resolution asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation couple with multi-angle light scattering (AF4-MALS) was used for the first time to characterize EV71 and CVA16 VLPs, displaying an average root mean square radius of 15±1nm and 15.3±5.8 nm respectively. This study highlights the need for different approaches in the design of production process to develop a bivalent EV71 and CVA16 vaccine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 183.63 - Continuing requirements: Products, parts or appliances.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... appliances. 183.63 Section 183.63 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Designation Authorization § 183.63 Continuing requirements: Products, parts or appliances. For any approval or certificate for a product, part or appliance issued under the authority of this subpart, or under the...

Continuous dry fermentation of swine manure for biogas production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Chuang; Zheng, Dan [Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 610041 (China); Liu, Gang–Jin [Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 610041 (China); Bioprocess Control AB, Scheelevägen 22, 223 63 Lund (Sweden); Deng, Liang–Wei, E-mail: dengliangwei@caas.cn [Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 610041 (China); Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 610041 (China); Southwest Collaborative Innovation Center of Swine for Quality & Safety, Chengdu 611130 (China); Long, Yan; Fan, Zhan–Hui [Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 610041 (China)

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Continuous dry fermentation of swine manure for biogas production is feasible. • The feedstock TS concentration exerted a significant impact on biogas production. • Influences of ammonia and digestate liquidity were investigated in this study. • The results showed that the feedstock TS of swine manure should not exceed 30%. - Abstract: A down plug-flow anaerobic reactor (DPAR) was designed for the feasibility study on continuous dry fermentation of swine manure without any additional stirring. Using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration (w/w) of 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%, stable volumetric biogas production rates of 2.40, 1.92, 0.911, and 0.644 L·(L d){sup −1} and biogas yields of 0.665, 0.532, 0.252, and 0.178 L g{sup −1}VS were obtained respectively, and the TS degradation rates were 46.5%, 45.4%, 53.2%, and 55.6%, respectively. With the increase of feedstock TS concentration, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen grew up to the maximum value of 3500 mg L{sup −1}. Biogas production was obviously inhibited when the concentration of ammonia nitrogen was above 3000 mg L{sup −1}. The maximal volumetric biogas production rate of 2.34 L·(L d){sup −1} and biogas yield of 0.649 L g{sup −1}VS were obtained with TS concentration of 25% at 25 °C without inhibition. Liquidity experiments showed that TS concentration of digestate could be less than 15.8%, and the flow rate of digestate more than 0.98 m s{sup −1} when the feedstock TS concentration was less than 35%, which indicated the digestate could be easily discharged from a DPAR. Therefore, it is feasible to conduct a continuous dry fermentation in a DPAR using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration less than 35%, whereas the feedstock TS concentration should not exceed 30% to achieve the maximal biogas production rate and biogas yield.

Continuous dry fermentation of swine manure for biogas production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chuang; Zheng, Dan; Liu, Gang–Jin; Deng, Liang–Wei; Long, Yan; Fan, Zhan–Hui

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Continuous dry fermentation of swine manure for biogas production is feasible. • The feedstock TS concentration exerted a significant impact on biogas production. • Influences of ammonia and digestate liquidity were investigated in this study. • The results showed that the feedstock TS of swine manure should not exceed 30%. - Abstract: A down plug-flow anaerobic reactor (DPAR) was designed for the feasibility study on continuous dry fermentation of swine manure without any additional stirring. Using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration (w/w) of 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%, stable volumetric biogas production rates of 2.40, 1.92, 0.911, and 0.644 L·(L d) −1 and biogas yields of 0.665, 0.532, 0.252, and 0.178 L g −1 VS were obtained respectively, and the TS degradation rates were 46.5%, 45.4%, 53.2%, and 55.6%, respectively. With the increase of feedstock TS concentration, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen grew up to the maximum value of 3500 mg L −1 . Biogas production was obviously inhibited when the concentration of ammonia nitrogen was above 3000 mg L −1 . The maximal volumetric biogas production rate of 2.34 L·(L d) −1 and biogas yield of 0.649 L g −1 VS were obtained with TS concentration of 25% at 25 °C without inhibition. Liquidity experiments showed that TS concentration of digestate could be less than 15.8%, and the flow rate of digestate more than 0.98 m s −1 when the feedstock TS concentration was less than 35%, which indicated the digestate could be easily discharged from a DPAR. Therefore, it is feasible to conduct a continuous dry fermentation in a DPAR using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration less than 35%, whereas the feedstock TS concentration should not exceed 30% to achieve the maximal biogas production rate and biogas yield

Omega-3 production by fermentation of Yarrowia lipolytica: From fed-batch to continuous.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Dongming; Miller, Edward; Sharpe, Pamela; Jackson, Ethel; Zhu, Quinn

2017-04-01

The omega-3 fatty acid, cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5; EPA) has wide-ranging benefits in improving heart health, immune function, and mental health. A sustainable source of EPA production through fermentation of metabolically engineered Yarrowia lipolytica has been developed. In this paper, key fed-batch fermentation conditions were identified to achieve 25% EPA in the yeast biomass, which is so far the highest EPA titer reported in the literature. Dynamic models of the EPA fermentation process were established for analyzing, optimizing, and scaling up the fermentation process. In addition, model simulations were used to develop a two-stage continuous process and compare to single-stage continuous and fed- batch processes. The two stage continuous process, which is equipped with a smaller growth fermentor (Stage 1) and a larger production fermentor (Stage 2), was found to be a superior process to achieve high titer, rate, and yield of EPA. A two-stage continuous fermentation experiment with Y. lipolytica strain Z7334 was designed using the model simulation and then tested in a 2 L and 5 L fermentation system for 1,008 h. Compared with the standard 2 L fed-batch process, the two-stage continuous fermentation process improved the overall EPA productivity by 80% and EPA concentration in the fermenter by 40% while achieving comparable EPA titer in biomass and similar conversion yield from glucose. During the long-term experiment it was also found that the Y. lipolytica strain evolved to reduce byproduct and increase lipid production. This is one of the few continuous fermentation examples that demonstrated improved productivity and concentration of a final product with similar conversion yield compared with a fed-batch process. This paper suggests the two-stage continuous fermentation could be an effective process to achieve improved production of omega-3 and other fermentation products where non-growth or partially growth associated kinetics

Production and immunogenicity of chimeric virus-like particles containing the spike glycoprotein of infectious bronchitis virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Lishan; Li, Xiaoming; Liu, Genmei; Li, Ran; Liu, Qiliang; Shen, Huifang; Wang, Wei; Xue, Chunyi; Cao, Yongchang

2014-01-01

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) poses a severe threat to the poultry industry and causes heavy economic losses worldwide. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infection and controlling the spread of IBV, but currently available inactivated and attenuated virus vaccines have some disadvantages. We developed a chimeric virus-like particle (VLP)-based candidate vaccine for IBV protection. The chimeric VLP was composed of matrix 1 protein from avian influenza H5N1 virus and a fusion protein neuraminidase (NA)/spike 1 (S1) that was generated by fusing IBV S1 protein to the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of NA protein of avian influenza H5N1 virus. The chimeric VLPs elicited significantly higher S1-specific antibody responses in intramuscularly immunized mice and chickens than inactivated IBV viruses. Furthermore, the chimeric VLPs induced significantly higher neutralization antibody levels than inactivated H120 virus in SPF chickens. Finally, the chimeric VLPs induced significantly higher IL-4 production in mice. These results demonstrate that chimeric VLPs have the potential for use in vaccines against IBV infection.

Production of continuous mullite fiber via sol-gel processing

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Dennis S.; Sparks, J. Scott; Esker, David C.

1990-01-01

The development of a continuous ceramic fiber which could be used in rocket engine and rocket boosters applications was investigated at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Methods of ceramic fiber production such as melt spinning, chemical vapor deposition, and precursor polymeric fiber decomposition are discussed and compared with sol-gel processing. The production of ceramics via the sol-gel method consists of two steps, hydrolysis and polycondensation, to form the preceramic, followed by consolidation into the glass or ceramic structure. The advantages of the sol-gel method include better homogeneity and purity, lower preparation temperature, and the ability to form unique compositions. The disadvantages are the high cost of raw materials, large shrinkage during drying and firing which can lead to cracks, and long processing times. Preparation procedures for aluminosilicate sol-gel and for continuous mullite fibers are described.

Continuous hydrogen production from starch by fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yasuda, Keigo; Tanisho, Shigeharu [Yokohama National Univ. (Japan)

2010-07-01

This study was investigated the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on hydrogen production rate, hydrogen yield and the production rate of volatile fatty acid. The experiment was performed in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with a working volume of 1 L by using a Clostridium sp. The temperature of the CSTR was regulated 37 C. The pH was controlled 6.0 by the addition of 3 M of NaOH solution. Starch was used as the carbon source with the concentration of 30 g L{sup -1}. Hydrogen production rate increased from 0.9 L-H{sub 2} L-culture{sup -1} h{sup -1} to 3.2 L-H{sub 2} L-culture{sup -1} h{sup -1} along with the decrease of HRT from 9 h to 1.5 h. Hydrogen yield decreased at low HRT. The major volatile fatty acids are acetic acid, butyric acid and lactic acid. The production rates of acetic acid and butyric acid increased along with the decrease of HRT. On the other hand, the rate of lactic acid was low at high HRT while it increased at HRT 1.5 h. The increase of the production rate of lactic acid suggested one of the reasons that hydrogen yield decreased. (orig.)

Phase-synchronisation in continuous flow models of production networks

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz-Reiter, Bernd; Tervo, Jan Topi; Freitag, Michael

2006-04-01

To improve their position at the market, many companies concentrate on their core competences and hence cooperate with suppliers and distributors. Thus, between many independent companies strong linkages develop and production and logistics networks emerge. These networks are characterised by permanently increasing complexity, and are nowadays forced to adapt to dynamically changing markets. This factor complicates an enterprise-spreading production planning and control enormously. Therefore, a continuous flow model for production networks will be derived regarding these special logistic problems. Furthermore, phase-synchronisation effects will be presented and their dependencies to the set of network parameters will be investigated.

Continuous production of pectinase by immobilized yeast cells on spent grains.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Catarina; Brányik, Tomás; Moradas-Ferreira, Pedro; Teixeira, José

2003-01-01

A yeast strain secreting endopolygalacturonase was used in this work to study the possibility of continuous production of this enzyme. It is a feasible and interesting alternative to fungal batch production essentially due to the specificity of the type of pectinase excreted by Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT 3172, to the lower broth viscosity and to the easier downstream operations. In order to increase the reactors' productivity, a cellulosic carrier obtained from barley spent grains was tested as an immobilization support. Two types of reactors were studied for pectinase production using glucose as a carbon and energy source--a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and a packed bed reactor (PBR) with recycled flow. The highest value for pectinase volumetric productivity (P(V)=0.98 U ml(-1) h(-1)) was achieved in the PBR for D=0.40 h(-1), a glucose concentration on the inlet of S(in)=20 g l(-1), and a biomass load in the support of X(i)=0.225 g g(-1). The results demonstrate the attractiveness of the packed bed system for pectinase production.

Sustainable production. The ultimate result of a continuous improvement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ron, de A.J.

1998-01-01

To fulfil market requirements, companies have introduced cost awareness, quality programs and techniques to become flexible. These items should be handled as a continuous process of improvement. The cost awareness implies that e.g. material waste is avoided during production, the quality programs

Continuous esterification for biodiesel production from palm fatty acid distillate using economical process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chongkhong, S.; Tongurai, C.; Chetpattananondh, P. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand)

2009-04-15

An overflow system for continuous esterification of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) using an economical process was developed using a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Continuous production compared to batch production at the same condition had higher product purity. The optimum condition for the esterification process was a 8.8:1:0.05 molar ratio of methanol to PFAD to sulfuric acid catalyst, 60 min of residence time at 75 C under its own pressure. The free fatty acid (FFA) content in the PFAD was reduced from 93 to less than 1.5%wt by optimum esterification. The esterified product had to be neutralized with 10.24%wt of 3 M sodium hydroxide in water solution at a reaction temperature of 80 C for 20 min to reduce the residual FFA and glycerides. The components and properties of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) could meet the standard requirements for biodiesel fuel. Eventually the production costs were calculated to disclose its commercialization. (author)

Virus-Like Particle Engineering: From Rational Design to Versatile Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Xuanwei; Liu, Dong; Booth, George; Gao, Wei; Lu, Yuan

2018-05-01

As mimicking natural virus structures, virus-like particles (VLPs) have evolved to become a widely accepted technology used for humans which are safe, highly efficacious, and profitable. Several remarkable advantages have been achieved to revolutionize the molecule delivery for diverse applications in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and medicine. Here, the rational structure design, manufacturing process, functionalization strategy, and emerging applications of VLPs is reviewed. The situation and challenges in the VLP engineering, the key development orientation, and future applications have been discussed. To develop a good VLP design concept, the virus/VLP-host interactions need to be examined and the screening methods of the VLP stabilization factors need to be established. The functionalization toolbox can be expanded to fabricate smart, robust, and multifunctional VLPs. Novel robust VLP manufacturing platforms are required to deliver vaccines in resource-poor regions with a significant reduction in the production time and cost. The future applications of VLPs are always driven by the development of emerging technologies and new requirements of modern life. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biohydrogen production from enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste in batch and continuous systems

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; Yan, Yingting; Shi, Yiwen; Gu, Jingjing; Tang, Junhong; Zhao, Hongting

2016-01-01

In this study, the feasibility of biohydrogen production from enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste was investigated. Food waste (solid-to-liquid ratio of 10%, w/v) was first hydrolyzed by commercial glucoamylase to release glucose (24.35 g/L) in the food waste hydrolysate. Then, the obtained food waste hydrolysate was used as substrate for biohydrogen production in the batch and continuous (continuous stirred tank reactor, CSTR) systems. It was observed that the maximum cumulative hydrogen production of 5850 mL was achieved with a yield of 245.7 mL hydrogen/g glucose (1.97 mol hydrogen/mol glucose) in the batch system. In the continuous system, the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on biohydrogen production from food waste hydrolysate was investigated. The optimal HRT obtained from this study was 6 h with the highest hydrogen production rate of 8.02 mmol/(h·L). Ethanol and acetate were the major soluble microbial products with low propionate production at all HRTs. Enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste could effectively accelerate hydrolysis speed, improve substrate utilization rate and increase hydrogen yield. PMID:27910937

Microfluidic Platform for the Continuous Production and Characterization of Multilamellar Vesicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghazal, Aghiad; Gontsarik, Mark; Kutter, Jörg P.

2017-01-01

A microfluidic platform combined with synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used for monitoring the continuous production of multilamellar vesicles (MLVs). Their production was fast and started to evolve within less than 0.43 s of contact between the lipids and the aqueous phase...

Study on improvement of continuous hydrogen production by photosynthetic biofilm in interior illuminant reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenhui; Yuan, Linjiang; Wei, Bo

2016-09-01

In the present study, a new type of interior optical fiber illuminating reactor was developed for H2 production to solve the problem of luminous intensity attenuation at the center portion of a reactor, and an immobilization technique was used to enhance the stability of a continuous hydrogen production process with attached photosynthetic bacteria, using glucose as a sole carbon substrate for the indigenous photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) Rhodopseudomonas palustris SP-6. Results of the experiments showed that the interior optical fiber illuminating reactor produces H2 more efficiently and productively than the exterior light source reactor, with the cumulative H2 production, the maximum H2 production rate and H2 yield increased by 813ml, 11.3ml l-1 h-1 and 22.3%, respectively. The stability of the product of continuous hydrogen was realized by immobilizing PSB on the surface of powder active carbon(PAC). After adding the dosage of 2.0g l-1 PAC, the continuous steady operation of H2 production gave a high H2 yield of 1.398 mol H2 mol-1 glucose and an average H2 production rate of 35.1ml l-1 h-1 illuminating with a single interior optical fiber light source. Meanwhile, a higher H2 yield of 1.495 mol H2 mol-1 glucose and an average H2 production rate of 38.7ml l-1 h-1 were attained illuminating with a compound lamp in the continuous H2 production for 20 days.

Virus-Like Particle Vaccination Protects Nonhuman Primates from Lethal Aerosol Exposure with Marburgvirus (VLP Vaccination Protects Macaques against Aerosol Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John M. Dye

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Marburg virus (MARV was the first filovirus to be identified following an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever disease in Marburg, Germany in 1967. Due to several factors inherent to filoviruses, they are considered a potential bioweapon that could be disseminated via an aerosol route. Previous studies demonstrated that MARV virus-like particles (VLPs containing the glycoprotein (GP, matrix protein VP40 and nucleoprotein (NP generated using a baculovirus/insect cell expression system could protect macaques from subcutaneous (SQ challenge with multiple species of marburgviruses. In the current study, the protective efficacy of the MARV VLPs in conjunction with two different adjuvants: QS-21, a saponin derivative, and poly I:C against homologous aerosol challenge was assessed in cynomolgus macaques. Antibody responses against the GP antigen were equivalent in all groups receiving MARV VLPs irrespective of the adjuvant; adjuvant only-vaccinated macaques did not demonstrate appreciable antibody responses. All macaques were subsequently challenged with lethal doses of MARV via aerosol or SQ as a positive control. All MARV VLP-vaccinated macaques survived either aerosol or SQ challenge while animals administered adjuvant only exhibited clinical signs and lesions consistent with MARV disease and were euthanized after meeting the predetermined criteria. Therefore, MARV VLPs induce IgG antibodies recognizing MARV GP and VP40 and protect cynomolgus macaques from an otherwise lethal aerosol exposure with MARV.

Optimization of asparaginase production from Zymomonas mobilis by continuous fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francieli Bortoluzzi Menegat

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Asparaginase is an enzyme used in clinical treatments as a chemotherapeutic agent and in food technology to prevent acrylamide formation in fried and baked foods. Asparaginase is industrially produced by microorganisms, mainly gram-negative bacteria. Zymomonas mobilis is a Gram-negative bacterium that utilizes glucose, fructose and sucrose as carbon source and has been known for its efficiency in producing ethanol, sorbitol, levan, gluconic acid and has recently aroused interest for asparaginase production. Current assay optimizes the production of Z. mobilis asparaginase by continuous fermentation using response surface experimental design and methodology. The studied variables comprised sucrose, yeast extract and asparagine. Optimized condition obtained 117.45 IU L-1 with dilution rate 0.20 h-1, yeast extract 0.5 g L-1, sucrose 20 g L-1 and asparagine 1.3 g L-1. Moreover, carbon:nitrogen ratio (1:0.025 strongly affected the response of asparaginase activity. The use of Z. mobilis by continuous fermentation has proved to be a promising alternative for the biotechnological production of asparaginase.

Feasibility of Continuous Frying System to Improve the Quality Indices of Palm Olein for the Production of Extruded Product.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad Tarmizi, Azmil Haizam; Ahmad, Karimah

2015-01-01

Comparative frying studies on the processing of extruded product were conducted under intermittent and continuous frying conditions using two separate frying systems, i.e batch and pilot scale continuous fryers, respectively. Thermal resistance of palm olein were assessed for a total of 5 days of frying operation at 155°C - the unconventional frying temperature gave the product moisture content of 3% after intermittent and continuous frying for 2.5 min and 2 min, respectively. The formation of free fatty acid in palm olein in the case of intermittent frying was more than 2-fold higher compared to its counterpart (0.66%). Smoke point inversely evolved with oil acidity: the value dropped progressively from 215 to 177°C and from 219 to 188°C when extruded product was intermittently and continuously fried, respectively. In the light of induction period, repeated frying exhibited a gradual decrease in the value after 5 days of frying (12.2 h). Interestingly, continuous frying gave somewhat similar induction period, as demonstrated by fresh palm olein, across frying time. Frying at lower temperature, to some extent, provides opportunity for palm olein to retain 74% of its initial vitamin E during continuous frying. This benefit, however, is somehow denied when extruded product was processed under intermittent frying conditions--only 27% of vitamin E was remained at the end of frying session. Regardless of frying protocols, transient in polar compounds was minimal and hence comparable. The colour in the case of continuous frying appeared to be darker due to higher degree of oil utilisation for frying. The data obtained will provide useful information for food processors on how palm olein behaves when frying is undertaken under different frying protocols.

Multi-stage high cell continuous fermentation for high productivity and titer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ho Nam; Kim, Nag-Jong; Kang, Jongwon; Jeong, Chang Moon; Choi, Jin-dal-rae; Fei, Qiang; Kim, Byoung Jin; Kwon, Sunhoon; Lee, Sang Yup; Kim, Jungbae

2011-05-01

We carried out the first simulation on multi-stage continuous high cell density culture (MSC-HCDC) to show that the MSC-HCDC can achieve batch/fed-batch product titer with much higher productivity to the fed-batch productivity using published fermentation kinetics of lactic acid, penicillin and ethanol. The system under consideration consists of n-serially connected continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) with either hollow fiber cell recycling or cell immobilization for high cell-density culture. In each CSTR substrate supply and product removal are possible. Penicillin production is severely limited by glucose metabolite repression that requires multi-CSTR glucose feeding. An 8-stage C-HCDC lactic acid fermentation resulted in 212.9 g/L of titer and 10.6 g/L/h of productivity, corresponding to 101 and 429% of the comparable lactic acid fed-batch, respectively. The penicillin production model predicted 149% (0.085 g/L/h) of productivity in 8-stage C-HCDC with 40 g/L of cell density and 289% of productivity (0.165 g/L/h) in 7-stage C-HCDC with 60 g/L of cell density compared with referring batch cultivations. A 2-stage C-HCDC ethanol experimental run showed 107% titer and 257% productivity of the batch system having 88.8 g/L of titer and 3.7 g/L/h of productivity. MSC-HCDC can give much higher productivity than batch/fed-batch system, and yield a several percentage higher titer as well. The productivity ratio of MSC-HCDC over batch/fed-batch system is given as a multiplication of system dilution rate of MSC-HCDC and cycle time of batch/fed-batch system. We suggest MSC-HCDC as a new production platform for various fermentation products including monoclonal antibody.

Continuous Cultivation of Photosynthetic Bacteria for Fatty Acids Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Dong-Hoon; Lee, Ji-Hye; Hwang, Yuhoon

2013-01-01

In the present work, we introduced a novel approach for microbial fatty acids (FA) production. Photosynthetic bacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides KD131, were cultivated in a continuous-flow, stirred-tank reactor (CFSTR) at various substrate (lactate) concentrations.At hydraulic retention time (HRT)....... sphaeroides was around 35% of dry cell weight, mainly composed of vaccenic acid (C18:1, omega-7)....

Organizational learning perspective on continuous improvement and innovation in product realization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Christina Villefrance

with cross-functional collaboration in solving problems that subsequently restraining continuous improvement and innovation (CII) in product realization. This research project apply an organizational learning perspective on cross-functional problem solving in product realization processes. The research...... project has two main objectives, first to develop and test a CIIprogram that integrates cross-functional work practices into product realization. The second objective is to enhance understanding of organizational learning processes in cross-functional and multilevel settings within manufacturing....

Proteolytic Processing and Assembly of gag and gag-pol Proteins of TED, a Baculovirus-Associated Retrotransposon of the Gypsy Family

Science.gov (United States)

Hajek, Kathryn L.; Friesen, Paul D.

1998-01-01

TED (transposable element D) is an env-containing member of the gypsy family of retrotransposons that represents a possible retrovirus of invertebrates. This lepidopteran (moth) retroelement contains gag and pol genes that encode proteins capable of forming viruslike particles (VLP) with reverse transcriptase. Since VLP are likely intermediates in TED transposition, we investigated the roles of gag and pol in TED capsid assembly and maturation. By using constructed baculovirus vectors and TED Gag-specific antiserum, we show that the principal translation product of gag (Pr55gag) is cleaved to produce a single VLP structural protein, p37gag. Replacement of Asp436 within the retrovirus-like active site of the pol-encoded protease (PR) abolished Pr55gag cleavage and demonstrated the requirement for PR in capsid processing. As shown by expression of an in-frame fusion of TED gag and pol, PR is derived from the Gag-Pol polyprotein Pr195gag-pol. The PR cleavage site within Pr55gag was mapped to a position near the junction of a basic, nucleocapsid-like domain and a C-terminal acidic domain. Once released by cleavage, the C-terminal fragment was not detected. This acidic fragment was dispensable for VLP assembly, as demonstrated by the formation of VLP by C-terminal Pr55gag truncation proteins and replacement of the acidic domain with a heterologous protein. In contrast, C-terminal deletions that extended into the adjacent nucleocapsid-like domain of Pr55gag abolished VLP recovery and demonstrated that this central region contributes to VLP assembly or stability, or both. Collectively, these data suggest that the single TED protein p37gag provides both capsid and nucleocapsid functions. TED may therefore use a simple processing strategy for VLP assembly and genome packaging. PMID:9765414

The True Story and Advantages of RNA Phage Capsids as Nanotools.

Science.gov (United States)

Pumpens, Paul; Renhofa, Regina; Dishlers, Andris; Kozlovska, Tatjana; Ose, Velta; Pushko, Peter; Tars, Kaspars; Grens, Elmars; Bachmann, Martin F

2016-01-01

RNA phages are often used as prototypes for modern recombinant virus-like particle (VLP) technologies. Icosahedral RNA phage VLPs can be formed from coat proteins (CPs) and are efficiently produced in bacteria and yeast. Both genetic fusion and chemical coupling have been successfully used for the production of numerous chimeras based on RNA phage VLPs. In this review, we describe advances in RNA phage VLP technology along with the history of the Leviviridae family, including its taxonomical organization, genomic structure, and important role in the development of molecular biology. Comparative 3D structures of different RNA phage VLPs are used to explain the level of VLP tolerance to foreign elements displayed on VLP surfaces. We also summarize data that demonstrate the ability of CPs to tolerate different organic (peptides, oligonucleotides, and carbohydrates) and inorganic (metal ions) compounds either chemically coupled or noncovalently added to the outer and/or inner surfaces of VLPs. Finally, we present lists of nanotechnological RNA phage VLP applications, such as experimental vaccines constructed by genetic fusion and chemical coupling methodologies, nanocontainers for targeted drug delivery, and bioimaging tools. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The inhibition of assembly of HIV-1 virus-like particles by 3-O-(3',3'-dimethylsuccinyl betulinic acid (DSB is counteracted by Vif and requires its Zinc-binding domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bouaziz Serge

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background DSB, the 3-O-(3',3'dimethylsuccinyl derivative of betulinic acid, blocks the last step of protease-mediated processing of HIV-1 Gag precursor (Pr55Gag, which leads to immature, noninfectious virions. When administered to Pr55Gag-expressing insect cells (Sf9, DSB inhibits the assembly and budding of membrane-enveloped virus-like particles (VLP. In order to explore the possibility that viral factors could modulate the susceptibility to DSB of the VLP assembly process, several viral proteins were coexpressed individually with Pr55Gag in DSB-treated cells, and VLP yields assayed in the extracellular medium. Results Wild-type Vif (Vifwt restored the VLP production in DSB-treated cells to levels observed in control, untreated cells. DSB-counteracting effect was also observed with Vif mutants defective in encapsidation into VLP, suggesting that packaging and anti-DSB effect were separate functions in Vif. The anti-DSB effect was abolished for VifC133S and VifS116V, two mutants which lacked the zinc binding domain (ZBD formed by the four H108C114C133H139 coordinates with a Zn atom. Electron microscopic analysis of cells coexpressing Pr55Gag and Vifwt showed that a large proportion of VLP budded into cytoplasmic vesicles and were released from Sf9 cells by exocytosis. However, in the presence of mutant VifC133S or VifS116V, most of the VLP assembled and budded at the plasma membrane, as in control cells expressing Pr55Gag alone. Conclusion The function of HIV-1 Vif protein which negated the DSB inhibition of VLP assembly was independent of its packaging capability, but depended on the integrity of ZBD. In the presence of Vifwt, but not with ZBD mutants VifC133S and VifS116V, VLP were redirected to a vesicular compartment and egressed via the exocytic pathway.

Development of a novel integrated continuous reactor system for biocatalytic production of biodiesel.

Science.gov (United States)

Chattopadhyay, Soham; Sen, Ramkrishna

2013-11-01

A novel integrated immobilized enzyme-reactor system involving a continuous stirred tank reactor with two packed bed reactors in series was developed for the continuous production of biodiesel. The problem of methanol solubility into oil was solved by introducing a stirred tank reactor to dissolve methanol into partially converted oil. This step made the process perfectly continuous without requiring any organic solvent and intermittent methanol addition in the process. The substrate feeding rate of 0.74 mL/min and enzyme loading of 0.75 g per reactor were determined to be optimum for maximum biodiesel yield. The integrated continuous process was stable up to 45 cycles with biodiesel productivity of 137.2 g/L/h, which was approximately 5 times higher than solvent free batch process. In comparison with the processes reported in literature using expensive Novozyme 435 and hazardous organic solvent, the present process is completely green and perfectly continuous with economic and environmental advantages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous Production of IF-WS2 Nanoparticles by a Rotary Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang Xu

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This manuscript demonstrates the design, modification and initial investigation of a rotary furnace for the manufacturing of inorganic fullerene WS2 nanoparticles. Different preparation methods starting with various precursors have been investigated, of which the gas-solid reaction starting with WO3 nanoparticles was the most efficient technique. Furthermore, the influence of temperature, reaction time, and reaction gases etc. on the synthesis of inorganic fullerene WS2 nanomaterials was investigated, and these parameters were optimised based on combined characterisations using XRD, SEM and TEM. In addition, the furnace was further modified to include a baffled tube, a continuous gas-blow feeding system, and a collection system, in order to improve the batch yield and realise continuous production. This technique has improved the production from less than 1 g/batch in a traditional tube furnace to a few tens of g/batch, and could be easily scaled up to industry level production.

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot B. Kennel; R. Michael Bergen; Stephen P. Carpenter; Dady Dadyburjor; Manoj Katakdaunde; Liviu Magean; Alfred H. Stiller; W. Morgan Summers; John W. Zondlo

2006-05-12

The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. The largest applications are those which support metals smelting, such as anodes for aluminum smelting and electrodes for arc furnaces. Other carbon products include materials used in creating fuels for the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, metals smelting, especially in the aluminum and steel industries, as well as porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. During this reporting period, coking and composite fabrication continued using coal-derived samples. These samples were tested in direct carbon fuel cells. Methodology was refined for determining the aromatic character of hydro treated liquid, based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Tests at GrafTech International showed that binder pitches produced using the WVU solvent extraction protocol can result in acceptable graphite electrodes for use in arc furnaces. These tests were made at the pilot scale.

Biohydrogen production from enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste in batch and continuous systems

OpenAIRE

Wei Han; Yingting Yan; Yiwen Shi; Jingjing Gu; Junhong Tang; Hongting Zhao

2016-01-01

In this study, the feasibility of biohydrogen production from enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste was investigated. Food waste (solid-to-liquid ratio of 10%, w/v) was first hydrolyzed by commercial glucoamylase to release glucose (24.35?g/L) in the food waste hydrolysate. Then, the obtained food waste hydrolysate was used as substrate for biohydrogen production in the batch and continuous (continuous stirred tank reactor, CSTR) systems. It was observed that the maximum cumulative hydrogen prod...

Continuous biohydrogen production using cheese whey: Improving the hydrogen production rate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davila-Vazquez, Gustavo; Cota-Navarro, Ciria Berenice; Razo-Flores, Elias [Division de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Camino a la Presa San Jose 2055, Lomas 4a seccion, C.P. 78216, San Luis Potosi, S.L.P (Mexico); Rosales-Colunga, Luis Manuel; de Leon-Rodriguez, Antonio [Division de Biologia Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Camino a la Presa San Jose 2055, Lomas 4a seccion, C.P. 78216, San Luis Potosi, S.L.P (Mexico)

2009-05-15

Due to the renewed interest in finding sustainable fuels or energy carriers, biohydrogen (Bio-H{sub 2}) from biomass is a promising alternative. Fermentative Bio-H{sub 2} production was studied in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) operated during 65.6 d with cheese whey (CW) as substrate. Three hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were tested (10, 6 and 4 h) and the highest volumetric hydrogen production rate (VHPR) was attained with HRT of 6 h. Therefore, four organic loading rates (OLRs) at a fixed HRT of 6 h were tested thereafter, being: 92.4, 115.5, 138.6 and 184.4 g lactose/L/d. The highest VHPR (46.61 mmol H{sub 2}/L/h) and hydrogen molar yield (HMY) of 2.8 mol H{sub 2}/mol lactose were found at an OLR of 138.6 g lactose/L/d; a sharp fall in VHPR occurred at an OLR of 184.4 g lactose/L/d. Butyric, propionic and acetic acids were the main soluble metabolites found, with butyric-to-acetic ratios ranging from 1.0 to 2.4. Bacterial community was identified by partial sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The results showed that at HRT of 10 h and 6 h were dominated by the Clostridium genus. The VHPR attained in this study is the highest reported value for a CSTR system using CW as substrate with anaerobic sludge as inoculum and represents a 33-fold increase compared to a previous study. Thus, it was demonstrated that continuous fermentative Bio-H{sub 2} production from CW can be significantly enhanced by an appropriate selection of parameters such as HRT and OLR. Enhancements in VHPR are significant because it is a critical parameter to determine the full-scale practical application of fermentation technologies that will be used for sustainable and clean energy generation. (author)

Bio-hydrogen production from molasses by anaerobic fermentation in continuous stirred tank reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; Li, Yong-feng; Chen, Hong; Deng, Jie-xuan; Yang, Chuan-ping

2010-11-01

A study of bio-hydrogen production was performed in a continuous flow anaerobic fermentation reactor (with an available volume of 5.4 L). The continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) for bio-hydrogen production was operated under the organic loading rates (OLR) of 8-32 kg COD/m3 reactor/d (COD: chemical oxygen demand) with molasses as the substrate. The maximum hydrogen production yield of 8.19 L/d was obtained in the reactor with the OLR increased from 8 kg COD/m3 reactor/d to 24 kg COD/m3 d. However, the hydrogen production and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) drastically decreased at an OLR of 32 kg COD/m3 reactor/d. Ethanoi, acetic, butyric and propionic were the main liquid fermentation products with the percentages of 31%, 24%, 20% and 18%, which formed the mixed-type fermentation.

Continuous dark fermentative hydrogen production by mesophilic microflora: Principles and progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawkes, Freda R.; Hussy, Ines; Kyazze, Godfrey; Dinsdale, Richard; Hawkes, Dennis L. [School of Applied Sciences, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd RCT CF37 1DL (United Kingdom)

2007-02-15

Continuous, dark fermentative hydrogen production technology using mixed microflora at mesophilic temperatures may be suitable for commercial development. Clostridial-based cultures from natural sources have been widely used, but more information on the need for heat treatment of inocula and conditions leading to germination and sporulation are required. The amount of nutrients given in the literature vary widely. Hydrogen production is reported to proceed without methane production in the reactor in the pH range 4.5-6.7, with hydraulic retention times optimally between a few hours and 3 days depending on substrate. Higher substrate concentrations should be more energy-efficient but there are product inhibition limitations, for example from unionised butyric acid. Inhibition by H{sub 2} can be reduced by stirring, sparging or extraction through membranes. Of the reactor types investigated, while granules have the best performance with soluble substrate, for particulate feedstock biofilm reactors or continuous stirred tank reactors may be most successful. A second stage is required to utilise the fermentation end products which, when cost-effective reactors are developed, may be photofermentation or microbial fuel cell technologies. Anaerobic digestion is a currently-available technology and the two-stage process is reported to give greater conversion efficiency than anaerobic digestion alone. (author)

Design of Continuous Crystallizers for Production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Capellades Mendez, Gerard; Christensen, Troels V.

The production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is conducted primarily in batch processes. This manufacturing approach is reinforced by a patent-driven business model and the need to minimize the process development times for newly patented drugs. However, the regulatory and business...... environments are now changing. The increasing costs of drug development, combined with the strict regulations and the competition from generic manufacturers, have pushed pharmaceutical companies to seek cheaper and more sustainable production methods. Transition from batch to Continuous Pharmaceutical...

Co-immunization with virus-like particle and DNA vaccines induces protection against respiratory syncytial virus infection and bronchiolitis

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Hye Suk; Kwon, Young-Man; Lee, Jong Seok; Yoo, Si-Eun; Lee, Yu-Na; Ko, Eun-Ju; Kim, Min-Chul; Cho, Min-Kyoung; Lee, Young-Tae; Jung, Yu-Jin; Lee, Ji-Yun; Li, Jian Dong; Kang, Sang-Moo

2014-01-01

This study demonstrates that immunization with non-replicating virus-like particle (FFG VLP) containing RSV F and G glycoproteins together with RSV F DNA induced T helper type 1 antibody responses to RSV F similar to live RSV infection. Upon RSV challenge 21 weeks after immunization, FFG VLP vaccination induced protection against RSV infection as shown by clearance of lung viral loads, and the absence of eosinophil infiltrates, and did not cause lung pathology. In contrast, formalin-inactivated RSV (FI-RSV) vaccination showed significant pulmonary eosinophilia, severe mucus production, and extensive histopathology resulting in a hallmark of pulmonary pathology. Substantial lung pathology was also observed in mice with RSV re-infections. High levels of systemic and local inflammatory cytokine-secreting cells were induced in mice with FI-RSV but not with FFG VLP immunization after RSV challenge. Therefore, the results provide evidence that recombinant RSV FFG VLP vaccine can confer long-term protection against RSV without causing lung pathology. PMID:25110201

Continuous dry fermentation of swine manure for biogas production.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chuang; Zheng, Dan; Liu, Gang-Jin; Deng, Liang-Wei; Long, Yan; Fan, Zhan-Hui

2015-04-01

A down plug-flow anaerobic reactor (DPAR) was designed for the feasibility study on continuous dry fermentation of swine manure without any additional stirring. Using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration (w/w) of 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%, stable volumetric biogas production rates of 2.40, 1.92, 0.911, and 0.644L · (Ld)(-1) and biogas yields of 0.665, 0.532, 0.252, and 0.178 L g(-)(1)VS were obtained respectively, and the TS degradation rates were 46.5%, 45.4%, 53.2%, and 55.6%, respectively. With the increase of feedstock TS concentration, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen grew up to the maximum value of 3500 mg L(-1). Biogas production was obviously inhibited when the concentration of ammonia nitrogen was above 3000 mg L(-1). The maximal volumetric biogas production rate of 2.34 L ·(Ld)(-1) and biogas yield of 0.649 L g(-1)VS were obtained with TS concentration of 25% at 25°C without inhibition. Liquidity experiments showed that TS concentration of digestate could be less than 15.8%, and the flow rate of digestate more than 0.98 m s(-1) when the feedstock TS concentration was less than 35%, which indicated the digestate could be easily discharged from a DPAR. Therefore, it is feasible to conduct a continuous dry fermentation in a DPAR using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration less than 35%, whereas the feedstock TS concentration should not exceed 30% to achieve the maximal biogas production rate and biogas yield. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous butyric acid fermentation coupled with REED technology for enhanced productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baroi, George Nabin; Skiadas, Ioannis; Westermann, Peter

strains, C.tyrobutyricum seems the most promising for biological production of butyric acid as it is characterised by higher selectivity and higher tolerance to butyric acid. However, studies on fermentative butyric production from lignocellulosic biomasses are scarce in the international literature...... of continuous fermentation mode and in-situ acids removal by Reverse Enhanced Electro Dialysis (REED) resulted to enhanced sugars consumption rates when 60% PHWS was fermented. Specifically, glucose and xylose consumption rate increased by a factor of 6 and 39, respectively, while butyric acid productivity...

Lichen planus affecting the female genitalia: A retrospective review of patients at Mayo Clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahy, Caoimhe M R; Torgerson, Rochelle R; Davis, Mark D P

2017-12-01

Genital or vulval lichen planus (VLP) may have a disabling effect on a patient's quality of life. Evidence-based management guidelines are lacking for VLP. We sought to review clinical presentation and treatment of patients who received a diagnosis of VLP. The 100 consecutive patients who received a diagnosis of VLP at Mayo Clinic between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2015, were reviewed retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Fisher's exact test and the Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for analysis of categorical and continuous variables, respectively. All statistical tests were 2 sided, with the α level set at .05 for statistical significance. The time to diagnosis for 49% of patients was more than 1 year. Three patients (3%) had vulval dysplasia, including invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Sixty-eight patients (68%) had multisite lichen planus disease. Eleven patients (11%) had disease remission. Dermatology was the lead specialty for 9 of these cases of remission. This was a retrospective, small-cohort study. A low frequency of disease remission was seen in patients with VLP. Patients with lichen planus benefit considerably from dermatology consultation. Further research is warranted to establish high-quality, evidence-based guidelines for multidisciplinary management of this challenging disease. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OPTIMASI PRODUKSI ENZIMATIS DIASILGLISEROL MELALUI GLISEROLISIS KONTINU [Optimization of Enzymatic Diacylglycerol Production through Continuous Glycerolysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tri-Panji*

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Diacylglycerol (DAG produced from crude palm oil (CPO is one of the healthy oils that can be consumed for daily human diet. DAG production in Indonesia is constrained by the high cost of the mostly imported lipase. To overcome this problem, research of DAG production has been carried out using crude extracts of lipase produced by local species of fungi Rhizopus oryzae. This study aims to develop a continuous process of enzymatic glycerolysis of CPO for DAG production; to establish optimum conditions of DAG production which includes flow rate of CPO and glycerolysis time; and to test the performance of lipase from the local mold R. oryzae in catalyzing continuous process of glycerolysis for the production of DAG. Lipase isolation was carried out by acetone precipitation and lipase was used as a catalyst in the continuous glycerolysis process. The glycerolysis was conducted by reacting CPO with glycerol continuously at various time periods. The optimum condition of automatic continuous glycerolysis process was achieved at a CPO flow rate of 3 mL/min with a glycerolysis time at the 18 cycles (9 hours. The conversion of DAG was 29%. The performance of lipase was proven to remain stable up to 3 times changes of CPO substrate for 9 hours of glycerolysis process with the best condition at the 3 cycles and can improved conversion of DAG until 37%.

Development of continuous pharmaceutical production processes supported by process systems engineering methods and tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gernaey, Krist; Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili; Woodley, John

2012-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a radical transition towards continuous production processes. Systematic use of process systems engineering (PSE) methods and tools form the key to achieve this transition in a structured and efficient way.......The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a radical transition towards continuous production processes. Systematic use of process systems engineering (PSE) methods and tools form the key to achieve this transition in a structured and efficient way....

ON A REDUCED CROSSED PRODUCT OF A GROUP BY A C*-ALGEBRA. THE CASES OF CONTINUOUS TRACE AND TYPE I REDUCED CROSSED PRODUCT

OpenAIRE

Daniel Tudor

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes two special cases of C* -algebras, the cases of universal crossed product and reduced crossed product of a group by a C* -algebra. In the hypothesis that the universal crossed product is a continuous trace C* -algebra or a type I C* -algebra, it is proved that the reduced crossed product is a continuous trace C* -algebra or, respectively, a type I C* -algebra. Moreover, these results can be extended in the case when the crossed products are obtained from a groupoid an...

Product differentiation during continuous-flow thermal gradient PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Crews, Niel; Wittwer, Carl; Palais, Robert; Gale, Bruce

2008-06-01

A continuous-flow PCR microfluidic device was developed in which the target DNA product can be detected and identified during its amplification. This in situ characterization potentially eliminates the requirement for further post-PCR analysis. Multiple small targets have been amplified from human genomic DNA, having sizes of 108, 122, and 134 bp. With a DNA dye in the PCR mixture, the amplification and unique melting behavior of each sample is observed from a single fluorescent image. The melting behavior of the amplifying DNA, which depends on its molecular composition, occurs spatially in the thermal gradient PCR device, and can be observed with an optical resolution of 0.1 degrees C pixel(-1). Since many PCR cycles are within the field of view of the CCD camera, melting analysis can be performed at any cycle that contains a significant quantity of amplicon, thereby eliminating the cycle-selection challenges typically associated with continuous-flow PCR microfluidics.

Development of High-Productivity Continuous Ethanol Production using PVA-Immobilized Zymomonas mobilis in an Immobilized-Cells Fermenter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurhayati Nurhayati

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Ethanol as one of renewable energy was being considered an excellent alternative clean-burning fuel to replace gasoline. Continuous ethanol fermentation systems had offered important economic advantages compared to traditional systems. Fermentation rates were significantly improved, especially when continuous fermentation was integrated with cell immobilization techniques to enrich the cells concentration in fermentor. Growing cells of Zymomonas mobilis immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA gel beads were employed in an immobilized-cells fermentor for continuous ethanol fermentation from glucose. The glucose loading, dilution rate, and cells loading were varied in order to determine which best condition employed in obtaining both high ethanol production and low residual glucose with high dilution rate. In this study, 20 g/L, 100 g/L, 125 g/L and 150 g/L of glucose concentration and 20% (w/v, 40% (w/v and 50% (w/v of cells loading were employed with range of dilution rate at 0.25 to 1 h-1. The most stable production was obtained for 25 days by employing 100 g/L of glucose loading. Meanwhile, the results also exhibited that 125 g/L of glucose loading as well as 40% (w/v of cells loading yielded high ethanol concentration, high ethanol productivity, and acceptable residual glucose at 62.97 g/L, 15.74 g/L/h and 0.16 g/L, respectively. Furthermore, the dilution rate of 4 hour with 100 g/L and 40% (w/v of glucose and cells loading was considered as the optimum condition with ethanol production, ethanol productivity and residual glucose obtained were 49.89 g/L, 12.47 g/L/h, and 2.04 g/L, respectively. This recent study investigated ethanol inhibition as well. The present research had proved that high sugar concentration was successfully converted to ethanol. These achieved results were promising for further study.

Continuous-Time Classical and Quantum Random Walk on Direct Product of Cayley Graphs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimi, S.; Jafarizadeh, M. A.

2009-01-01

In this paper we define direct product of graphs and give a recipe for obtaining probability of observing particle on vertices in the continuous-time classical and quantum random walk. In the recipe, the probability of observing particle on direct product of graph is obtained by multiplication of probability on the corresponding to sub-graphs, where this method is useful to determining probability of walk on complicated graphs. Using this method, we calculate the probability of continuous-time classical and quantum random walks on many of finite direct product Cayley graphs (complete cycle, complete K n , charter and n-cube). Also, we inquire that the classical state the stationary uniform distribution is reached as t → ∞ but for quantum state is not always satisfied. (general)

Use of tower reactors for continuous ethanol production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.C. Viegas

2002-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to develop a continuous fermentation system operating with a tower reactor using some flocculent yeast strains isolated from an industrial process. The strain was an used in the trial of the proposed system, composed of two serial glass tower reactor. The effects of the following variables were studied on the yield and productivity of the system: total reducing sugar (TRS, concentration in feeding, recycle flow in the second reactor, residence time and diameter/height ratio of the reactors. It was observed that the TRS concentration in feeding and residence time is the variables that interfere most with the productivity of the system. Yield was not affected by any of the variables within the range of values studied. All trials were performed according to a factorial experimental design (making up a total of 19 trials and the results were evaluated by response surface.

Attainable region analysis for continuous production of second generation bioethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Felipe; Conejeros, Raúl; Aroca, Germán

2013-11-29

Despite its semi-commercial status, ethanol production from lignocellulosics presents many complexities not yet fully solved. Since the pretreatment stage has been recognized as a complex and yield-determining step, it has been extensively studied. However, economic success of the production process also requires optimization of the biochemical conversion stage. This work addresses the search of bioreactor configurations with improved residence times for continuous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation operations. Instead of analyzing each possible configuration through simulation, we apply graphical methods to optimize the residence time of reactor networks composed of steady-state reactors. Although this can be easily made for processes described by a single kinetic expression, reactions under analysis do not exhibit this feature. Hence, the attainable region method, able to handle multiple species and its reactions, was applied for continuous reactors. Additionally, the effects of the sugars contained in the pretreatment liquor over the enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) were assessed. We obtained candidate attainable regions for separate enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and SSF operations, both fed with pretreated corn stover. Results show that, despite the complexity of the reaction networks and underlying kinetics, the reactor networks that minimize the residence time can be constructed by using plug flow reactors and continuous stirred tank reactors. Regarding the effect of soluble solids in the feed stream to the reactor network, for SHF higher glucose concentration and yield are achieved for enzymatic hydrolysis with washed solids. Similarly, for SSF, higher yields and bioethanol titers are obtained using this substrate. In this work, we demonstrated the capabilities of the attainable region analysis as a tool to assess the optimal reactor network with minimum residence time applied to the SHF and

Structure, Immunogenicity, and Protective Mechanism of an Engineered Enterovirus 71-Like Particle Vaccine Mimicking 80S Empty Capsid.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoli; Ku, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Xiang; Ye, Xiaohua; Chen, Jinhuan; Liu, Qingwei; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Chao; Fu, Zhenglin; Jin, Xia; Cong, Yao; Huang, Zhong

2018-01-01

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major causative agent of severe hand, foot, and mouth disease, which affects millions of young children in the Asia-Pacific region annually. In this study, we engineered a novel EV71 virus-like particle (VLP) that lacks VP4 (therefore designated VLP ΔVP4 ) and investigated its structure, antigenicity, and vaccine potential. The cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of VLP ΔVP4 was reconstructed to 3.71-Å resolution. Results from structural and biochemical analyses revealed that VLP ΔVP4 resembles the end product of the viral uncoating process, the 80S empty capsid. VLP ΔVP4 is able to elicit high-titer neutralizing antibodies and to fully protect mice against lethal viral challenge. Mechanistic studies showed that, at the cellular level, the anti-VLP ΔVP4 sera exert neutralization effects at both pre- and postattachment stages by inhibiting both virus attachment and internalization, and at the molecular level, the antisera can block multiple interactions between EV71 and its key receptors. Our study gives a better understanding of EV71 capsid assembly and provides important information for the design and development of new-generation vaccines for EV71, and perhaps for other enteroviruses, as well. IMPORTANCE Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection may lead to severe hand, foot, and mouth disease, with significant morbidity and mortality. Knowledge regarding EV71 particle assembly remains limited. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a novel EV71 virus-like particle that lacks the VP4 capsid subunit protein. This particle, termed VLP ΔVP4 , structurally mimics the 80S empty capsid, which is the end stage of EV71 uncoating. We further show that VLP ΔVP4 exhibits desirable immunogenicity and protective efficacy in proof-of-concept studies. In addition, the inhibitory mechanisms of the VLP ΔVP4 -induced antibodies are unraveled at both the cellular and molecular levels. Our work provides the first evidence of

A conceptual framework on the role of creativity in sustaining continuous innovation in new product development

OpenAIRE

Bélanger, Souni; Veilleux, Sophie; Tremblay, Maripier

2016-01-01

If creativity and innovation are viewed as assets in any business, they represent for some a key survival factor imposed by their industry on a daily basis. In such a context of continuous innovation, the pace of innovation is accelerated. This article focuses on how creativity helps sustain continuous innovation in new product development. We develop a conceptual framework that highlights the key factors that lead to continuous new product development: information management, ...

Continuous fission-product monitor system at Oyster Creek. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, L.L.; Chulick, E.T.

1980-10-01

A continuous on-line fission product monitor has been installed at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Forked River, New Jersey. The on-line monitor is a minicomputer-controlled high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer system. An intrinsic Ge detector scans a collimated sample line of coolant from one of the plant's recirculation loops. The minicomputer is a Nuclear Data 6620 system. Data were accumulated for the period from April 1979 through January 1980, the end of cycle 8 for the Oyster Creek plant. Accumulated spectra, an average of three a day, were stored on magnetic disk and subsequently analyzed for fisson products, Because of difficulties in measuring absolute detector efficiency, quantitative fission product concentrations in the coolant could not be determined. Data for iodine fission products are reported as a function of time. The data indicate the existence of fuel defects in the Oyster Creek core during cycle 8

The functions of the variable lipoprotein family of Mycoplasma hyorhinis in adherence to host cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Qiyan; Wang, Jia; Ji, Yan; Ni, Bo; Zhang, Bixiong; Ma, Qinghong; Wei, Yanna; Xiao, Shaobo; Feng, Zhixin; Liu, Maojun; Shao, Guoqing

2016-04-15

Mycoplasma hyorhinis (M. hyorhinis) is a swine pathogen that is associated with various human cancers and contamination in cell cultures. However, no studies on the adhesion molecules of this pathogen have yet been reported. The variable lipoprotein (Vlp) family is an important surface component of M. hyorhinis. Herein, we performed several experiments to identify the function of the Vlp family in adherence to host cells. Seven recombinant Vlp (rVlp) proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography. The potential role of rVlp adherence to pig kidney (PK-15) and swine tracheal epithelial (STEC) cells was then studied by indirect immunofluorescence assay and microtiter plate adherence assay. Adhesion of M. hyorhinis to PK-15 and STEC cells was specifically inhibited by the addition of a cocktail of rVlp proteins. The rVlp protein mixture was shown to bind to both PK-15 and STEC cells. The binding increased in a dose-dependent manner and could be blocked by antisera against the rVlp proteins. Most of the rVlp proteins could bind individually to both PK-15 and STEC cells except for rVlpD and rVlpF, which bound only to STEC cells. Because Vlp members vary in size among different strains and generations, they may vary in their cytoadhesion capabilities in various strains. In summary, the present results indicate that the Vlp family functions as adhesins of M. hyorhinis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Safety research in the field of energy production. Plan for continued Nordic projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahlstroem, P E [Statens Vattenfallsverk, Stockholm (Sweden); Berg, J [Institutt for Atomenergi, Kjeller (Norway); Eckered, T [Statens Kaernkraftinspektion, Stockholm (Sweden)

1980-01-01

NGS, an ad hoc group of the Nordic Co-ordination Committee for Atomic Energy, has prepared this survey of proposed cooperative projects as a continuation of previous projects. New areas to be given priority are:- reactor safety, environmental effects in energy production and human reliability. Continued projects are:- quality assurance, radioactive waste and radioecology. (JIW)

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dady B. Dadyburjor; Mark E. Heavner; Manoj Katakdaunde; Liviu Magean; J. Joshua Maybury; Alfred H. Stiller; Joseph M. Stoffa; John W. Zondlo

2006-08-01

The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. The largest applications are those which support metals smelting, such as anodes for aluminum smelting and electrodes for arc furnaces. Other carbon products include materials used in creating fuels for the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, and porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. During this reporting period, hydrotreatment of solvent was completed in preparation for pitch fabrication for graphite electrodes. Coal digestion has lagged but is expected to be complete by next quarter. Studies are reported on coal dissolution, pitch production, foam synthesis using physical blowing agents, and alternate coking techniques.

Continuous fermentative hydrogen production in different process conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasirian, N. [Islamic Azad Univ., Shoushtar (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Agricultural Mechanization; Almassi, M.; Minaee, S. [Islamic Azad Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Agricultural Mechanization; Widmann, R. [Duisburg-Essen Univ., Essen (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Waste and Water

2010-07-01

This paper reported on a study in which hydrogen was produced by fermentation of biomass. A continuous process using a non-sterile substrate with a readily available mixed microflora was used on heat treated digested sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant. Hydrogen was produced from waste sugar at a pH of 5.2 and a temperature of 37 degrees C. An experimental setup of three 5.5 L working volume continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) in different stirring speeds were constructed and operated at 7 different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and different organic loading rates (OLR). Dissolved organic carbon was examined. The results showed that the stirring speed of 135 rpm had a beneficial effect on hydrogen fermentation. The best performance was obtained in 135 rpm and 8 h of HRT. The amount of gas varied with different OLRs, but could be stabilized on a high level. Methane was not detected when the HRT was less than 16 h. The study identified the reactor in which the highest specific rate of hydrogen production occurred.

Continuous low cost transesterification process for the production of coconut biodiesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, G.; Kumar, D.; Singh, S.; Kothari, S.; Bhatt, S.; Singh, CH. P. [Department of Chemistry, Sahu Jain College, Najibabad, 246763 (India)

2010-07-01

Biodiesel, or alkyl ester, is an alternative renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic diesel fuel produced by the catalytic transesterification of vegetable oil. Here we characterize a system for continuous transesterification of vegetable oil using five continuous stirring tank reactors. We tested residence times of 16-43 min, stirring speeds of 200-800 rpm, a catalyst concentration (KOH) of 0.25-1 wt% of oil (in gram), different total flow rates of the oil and MeOH, and on the production performance of the 5 stage continuous reactor for transesterification of vegetable oil. Using a molar ratio of oil:methanol of 1:7 and a reaction temperature of 65 {sup o}C, we show that a high stirring speed increased the reaction rate, but an excessive stir speed decreased the reaction rate and conversion to biodiesel. Furthermore, a higher catalyst percentage significantly increased the reaction rate and production capacity. A catalyst percentage of 1 wt% of oil gave the best conversion; 99.04 {+-} 0.05%. The resulting biodiesel esters were characterized for their physical and fuel properties including density, viscosity, iodine volume, acid volume, cloud point, pure point, gross heat of combustion, and volatility. The purity and conversion of the biodiesel was analyzed by HPLC. (author)

The operation characteristics of biohydrogen production in continuous stirred tank reactor with molasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, C.; Wei, H.; Jie-xuan, D.; Xin, Y.; Chuan-ping, Y. [Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). School of Forestry; Li, Y.F. [Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). School of Forestry; Shanghai Univ. Engineering, Shanghai (China). College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

2010-07-01

The anaerobic fermentation biohydrogen production in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was investigated as a means for treating molasses wastewater. The research demonstrated that the reactor has the capacity of continuously producing hydrogen in an initial biomass (as volatile suspension solids) of 17.74 g/L, temperature of approximately 35 degrees Celsius, hydraulic retention time of 6 hours. The reactor could begin the ethanol-type fermentation in 12 days and realize stable hydrogen production. The study also showed that the CSTR reactor has a favourable stability even with an organic shock loading. The hydrogen yield and chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased, as did the hydrogen content.

40 CFR 63.6004 - How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the emission limits for tire production affected...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... compliance with the emission limits for tire production affected sources? 63.6004 Section 63.6004 Protection... Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing Continuous Compliance Requirements for Tire Production Affected Sources § 63.6004 How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the emission limits for tire production...

Bio-immobilization of dark fermentative bacteria for enhancing continuous hydrogen production from cornstalk hydrolysate.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lei; Cao, Guang-Li; Sheng, Tao; Ren, Hong-Yu; Wang, Ai-Jie; Zhang, Jian; Zhong, Ying-Juan; Ren, Nan-Qi

2017-11-01

Mycelia pellets were employed as biological carrier in a continuous stirred tank reactor to reduce biomass washout and enhance hydrogen production from cornstalk hydrolysate. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) and influent substrate concentration played critical roles on hydrogen production of the bioreactor. The maximum hydrogen production rate of 14.2mmol H 2 L -1 h -1 was obtained at optimized HRT of 6h and influent concentration of 20g/L, 2.6 times higher than the counterpart without mycelia pellets. With excellent immobilization ability, biomass accumulated in the reactor and reached 1.6g/L under the optimum conditions. Upon further energy conversion analysis, continuous hydrogen production with mycelia pellets gave the maximum energy conversion efficiency of 17.8%. These results indicate mycelia pellet is an ideal biological carrier to improve biomass retention capacity of the reactor and enhance hydrogen recovery efficiency from lignocellulosic biomass, and meanwhile provides a new direction for economic and efficient hydrogen production process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the stability of enterovirus 71 virus-like particle.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shih-Yeh; Chung, Yao-Chi; Chiu, Hsin-Yi; Chi, Wei-Kuang; Chiang, Bor-Luen; Hu, Yu-Chen

2014-03-01

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is responsible for the outbreaks of hand-foot-and-mouth disease that caused significant mortality in children, but no vaccine is available yet. EV71 virus-like particle (VLP) is the empty capsid consisting of viral structural proteins but can elicit potent immune responses, rendering VLP a promising EV71 vaccine candidate. To evaluate whether VLP remains stable after long-term storage, which is crucial for advancing the VLP vaccine to the clinical setting, we evaluated the effects of NaCl concentration, buffers and temperatures on the VLP stability. We first validated the use of dynamic light scattering (DLS) for measuring the hydrodynamic diameter (≈30-35 nm) of VLP, which was close to the VLP diameter (≈25-27 nm) as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using these techniques, we found that EV71 VLP remained stable for 5 months in sodium phosphate (NaPi) buffers with various NaCl concentrations. EV71 VLP also remained morphologically stable in NaPi, citrate and TE(+) buffers for 5 months, yet the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that the VLP stored in citrate and TE(+) buffers partially lost the immunogenicity after 5 months. In contrast, the VLP stored in the NaPi buffer at 4°C remained stable macroscopically and microscopically for 5 months, as judged from the DLS, TEM and ELISA. The VLP stored at 25°C and 37°C also retained stability for 1 month, which would obviate the need of a cold chain during the shipping. These data altogether proved the stability of EV71 VLP and suggested that the VLP is amenable to bioprocessing and storage. Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Search for Competing Endogenous RNAs Responsible for the Effects Induced by Ebola Virus Replication and Transcription Using a trVLP System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhong-Yi Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Understanding how infected cells respond to Ebola virus (EBOV and how this response changes during the process of viral replication and transcription are very important for establishing effective antiviral strategies. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide screen to identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs, micro RNAs (miRNAs, and mRNAs differentially expressed during replication and transcription using a tetracistronic transcription and replication-competent virus-like particle (trVLP system that models the life cycle of EBOV in 293T cells. To characterize the expression patterns of these differentially expressed RNAs, we performed a series cluster analysis, and up- or down-regulated genes were selected to establish a gene co-expression network. Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA networks based on the RNAs responsible for the effects induced by EBOV replication and transcription in human cells, including circRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs, were constructed for the first time. Based on these networks, the interaction details of circRNA-chr19 were explored. Our results demonstrated that circRNA-chr19 targeting miR-30b-3p regulated CLDN18 expression by functioning as a ceRNA. These findings may have important implications for further studies of the mechanisms of EBOV replication and transcription. These RNAs potentially have important functions and may be promising targets for EBOV therapy.

The business impact of an integrated continuous biomanufacturing platform for recombinant protein production.

Science.gov (United States)

Walther, Jason; Godawat, Rahul; Hwang, Chris; Abe, Yuki; Sinclair, Andrew; Konstantinov, Konstantin

2015-11-10

The biotechnology industry primarily uses batch technologies to manufacture recombinant proteins. The natural evolution of other industries has shown that transitioning from batch to continuous processing can yield significant benefits. A quantitative understanding of these benefits is critical to guide the implementation of continuous processing. In this manuscript, we use process economic modeling and Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate an integrated continuous biomanufacturing (ICB) platform and conduct risk-based valuation to generate a probabilistic range of net-present values (NPVs). For a specific ten-year product portfolio, the ICB platform reduces average cost by 55% compared to conventional batch processing, considering both capital and operating expenses. The model predicts that these savings can further increase by an additional 25% in situations with higher-than-expected product demand showing the upward potential of the ICB platform. The ICB platform achieves these savings and corresponding flexibility mainly due to process intensification in both upstream and downstream unit operations. This study demonstrates the promise of continuous bioprocessing while also establishing a novel framework to quantify financial benefits of other platform process technologies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Process development of continuous glycerolysis in an immobilized enzyme-packed reactor for industrial monoacylglycerol production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damstrup, Marianne; Kiil, Søren; Jensen, Anker Degn

2007-01-01

Continuous and easily operated glycerolysis was studied in different lipase-packed columns to evaluate the most potential process set-ups for industrial monoacylglycerol (MAG) production. Practical design-related issues such as enzyme-filling degree, required reaction time, mass transfer investig......Continuous and easily operated glycerolysis was studied in different lipase-packed columns to evaluate the most potential process set-ups for industrial monoacylglycerol (MAG) production. Practical design-related issues such as enzyme-filling degree, required reaction time, mass transfer...

Nonlinear adaptive optimization of biomass productivity in continuous bioreactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sauvaire, P; Mellichamp, D A; Agrawal, P [California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering

1991-11-01

A novel on-line adaptive optimization algorithm is developed and applied to continuous biological reactors. The algorithm makes use of a simple nonlinear estimation model that relates either the cell-mass productivity or the cell-mass concentration to the dilution rate. On-line estimation is used to recursively identify the parameters in the nonlinear process model and to periodically calculate and steer the bioreactor to the dilution rate that yields optimum cell-mass productivity. Thus, the algorithm does not require an accurate process model, locates the optimum dilution rate online, and maintains the bioreactors at this optimum condition at all times. The features of the proposed new algorithm are compared with those of other adaptive optimization techniques presented in the literature. A detailed simulation study using three different microbial system models was conducted to illustrate the performance of the optimization algorithms. (orig.).

Enteric methane production and ruminal fermentation from forage brassica diets fed in continuous culture

Science.gov (United States)

Brassicas provide forage for livestock during the late fall when traditional perennial cool-season forages are not productive. However, little research exists on ruminal fermentation and methane(CH4) production of brassicas fed as forage. A continuous culture fermentor system was used to assess nutr...

Continuous radiochemical analysis of fission products in a nuclear reactor water coolant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moskvin, L.N.; Zakharov, L.K.; Leont'ev, G.G.; Mel'nikov, V.A.; Orlenkov, I.S.; Slutskij, G.K.

1975-01-01

Method for continuous radiochemical analysis of I, Cs, Ba, Sr and Ce isotopes in a reactor water heat-transfer agent was developed. A continuous two-dimensional chromatographic process of complex mixtures separation of substances proved to be feasible on several parallel sorbent layers, which moved at constant velocities and separated by stationary intermediate collectors. Tests on model solutions containing I, Ce, Cs and Ba isotopes and on heat-carrier samples showed quantitative separation of elements. The results were indicative of a basic possibility of using multisorbent chromatographs for continuous control of multicomponent mixtures, particularly for control of radioactive fission product compositions in water heat-transfer agents in nuclear power plants. A diagram is shown for a two-dimensional chromatographic separation of a multicomponent mixture. Also shown is a flow chart of an installation for continuous control of iodine and cesium isotope activities

Scientific production in CBCE/CONBRACE: the continuing education from 2007 to 2013 in focus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deiva Mara Delfini Batista

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This study, qualitative and documentary character, aimed to analyze the scientific production about continuing education of teachers between the years 2007 and 2013, from the GTT "Teachers Training and the World of Work" of the Brazilian Sports Science College. We identified 49 papers about the issue, which were categorized into different groups based on their approaches and features. The results portray the existence of systematic scientific production about continuing education, and that is articulate with the reality of Brazilian graduate. However, some categories showed little representation, pointing challenges to be faced, requiring more research about the issue.

Enteric methane production and ruminal fermentation of forage brassica diets fed in continuous culture

Science.gov (United States)

The aim of the current study was to determine nutrient digestibility, VFA production, N metabolism, and CH4 production of canola (Brassica napus L.), rapeseed (B. napus L.), turnip (B. rapa L.), and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) fed with orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) in continuous...

77 FR 34938 - Certain Tin Mill Products From Japan: Continuation of Antidumping Duty Order

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-12

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-588-854] Certain Tin Mill Products... duty order on certain tin mill products from Japan would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of...: Background On August 28, 2000, the Department published the antidumping duty order on certain tin mill...

Solid-state fermentation: a continuous process for fungal tannase production.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Lagemaat, J; Pyle, D L

2004-09-30

Truly continuous solid-state fermentations with operating times of 2-3 weeks were conducted in a prototype bioreactor for the production of fungal (Penicillium glabrum) tannase from a tannin-containing model substrate. Substantial quantities of the enzyme were synthesized throughout the operating periods and (imperfect) steady-state conditions seemed to be achieved soon after start-up of the fermentations. This demonstrated for the first time the possibility of conducting solid-state fermentations in the continuous mode and with a constant noninoculated feed. The operating variables and fermentation conditions in the bioreactor were sufficiently well predicted for the basic reinoculation concept to succeed. However, an incomplete understanding of the microbial mechanisms, the experimental system, and their interaction indicated the need for more research in this novel area of solid-state fermentation. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

40 CFR 63.6006 - How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the emission limits for tire cord production...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... compliance with the emission limits for tire cord production affected sources? 63.6006 Section 63.6006... Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing Continuous Compliance Requirements for Tire Cord... tire cord production affected sources? (a) You must demonstrate continuous compliance with each...

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot B. Kennel; Quentin C. Berg; Stephen P. Carpenter; Dady Dadyburjor; Jason C. Hissam; Manoj Katakdaunde; Liviu Magean; Abha Saddawi; Alfred H. Stiller; John W. Zondlo

2006-03-07

The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. The largest applications are those which support metals smelting, such as anodes for aluminum smelting and electrodes for arc furnaces. Other carbon products include materials used in creating fuels for the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, metals smelting, especially in the aluminum and steel industries, as well as porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. During this reporting period, efforts have focused on the development of carbon electrodes for Direct Carbon Fuel Cells (DCFC), and on carbon foam composites used in ballistic armor, as well as the hydrotreatment of solvents used in the basic solvent extraction process. A major goal is the production of 1500 pounds of binder pitch, corresponding to about 3000 pounds of hydrotreated solvent.

Planning Risk-Based SQC Schedules for Bracketed Operation of Continuous Production Analyzers.

Science.gov (United States)

Westgard, James O; Bayat, Hassan; Westgard, Sten A

2018-02-01

To minimize patient risk, "bracketed" statistical quality control (SQC) is recommended in the new CLSI guidelines for SQC (C24-Ed4). Bracketed SQC requires that a QC event both precedes and follows (brackets) a group of patient samples. In optimizing a QC schedule, the frequency of QC or run size becomes an important planning consideration to maintain quality and also facilitate responsive reporting of results from continuous operation of high production analytic systems. Different plans for optimizing a bracketed SQC schedule were investigated on the basis of Parvin's model for patient risk and CLSI C24-Ed4's recommendations for establishing QC schedules. A Sigma-metric run size nomogram was used to evaluate different QC schedules for processes of different sigma performance. For high Sigma performance, an effective SQC approach is to employ a multistage QC procedure utilizing a "startup" design at the beginning of production and a "monitor" design periodically throughout production. Example QC schedules are illustrated for applications with measurement procedures having 6-σ, 5-σ, and 4-σ performance. Continuous production analyzers that demonstrate high σ performance can be effectively controlled with multistage SQC designs that employ a startup QC event followed by periodic monitoring or bracketing QC events. Such designs can be optimized to minimize the risk of harm to patients. © 2017 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Acclimatization Study for Biohydrogen Production from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) in Continuous-flow System

Science.gov (United States)

Idris, N.; Lutpi, N. A.; Wong, Y. S.; Tengku Izhar, T. N.

2018-03-01

This research aims to study the acclimatization phase for biohydrogen production from palm oil mill effluent (POME) by adapting the microorganism to the new environment in continuous-flow system of thermophilic bioreactor. The thermophilic fermentation was continuously loaded with 0.4 L/day of raw POME for 35 days to acclimatize the microorganism until a steady state of biohydrogen production was obtained. The significance effect of acclimatization phase on parameter such as pH, microbial growth, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and alkalinity were also studied besides the production of biogas. This study had found that the thermophilic bioreactor reach its steady state with 1960 mL/d of biogas produced, which consist of 894 ppm of hydrogen composition.

Inorganic Nanoparticle as a Carrier for Hepatitis B Viral Capsids

Science.gov (United States)

Dekhtyar, Yu.; Romanova, M.; Kachanovska, A.; Skrastiņa, D.; Reinhofa, R.; Pumpens, P.; Patmalnieks, A.

Virus like particles (VLP) are used to transport immune response-modulating agents to target cells to treat them. In order to deliver a high concentration of VLP to the cell, a number of VLP can be attached to a nanoparticle to be used as a nanolorry. In this study, SiO2 nanoparticles were attached to Hepatitis B VLP. Spectrophotometry measurements, electron, and fluorescent microscopy evidence showed that the SiO2 - Hepatitis B VLP complexes were formed.

Continuous co-production of ethanol and xylitol from rice straw hydrolysate in a membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahed, Omid; Jouzani, Gholamreza Salehi; Abbasalizadeh, Saeed; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Tabatabaei, Meisam

2016-05-01

The present study was set to develop a robust and economic biorefinery process for continuous co-production of ethanol and xylitol from rice straw in a membrane bioreactor. Acid pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, detoxification, yeast strains selection, single and co-culture batch fermentation, and finally continuous co-fermentation were optimized. The combination of diluted acid pretreatment (3.5 %) and enzymatic conversion (1:10 enzyme (63 floating-point unit (FPU)/mL)/biomass ratio) resulted in the maximum sugar yield (81 % conversion). By concentrating the hydrolysates, sugars level increased by threefold while that of furfural reduced by 50 % (0.56 to 0.28 g/L). Combined application of active carbon and resin led to complete removal of furfural, hydroxyl methyl furfural, and acetic acid. The strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM 3090 with 66.4 g/L ethanol production and Candida tropicalis NCIM 3119 with 9.9 g/L xylitol production were selected. The maximum concentrations of ethanol and xylitol in the single cultures were recorded at 31.5 g/L (0.42 g/g yield) and 26.5 g/L (0.58 g/g yield), respectively. In the batch co-culture system, the ethanol and xylitol productions were 33.4 g/L (0.44 g/g yield) and 25.1 g/L (0.55 g/g yield), respectively. The maximum ethanol and xylitol volumetric productivity values in the batch co-culture system were 65 and 58 % after 25 and 60 h, but were improved in the continuous co-culture mode and reached 80 % (55 g/L) and 68 % (31 g/L) at the dilution rate of 0.03 L per hour, respectively. Hence, the continuous co-production strategy developed in this study could be recommended for producing value-added products from this hugely generated lignocellulosic waste.

Deriving temporally continuous soil moisture estimations at fine resolution by downscaling remotely sensed product

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yan; Ge, Yong; Wang, Jianghao; Heuvelink, Gerard B. M.

2018-06-01

Land surface soil moisture (SSM) has important roles in the energy balance of the land surface and in the water cycle. Downscaling of coarse-resolution SSM remote sensing products is an efficient way for producing fine-resolution data. However, the downscaling methods used most widely require full-coverage visible/infrared satellite data as ancillary information. These methods are restricted to cloud-free days, making them unsuitable for continuous monitoring. The purpose of this study is to overcome this limitation to obtain temporally continuous fine-resolution SSM estimations. The local spatial heterogeneities of SSM and multiscale ancillary variables were considered in the downscaling process both to solve the problem of the strong variability of SSM and to benefit from the fusion of ancillary information. The generation of continuous downscaled remote sensing data was achieved via two principal steps. For cloud-free days, a stepwise hybrid geostatistical downscaling approach, based on geographically weighted area-to-area regression kriging (GWATARK), was employed by combining multiscale ancillary variables with passive microwave remote sensing data. Then, the GWATARK-estimated SSM and China Soil Moisture Dataset from Microwave Data Assimilation SSM data were combined to estimate fine-resolution data for cloudy days. The developed methodology was validated by application to the 25-km resolution daily AMSR-E SSM product to produce continuous SSM estimations at 1-km resolution over the Tibetan Plateau. In comparison with ground-based observations, the downscaled estimations showed correlation (R ≥ 0.7) for both ascending and descending overpasses. The analysis indicated the high potential of the proposed approach for producing a temporally continuous SSM product at fine spatial resolution.

Optimal batch production strategies under continuous price decrease and time discounting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandal S.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Single price discount in unit cost for bulk purchasing is quite common in reality as well as in inventory literature. However, in today's high-tech industries such as personal computers and mobile industries, continuous decrease in unit cost is a regular phenomenon. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the effects of continuous price decrease and time-value of money on optimal decisions for inventoried goods having time-dependent demand and production rates. The proposed models are developed over a finite time horizon considering both shortages and without shortages in inventory. Numerical examples are taken to illustrate the developed models and to examine the sensitivity of model parameters.

Design and operation of a filter reactor for continuous production of a selected pharmaceutical intermediate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Kim Müller; Pedersen, Michael Jønch; Dam-Johansen, Kim

2012-01-01

in tetrahydrofuran solvent. The use of the filter reactor design was explored by examining the transferability of a synthesis step in a present full-scale semi-batch pharmaceutical production into continuous processing. The main advantages of the new continuous minireactor system, compared to the conventional semi...

Combined virus-like particle and fusion protein-encoding DNA vaccination of cotton rats induces protection against respiratory syncytial virus without causing vaccine-enhanced disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Hye Suk; Lee, Young-Tae; Kim, Ki-Hye; Park, Soojin; Kwon, Young-Man; Lee, Youri; Ko, Eun-Ju; Jung, Yu-Jin [Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Lee, Jong Seok [Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (United States); National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yu-Jin [Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Lee, Yu-Na; Kim, Min-Chul [Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gyeonggi-do, Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbukdo (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Minkyoung [Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Kang, Sang-Moo, E-mail: skang24@gsu.edu [Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences and Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-07-15

A safe and effective vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) should confer protection without causing vaccine-enhanced disease. Here, using a cotton rat model, we investigated the protective efficacy and safety of an RSV combination vaccine composed of F-encoding plasmid DNA and virus-like particles containing RSV fusion (F) and attachment (G) glycoproteins (FFG-VLP). Cotton rats with FFG-VLP vaccination controlled lung viral replication below the detection limit, and effectively induced neutralizing activity and antibody-secreting cell responses. In comparison with formalin inactivated RSV (FI-RSV) causing severe RSV disease after challenge, FFG-VLP vaccination did not cause weight loss, airway hyper-responsiveness, IL-4 cytokines, histopathology, and infiltrates of proinflammatory cells such as eosinophils. FFG-VLP was even more effective in preventing RSV-induced pulmonary inflammation than live RSV infections. This study provides evidence that FFG-VLP can be developed into a safe and effective RSV vaccine candidate. - Highlights: • Combined RSV FFG VLP vaccine is effective in inducing F specific responses. • FFG VLP vaccine confers RSV neutralizing activity and viral control in cotton rats. • Cotton rats with RSV FFG VLP vaccination do not show vaccine-enhanced disease. • Cotton rats with FFG VLP vaccine induce F specific antibody secreting cell responses. • Cotton rats with FFG VLP do not induce lung cellular infiltrates and Th2 cytokine.

Combined virus-like particle and fusion protein-encoding DNA vaccination of cotton rats induces protection against respiratory syncytial virus without causing vaccine-enhanced disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Hye Suk; Lee, Young-Tae; Kim, Ki-Hye; Park, Soojin; Kwon, Young-Man; Lee, Youri; Ko, Eun-Ju; Jung, Yu-Jin; Lee, Jong Seok; Kim, Yu-Jin; Lee, Yu-Na; Kim, Min-Chul; Cho, Minkyoung; Kang, Sang-Moo

2016-01-01

A safe and effective vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) should confer protection without causing vaccine-enhanced disease. Here, using a cotton rat model, we investigated the protective efficacy and safety of an RSV combination vaccine composed of F-encoding plasmid DNA and virus-like particles containing RSV fusion (F) and attachment (G) glycoproteins (FFG-VLP). Cotton rats with FFG-VLP vaccination controlled lung viral replication below the detection limit, and effectively induced neutralizing activity and antibody-secreting cell responses. In comparison with formalin inactivated RSV (FI-RSV) causing severe RSV disease after challenge, FFG-VLP vaccination did not cause weight loss, airway hyper-responsiveness, IL-4 cytokines, histopathology, and infiltrates of proinflammatory cells such as eosinophils. FFG-VLP was even more effective in preventing RSV-induced pulmonary inflammation than live RSV infections. This study provides evidence that FFG-VLP can be developed into a safe and effective RSV vaccine candidate. - Highlights: • Combined RSV FFG VLP vaccine is effective in inducing F specific responses. • FFG VLP vaccine confers RSV neutralizing activity and viral control in cotton rats. • Cotton rats with RSV FFG VLP vaccination do not show vaccine-enhanced disease. • Cotton rats with FFG VLP vaccine induce F specific antibody secreting cell responses. • Cotton rats with FFG VLP do not induce lung cellular infiltrates and Th2 cytokine.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus-like particles produced by a SUMO fusion protein system in Escherichia coli induce potent protective immune responses in guinea pigs, swine and cattle

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes a highly contagious infection in cloven-hoofed animals. The format of FMD virus-like particles (VLP) as a non-replicating particulate vaccine candidate is a promising alternative to conventional inactivated FMDV vaccines. In this study, we explored a prokaryotic system to express and assemble the FMD VLP and validated the potential of VLP as an FMDV vaccine candidate. VLP composed entirely of FMDV (Asia1/Jiangsu/China/2005) capsid proteins (VP0, VP1 and VP3) were simultaneously produced as SUMO fusion proteins by an improved SUMO fusion protein system in E. coli. Proteolytic removal of the SUMO moiety from the fusion proteins resulted in the assembly of VLP with size and shape resembling the authentic FMDV. Immunization of guinea pigs, swine and cattle with FMD VLP by intramuscular inoculation stimulated the FMDV-specific antibody response, neutralizing antibody response, T-cell proliferation response and secretion of cytokine IFN-γ. In addition, immunization with one dose of the VLP resulted in complete protection of these animals from homologous FMDV challenge. The 50% protection dose (PD50) of FMD VLP in cattle is up to 6.34. These results suggest that FMD VLP expressed in E. coli are an effective vaccine in guinea pigs, swine and cattle and support further development of these VLP as a vaccine candidate for protection against FMDV. PMID:23826638

CFD optimization of continuous stirred-tank (CSTR) reactor for biohydrogen production.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jie; Wang, Xu; Zhou, Xue-Fei; Ren, Nan-Qi; Guo, Wan-Qian

2010-09-01

There has been little work on the optimal configuration of biohydrogen production reactors. This paper describes three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of gas-liquid flow in a laboratory-scale continuous stirred-tank reactor used for biohydrogen production. To evaluate the role of hydrodynamics in reactor design and optimize the reactor configuration, an optimized impeller design has been constructed and validated with CFD simulations of the normal and optimized impeller over a range of speeds and the numerical results were also validated by examination of residence time distribution. By integrating the CFD simulation with an ethanol-type fermentation process experiment, it was shown that impellers with different type and speed generated different flow patterns, and hence offered different efficiencies for biohydrogen production. The hydrodynamic behavior of the optimized impeller at speeds between 50 and 70 rev/min is most suited for economical biohydrogen production. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous production of chitooligosaccharides by an immobilized enzyme in a dual-reactor system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santos-Moriano, Paloma; Woodley, John; Plou, Francisco J.

2016-01-01

A chitosanolytic activity found in a commercial α-amylase from Bacillus amylolyquefaciens (BAN) was covalently immobilized onto glyoxal agarose beads (25% recovery of activity) and assessed for the continuous production of chitooligosaccharides (COS). The immobilization did not change the reactio......, the productivity of the PBR at the lowest dilution rate was 37 gCOS L−1 h−1, with a conversion yield of 73%. In contrast, at the highest dilution rate, the productivity was nearly 200 gCOS L−1 h−1, but the conversion yield dropped to around 40%....

Performances comparison between three technologies for continuous ethanol production from molasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouallagui, Hassib; Touhami, Youssef; Hanafi, Nedia; Ghariani, Amine; Hamdi, Moktar

2013-01-01

Molasses are a potential feedstock for ethanol production. The successful application of anaerobic fermentation for ethanol production from molasses is critically dependent to the development and the use of high rate bioreactors. In this study the fermentation of sugar cane molasses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the ethanol production in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), an immobilised cell reactor (ICR) and a membrane reactor (MBR) was investigated. Ethanol production and reactor productivities were compared under different dilution rates (D). When using the CSTR, a decent ethanol productivity (Qp) of 6.8 g L −1 h −1 was obtained at a dilution rate of 0.5 h −1 . The Qp was improved by 48% and the residual sugar concentration was reduced by using the ICR. Intensifying the production of ethanol was investigated in the MBR to achieve a maximum ethanol concentration and a Qp of 46.5 g L −1 and 19.2 g L −1 h −1 , respectively. The achieved results in the MBR worked with high substrate concentration are promising for the scale up operation. -- Highlights: ► We compare three reactors for ethanol production from sugar cane molasses. ► The ethanol productivity of 6.8 g L -1 h -1 was obtained using the CSTR. ► The ethanol productivity was improved by 48% by using the ICR. ► Intensifying ethanol productivity (19.2 g L -1 h -1 ) was investigated in the MBR

Bifurcation analysis of a product inhibition model of a continuous fermentation process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lenbury, Y; Chiaranai, C

1987-03-01

A product inhibition model of a continuous fermentation process is considered. If the yield term is a variable function of ethanol concentration, oscillation in the cell and ethanol concentrations is shown to be a Hopf bifurcation in the underlying system of nonlinear, ordinary differential equations which comprises the model.

Continuous ethanol production from Jerusalem artichokes stalks using immobilized cells of Kluyveromyces marxianus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bajpai, P.; Margaritis, A.

1986-01-01

Continuous production of ethanol from the extract of Jerusalem artichoke stalks was investigated in a packed bed bioreactor using Kluyveromyces marxianus cells immobilized in calcium alginate gel beds. Maximum conversion of the sugars to ethanol was achieved with a yield of about 98% of the theoretical. Volumetric ethanol productivities of 102 grams of ethanol per litre per hour and 92 grams ethanol per liter per hour were obtained at 87% and 90% conversion respectively for an inlet substrate concentration of 100 gram sugars per liter. The maximum specific ethanol production rate and maximum specific total sugar uptake rate of the immobilized cells were found to be 0.96 gram ethanol per gram immobilized cells per hour and 2.06 gram sugars per gram immobilized cells per hour respectively. The immobilized cell bioreactor was run continuously at a dilution rate of 2.12 per hour for 30 days which resulted in a loss of 30% of the original activity. The half life of the bioreactor was estimated to be about 56 days.

Facility design consideration for continuous mix production of class 1.3 propellant

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, K. L.; Schirk, P. G.

1994-01-01

In November of 1989, NASA awarded the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) contract to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (LMSC) for production of advanced solid rocket motors using the continuous mix process. Aerojet ASRM division (AAD) was selected as the facility operator and RUST International Corporation provided the engineering, procurement, and construction management services. The continuous mix process mandates that the mix and cast facilities be 'close-coupled' along with the premix facilities, creating unique and challenging requirements for the facility designer. The classical approach to handling energetic materials-division into manageable quantities, segregation, and isolation-was not available due to these process requirements and quantities involved. This paper provides a description of the physical facilities, the continuous mix process, and discusses the monitoring and detection techniques used to mitigate hazards and prevent an incident.

Mechanisms of immunity in post-exposure vaccination against Ebola virus infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven B Bradfute

Full Text Available Ebolaviruses can cause severe hemorrhagic fever that is characterized by rapid viral replication, coagulopathy, inflammation, and high lethality rates. Although there is no clinically proven vaccine or treatment for Ebola virus infection, a virus-like particle (VLP vaccine is effective in mice, guinea pigs, and non-human primates when given pre-infection. In this work, we report that VLPs protect Ebola virus-infected mice when given 24 hours post-infection. Analysis of cytokine expression in serum revealed a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in mice given VLPs post-exposure compared to infected, untreated mice. Using knockout mice, we show that VLP-mediated post-exposure protection requires perforin, B cells, macrophages, conventional dendritic cells (cDCs, and either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Protection was Ebola virus-specific, as marburgvirus VLPs did not protect Ebola virus-infected mice. Increased antibody production in VLP-treated mice correlated with protection, and macrophages were required for this increased production. However, NK cells, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha were not required for post-exposure-mediated protection. These data suggest that a non-replicating Ebola virus vaccine can provide post-exposure protection and that the mechanisms of immune protection in this setting require both increased antibody production and generation of cytotoxic T cells.

Mechanisms of immunity in post-exposure vaccination against Ebola virus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradfute, Steven B; Anthony, Scott M; Stuthman, Kelly S; Ayithan, Natarajan; Tailor, Prafullakumar; Shaia, Carl I; Bray, Mike; Ozato, Keiko; Bavari, Sina

2015-01-01

Ebolaviruses can cause severe hemorrhagic fever that is characterized by rapid viral replication, coagulopathy, inflammation, and high lethality rates. Although there is no clinically proven vaccine or treatment for Ebola virus infection, a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine is effective in mice, guinea pigs, and non-human primates when given pre-infection. In this work, we report that VLPs protect Ebola virus-infected mice when given 24 hours post-infection. Analysis of cytokine expression in serum revealed a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in mice given VLPs post-exposure compared to infected, untreated mice. Using knockout mice, we show that VLP-mediated post-exposure protection requires perforin, B cells, macrophages, conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), and either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Protection was Ebola virus-specific, as marburgvirus VLPs did not protect Ebola virus-infected mice. Increased antibody production in VLP-treated mice correlated with protection, and macrophages were required for this increased production. However, NK cells, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha were not required for post-exposure-mediated protection. These data suggest that a non-replicating Ebola virus vaccine can provide post-exposure protection and that the mechanisms of immune protection in this setting require both increased antibody production and generation of cytotoxic T cells.

Odds Ratio Product of Sleep EEG as a Continuous Measure of Sleep State

Science.gov (United States)

Younes, Magdy; Ostrowski, Michele; Soiferman, Marc; Younes, Henry; Younes, Mark; Raneri, Jill; Hanly, Patrick

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: To develop and validate an algorithm that provides a continuous estimate of sleep depth from the electroencephalogram (EEG). Design: Retrospective analysis of polysomnograms. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: 114 patients who underwent clinical polysomnography in sleep centers at the University of Manitoba (n = 58) and the University of Calgary (n = 56). Interventions: None. Measurements and Results: Power spectrum of EEG was determined in 3-second epochs and divided into delta, theta, alpha-sigma, and beta frequency bands. The range of powers in each band was divided into 10 aliquots. EEG patterns were assigned a 4-digit number that reflects the relative power in the 4 frequency ranges (10,000 possible patterns). Probability of each pattern occurring in 30-s epochs staged awake was determined, resulting in a continuous probability value from 0% to 100%. This was divided by 40 (% of epochs staged awake) producing the odds ratio product (ORP), with a range of 0–2.5. In validation testing, average ORP decreased progressively as EEG progressed from wakefulness (2.19 ± 0.29) to stage N3 (0.13 ± 0.05). ORP sleep and ORP > 2.0 predicted wakefulness in > 95% of 30-s epochs. Epochs with intermediate ORP occurred in unstable sleep with a high arousal index (> 70/h) and were subject to much interrater scoring variability. There was an excellent correlation (r2 = 0.98) between ORP in current 30-s epochs and the likelihood of arousal or awakening occurring in the next 30-s epoch. Conclusions: Our results support the use of the odds ratio product (ORP) as a continuous measure of sleep depth. Citation: Younes M, Ostrowski M, Soiferman M, Younes H, Younes M, Raneri J, Hanly P. Odds ratio product of sleep EEG as a continuous measure of sleep state. SLEEP 2015;38(4):641–654. PMID:25348125

Continuous operation of a pilot plant for the production of beryllium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, T.C.; Amaral, S.; Silveira, C.M.S.; Oliveira, A.P. de

1975-01-01

A method of obtaining beryllium oxide with a purity of 99,2% was developed in a pilot plant with a capacity of 7 tons per month destined to operate continuously. The operation market prospects and control of production with the objective of obtaining internacional technical grade beryllium oxide are discussed [pt

Continuous operation of a pilot plant for the production of beryllium oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, T C; Amaral, S; Silveira, C M.S.; de Oliveira, A P [Instituto de Tecnologia, Governador Valadares (Brazil)

1975-12-01

A method of obtaining beryllium oxide with a purity of 99,2% was developed in a pilot plant with a capacity of 7 tons per month destined to operate continuously. The operation market prospects and control of production with the objective of obtaining internacional technical grade beryllium oxide are discussed.

MANAGEMENT OF INVENTORIES IN AN ENTEPRISE IN THE CONTEXT OF PRODUCTION CONTINUITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izabela EMERLING

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Inventories are a very important category in the accounting of every enterprise. Inventory management is one of the major decision‐making areas for the company’s management board. Proper inventory management allows reducing total costs and increasing the quality of production, which is the goal of an integrated management system. Proper financial management can also positively affect the maintenance of liquidity in the company. The purpose of this article is to present issues related to inventory management in a company in the context of continuity of production and fluidity of a subject.

Continuous production of polymethylpentene membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Epperson, B.J.; Burnett, L.J.; Helm, V.D.

1983-11-15

Gas separation membranes may be prepared in a continuous manner by passing a porous support which may, if so desired, be backed by a fabric through a solution of polymethylpentene dissolved in an organic solvent such as hexane. The support member is passed through the solution while one side thereof is in contact with a roller, thereby permitting only one side of the support member to be coated with the polymer. After continuously withdrawing the support member from the bath, the solvent is allowed to evaporate and the resulting membrane is recovered.

Biological hydrogen production in continuous stirred tank reactor systems with suspended and attached microbial growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Nan-Qi; Tang, Jing; Liu, Bing-Feng; Guo, Wan-Qian [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No.202 Haihe Road, Harbin 150090 (China)

2010-04-15

Fermentative H{sub 2} production in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system with bacteria attached onto granular activated carbon (GAC) was designed to produce H{sub 2} continuously. The H{sub 2} production performances of CSTR with suspended and attached-sludge from molasses were examined and compared at various organic loading rates (8-40 g COD/L/d) at hydraulic retention time of 6 h under mesophilic conditions (35 C). Both reactor systems achieved ethanol-type fermentation in the pH ranges 4.5-4.8 and 3.8-4.4, respectively, while ORP ranges from -450 to -470 mV and from -330 to -350 mV, respectively. The hydrogen production rate in the attached system was higher compared to that of the suspended system (9.72 and 6.65 L/d/L, respectively) while specific hydrogen production rate of 5.13 L/g VSS/d was higher in the suspended system. The attached-sludge CSTR is more stable than the suspended-sludge CSTR with regard to hydrogen production, pH, substrate utilization efficiency and metabolic products (e.g., volatile fatty acids and ethanol) during the whole test. (author)

Extension of $b{sub f}$-continuous functions defined on a product of $b{sub f}$-groups

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchis, M.

2017-07-01

Let X be a bf -space and let G be a bf -group. By means of the exponential mapping we characterize when a bf -continuous function on X × G with values in a topologically complete sapce Z has a bf -continuous extension to β(X) × G. As a consequence we show that the product of a pseudocompact space and a bf -group is a bf -group. This result generalizes the fact that the product of a pseudocompact space and a pseudocompact group is pseudocompact. (Author)

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot B. Kennel; Philip L. Biedler; Chong Chen; Dady Dadyburjor; Liviu Magean; Peter G. Stansberry; Alfred H. Stiller; John W. Zondlo

2005-04-13

The purpose of this DOE-funded effort is to develop continuous processes for solvent extraction of coal for the production of carbon products. These carbon products include materials used in metals smelting, especially in the aluminum and steel industries, as well as porous carbon structural material referred to as ''carbon foam'' and carbon fibers. A process has been developed which results in high quality binder pitch suitable for use in graphite electrodes or carbon anodes. A detailed description of the protocol is given by Clendenin. Briefly, aromatic heavy oils are hydro-treated under mild conditions in order to increase their ability to dissolve coal. An example of an aromatic heavy oil is Koppers Carbon Black Base (CBB) oil. CBB oil has been found to be an effective solvent and acceptably low cost (i.e., significantly below the market price for binder pitch, or about $280 per ton at the time of this writing). It is also possible to use solvents derived from hydrotreated coal and avoid reliance on coke oven recovery products completely if so desired.

Bioaggregate of photo-fermentative bacteria for enhancing continuous hydrogen production in a sequencing batch photobioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Guo-Jun; Liu, Bing-Feng; Wang, Rui-Qing; Ding, Jie; Ren, Hong-Yu; Zhou, Xu; Ren, Nan-Qi

2015-11-05

Hydrogen recovery through solar-driven biomass conversion by photo-fermentative bacteria (PFB) has been regarded as a promising way for sustainable energy production. However, a considerable fraction of organic substrate was consumed for the growth of PFB as biocatalysts, furthermore, these PFB were continuously washed out from the photobioreactor in continuous operation because of their poor flocculation. In this work, PFB bioaggregate induced by L-cysteine was applied in a sequencing batch photobioreactor to enhance continuous hydrogen production and reduce biomass washout. The effects of the hydraulic retention time (HRT), influent concentration and light intensity on hydrogen production of the photobioreactor were investigated. The maximum hydrogen yield (3.35 mol H2/mol acetate) and production rate (1044 ml/l/d) were obtained at the HRT of 96 h, influent concentration of 3.84 g COD/l, and light intensity of 200 W/m(2). With excellent settling ability, biomass accumulated in the photobioreactor and reached 2.15 g/l under the optimum conditions. Structural analysis of bioaggregate showed that bacterial cells were covered and tightly linked together by extracellular polymeric substances, and formed a stable structure. Therefore, PFB bioaggregate induced by L-cysteine is an efficient strategy to improve biomass retention capacity of the photobioreactor and enhance hydrogen recovery efficiency from organic wastes.

Bioaggregate of photo-fermentative bacteria for enhancing continuous hydrogen production in a sequencing batch photobioreactor

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Guo-Jun; Liu, Bing-Feng; Wang, Rui-Qing; Ding, Jie; Ren, Hong-Yu; Zhou, Xu; Ren, Nan-Qi

2015-11-01

Hydrogen recovery through solar-driven biomass conversion by photo-fermentative bacteria (PFB) has been regarded as a promising way for sustainable energy production. However, a considerable fraction of organic substrate was consumed for the growth of PFB as biocatalysts, furthermore, these PFB were continuously washed out from the photobioreactor in continuous operation because of their poor flocculation. In this work, PFB bioaggregate induced by L-cysteine was applied in a sequencing batch photobioreactor to enhance continuous hydrogen production and reduce biomass washout. The effects of the hydraulic retention time (HRT), influent concentration and light intensity on hydrogen production of the photobioreactor were investigated. The maximum hydrogen yield (3.35 mol H2/mol acetate) and production rate (1044 ml/l/d) were obtained at the HRT of 96 h, influent concentration of 3.84 g COD/l, and light intensity of 200 W/m2. With excellent settling ability, biomass accumulated in the photobioreactor and reached 2.15 g/l under the optimum conditions. Structural analysis of bioaggregate showed that bacterial cells were covered and tightly linked together by extracellular polymeric substances, and formed a stable structure. Therefore, PFB bioaggregate induced by L-cysteine is an efficient strategy to improve biomass retention capacity of the photobioreactor and enhance hydrogen recovery efficiency from organic wastes.

Continuous ethanol production from sugar beet molasses using an osmotolerant mutant strain of zymomonas mobilis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, S.C.; Baratti, J.C. (Univ. de Provence, Marseille (France). Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

1992-01-25

In conventional alcohol fermentation processes using yeast species, the substrate cost represents a major fraction of the total production cost. Therefore, it may be very attractive to use the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis, since it has shown higher ethanol yields than yeasts when grown on a glucose-based medium. A report is made on the use of mutant strain of Zymomonas mobilis for ethanol production from hydrolyzed sugar beet molasses in a two-stage continuous culture which showed high ethanol yield and an ethanol concentration sufficiently high for economical recovery. A single stage continuous culture was first operated in an attempt to reduce the formation of sorbitol. Further on, a second fermentor was added with additional substrate feeding to increase the effluent ethanol concentration. An ethanol concentration of 59.9g/l was obtained at 97% sugar conversion and at high ethanol yield. The volumetric ethanol productivity was superior to that of batch fermentation but inferior to that of a single-stage continuous system with the same medium. However, the ethanol concentration was increased to a level acceptable for economical recovery. 18 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.

Continuous cultivation of a thermophilic bacterium Aeribacillus pallidus 418 for production of an exopolysaccharide applicable in cosmetic creams.

Science.gov (United States)

Radchenkova, N; Panchev, I; Vassilev, S; Kuncheva, M; Dobreva, S; Kambourova, M

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of continuous cultivation approach for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by a thermophilic micro-organism and the potential of the synthesized EPS for application in cosmetic industry. Study on the ability of Aeribacillus pallidus 418, isolated as a good EPS producer, to synthesize the polymer in continuous cultures showed higher production in comparison with batch cultures. The degree of the EPS in the precipitate after continuous cultivation significantly increased. Non-Newtonian pseudoplastic and thixotropic behaviour of EPS determines the ability of the received cream to become more fluid after increasing time of application on the skin. This study demonstrates a highly efficient way for production of EPS from a continuous growth culture of A. pallidus 418 that have many advantages and can outperform batch culture by eliminating time for cleaning and sterilization of the vessel and the comparatively long lag phases before the organisms enter a brief period of high productivity. The valuable physico-chemical properties of the synthesized EPS influenced positively the properties of a commercial cream. EPSs from thermophilic micro-organisms are of special interest due to the advantages of the thermophilic processes and nonpathogenic nature of the polymer molecules. However, their industrial application is hindered by the comparatively low biomass and correspondingly EPS yield. Suggested continuous approach for EPS could have an enormous economic potential for an industrial scale production of thermophilic EPSs. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Optimization and characterization of biodiesel production from microalgae Botryococcus grown at semi-continuous system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashokkumar, Veeramuthu; Agila, Elango; Sivakumar, Pandian; Salam, Zainal; Rengasamy, Ramasamy; Ani, Farid Nasir

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Bioprospecting for Botryococcus in upstream and downstream process for bioenergy production. • Large scale cultivation of B. braunii at semi-continuous system under open raceway system. • The biomass was harvested 99.5% successfully by Poly-(D)glucosamine and ferric iron. • Botryococcus biodiesel was characterized and found within ASTM standards. • Under semi-continuous mode, the alga B. braunii produces 101 tons ha −1 year −1 . - Abstract: The indigenous strain Botryococcus braunii TN101 was isolated and acclimatized under laboratory condition. Upstream and downstream process was thoroughly explored for biofuel production. During semi-continuous cultivation, the alga was grown under batch mode for 6 days; thereafter 40% of algal culture was harvested at every three days interval. At semi-continuous system, the indigenous strain grows well and produces high biomass productivity of 33.8 g m −3 day −1 . A two step combined harvesting process was designed using ferric iron and organic polymer Poly-(D)glucosamine and harvested 99.5% of biomass. Lipid extraction was optimized using different solvents, cyclohexane and methanol at 3:1 ratio supported for maximum extraction of lipids in Botryococcus up to 26.3%. Physicochemical properties of lipid was analyzed and found, saponification values 184, ester values 164, iodine values 92 and the average molecular weight of the lipids are 920 g mol −1 . The lipid contains 9.7% of FFA level, therefore, a simultaneous esterification and transesterification of free fatty acids and triacylglycerides were optimized for biodiesel production and the methyl ester yield was recorded up to 84%. In addition, an optimization study was carried out for the removal of pigments present in the biodiesel; the result revealed that 99% of pigments were removed from the biodiesel using activated charcoal. The biodiesel profile was analyzed by 1 H and 13 C NMR and GC–MS analyzer, methyl palmitate and methyl oleate

Continuous Packed Bed Reactor with Immobilized β-Galactosidase for Production of Galactooligosaccharides (GOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Rodriguez-Colinas

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The β-galactosidase from Bacillus circulans was covalently attached to aldehyde-activated (glyoxal agarose beads and assayed for the continuous production of galactooligosaccharides (GOS in a packed-bed reactor (PBR. The immobilization was fast (1 h and the activity of the resulting biocatalyst was 97.4 U/g measured with o-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside (ONPG. The biocatalyst showed excellent operational stability in 14 successive 20 min reaction cycles at 45 °C in a batch reactor. A continuous process for GOS synthesis was operated for 213 h at 0.2 mL/min and 45 °C using 100 g/L of lactose as a feed solution. The efficiency of the PBR slightly decreased with time; however, the maximum GOS concentration (24.2 g/L was obtained after 48 h of operation, which corresponded to 48.6% lactose conversion and thus to maximum transgalactosylation activity. HPAEC-PAD analysis showed that the two major GOS were the trisaccharide Gal-β(1→4-Gal-β(1→4-Glc and the tetrasaccharide Gal-β(1→4-Gal-β(1→4-Gal-β(1→4-Glc. The PBR was also assessed in the production of GOS from milk as a feed solution. The stability of the bioreactor was satisfactory during the first 8 h of operation; after that, a decrease in the flow rate was observed, probably due to partial clogging of the column. This work represents a step forward in the continuous production of GOS employing fixed-bed reactors with immobilized β-galactosidases.

Continuous ethanol production using immobilized yeast cells entrapped in loofa-reinforced alginate carriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phoowit Bangrak

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae M30 entrapped in loofa-reinforced alginate was used for continuous ethanol fermentation in a packed-bed reactor with initial sugar concentrations of 200-248 g/L. Maximum ethanol productivity of 11.5 g/(L·h was obtained at an ethanol concentration of 57.4 g/L, an initial sugar concentration of 220 g/L and a dilution rate (D of 0.2 h-1. However, a maximum ethanol concentration of 82.1 g/L (productivity of 9.0 g/(L·h was obtained at a D of 0.11 h-1. Ethanol productivity in the continuous culture was 6-8-fold higher than that in the batch culture. Due to the developed carrier's high biocompatibility, high porosity, and good mechanical strength, advantages such as cell regeneration, reusability, altered mechanical strength, and high capacity to trap active cells in the reactor were achieved in this study. The immobilized cell reactor was successfully operated for 30 days without any loss in ethanol productivity. The average conversion yield was 0.43-0.45 throughout the entire operation, with an immobilization yield of 47.5%. The final total cell concentration in the reactor was 37.3 g/L (17.7 g/L immobilized cells and 19.6 g/L suspended cells. The concentration of suspended cells in the effluent was 0.8 g/L.

Technological aspects at continuous casting of semi-finished products with ϕ270mm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ardelean, E; Ardelean, M; Hepuţ, T; Lăscuţoni, A

2015-01-01

Continuous casting installation especially appreciated because steel can be poured in a more varied assortment. The flexibility of the system is not sufficient if the casting parameters are not properly adopted and adapted to the specific brand of steel. This paper presents some technical aspects relative to continuous casting of semi-finished products with ϕ270mm section. Graphical dependencies obtained in Excel and analytical equations of this allows to specialists from industry to adopt values for the addicted parameters according to the independent ones, already known. (paper)

Optimal control of hydrogen production in a continuous anaerobic fermentation bioreactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aceves-Lara, Cesar-Arturo [INRA, UMR792, Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR5504, Toulouse, France 135 Avenue de Rangueil, Toulouse Cedex F-31077 (France); INRA, UR050, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l' Environnement, Avenue des Etangs, Narbonne F-11100 (France); Latrille, Eric; Steyer, Jean-Philippe [INRA, UR050, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l' Environnement, Avenue des Etangs, Narbonne F-11100 (France)

2010-10-15

This paper addresses the problem of optimization of hydrogen production in continuous anaerobic digesters using a model predictive control (MPC) strategy. The process is described by a dynamic nonlinear model. The influent concentration of molasses together with the effluent substrate and product concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate and biomass were estimated by an asymptotic online observer from measurements of gas composition in H{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} and gas flow rate. The observer was tested experimentally before to apply MPC online. The combined strategy (MPC and observer) was used in order to optimize a bioreactor of 2 L. The hydrogen production was increased by 75% up to 8.27mL{sub H{sub 2}} L{sup -1}min{sup -1}, using the influent flow rate as the main control variable while keeping the conversion of the influent concentration higher than 95% and maintaining the temperature at 37 C and pH at 5.5. (author)

[Acute and persistent antiproteinuric effect of a low-protein diet in chronic kidney disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Di Iorio, B R; Cucciniello, E; Martino, R; Frallicciardi, A; Tortoriello, R; Struzziero, G

2009-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-proteinuric effect of a very-low-protein diet supplemented with essential amino acids and keto analogs in patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease and proteinuria already treated with both ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers. The study was a prospective randomized controlled cross-over trial comparing a very-low-protein diet (VLpD) and a low-protein diet (LpD). We enrolled 32 consecutive patients between June 2000 and June 2005. They were randomized to receive a VpLD (group A) or an LpD (group B) for 6 months; thereafter, patients of both groups were switched to the other diet (group A to LpD; group B to VpLD) for a further 6 months. Finally, all patients were randomized again within each group to receive either LpD or VLpD and were followed for another year. The VLpD group showed a significant reduction of urinary protein excretion during the diet period, with a nadir at the fourth month of treatment; the amount of urinary protein reduction was about 58%. Serum advanced glycation end products (AGE) significantly decreased in 10 patients (5 of group A, 5 of group B; -18% and -19%, respectively) during VLpD. Univariate analysis showed that proteinuria correlated indirectly with VpLD and directly with AGE. This study demonstrates that in patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease and severe proteinuria, a VLpD reduces both proteinuria and serum AGE, even in the presence of complete inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system.

Large-scale enzymatic production of natural flavour esters in organic solvent with continuous water removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Gubicza, L; Kabiri-Badr, A; Keoves, E; Belafi-Bako, K

2001-11-30

A new, large-scale process was developed for the enzymatic production of low molecular weight flavour esters in organic solvent. Solutions for the elimination of substrate and product inhibitions are presented. The excess water produced during the process was continuously removed by hetero-azeotropic distillation and esters were produced at yields of over 90%.

Matrix proteins of Nipah and Hendra viruses interact with beta subunits of AP-3 complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weina; McCrory, Thomas S; Khaw, Wei Young; Petzing, Stephanie; Myers, Terrell; Schmitt, Anthony P

2014-11-01

Paramyxoviruses and other negative-strand RNA viruses encode matrix proteins that coordinate the virus assembly process. The matrix proteins link the viral glycoproteins and the viral ribonucleoproteins at virus assembly sites and often recruit host machinery that facilitates the budding process. Using a co-affinity purification strategy, we have identified the beta subunit of the AP-3 adapter protein complex, AP3B1, as a binding partner for the M proteins of the zoonotic paramyxoviruses Nipah virus and Hendra virus. Binding function was localized to the serine-rich and acidic Hinge domain of AP3B1, and a 29-amino-acid Hinge-derived polypeptide was sufficient for M protein binding in coimmunoprecipitation assays. Virus-like particle (VLP) production assays were used to assess the relationship between AP3B1 binding and M protein function. We found that for both Nipah virus and Hendra virus, M protein expression in the absence of any other viral proteins led to the efficient production of VLPs in transfected cells, and this VLP production was potently inhibited upon overexpression of short M-binding polypeptides derived from the Hinge region of AP3B1. Both human and bat (Pteropus alecto) AP3B1-derived polypeptides were highly effective at inhibiting the production of VLPs. VLP production was also impaired through small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion of AP3B1 from cells. These findings suggest that AP-3-directed trafficking processes are important for henipavirus particle production and identify a new host protein-virus protein binding interface that could become a useful target in future efforts to develop small molecule inhibitors to combat paramyxoviral infections. Henipaviruses cause deadly infections in humans, with a mortality rate of about 40%. Hendra virus outbreaks in Australia, all involving horses and some involving transmission to humans, have been a continuing problem. Nipah virus caused a large outbreak in Malaysia in 1998, killing 109 people

Growth and enzyme production during continuous cultures of a high amylase-producing variant of Aspergillus oryzae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zangirolami, Teresa; Carlsen, M.; Nielsen, J.

2002-01-01

Growth and product formation by a selected variant of Aspergillus oryzae showing high alpha-amylase production was studied in continuous cultivations carried out at six different specific growth rates, using glucose as the growth-limiting nutrient. The analysis of the steady-state data revealed...

An evaluation of different bioreactor configurations for continuous bio-ethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ntihuga, Jean Nepomuscene; Senn, Thomas; Gschwind, Peter; Kohlus, Reinhard

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Two bioreactor configurations were constructed and compared. • Continuous bioethanol production was performed in both bioreactors. • Plate heat exchanger bioreactor was the best for solid mash fermentation. • Operational power costs of both bioreactors were different in small scale levels. • Further study needed for both bioreactors with optimized parameters. - Abstract: In this preliminary investigation, a so-called Blenke cascade and plate heat exchanger bioreactor configuration were compared in terms of mixing characteristics, contamination free process, operational power costs and overall performance. At room temperature, fermentation was initially started as batch run and switched to continuous operation, when the residual sugars within the reactor were detected to be C ⩽ 1% (g/L). Samples from both configurations were taken and analyzed for ethanol and residual sugar content, as well as for any infection of the fermentation and lactic acid content, respectively. Mixing characteristics were studied by the residence time distribution method. Both geometries behaved as a finite number n of continuous stirred tanks in series, behaving as a plug flow with superimposed axial dispersion. The number of tanks in series n obtained in the plate heat exchanger configuration was 1.5–3 times larger than those in the Blenke cascade. The average ethanol productivity was Q p = 3.07 (g/L h) and Q p = 2.31 (g/L h) for cascade and plate exchanger configuration, respectively. The analysis of operational power costs indicates relevant differences between the two reactors at laboratory scale; however, systems with different types of pumps and viscosities are compared. From an industrial scale point of view, specific operational costs decrease with scale-up, as no mechanical mixing is needed in the fermenters

Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rader, Geoffrey K.; Logan, Bruce E. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2010-09-15

Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m{sup 2}/m{sup 3}). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m{sup 2}, cathode surface area; 74 A/m{sup 3}) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of {eta}{sub E} = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3-18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H{sub 2} gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system. (author)

Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

KAUST Repository

Rader, Geoffrey K.; Logan, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m2/m3). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m2, cathode surface area; 74 A/m 3) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of ηE = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3-18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H2 gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system. © 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

KAUST Repository

Rader, Geoffrey K.

2010-09-01

Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m2/m3). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m2, cathode surface area; 74 A/m 3) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of ηE = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3-18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H2 gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system. © 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photocatalytic degradation of cylindrospermopsin under UV-A, solar and visible light using TiO2. Mineralization and intermediate products.

Science.gov (United States)

Fotiou, Theodora; Triantis, Theodoros; Kaloudis, Triantafyllos; Hiskia, Anastasia

2015-01-01

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are considered an important water quality problem, since several genera can produce toxins, called cyanotoxins that are harmful to human health. Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is an alkaloid-like potent cyanotoxin that has been reported in water reservoirs and lakes worldwide. In this paper the removal of CYN from water by UV-A, solar and visible light photocatalysis was investigated. Two different commercially available TiO2 photocatalysts were used, i.e., Degussa P25 and Kronos-vlp7000. Complete degradation of CYN was achieved with both photocatalysts in 15 and 40 min under UV-A and 40 and 120 min under solar light irradiation, for Degussa P25 and Kronos vlp-7000 respectively. Experiments in the absence of photocatalysts showed that direct photolysis was negligible. Under visible light irradiation only the Kronos vlp-7000 which is a visible light activated catalyst was able to degrade CYN. A number of intermediates were identified and a complete degradation pathway is proposed, leading to the conclusion that hydroxyl radical attack is the main mechanism followed. TOC and inorganic ions (NO2-, NO3-, SO4(2-) and NH4+) determinations suggested that complete mineralization of CYN was achieved under UV-A in the presence of Degussa P25. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of an advanced continuous mild gasification process for the production of coproducts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merriam, N.W.; Jha, M.C.

1991-11-01

This report is a final brief summary of development of a mild-gasification and char conversion process. Morgantown Energy Technology Center developed a concept called mild gasification. In this concept, devolatilization of coal under nonoxidizing and relatively mild temperature and pressure conditions can yield three marketable products: (1) a high-heating-value gas, (2) a high-aromatic coal liquid, and (3) a high-carbon char. The objective of this program is to develop an advanced, continuous, mild-gasification process to produce products that will make the concept economically and environmentally viable. (VC)

Crystal Structures of Yeast-Produced Enterovirus 71 and Enterovirus 71/Coxsackievirus A16 Chimeric Virus-Like Particles Provide the Structural Basis for Novel Vaccine Design against Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Ke; He, Ya-Ling; Li, Hao-Yang; Chen, Rong

2015-06-01

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) are the two major causative agents for hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD). Previously, we demonstrated that a virus-like particle (VLP) for EV71 produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a potential vaccine candidate against EV71 infection, and an EV71/CVA16 chimeric VLP can elicit protective immune responses against both virus infections. Here, we presented the crystal structures of both VLPs, showing that both the linear and conformational neutralization epitopes identified in EV71 are mostly preserved on both VLPs. The replacement of only 4 residues in the VP1 GH loop converted strongly negatively charged surface patches formed by portions of the SP70 epitope in EV71 VLP into a relatively neutral surface in the chimeric VLP, which likely accounted for the additional neutralization capability of the chimeric VLP against CVA16 infection. Such local variations in the amino acid sequences and the surface charge potential are also present in different types of polioviruses. In comparison to EV71 VLP, the chimeric VLP exhibits structural changes at the local site of amino acid replacement and the surface loops of all capsid proteins. This is consistent with the observation that the VP1 GH loop located near the pseudo-3-fold junction is involved in extensive interactions with other capsid regions. Furthermore, portions of VP0 and VP1 in EV71 VLP are at least transiently exposed, revealing the structural flexibility of the VLP. Together, our structural analysis provided insights into the structural basis of enterovirus neutralization and novel vaccine design against HFMD and other enterovirus-associated diseases. Our previous studies demonstrated that the enterovirus 71 (EV71) virus-like particle (VLP) produced from yeast is a vaccine candidate against EV71 infection and that a chimeric EV71/coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) VLP with the replacement of 4 amino acids in the VP1 GH loop can confer protection against both

Continuous hydrogen and methane production from Agave tequilana bagasse hydrolysate by sequential process to maximize energy recovery efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Montiel Corona, Virginia; Razo-Flores, Elías

2018-02-01

Continuous H 2 and CH 4 production in a two-stage process to increase energy recovery from agave bagasse enzymatic-hydrolysate was studied. In the first stage, the effect of organic loading rate (OLR) and stirring speed on volumetric hydrogen production rate (VHPR) was evaluated in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR); by controlling the homoacetogenesis with the agitation speed and maintaining an OLR of 44 g COD/L-d, it was possible to reach a VHPR of 6 L H 2 /L-d, equivalent to 1.34 kJ/g bagasse. In the second stage, the effluent from CSTR was used as substrate to feed a UASB reactor for CH 4 production. Volumetric methane production rate (VMPR) of 6.4 L CH 4 /L-d was achieved with a high OLR (20 g COD/L-d) and short hydraulic retention time (HRT, 14 h), producing 225 mL CH 4 /g-bagasse equivalent to 7.88 kJ/g bagasse. The two-stage continuous process significantly increased energy conversion efficiency (56%) compared to one-stage hydrogen production (8.2%). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR COAL DERIVED CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot Kennel; Chong Chen; Dady Dadyburjor; Mark Heavner; Manoj Katakdaunde; Liviu Magean; James Mayberry; Alfred Stiller; Joseph Stoffa; Christopher Yurchick; John Zondlo

2009-12-31

This NETL sponsored effort seeks to develop continuous technologies for the production of carbon products, which may be thought of as the heavier products currently produced from refining of crude petroleum and coal tars obtained from metallurgical grade coke ovens. This effort took binder grade pitch, produced from liquefaction of West Virginia bituminous grade coal, all the way to commercial demonstration in a state of the art arc furnace. Other products, such as crude oil, anode grade coke and metallurgical grade coke were demonstrated successfully at the bench scale. The technology developed herein diverged from the previous state of the art in direct liquefaction (also referred to as the Bergius process), in two major respects. First, direct liquefaction was accomplished with less than a percent of hydrogen per unit mass of product, or about 3 pound per barrel or less. By contrast, other variants of the Bergius process require the use of 15 pounds or more of hydrogen per barrel, resulting in an inherent materials cost. Second, the conventional Bergius process requires high pressure, in the range of 1500 psig to 3000 psig. The WVU process variant has been carried out at pressures below 400 psig, a significant difference. Thanks mainly to DOE sponsorship, the WVU process has been licensed to a Canadian Company, Quantex Energy Inc, with a commercial demonstration unit plant scheduled to be erected in 2011.

Growth and lipid accumulation characteristics of Scenedesmus obliquus in semi-continuous cultivation outdoors for biodiesel feedstock production.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Pingzhong; Yang, Kang; Xu, Zhongbin; Wang, Zhongming; Fan, Lu; Qin, Lei; Zhu, Shunni; Shang, Changhua; Chai, Peng; Yuan, Zhenhong; Hu, Lei

2014-12-01

In an effort to identify suitable microalgal species for biodiesel production, seven species were isolated from various habitats and their growth characteristics were compared. The results demonstrated that a green alga Scenedesmus obliquus could grow more rapidly and synthesize more lipids than other six microalgal strains. S. obliquus grew well both indoors and outdoors, and reached higher μmax indoors than that outdoors. However, the cells achieved higher dry weight (4.36 g L(-1)), lipid content (49.6%) and productivity (183 mg L(-1) day(-1)) outdoors than in indoor cultures. During the 61 days semi-continuous cultivation outdoors, high biomass productivities (450-550 mg L(-1) day(-1)) and μmax (1.05-1.44 day(-1)) were obtained. The cells could also achieve high lipid productivities (151-193 mg L(-1) day(-1)). These results indicated that S. obliquus was promising for lipids production in semi-continuous cultivation outdoors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical assessment of anaerobic processes for continuous biohydrogen production from organic wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Show, Kuan-Yeow [Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan University, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak (Malaysia); Zhang, Zhen-Peng [Beijing Enterprises Water Group Limited, BLK 25, No. 3 Minzhuang Road, Beijing 100195 (China); Tay, Joo-Hwa [School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue (Singapore); Liang, David Tee [Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Lee, Duu-Jong [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei (China); Ren, Nanqi; Wang, Aijie [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090 (China)

2010-12-15

Production of biohydrogen using dark fermentation has received much attention owing to the fact that hydrogen can be generated from renewable organics including waste materials. The key to successful application of anaerobic fermentation is to uncouple the liquid retention time and the biomass retention time in the reactor system. Various reactor designs based on biomass retention within the reactor system have been developed. This paper presents our research work on bioreactor designs and operation for biohydrogen production. Comparisons between immobilized-cell systems and suspended-cell systems based on biomass growth in the forms of granule, biofilm and flocs were made. Reactor configurations including column- and tank-based reactors were also assessed. Experimental results indicated that formation of granules or biofilms substantially enhanced biomass retention which was found to be proportional to the hydrogen production rate. Rapid hydrogen-producing culture growth and high organic loading rate might limit the application of biofilm biohydrogen production, since excessive growth of fermentative biomass would result in washout of support carrier. It follows that column-based granular sludge process is a preferred choice of process for continuous biohydrogen production from organic wastewater, indicating maximum hydrogen yield of 1.7 mol-H{sub 2}/mol-glucose and hydrogen production rate of 6.8 L-H{sub 2}/L-reactor h. (author)

Optimization of cyclosporin A production by Beauveria nivea in continuous fed-batch fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Huijun

2011-01-01

Full Text Available To develop the effective control method for fed-batch culture of cyclosporin A production, we chose fructose, L-valine and (NH42HPO4 as feeding nutrients and compared their productivities in relation to different concentrations. The feeding rate of three kinds of feeding materials was controlled to maintain the suitable residual concentration. The fed-batch fermentation results indicated that the optimal concentrations of fructose, L-valine and (NH42HPO4 were about 20 g/L, 0.5 g/L and 0.6 g/L for cyclosporin A production, respectively. The cultivation of Beauveria nivea could produce cyclosporin A up to 6.2 g/L for 240 hrs through a continuous feeding-rate-controlled-batch process under the optimal feeding conditions.

Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production involving continuous processes--a process system engineering (PSE)-assisted design framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Cervera-Padrell, Albert E; Skovby, Tommy; Kiil, Søren; Gani, Rafiqul; Gernaey, Krist V

2012-10-01

A systematic framework is proposed for the design of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Specifically, the design framework focuses on organic chemistry based, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) synthetic processes, but could potentially be extended to biocatalytic and fermentation-based products. The method exploits the synergic combination of continuous flow technologies (e.g., microfluidic techniques) and process systems engineering (PSE) methods and tools for faster process design and increased process understanding throughout the whole drug product and process development cycle. The design framework structures the many different and challenging design problems (e.g., solvent selection, reactor design, and design of separation and purification operations), driving the user from the initial drug discovery steps--where process knowledge is very limited--toward the detailed design and analysis. Examples from the literature of PSE methods and tools applied to pharmaceutical process design and novel pharmaceutical production technologies are provided along the text, assisting in the accumulation and interpretation of process knowledge. Different criteria are suggested for the selection of batch and continuous processes so that the whole design results in low capital and operational costs as well as low environmental footprint. The design framework has been applied to the retrofit of an existing batch-wise process used by H. Lundbeck A/S to produce an API: zuclopenthixol. Some of its batch operations were successfully converted into continuous mode, obtaining higher yields that allowed a significant simplification of the whole process. The material and environmental footprint of the process--evaluated through the process mass intensity index, that is, kg of material used per kg of product--was reduced to half of its initial value, with potential for further reduction. The case-study includes reaction steps typically used by the pharmaceutical

Process design and optimization of novel wheat-based continuous bioethanol production system.

Science.gov (United States)

Arifeen, Najmul; Wang, Ruohang; Kookos, Ioannis K; Webb, Colin; Koutinas, Apostolis A

2007-01-01

A novel design of a wheat-based biorefinery for bioethanol production, including wheat milling, gluten extraction as byproduct, fungal submerged fermentation for enzyme production, starch hydrolysis, fungal biomass autolysis for nutrient regeneration, yeast fermentation with recycling integrated with a pervaporation membrane for ethanol concentration, and fuel-grade ethanol purification by pressure swing distillation (PSD), was optimized in continuous mode using the equation-based software General Algebraic Modelling System (GAMS). The novel wheat biorefining strategy could result in a production cost within the range of dollars 0.96-0.50 gal(-1) ethanol (dollars 0.25-0.13 L(-1) ethanol) when the production capacity of the plant is within the range of 10-33.5 million gal y(-1) (37.85-126.8 million L y(-1)). The production of value-added byproducts (e.g., bran-rich pearlings, gluten, pure yeast cells) was identified as a crucial factor for improving the economics of fuel ethanol production from wheat. Integration of yeast fermentation with pervaporation membrane could result in the concentration of ethanol in the fermentation outlet stream (up to 40 mol %). The application of a PSD system that consisted of a low-pressure and a high-pressure column and employing heat integration between the high- and low-pressure columns resulted in reduced operating cost (up to 44%) for fuel-grade ethanol production.

Butanol production by Clostridium acetobutylicum in a continuous packed bed reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoli, Fabio; Olivieri, Giuseppe; Russo, Maria Elena; Marzocchella, Antonio; Salatino, Piero

2010-06-01

In this study, we report on a butanol production process by immobilized Clostridium acetobutylicum in a continuous packed bed reactor (PBR) using Tygon rings as a carrier. The medium was a solution of lactose (15-30 g/L) and yeast extract (3 g/L) to emulate the cheese whey, an abundant lactose-rich wastewater. The reactor was operated under controlled conditions with respect to the pH and to the dilution rate. The pH and the dilution rate ranged between 4 and 5, the dilution rate between 0.54 and 2.4 h(-1) (2.5 times the maximum specific growth rate assessed for suspended cells). The optimal performance of the reactor was recorded at a dilution rate of 0.97 h(-1): the butanol productivity was 4.4 g/Lh and the selectivity of solvent in butanol was 88%(w).

The distributed somatotopy of tremor: a window into the motor system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helmich, R.C.G.

2013-01-01

The posterior ventrolateral thalamus (VLp) plays a crucial role in Parkinson's tremor and in essential tremor: deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the VLp effectively diminishes both tremor types. Previous research has shown tremor oscillations in the VLp, but the spatial extent and somatotopy of these

A single intranasal administration of virus-like particle vaccine induces an efficient protection for mice against human respiratory syncytial virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Yue-Ying; Fu, Yuan-Hui; Yan, Yi-Fei; Hua, Ying; Ma, Yao; Zhang, Xiu-Juan; Song, Jing-Dong; Peng, Xiang-Lei; Huang, Jiaqiang; Hong, Tao; He, Jin-Sheng

2017-08-01

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pediatric pathogen causing acute viral respiratory disease in infants and young children. However, no licensed vaccines are currently available. Virus-like particles (VLPs) may bring new hope to producing RSV VLP vaccine with high immunogenicity and safety. Here, we constructed the recombinants of matrix protein (M) and fusion glycoprotein (F) of RSV, respectively into a replication-deficient first-generation adenoviral vector (FGAd), which were used to co-infect Vero cells to assemble RSV VLPs successfully. The resulting VLPs showed similar immunoreactivity and function to RSV virion in vitro. Moreover, Th1 polarized response, and effective mucosal virus-neutralizing antibody and CD8 + T-cell responses were induced by a single intranasal (i.n.) administration of RSV VLPs rather than intramuscular (i.m.) inoculation, although the comparable RSV F-specific serum IgG and long-lasting RSV-specific neutralizing antibody were detected in the mice immunized by both routes. Upon RSV challenge, VLP-immunized mice showed increased viral clearance but decreased signs of enhanced lung pathology and fewer eosinophils compared to mice immunized with formalin-inactivated RSV (FI-RSV). In addition, a single i.n. RSV VLP vaccine has the capability to induce RSV-specific long-lasting neutralizing antibody responses observable up to 15 months. Our results demonstrate that the long-term and memory immune responses in mice against RSV were induced by a single i.n. administration of RSV VLP vaccine, suggesting a successful approach of RSV VLPs as an effective and safe mucosal vaccine against RSV infection, and an applicable and qualified platform of FGAd-infected Vero cells for VLP production. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

GROWTH AND ENZYME PRODUCTION DURING CONTINUOUS CULTURES OF A HIGH AMYLASE-PRODUCING VARIANT OF Aspergillus Oryzae

OpenAIRE

Zangirolami,T.C.; Carlsen,M.; Nielsen,J.; Jørgensen,S.B.

2002-01-01

Growth and product formation by a selected variant of Aspergillus oryzae showing high alpha-amylase production was studied in continuous cultivations carried out at six different specific growth rates, using glucose as the growth-limiting nutrient. The analysis of the steady-state data revealed that the variant and wild-type strains were similar with respect to glucose uptake system and stoichiometric coefficients. However, the variant was capable of maintaining an enzyme production as high a...

Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting Gene Expressions

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Loren D. (Inventor); Fang, Po-Yu (Inventor); Hsiao, Chiaolong (Inventor); Williams, Justin (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A combined packing and assembly method that efficiently packs ribonucleic acid (RNA) into virus like particles (VLPs) has been developed. The VLPs can spontaneously assemble and load RNA in vivo, efficiently packaging specifically designed RNAs at high densities and with high purity. In some embodiments the RNA is capable of interference activity, or is a precursor of a RNA capable of causing interference activity. Compositions and methods for the efficient expression, production and purification of VLP-RNAs are provided. VLP-RNAs can be used for the storage of RNA for long periods, and provide the ability to deliver RNA in stable form that is readily taken up by cells.

[The true story and advantages of the famous Hepatitis B virus core particles: Outlook 2016].

Science.gov (United States)

Pumpens, P; Grens, E

2016-01-01

This review article is a continuation of the paper "Hepatitis B core particles as a universal display model: a structure-function basis for development" written by Pumpens P. and Grens E., ordered by Professor Lev Kisselev and published in FEBS Letters, 1999, 442, 1-6. The past 17 years have strengthened the paper's finding that the human hepatitis B virus core protein, along with other Hepadnaviridae family member core proteins, is a mysterious, multifunctional protein. The core gene of the Hepadnaviridae genome encodes five partially collinear proteins. The most important of these is the HBV core protein p21, or HBc. It can self-assemble by forming viral HBc particles, but also plays a crucial role in the regulation of viral replication. Since 1986, the HBc protein has been one of the first and the most successful tools of the virus-like particle (VLP) technology. Later, the woodchuck hepatitis virus core protein (WHc) was also used as a VLP carrier. The Hepadnaviridae core proteins remain favourite VLP candidates for the knowledge-based design of future vaccines, gene therapy vectors, specifically targeted nanocontainers, and other modern nanotechnological tools for prospective medical use.

The influence of nitrogen sources on the alpha-amylase productivity of Aspergillus oryzae in continuous cultures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Henrik; Nielsen, Jens

2000-01-01

The influence of the nitrogen source on the cc-amylase productivity of Aspergillus oryzae was quantified in continuous cultivations. Both inorganic and complex nitrogen sources were investigated and glucose was used as the carbon and energy sources. For production of alpha-amylase, nitrate...... in the cc-amylase productivity. The higher alpha-amylase productivity during growth on casein hydrolysate was not caused by increased transcription of the alpha-amylase genes but was caused by a faster secretion of alpha-amylase or by a lower binding of alpha-amylase to the biomass....

Production of extracellular protease and glucose uptake in Bacillus clausii in steady-state and transient continuous cultures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Torben; Nielsen, Jens

2002-01-01

The production of the extracellular alkaline protease Savinase(R) (EC 3.4.21.62) and glucose uptake in a non-sporulating strain of Bacillus clausii were investigated by analysing steady-state and transients during continuous cultivations. The specific production rate was found to have an optimum...

A novel HPV 16 L1-based chimeric virus-like particle containing E6 and E7 seroreactive epitopes permits highly specific detection of antibodies in patients with CIN 1 and HPV-16 infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santiago-Osorio Edelmiro

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The presence of IgG antibodies to HPV-16 L1-virus like particles (VLPs in serum has been reported as a result of persistent exposure to the virus and as a marker of disease progression. However, detection of VLP-specific antibodies in sera does not always indicate a malignant lesion as positive results may also be due to a nonmalignant viral infection. Furthermore, malignant lesions are associated with an increased antibody titer for E6 and E7 proteins. The aim of this study was to develop an ELISA using a novel chimeric virus-like particle (cVLP encoding an L1 protein fused with a string of HPV-16 E6 and E7 seroreactive epitopes to its C-terminus to be used for detection of HPV-16 specific antibodies in patients with cervical intraepithelial lesion grade 1 (CIN 1. Results The sera of 30 patients with CIN 1 who also tested positive for HPV-16 DNA and of 30 age-matched normal donors negative for HPV infection were tested for the presence of IgG antibodies specific for either VLP-L1 (HPV-16 L1, gVLP (derived from Gardasil, or cVLP by ELISA. The cVLP-reactive sera yielded two distinct groups of results: (H reactivity levels that presented very strong cVLP-specific titers, and (L reactivity levels with significantly lower titers similar to those obtained with VLP-L1 and gVLP antigens. Additionally, the sera that presented the higher cVLP titers closely matched those that had significantly stronger reactivity to E6 and E7 epitopes. Interestingly, the samples with the highest titers corresponded to patients with the higher numbers of sexual partners and pregnancies. On the other hand only 4 out of the 12 sera that harbored antibodies with VLP neutralizing ability corresponded to the group with high cVLP antibody titers. Conclusion We report for the first time that chimeric particles containing HPV-16 L1 protein fused with E6 and E7 seroreactive epitopes enable much better detection of IgG antibodies in the sera of CIN 1 patients

A systematic methodology for the design of continuous active pharmaceutical ingredient production processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili; Gani, Rafiqul; Kiil, Søren

2011-01-01

Continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing (CPM) has emerged as a powerful technology to obtain higher reaction yields and improved separation efficiencies, potentially leading to simplified process flowsheets, reduced total costs, lower environmental impacts, and safer and more flexible production...... and representation, as well as on how to employ this knowledge for process (re-)design. The aim of this paper is to introduce a methodology that systematically identifies already existing PSE methods and tools which can assist in the design of CPM processes. This methodology has been applied to a process...... for the production of an API developed by H. Lundbeck A/S, demonstrating the mentioned potential benefits that CPM can offer....

Characterisation of silent and active genes for a variable large protein of Borrelia recurrentis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scragg Ian G

2002-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We report the characterisation of the variable large protein (vlp gene expressed by clinical isolate A1 of Borrelia recurrentis; the agent of the life-threatening disease louse-borne relapsing fever. Methods The major vlp protein of this isolate was characterised and a DNA probe created. Use of this together with standard molecular methods was used to determine the location of the vlp1B. recurrentis A1 gene in both this and other isolates. Results This isolate was found to carry silent and expressed copies of the vlp1B. recurrentis A1 gene on plasmids of 54 kbp and 24 kbp respectively, whereas a different isolate, A17, had only the silent vlp1B. recurrentis A17 on a 54 kbp plasmid. Silent and expressed vlp1 have identical mature protein coding regions but have different 5' regions, both containing different potential lipoprotein leader sequences. Only one form of vlp1 is transcribed in the A1 isolate of B. recurrentis, yet both 5' upstream sequences of this vlp1 gene possess features of bacterial promoters. Conclusion Taken together these results suggest that antigenic variation in B. recurrentis may result from recombination of variable large and small protein genes at the junction between lipoprotein leader sequence and mature protein coding region. However, this hypothetical model needs to be validated by further identification of expressed and silent variant protein genes in other B. recurrentis isolates.

Vehicle license plate recognition based on geometry restraints and multi-feature decision

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jianwei; Wang, Zongyue

2005-10-01

Vehicle license plate (VLP) recognition is of great importance to many traffic applications. Though researchers have paid much attention to VLP recognition there has not been a fully operational VLP recognition system yet for many reasons. This paper discusses a valid and practical method for vehicle license plate recognition based on geometry restraints and multi-feature decision including statistical and structural features. In general, the VLP recognition includes the following steps: the location of VLP, character segmentation, and character recognition. This paper discusses the three steps in detail. The characters of VLP are always declining caused by many factors, which makes it more difficult to recognize the characters of VLP, therefore geometry restraints such as the general ratio of length and width, the adjacent edges being perpendicular are used for incline correction. Image Moment has been proved to be invariant to translation, rotation and scaling therefore image moment is used as one feature for character recognition. Stroke is the basic element for writing and hence taking it as a feature is helpful to character recognition. Finally we take the image moment, the strokes and the numbers of each stroke for each character image and some other structural features and statistical features as the multi-feature to match each character image with sample character images so that each character image can be recognized by BP neural net. The proposed method combines statistical and structural features for VLP recognition, and the result shows its validity and efficiency.

Production of specific-structured lipids by enzymatic interesterification in a pilot continuous enzyme bed reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Xuebing; Balchen, Steen; Høy, Carl-Erik

1998-01-01

Production of specific-structured lipids (interesterified lipids with a specific structure) by enzymatic interesterification was carried out in a continuous enzyme bed pilot scale reactor. Commercial immobilized lipase (Lipozyme IM) was used and investigations of acyl migration, pressure drop...

Secondary products and consumption of sugar during continuous alcoholic fermentation of starchy media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakhmanovich, B M; Yarovenko, V L; Makeev, D M; Belov, E M

1976-01-01

Continuous alcohol fermentation in different media containing starch as the carbon source and final analysis of products indicated that 93.3% glucose is converted into ethanol and CO/sub 2/, 2.78% metabolized by the yeast cells, 2.4% converted into glycerol, 0.036% into acetic acid, 0.25% into lactic acid, and a nonsignificant percentage was changed into other organic acids and higher alcohols.

Kaizen - continuous improvement of high voltage products; Kaizen - kontinuierliche Verbesserung bei Hochspannungsprodukten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwarz, M. [ABB Calor Emag Schaltanlagen AG, Hanau-Grossauheim (Germany); Goessmann, T. [ABB Calor Emag Schaltanlagen AG, Mannheim (Germany)

1999-07-12

In the actual global competition only the company can survive who cares for the continuous improvement of all business activities. The ABB Calor Emag Schaltanlagen AG at his production site in Hanau-Grossauheim has installed a specific improvement programm called KVP what is based on the ideas of Kaizen. Aim is the improvement of processes, mainly in production, concerning quality, dates, costs and environment by activating all colleagues. (orig.) [Deutsch] Im heutigen globalen Wettbewerb kann sich nur der behaupten, der sich kontinuierlich in allen Unternehmensbereichen weiterentwickelt. Die ABB Calor Emag Schaltanlagen AG hat in ihrem Werk Hanau-Grossauheim nach den Ideen des Kaizen ein werkspezifisches Programm zur kontinuierlichen Verbesserung der Prozesse in der Fertigung eingefuehrt. Ziel ist die stetige Verbesserung von Fertigungsparametern, wie Qualitaet, Termine, Kosten und Umwelt unter Einbeziehung aller Mitarbeiter. (orig.)

A COMBINED REACTION/PRODUCT RECOVERY PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birdwell, J.F. Jr.; McFarlane, J.; Schuh, D.L.; Tsouris, C.; Day, J.N.; Hullette, J.N.

2009-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Nu-Energie, LLC entered into a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) for the purpose of demonstrating and deploying a novel technology for the continuous synthesis and recovery of biodiesel from the transesterification of triglycerides. The focus of the work was the demonstration of a combination Couette reactor and centrifugal separator - an invention of ORNL researchers - that facilitates both product synthesis and recovery from reaction byproducts in the same apparatus. At present, transesterification of triglycerides to produce biodiesel is performed in batch-type reactors with an excess of a chemical catalyst, which is required to achieve high reactant conversions in reasonable reaction times (e.g., 1 hour). The need for long reactor residence times requires use of large reactors and ancillary equipment (e.g., feed and product tankage), and correspondingly large facilities, in order to obtain the economy of scale required to make the process economically viable. Hence, the goal of this CRADA was to demonstrate successful, extended operation of a laboratory-scale reactor/separator prototype to process typical industrial reactant materials, and to design, fabricate, and test a production-scale unit for deployment at the biodiesel production site. Because of its ease of operation, rapid attainment of steady state, high mass transfer and phase separation efficiencies, and compact size, a centrifugal contactor was chosen for intensification of the biodiesel production process. The unit was modified to increase the residence time from a few seconds to minutes*. For this application, liquid phases were introduced into the reactor as separate streams. One was composed of the methanol and base catalyst and the other was the soy oil used in the experiments. Following reaction in the mixing zone, the immiscible glycerine and methyl ester products were separated in the high speed rotor and collected from separate

A COMBINED REACTION/PRODUCT RECOVERY PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birdwell, J.F., Jr.; McFarlane, J.; Schuh, D.L.; Tsouris, C; Day, J.N. (Nu-Energie, LLC); Hullette, J.N. (Nu-Energie, LLC)

2009-09-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Nu-Energie, LLC entered into a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) for the purpose of demonstrating and deploying a novel technology for the continuous synthesis and recovery of biodiesel from the transesterification of triglycerides. The focus of the work was the demonstration of a combination Couette reactor and centrifugal separator - an invention of ORNL researchers - that facilitates both product synthesis and recovery from reaction byproducts in the same apparatus. At present, transesterification of triglycerides to produce biodiesel is performed in batch-type reactors with an excess of a chemical catalyst, which is required to achieve high reactant conversions in reasonable reaction times (e.g., 1 hour). The need for long reactor residence times requires use of large reactors and ancillary equipment (e.g., feed and product tankage), and correspondingly large facilities, in order to obtain the economy of scale required to make the process economically viable. Hence, the goal of this CRADA was to demonstrate successful, extended operation of a laboratory-scale reactor/separator prototype to process typical industrial reactant materials, and to design, fabricate, and test a production-scale unit for deployment at the biodiesel production site. Because of its ease of operation, rapid attainment of steady state, high mass transfer and phase separation efficiencies, and compact size, a centrifugal contactor was chosen for intensification of the biodiesel production process. The unit was modified to increase the residence time from a few seconds to minutes*. For this application, liquid phases were introduced into the reactor as separate streams. One was composed of the methanol and base catalyst and the other was the soy oil used in the experiments. Following reaction in the mixing zone, the immiscible glycerine and methyl ester products were separated in the high speed rotor and collected from separate

Experimental continuous sludge microwave system to enhance dehydration ability and hydrogen production from anaerobic digestion of sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Cuihong; Huang, Xintong; Zeng, Meng

2018-05-01

Dehydrating large amounts of sludge produced by sewage treatment plants is difficult. Microwave pretreatment can effectively and significantly improve the dewaterability and hydrogen production of sludge subjected to anaerobic digestion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different microwave conditions on hydrogen production from anaerobic digestion and dewaterability of sludge. Based on an analysis of the electric field distribution, a spiral reactor was designed and a continuous microwave system was built to conduct intermittent and continuous experiments under different conditions. Settling Volume, Capillary Suction Time, particle size, and moisture content of the sludge were measured. The results show that sludge pretreatment in continuous experiments has equally remarkable dehydration performance as in intermittent experiments; the minimum moisture content was 77.29% in the intermittent experiment under a microwave power of 300W and an exposure time of 60sec, and that in the continuous experiment was 77.56% under a microwave power of 400W and an exposure time of 60sec. The peak measured by Differential Scanning Calorimeter appeared earliest under a microwave power of 600W and an exposure time of 180sec. The heat flux at the peak was 4.343W/g, which is relatively small. This indicates that microwave pretreatment induced desirable effects. The maximum yield of hydrogen production was 7.967% under the conditions of microwave power of 500W, exposure time of 120sec, and water bath at 55°C. This research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the development of a continuous microwave sludge-conditioning system. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bacterial superglue enables easy development of efficient virus-like particle based vaccines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thrane, Susan; Janitzek, Christoph M; Matondo, Sungwa

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Virus-like particles (VLPs) represent a significant advance in the development of subunit vaccines, combining high safety and efficacy. Their particulate nature and dense repetitive subunit organization makes them ideal scaffolds for display of vaccine antigens. Traditional approaches...... for VLP-based antigen display require labor-intensive trial-and-error optimization, and often fail to generate dense antigen display. Here we utilize the split-intein (SpyTag/SpyCatcher) conjugation system to generate stable isopeptide bound antigen-VLP complexes by simply mixing of the antigen and VLP......). CONCLUSIONS: The spy-VLP system constitutes a versatile and rapid method to develop highly immunogenic VLP-based vaccines. Our data provide proof-of-concept for the technology's ability to present complex vaccine antigens to the immune system and elicit robust functional antibody responses as well...

A continuous spectrophotometric assay for monitoring adenosine 5'-monophosphate production.

Science.gov (United States)

First, Eric A

2015-08-15

A number of biologically important enzymes release adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) as a product, including aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, cyclic AMP (cAMP) phosphodiesterases, ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like ligases, DNA ligases, coenzyme A (CoA) ligases, polyA deadenylases, and ribonucleases. In contrast to the abundance of assays available for monitoring the conversion of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to ADP, there are relatively few assays for monitoring the conversion of ATP (or cAMP) to AMP. In this article, we describe a homogeneous assay that continuously monitors the production of AMP. Specifically, we have coupled the conversion of AMP to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) (by AMP deaminase) to the oxidation of IMP (by IMP dehydrogenase). This results in the reduction of oxidized nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) to reduced nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NADH), allowing AMP formation to be monitored by the change in the absorbance at 340 nm. Changes in AMP concentrations of 5 μM or more can be reliably detected. The ease of use and relatively low expense make the AMP assay suitable for both high-throughput screening and kinetic analyses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Continuous Platform Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Ole Fiil

low risks and investments but also with relatively fuzzy results. When looking for new platform projects, it is important to make sure that the company and market is ready for the introduction of platforms, and to make sure that people from marketing and sales, product development, and downstream......, but continuous product family evolution challenges this strategy. The concept of continuous platform development is based on the fact that platform development should not be a one-time experience but rather an ongoing process of developing new platforms and updating existing ones, so that product family...

Continuous aryl alcohol oxidase production under growth-limited conditions using a trickle bed reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardo-Planas, Oscar; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Prade, Rolf A; Müller, Michael; Wilkins, Mark R

2018-05-01

An A. nidulans strain with a pyridoxine marker was used for continuous production of aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO) in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). Modified medium with reduced zinc, no copper, and 5 g/L ascorbic acid that reduced melanin production and increased AAO productivity under growth limited conditions was used. Two air flow rates, 0.11 L/min (0.1 vvm) and 1.1 L/min (1.0 vvm) were tested. More melanin formation and reduced protein productivity were observed with air flow rate of 1.1 L/min. Three random packings were used as support for the fungus inside the TBR column, two of which were hydrophobic and one which was hydrophilic, and three different dilution rates were tested. The use of GEA BCN 030 hydrophobic packing resulted in greater AAO yield and productivity than the other packings. Increasing dilution rates favored melanin formation and citric, lactic and succinic acid accumulation, which decreased AAO yield and productivity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cellular immune responses to HPV-18, -31, and -53 in healthy volunteers immunized with recombinant HPV-16 L1 virus-like particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, Ligia A.; Viscidi, Raphael; Harro, Clayton D.; Kemp, Troy J.; Garcia-Pineres, Alfonso J.; Trivett, Matthew; Demuth, Franklin; Lowy, Douglas R.; Schiller, John T.; Berzofsky, Jay A.; Hildesheim, Allan

2006-01-01

Human papillomavirus-like particles (HPV VLP) are candidate vaccines that have shown to be efficacious in reducing infection and inducing robust antiviral immunity. Neutralizing antibodies generated by vaccination are largely type-specific, but little is known about the type-specificity of cellular immune responses to VLP vaccination. To determine whether vaccination with HPV-16 L1VLP induces cellular immunity to heterologous HPV types (HPV-18, HPV-31, and HPV-53), we examined proliferative and cytokine responses in vaccine (n = 11) and placebo (n = 5) recipients. Increased proliferative and cytokine responses to heterologous types were observed postvaccination in some individuals. The proportion of women responding to heterologous types postvaccination (36%-55%) was lower than that observed in response to HPV-16 (73%). Response to HPV-16 VLP predicted response to other types. The strongest correlations in response were observed between HPV-16 and HPV-31, consistent with their phylogenetic relatedness. In summary, PBMC from HPV-16 VLP vaccine recipients can respond to L1VLP from heterologous HPV types, suggesting the presence of conserved T cell epitopes

Continuing investigations for technology assessment of 99Mo production from LEU [low enriched Uranium] targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandergrift, G.F.; Kwok, J.D.; Marshall, S.L.; Vissers, D.R.; Matos, J.E.

1987-01-01

Currently much of the world's supply of /sup 99m/Tc for medical purposes is produced from 99 Mo derived from the fissioning of high enriched uranium (HEU). The need for /sup 99m/Tc is continuing to grow, especially in developing countries, where needs and national priorities call for internal production of 99 Mo. This paper presents the results of our continuing studies on the effects of substituting low enriched Uranium (LEU) for HEU in targets for the production of fission product 99 Mo. Improvements in the electrodeposition of thin films of uranium metal are reported. These improvements continue to increase the appeal for the substitution of LEU metal for HEU oxide films in cylindrical targets. The process is effective for targets fabricated from stainless steel or hastaloy. A cost estimate for setting up the necessary equipment to electrodeposit uranium metal on cylindrical targets is reported. Further investigations on the effect of LEU substitution on processing of these targets are also reported. Substitution of uranium silicides for the uranium-aluminum alloy or uranium aluminide dispersed fuel used in other current target designs will allow the substitution of LEU for HEU in these targets with equivalent 99 Mo-yield per target and no change in target geometries. However, this substitution will require modifications in current processing steps due to (1) the insolubility of uranium silicides in alkaline solutions and (2) the presence of significant quantities of silicate in solution. Results to date suggest that both concerns can be handled and that substitution of LEU for HEU can be achieved

Lassa virus-like particles displaying all major immunological determinants as a vaccine candidate for Lassa hemorrhagic fever

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cashman Kathleen A

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lassa fever is a neglected tropical disease with significant impact on the health care system, society, and economy of Western and Central African nations where it is endemic. Treatment of acute Lassa fever infections has successfully utilized intravenous administration of ribavirin, a nucleotide analogue drug, but this is not an approved use; efficacy of oral administration has not been demonstrated. To date, several potential new vaccine platforms have been explored, but none have progressed toward clinical trials and commercialization. Therefore, the development of a robust vaccine platform that could be generated in sufficient quantities and at a low cost per dose could herald a subcontinent-wide vaccination program. This would move Lassa endemic areas toward the control and reduction of major outbreaks and endemic infections. To this end, we have employed efficient mammalian expression systems to generate a Lassa virus (LASV-like particle (VLP-based modular vaccine platform. Results A mammalian expression system that generated large quantities of LASV VLP in human cells at small scale settings was developed. These VLP contained the major immunological determinants of the virus: glycoprotein complex, nucleoprotein, and Z matrix protein, with known post-translational modifications. The viral proteins packaged into LASV VLP were characterized, including glycosylation profiles of glycoprotein subunits GP1 and GP2, and structural compartmentalization of each polypeptide. The host cell protein component of LASV VLP was also partially analyzed, namely glycoprotein incorporation, though the identity of these proteins remain unknown. All combinations of LASV Z, GPC, and NP proteins that generated VLP did not incorporate host cell ribosomes, a known component of native arenaviral particles, despite detection of small RNA species packaged into pseudoparticles. Although VLP did not contain the same host cell components as the native

Anaerobic treatment of apple waste with swine manure for biogas production: Batch and continuous operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kafle, Gopi Krishna; Kim, Sang Hun

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Apple waste (AW) was co-digested with swine manure (SM). ► Mixture of AW and SM produced a higher biogas yield than SM only. ► Mixture of AW and SM produced a higher biogas yield at 55 °C than at 36.5 °C. ► Modified Gompertz model best fitted to the substrates used. ► Positive synergetic effect up to 33% AW during continuous digestion. -- Abstract: This study evaluated the performance of anaerobic digesters using a mixture of apple waste (AW) and swine manure (SM). Tests were performed using both batch and continuous digesters. The batch test evaluated the gas potential, gas production rate of the AW and SM (Experiment I), and the effect of AW co-digestion with SM (33:67,% volatile solids (VSs) basis) (Experiment II) at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. The first-order kinetic model and modified Gompertz model were also evaluated for methane yield. The continuous test evaluated the performance of a single stage completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with different mixture ratios of AW and SM at mesophilic temperature. The ultimate biogas and methane productivity of AW in terms of total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) was determined to be 510 and 252 mL/g TCOD added, respectively. The mixture of AW and SM improved the biogas yield by approximately 16% and 48% at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures, respectively, compared to the use of SM only, but no significant difference was found in the methane yield. The difference between the predicted and measured methane yield was higher with a first order kinetic model (4.6–18.1%) than with a modified Gompertz model (1.2–3.4%). When testing continuous digestion, the methane yield increased from 146 to 190 mL/g TCOD added when the AW content in the feed was increased from 25% to 33% (VS basis) at a constant organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.6 g VS/L/d and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 30 days. However, the total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) accumulation increased rapidly and the p

Continuous Ethanol Production Using Immobilized-Cell/Enzyme Biocatalysts in Fluidized-Bed Bioreactor (FBR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nghiem, NP

2003-11-16

The immobilized-cell fluidized-bed bioreactor (FBR) was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Previous studies at ORNL using immobilized Zymomonas mobilis in FBR at both laboratory and demonstration scale (4-in-ID by 20-ft-tall) have shown that the system was more than 50 times as productive as industrial benchmarks (batch and fed-batch free cell fermentations for ethanol production from glucose). Economic analysis showed that a continuous process employing the FBR technology to produce ethanol from corn-derived glucose would offer savings of three to six cents per gallon of ethanol compared to a typical batch process. The application of the FBR technology for ethanol production was extended to investigate more complex feedstocks, which included starch and lignocellulosic-derived mixed sugars. Economic analysis and mathematical modeling of the reactor were included in the investigation. This report summarizes the results of these extensive studies.

Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Standard Product Generation and Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Micijevic, E.; Hayes, R.

2012-12-01

prefer uncorrected data a Level 0 Reformatted Product (L0Rp) product will be available. The standard L1T product for L8 will be a 16-bit, north up Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection, Cubic Convolution (CC) resampled, GeoTIFF file. The delivered tar file contains eight 30-meter OlI multispectral bands, one 15-meter OLI Panchromatic band, two TIRS thermal bands, a Quality Band (QB), a metadata file, and an Angle Band. The QB is a file that contains quality statistics from the image data and cloud mask for the scene. The metadata file contains information about the product ordered and is essential for the end user to know how that product was processed. The Angle Band is a binary image file that contains the solar angle information for the scene data collected. The L1T reflectance product bands will be generated with no sun angle correction applied. The angle band will enable an optional TOA reflectance calculation using the sun angles specific to each image pixel. This method was chosen to maintain continuity with Landsat products while allowing the users that require a per pixel sun angle correction to have that capability. An example of a L8 product can be downloaded from the Landsat website located at: http://landsat.usgs.gov/LDCM_DataProduct.php. The sample L8 product was created using Landsat 7 data projected onto a L8 grid and processed to LDCM data product specifications.

Continuous D-lactic acid production by a novel thermotolerant Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis QU 41.

Science.gov (United States)

Tashiro, Yukihiro; Kaneko, Wataru; Sun, Yanqi; Shibata, Keisuke; Inokuma, Kentaro; Zendo, Takeshi; Sonomoto, Kenji

2011-03-01

We isolated and characterized a D-lactic acid-producing lactic acid bacterium (D-LAB), identified as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis QU 41. When compared to Lactobacillus coryniformis subsp. torquens JCM 1166 (T) and L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis JCM 1248 (T), which are also known as D-LAB, the QU 41 strain exhibited a high thermotolerance and produced D-lactic acid at temperatures of 50 °C and higher. In order to optimize the culture conditions of the QU 41 strain, we examined the effects of pH control, temperature, neutralizing reagent, and initial glucose concentration on D-lactic acid production in batch cultures. It was found that the optimal production of 20.1 g/l D-lactic acid was acquired with high optical purity (>99.9% of D-lactic acid) in a pH 6.0-controlled batch culture, by adding ammonium hydroxide as a neutralizing reagent, at 43 °C in MRS medium containing 20 g/l glucose. As a result of product inhibition and low cell density, continuous cultures were investigated using a microfiltration membrane module to recycle flow-through cells in order to improve D-lactic acid productivity. At a dilution rate of 0.87 h(-1), the high cell density continuous culture exhibited the highest D-lactic acid productivity of 18.0 g/l/h with a high yield (ca. 1.0 g/g consumed glucose) and a low residual glucose (<0.1 g/l) in comparison with systems published to date.

A novel virus-like particle based vaccine platform displaying the placental malaria antigen VAR2CSA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thrane, Susan; Janitzek, Christoph M; Agerbæk, Mette Ø

2015-01-01

, this difference was not statistically significant after 3rd immunization. Importantly, the VLP-VAR2CSA induced antibodies were functional in inhibiting the binding of parasites to CSA. This study demonstrates that the described Avi-L1 VLP-platform may serve as a versatile system for facilitating optimal VLP......SA-VAR2CSA vaccines induced higher antibody titers than the soluble naked VAR2CSA vaccine after three immunizations. The VAR2CSA Avi-L1 VLP vaccine induced statistically significantly higher endpoint titres compared to the soluble mSA-VAR2CSA vaccine, after 1st and 2nd immunization; however...

Sustainable MSD prevention: management for continuous improvement between prevention and production. Ergonomic intervention in two assembly line companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Caroly, S; Coutarel, F; Landry, A; Mary-Cheray, I

2010-07-01

To increase output and meet customers' needs, companies have turned to the development of production management systems: Kaizen, one piece flow, Kanban, etc. The aim of such systems is to accelerate decisions, react to environmental issues and manage various productions. In the main, this type of management system has led to the continuous improvement of production performance. Consequently, such production management systems can have unexpected negative effects on operators' health and safety. Conversely, regulation and control systems focusing on work-related risks have obliged firms to implement health and safety management systems such as OHSAS 18001. The purpose of this type of system, also based on continuous improvement, is to reduce risks, facilitate work-related activities and identify solutions in terms of equipment and tools. However, the prevention actions introduced through health and safety systems often result in other unexpected and unwanted effects on production. This paper shows how companies can improve the way they are run by taking into account both types of management system. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous determination of volatile products in anaerobic fermenters by on-line capillary gas chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamantis, V.; Melidis, P.; Aivasidis, A.

2006-01-01

Bio-ethanol and biogas produced during the anaerobic conversion of organic compounds has been a subject of great interest since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In ethanol fermentation and anaerobic treatment of wastewaters, end-product (ethanol) and intermediate-products (short-chain fatty acids, SCFA) cause inhibition that results in reduced process efficiency. Control of these constituents is of utmost importance for bioreactor optimization and process stability. Ethanol and SCFA can be detected with precision by capillary gas chromatography usually conducted in off-line measurements. In this work, an on-line monitoring and controlling system was developed and connected to the fermenter via an auto-sampling equipment, which could perform the feeding, filtration and dilution of the sample and final injection into the gas chromatograph through an automation-based programmed procedure. The sample was continuously pumped from the recycle stream of the bioreactor and treated using a microfiltration unit. The concentrate was returned to the reactor while the permeate was quantitatively mixed with an internal standard solution. The system comprised of a gas chromatograph with the flow cell and one-shot sampler and a PC with the appropriate software. The on-line measurement of ethanol and SCFA, directly from the liquid phase of an ethanol fermenter and a high-rate continuous mode anaerobic digester, was accomplished by gas chromatography. Also, this monitoring and controlling system was proved to be effective in the continuous fermentation of alcohol-free beer

Enhancement of mucosal immune responses by chimeric influenza HA/SHIV virus-like particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Lizheng; Lu Xiaoyan; Kang, S.-M.; Chen Changyi; Compans, Richard W.; Yao Qizhi

2003-01-01

To enhance mucosal immune responses using simian/human immunodeficiency virus-like particles (SHIV VLPs), we have produced novel phenotypically mixed chimeric influenza HA/SHIV VLPs and used them to immunize C57BL/6J mice intranasally. Antibody and cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses as well as cytokine production in both systemic and mucosal sites were compared after immunization with SHIV VLPs or chimeric HA/SHIV VLPs. By using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the levels of serum IgG and mucosal IgA to the HIV envelope protein (Env) were found to be highest in the group immunized with chimeric HA/SHIV VLPs. Furthermore, the highest titer of serum neutralizing antibody against HIV Env was found with the group immunized with chimeric HA/SHIV VLPs. Analysis of the IgG1/IgG2a ratio indicated that a T H 1-oriented immune response resulted from these VLP immunizations. HA/SHIV VLP-immunized mice also showed significantly higher CTL responses than those observed in SHIV VLP-immunized mice. Moreover, a MHC class I restricted T-cell activation ELISPOT assay showed a mixed type of T H 1/T H 2 cytokines in the HA/SHIV VLP-immunized mice, indicating that the chimeric VLPs can enhance both humoral and cellular immune responses to the HIV Env protein at multiple mucosal and systemic sites. The results indicate that incorporation of influenza HA into heterotypic VLPs may be highly effective for targeting vaccines to mucosal surfaces

Continuous process of powder production for MOX fuel fabrication according to ''granat'' technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morkovnikov, V.E.; Raginskiy, L.S.; Pavlinov, A.P.; Chernov, V.A.; Revyakin, V.V.; Varykhanov, V.S.; Revnov, V.N.

2000-01-01

During last years the problem of commercial MOX fuel fabrication for nuclear reactors in Russia was solved in a number of directions. The paper deals with the solution of the problem of creating a continuous pilot plant for the production of MOX fuel powders on the basis of the home technology 'Granat', that was tested before on a small-scale pilot-commercial batch-operated plant of the same name and confirmed good results. (authors)

Versatile, High Quality and Scalable Continuous Flow Production of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio-Martinez, Marta; Batten, Michael P.; Polyzos, Anastasios; Carey, Keri-Constanti; Mardel, James I.; Lim, Kok-Seng; Hill, Matthew R.

2014-01-01

Further deployment of Metal-Organic Frameworks in applied settings requires their ready preparation at scale. Expansion of typical batch processes can lead to unsuccessful or low quality synthesis for some systems. Here we report how continuous flow chemistry can be adapted as a versatile route to a range of MOFs, by emulating conditions of lab-scale batch synthesis. This delivers ready synthesis of three different MOFs, with surface areas that closely match theoretical maxima, with production rates of 60 g/h at extremely high space-time yields. PMID:24962145

Modifying the Toyota Production System for continuous performance improvement in an academic children's hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, F Bruder; Hendricks, James; Hagan, Patrick; DelBeccaro, Mark

2009-08-01

The Toyota Production System (TPS) has become a successful model for improving efficiency and eliminating errors in manufacturing processes. In an effort to provide patients and families with the highest quality clinical care, our academic children's hospital has modified the techniques of the TPS for a program in continuous performance improvement (CPI) and has expanded its application to educational and research programs. Over a period of years, physicians, nurses, residents, administrators, and hospital staff have become actively engaged in a culture of continuous performance improvement. This article provides background into the methods of CPI and describes examples of how we have applied these methods for improvement in clinical care, resident teaching, and research administration.

Mathematical modelling and optimization of hydrogen continuous production in a fixed bed bioreactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palazzi, E.; Perego, P.; Fabiano, B. [University of Genoa, Genova (Italy). Chemical and Process Engineering Department ' G.B. Bonino'

2002-09-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, both theoretically and experimentally, hydrogen production from agro-industrial by-products using a continuous bioreactor packed with a mixture of spongy and glass beads and inoculated with Enterobacter aerogenes. Replicated series of experimental runs were performed to study the effects of residence time on hydrogen evolution rate and to characterize the critical conditions for the wash out, as a function of the inlet glucose concentration and of the fluid superficial velocity. A further series of experimental runs was focused on the effects of both residence time and inlet glucose concentration over hydrogen productivity. A kinetic model of the process was developed and showed good agreement with experimental data, thus representing a potential tool to design a large-scale fermenter. In fact, the model was applied to the optimal design of a bioreactor suitable of feeding a phosphoric acid fuel cell of a target power. (author)

Continuous biohydrogen production from fruit wastewater at low pH conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Diamantis, Vasileios; Khan, Abid; Ntougias, Spyridon; Stamatelatou, Katerina; Kapagiannidis, Anastasios G; Aivasidis, Alexander

2013-07-01

Biohydrogen production from a simulated fruit wastewater (soluble COD = 3.17 ± 0.10 g L⁻¹) was carried out in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) of 2 L operational volume without biomass inoculation, heat pre-treatment or pH adjustment, resulting in a low operational pH (3.75 ± 0.09). The hydraulic retention time (HRT) varied from 15 to 5 h. A strong negative correlation (p CSTR was operated under the same HRT. The biogas hydrogen content was estimated as high as 55.8 ± 2.3 % and 55.4 ± 2.5 % at 25 and 30 °C, respectively. The main fermentation end products were acetic and butyric acids, followed by ethanol. Significant differences (p CSTR at 25 or 30 °C were identified for butyric acid at almost all HRTs examined. Simulation of the acidogenesis process in the CSTR (based on COD and carbon balances) indicated the possible metabolic compounds produced at 25 and 30 °C reactions and provided an adequate fit of the experimental data.

The continuous process – social production of architecture in Hestnes Ferreira

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Saraiva

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article aims at describing the continuous process in the social production of the architecture of Raúl Hestnes Ferreira. The neorealist ideology defended by his father and followed by the family, as well as the values of freedom, democracy and respect for the others, built his personality and his humanistic character. His cross-cultural career in Portugal, Finland and the United States of America was instrumental in building his architectural lexicon. In order to illustrate these influences, four housing works with different conceptual dimensions are presented such as laboratorial experiments: the José Gomes Ferreira House in Albarraque (1960-1961, the Twin Housing in Queijas (1967-1973, finishing with the presentation of two social housing experiences, namely, the neighborhood Fonsecas and Calçada (1974-1986 under the SAAL project in Lisbon and the João Barbeiro Housing Unit (1978-1987 in Beja. In Hestnes Ferreira, the social production of architecture was not a consequence, nor an anticipation, but a fact that by the simultaneity, defined and characterized his architecture.

Effect of organic loading rate on dark fermentative hydrogen production in the continuous stirred tank reactor and continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactor from waste pastry hydrolysate.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; Hu, Yunyi; Li, Shiyi; Nie, Qiulin; Zhao, Hongting; Tang, Junhong

2016-12-01

Waste pastry (6%, w/v) was hydrolyzed by the produced glucoamylase and protease to obtain the glucose (19.8g/L) and free amino nitrogen (179mg/L) solution. Then, the effect of organic loading rate (OLR) (8-40kgCOD/(m 3 d)) on dark fermentative hydrogen production in the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactor (CMISR) from waste pastry hydrolysate was investigated and compared. The maximum hydrogen production rate of CSTR (277.76mL/(hL)) and CMISR (320.2mL/(hL)) were achieved at OLR of 24kgCOD/(m 3 d) and 32kgCOD/(m 3 d), respectively. Carbon recovery ranged from 75.2-84.1% in the CSTR and CMISR with the balance assumed to be converted to biomass. One gram waste pastry could produce 0.33g (1.83mmol) glucose which could be further converted to 79.24mL (3.54mmol) hydrogen in the CMISR or 91.66mL (4.09mmol) hydrogen in the CSTR. This is the first study which reports dark fermentative hydrogen production from waste pastry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous production of nanostructured particles using spatial atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ommen, J. Ruud van; Kooijman, Dirkjan; Niet, Mark de; Talebi, Mojgan; Goulas, Aristeidis

2015-01-01

In this paper, the authors demonstrate a novel spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) process based on pneumatic transport of nanoparticle agglomerates. Nanoclusters of platinum (Pt) of ∼1 nm diameter are deposited onto titania (TiO 2 ) P25 nanoparticles resulting to a continuous production of an active photocatalyst (0.12–0.31 wt. % of Pt) at a rate of about 1 g min −1 . Tuning the precursor injection velocity (10–40 m s −1 ) enhances the contact between the precursor and the pneumatically transported support flows. Decreasing the chemisorption temperature (from 250 to 100 °C) results in more uniform distribution of the Pt nanoclusters as it decreases the reaction rate as compared to the rate of diffusion into the nanoparticle agglomerates. Utilizing this photocatalyst in the oxidation reaction of Acid Blue 9 showed a factor of five increase of the photocatalytic activity compared to the native P25 nanoparticles. The use of spatial particle ALD can be further expanded to deposition of nanoclusters on porous, micron-sized particles and to the production of core–shell nanoparticles enabling the robust and scalable manufacturing of nanostructured powders for catalysis and other applications

Development of an advanced continuous mild gasification process for the production of coproducts. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merriam, N.W.; Jha, M.C.

1991-11-01

This report is a final brief summary of development of a mild-gasification and char conversion process. Morgantown Energy Technology Center developed a concept called mild gasification. In this concept, devolatilization of coal under nonoxidizing and relatively mild temperature and pressure conditions can yield three marketable products: (1) a high-heating-value gas, (2) a high-aromatic coal liquid, and (3) a high-carbon char. The objective of this program is to develop an advanced, continuous, mild-gasification process to produce products that will make the concept economically and environmentally viable. (VC)

A Novel Virus-Like Particle Based Vaccine Platform Displaying the Placental Malaria Antigen VAR2CSA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan Thrane

Full Text Available Placental malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of mortality and severe morbidity. Clinical testing of a soluble protein-based vaccine containing the parasite ligand, VAR2CSA, has been initiated. VAR2CSA binds to the human receptor chondroitin sulphate A (CSA and is responsible for sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes in the placenta. It is imperative that a vaccine against malaria in pregnancy, if administered to women before they become pregnant, can induce a strong and long lasting immune response. While most soluble protein-based vaccines have failed during clinical testing, virus-like particle (VLP based vaccines (e.g., the licensed human papillomavirus vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy, suggesting that the spatial assembly of the vaccine antigen is a critical parameter for inducing an optimal long-lasting protective immune response. We have developed a VLP vaccine display platform by identifying regions of the HPV16 L1 coat protein where a biotin acceptor site (AviTagTM can be inserted without compromising VLP-assembly. Subsequent biotinylation of Avi-L1 VLPs allow us to anchor monovalent streptavidin (mSA-fused proteins to the biotin, thereby obtaining a dense and repetitive VLP-display of the vaccine antigen. The mSA-VAR2CSA antigen was delivered on the Avi-L1 VLP platform and tested in C57BL/6 mice in comparison to two soluble protein-based vaccines consisting of naked VAR2CSA and mSA-VAR2CSA. The mSA-VAR2CSA Avi-L1 VLP and soluble mSA-VAR2CSA vaccines induced higher antibody titers than the soluble naked VAR2CSA vaccine after three immunizations. The VAR2CSA Avi-L1 VLP vaccine induced statistically significantly higher endpoint titres compared to the soluble mSA-VAR2CSA vaccine, after 1st and 2nd immunization; however, this difference was not statistically significant after 3rd immunization. Importantly, the VLP-VAR2CSA induced antibodies were functional in inhibiting the binding of

Continued SOFC cell and stack technology and improved production methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wandel, M.; Brodersen, K.; Phair, J. (and others)

2009-05-15

Within this project significant results are obtained on a number of very diverse areas ranging from development of cell production, metallic creep in interconnect to assembling and test of stacks with foot print larger than 500 cm2. Out of 38 milestones 28 have been fulfilled and 10 have been partly fulfilled. This project has focused on three main areas: 1) The continued cell development and optimization of manufacturing processes aiming at production of large foot-print cells, improving cell performance and development environmentally more benign production methods. 2) Stack technology - especially stacks with large foot print and improving the stack design with respect to flow geometry and gas leakages. 3) Development of stack components with emphasis on sealing (for 2G as well as 3G), interconnect (coat, architecture and creep) and test development. Production of cells with a foot print larger than 500 cm2 is very difficult due to the brittleness of the cells and great effort has been put into this topic. Eight cells were successfully produced making it possible to assemble and test a real stack thereby giving valuable results on the prospects of stacks with large foot print. However, the yield rate is very low and a significant development to increase this yield lies ahead. Several lessons were learned on the stack level regarding 'large foot print' stacks. Modelling studies showed that the width of the cell primarily is limited by production and handling of the cell whereas the length (in the flow direction) is limited by e.g. pressure drop and necessary manifolding. The optimal cell size in the flow direction was calculated to be between approx20 cm and < 30 cm. From an economical point of view the production yield is crucial and stacks with large foot print cell area are only feasible if the cell production yield is significantly enhanced. Co-casting has been pursued as a production technique due to the possibilities in large scale production

Preparation of quadri-subtype influenza virus-like particles using bovine immunodeficiency virus gag protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tretyakova, Irina; Hidajat, Rachmat; Hamilton, Garrett; Horn, Noah; Nickols, Brian; Prather, Raphael O. [Medigen, Inc., 8420 Gas House Pike, Suite S, Frederick, MD (United States); Tumpey, Terrence M. [Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta, GA (United States); Pushko, Peter, E-mail: ppushko@medigen-usa.com [Medigen, Inc., 8420 Gas House Pike, Suite S, Frederick, MD (United States)

2016-01-15

Influenza VLPs comprised of hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and matrix (M1) proteins have been previously used for immunological and virological studies. Here we demonstrated that influenza VLPs can be made in Sf9 cells by using the bovine immunodeficiency virus gag (Bgag) protein in place of M1. We showed that Bgag can be used to prepare VLPs for several influenza subtypes including H1N1 and H10N8. Furthermore, by using Bgag, we prepared quadri-subtype VLPs, which co-expressed within the VLP the four HA subtypes derived from avian-origin H5N1, H7N9, H9N2 and H10N8 viruses. VLPs showed hemagglutination and neuraminidase activities and reacted with specific antisera. The content and co-localization of each HA subtype within the quadri-subtype VLP were evaluated. Electron microscopy showed that Bgag-based VLPs resembled influenza virions with the diameter of 150–200 nm. This is the first report of quadri-subtype design for influenza VLP and the use of Bgag for influenza VLP preparation. - Highlights: • BIV gag protein was configured as influenza VLP core component. • Recombinant influenza VLPs were prepared in Sf9 cells using baculovirus expression system. • Single- and quadri-subtype VLPs were prepared by using BIV gag as a VLP core. • Co-localization of H5, H7, H9, and H10 HA was confirmed within quadri-subtype VLP. • Content of HA subtypes within quadri-subtype VLP was determined. • Potential advantages of quadri-subtype VLPs as influenza vaccine are discussed.

Effects of pre-existing anti-carrier immunity and antigenic element multiplicity on efficacy of a modular virus-like particle vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuan, Yap P; Rivera-Hernandez, Tania; Wibowo, Nani; Connors, Natalie K; Wu, Yang; Hughes, Fiona K; Lua, Linda H L; Middelberg, Anton P J

2013-09-01

Modularization of a peptide antigen for presentation on a microbially synthesized murine polyomavirus (MuPyV) virus-like particle (VLP) offers a new alternative for rapid and low-cost vaccine delivery at a global scale. In this approach, heterologous modules containing peptide antigenic elements are fused to and displayed on the VLP carrier, allowing enhancement of peptide immunogenicity via ordered and densely repeated presentation of the modules. This study addresses two key engineering questions pertaining to this platform, exploring the effects of (i) pre-existing carrier-specific immunity on modular VLP vaccine effectiveness and (ii) increase in the antigenic element number per VLP on peptide-specific immune response. These effects were studied in a mouse model and with modular MuPyV VLPs presenting a group A streptococcus (GAS) peptide antigen, J8i. The data presented here demonstrate that immunization with a modular VLP could induce high levels of J8i-specific antibodies despite a strong pre-existing anti-carrier immune response. Doubling of the J8i antigenic element number per VLP did not enhance J8i immunogenicity at a constant peptide dose. However, the strategy, when used in conjunction with increased VLP dose, could effectively increase the peptide dose up to 10-fold, leading to a significantly higher J8i-specific antibody titer. This study further supports feasibility of the MuPyV modular VLP vaccine platform by showing that, in the absence of adjuvant, modularized GAS antigenic peptide at a dose as low as 150 ng was sufficient to raise a high level of peptide-specific IgGs indicative of bactericidal activity. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preparation of quadri-subtype influenza virus-like particles using bovine immunodeficiency virus gag protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tretyakova, Irina; Hidajat, Rachmat; Hamilton, Garrett; Horn, Noah; Nickols, Brian; Prather, Raphael O.; Tumpey, Terrence M.; Pushko, Peter

2016-01-01

Influenza VLPs comprised of hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and matrix (M1) proteins have been previously used for immunological and virological studies. Here we demonstrated that influenza VLPs can be made in Sf9 cells by using the bovine immunodeficiency virus gag (Bgag) protein in place of M1. We showed that Bgag can be used to prepare VLPs for several influenza subtypes including H1N1 and H10N8. Furthermore, by using Bgag, we prepared quadri-subtype VLPs, which co-expressed within the VLP the four HA subtypes derived from avian-origin H5N1, H7N9, H9N2 and H10N8 viruses. VLPs showed hemagglutination and neuraminidase activities and reacted with specific antisera. The content and co-localization of each HA subtype within the quadri-subtype VLP were evaluated. Electron microscopy showed that Bgag-based VLPs resembled influenza virions with the diameter of 150–200 nm. This is the first report of quadri-subtype design for influenza VLP and the use of Bgag for influenza VLP preparation. - Highlights: • BIV gag protein was configured as influenza VLP core component. • Recombinant influenza VLPs were prepared in Sf9 cells using baculovirus expression system. • Single- and quadri-subtype VLPs were prepared by using BIV gag as a VLP core. • Co-localization of H5, H7, H9, and H10 HA was confirmed within quadri-subtype VLP. • Content of HA subtypes within quadri-subtype VLP was determined. • Potential advantages of quadri-subtype VLPs as influenza vaccine are discussed.

High efficiency cell-recycle continuous sodium gluconate production by Aspergillus niger using on-line physiological parameters association analysis to regulate feed rate rationally.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Fei; Li, Chao; Wang, Zejian; Zhao, Wei; Chu, Ju; Zhuang, Yingping; Zhang, Siliang

2016-11-01

In this paper, a system of cell-recycle continuous fermentation for sodium gluconate (SG) production by Aspergillus niger (A. niger) was established. Based on initial continuous fermentation result (100.0h) with constant feed rate, an automatic feedback strategy to regulate feed rate using on-line physiological parameters (OUR and DO) was proposed and applied successfully for the first time in the improved continuous fermentation (240.5h). Due to less auxiliary time, highest SG production rate (31.05±0.29gL(-1)h(-1)) and highest yield (0.984±0.067molmol(-1)), overall SG production capacity (975.8±5.8gh(-1)) in 50-L fermentor of improved continuous fermentation increased more than 300.0% compared to that of batch fermentation. Improvement of mass transfer and dispersed mycelia morphology were the two major reasons responsible for the high SG production rate. This system had been successfully applied to industrial fermentation and SG production was greatly improved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rotavirus-Like Particles: A Novel Nanocarrier for the Gut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naima G. Cortes-Perez

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The delivery of bioactive molecules directly to damaged tissues represents a technological challenge. We propose here a new system based on virus-like particles (VLP from rotavirus, with a marked tropism for the gut to deliver bio-active molecules to intestinal cells. For this, nonreplicative VLP nanoparticles were constructed using a baculovirus expression system and used to deliver an exogenous biomolecule, the green fluorescent protein (GFP, into either MA104 cells or intestinal cells from healthy and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS-treated mice. Our results show that expression of rotavirus capsid proteins in baculovirus led to the auto assembly of VLP that display similar properties to rotavirus. In vitro experiments showed that VLP were able to enter into MA104 cells and deliver the reporter protein. Intragastric administration of fluorescent VLP in healthy and TNBS-treated mice resulted in the detection of GFP and viral proteins in intestinal samples. Our results demonstrate an efficient entry of non-replicative rotavirus VLP into the epithelial cell line MA104 and provide the first in vivo evidence of the potential of these nanoparticles as a promising safe candidate for drug delivery to intestinal cells.

Continuous production of lactic acid from molasses by perfusion culture of Lactococcus lactis using a stirred ceramic membrane reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohashi, R; Yamamoto, T; Suzuki, T

1999-01-01

A perfusion culture system was used for continuous production of lactic acid by retaining cells at a high density of Lactococcus lactis in a stirred ceramic membrane reactor (SCMR). After the cell concentration increased to 248 g/l, half of the culture broth volume was replaced with the fermentation medium. Subsequently, a substrate solution containing glucose (run 1) or molasses (run 2) was continuously supplied to the cells retained in the SCMR. Simultaneously, the culture supernatant was extracted using a ceramic filter with a pore size of 0.2 mum. The dilution rate was initially set at 0.4 h(-1) and gradually decreased to 0.2 h(-1) due to reduction in the permeability of the filter. The concentration of glucose in the substrate solution was adjusted to 60 g/l for the transition and the first period until 240 h, 90 g/l for the second period from 240 h to 440 h, and 70 g/l for the third period from 440 h to 643 h. The average concentration of lactic acid in the filtrate reached 46 g/l in the first period, 43 g/l in the second period, and 33 g/l for the third period. The productivity obtained for the first period reached 15.8 g.l(-1).h(-1), twice as much as that achieved in repeated batch fermentations. Based on the results obtained in run 1, the substrate solution containing 120 g/l of molasses was continuously supplied for 240 h in run 2. The concentration and productivity of lactic acid reached 40 g/l and 10.6 g.l(-1).h(-1), respectively, by continuously replenishing the culture medium at a dilution rate of 0.26 h(-1). These results demonstrated that the filtration capacity of the SCMR was sufficient for a continuous and rapid replenishment of molasses solution from the dense cell culture and, therefore, the perfusion culture system is considered to provide a low-cost process for continuous production of lactic acid from cheap resources.

Genotype I of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Virus-like Particles Elicit Sterilizing Immunity against Genotype I and III Viral Challenge in Swine.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yi-Chin; Chen, Jo-Mei; Lin, Jen-Wei; Chen, Yi-Ying; Wu, Guan-Hong; Su, Kuan-Hsuan; Chiou, Ming-Tang; Wu, Shang-Rung; Yin, Ji-Hang; Liao, Jiunn-Wang; Chang, Gwong-Jen J; Chiou, Shyan-Song

2018-05-10

Swine are a critical amplifying host involved in human Japanese encephalitis (JE) outbreaks. Cross-genotypic immunogenicity and sterile protection are important for the current genotype III (GIII) virus-derived vaccines in swine, especially now that emerging genotype I (GI) JE virus (JEV) has replaced GIII virus as the dominant strain. Herein, we aimed to develop a system to generate GI JEV virus-like particles (VLPs) and evaluate the immunogenicity and protection of the GI vaccine candidate in mice and specific pathogen-free swine. A CHO-heparan sulfate-deficient (CHO-HS(-)) cell clone, named 51-10 clone, stably expressing GI-JEV VLP was selected and continually secreted GI VLPs without signs of cell fusion. 51-10 VLPs formed a homogeneously empty-particle morphology and exhibited similar antigenic activity as GI virus. GI VLP-immunized mice showed balanced cross-neutralizing antibody titers against GI to GIV viruses (50% focus-reduction micro-neutralization assay titers 71 to 240) as well as potent protection against GI or GIII virus infection. GI VLP-immunized swine challenged with GI or GIII viruses showed no fever, viremia, or viral RNA in tonsils, lymph nodes, and brains as compared with phosphate buffered saline-immunized swine. We thus conclude GI VLPs can provide sterile protection against GI and GIII viruses in swine.

Evaluation of Packed-Bed Reactor and Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor for the Production of Colchicine Derivatives

OpenAIRE

Dubey, Kashyap Kumar; Kumar, Dhirendra; Kumar, Punit; Haque, Shafiul; Jawed, Arshad

2013-01-01

Bioconversion of colchicine into its pharmacologically active derivative 3-demethylated colchicine (3-DMC) mediated by P450BM3 enzyme is an economic and promising strategy for the production of this inexpensive and potent anticancer drug. Continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and packed-bed reactor (PBR) of 3 L and 2 L total volumes were compared for the production of 3-demethylated colchicine (3-DMC) a colchicine derivative using Bacillus megaterium MTCC*420 under aerobic conditions. Statis...

Learning barriers in continuous product innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gieskes, J.F.B.; Hyland, Paul W.

2003-01-01

In today's dynamic and turbulent environment companies are required to increase their effectiveness and efficiency, exploit synergy and learn product innovation processes in order to build competitive advantage. To be able to stimulate and facilitate learning in product innovation, it is necessary

Studies on quantitative physiology of Trichoderma reesei with two-stage continuous culture for cellulase production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, D; Andreotti, R; Mandels, M; Gallo, B; Reese, E T

1979-11-01

By employing a two-stage continuous-culture system, some of the more important physiological parameters involved in cellulase biosynthesis have been evaluated with an ultimate objective of designing an optimally controlled cellulase process. The two-stage continuous-culture system was run for a period of 1350 hr with Trichoderma reesei strain MCG-77. The temperature and pH were controlled at 32/sup 0/C and pH 4.5 for the first stage (growth) and 28/sup 0/C and pH 3.5 for the second stage (enzyme production). Lactose was the only carbon source for both stages. The ratio of specific uptake rate of carbon to that of nitrogen, Q(C)/Q(N), that supported good cell growth ranged from 11 to 15, and the ratio for maximum specific enzyme productivity ranged from 5 to 13. The maintenance coefficients determined for oxygen, M/sub 0/, and for carbon source, M/sub c/, are 0.85 mmol O/sub 2//g biomass/hr and 0.14 mmol hexose/g biomass/hr, respectively. The yield constants determined are: Y/sub X/O/ = 32.3 g biomass/mol O/sub 2/, Y/sub X/C/ = 1.1 g biomass/g C or Y/sub X/C/ = 0.44 g biomass/g hexose, Y/sub X/N/ = 12.5 g biomass/g nitrogen for the cell growth stage, and Y/sub X/N/ = 16.6 g biomass/g nitrogen for the enzyme production stage. Enzyme was produced only in the second stage. Volumetric and specific enzyme productivities obtained were 90 IU/liter/hrand 8 IU/g biomass/hr, respectively. The maximum specific enzyme productivity observed was 14.8 IU/g biomass/hr. The optimal dilution rate in the second stage that corresponded to the maximum enzyme productivity was 0.026 approx. 0.028 hr/sup -1/, and the specific growth rate in the second stage that supported maximum specific enzyme productivity was equal to or slightly less than zero.

Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production involving continuous processes – A process system engineering (PSE)-assisted design framework

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili; Skovby, Tommy; Kiil, Søren

2012-01-01

and fermentation-based products. The method exploits the synergic combination of continuous flow technologies (e.g., microfluidic techniques) and process systems engineering (PSE) methods and tools for faster process design and increased process understanding throughout the whole drug product and process...... kg of product – was reduced to half of its initial value, with potential for further reduction. The case-study includes reaction steps typically used by the pharmaceutical industry featuring different characteristic reaction times, as well as L–L separation and distillation-based solvent exchange...

Plants under continuous light

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velez Ramirez, A.I.; Ieperen, van W.; Vreugdenhill, D.; Millenaar, F.F.

2011-01-01

Continuous light is an essential tool for understanding the plant circadian clock. Additionally, continuous light might increase greenhouse food production. However, using continuous light in research and practice has its challenges. For instance, most of the circadian clock-oriented experiments

Unexpected Modulation of Recall B and T Cell Responses after Immunization with Rotavirus-like Particles in the Presence of LT-R192G

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christelle Basset

2010-08-01

Full Text Available LT-R192G, a mutant of the thermolabile enterotoxin of E. coli, is a potent adjuvant of immunization. Immune responses are generally analyzed at the end of protocols including at least 2 administrations, but rarely after a prime. To investigate this point, we compared B and T cell responses in mice after one and two intrarectal immunizations with 2/6 rotavirus-like particles (2/6-VLP and LT-R192G. After a boost, we found, an unexpected lower B cell expansion measured by flow cytometry, despite a secondary antibody response. We then analyzed CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs and CD4+CD25+Foxp3− helper T cells after in vitro (restimulation of mesenteric lymph node cells with the antigen (2/6-VLP, the adjuvant (LT-R192G or both. 2/6-VLP did not activate CD4+CD25+Foxp3− nor Foxp3+ T cells from non-immunized and 2/6-VLP immunized mice, whereas they did activate both subsets from mice immunized with 2/6-VLP in the presence of adjuvant. LT-R192G dramatically decreased CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells from non-immunized and 2/6-VLP immunized mice but not from mice immunized with 2/6-VLP and adjuvant. Moreover, in this case, LT-R192G increased Foxp3 expression on CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells, suggesting specific Treg activation during the recall. Finally, when both 2/6-VLP and LT-R192G were used for restimulation, LT-R192G clearly suppressed both 2/6-VLP-specific CD4+CD25+Foxp3− and Foxp3+ T cells. All together, these results suggest that LT-R192G exerts different effects on CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells, depending on a first or a second contact. The unexpected immunomodulation observed during the recall should be considered in designing vaccination protocols.

Reaction Acceleration in Thin Films with Continuous Product Deposition for Organic Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhenwei; Wleklinski, Michael; Ferreira, Christina; Cooks, R Graham

2017-08-01

Thin film formats are used to study the Claisen-Schmidt base-catalyzed condensation of 6-hydroxy-1-indanone with substituted benzaldehydes and to compare the reaction acceleration relative to the bulk. Relative acceleration factors initially exceeded 10 3 and were on the order of 10 2 at steady state, although the confined volume reaction was not electrostatically driven. Substituent effects were muted compared to those in the corresponding bulk and microdroplet reactions and it is concluded that the rate-limiting step at steady state is reagent transport to the interface. Conditions were found that allowed product deposition from the thin film to occur continuously as the reaction mixture was added and as the solvent evaporated. Yields of 74 % and production rates of 98 mg h -1 were reached in a very simple experimental system that could be multiplexed to greater scales. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

PDCA cycle as a part of continuous improvement in the production company - a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Jagusiak-Kocik

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a case study of the practical use of Deming cycle in a manufacturing company, from the plastics processing industry, from the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises. The paper is a study of literature in the field of continuous improvement and characterized by a cycle of continuous improvement, called the Deming cycle, or PDCA cycle. This cycle was used as a solution to quality problems which occurred during production of photo frames: discolorations and scorches on the surface of the frame. When measures were introduced to reduce the number of nonconformities, a decrease by more than 60% was observed.

Evaluation of tritium production rate in a gas-cooled reactor with continuous tritium recovery system for fusion reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuura, Hideaki, E-mail: mat@nucl.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Nakaya, Hiroyuki; Nakao, Yasuyuki [Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Shimakawa, Satoshi; Goto, Minoru; Nakagawa, Shigeaki [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4002 Oarai, Ibaraki 311-1393 (Japan); Nishikawa, Masabumi [Graduate School of Engineering Science, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan)

2013-10-15

Highlights: • The performance of a gas-cooled reactor as a tritium production system was studied. • A continuous tritium recovery using helium gas was considered. • Gas-cooled reactors with 3 GW output in all can produce ∼6 kg of tritium in a year • Performance of the system was examined for Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}, Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} and LiAlO{sub 2} compounds. -- Abstract: The performance of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor as a tritium production with continuous tritium recovery system is examined. A gas turbine high-temperature reactor of 300-MWe (600 MW) nominal capacity (GTHTR300) is assumed as the calculation target, and using the continuous-energy Monte Carlo transport code MVP-BURN, burn-up simulations for the three-dimensional entire-core region of the GTHTR300 were performed. A Li loading pattern for the continuous tritium recovery system in the gas-cooled reactor is presented. It is shown that module gas-cooled reactors with a total thermal output power of 3 GW in all can produce ∼6 kg of tritium maximum in a year.

Virus-like particle vaccine primes immune responses preventing inactivated-virus vaccine-enhanced disease against respiratory syncytial virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Hye Suk; Lee, Young-Tae; Kim, Ki-Hye; Ko, Eun-Ju; Lee, Youri; Kwon, Young-Man; Kang, Sang-Moo

2017-11-01

Formalin inactivated respiratory syncytial virus (FI-RSV) vaccination caused vaccine-enhanced respiratory disease (ERD) upon exposure to RSV in children. Virus-like particles presenting RSV F fusion protein (F VLP) are known to increase T helper type-1 (Th1) immune responses and avoid ERD in animal models. We hypothesized that F VLP would prime immune responses preventing ERD upon subsequent exposure to ERD-prone FI-RSV. Here, we demonstrated that heterologous F VLP priming and FI-RSV boosting of mice prevented FI-RSV vaccine-enhanced lung inflammation and eosinophilia upon RSV challenge. F VLP priming redirected pulmonary T cells toward effector CD8 T cells producing Th1 cytokines and significantly suppressed pulmonary Th2 cytokines. This study suggests that RSV F VLP priming would modulate and shift immune responses to subsequent exposure to ERD-prone FI-RSV vaccine and RSV infection, suppressing Th2 immune-mediated pulmonary histopathology and eosinophilia. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Protective effect of enterovirus‑71 (EV71) virus‑like particle vaccine against lethal EV71 infection in a neonatal mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Lei; Mao, Fengfeng; Pang, Zheng; Yi, Yao; Qiu, Feng; Tian, Ruiguang; Meng, Qingling; Jia, Zhiyuan; Bi, Shengli

2015-08-01

Enterovirus-71 (EV71) is a viral pathogen that causes severe cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among young children, with significant mortality. Effective vaccines against HFMD are urgently required. Several EV71 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidates were found to be protective in the neonatal mouse EV71 challenge model. However, to what extent the VLP vaccine protects susceptible organs against EV71 infection in vivo has remained elusive. In the present study, the comprehensive immunogenicity of a potential EV71 vaccine candidate based on VLPs was evaluated in a neonatal mouse model. Despite lower levels of neutralizing antibodies to EV71 in the sera of VLP-immunized mice compared with those in mice vaccinated with inactivated EV71, the VLP-based vaccine was shown to be able to induce immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA memory-associated cellular immune responses to EV71. Of note, the EV71 VLP vaccine candidate was capable of inhibiting viral proliferation in cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, lung and intestine of immunized mice and provided effective protection against the pathological damage caused by viral attack. In particular, the VLP vaccine was able to inhibit the transportation of EV71 from the central nervous system to the muscle tissue and greatly protected muscle tissue from infection, along with recovery from the viral infection. This led to nearly 100% immunoprotective efficacy, enabling neonatal mice delivered by VLP-immunized female adult mice to survive and grow with good health. The present study provided valuable additional knowledge of the specific protective efficacy of the EV71 VLP vaccine in vivo, which also indicated that it is a promising potential candidate for being developed into an EV71 vaccine.

Continuous xylanase production with Aspergillus nidulans under pyridoxine limitation using a trickle bed reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Michael; Prade, Rolf A; Segato, Fernando; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Wilkins, Mark R

2015-01-01

A trickle bed reactor (TBR) with recycle was designed and tested using Aspergillus nidulans with a pyridoxine marker and over-expressing/secreting recombinant client xylanase B (XynB). The pyridoxine marker prevented the fungus from synthesizing its own pyridoxine and fungus was unable to grow when no pyridoxine was present in the medium; however, enzyme production was unaffected. Uncontrolled mycelia growth that led to clogging of the TBR was observed when fungus without a pyridoxine marker was used for XynB production. Using the fungus with pyridoxine marker, the TBR was operated continuously for 18 days and achieved a XynB output of 41 U/ml with an influent and effluent flow rate of 0.5 ml/min and a recycle flow rate of 56 ml/min. Production yields in the TBR were 1.4 times greater than a static tray culture and between 1.1 and 67 times greater than yields for SSF enzyme production stated in the literature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robust production of virus-like particles and monoclonal antibodies with geminiviral replicon vectors in lettuce

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Huafang; He, Junyun; Engle, Michael; Diamond, Michael S.; Chen, Qiang

2011-01-01

Summary Pharmaceutical protein production in plants has been greatly promoted by the development of viral-based vectors and transient expression systems. Tobacco and related Nicotiana species are currently the most common host plants for generation of plant-made pharmaceutical proteins (PMPs). Downstream processing of target PMPs from these plants, however, is hindered by potential technical and regulatory difficulties due to the presence of high levels of phenolics and toxic alkaloids. Here, we explored the use of lettuce, which grows quickly yet produces low levels of secondary metabolites, and viral vector-based transient expression systems to develop a robust PMP production platform. Our results showed that a geminiviral replicon system based on the bean yellow dwarf virus permits high-level expression in lettuce of virus-like particles (VLP) derived from the Norwalk virus capsid protein and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Ebola and West Nile viruses. These vaccine and therapeutic candidates can be readily purified from lettuce leaves with scalable processing methods while fully retaining functional activity. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated the feasibility of using commercially produced lettuce for high-level PMP production. This allows our production system to have access to unlimited quantities of inexpensive plant material for large-scale production. These results establish a new production platform for biological pharmaceutical agents that is effective, safe, low-cost, and amenable to large-scale manufacturing. PMID:21883868

Continuous production of ethanol from hexoses and pentoses using immobilized mixed cultures of Escherichia coli strains

Science.gov (United States)

Unrean, Pornkamol; Srienc, Friedrich

2010-01-01

We have developed highly efficient ethanologenic E. coli strains that selectively consume pentoses and/or hexoses. Mixed cultures of these strains can be used to selectively adjust the sugar utilization kinetics in ethanol fermentations. Based on the kinetics of sugar utilization, we have designed and implemented an immobilized cell system for the optimized continuous conversion of sugars into ethanol. The results confirm that immobilized mixed cultures support a simultaneous conversion of hexoses and pentoses into ethanol at high yield and at a faster rate than immobilized homogenous cells. Continuous ethanol production has been maintained for several weeks at high productivity with near complete sugar utilization. The control of sugar utilization using immobilized mixed cultures can be adapted to any composition of hexoses and pentoses by adjusting the strain distribution of immobilized cells. The approach, therefore, holds promise for ethanol fermentation from lignocellulosic hydrolysates where the feedstock varies in sugar composition. PMID:20699108

Variability of oil and gas well productivities for continuous (unconventional) petroleum accumulations

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.

2013-01-01

Over the last decade, oil and gas well productivities were estimated using decline-curve analysis for thousands of wells as part of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) studies of continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources in the United States. The estimated ultimate recoveries (EURs) of these wells show great variability that was analyzed at three scales: within an assessment unit (AU), among AUs of similar reservoir type, and among groups of AUs with different reservoir types. Within a particular oil or gas AU (such as the Barnett Shale), EURs vary by about two orders of magnitude between the most productive wells and the least productive ones (excluding those that are dry and abandoned). The distributions of EURs are highly skewed, with most of the wells in the lower part of the range. Continuous AUs were divided into four categories based on reservoir type and major commodity (oil or gas): coalbed gas, shale gas, other low-permeability gas AUs (such as tight sands), and low-permeability oil AUs. Within each of these categories, there is great variability from AU to AU, as shown by plots of multiple EUR distributions. Comparing the means of each distribution within a category shows that the means themselves have a skewed distribution, with a range of approximately one to two orders of magnitude. A comparison of the three gas categories (coalbed gas, shale gas, and other low-permeability gas AUs) shows large overlap in the ranges of EUR distributions. Generally, coalbed gas AUs have lower EUR distributions, shale gas AUs have intermediate sizes, and the other low-permeability gas AUs have higher EUR distributions. The plot of EUR distributions for each category shows the range of variation among developed AUs in an appropriate context for viewing the historical development within a particular AU. The Barnett Shale is used as an example to demonstrate that dividing wells into groups by time allows one to see the changes in EUR distribution. Subdivision into groups

Operational Improvements of Continuous Process with Tools of Lean Production - A Case Study in a Brazilian Petrochemical

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Uchoa Passos

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to evaluate operational improvements in Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem, which has been using lean production management tools to monitor its processes. There was some improvement in plant efficiency, measured from the beginning of implementation of management tools Six Sigma and TPM. Thus, we investigated three efficiency indicators considered by the company of great importance for the competitiveness of the business: the physical loss of products, plant’s energy efficiency, and the utilization rate of assets. The differences observed in these indicators, before and after the use of the tools, were tested for its statistical significance, which revealed that the physical losses of ethylene and plant’s energy efficiency improved, almost reaching the performance considered as class world. As for the utilization rate of assets, although it has evolved positively, still is at a considerable distance from that performance standard. By registering operational improvements in a continuous process plant, with lean production tools, this study indicates that these instruments, even if they have no causal relation with the improvements, are suitable for continuous processes and could have a much broader use, oriented, first of all, by the general approach of process optimization and, somehow, regardless of the nature of productive activity.

Ethanol production from biomass by repetitive solid-state fed-batch fermentation with continuous recovery of ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moukamnerd, Churairat; Kino-oka, Masahiro; Sugiyama, Minetaka; Kaneko, Yoshinobu; Harashima, Satoshi; Katakura, Yoshio [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Biotechnology; Boonchird, Chuenchit [Mahidol Univ., Bangkok (Thailand). Dept. of Biotechnology; Noda, Hideo [Kansai Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., Amagasaki (Japan); Ninomiya, Kazuaki [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). Inst. of International Environment Technology; Shioya, Suteaki [Sojo Univ., Kumamoto (Japan). Dept. of Applied Life Science

2010-09-15

To save cost and input energy for bioethanol production, a consolidated continuous solid-state fermentation system composed of a rotating drum reactor, a humidifier, and a condenser was developed. Biomass, saccharifying enzymes, yeast, and a minimum amount of water are introduced into the system. Ethanol produced by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation is continuously recovered as vapor from the headspace of the reactor, while the humidifier compensates for the water loss. From raw corn starch as a biomass model, 95 {+-} 3, 226 {+-} 9, 458 {+-} 26, and 509 {+-} 64 g l{sup -1} of ethanol solutions were recovered continuously when the ethanol content in reactor was controlled at 10-20, 30-50, 50-70 and 75-85 g kg-mixture{sup -1}, respectively. The residue showed a lesser volume and higher solid content than that obtained by conventional liquid fermentation. The cost and energy for intensive waste water treatment are decreased, and the continuous fermentation enabled the sustainability of enzyme activity and yeast in the system. (orig.)

Comparative study of production of Bio-Indigo by Pandoraea sp. in a two phase - fed batch and continuous bioreactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaishnavi Unde

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Indigo, is blue of blue jeans, a synthetic dye used on large scale all over the world. Chemical production of the dye is taking a new route towards bacterial production to overcome the environmental effects that are posed by the synthetic blue powder (Indigo. In the present work a strain Pandoraea sp. isolated from the oil contaminated soil is found to produce blue pigment which is analyzed qualitatively as indigo using UV-visible scan and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC. The strain is used for indigo production at lab scale in two different bioreactor configurations first the fed batch mode and second continuous mode using two phases. The two phases consisting of medium carrying biomass and the second phase of silicone oil carrying substrate indole. The use of second phase allows higher concentration of substrate injection reducing the inhibition effects of the substrate as well as act as a partitioning agent for removal of the product. In two phase study, the maximum indigo produced was seen to be 0.068 g/L after 22 hours of substrate injection into the Fermentor in a fed batch mode. The maximum yield obtained in this configuration was 19%. For commercial production of bio-indigo a continuous operation is required, which was studied in a bioreactor with 2.5 liter capacity under the optimized conditions. The maximum indigo produced was found to be 0.052 g/L after about 72 hours of operation. The results showed decrease in the production of indigo in continuous mode as compared to fed batch operation, which may be due to the insufficient time available for the bacteria to bio-transform indole into indigo.

Chapter 5. Technological aspects of obtaining of ethynyl-piperidol polymers. 5.1. Elaboration of method of continuous production of bandaging material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalikov, D.Kh.

2012-01-01

The elaboration of method of continuous production of styptic and antibacterial material was the purpose of present scientific research. The flowsheet of continuous production of styptic and antibacterial material was elaborated and described. The process of iodine sorption by modified materials was studied. The iodine sorption by modified materials in moment of its formation from the potassium iodide was studied as well. The influence of nature of grafted polymer on sorption of iodide ions was studied as well.

Improvement on the productivity of continuous tequila fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae of Agave tequilana juice with supplementation of yeast extract and aeration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Cortés, Guillermo; Valle-Rodríguez, Juan Octavio; Herrera-López, Enrique J; Díaz-Montaño, Dulce María; González-García, Yolanda; Escalona-Buendía, Héctor B; Córdova, Jesús

2016-12-01

Agave (Agave tequilana Weber var. azul) fermentations are traditionally carried out employing batch systems in the process of tequila manufacturing; nevertheless, continuous cultures could be an attractive technological alternative to increase productivity and efficiency of sugar to ethanol conversion. However, agave juice (used as a culture medium) has nutritional deficiencies that limit the implementation of yeast continuous fermentations, resulting in high residual sugars and low fermentative rates. In this work, fermentations of agave juice using Saccharomyces cerevisiae were put into operation to prove the necessity of supplementing yeast extract, in order to alleviate nutritional deficiencies of agave juice. Furthermore, continuous fermentations were performed at two different aeration flow rates, and feeding sterilized and non-sterilized media. The obtained fermented musts were subsequently distilled to obtain tequila and the preference level was compared against two commercial tequilas, according to a sensorial analysis. The supplementation of agave juice with air and yeast extract augmented the fermentative capacity of S. cerevisiae S1 and the ethanol productivities, compared to those continuous fermentations non supplemented. In fact, aeration improved ethanol production from 37 to 40 g L(-1), reducing sugars consumption from 73 to 88 g L(-1) and ethanol productivity from 3.0 to 3.2 g (Lh)(-1), for non-aerated and aerated (at 0.02 vvm) cultures, respectively. Supplementation of yeast extract allowed an increase in specific growth rate and dilution rates (0.12 h(-1), compared to 0.08 h(-1) of non-supplemented cultures), ethanol production (47 g L(-1)), reducing sugars consumption (93 g L(-1)) and ethanol productivity [5.6 g (Lh)(-1)] were reached. Additionally, the effect of feeding sterilized or non-sterilized medium to the continuous cultures was compared, finding no significant differences between both types of cultures. The overall effect

White paper on continuous bioprocessing. May 20-21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantinov, Konstantin B; Cooney, Charles L

2015-03-01

There is a growing interest in realizing the benefits of continuous processing in biologics manufacturing, which is reflected by the significant number of industrial and academic researchers who are actively involved in the development of continuous bioprocessing systems. These efforts are further encouraged by guidance expressed in recent US FDA conference presentations. The advantages of continuous manufacturing include sustained operation with consistent product quality, reduced equipment size, high-volumetric productivity, streamlined process flow, low-process cycle times, and reduced capital and operating cost. This technology, however, poses challenges, which need to be addressed before routine implementation is considered. This paper, which is based on the available literature and input from a large number of reviewers, is intended to provide a consensus of the opportunities, technical needs, and strategic directions for continuous bioprocessing. The discussion is supported by several examples illustrating various architectures of continuous bioprocessing systems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Continuous production of biodiesel under supercritical methyl acetate conditions: Experimental investigation and kinetic model.

Science.gov (United States)

Farobie, Obie; Matsumura, Yukihiko

2017-10-01

In this study, biodiesel production by using supercritical methyl acetate in a continuous flow reactor was investigated for the first time. The aim of this study was to elucidate the reaction kinetics of biodiesel production by using supercritical methyl. Experiments were conducted at various reaction temperatures (300-400°C), residence times (5-30min), oil-to-methyl acetate molar ratio of 1:40, and a fixed pressure of 20MPa. Reaction kinetics of biodiesel production with supercritical methyl acetate was determined. Finally, biodiesel yield obtained from this method was compared to that obtained with supercritical methanol, ethanol, and MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether). The results showed that biodiesel yield with supercritical methyl acetate increased with temperature and time. The developed kinetic model was found to fit the experimental data well. The reactivity of supercritical methyl acetate was the lowest, followed by that of supercritical MTBE, ethanol, and methanol, under the same conditions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Characteristics of biohydrogen production by ethanoligenens R{sub 3} isolated from continuous stirred tank reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiao, A.Y.; Liu, K. [Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). School of Forestry; Li, Y.F. [Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). School of Forestry; Shanghai Univ. of Engineering Science (China). College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Liu, B. [Northeast Forestry Univ., Harbin (China). School of Material Science and Engineering; Xu, J.L. [Shanghai Univ. of Engineering Science (China). College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

2010-07-01

This study investigated the fermentative hydrogen production characteristics of ethanoligenens R{sub 3} isolated from anaerobic sludge in a continuous stirred tank reactor. The effects of the initial pH value, the proportion of carbon and nitrogen sources, and the effects of fermentation temperature were investigated in a series of batch experiments. Substrates for the hydrogen production of glucose and peptone were used as carbon and nitrogen sources. Results of the experiments showed that a maximum hydrogen production yield of 834 mlH{sub 2}/L culture was obtained with a fermentation temperature of 35 degrees C and an initial pH value of 5.5. The maximum average hydrogen production rate of 10.87 mmolH{sub 2}/g cell dry weight per hour was obtained at a carbon-nitrogen source ratio of 3.3. The degradation efficiency of the glucose used as a carbon source ranged from 91.5 to 95.43 per cent during the conversion of glucose to hydrogen by the bacteria.

Biohydrogen production from waste bread in a continuous stirred tank reactor: A techno-economic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; Hu, Yun Yi; Li, Shi Yi; Li, Fei Fei; Tang, Jun Hong

2016-12-01

Biohydrogen production from waste bread in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was techno-economically assessed. The treating capacity of the H 2 -producing plant was assumed to be 2 ton waste bread per day with lifetime of 10years. Aspen Plus was used to simulate the mass and energy balance of the plant. The total capital investment (TCI), total annual production cost (TAPC) and annual revenue of the plant were USD931020, USD299746/year and USD639920/year, respectively. The unit hydrogen production cost was USD1.34/m 3 H 2 (or USD14.89/kg H 2 ). The payback period and net present value (NPV) of the plant were 4.8years and USD1266654, respectively. Hydrogen price and operators cost were the most important variables on the NPV. It was concluded that biohydrogen production from waste bread in the CSTR was feasible for practical application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous D-tagatose production by immobilized thermostable L-arabinose isomerase in a packed-bed bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Se-Ah; Kim, Chang Sup; Kim, Hye-Jung; Baek, Dae Heoun; Oh, Deok-Kun

2003-01-01

D-Tagatose was continuously produced using thermostable L-arabinose isomerase immobilized in alginate with D-galactose solution in a packed-bed bioreactor. Bead size, L/D (length/diameter) of reactor, dilution rate, total loaded enzyme amount, and substrate concentration were found to be optimal at 0.8 mm, 520/7 mm, 0.375 h(-1), 5.65 units, and 300 g/L, respectively. Under these conditions, the bioreactor produced about 145 g/L tagatose with an average productivity of 54 g tagatose/L x h and an average conversion yield of 48% (w/w). Operational stability of the immobilized enzyme was demonstrated, with a tagatose production half-life of 24 days.

Cultivation of Chlorella protothecoides with urban wastewater in continuous photobioreactor: biomass productivity and nutrient removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos Tercero, E A; Sforza, E; Morandini, M; Bertucco, A

2014-02-01

The capability to grow microalgae in nonsterilized wastewater is essential for an application of this technology in an actual industrial process. Batch experiments were carried out with the species in nonsterilized urban wastewater from local treatment plants to measure both the algal growth and the nutrient consumption. Chlorella protothecoides showed a high specific growth rate (about 1 day(-1)), and no effects of bacterial contamination were observed. Then, this microalgae was grown in a continuous photobioreactor with CO₂-air aeration in order to verify the feasibility of an integrated process of the removal of nutrient from real wastewaters. Different residence times were tested, and biomass productivity and nutrients removal were measured. A maximum of microalgae productivity was found at around 0.8 day of residence time in agreement with theoretical expectation in the case of light-limited cultures. In addition, N-NH₄ and P-PO₄ removal rates were determined in order to model the kinetic of nutrients uptake. Results from batch and continuous experiments were used to propose an integrated process scheme of wastewater treatment at industrial scale including a section with C. protothecoides.

Development of Food Functions and Production Process for Onion Vinegar Using a Two-Stage Continuous-Tank Reactor

OpenAIRE

小林, 秀彰; 山口, 文; 富田, 弘毅; 中井, 義昭; 管野, 亨; 小林, 正義; KOBAYASHI, Hideaki; YAMAGUCHI, Kazaru; TOMITA, Koki; NAKAI, Yoshiaki; KANNO, Tohru; KOBAYASHI, Masayoshi

1998-01-01

A two-stage continuous-tank reactor was developed to optimize the production of onion vinegar, and the onion vinegar produced was studied to determine its benefits for human health. The ”Silan ring” porous ceramics support was available to immobilize microorganisms, maintain higher mechanical strength and provide a stable rate of alcohol production even at higher dilution rates than 1.2 hr^, without wash-out. The forced cyclic operation of reaction temperature yielded an increase of 25％ for ...

Process analytical technology in continuous manufacturing of a commercial pharmaceutical product.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas, Jenny M; Nielsen, Sarah; Cárdenas, Vanessa; Gonzalez, Anthony; Aymat, Efrain Y; Almodovar, Elvin; Classe, Gustavo; Colón, Yleana; Sanchez, Eric; Romañach, Rodolfo J

2018-03-01

The implementation of process analytical technology and continuous manufacturing at an FDA approved commercial manufacturing site is described. In this direct compaction process the blends produced were monitored with a Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopic calibration model developed with partial least squares (PLS) regression. The authors understand that this is the first study where the continuous manufacturing (CM) equipment was used as a gravimetric reference method for the calibration model. A principal component analysis (PCA) model was also developed to identify the powder blend, and determine whether it was similar to the calibration blends. An air diagnostic test was developed to assure that powder was present within the interface when the NIR spectra were obtained. The air diagnostic test as well the PCA and PLS calibration model were integrated into an industrial software platform that collects the real time NIR spectra and applies the calibration models. The PCA test successfully detected an equipment malfunction. Variographic analysis was also performed to estimate the sampling analytical errors that affect the results from the NIR spectroscopic method during commercial production. The system was used to monitor and control a 28 h continuous manufacturing run, where the average drug concentration determined by the NIR method was 101.17% of label claim with a standard deviation of 2.17%, based on 12,633 spectra collected. The average drug concentration for the tablets produced from these blends was 100.86% of label claim with a standard deviation of 0.4%, for 500 tablets analyzed by Fourier Transform Near Infrared (FT-NIR) transmission spectroscopy. The excellent agreement between the mean drug concentration values in the blends and tablets produced provides further evidence of the suitability of the validation strategy that was followed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continuous usage of a hair dye product containing 2-methoxymethyt-para-phenylenediamine by hair-dye-allergic individuals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kock, M.; Coenraads, P. -J.; Bloemeke, B.; Goebel, C.

Background Despite a positive patch test reaction to para-phenylenediamine (PPD) and/or toluene-2,5-diamine (PTD), many people attempt to continue dyeing their hair with products containing PPD or its derivatives. Objectives Investigation of elicitation reactions among PPD/PTD-allergic individuals

Recycling of cellulases in a continuous process for production of bioethanol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haven, Mai Østergaard

studies, this PhD project investigates enzyme recycling at industrial relevant conditions in the Inbicon process, e.g. high dry matter conditions and process configurations that could be implemented in large scale. The results point towards potential processes for industrial recycling of enzymes......The focus of the work presented in this thesis is recycling of commercial enzymes in a continuous process for production of bioethanol from biomass. To get a deeper understanding of the factors affecting the potential for enzyme recycling, the interactions between enzymes and biomass......, the adsorption and desorption as well as stability and recovery of activity was investigated. More knowledge on these factors have enabled a process adapted for enzyme recycling. The driver being that enzyme consumption remains a major cost when producing bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. Unlike previous...

Continuous recycling of enzymes during production of lignocellulosic bioethanol in demonstration scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haven, Mai Østergaard; Lindedam, Jane; Jeppesen, Martin Dan; Elleskov, Michael; Rodrigues, Ana Cristina; Gama, Miguel; Jørgensen, Henning; Felby, Claus

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Results from continuous experiments in demonstration scale for a total of 16 days. • Reuse of enzymes is possible through recycling fermentation broth. • Recycling fermentation broth can increase ethanol concentration with lower dry matter. - Abstract: Recycling of enzymes in production of lignocellulosic bioethanol has been tried for more than 30 years. So far, the successes have been few and the experiments have been carried out at conditions far from those in an industrially feasible process. Here we have tested continuous enzyme recycling at demonstration scale using industrial process conditions (high dry matter content and low enzyme dosage) for a period of eight days. The experiment was performed at the Inbicon demonstration plant (Kalundborg, Denmark) capable of converting four tonnes of wheat straw per hour. 20% of the fermentation broth was recycled to the hydrolysis reactor while enzyme dosage was reduced by 5%. The results demonstrate that recycling enzymes by this method can reduce overall enzyme consumption and may also increase the ethanol concentrations in the fermentation broth. Our results further show that recycling fermentation broth also opens up the possibility of lowering the dry matter content in hydrolysis and fermentation while still maintaining high ethanol concentrations.

Security Support in Continuous Deployment Pipeline

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ullah, Faheem; Raft, Adam Johannes; Shahin, Mojtaba

2017-01-01

Continuous Deployment (CD) has emerged as a new practice in the software industry to continuously and automatically deploy software changes into production. Continuous Deployment Pipeline (CDP) supports CD practice by transferring the changes from the repository to production. Since most of the CDP...... penetration tools. Our findings indicate that the applied tactics improve the security of the major components (i.e., repository, continuous integration server, main server) of a CDP by controlling access to the components and establishing secure connections....

GROWTH AND ENZYME PRODUCTION DURING CONTINUOUS CULTURES OF A HIGH AMYLASE-PRODUCING VARIANT OF Aspergillus Oryzae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.C. Zangirolami

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Growth and product formation by a selected variant of Aspergillus oryzae showing high alpha-amylase production was studied in continuous cultivations carried out at six different specific growth rates, using glucose as the growth-limiting nutrient. The analysis of the steady-state data revealed that the variant and wild-type strains were similar with respect to glucose uptake system and stoichiometric coefficients. However, the variant was capable of maintaining an enzyme production as high as 40 FAUgDW-1h-1 at a dilution rate of 0.2 h-1, while the wild-type strain reached a maximum specific alpha-amylase production rate of 17 FAUgDW-1h-1 at a dilution rate of 0.1 h-1. Using a morphologically structured model originally proposed for the wild-type strain, it was possible to describe enzyme production, biomass formation and glucose consumption after modification of a few parameters to adjust the model to the characteristics of the selected variant.

Continuous production of fullerenes and other carbon nanomaterials on a semi-industrial scale using plasma technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruenberger, T.M.; Gonzalez-Aguilar, J.; Fulcheri, L.; Fabry, F.; Grivei, E.; Probst, N.; Flamant, G.; Charlier, J.-C.

2002-01-01

A new production method is presented allowing the production of bulk quantities of fullerenes and other carbon nanomaterials using a 3-phase thermal plasma (260 kW). The main characteristics of this method lie in the independent control of the carbon throughput by injection of a solid carbon feedstock, and the immediate extraction of the synthesised product from the reactor, allowing production on a continuous basis. The currently investigated plasma facility is of an intermediate scale between lab-size and an industrial pilot plant, ready for further up scaling to an industrial size. The influence of a large number of different carbon precursors, plasma gases and operating conditions on the fullerene yield has been studied. At this state, quantities of up to 1 kg of carbon can be processed per hour with further scope for increase, leading to production rates for this type of materials not achievable with any other technology at present

Continuous fermentative hydrogen production from cheese whey wastewater under thermophilic anaerobic conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azbar, Nuri; Cetinkaya Dokgoez, F. Tuba; Keskin, Tugba; Korkmaz, Kemal S.; Syed, Hamid M. [Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, EBILTEM, Bornova, 35100 Izmir (Turkey)

2009-09-15

Hydrogen (H{sub 2}) production from cheese processing wastewater via dark anaerobic fermentation was conducted using mixed microbial communities under thermophilic conditions. The effects of varying hydraulic retention time (HRT: 1, 2 and 3.5 days) and especially high organic load rates (OLR: 21, 35 and 47 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/l/day) on biohydrogen production in a continuous stirred tank reactor were investigated. The biogas contained 5-82% (45% on average) hydrogen and the hydrogen production rate ranged from 0.3 to 7.9 l H{sub 2}/l/day (2.5 l/l/day on average). H{sub 2} yields of 22, 15 and 5 mmol/g COD (at a constant influent COD of 40 g/l) were achieved at HRT values of 3.5, 2, and 1 days, respectively. On the other hand, H{sub 2} yields were monitored to be 3, 9 and 6 mmol/g COD, for OLR values of 47, 35 and 21 g COD/l/day, when HRT was kept constant at 1 day. The total measurable volatile fatty acid concentration in the effluent (as a function of influent COD) ranged between 118 and 27,012 mg/l, which was mainly composed of acetic acid, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, formate and lactate. Ethanol and acetone production was also monitored from time to time. To characterize the microbial community in the bioreactor at different HRTs, DNA in mixed liquor samples was extracted immediately for PCR amplification of 16S RNA gene using eubacterial primers corresponding to 8F and 518R. The PCR product was cloned and subjected to DNA sequencing. The sequencing results were analyzed by using MegaBlast available on NCBI website which showed 99% identity to uncultured Thermoanaerobacteriaceae bacterium. (author)

The analysis and interpretation of very-long-period seismic signals on volcanoes

Science.gov (United States)

Sindija, Dinko; Neuberg, Jurgen; Smith, Patrick

2017-04-01

The study of very long period (VLP) seismic signals became possible with the widespread use of broadband instruments. VLP seismic signals are caused by transients of pressure in the volcanic edifice and have periods ranging from several seconds to several minutes. For the VLP events recorded in March 2012 and 2014 at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, we model the ground displacement using several source time functions: a step function using Richards growth equation, Küpper wavelet, and a damped sine wave to which an instrument response is then applied. This way we get a synthetic velocity seismogram which is directly comparable to the data. After the full vector field of ground displacement is determined, we model the source mechanism to determine the relationship between the source mechanism and the observed VLP waveforms. Emphasis of the research is on how different VLP waveforms are related to the volcano environment and the instrumentation used and on the processing steps in this low frequency band to get most out of broadband instruments.

Forward and correctional OFDM-based visible light positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Huang, Zhitong; Zhao, Runmei; He, Peixuan; Ji, Yuefeng

2017-09-01

Visible light positioning (VLP) has attracted much attention in both academic and industrial areas due to the extensive deployment of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as next-generation green lighting. Generally, the coverage of a single LED lamp is limited, so LED arrays are always utilized to achieve uniform illumination within the large-scale indoor environment. However, in such dense LED deployment scenario, the superposition of the light signals becomes an important challenge for accurate VLP. To solve this problem, we propose a forward and correctional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based VLP (FCO-VLP) scheme with low complexity in generating and processing of signals. In the first forward procedure of FCO-VLP, an initial position is obtained by the trilateration method based on OFDM-subcarriers. The positioning accuracy will be further improved in the second correctional procedure based on the database of reference points. As demonstrated in our experiments, our approach yields an improved average positioning error of 4.65 cm and an enhanced positioning accuracy by 24.2% compared with trilateration method.

A Hierarchical structure of key performance indicators for operation management and continuous improvement in production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ningxuan; Zhao, Cong; Li, Jingshan; Horst, John A

2016-01-01

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical for manufacturing operation management and continuous improvement (CI). In modern manufacturing systems, KPIs are defined as a set of metrics to reflect operation performance, such as efficiency, throughput, availability, from productivity, quality and maintenance perspectives. Through continuous monitoring and measurement of KPIs, meaningful quantification and identification of different aspects of operation activities can be obtained, which enable and direct CI efforts. A set of 34 KPIs has been introduced in ISO 22400. However, the KPIs in a manufacturing system are not independent, and they may have intrinsic mutual relationships. The goal of this paper is to introduce a multi-level structure for identification and analysis of KPIs and their intrinsic relationships in production systems. Specifically, through such a hierarchical structure, we define and layer KPIs into levels of basic KPIs, comprehensive KPIs and their supporting metrics, and use it to investigate the relationships and dependencies between KPIs. Such a study can provide a useful tool for manufacturing engineers and managers to measure and utilize KPIs for CI.

Rings of continuous functions, symmetric products, and Frobenius algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchstaber, Viktor M; Rees, E G

2004-01-01

A constructive proof is given for the classical theorem of Gel'fand and Kolmogorov (1939) characterising the image of the evaluation map from a compact Hausdorff space X into the linear space C(X)* dual to the ring C(X) of continuous functions on X. Our approach to the proof enabled us to obtain a more general result characterising the image of the evaluation map from the symmetric products Sym n (X) into C(X)*. A similar result holds if X=C m and leads to explicit equations for symmetric products of affine algebraic varieties as algebraic subvarieties in the linear space dual to the polynomial ring. This leads to a better understanding of the algebra of multisymmetric polynomials. The proof of all these results is based on a formula used by Frobenius in 1896 in defining higher characters of finite groups. This formula had no further applications for a long time; however, it has appeared in several independent contexts during the last fifteen years. It was used by A. Wiles and R.L. Taylor in studying representations and by H.-J. Hoehnke and K.W. Johnson and later by J. McKay in studying finite groups. It plays an important role in our work concerning multivalued groups. Several properties of this remarkable formula are described. It is also used to prove a theorem on the structure constants of Frobenius algebras, which have recently attracted attention due to constructions taken from topological field theory and singularity theory. This theorem develops a result of Hoehnke published in 1958. As a corollary, a direct self-contained proof is obtained for the fact that the 1-, 2-, and 3-characters of the regular representation determine a finite group up to isomorphism. This result was first published by Hoehnke and Johnson in 1992

Virus-like particle production with yeast: ultrastructural and immunocytochemical insights into Pichia pastoris producing high levels of the Hepatitis B surface antigen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Ahmad

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A protective immune response against Hepatitis B infection can be obtained through the administration of a single viral polypeptide, the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg. Thus, the Hepatitis B vaccine is generated through the utilization of recombinant DNA technology, preferentially by using yeast-based expression systems. However, the polypeptide needs to assemble into spherical particles, so-called virus-like particles (VLPs, to elicit the required protective immune response. So far, no clear evidence has been presented showing whether HBsAg assembles in vivo inside the yeast cell into VLPs or later in vitro during down-stream processing and purification. Results High level production of HBsAg was carried out with recombinant Pichia pastoris using the methanol inducible AOX1 expression system. The recombinant vaccine was isolated in form of VLPs after several down-stream steps from detergent-treated cell lysates. Search for the intracellular localization of the antigen using electron microscopic studies in combination with immunogold labeling revealed the presence of HBsAg in an extended endoplasmic reticulum where it was found to assemble into defined multi-layered, lamellar structures. The distance between two layers was determined as ~6 nm indicating that these lamellas represent monolayers of well-ordered HBsAg subunits. We did not find any evidence for the presence of VLPs within the endoplasmic reticulum or other parts of the yeast cell. Conclusions It is concluded that high level production and intrinsic slow HBsAg VLP assembly kinetics are leading to retention and accumulation of the antigen in the endoplasmic reticulum where it assembles at least partly into defined lamellar structures. Further transport of HBsAg to the Golgi apparatus is impaired thus leading to secretory pathway disfunction and the formation of an extended endoplasmic reticulum which bulges into irregular cloud-shaped formations. As VLPs were

Continuous fermentation and in-situ reed separation of butyric acid for higher sugar consumption rate and productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baroi, George Nabin; Skiadas, Ioannis; Westermann, Peter

that disconnection of the REED system resulted to much lower (48 and 83% for glucose and xylose, respectively) sugars consumption rates and consequently lower butyric acid production rates. It was also noticeable that continuous operation, even without the REED system, resulted to higher glucose consumption rates...

Oceanographic profile chlorophyll a and zooplankton biomass measurements collected using bottle in the Southern Oceans from 1995 to 1996 (NODC Accession 0000980)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Variability in abundance of virus-like particles (VLP), VLP decay rates and prokaryotic mortality due to viral infection were determined in three Antarctic areas:...

Performance of semi-continuous membrane bioreactor in biogas production from toxic feedstock containing D-Limonene.

Science.gov (United States)

Wikandari, Rachma; Youngsukkasem, Supansa; Millati, Ria; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2014-10-01

A novel membrane bioreactor configuration containing both free and encased cells in a single reactor was proposed in this work. The reactor consisted of 120g/L of free cells and 120g/L of encased cells in a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and d-Limonene were used as the models of substrate and inhibitor for biogas production, respectively. Different concentrations of d-Limonene i.e., 1, 5, and 10g/L were tested, and an experiment without the addition of d-Limonene was prepared as control. The digestion was performed in a semi-continuous thermophilic reactor for 75 days. The result showed that daily methane production in the reactor with the addition of 1g/L d-Limonene was similar to that of control. A lag phase was observed in the presence of 5g/L d-Limonene; however, after 10 days, the methane production increased and reached a similar production to that of the control after 15 days. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of gas-jet transport systems for fission products and coupling these with methods for continuous separation of short-lived product nuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stender, E.

1979-01-01

The development of gas-jet transport systems for fission products as well as the coupling of these with continuous separation methods from aqueous solutions (SISAK) and with a mass separator for on-line separation of neutron-rich nuclides are described in this work. Nuclides from the fission of 235 U or other fission materials can be transported using gas-jet systems with thermal neutrons over larger distances (100 m and over). Aerosols (clusters) of either organic (e.g. ethylene) or inorganic nature (e.g. potassium chloride) serve as carrier for the nuclides. The clusters are passed through 1 mm capillaries with a transport gas (nitrogen, helium etc.) under laminar flow conditions. The diameter of the cluster fluctuates between 10 -7 and 10 -6 m. The time required from the production of a nuclide to its detection at the end of a 8 m long capillary tube is 0.8 s for the ethylene/nitrogen and potassium chloride/helium gas-jet systems. By coupling various gas-jet systems with the continuous extraction technique SISAK working with H centrifuges, the elements lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, zirconium, niobium and technetium can be separated out of the complex fission product mixtures. The on-line technetium chemistry was used with neutron-rich 106 Tc (36 s), 107 Tc (21 s) and 108 Tc (5 s) for γγ(t) measurements. The coupling of a potassium chloride/helium gas jet with a mass separator equiped with a plasma ion source is described. The dependence of the transmission rate of various test parameters is investigated to optimize the system. (orig.) [de

Identifying SARS-CoV membrane protein amino acid residues linked to virus-like particle assembly.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Tzu Tseng

Full Text Available Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV membrane (M proteins are capable of self-assembly and release in the form of membrane-enveloped vesicles, and of forming virus-like particles (VLPs when coexpressed with SARS-CoV nucleocapsid (N protein. According to previous deletion analyses, M self-assembly involves multiple M sequence regions. To identify important M amino acid residues for VLP assembly, we coexpressed N with multiple M mutants containing substitution mutations at the amino-terminal ectodomain, carboxyl-terminal endodomain, or transmembrane segments. Our results indicate that a dileucine motif in the endodomain tail (218LL219 is required for efficient N packaging into VLPs. Results from cross-linking VLP analyses suggest that the cysteine residues 63, 85 and 158 are not in close proximity to the M dimer interface. We noted a significant reduction in M secretion due to serine replacement for C158, but not for C63 or C85. Further analysis suggests that C158 is involved in M-N interaction. In addition to mutations of the highly conserved 107-SWWSFNPE-114 motif, substitutions at codons W19, W57, P58, W91, Y94 or F95 all resulted in significantly reduced VLP yields, largely due to defective M secretion. VLP production was not significantly affected by a tryptophan replacement of Y94 or F95 or a phenylalanine replacement of W19, W57 or W91. Combined, these results indicate the involvement of specific M amino acids during SARS-CoV virus assembly, and suggest that aromatic residue retention at specific positions is critical for M function in terms of directing virus assembly.

Control of final moisture content of food products baked in continuous tunnel ovens

Science.gov (United States)

McFarlane, Ian

2006-02-01

There are well-known difficulties in making measurements of the moisture content of baked goods (such as bread, buns, biscuits, crackers and cake) during baking or at the oven exit; in this paper several sensing methods are discussed, but none of them are able to provide direct measurement with sufficient precision. An alternative is to use indirect inferential methods. Some of these methods involve dynamic modelling, with incorporation of thermal properties and using techniques familiar in computational fluid dynamics (CFD); a method of this class that has been used for the modelling of heat and mass transfer in one direction during baking is summarized, which may be extended to model transport of moisture within the product and also within the surrounding atmosphere. The concept of injecting heat during the baking process proportional to the calculated heat load on the oven has been implemented in a control scheme based on heat balance zone by zone through a continuous baking oven, taking advantage of the high latent heat of evaporation of water. Tests on biscuit production ovens are reported, with results that support a claim that the scheme gives more reproducible water distribution in the final product than conventional closed loop control of zone ambient temperatures, thus enabling water content to be held more closely within tolerance.

7 CFR 58.315 - Continuous churns.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Continuous churns. 58.315 Section 58.315 Agriculture....315 Continuous churns. All product contact surfaces of the churn and related equipment shall be of..., Rubber, and Rubber-Like Materials. All product contact surfaces of the churn and related equipment shall...

Continuous production of lipase-catalyzed biodiesel in a packed-bed reactor: optimization and enzyme reuse study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsiao-Ching; Ju, Hen-Yi; Wu, Tsung-Ta; Liu, Yung-Chuan; Lee, Chih-Chen; Chang, Cheng; Chung, Yi-Lin; Shieh, Chwen-Jen

2011-01-01

An optimal continuous production of biodiesel by methanolysis of soybean oil in a packed-bed reactor was developed using immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) as a catalyst in a tert-butanol solvent system. Response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design were employed to evaluate the effects of reaction temperature, flow rate, and substrate molar ratio on the molar conversion of biodiesel. The results showed that flow rate and temperature have significant effects on the percentage of molar conversion. On the basis of ridge max analysis, the optimum conditions were as follows: flow rate 0.1 mL/min, temperature 52.1°C, and substrate molar ratio 1 : 4. The predicted and experimental values of molar conversion were 83.31 ± 2.07% and 82.81 ± .98%, respectively. Furthermore, the continuous process over 30 days showed no appreciable decrease in the molar conversion. The paper demonstrates the applicability of using immobilized lipase and a packed-bed reactor for continuous biodiesel synthesis.

Production of continuous piezoelectric ceramic fibers for smart materials and active control devices

Science.gov (United States)

French, Jonathan D.; Weitz, Gregory E.; Luke, John E.; Cass, Richard B.; Jadidian, Bahram; Bhargava, Parag; Safari, Ahmad

1997-05-01

Advanced Cerametrics Inc. has conceived of and developed the Viscous-Suspension-Spinning Process (VSSP) to produce continuous fine filaments of nearly any powdered ceramic materials. VSSP lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fiber tows with 100 and 790 filaments have been spun in continuous lengths exceeding 1700 meters. Sintered PZT filaments typically are 10 - 25 microns in diameter and have moderate flexibility. Prior to carrier burnout and sintering, VSSP PZT fibers can be formed into 2D and 3D shapes using conventional textile and composite forming processes. While the extension of PZT is on the order of 20 microns per linear inch, a woven, wound or braided structure can contain very long lengths of PZT fiber and generate comparatively large output strokes from relatively small volumes. These structures are intended for applications such as bipolar actuators for fiber optic assembly and repair, vibration and noise damping for aircraft, rotorcraft, automobiles and home applications, vibration generators and ultrasonic transducers for medical and industrial imaging. Fiber and component cost savings over current technologies, such as the `dice-and-fill' method for transducer production, and the range of unique structures possible with continuous VSSP PZT fiber are discussed. Recent results have yielded 1-3 type composites (25 vol% PZT) with d33 equals 340 pC/N, K equals 470, and g33 equals 80 mV/N, kt equals 0.54, kp equals 0.19, dh equals 50.1pC/N and gh equals 13 mV/N.

Future supply chains enabled by continuous processing--opportunities and challenges. May 20-21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Srai, Jagjit Singh; Badman, Clive; Krumme, Markus; Futran, Mauricio; Johnston, Craig

2015-03-01

This paper examines the opportunities and challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry in moving to a primarily "continuous processing"-based supply chain. The current predominantly "large batch" and centralized manufacturing system designed for the "blockbuster" drug has driven a slow-paced, inventory heavy operating model that is increasingly regarded as inflexible and unsustainable. Indeed, new markets and the rapidly evolving technology landscape will drive more product variety, shorter product life-cycles, and smaller drug volumes, which will exacerbate an already unsustainable economic model. Future supply chains will be required to enhance affordability and availability for patients and healthcare providers alike despite the increased product complexity. In this more challenging supply scenario, we examine the potential for a more pull driven, near real-time demand-based supply chain, utilizing continuous processing where appropriate as a key element of a more "flow-through" operating model. In this discussion paper on future supply chain models underpinned by developments in the continuous manufacture of pharmaceuticals, we have set out; The significant opportunities to moving to a supply chain flow-through operating model, with substantial opportunities in inventory reduction, lead-time to patient, and radically different product assurance/stability regimes. Scenarios for decentralized production models producing a greater variety of products with enhanced volume flexibility. Production, supply, and value chain footprints that are radically different from today's monolithic and centralized batch manufacturing operations. Clinical trial and drug product development cost savings that support more rapid scale-up and market entry models with early involvement of SC designers within New Product Development. The major supply chain and industrial transformational challenges that need to be addressed. The paper recognizes that although current batch operational

Simulation of continuous cast steel product solidification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ardelean, E.

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Primary cooling – inside the tundish – has a great impact over the thickness of the solidified steel crust. If on exiting the tundish the crust is too thin, it can punch and break, as a result of the ferrostatic pressure exerted from the inside by the liquid steel as well as because of the weight of the molten steel. The parameters that influence the amount of dissipated heat depend on the cooling water flow of the tundish, on the pressure and temperature of the cooling water but also on the overheating of the continuously cast steel. The secondary cooling takes place at the exit of the semi-finished product from the tundish, when the solidification is supposed to take place all along the cross section of the strand. In order to achieve it, in addition to a correctly managed primary cooling, it is necessary to obtain the proper correlation of the factors that influence the secondary cooling as well: the water flow rate long the three zones of the installation and its pressure in the secondary circuit. All these have in view a proper solidification length; an intense cooling can generate cracks due to the thermal stress, while a too slow cooling can generate a partial solidification of the strand up to the cropping machine area. The paper presents a mathematical simulation of the continuously cast steel solidification.

El enfriamiento primario del cristalizador tiene una gran importancia sobre el espesor de la costra de acero solidificado. Si al salir del cristalizador, esta costra es demasiado sutil, bajo la acción de la presión ferro estática ejercitada por el acero líquido del interior y gracias el peso propio del hilo, ésta, puede perforar resultando su rompimiento. Los parámetros que influenyen sobre la cantidad de calor cedida dependen del agua de enfriamiento del catalizador, de la presión y de la temperatura de agua de enfriamiento, pero también del sobrecalentamiento del acero fundido continuamente. A la salida del

Female fruit production depends on female flower production and crown size rather than male density in a continuous population of a tropical dioecious tree (Virola surinamensis).

Science.gov (United States)

Riba-Hernández, Pablo; Segura, Jorge Lobo; Muñoz-Valverde, Jenny

2016-11-01

Factors related to pollen and resource limitation were evaluated to predict female fruit production in a tropical dioecious tree. Pollen limitation via variation in the male density at local scales is expected to limit female reproduction success in dioecious plants. We modeled the roles of local male density, female crown size, crown illumination, and female flower production on female fruit initiation and mature fruit production in a continuous population (62 ha plot) of a tropical dioecious tree (Virola surinamensis). In addition, we used microsatellites to describe the scale of effective pollen flow, the male effective population size, and the spatial genetic structure within/between progenies and males. The local male density was not related to female fruit initiation or mature fruit production. Female floral production had a positive effect on fruit initiation. The female crown size was positively related to fruit maturation. Seeds from the same female and seeds from different but spatially proximal females were generally half-siblings; however, proximal females showed greater variation. Proximal male-female adult pairs were not significantly more genetically related than distant pairs. The probability of paternity was negatively affected by the distance between seeds and males; most effective pollen dispersal events (∼85%) occurred from males located less than 150 m from females. The number of males siring progenies was greater than the number of males found at local scales. Female fecundity in this continuous population of Virola surinamensis is not limited by the availability of pollen from proximal males. Rather, resource allocation to floral production may ultimately determine female reproductive success. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

Continuing investigations for technology assessment of 99Mo production from LEU [low enriched uranium] targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandegrift, G.F.; Kwok, J.D.; Marshall, S.L.; Vissers, D.R.; Matos, J.E.

1987-01-01

Currently much of the world's supply of 99m Tc for medical purposes is produced from 99 Mo derived from the fissioning of high enriched uranium (HEU). This paper presents the results of our continuing studies on the effects of substituting low enriched uranium (LEU) for HEU in targets for the production of fission product 99 Mo. Improvements in the electrodeposition of thin films of uranium metal continue to increase the appeal for the substitution of LEU metal for HEU oxide films in cylindrical targets. The process is effective for targets fabricated from stainless steel or zircaloy. Included is a cost estimate for setting up the necessary equipment to electrodeposit uranium metal on cylindrical targets. Further investigations on the effect of LEU substitution on processing of these targets are also reported. Substitution of uranium silicides for the uranium-aluminium alloy or uranium aluminide dispersed fuel used in current target designs will allow the substitution of LEU for HEU in these targets with equivalent 99 Mo-yield per target and no change in target geometries. However, this substitution will require modifications in current processing steps due to 1) the insolubility of uranium silicides in alkaline solutions and 2) the presence of significant quantities of silicate in solution. Results to date suggest that substitution of LEU for HEU can be achieved. (Author)

Future Supply Chains Enabled by Continuous Processing-Opportunities Challenges May 20-21 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Srai, Jagjit Singh; Badman, Clive; Krumme, Markus; Futran, Mauricio; Johnston, Craig

2015-03-01

This paper examines the opportunities and challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry in moving to a primarily "continuous processing"-based supply chain. The current predominantly "large batch" and centralized manufacturing system designed for the "blockbuster" drug has driven a slow-paced, inventory heavy operating model that is increasingly regarded as inflexible and unsustainable. Indeed, new markets and the rapidly evolving technology landscape will drive more product variety, shorter product life-cycles, and smaller drug volumes, which will exacerbate an already unsustainable economic model. Future supply chains will be required to enhance affordability and availability for patients and healthcare providers alike despite the increased product complexity. In this more challenging supply scenario, we examine the potential for a more pull driven, near real-time demand-based supply chain, utilizing continuous processing where appropriate as a key element of a more "flow-through" operating model. In this discussion paper on future supply chain models underpinned by developments in the continuous manufacture of pharmaceuticals, we have set out; The paper recognizes that although current batch operational performance in pharma is far from optimal and not necessarily an appropriate end-state benchmark for batch technology, the adoption of continuous supply chain operating models underpinned by continuous production processing, as full or hybrid solutions in selected product supply chains, can support industry transformations to deliver right-first-time quality at substantially lower inventory profiles. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Production of hydrogen in a granular sludge-based anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Show, Kuan-Yeow [Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Tunku Abdul Rahman, 53300 Setapak, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Zhang, Zhen-Peng; Tay, Joo-Hwa [School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798 (Singapore); Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637723 (Singapore); Tee Liang, David [Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637723 (Singapore); Lee, Duu-Jong [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, RO (China); Jiang, Wen-Ju [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China)

2007-12-15

An investigation on biohydrogen production was conducted in a granular sludge-based continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The reactor performance was assessed at five different glucose concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 g/L and four hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 h, resulting in the organic loading rates (OLRs) ranged between 2.5 and 20 g-glucose/L h. Carbon flow was traced by analyzing the composition of gaseous and soluble metabolites as well as the cell yield. Butyrate, acetate and ethanol were found to be the major soluble metabolite products in the biochemical synthesis of hydrogen. Carbon balance analysis showed that more than half of the glucose carbon was converted into unidentified soluble products at an OLR of 2.5 g-glucose/L h. It was found that high hydrogen yields corresponded to a sludge loading rate in between 0.6 and 0.8 g-glucose/g-VSS h. Substantial suppression in hydrogen yield was noted as the sludge loading rate fell beyond the optimum range. It is deduced that decreasing the sludge loading rate induced the metabolic shift of biochemical reactions at an OLR of 2.5 g-glucose/L h, which resulted in a substantial reduction in hydrogen yield to 0.36-0.41 mol-H{sub 2}/mol-glucose. Optimal operation conditions for peak hydrogen yield (1.84 mol-H{sub 2}/mol-glucose) and hydrogen production rate (3.26 L/L h) were achieved at an OLR of 20 g-glucose/L h, which corresponded to an HRT of 0.5 h and an influent glucose concentration of 10 g/L. Influence of HRT and substrate concentration on the reactor performance was interrelated and the adverse impact on hydrogen production was noted as substrate concentration was higher than 20 g/L or HRT was shorter than 0.5 h. The experimental study indicated that a higher OLR derived from appropriate HRTs and substrate concentrations was desirable for hydrogen production in such a granule-based CSTR. (author)

Continuous production of bio-oil by catalytic liquefaction from wet distiller’s grain with solubles (WDGS) from bio-ethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toor, Saqib Sohail; Rosendahl, Lasse; Nielsen, Mads Pagh; Glasius, Marianne; Rudolf, Andreas; Iversen, Steen Brummerstedt

2012-01-01

Bio-refinery concepts are currently receiving much attention due to the drive toward flexible, highly efficient systems for utilization of biomass for food, feed, fuel and bio-chemicals. One way of achieving this is through appropriate process integration, in this particular case combining enzymatic bio-ethanol production with catalytic liquefaction of the wet distillers grains with soluble, a byproduct from the bio-ethanol process. The catalytic liquefaction process is carried out at sub-critical conditions (280–370 °C and 25 MPa) in the presence of a homogeneous alkaline and a heterogeneous Zirconia catalyst, a process known as the Catliq ® process. In the current work, catalytic conversion of WDGS was performed in a continuous pilot plant with a maximum capacity of 30 dm 3 h −1 of wet biomass. In the process, WDGS was converted to bio-oil, gases and water-soluble organic compounds. The oil obtained was characterized using several analysis methods, among them elementary analysis and GC–MS. The study shows that WDGS can be converted to bio oil with high yields. The results also indicate that through the combination of bio-ethanol production and catalytic liquefaction, it is possible to significantly increase the liquid product yield and scope, opening up for a wider end use applicability. -- Highlights: ► Hydrothermal liquefaction of wet biomass. ► Product phase analysis: oil, acqeous, gas and mineral phase. ► Energy and mass balance evaluation.

Growth of aspergillus terreus and the production of itaconic acid in batch and continuous cultures. The influence of pH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rychtera, M.; Wase, J.D.A.

1981-01-01

Aspergillus terreus (NRRL 1960) was cultivated in batch and in continuous single-stage culture. The influence of pH on the growth of the organism, on the formation of itaconic acid and on the kinetics of fermentation was studied under phosphate limitation, both at controlled ph values and also when the pH was allowed to decrease in a natural way. In the pH range 1.7-3.5, the ratio of undissociated:half-dissociated acid varied from 190:1 to 1.5:1. The amount of completely dissociated acid may be regarded as negligible. In batch systems operated without pH control, an initial pH of 3.1 proved to be the most effective. Product formation under such conditions started at a point where the exponential growth phase commenced and was described by a zero-order equation. The maximum itaconic acid production rate was shifted behind maximum growth rate. The continuous single-stage system was first order with respect to product formation. At pH greater than 3.1, a number of aberrant and pellet forms of the mould occurred, resulting in decreased acid production. (Refs. 41).

Continuous Production of Lipase-Catalyzed Biodiesel in a Packed-Bed Reactor: Optimization and Enzyme Reuse Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsiao-Ching Chen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available An optimal continuous production of biodiesel by methanolysis of soybean oil in a packed-bed reactor was developed using immobilized lipase (Novozym 435 as a catalyst in a tert-butanol solvent system. Response surface methodology (RSM and Box-Behnken design were employed to evaluate the effects of reaction temperature, flow rate, and substrate molar ratio on the molar conversion of biodiesel. The results showed that flow rate and temperature have significant effects on the percentage of molar conversion. On the basis of ridge max analysis, the optimum conditions were as follows: flow rate 0.1 mL/min, temperature 52.1∘C, and substrate molar ratio 1 : 4. The predicted and experimental values of molar conversion were 83.31±2.07% and 82.81±.98%, respectively. Furthermore, the continuous process over 30 days showed no appreciable decrease in the molar conversion. The paper demonstrates the applicability of using immobilized lipase and a packed-bed reactor for continuous biodiesel synthesis.

Cane molasses fermentation for continuous ethanol production in an immobilized cells reactor by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghorbani, Farshid; Younesi, Habibollah; Esmaeili Sari, Abbas [Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, P.O. Box: 64414-356 (Iran); Najafpour, Ghasem [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol (Iran)

2011-02-15

Sodium-alginate immobilized yeast was employed to produce ethanol continuously using cane molasses as a carbon source in an immobilized cell reactor (ICR). The immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was performed by entrapment of the cell cultured media harvested at exponential growth phase (16 h) with 3% sodium alginate. During the initial stage of operation, the ICR was loaded with fresh beads of mean diameter of 5.01 mm. The ethanol production was affected by the concentration of the cane molasses (50, 100 and 150 g/l), dilution rates (0.064, 0.096, 0.144 and 0.192 h{sup -1}) and hydraulic retention time (5.21, 6.94, 10.42 and 15.63 h) of the media. The pH of the feed medium was set at 4.5 and the fermentation was carried out at an ambient temperature. The maximum ethanol production, theoretical yield (Y{sub E/S}), volumetric ethanol productivity (Q{sub P}) and total sugar consumption was 19.15 g/l, 46.23%, 2.39 g l{sup -1} h{sup -1} and 96%, respectively. (author)

Turn on the lights: leveraging visible light for communications and positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Hranilovic, Steve

2015-01-01

The need for ubiquitous broadband connectivity is continually growing, however, radio spectrum is increasingly scarce and limited by interference. In addition, the energy efficiency of many radio transmitters is low and most input energy is converted to heat. A widely overlooked resource for positioning and broadband access is optical wireless communication reusing existing illumination installations. As many of the 14 billion incandescent bulbs in use worldwide are converted to energy efficient LED lighting, a unique opportunity exists to augment them with visible light communications (VLC) and visible light positioning (VLP). VLC- and VLP- enabled LED lighting is not only energy efficient but enables a host of new use cases such as location-aware ubiquitous high-speed wireless communication links. This talk presents the recent work of the Free-space Optical Communication Algorithms Laboratory (FOCAL) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada in developing novel signaling and indoor localization techniques using illumination devices. Developments in the signaling design for VLC systems will be presented along with several prototype VLC communication systems. Novel approaches to the integration of VLC networks with power line communications (PLC) are discussed. The role of visible light communications and ranging for automotive safety will also be highlighted. Several approaches to indoor positioning using illumination devices and simple smartphone-based receivers will be presented. Finally, a vision for VLC and VLP technologies will be presented along with our ongoing research directions.

Serologic answer to the papillomavirus oncogenic capsid types 16, 18, 31, 33, 39, 58 and 59 in Colombian women with cervix cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combita, Alba Lucia; Touze, Antoine; Coursaget, Pierre; Bravo, Maria Mercedes

2003-01-01

The carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the first cause of cancer mortality among young Colombian women. An etiological association between infection with high risk HPV and cervical cancer has been demonstrated. L1 proteins from HPV have the ability to assemble into virus-like particles (VLP) numerous serologic studies using HPV16 or HPV18 VLP have shown that infection with genital HPV is followed by a serologic immune response to viral capsid proteins. Our results confirm (i) the high rate of HPV infections in Colombia, both in cervical cancer patients and in the general population, and the particularly high rate of infections due to HPV 31 and 58; and (ii) the validity of anti-VLP antibodies as markers of present or past infections. The simultaneous appearance or disappearance of antibodies against multiple HPV VLP suggests that the antibodies detected by ELISA are not always type-specific

Production of acids and alcohols from syngas in a two-stage continuous fermentation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Abubackar, Haris Nalakath; Veiga, María C; Kennes, Christian

2018-04-01

A two-stage continuous system with two stirred tank reactors in series was utilized to perform syngas fermentation using Clostridium carboxidivorans. The first bioreactor (bioreactor 1) was maintained at pH 6 to promote acidogenesis and the second one (bioreactor 2) at pH 5 to stimulate solventogenesis. Both reactors were operated in continuous mode by feeding syngas (CO:CO 2 :H 2 :N 2 ; 30:10:20:40; vol%) at a constant flow rate while supplying a nutrient medium at different flow rates of 8.1, 15, 22 and 30 ml/h. A cell recycling unit was added to bioreactor 2 in order to recycle the cells back to the reactor, maintaining the OD 600 around 1 in bioreactor 2 throughout the experimental run. When comparing the flow rates, the best results in terms of solvent production were obtained with a flow rate of 22 ml/h, reaching the highest average outlet concentration for alcohols (1.51 g/L) and the most favorable alcohol/acid ratio of 0.32. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF OSCILLATORY FLOW BIODIESEL REACTOR FOR CONTINUOUS BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM JATROPHA TRIGLYCERIDES

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AZHARI T. I. MOHD. GHAZI

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The concept of a continuous process in producing biodiesel from jatropha oil by using an Oscillatory Flow Biodiesel Reactor (OFBR is discussed in this paper. It has been recognized that the batch stirred reactor is a primary mode used in the synthesis of biodiesel. However, pulsatile flow has been extensively researcehed and the fundamental principles have been successfully developed upon which its hydrodynamics are based. Oscillatory flow biodiesel reactor offers precise control of mixing by means of the baffle geometry and pulsation which facilitates to continuous operation, giving plug flow residence time distribution with high turbulence and enhanced mass and heat transfer. In conjunction with the concept of reactor design, parameters such as reactor dimensions, the hydrodynamic studies and physical properties of reactants must be considered prior to the design work initiated recently. The OFBR reactor design involves the use of simulation software, ASPEN PLUS and the reactor design fundamentals. Following this, the design parameters shall be applied in fabricating the OFBR for laboratory scale biodiesel production.

Continuing Discontinuities: Local and State Perspectives on Cattle Production and Water Management in Botswana

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Emmanuel Manzungu

2009-06-01

Full Text Available From 1885 when the modern state of Botswana was founded until the discovery of significant mineral deposits in 1967, one year after independence, the livestock industry, particularly cattle production, played a significant role in the country’s economy. Today there are concerns about how the livestock industry, because of its importance to many rural households, and its potential to diversify the mineral-dominated economy, can be revived. In recognition of the country’s semi-arid climate, the government has promoted a policy of developing water sources for livestock watering. The state has acknowledged the policy has largely been ineffective, but continues to implement it. This paper attempts to explain this paradox by examining state and local perspectives in the management of water and related resources in the Botswana part of the Limpopo river basin. The discontinuities between the local inhabitants and state practitioners are analyzed within the wider physical social, political, and economic landscape. We ascribe the continued implementation of an ineffective policy to modernisation claims.

Continuous improvement concepts as a link between quality assurance and implementation of cleaner production: Case study in the generic pharmaceutical industry

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Boltić Zorana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The subject and the research objective presented in this article is establishing of the relationship between quality assurance and implementation of cleaner production in the generic pharmaceutical industry through the comprehensive concept of continuous improvement. This is mostly related to application of Lean and Six Sigma tools and techniques for process improvement and their link to other known concepts used in the industrial environment, especially manufacturing of generic pharmaceutical products from which two representative case studies were selected for comparative analysis, also considering relevant regulatory requirements in the field of quality management, as well as appropriate quality standards. Although the methodology discussed in this conceptual and practice oriented article is strongly related to chemical engineering, the focus is mainly on process industry, i.e. production systems, rather than any specific technological process itself. The scope of this research is an engineering approach to evaluation of the production systems in terms of continuous improvement concepts application, considering both quality aspects and efficiency of such systems. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 34009

A systems biology approach to investigate the effect of pH-induced gene regulation on solvent production by Clostridium acetobutylicum in continuous culture

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Bahl Hubert

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Clostridium acetobutylicum is an anaerobic bacterium which is known for its solvent-producing capabilities, namely regarding the bulk chemicals acetone and butanol, the latter being a highly efficient biofuel. For butanol production by C. acetobutylicum to be optimized and exploited on an industrial scale, the effect of pH-induced gene regulation on solvent production by C. acetobutylicum in continuous culture must be understood as fully as possible. Results We present an ordinary differential equation model combining the metabolic network governing solvent production with regulation at the genetic level of the enzymes required for this process. Parameterizing the model with experimental data from continuous culture, we demonstrate the influence of pH upon fermentation products: at high pH (pH 5.7 acids are the dominant product while at low pH (pH 4.5 this switches to solvents. Through steady-state analyses of the model we focus our investigations on how alteration in gene expression of C. acetobutylicum could be exploited to increase butanol yield in a continuous culture fermentation. Conclusions Incorporating gene regulation into the model of solvent production by C. acetobutylicum enables an accurate representation of the pH-induced switch to solvent production to be obtained and theoretical investigations of possible synthetic-biology approaches to be pursued. Steady-state analyses suggest that, to increase butanol yield, alterations in the expression of single solvent-associated genes are insufficient; a more complex approach targeting two or more genes is required.

ESCRT-independent budding of HIV-1 gag virus-like particles from Saccharomyces cerevisiae spheroplasts.

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Andrew P Norgan

Full Text Available Heterologous expression of HIV-1 Gag in a variety of host cells results in its packaging into virus-like particles (VLPs that are subsequently released into the extracellular milieu. This phenomenon represents a useful tool for probing cellular factors required for viral budding and has contributed to the discovery of roles for ubiquitin ligases and the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRTs in viral budding. These factors are highly conserved throughout eukaryotes and have been studied extensively in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model eukaryote previously utilized as a host for the production of VLPs. We used heterologous expression of HIV Gag in yeast spheroplasts to examine the role of ESCRTs and associated factors (Rsp5, a HECT ubiquitin ligase of the Nedd4 family; Bro1, a homolog of Alix; and Vps4, the AAA-ATPase required for ESCRT function in all contexts/organisms investigated in the generation of VLPs. Our data reveal: 1 characterized Gag-ESCRT interaction motifs (late domains are not required for VLP budding, 2 loss of function alleles of the essential HECT ubiquitin ligase Rsp5 do not display defects in VLP formation, and 3 ESCRT function is not required for VLP formation from spheroplasts. These results suggest that the egress of HIV Gag from yeast cells is distinct from the most commonly described mode of exit from mammalian cells, instead mimicking ESCRT-independent VLP formation observed in a subset of mammalian cells. As such, budding of Gag from yeast cells appears to represent ESCRT-independent budding relevant to viral replication in at least some situations. Thus the myriad of genetic and biochemical tools available in the yeast system may be of utility in the study of this aspect of viral budding.

Modeling and simulation of anion-exchange membrane chromatography for purification of Sf9 insect cell-derived virus-like particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladd Effio, Christopher; Hahn, Tobias; Seiler, Julia; Oelmeier, Stefan A; Asen, Iris; Silberer, Christine; Villain, Louis; Hubbuch, Jürgen

2016-01-15

Recombinant protein-based virus-like particles (VLPs) are steadily gaining in importance as innovative vaccines against cancer and infectious diseases. Multiple VLPs are currently evaluated in clinical phases requiring a straightforward and rational process design. To date, there is no generic platform process available for the purification of VLPs. In order to accelerate and simplify VLP downstream processing, there is a demand for novel development approaches, technologies, and purification tools. Membrane adsorbers have been identified as promising stationary phases for the processing of bionanoparticles due to their large pore sizes. In this work, we present the potential of two strategies for designing VLP processes following the basic tenet of 'quality by design': High-throughput experimentation and process modeling of an anion-exchange membrane capture step. Automated membrane screenings allowed the identification of optimal VLP binding conditions yielding a dynamic binding capacity of 5.7 mg/mL for human B19 parvovirus-like particles derived from Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 insect cells. A mechanistic approach was implemented for radial ion-exchange membrane chromatography using the lumped-rate model and stoichiometric displacement model for the in silico optimization of a VLP capture step. For the first time, process modeling enabled the in silico design of a selective, robust and scalable process with minimal experimental effort for a complex VLP feedstock. The optimized anion-exchange membrane chromatography process resulted in a protein purity of 81.5%, a DNA clearance of 99.2%, and a VLP recovery of 59%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 205.406 - Continuation of certification.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) ORGANIC FOODS PRODUCTION ACT PROVISIONS NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM Certification § 205.406 Continuation of certification. (a) To continue... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Continuation of certification. 205.406 Section 205.406...

Safety considerations for continuous hydrogen production test apparatus with capacity of 50 N-litter hydrogen per hour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onuki, Kaoru; Akino, Norio; Shimizu, Saburo; Nakajima, Hayato; Higashi, Shunichi; Kubo, Shinji

2001-03-01

Since the thermochemical hydrogen production Iodine-Sulfur process decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen using toxic chemicals such as sulfuric acid, iodine and hydriodic acid, safety considerations are very important in its research and development. Therefore, before construction of continuous hydrogen production test apparatus with capacity of 50 N-litter hydrogen per hour, comprehensive safety considerations were carried out to examine the design and construction works of the test apparatus, and the experimental plans using the apparatus. Emphasis was given on the safety considerations on prevention of breakage of glasswares and presumable abnormalities, accidents and their countermeasures. This report summarizes the results of the considerations. (author)

Accuracy assessment of the vegetation continuous field tree cover product using 3954 ground plots in the southwestern USA

Science.gov (United States)

M. A. White; J. D. Shaw; R. D. Ramsey

2005-01-01

An accuracy assessment of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation continuous field (VCF) tree cover product using two independent ground-based tree cover databases was conducted. Ground data included 1176 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots for Arizona and 2778 Southwest Regional GAP (SWReGAP) plots for Utah and western Colorado....

Evaluation of pretreatment methods on mixed inoculum for both batch and continuous thermophilic biohydrogen production from cassava stillage.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Gang; Xie, Li; Zou, Zhonghai; Wang, Wen; Zhou, Qi

2010-02-01

Anaerobic sludges, pretreated by chloroform, base, acid, heat and loading-shock, as well as untreated sludge were evaluated for their thermophilic fermentative hydrogen-producing characters from cassava stillage in both batch and continuous experiments. Results showed that the highest hydrogen production was obtained by untreated sludge and there were significant differences (pstillage.

Engineered catalytic biofilms for continuous large scale production of n-octanol and (S)-styrene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Rainer; Buehler, Katja; Schmid, Andreas

2013-02-01

This study evaluates the technical feasibility of biofilm-based biotransformations at an industrial scale by theoretically designing a process employing membrane fiber modules as being used in the chemical industry and compares the respective process parameters to classical stirred-tank studies. To our knowledge, catalytic biofilm processes for fine chemicals production have so far not been reported on a technical scale. As model reactions, we applied the previously studied asymmetric styrene epoxidation employing Pseudomonas sp. strain VLB120ΔC biofilms and the here-described selective alkane hydroxylation. Using the non-heme iron containing alkane hydroxylase system (AlkBGT) from P. putida Gpo1 in the recombinant P. putida PpS81 pBT10 biofilm, we were able to continuously produce 1-octanol from octane with a maximal productivity of 1.3 g L ⁻¹(aq) day⁻¹ in a single tube micro reactor. For a possible industrial application, a cylindrical membrane fiber module packed with 84,000 polypropylene fibers is proposed. Based on the here presented calculations, 59 membrane fiber modules (of 0.9 m diameter and 2 m length) would be feasible to realize a production process of 1,000 tons/year for styrene oxide. Moreover, the product yield on carbon can at least be doubled and over 400-fold less biomass waste would be generated compared to classical stirred-tank reactor processes. For the octanol process, instead, further intensification in biological activity and/or surface membrane enlargement is required to reach production scale. By taking into consideration challenges such as biomass growth control and maintaining a constant biological activity, this study shows that a biofilm process at an industrial scale for the production of fine chemicals is a sustainable alternative in terms of product yield and biomass waste production. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Segregation of Elements in Continuous Cast Carbon Steel Billets Designated for Long Products

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Hutny A. M.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents research results concerning designation of the scope of segregation of elements by analysing the ingot, designated for hot rolling of long products. The research tests were performed under industrial conditions, during continuous casting production cycle of high carbon steels. From cc ingots with square cross-section of 160 mm samples having the length of 400 mm were collected, out of which two samples were cut up, the so-called templates with the thickness of 20 mm. Segregation of elements was determined based on the quantitative analysis of results performed by using spark spectrometry pursuant to PN-H-04045. Changes in concentrations of elements were analysed along the line, which join the opposite sides of the sample in their half length and pass through the geometric centre of the square cross-section. In the further course of the research study, there was also determined the segregation along perpendicular line up to the surface connecting the core of the cross-section with lateral plane. Designations of element contents were performed at points distanced from each other by approx. 10 mm and situated on the lines. There was found segregation of carbon, sulphur and phosphorus.

Continuous fermentative hydrogen production from coffee drink manufacturing wastewater by applying UASB reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Kyung-Won; Shin, Hang-Sik [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dong-Hoon [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Essex Hall, Windsor, Ontario (Canada)

2010-12-15

The feasibility of continuous H{sub 2} production from coffee drink manufacturing wastewater (CDMW) was tested in two different types of reactors: a completely-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASBr). While the performance in CSTR was limited, it was significantly enhanced in UASBr. The maximum H{sub 2} yield of 1.29 mol H{sub 2}/mol hexose{sub added} was achieved at HRT of 6 h in UASBr operation. Non-hydrogenic, lactic acid was the dominant in CSTR, while butyric and caproic acids in UASBr. As caproic acid is generated by consuming acetic and butyric acids, all of which are related to H{sub 2} production, the presence of caproic acid in the broth also indicates H{sub 2} production, yielding 1.33 mol H{sub 2}/glucose. It was speculated that the enhanced performance in UASBr was attributed to the high concentration of biomass over 60,000 mg VSS/L in the blanket zone, which provided insufficient substrate for indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to survive. The abundance of LAB in CDMW was confirmed by natural fermentation of CDMW. That is without the addition of external inoculum, CDMW was mainly fermented into lactic acid under mesophilic condition. For the first time ever, H{sub 2} producing granules (HPG) with diameters of 2.1 mm were successfully formed by using actual waste as a substrate. (author)

Continuous Non-malleable Codes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faust, Sebastian; Mukherjee, Pratyay; Nielsen, Jesper Buus

2014-01-01

or modify it to the encoding of a completely unrelated value. This paper introduces an extension of the standard non-malleability security notion - so-called continuous non-malleability - where we allow the adversary to tamper continuously with an encoding. This is in contrast to the standard notion of non...... is necessary to achieve continuous non-malleability in the split-state model. Moreover, we illustrate that none of the existing constructions satisfies our uniqueness property and hence is not secure in the continuous setting. We construct a split-state code satisfying continuous non-malleability. Our scheme...... is based on the inner product function, collision-resistant hashing and non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs of knowledge and requires an untamperable common reference string. We apply continuous non-malleable codes to protect arbitrary cryptographic primitives against tampering attacks. Previous...

Future Supply Chains Enabled by Continuous Processing—Opportunities and Challenges. May 20–21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium

Science.gov (United States)

Srai, Jagjit Singh; Badman, Clive; Krumme, Markus; Futran, Mauricio; Johnston, Craig

2015-01-01

This paper examines the opportunities and challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry in moving to a primarily “continuous processing”-based supply chain. The current predominantly “large batch” and centralized manufacturing system designed for the “blockbuster” drug has driven a slow-paced, inventory heavy operating model that is increasingly regarded as inflexible and unsustainable. Indeed, new markets and the rapidly evolving technology landscape will drive more product variety, shorter product life-cycles, and smaller drug volumes, which will exacerbate an already unsustainable economic model. Future supply chains will be required to enhance affordability and availability for patients and healthcare providers alike despite the increased product complexity. In this more challenging supply scenario, we examine the potential for a more pull driven, near real-time demand-based supply chain, utilizing continuous processing where appropriate as a key element of a more “flow-through” operating model. In this discussion paper on future supply chain models underpinned by developments in the continuous manufacture of pharmaceuticals, we have set out; The significant opportunities to moving to a supply chain flow-through operating model, with substantial opportunities in inventory reduction, lead-time to patient, and radically different product assurance/stability regimes. Scenarios for decentralized production models producing a greater variety of products with enhanced volume flexibility. Production, supply, and value chain footprints that are radically different from today's monolithic and centralized batch manufacturing operations. Clinical trial and drug product development cost savings that support more rapid scale-up and market entry models with early involvement of SC designers within New Product Development. The major supply chain and industrial transformational challenges that need to be addressed. The paper recognizes that although current

Continuous production of fenofibrate solid lipid nanoparticles by hot-melt extrusion technology: a systematic study based on a quality by design approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Hemlata; Feng, Xin; Ye, Xingyou; Majumdar, Soumyajit; Repka, Michael A

2015-01-01

This contribution describes a continuous process for the production of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as drug-carrier systems via hot-melt extrusion (HME). Presently, HME technology has not been used for the manufacturing of SLN. Generally, SLN are prepared as a batch process, which is time consuming and may result in variability of end-product quality attributes. In this study, using Quality by Design (QbD) principles, we were able to achieve continuous production of SLN by combining two processes: HME technology for melt-emulsification and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) for size reduction. Fenofibrate (FBT), a poorly water-soluble model drug, was incorporated into SLN using HME-HPH methods. The developed novel platform demonstrated better process control and size reduction compared to the conventional process of hot homogenization (batch process). Varying the process parameters enabled the production of SLN below 200 nm. The dissolution profile of the FBT SLN prepared by the novel HME-HPH method was faster than that of the crude FBT and a micronized marketed FBT formulation. At the end of a 5-h in vitro dissolution study, a SLN formulation released 92-93% of drug, whereas drug release was approximately 65 and 45% for the marketed micronized formulation and crude drug, respectively. Also, pharmacokinetic study results demonstrated a statistical increase in Cmax, Tmax, and AUC0-24 h in the rate of drug absorption from SLN formulations as compared to the crude drug and marketed micronized formulation. In summary, the present study demonstrated the potential use of hot-melt extrusion technology for continuous and large-scale production of SLN.

Shallow degassing events as a trigger for very-long-period seismicity at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Matthew; Wilson, David; Fee, David; Orr, Tim R.; Swanson, Donald A.

2011-01-01

The first eruptive activity at Kīlauea Volcano’s summit in 25 years began in March 2008 with the opening of a 35-m-wide vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater. The new activity has produced prominent very-long-period (VLP) signals corresponding with two new behaviors: episodic tremor bursts and small explosive events, both of which represent degassing events from the top of the lava column. Previous work has shown that VLP seismicity has long been present at Kīlauea’s summit, and is sourced approximately 1 km below Halema‘uma‘u. By integrating video observations, infrasound and seismic data, we show that the onset of the large VLP signals occurs within several seconds of the onset of the degassing events. This timing indicates that the VLP is caused by forces—sourced at or very near the lava free surface due to degassing—transmitted down the magma column and coupling to the surrounding rock at 1 km depth.

The cytoplasmic tails of infectious bronchitis virus E and M proteins mediate their interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corse, Emily; Machamer, Carolyn E.

2003-01-01

Virus-like particle (VLP) formation by the coronavirus E and M proteins suggests that interactions between these proteins play a critical role in coronavirus assembly. We studied interactions between the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) E and M proteins using in vivo crosslinking and VLP assembly assays. We show that IBV E and M can be crosslinked to each other in IBV-infected and transfected cells, indicating that they interact. The cytoplasmic tails of both proteins are important for this interaction. We also examined the ability of the mutant and chimeric E and M proteins to form VLPs. IBV M proteins that are missing portions of their cytoplasmic tails or transmembrane regions were not able to support VLP formation, regardless of their ability to be crosslinked to IBV E. Interactions between the E and M proteins and the membrane bilayer are likely to play an important role in VLP formation and virus budding

Continuous production of glycerol by catalytic high pressure hydrogenolysis of sucrose

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ling, Gerrit; Driessen, Alfons J.; Piet, Arie C.; Vlugter, Jozef C.

1970-01-01

Several continuous reactor systems have been discussed for the catalytic high pressure hydrogenolysis of sucrose to glycerol. Theoretically and actually, continuous reactors lead to lower glycerol yields than in a batch process. Two continuous stirred tank reactors in cascade constitute a reasonable

Systematic review and meta-analysis of L1-VLP-based human papillomavirus vaccine efficacy against anogenital pre-cancer in women with evidence of prior HPV exposure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ada Miltz

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether L1-VLP-based human papillomavirus (HPV vaccines are efficacious in reducing the likelihood of anogenital pre-cancer in women with evidence of prior vaccine-type HPV exposure. This study aims to determine whether the combined results of the vaccine trials published to date provide evidence of efficacy compared with control (hepatitis A vaccine/placebo. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs were identified from MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and references of identified studies. The bivalent vaccine containing HPV-16 and 18 VLPs from GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (Rixenstart, Belgium, the quadrivalent vaccine containing HPV-6, 11, 16, and 18 VLPs from Merck & Co., Inc., (Whitehouse Station, NJ USA, and the HPV-16 monovalent vaccine from Merck Research Laboratories (West Point, PA USA were evaluated. FINDINGS: Three RCT reports and two post-trial cohort studies were eligible, comprising data from 13,482 women who were included in the vaccine studies but had evidence of HPV infection at study entry. Data on efficacy was synthesized using the Mantel-Haenszel weighted fixed-effect approach, or where there was heterogeneity between studies, the DerSimonian and Laird weighted random-effect approach. The mean odds ratio (OR and 95% confidence interval (CI for the association between Cervarix, Gardasil and HPV-16 monovalent vaccine and HPV-associated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse was 0·90 (95% CI: 0·56, 1·44. For the association between Gardasil and HPV-associated vulval/vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2-3, the overall OR and 95% CI was 2.25 (95% CI: 0·78, 6.50. Sample size and follow-up were limited. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence that HPV vaccines are effective in preventing vaccine-type HPV associated pre-cancer in women with evidence of prior HPV exposure. Small

Role of continual environmental performance improvement in achieving sustainability in uranium production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarrell, J.P.; Chad, G.M.S.

2002-01-01

Although the term sustainable development is commonly used today, there is not yet a commonly accepted definition. Various ways of measuring sustainability have been proposed. To show how these issues are being effectively addressed in modern uranium developments, we will review some methods of defining the environmental component of sustainable development in the mining and mineral-processing sector. Environmental impacts associated with uranium extraction and processing in modern facilities are modest. Air and water emissions are well controlled. Waste materials are subject to comprehensive management programmes. The size of the impacted area is smaller than in other energy sectors, providing good opportunity to minimize land impact. Experience over the past three decades facilitated gradual, persistent, but cumulatively significant environmental improvements in the uranium production sector. Cameco's uranium mining and processing facilities exemplify these improvements. These improvements can be expected to continue, supporting our argument of Cameco's environmental sustainability. (author)

Bioreactors for high cell density and continuous multi-stage cultivations: options for process intensification in cell culture-based viral vaccine production.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapia, Felipe; Vázquez-Ramírez, Daniel; Genzel, Yvonne; Reichl, Udo

2016-03-01

With an increasing demand for efficacious, safe, and affordable vaccines for human and animal use, process intensification in cell culture-based viral vaccine production demands advanced process strategies to overcome the limitations of conventional batch cultivations. However, the use of fed-batch, perfusion, or continuous modes to drive processes at high cell density (HCD) and overextended operating times has so far been little explored in large-scale viral vaccine manufacturing. Also, possible reductions in cell-specific virus yields for HCD cultivations have been reported frequently. Taking into account that vaccine production is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the pharmaceutical sector with tough margins to meet, it is understandable that process intensification is being considered by both academia and industry as a next step toward more efficient viral vaccine production processes only recently. Compared to conventional batch processes, fed-batch and perfusion strategies could result in ten to a hundred times higher product yields. Both cultivation strategies can be implemented to achieve cell concentrations exceeding 10(7) cells/mL or even 10(8) cells/mL, while keeping low levels of metabolites that potentially inhibit cell growth and virus replication. The trend towards HCD processes is supported by development of GMP-compliant cultivation platforms, i.e., acoustic settlers, hollow fiber bioreactors, and hollow fiber-based perfusion systems including tangential flow filtration (TFF) or alternating tangential flow (ATF) technologies. In this review, these process modes are discussed in detail and compared with conventional batch processes based on productivity indicators such as space-time yield, cell concentration, and product titers. In addition, options for the production of viral vaccines in continuous multi-stage bioreactors such as two- and three-stage systems are addressed. While such systems have shown similar virus titers compared to

Increased productivity in construction of civil and mining tunnels through the use of high-capacity tunnel-boring machines and continuous belt conveyor muck haulage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beatty, J.G.; Ganey, R.J.; Killingsworth, J.E. [Perini Corp., Chicago, IL (United States). US Heavy Division

1994-12-31

The use of a large diameter high production tunnel boring machine interfaced with a high capacity continuous belt conveyor system provides a highly productive and cost effective construction system for both civil and mining tunnels. Continuous advance of the tunnel boring machine for a distance of 1,000 feet (305 m) allows for very efficient operation of the system. The available cost reductions will likely prove that this approach to waste handling will make marginally viable projects economically feasible. 9 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

Continuous-Flow Production of Injectable Liposomes via a Microfluidic Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Zizzari, Alessandra; Bianco, Monica; Perrone, Elisabetta; Amato, Francesco; Maruccio, Giuseppe; Rendina, Filippo; Arima, Valentina

2017-01-01

Injectable liposomes are characterized by a suitable size and unique lipid mixtures, which require time-consuming and nonstraightforward production processes. The complexity of the manufacturing methods may affect liposome solubility, the phase transition temperatures of the membranes, the average particle size, and the associated particle size distribution, with a possible impact on the drug encapsulation and release. By leveraging the precise steady-state control over the mixing of miscible liquids and a highly efficient heat transfer, microfluidic technology has proved to be an effective and direct methodology to produce liposomes. This approach results particularly efficient in reducing the number of the sizing steps, when compared to standard industrial methods. Here, Microfluidic Hydrodynamic Focusing chips were produced and used to form liposomes upon tuning experimental parameters such as lipids concentration and Flow-Rate-Ratios (FRRs). Although modelling evidenced the dependence of the laminar flow on the geometric constraints and the FRR conditions, for the specific formulation investigated in this study, the lipids concentration was identified as the primary factor influencing the size of the liposomes and their polydispersity index. This was attributed to a predominance of the bending elasticity modulus over the vesiculation index in the lipid mixture used. Eventually, liposomes of injectable size were produced using microfluidic one-pot synthesis in continuous flow. PMID:29232873

The Current of Continuing Professional Development for Product Designers

OpenAIRE

山内, 勉; Yamauchi, Tsutomu

2010-01-01

Product Designers are required some skills and knowledge in the product development. Based on my professional career, I presumed three skills, they are, Technical skills, Conceptual skills and Human skills. In this study, I interviewed some Product Designers to make sure what skills are needed in the product development process. It emerged that Product Designers are expected to improve their Conceptual and Human skills besides Technical skills for playing a part at the upper and lower stage o...

Continuous production of biodiesel from microalgae by extraction coupling with transesterification under supercritical conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Dan; Qiao, Baoquan; Li, Gen; Xue, Song; Yin, Jianzhong

2017-08-01

Raw material for biodiesel has been expanded from edible oil to non-edible oil. In this study, biodiesel continuous production for two kinds of microalgae Chrysophyta and Chlorella sp. was conducted. Coupling with the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, the oil of microalgae was extracted firstly, and then sent to the downstream production of biodiesel. The residue after decompression can be reused as the material for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Results showed that the particle size of microalgae, temperature, pressure, molar ration of methanol to oil, flow of CO 2 and n-hexane all have effects on the yield of biodiesel. With the optimal operation conditions: 40mesh algae, extraction temperature 60°C, flow of n-hexane 0.4ml/min, reaction temperature: 340°C, pressure: 18-20MPa, CO 2 flow of 0.5L/min, molar ration of methanol to oil 84:1, a yield of 56.31% was obtained for Chrysophyta, and 63.78% for Chlorella sp. due to the higher lipid content. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

NASA's MODIS/VIIRS Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Products: Asssessment of Accuracy, Continuity and Science Uses

Science.gov (United States)

Hulley, G. C.; Malakar, N.; Islam, T.

2017-12-01

Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity (LST&E) are an important Earth System Data Record (ESDR) and Environmental Climate Variable (ECV) defined by NASA and GCOS respectively. LST&E data are key variables used in land cover/land use change studies, in surface energy balance and atmospheric water vapor retrieval models and retrievals, and in climate research. LST&E products are currently produced on a routine basis using data from the MODIS instruments on the NASA EOS platforms and by the VIIRS instrument on the Suomi-NPP platform that serves as a bridge between NASA EOS and the next-generation JPSS platforms. Two new NASA LST&E products for MODIS (MxD21) and VIIRS (VNP21) are being produced during 2017 using a new approach that addresses discrepancies in accuracy and consistency between the current suite of split-window based LST products. The new approach uses a Temperature Emissivity Separation (TES) algorithm, originally developed for the ASTER instrument, to physically retrieve both LST and spectral emissivity consistently for both sensors with high accuracy and well defined uncertainties. This study provides a rigorous assessment of accuracy of the MxD21/VNP21 products using temperature- and radiance-based validation strategies and demonstrates continuity between the products using collocated matchups over CONUS. We will further demonstrate potential science use of the new products with studies related to heat waves, monitoring snow melt dynamics, and land cover/land use change.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PRACTICE IN LARGE ENTERPRISES: STUDY RESULTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Stadnicka

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Continuous improvement is indispensable for ensuring the company's development and its survival on the constantly changing global market. Continuous improvement is particularly important in the quality and production management systems. A company should deliver a product compliant with a client's requirements in a specified time and at an appropriate price. That is why, continuous improvement refers to different areas of an organization's functioning and it is an integral part of Lean Manufacturing. This article presents the results of the study conducted in production enterprises on a limited area. The aim of the study was the assessment of the implementation of continuous improvement in Lean Manufacturing, and, in particular, employees' involvement in the problem identification and in reporting improvements as well as the way of motivating employees to involve themselves. The authors also tried to identify the factors influencing the elements of a continuous improvement system.

A new two-photon mechanism of the formation of a continuous spectrum of photons emitted by secondary emission products of atomic particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veksler, V.I.

1986-01-01

A two-photon mechanism of the formation of a continuous spectrum of photons emitted by products of metal sputtering is considered. The following process of the two-photon mechanism is considered: the continuous spectrum is formed under quadrupole two-photon transitions in sputtered excited atoms having vacancies at the d level in atoms of transition metals or at the of level in lanthanides found against the filled conduction band. It is shown that the suggested mechanism should play an essential role in the formation of the continuous spectrum of optical radiation

Continuous Production of Ethanol from Starch Using Glucoamylase and Yeast Co-Immobilized in Pectin Gel

Science.gov (United States)

Giordano, Raquel L. C.; Trovati, Joubert; Schmidell, Willibaldo

This work presents a continuous simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process to produce ethanol from starch using glucoamylase and Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-immobilized in pectin gel. The enzyme was immobilized on macroporous silica, after silanization and activation of the support with glutaraldehyde. The silicaenzyme derivative was co-immobilized with yeast in pectin gel. This biocatalyst was used to produce ethanol from liquefied manioc root flour syrup, in three fixed bed reactors. The initial reactor yeast load was 0.05 g wet yeast/ml of reactor (0.1 g wet yeast/g gel), used in all SSF experiments. The enzyme concentration in the reactor was defined by running SSF batch assays, using different amount of silica-enzyme derivative, co-immobilized with yeast in pectin gel. The chosen reactor enzyme concentration, 3.77 U/ml, allowed fermentation to be the rate-limiting step in the batch experiment. In this condition, using initial substrate concentration of 166.0 g/1 of total reducing sugars (TRS), 1 ml gel/1 ml of medium, ethanol productivity of 8.3 g/l/h was achieved, for total conversion of starch to ethanol and 91% of the theoretical yield. In the continuous runs, feeding 163.0 g/1 of TRS and using the same enzyme and yeast concentrations used in the batch run, ethanol productivity was 5.9 g ethanol/1/h, with 97% of substrate conversion and 81% of the ethanol theoretical yield. Diffusion effects in the extra-biocatalyst film seemed to be reduced when operating at superficial velocities above 3.7 × 10-4 cm/s.

Continuous denitration device by microwave heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumaru, Ken-ichi; Sato, Hajime.

1982-01-01

Purpose: To continuously obtain powder of uranium dioxide, plutonium dioxide or a mixture of them respectively from the solution of uranyl nitrate, plutonium nitrate or a mixture of them effectively while maintaining a constant quality. Constitution: Plutonium nitrate or uranium nitrate solution is deposited on a rotational drum having a heater and dried into powderous products. The powderous products are scraped off by a blade, transferred to a belt conveyor, entered into a microwave heating furnace and heated by microwaves while stirring to obtain the powder of plutonium dioxide or uranium dioxide. The powderous products are scraped off by a scraper and collected in a receiving tank for denitration products, whereby the feeding solution can be denitrated continuously. (Horiuchi, T.)

Development of a continuous process for adjusting nitrate, zirconium, and free hydrofluoric acid concentrations in zirconium fuel dissolver product

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cresap, D.A.; Halverson, D.S.

1993-04-01

In the Fluorinel Dissolution Process (FDP) upgrade, excess hydrofluoric acid in the dissolver product must be complexed with aluminum nitrate (ANN) to eliminate corrosion concerns, adjusted with nitrate to facilitate extraction, and diluted with water to ensure solution stability. This is currently accomplished via batch processing in large vessels. However, to accommodate increases in projected throughput and reduce water production in a cost-effective manner, a semi-continuous system (In-line Complexing (ILC)) has been developed. The major conclusions drawn from tests demonstrating the feasibility of this concept are given in this report

Continuous recycling of enzymes during production of lignocellulosic bioethanol in demonstration scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haven, Mai Østergaard; Lindedam, Jane; Jeppesen, Martin D.

2015-01-01

Recycling of enzymes in production of lignocellulosic bioethanol has been tried for more than 30 years. So far, the successes have been few and the experiments have been carried out at conditions far from those in an industrially feasible process. Here we have tested continuous enzyme recycling a...... broth also opens up the possibility of lowering the dry matter content in hydrolysis and fermentation while still maintaining high ethanol concentrations....... at demonstration scale using industrial process conditions (high dry matter content and low enzyme dosage) for a period of eight days. The experiment was performed at the Inbicon demonstration plant (Kalundborg, Denmark) capable of converting four tonnes of wheat straw per hour. 20% of the fermentation broth...... was recycled to the hydrolysis reactor while enzyme dosage was reduced by 5%. The results demonstrate that recycling enzymes by this method can reduce overall enzyme consumption and may also increase the ethanol concentrations in the fermentation broth. Our results further show that recycling fermentation...

27 CFR 478.60 - Certain continuances of business.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Certain continuances of business. 478.60 Section 478.60 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO... Licenses § 478.60 Certain continuances of business. A licensee who furnishes his license to the Chief...

Vaccine delivery system for tuberculosis based on nano-sized hepatitis B virus core protein particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhanasooraj D

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Dhananjayan Dhanasooraj, R Ajay Kumar, Sathish MundayoorMycobacterium Research Group, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Kerala, IndiaAbstract: Nano-sized hepatitis B virus core virus-like particles (HBc-VLP are suitable for uptake by antigen-presenting cells. Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10 is an important vaccine candidate against tuberculosis. The purified antigen shows low immune response without adjuvant and tends to have low protective efficacy. The present study is based on the assumption that expression of these proteins on HBc nanoparticles would provide higher protection when compared to the native antigen alone. The cfp-10 gene was expressed as a fusion on the major immunodominant region of HBc-VLP, and the immune response in Balb/c mice was studied and compared to pure proteins, a mixture of antigens, and fusion protein-VLP, all without using any adjuvant. The humoral, cytokine, and splenocyte cell proliferation responses suggested that the HBc-VLP bearing CFP-10 generated an antigen-specific immune response in a Th1-dependent manner. By virtue of its self-adjuvant nature and ability to form nano-sized particles, HBc-VLPs are an excellent vaccine delivery system for use with subunit protein antigens identified in the course of recent vaccine research.Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, VLP, hepatitis B virus core particle, CFP-10, self-adjuvant, vaccine delivery

Spatial Distribution of Viruses Associated with Planktonic and Attached Microbial Communities in Hydrothermal Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Nunoura, Takuro; Kazama, Hiromi; Noguchi, Takuroh; Inoue, Kazuhiro; Akashi, Hironori; Yamanaka, Toshiro; Toki, Tomohiro; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Furushima, Yasuo; Ueno, Yuichiro; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Takai, Ken

2012-01-01

Viruses play important roles in marine surface ecosystems, but little is known about viral ecology and virus-mediated processes in deep-sea hydrothermal microbial communities. In this study, we examined virus-like particle (VLP) abundances in planktonic and attached microbial communities, which occur in physical and chemical gradients in both deep and shallow submarine hydrothermal environments (mixing waters between hydrothermal fluids and ambient seawater and dense microbial communities attached to chimney surface areas or macrofaunal bodies and colonies). We found that viruses were widely distributed in a variety of hydrothermal microbial habitats, with the exception of the interior parts of hydrothermal chimney structures. The VLP abundance and VLP-to-prokaryote ratio (VPR) in the planktonic habitats increased as the ratio of hydrothermal fluid to mixing water increased. On the other hand, the VLP abundance in attached microbial communities was significantly and positively correlated with the whole prokaryotic abundance; however, the VPRs were always much lower than those for the surrounding hydrothermal waters. This is the first report to show VLP abundance in the attached microbial communities of submarine hydrothermal environments, which presented VPR values significantly lower than those in planktonic microbial communities reported before. These results suggested that viral lifestyles (e.g., lysogenic prevalence) and virus interactions with prokaryotes are significantly different among the planktonic and attached microbial communities that are developing in the submarine hydrothermal environments. PMID:22210205

40 CFR Table 10 to Subpart Xxxx of... - Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Production Affected Sources

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Production Affected Sources 10 Table 10 to Subpart XXXX of Part 63 Protection of... Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing Pt. 63, Subpt. XXXX, Table 10 Table 10 to Subpart XXXX of Part 63...

Apparatus and method for continuous production of materials

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chih-hung; Jin, Hyungdae

2014-08-12

Embodiments of a continuous-flow injection reactor and a method for continuous material synthesis are disclosed. The reactor includes a mixing zone unit and a residence time unit removably coupled to the mixing zone unit. The mixing zone unit includes at least one top inlet, a side inlet, and a bottom outlet. An injection tube, or plurality of injection tubes, is inserted through the top inlet and extends past the side inlet while terminating above the bottom outlet. A first reactant solution flows in through the side inlet, and a second reactant solution flows in through the injection tube(s). With reference to nanoparticle synthesis, the reactant solutions combine in a mixing zone and form nucleated nanoparticles. The nucleated nanoparticles flow through the residence time unit. The residence time unit may be a single conduit, or it may include an outer housing and a plurality of inner tubes within the outer housing.

Control systems engineering in continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. May 20-21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Myerson, Allan S; Krumme, Markus; Nasr, Moheb; Thomas, Hayden; Braatz, Richard D

2015-03-01

This white paper provides a perspective of the challenges, research needs, and future directions for control systems engineering in continuous pharmaceutical processing. The main motivation for writing this paper is to facilitate the development and deployment of control systems technologies so as to ensure quality of the drug product. Although the main focus is on small-molecule pharmaceutical products, most of the same statements apply to biological drug products. An introduction to continuous manufacturing and control systems is followed by a discussion of the current status and technical needs in process monitoring and control, systems integration, and risk analysis. Some key points are that: (1) the desired objective in continuous manufacturing should be the satisfaction of all critical quality attributes (CQAs), not for all variables to operate at steady-state values; (2) the design of start-up and shutdown procedures can significantly affect the economic operation of a continuous manufacturing process; (3) the traceability of material as it moves through the manufacturing facility is an important consideration that can at least in part be addressed using residence time distributions; and (4) the control systems technologies must assure quality in the presence of disturbances, dynamics, uncertainties, nonlinearities, and constraints. Direct measurement, first-principles and empirical model-based predictions, and design space approaches are described for ensuring that CQA specifications are met. Ways are discussed for universities, regulatory bodies, and industry to facilitate working around or through barriers to the development of control systems engineering technologies for continuous drug manufacturing. Industry and regulatory bodies should work with federal agencies to create federal funding mechanisms to attract faculty to this area. Universities should hire faculty interested in developing first-principles models and control systems technologies for

Continuous downstream processing of biopharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jungbauer, Alois

2013-08-01

Continuous manufacturing has been applied in many different industries but has been pursued reluctantly in biotechnology where the batchwise process is still the standard. A shift to continuous operation can improve productivity of a process and substantially reduce the footprint. Continuous operation also allows robust purification of labile biomolecules. A full set of unit operations is available to design continuous downstream processing of biopharmaceuticals. Chromatography, the central unit operation, is most advanced in respect to continuous operation. Here, the problem of 'batch' definition has been solved. This has also paved the way for implementation of continuous downstream processing from a regulatory viewpoint. Economic pressure, flexibility, and parametric release considerations will be the driving force to implement continuous manufacturing strategies in future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Productivity of grasslands under continuous and rotational grazing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lantinga, E.A.

1985-01-01

In the Netherlands, rotational grazing, with grazing periods of 2 to 5 days, is the most common grazing system at present. In contrast with other countries of North-western Europe, the continuous grazing system is used here only to a limited extent. However, the results of numerous

Continuous alcoholic fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smidrkal, M; Nejedly, A

1956-01-01

Results are given of investigations on the continuous production of ethanol on a laboratory and on a semi-commercial scale. The suggested devices are particularly described. Under constant conditions the production cycle required 12 to 17 days, the acidity being 4.0 to 415 ml. 0.1 N NaOH/100 ml and the concentration of fermented wort 10.5 to 11%. The maximum production from 1 h of fermentation space during 24 h was 8.67 l of absolute alcohol when the efflux was divided into several basins; when the efflux of sweet wort was collected into one basin only, the maximum production was 7.20 l of absolute alcohol. The amount of alcohol produced was 62.20 l/100 kg sugar.

Statistically optimized biotransformation protocol for continuous production of L-DOPA using Mucuna monosperma callus culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Inamdar, Shrirang Appasaheb; Surwase, Shripad Nagnath; Jadhav, Shekhar Bhagwan; Bapat, Vishwas Anant; Jadhav, Jyoti Prafull

2013-01-01

L-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine), a modified amino acid, is an expansively used drug for the Parkinson's disease treatment. In the present study, optimization of nutritional parameters influencing L-DOPA production was attempted using the response surface methodology (RSM) from Mucuna monosperma callus. Optimization of the four factors was carried out using the Box-Behnken design. The optimized levels of factors predicted by the model include tyrosine 0.894 g l(-1), pH 4.99, ascorbic acid 31.62 mg l(-1)and copper sulphate 23.92 mg l(-1), which resulted in highest L-DOPA yield of 0.309 g l(-1). The optimization of medium using RSM resulted in a 3.45-fold increase in the yield of L-DOPA. The ANOVA analysis showed a significant R (2) value (0.9912), model F-value (112.465) and probability (0.0001), with insignificant lack of fit. Optimized medium was used in the laboratory scale column reactor for continuous production of L-DOPA. Uninterrupted flow column exhibited maximum L-DOPA production rate of 200 mg L(-1) h(-1) which is one of the highest values ever reported using plant as a biotransformation source. L-DOPA production was confirmed by HPTLC and HPLC analysis. This study demonstrates the synthesis of L- DOPA using Mucuna monosperma callus using a laboratory scale column reactor.

Continuous-Flow Production of Injectable Liposomes via a Microfluidic Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Zizzari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Injectable liposomes are characterized by a suitable size and unique lipid mixtures, which require time-consuming and nonstraightforward production processes. The complexity of the manufacturing methods may affect liposome solubility, the phase transition temperatures of the membranes, the average particle size, and the associated particle size distribution, with a possible impact on the drug encapsulation and release. By leveraging the precise steady-state control over the mixing of miscible liquids and a highly efficient heat transfer, microfluidic technology has proved to be an effective and direct methodology to produce liposomes. This approach results particularly efficient in reducing the number of the sizing steps, when compared to standard industrial methods. Here, Microfluidic Hydrodynamic Focusing chips were produced and used to form liposomes upon tuning experimental parameters such as lipids concentration and Flow-Rate-Ratios (FRRs. Although modelling evidenced the dependence of the laminar flow on the geometric constraints and the FRR conditions, for the specific formulation investigated in this study, the lipids concentration was identified as the primary factor influencing the size of the liposomes and their polydispersity index. This was attributed to a predominance of the bending elasticity modulus over the vesiculation index in the lipid mixture used. Eventually, liposomes of injectable size were produced using microfluidic one-pot synthesis in continuous flow.

Anaerobic digestion of Chinese cabbage waste silage with swine manure for biogas production: batch and continuous study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kafle, Gopi Krishna; Bhattarai, Sujala; Kim, Sang Hun; Chen, Lide

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for anaerobic co-digestion of Chinese cabbage waste silage (CCWS) with swine manure (SM). Batch and continuous experiments were carried out under mesophilic anaerobic conditions (36-38°C). The batch test evaluated the effect of CCWS co-digestion with SM (SM: CCWS=100:0; 25:75; 33:67; 0:100, % volatile solids (VS) basis). The continuous test evaluated the performance of a single stage completely stirred tank reactor with SM alone and with a mixture of SM and CCWS. Batch test results showed no significant difference in biogas yield up to 25-33% of CCWS; however, biogas yield was significantly decreased when CCWS contents in feed increased to 67% and 100%. When testing continuous digestion, the biogas yield at organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.0 g VSL⁻¹ d⁻¹ increased by 17% with a mixture of SM and CCWS (SM:CCWS=75:25) (423 mL g⁻¹ VS) than with SM alone (361 mL g⁻¹ VS). The continuous anaerobic digestion process (biogas production, pH, total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) and TVFA/total alkalinity ratios) was stable when co-digesting SM and CCWS (75:25) at OLR of 2.0 g VSL⁻¹ d⁻¹ and hydraulic retention time of 20 days under mesophilic conditions.

Anaerobic treatment of cassava stillage for hydrogen and methane production in continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) under high organic loading rate (OLR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Gang; Xie, Li; Zou, Zhonghai; Wang, Wen; Zhou, Qi [Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education (Tongji University), UNEP-Tongji, Tongji University, Siping Road No. 1239, Shanghai 200092 (China); Shim, Hojae [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078 (China)

2010-11-15

Anaerobic hydrogen and methane production from cassava stillage in continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) were investigated in this study. Results showed that the heat-pretreatment of inoculum did not enhance hydrogen yield compared to raw inoculum under mesophilic condition after continuous operation. However, the hydrogen yield increased from about 14 ml H{sub 2}/gVS under mesophilic condition to 69.6 ml H{sub 2}/gVS under thermophilic condition due to the decrease of propionate concentration and inhibition of homoacetogens. Therefore, temperature was demonstrated to be more important than pretreatment of inoculum to enhance the hydrogen production. Under high organic loading rate (OLR) (>10 gVS/(L.d)), the two-phase thermophilic CSTR for hydrogen and methane production was stable with hydrogen and methane yields of 56.6 mlH{sub 2}/gVS and 249 mlCH{sub 4}/gVS. The one-phase thermophilic CSTR for methane production failed due to the accumulation of both acetate and propionate, leading to the pH lower than 6. Instead of propionate alone, the accumulations of both acetate and propionate were found to be related to the breakdown of methane reactor. (author)

A narrow pH range supports butanol, hexanol, and octanol production from syngas in a continuous co-culture of Clostridium ljungdahlii and Clostridium kluyveri with in-line product extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanno Richter

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Carboxydotrophic bacteria (CTB have received attention due to their ability to synthesize commodity chemicals from producer gas and synthesis gas (syngas. CTB have an important advantage of a high product selectivity compared to chemical catalysts. However, the product spectrum of wild-type CTB is narrow. Our objective was to investigate whether a strategy of combining two wild-type bacterial strains into a single, continuously fed bioprocessing step would be promising to broaden the product spectrum. Here, we have operated a syngas-fermentation process with Clostridium ljungdahlii and Clostridium kluyveri with in-line product extraction through gas stripping and product condensing within the syngas recirculation line. The main products from C. ljungdahlii fermentation at a pH of 6.0 were ethanol and acetate at net volumetric production rates of 65.5 and 431 mmol C•L-1•d-1, respectively. An estimated 2/3 of total ethanol produced was utilized by C. kluyveri to chain elongate with the reverse β-oxidation pathway, resulting in n-butyrate and n-caproate at net rates of 129 and 70 mmol C•L-1•d-1, respectively. C. ljungdahlii likely reduced the produced carboxylates to their corresponding alcohols with the reductive power from syngas. This resulted in the longer-chain alcohols n-butanol, n-hexanol, and n-octanol at net volumetric production rates of 39.2, 31.7, and 0.045 mmol C•L-1•d-1, respectively. The continuous production of the longer-chain alcohols occurred only within a narrow pH spectrum of 5.7-6.4 due to the pH discrepancy between the two strains. Regardless whether other wild-type strains could overcome this pH discrepancy, the specificity (mol carbon in product per mol carbon in all other liquid products for each longer-chain alcohol may never be high in a single bioprocessing step. This, because two bioprocesses compete for intermediates (i.e., carboxylates: 1 chain elongation; and 2 biological reduction. This innate

Broadband measurements of the sources of explosions at Stromboli Volcano, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Chouet, B.; Saccorotti, G.; Dawson, P.; Martini, M.; Scarpa, R.; De Luca, G.; Milana, G.; Cattaneo, M.

1999-01-01

During September-October 1997, 21 three-component broadband seismometers were deployed on Stromboli Volcano at radial distances of 0.3-2.2 km from the active crater to investigate the source mechanisms of Strombolian explosions. In the 2-50 s band, the very-long period (VLP) signals associated with explosions are consistent with two stationary sources repeatedly activated in time. VLP particle motions are essentially linear and analyses of semblance and particle motions are consistent with a source centroid offset 300 m beneath and 300 m northwest of the active vents. Similar VLP waveforms are observed at all 21 stations, indicating that the seismograms are source-dominated. The VLP ground displacement response to each explosion may be qualitatively interpreted as: (1) pressurization of the conduit associated with the ascent of a slug of gas; (2) depressurization of the conduit in response to mass withdrawal during the eruption; and (3) repressurization of the conduit associated with the replenishment of the source with fluid. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Continuous Personal Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Emiliani, M. L.

1998-01-01

Suggests that continuous improvement tools used in the workplace can be applied to self-improvement. Explains the use of such techniques as one-piece flow, kanban, visual controls, and total productive maintenance. Points out misapplications of these tools and describes the use of fishbone diagrams to diagnose problems. (SK)

Continuous citric acid production in repeated-fed batch fermentation by Aspergillus niger immobilized on a new porous foam.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Bin; Zhang, Xin; Sun, Wenjun; Xi, Xun; Zhao, Nan; Huang, Zichun; Ying, Zhuojun; Liu, Li; Liu, Dong; Niu, Huanqing; Wu, Jinglan; Zhuang, Wei; Zhu, Chenjie; Chen, Yong; Ying, Hanjie

2018-03-24

The efficiency of current methods for industrial production of citric acid is limited. To achieve continuous citric acid production with enhanced yield and reduced cost, immobilized fermentation was employed in an Aspergillus niger 831 repeated fed-batch fermentation system. We developed a new type of material (PAF201), which was used as a carrier for the novel adsorption immobilization system. Hydrophobicity, pore size and concentration of carriers were researched in A. niger immobilization. The efficiency of the A. niger immobilization process was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Then eight-cycle repeated fed-batch cultures for citric acid production were carried out over 600 h, which showed stable production with maximum citric acid concentrations and productivity levels of 162.7 g/L and 2.26 g L -1  h -1 , respectively. Compared with some other literatures about citric acid yield, PAF201 immobilization system is 11.3% higher than previous results. These results indicated that use of the new adsorption immobilization system could greatly improve citric acid productivity in repeated fed-batch fermentation. Moreover, these results could provide a guideline for A.niger or other filamentous fungi immobilization in industry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maximizing the productivity of the microalgae Scenedesmus AMDD cultivated in a continuous photobioreactor using an online flow rate control.

Science.gov (United States)

McGinn, Patrick J; MacQuarrie, Scott P; Choi, Jerome; Tartakovsky, Boris

2017-01-01

In this study, production of the microalga Scenedesmus AMDD in a 300 L continuous flow photobioreactor was maximized using an online flow (dilution rate) control algorithm. To enable online control, biomass concentration was estimated in real time by measuring chlorophyll-related culture fluorescence. A simple microalgae growth model was developed and used to solve the optimization problem aimed at maximizing the photobioreactor productivity. When optimally controlled, Scenedesmus AMDD culture demonstrated an average volumetric biomass productivity of 0.11 g L -1  d -1 over a 25 day cultivation period, equivalent to a 70 % performance improvement compared to the same photobioreactor operated as a turbidostat. The proposed approach for optimizing photobioreactor flow can be adapted to a broad range of microalgae cultivation systems.

Single-Step Fabrication of Computationally Designed Microneedles by Continuous Liquid Interface Production.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashley R Johnson

Full Text Available Microneedles, arrays of micron-sized needles that painlessly puncture the skin, enable transdermal delivery of medications that are difficult to deliver using more traditional routes. Many important design parameters, such as microneedle size, shape, spacing, and composition, are known to influence efficacy, but are notoriously difficult to alter due to the complex nature of microfabrication techniques. Herein, we utilize a novel additive manufacturing ("3D printing" technique called Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP to rapidly prototype sharp microneedles with tuneable geometries (size, shape, aspect ratio, spacing. This technology allows for mold-independent, one-step manufacturing of microneedle arrays of virtually any design in less than 10 minutes per patch. Square pyramidal CLIP microneedles composed of trimethylolpropane triacrylate, polyacrylic acid and photopolymerizable derivatives of polyethylene glycol and polycaprolactone were fabricated to demonstrate the range of materials that can be utilized within this platform for encapsulating and controlling the release of therapeutics. These CLIP microneedles effectively pierced murine skin ex vivo and released the fluorescent drug surrogate rhodamine.

Improved glycerol production from cane molasses by the sulfite process with vacuum or continuous carbon dioxide sparging during fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalle, G.P.; Naik, S.C.; Lashkari, B.Z.

1985-01-01

The conventional sulfite process for glycerol production from molasses using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. Hansen was modified to obtain product concentrations of up to 230 g/l and productivity of 15 g/l.d by fermenting under vacuum (80 mm) or with continuous sparging of CO2 (0.4 vvm). Under these conditions the requirement of sulfite for optimum production of glycerol was reduced by two thirds (20 g/l), the ethanol concentration in the medium was kept below 30 g/l and the competence of yeast cells to ferment was conserved throughout the fermentation period for up to 20 days. In addition to the above, the rate of incorporation of sulfite had a significant effect on glucose fermentation and glycerol yields. There was an optimal relationship between glycerol yields and the molar ratio of sulfite to glucose consumed, which for cane molasses was 0.67. This ratio was characteristic of the medium composition.

Improved glycerol production from cane molasses by the sulfite process with vacuum or continuous carbon dioxide sparging during fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalle, G.P.; Naik, S.C.; Lashkari, B.Z.

1985-01-01

The conventional sulfite process for glycerol production from molasses using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. Hansen was modified to obtain product concentrations of up to 230 g/l and productivity of 15 g/l x d by fermenting under vacuum (80 mm) or with continuous sparging of CO/sub 2/ (0.4 vvm). Under these conditions the requirement of sulfite for optimum production of glycerol was reduced by two thirds (20 g/l), the ethanol concentration in the medium was kept below 30 g/l and the competence of yeast cells to ferment was conserved throughout the fermentation period for up to 20 days. In addition to the above, the rate of incorporation of sulfite had a significant effect on glucose fermentation and glycerol yields. There was an optimal relationship between glycerol yields and the molar ratio of sulfite to glucose consumed, which for cane molasses was 0.67. This ratio was characteristic of the medium composition. 10 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.

40 CFR Table 12 to Subpart Xxxx of... - Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Cord Production Affected Sources

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Cord Production Affected Sources 12 Table 12 to Subpart XXXX of Part 63 Protection of... Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing Pt. 63, Subpt. XXXX, Table 12 Table 12 to Subpart XXXX of Part 63...

Kinetic Study of Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol Fermentation in Continuous Culture

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, Edward A.; Mesbah, Ali

2016-01-01

Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by clostridia has shown promise for industrial-scale production of biobutanol. However, the continuous ABE fermentation suffers from low product yield, titer, and productivity. Systems analysis of the continuous ABE fermentation will offer insights into its metabolic pathway as well as into optimal fermentation design and operation. For the ABE fermentation in continuous Clostridium acetobutylicum culture, this paper presents a kinetic model that includes the effects of key metabolic intermediates and enzymes as well as culture pH, product inhibition, and glucose inhibition. The kinetic model is used for elucidating the behavior of the ABE fermentation under the conditions that are most relevant to continuous cultures. To this end, dynamic sensitivity analysis is performed to systematically investigate the effects of culture conditions, reaction kinetics, and enzymes on the dynamics of the ABE production pathway. The analysis provides guidance for future metabolic engineering and fermentation optimization studies. PMID:27486663

Continuous high-yield production of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on 2D and 3D substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzmán de Villoria, Roberto; Hart, A John; Wardle, Brian L

2011-06-28

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) have certain advantages over bulk CNT powders and randomly oriented CNT mats for applications in flexible electronic devices, filtration membranes, biosensors and multifunctional aerospace materials. Here, a machine and a process to synthesize VACNTs in a continuous manner are presented showing uniform growth on 2D and 3D substrates, including alumina fibers, silicon wafer pieces, and stainless steel foils. Aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) are synthesized at substrate feed rates of up to 6.8 cm/min, and the CNTs reach up to 60 μm in length depending on residence time in the reactor. In addition to the aligned morphology indicative of high yield growth, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy reveal that the CNTs are of comparable quality to CNTs grown via a similar batch process. A significant reduction in time, reaction products, gases, and energy is demonstrated relative to batch processing, paving the way for industrial production of VACNTs.

Application of a Burkholderia cepacia lipase-immobilized silica monolith to batch and continuous biodiesel production with a stoichiometric mixture of methanol and crude Jatropha oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takahashi Ryo

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The enzymatic production of biodiesel through alcoholysis of triglycerides has become more attractive because it shows potential in overcoming the drawbacks of chemical processes. In this study, we investigate the production of biodiesel from crude, non-edible Jatropha oil and methanol to characterize Burkholderia cepacia lipase immobilized in an n-butyl-substituted hydrophobic silica monolith. We also evaluate the performance of a lipase-immobilized silica monolith bioreactor in the continuous production of biodiesel. Results The Jatropha oil used contained 18% free fatty acids, which is problematic in a base-catalyzed process. In the lipase-catalyzed reaction, the presence of free fatty acids made the reaction mixture homogeneous and allowed bioconversion to proceed to 90% biodiesel yield after a 12 hour reaction time. The optimal molar ratio of methanol to oil was 3.3 to 3.5 parts methanol to one part oil, with water content of 0.6% (w/w. Further experiments revealed that B. cepacia lipase immobilized in hydrophobic silicates was sufficiently tolerant to methanol, and glycerol adsorbed on the support disturbed the reaction to some extent in the present reaction system. The continuous production of biodiesel was performed at steady state using a lipase-immobilized silica monolith bioreactor loaded with 1.67 g of lipase. The yield of 95% was reached at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/h, although the performance of the continuous bioreactor was somewhat below that predicted from the batch reactor. The bioreactor was operated successfully for almost 50 days with 80% retention of the initial yield. Conclusions The presence of free fatty acids originally contained in Jatropha oil improved the reaction efficiency of the biodiesel production. A combination of B. cepacia lipase and its immobilization support, n-butyl-substituted silica monolith, was effective in the production of biodiesel. This procedure is easily applicable to the design

A Roadmap for the Implementation of Continued Process Verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Marcus; Gampfer, Joerg; Zamamiri, Abdel; Payne, Robin

2016-01-01

In 2014, the members of the BioPhorum Operations Group (BPOG) produced a 100-page continued process verification case study, entitled "Continued Process Verification: An Industry Position Paper with Example Protocol". This case study captures the thought processes involved in creating a continued process verification plan for a new product in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guidance on the subject introduced in 2011. In so doing, it provided the specific example of a plan developed for a new molecular antibody product based on the "A MAb Case Study" that preceded it in 2009.This document provides a roadmap that draws on the content of the continued process verification case study to provide a step-by-step guide in a more accessible form, with reference to a process map of the product life cycle. It could be used as a basis for continued process verification implementation in a number of different scenarios: For a single product and process;For a single site;To assist in the sharing of data monitoring responsibilities among sites;To assist in establishing data monitoring agreements between a customer company and a contract manufacturing organization. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance on the management of manufacturing processes designed to improve quality and control of drug products. This involved increased focus on regular monitoring of manufacturing processes, reporting of the results, and the taking of opportunities to improve. The guidance and practice associated with it is known as continued process verification This paper summarizes good practice in responding to continued process verification guidance, gathered from subject matter experts in the biopharmaceutical industry. © PDA, Inc. 2016.

Modeling the CO2 and N2O Emissions From Stover Removal for Biofuel Production From Continuous Corn Production in Iowa

Science.gov (United States)

Paustian, K.; Killian, K.; Brenner, J.

2003-12-01

Corn stover, an agricultural residue, can be used as feedstock for near term bioethanol production and is available today at levels that can significantly impact energy supply. We evaluated the environmental impact of such a large-scale change in agricultural practices on green house gas production, soil erosion and soil carbon using the Century model. Estimates of soil C changes and GHG emissions were performed for the 99 counties in Iowa where previous environmental, management and erosion data was available. We employed climate, soil and historical management databases from a separate USDA-funded project as input to Century. RUSLE estimates of the residue requirements for acceptable soil loss rates under continuous corn agriculture were available from a previous study done Dr. Richard Nelson (Enersol Resources). Two mulch tillage and a no-till systems, where erosion estimates were available, were used as the basis for the simulations. Century simulations of these systems were run under a variety of stover removal rates. For each soil type within each county the model was run for 15 years (1980-1995) under continuous corn with convention tillage, and full residue return. Model simulation of crop yields and residue production were then calibrated to match those used by the Polysys model team at Oak Ridge and the simulation was repeated with the addition of the three corn tillage regimes, and several residue removal rates. County-average soil C changes (and net CO2 emissions) were calculated as area-weighted averages of the individual soil types in each county. For this study, we have utilized the IPCC approach to estimate annual N2O emissions. At low or zero residue removal rates, county-averaged soil C stocks were predicted to increase (i.e. net CO2 emissions are negative). Where the allowable residue removal rates (based on erosion tolerance) for mulch-tillage are on the order of 40-50% or more, the reduced input of C is such that the soils no longer sequester C

Entanglement-continuous unitary transformations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahin, Serkan; Orus, Roman [Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz (Germany)

2016-07-01

In this talk we present a new algorithm for quantum many-body systems using continuous unitary transformations (CUT) and tensor networks (TNs). With TNs we are able to approximate the solution to the flow equations that lie at the heart of continuous unitary transformations. We call this method Entanglement-Continuous Unitary Transformations (eCUT). It allows us to compute expectation values of local observables as well as tensor network representations of ground states and low-energy excited states. An implementation of the method is shown for 1d systems using matrix product operators. We show preliminary results for the 1d transverse-field Ising model to demonstrate the feasibility of the method.

Continuous fermentation of food waste leachate for the production of volatile fatty acids and potential as a denitrification carbon source.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hakchan; Kim, Jaai; Shin, Seung Gu; Hwang, Seokhwan; Lee, Changsoo

2016-05-01

This study investigated the simultaneous effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and pH on the continuous production of VFAs from food waste leachate using response surface analysis. The response surface approximations (R(2)=0.895, p<0.05) revealed that pH has a dominant effect on the specific VFA production (PTVFA) within the explored space (1-4-day HRT, pH 4.5-6.5). The estimated maximum PTVFA was 0.26g total VFAs/g CODf at 2.14-day HRT and pH 6.44, and the approximation was experimentally validated by running triplicate reactors under the estimated optimum conditions. The mixture of the filtrates recovered from these reactors was tested as a denitrification carbon source and demonstrated superior performance in terms of reaction rate and lag length relative to other chemicals, including acetate and methanol. The overall results provide helpful information for better design and control of continuous fermentation for producing waste-derived VFAs, an alternative carbon source for denitrification. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of diet supplemented with vegetable oils and/or monensin on the vaccenic acid production in continuous culture fermenters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Sayed A. Khattab

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Studies have shown that supplementing ruminant diets with vegetable oils modulated the rumen biohydrogenation and increased polyunsaturated fatty acid in their products. These positive values are often accompanied by a marginal loss of supplemented unsaturated fatty acids and rise in the concentrations of saturated fatty acids. This study were carried out mainly to investigate the effect of supplementing diets with sunflower oil, olive oil with or without monensin on the production and accumulation of vaccenic acid (VA in continuous culture fermenters as a long term in vitro rumen simulation technique. Eight dual-flow continuous culture fermenters were used in an 8 replication experiment lasted 10 days each (first 7 days for adaptation and last 3 days for samples collection. Supplementing diets with plant oils and monensin in the present experiment increased VA and conjugated linoleic acids (P > 0.05 in ruminal cultures. The results suggest that supplementing diets with both olive oil and sunflower oil and monensin increased VA accumulation compared to plant oils supplemented alone without affecting the rumen dry matter and organic matter digestibility.

Continuous wet oxidation pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with subsequent continuous ethanol production; Kontinuerlig vaadoxidationsforbehandling af lignocelluloseholdige biomasser med efterfoelgende kontinuerlig ethanolfremstilling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahring, B.K.; Torry-Smith, M.; Loeth, A.H.

2001-07-01

In this project the possibility of implementing a UASB-reactor for detoxification of the recirculation water is investigated. Bioethanol- effluent (BEE) made from wet-oxidized wheat straw (60 g-wheat straw/l-water) fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Thermoanaerobacter mathranii A3M4 is in this project used to simulate the effluent from a commercial bioethanol plant. To investigate the gas potential and conversion of inhibitors, BEE is investigated both in batch and in a laboratory scale UASB reactor. In batch tests the conversion of acetovanillon, 2-furan acid and 4-hydroxyacetophenon was investigated with the substances themselves, as single substrat, and by co-digestion with BEE. The experiments show that the conversion of the three substances together with BEE had a positive influence on the decomposition and the inhibition levels. Tests with conversion of BEE in a laboratory scale UASB-reactor showed that by loading up to 29 g-COD/l it was possible to obtain a COD-reduction at 80% (w/w). At the same time GC-analyses of vanillin acid, homo vanillin acid, aceton vanillon, syringon acid, acetosyringon, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzo acid, 4-hydroxbenzaldenhyde, 2-furan acid, and phenol showed that all these substances were converted in the UASB-reactor. Economical calculations carried out on the basis of the results from the experiments indicate that the implementation of a UASB-cleaning step for cleaning the bioethanol process water can be carried out with a economical profit, which among other means a short payback time on the investment. It is things concluded that the implementation of a UASB-cleaning step is a qualified method to detoxify process water for bioethanol production and thereby reduce the total production costs of the commercial bioethanol production based on lignocelluslose materials. The necessity of tests with repeated recirculations are indicated, because continuous reuse of the process water can result in up-concentration of any inhibitors

Human papillomavirus type 45 propagation, infection, and neutralization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin-Drubin, Margaret E.; Wilson, Susan; Mullikin, Brian; Suzich, JoAnn; Meyers, Craig

2003-01-01

The organotypic (raft) culture system has allowed the study of the entire differentiation-dependent life cycle of human papillomaviruses (HPVs), including virion morphogenesis. We introduced linearized HPV45 genomic DNA into primary keratinocytes, where it recircularized and maintained episomally at a range of 10-50 copies of HPV genomic DNA. Following epithelial stratification and differentiation in organotypic culture, virion morphogenesis occurred. HPV45 virions were purified from raft cultures and were able to infect keratinocytes in vitro. By testing a panel of HPV VLP antisera, we were able to demonstrate that the infection was neutralized not only with human HPV45 VLP-specific antiserum, but also with human HPV18 VLP-specific antiserum, demonstrating serological cross-reactivity between HPV18 and HPV45

Optimisation of Lab-Scale Continuous Alcohol-Free Beer Production

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lehnert, R.; Novák, Pavel; Macieira, F.; Kuřec, M.; Teixeira, J.A.; Brányik, T.

2009-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 4 (2009), s. 267-275 ISSN 1212-1800 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : alcohol-free beer * continuous reactor * immobilised yeast Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 0.602, year: 2009

Transient Bluetongue virus serotype 8 capsid protein expression in Nicotiana benthamiana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albertha R. van Zyl

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Bluetongue virus (BTV causes severe disease in domestic and wild ruminants, and has recently caused several outbreaks in Europe. Current vaccines include live-attenuated and inactivated viruses; while these are effective, there is risk of reversion to virulence by mutation or reassortment with wild type viruses. Subunit or virus-like particle (VLP vaccines are safer options: VLP vaccines produced in insect cells by expression of the four BTV capsid proteins are protective against challenge; however, this is a costly production method. We investigated production of BTV VLPs in plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression, an inexpensive production system very well suited to developing country use. Leaves infiltrated with recombinant pEAQ-HT vectors separately encoding the four BTV-8 capsid proteins produced more proteins than recombinant pTRA vectors. Plant expression using the pEAQ-HT vector resulted in both BTV-8 core-like particles (CLPs and VLPs; differentially controlling the concentration of infiltrated bacteria significantly influenced yield of the VLPs. In situ localisation of assembled particles was investigated by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM and it was shown that a mixed population of core-like particles (CLPs, consisting of VP3 and VP7 and VLPs were present as paracrystalline arrays in the cytoplasm of plant cells co-expressing all four capsid proteins.

Design and implementation of VUV-CD and LD measurements using an ac modulated polarizing undulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi-Watanabe, K.; Yamada, T.; Tanaka, M.; Kaneko, F.; Kitada, T.; Ohta, Y.; Nakagawa, K.

2005-01-01

VUV circular dichroism (CD) and linear dichroism (LD) have been successfully measured at wavelengths beyond the conventional limit by using an ac modulated polarizing undulator. We have developed CD and LD measuring technique by polarization modulation at the source, without using transmission type polarizing modulator, to extend to the coverage to wavelengths shorter than 140-bar nm. AIST developed in 1986 ac polarizing undulator by using a electron storage ring 'TERAS' based on an original concept. The undulator which can produce any desired polarization of vertical- and horizontal-linear polarization (VLP and HLP) and right- and left-handed circular polarization (RCP and LCP) is specially well suited to both measurements of CD and LD. With this undulator, the polarization alternate in the order of VLP-RCP-HLP-RCP-VLP-LCP-HLP-LCP-VLP-, i.e. when circular polarization is modulated in f Hz, linear polarization alters in 2f Hz. This allows us simultaneous measurements of CD and LD. Since the TERAS can produce ac-modulated polarized radiation of wavelength as short as 40-bar nm, it is expected to have CD and LD measurement extended to 40-bar nm

Swine production.

Science.gov (United States)

Plain, Ronald L; Lawrence, John D

2003-07-01

The US swine industry is large and growing. The quantity of pork desired by consumers of US pork is growing at the rate of 1.5%/y. New production systems and new technology have enabled production per sow to grow at a rate of 4% annually in recent years. Consequently, the number of sows in the United States is declining. Because productivity growth is outpacing demand growth, the deflated price of hogs and pork is declining. Hog production and prices continue to exhibit strong seasonal and cyclic patterns. Pork production is usually lowest in the summer and highest in the fall. Production and prices tend to follow 4-year patterns. The US swine industry continues to evolve toward fewer and larger producers who rely on contracts for both hog production and marketing. In 2000, over half of the hogs marketed were from approximately 156 firms marketing more than 50,000 head annually. These producers finished 60% of their production in contract facilities. Over 90% of their marketings were under contract or were owned by a packer. These producers expressed a high level of satisfaction with hog production. Both they and their contract growers were satisfied with production contracts. These large producers were satisfied with their marketing contracts and planned to continue them in the future. The hog industry has changed a great deal in the last decade. There is little reason to believe this rapid rate of change will not continue. This swine industry is highly competitive and profit driven. Profit margins are too small to allow producers the luxury of ignoring new technology and innovative production systems. Consequently, hog production will continue its rapid evolution from traditional agriculture to typical industry.

A comparative parametric study of a catalytic plate methane reformer coated with segmented and continuous layers of combustion catalyst for hydrogen production

Science.gov (United States)

Mundhwa, Mayur; Parmar, Rajesh D.; Thurgood, Christopher P.

2017-03-01

A parametric comparison study is carried out between segmented and conventional continuous layer configurations of the coated combustion-catalyst to investigate their influence on the performance of methane steam reforming (MSR) for hydrogen production in a catalytic plate reactor (CPR). MSR is simulated on one side of a thin plate over a continuous layer of nickel-alumina catalyst by implementing an experimentally validated surface microkinetic model. Required thermal energy for the MSR reaction is supplied by simulating catalytic methane combustion (CMC) on the opposite side of the plate over segmented and continuous layer of a platinum-alumina catalyst by implementing power law rate model. The simulation results of both coating configurations of the combustion-catalyst are compared using the following parameters: (1) co-flow and counter-flow modes between CMC and MSR, (2) gas hourly space velocity and (3) reforming-catalyst thickness. The study explains why CPR designed with the segmented combustion-catalyst and co-flow mode shows superior performance not only in terms of high hydrogen production but also in terms of minimizing the maximum reactor plate temperature and thermal hot-spots. The study shows that the segmented coating requires 7% to 8% less combustion-side feed flow and 70% less combustion-catalyst to produce the required flow of hydrogen (29.80 mol/h) on the reforming-side to feed a 1 kW fuel-cell compared to the conventional continuous coating of the combustion-catalyst.

Continuous saccharification and fermentation in alcohol production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veselov, I Ya; Gracheva, I M; Mikhailova, L E; Babaeva, S A; Ustinnikov, B A

1968-01-01

Submerged cultures of Aspergillus niger NRRL 337 and A. batatae 61, or a mixture of submerged A. niger culture with a surface culture of A. oryzae Kc are used for fermentations and compared with the usual barley malt procedure. The latter yields 71% maltose and 24 to 28% glucose, wherease the fungal procedure gives 14 to 21% maltose and 80 to 85% glucose in a continuous mashing-fermentation process with barley. The fungal method gives a higher degree of fermentation for sugars and dextrins and a lower content of total and high-molecular-weight residual dextrins. The amounts of propanol PrOH and iso-BuOH isobutyl alcohol are almost equal, whereas the amount of isoamylalcohol is lower in fungal fermentations.

Sensitivity of immune response quality to influenza helix 190 antigen structure displayed on a modular virus-like particle.

Science.gov (United States)

Anggraeni, Melisa R; Connors, Natalie K; Wu, Yang; Chuan, Yap P; Lua, Linda H L; Middelberg, Anton P J

2013-09-13

Biomolecular engineering enables synthesis of improved proteins through synergistic fusion of modules from unrelated biomolecules. Modularization of peptide antigen from an unrelated pathogen for presentation on a modular virus-like particle (VLP) represents a new and promising approach to synthesize safe and efficacious vaccines. Addressing a key knowledge gap in modular VLP engineering, this study investigates the underlying fundamentals affecting the ability of induced antibodies to recognize the native pathogen. Specifically, this quality of immune response is correlated to the peptide antigen module structure. We modularized a helical peptide antigen element, helix 190 (H190) from the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding region, for presentation on murine polyomavirus VLP, using two strategies aimed to promote H190 helicity on the VLP. In the first strategy, H190 was flanked by GCN4 structure-promoting elements within the antigen module; in the second, dual H190 copies were arrayed as tandem repeats in the module. Molecular dynamics simulation predicted that tandem repeat arraying would minimize secondary structural deviation of modularized H190 from its native conformation. In vivo testing supported this finding, showing that although both modularization strategies conferred high H190-specific immunogenicity, tandem repeat arraying of H190 led to a strikingly higher immune response quality, as measured by ability to generate antibodies recognizing a recombinant HA domain and split influenza virion. These findings provide new insights into the rational engineering of VLP vaccines, and could ultimately enable safe and efficacious vaccine design as an alternative to conventional approaches necessitating pathogen cultivation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Productivity Continued to Increase in Many Industries during 1984.

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Arthur S.

1986-01-01

Productivity, as measured by output per employee hour, grew in 1984 in about three quarters of the industries for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes data. (A table shows productivity trends in industries measured by the Bureau, including mining, transportation and utilities, and trade and services.) (CT)

Continued slide seen for C.I.S. oil production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that oil production in the Commonwealth of Independent States may dip to 7.7 million b/d next year. Robert Ebel of the Center for strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C., made that prediction before a meeting of the National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts. Oil and Gas Journal's latest worldwide oil production figures peg the C.I.S. volume at 8.689 million b/d last August. Ebel said a September decree will allow oil prices to move in line with the market and with costs of production. That in turn will lead to development of a deregulated domestic oil market

The development of the super-biodiesel production continuously from Sunan pecan oil through the process of reactive distillation

Science.gov (United States)

Yohana, Eflita; Yulianto, Moh. Endy; Ikhsan, Diyono; Nanta, Aditya Marga; Puspitasari, Ristiyanti

2016-06-01

In general, a vegetable oil-based biodiesel production commercially operates a batch process with high investments and operational costs. Thus, it is necessary to develop super-biodiesel production from sunan pecan oil continuously through the process of reactive distillation. There are four advantages of the reactive distillation process for the biodiesel production, as follows: (i) it incorporates the process of transesterification reaction, and product separation of residual reactants become one stage of the process, so it saves the investment and operation costs, (ii) it reduces the need for raw materials because the methanol needed corresponds to the stoichiometry, so it also reduces the operation costs, (iii) the holdup time in the column is relatively short (5±0,5 minutes) compared to the batch process (1-2 hours), so it will reduce the operational production costs, and (iv) it is able to shift the reaction equilibrium, because the products and reactants that do not react are instantly separated (based on Le Chatelier's principles) so the conversion will be increased. However, the very crucial problem is determining the design tools and process conditions in order to maximize the conversion of the transesterification reaction in both phases. Thus, the purpose of this research was to design a continuous reactive distillation process by using a recycled condensate to increase the productivity of the super-biodiesel from sunan pecan oil. The research was carried out in three stages including (i) designing and fabricating the reactive distillation equipment, (ii) testing the tool performance and the optimization of the biodiesel production, and (iii) biodiesel testing on the diesel engine. These three stages were needed in designing and scaling-up the process tools and the process operation commercially. The reactive distillation process tools were designed and manufactured with reference to the design system tower by Kitzer, et.al. (2008). The manufactured

A prototype data assimilation framework for generating spatiotemporally continuous SWOT data products

Science.gov (United States)

Andreadis, K.; Margulis, S. A.; Li, D.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2017-12-01

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite will provide critical surface water observations for the hydrologic community. However, production of key SWOT variables, such as river discharge and surface inundation, as well as lake, reservoir, and wetland storage change will be complicated by the discontinuity of the observations in space and time. A methodology that generates products with spatially and temporally continuous fields based on SWOT observables would be highly desirable. Data assimilation provides a mechanism for merging observations from SWOT with model predictions in order to produce estimates of quantities such as river discharge, storage change, and water heights for locations and times when there is no satellite overpass or other constraints (such as layover) render the measurement unusable. We describe here a prototype assimilation system with application to the Upper Mississippi basin, implemented using synthetic SWOT observations. We use a hydrologic model (VIC) coupled with a hydrodynamic model (LISFLOOD-FP) which generates "true" fields of surface water variables. The true fields are then used to generate synthetic SWOT observations using the SWOT Instrument Simulator. We also perform a "first-guess" (or open-loop) simulation with the coupled model using a configuration that contains errors representative of the imperfect knowledge of parameters and input data, including channel topography, bankfull widths and depths, and inflows, to create an ensemble of 20 model trajectories. Subsequently we assimilate the synthetic SWOT observations into the open-loop model results to estimate water surface elevation, discharge, and storage change. Our preliminary results using three data assimilation strategies show that all improve the water surface elevation estimate accuracy by 25% - 35% for a river reach of the upper Mississippi River. Ongoing work is examining whether the improved water surface elevation estimates propagate to improvements

What makes a successful volunteer Expert Patients Programme tutor? Factors predicting satisfaction, productivity and intention to continue tutoring of a new public health workforce in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Wendy; Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Bower, Peter; Kennedy, Anne; Rogers, Anne; Reeves, David

2009-04-01

Better management of chronic conditions is a challenge for public health policy. The Expert Patients Programme was introduced into the United Kingdom to improve self-care in people with long-term conditions. To deliver self-care courses, the programme relies on the recruitment and continued commitment to delivering the courses of volunteer lay tutors who have long-term conditions. Ensuring the tutor workforce is productive, satisfied in their role and retained long-term is central to the viability of the programme. This exploratory study aimed to determine what factors predict productivity, intention to continue tutoring, and satisfaction in a sample of volunteer tutors from the Expert Patients Programme. A cross-sectional survey of 895 tutors was carried out and 518 (58%) responded. The questionnaire was designed to describe the characteristics, productivity, intention to continue tutoring, and satisfaction of tutors. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the determinants of productivity, intention to continue tutoring, and satisfaction, such as patient demographics, attitudes, physical and mental health, mastery and self-esteem. Attitudes relating to personal goals, and better health were significant predictors of satisfaction with the tutor role. Only a small proportion of the variance in productivity was accounted for, and tutors were more likely to be productive when they were single, homeowners, car owners, and had lower scores on the depression scale. Overall satisfaction and personal goals were predictors of intention to continue tutoring. Demographic factors, health measures and attitudes each predicted different aspects of the experience of work conducted by the volunteer tutors. The results should prove useful for planning interventions to enhance the success of this new workforce initiative. Attempts to increase participation in courses by people from deprived backgrounds are likely to be enhanced if tutors come from similar

Promising MS2 mediated virus-like particle vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yan-mei; Zhang, Guo-guang; Huang, Xiao-jun; Chen, Liang; Chen, Hao-tai

2015-05-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has caused severe economic losses to millions of farmers worldwide. In this work, the coding genes of 141-160 epitope peptide (EP141-160) of VP1 were inserted into the coat protein (CP) genes of MS2 in prokaryotic expression vector, and the recombinant protein self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLP). Results showed that the CP-EP141-160 VLP had a strong immunoreaction with the FMD virus (FMDV) antigen in vitro, and also had an effective immune response in mice. Further virus challenge tests were carried out on guinea pigs and swine, high-titer neutralizing antibodies were produced and the CP-EP141-160 VLP vaccine could protect most of the animals against FMDV. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Developing the biofacility of the future based on continuous processing and single-use technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Klutz, Stephan; Magnus, Jorgen; Lobedann, Martin; Schwan, Peter; Maiser, Benjamin; Niklas, Jens; Temming, Maike; Schembecker, Gerhard

2015-11-10

To maintain or strengthen their market position, biopharmaceutical producers have to adapt their production facilities to a drastically changed market environment. Contrary to currently used large scale batch-wise operated production facilities, where stainless steel equipment is widely applied, small scale and flexible production processes are desired. Consequently, the concept of the "biofacility of the future" has been developed, which combines the attributes fast, flexible, small, inexpensive and sustainable. Four design principles build the facility's basis and are presented within this work: continuous processing, 100% single-use equipment, closed processing and adopting the ballroom concept. However, no publication presents a completely continuously operated platform process for the production of monoclonal antibodies up to now. Therefore, this work establishes the proof of concept regarding continuous antibody manufacturing. A pilot plant for the production of monoclonal antibodies has been built 100% in single-use equipment. It was operated fully continuous and automated in the upstream and the downstream part. The concepts that allow continuously operating the pilot plant are presented within this work, i.e., continuously operated filtration, continuously operated viral inactivation, continuously operated chromatography and a continuously operated formulation. Analytics showed that the produced product was within specification limits of industrial bulk drug substances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DEVELOPMENT OF A METHANE-FREE, CONTINUOUS BIOHYDROGEN PRODUCTION SYSTEM FROM PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT (POME IN CSTR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARIATUL FADZILLAH MANSOR

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to develop the start-up experiment for producing biological hydrogen in 2 L continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR from palm oil mill effluent (POME by the use of mixed culture sludge under non-sterile conditions. Besides using different source of starter culture, the effects of acid treated culture and various operating temperature from 35 °C to 55 °C were studied against the evolved gas in terms of volumetric H2 production rate (VHPR and soluble metabolite products (SMPs. The formation of methane was closely observed throughout the run. Within the studied temperature, VHPR was found as low as 0.71 L/L.d and ethanol was the main by-products (70-80% of total soluble metabolites. Attempts were made to produce biohydrogen without methane formation at higher thermophilic temperature (45-55 °C than the previous range. The average of 1.7 L H2 of 2 L working volume per day was produced at 55 oC with VHPR of 1.16 L/L.d. The results of soluble metabolites also are in agreement with the volatile fatty acids (VFAs which is higher than ethanol. Higher VFAs of 2269 mg/L was obtained with acetic acid being the main by-product. At this time methanogen has been deactivated and no methane was produced. From this study, it can be concluded that thermophilic environment may offer a better option in a way to eliminate methane from the biogas and at the same time improving hydrogen production rate as well.

Continuous plutonium(IV) oxalate precipitation, filtration, and calcination process. [From product streams from Redox, Purex, or Recuplex solvent extraction plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beede, R L

1956-09-27

A continuous plutonium (IV) oxalate precipitation, filtration, and calcination process has been developed. Continuous and batch decomposition of the oxalate in the filtrates has been demonstrated. The processes have been demonstrated in prototype equipment. Plutonium (IV) oxalate was precipitated continuously at room temperature by the concurrent addition of plutonium (IV) nitrate feed and oxalic acid into the pan of a modified rotary drum filter. The plutonium (IV) oxalate was calcined to plutonium dioxide, which could be readily hydrofluorinated. Continuous decomposition of the oxalate in synthetic plutonium (IV) oxalate filtrates containing plutonium (IV) oxalate solids was demonstrated using co-current flow in a U-shaped reactor. Feeds containing from 10 to 100 g/1 Pu, as plutonium (IV) nitrate, and 1.0 to 6.5 M HNO/sub 3/, respectively, can be processed. One molar oxalic acid is used as the precipitant. Temperatures of 20 to 35/sup 0/C for the precipitation and filtration are satisfactory. Plutonium (IV) oxalate can be calcined at 300 to 400/sup 0/C in a screw-type drier-calciner to plutonium dioxide and hydrofluorinated at 450 to 550/sup 0/C. Plutonium dioxide exceeding purity requirements has been produced in the prototype equipment. Advantages of continuous precipitation and filtration are: uniform plutonium (IV) oxalate, improved filtration characteristics, elimination of heating and cooling facilities, and higher capacities through a single unit. Advantages of the screw-type drier-calciner are the continuous production of an oxide satisfactory for feed for the proposed plant vibrating tube hydrofluorinator, and ease of coupling continuous precipitation and filtration to this proposed hydrofluorinator. Continuous decomposition of oxalate in filtrates offers advantages in decreasing filtrate storage requirements when coupled to a filtrate concentrator. (JGB)

Continuous cultivation of photosynthetic microorganisms: Approaches, applications and future trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Bruno D; Mota, Andre; Teixeira, Jose A; Vicente, Antonio A

2015-11-01

The possibility of using photosynthetic microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria and microalgae, for converting light and carbon dioxide into valuable biochemical products has raised the need for new cost-efficient processes ensuring a constant product quality. Food, feed, biofuels, cosmetics and pharmaceutics are among the sectors that can profit from the application of photosynthetic microorganisms. Biomass growth in a photobioreactor is a complex process influenced by multiple parameters, such as photosynthetic light capture and attenuation, nutrient uptake, photobioreactor hydrodynamics and gas-liquid mass transfer. In order to optimize productivity while keeping a standard product quality, a permanent control of the main cultivation parameters is necessary, where the continuous cultivation has shown to be the best option. However it is of utmost importance to recognize the singularity of continuous cultivation of cyanobacteria and microalgae due to their dependence on light availability and intensity. In this sense, this review provides comprehensive information on recent breakthroughs and possible future trends regarding technological and process improvements in continuous cultivation systems of microalgae and cyanobacteria, that will directly affect cost-effectiveness and product quality standardization. An overview of the various applications, techniques and equipment (with special emphasis on photobioreactors) in continuous cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria are presented. Additionally, mathematical modeling, feasibility, economics as well as the applicability of continuous cultivation into large-scale operation, are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generic DART-MS platform for monitoring the on-demand continuous-flow production of pharmaceuticals: Advancing the quantitative protocol for caffeates in microfluidic biocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yan; Zhang, Dong-Yang; Meng, Xiang-Yun; Liu, Xi; Sheng, Sheng; Wu, Guo-Hua; Wang, Jun; Wu, Fu-An

2017-04-15

Today, continuous processing is regarded as an effective on-demand production technique of pharmaceuticals. Homemade microreactors packed with immobilized lipase under continuous-flow conditions were first applied to tailor the production of high-value caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) from methyl caffeate (MC) and 2-phenylethanol (PE) in cyclohexane via transesterification; however, this method is challenging due to the lack of a rapid platform for monitoring caffeates in microfluidic biocatalysis. The reactants were directly analyzed using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS), and the corresponding ionization parameters were investigated. Special ions produced from MC (parent ion m/z 192.87 and product ion m/z 133.44) and CAPE (parent ion m/z 282.93 and product ion m/z 178.87) were determined using DART-MS 2 in the negative ion mode. The peak areas of the select reaction monitoring (SRM) signals were calculated to develop the standard curves for quantitative analyses of the concentration. Reasonable linear regression equations of MC and CAPE were obtained in the range of 3.125-50.000mg/L, with linear coefficients (R 2 ) of 0.9515 and 0.9973, limits of detection (LOD) of 0.005 and 0.003mg/L, limits of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 and 0.01mg/L, and recovery ranges of 92.50-97.11% and 90.11-97.60%, respectively. The results using DART-MS 2 were in good agreement with those using conventional High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a UV detector (HPLC-UV) and were successfully applied to monitor the kinetics constants and mass transfer coefficients in a continuous-flow packed bed microreactor. Thus, the DART-MS 2 method is an efficient tool for analyzing caffeates in microfluidic biocatalysis with limited sample preparation and short operating time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continuous fermentation using low concentration of sugar cane and Zymomonas mobilis CP4 for ethanol production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Batista Buzato

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Effect of dilution rate in continuous fermentation of 20g sucrose/L and Z. mobilis CP4 was studied for ethanol production at 28oC + 1, without pH control. Four dilution rates were compared: 0.045; 0.14; 0.23 and 0.34 h-1. In dilution rates 0.045; 0.14 and 0.23 h-1 were produced 9,4g/L of ethanol and in dilution rate 0.34 h-1 was produced 8,8 g/L. Ethanol conversion efficiency were of 91% in dilution rates 0.045; 0.14 and 0. 23 h-1. In dilution rate 0.34 h-1 the conversion efficiency was of 85%.

Feasibility of biodiesel production and CO2 emission reduction by Monoraphidium dybowskii LB50 under semi-continuous culture with open raceway ponds in the desert area.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Haijian; He, Qiaoning; Hu, Chunxiang

2018-01-01

Compared with other general energy crops, microalgae are more compatible with desert conditions. In addition, microalgae cultivated in desert regions can be used to develop biodiesel. Therefore, screening oil-rich microalgae, and researching the algae growth, CO 2 fixation and oil yield in desert areas not only effectively utilize the idle desertification lands and other resources, but also reduce CO 2 emission. Monoraphidium dybowskii LB50 can be efficiently cultured in the desert area using light resources, and lipid yield can be effectively improved using two-stage induction and semi-continuous culture modes in open raceway ponds (ORPs). Lipid content (LC) and lipid productivity (LP) were increased by 20% under two-stage industrial salt induction, whereas biomass productivity (BP) increased by 80% to enhance LP under semi-continuous mode in 5 m 2 ORPs. After 3 years of operation, M. dybowskii LB50 was successfully and stably cultivated under semi-continuous mode for a month during five cycles of repeated culture in a 200 m 2 ORP in the desert area. This culture mode reduced the supply of the original species. The BP and CO 2 fixation rate were maintained at 18 and 33 g m -2  day -1 , respectively. Moreover, LC decreased only during the fifth cycle of repeated culture. Evaporation occurred at 0.9-1.8 L m -2  day -1 , which corresponded to 6.5-13% of evaporation loss rate. Semi-continuous and two-stage salt induction culture modes can reduce energy consumption and increase energy balance through the energy consumption analysis of life cycle. This study demonstrates the feasibility of combining biodiesel production and CO 2 fixation using microalgae grown as feedstock under culture modes with ORPs by using the resources in the desert area. The understanding of evaporation loss and the sustainability of semi-continuous culture render this approach practically viable. The novel strategy may be a promising alternative to existing technology for CO 2 emission

EBOV Protection Is Supported by T Cell-Dependent Humoral Responses But Is Not Requisite for Survival

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-03

guinea pigs , or nonhuman primates with virus-8 like particles (eVLP) expressing EBOV glycoprotein (GP) elicited full protection. More recently, we...aliquoted. For neutralization assays, serum dilutions beginning at 1:10 were incubated 325 at 37⁰C for 1hr with rVSV and 5% v/v guinea pig complement...germinal center formation. 81 Production of high affinity class-switched antibodies is dependent upon germinal center (GC) formation 82 within the spleen

The uses of continuous thermodynamics in the perfluoropolieter production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Eduardo Ramos Ferreira da; Terron, Luiz Roberto

1995-01-01

The use of continuous thermodynamics technic is crescent in the resolution of problems found in the chemical engineering process, involving complex mixtures. This new technic substitute, with advantages (larger precision and less CPU time) the traditional method (pseudo components method) and can can also be used in nuclear technology, when problems involving complexes mixtures are presented. (author). 37 refs

Metabolic engineering: the ultimate paradigm for continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Vikramaditya G; Stephanopoulos, Gregory

2014-07-01

Research and development (R&D) expenditures by pharmaceutical companies doubled over the past decade, yet candidate attrition rates and development times rose markedly during this period. Understandably, companies have begun downsizing their pipelines and diverting investments away from R&D in favor of manufacturing. It is estimated that transitioning to continuous manufacturing could enable companies to compete for a share in emerging markets. Accordingly, the model for continuous manufacturing that has emerged commences with the conversion of late-stage intermediates into the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in a series of continuous flow reactors, followed by continuous solid processing to form finished tablets. The use of flow reactions for API synthesis will certainly generate purer products at higher yields in shorter times compared to equivalent batch reactions. However, transitioning from batch to flow configuration simply alleviates transport limitations within the reaction milieu. As the catalogue of reactions used in flow syntheses is a subset of batch-based chemistries, molecules such as natural products will continue to evade drug prospectors. Also, it is uncertain whether flow synthesis can deliver improvements in the atom and energy economies of API production at the scales that would achieve the levels of revenue growth targeted by companies. Instead, it is argued that implementing metabolic engineering for the production of oxidized scaffolds as gateway molecules for flow-based addition of electrophiles is a more effective and scalable strategy for accessing natural product chemical space. This new paradigm for manufacturing, with metabolic engineering as its engine, would also permit rapid optimization of production variables and allow facile scale-up from gram to ton scale to meet material requirements for clinical trials, thus recasting manufacturing as a tool for discovery. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Continuous Monitoring of Photolysis Products by Thz Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Abdelaziz; Cuisset, Arnaud; Mouret, Gaël; Hindle, Francis; Eliet, Sophie; Bocquet, Robin

2015-06-01

We demonstrate the potential of THz spectroscopy to monitor the real time evolution of the gas phase concentration of photolysis products and determine the kinetic reaction rate constant. In the primary work, we have chosen to examine the photolysis of formaldehyde (H_2CO). Exposure of H_2CO to a UVB light (250 to 360 nm) in a single pass of 135 cm length cell leads to decomposition via two mechanisms: the radical channel with production of HCO and the molecular channel with production of CO. A commercial THz source (frequency multiplication chain) operating in the range 600-900 GHz was used to detect and quantify the various chemical species as a function of time. Monitoring the concentrations of CO and H_2CO via rotational transitions, allowed the kinetic rate of H_2CO consummation to be obtained, and an estimation of the rate constants for both the molecular and radical photolysis mechanisms. We have modified our experimental setup to increase the sensitivity of the spectrometer and changed sample preparation protocol specifically to quantify the HCO concentration. Acetaldehyde was used as the precursor for photolysis by UVC resulting in the decompositon mechanism can be described by: CH_3CHO+hν→ CH_3 + HCO → CH_4 + CO Frequency modulation of the source and Zeeman modulation is used to achieve the high sensitivity required. Particular attention has been paid to the mercury photosensitization effect that allowed us to increase the HCO production enabling quantification of the monitored radical. We quantify the HCO radical and start a spectroscopic study of the line positions. H. M. Pickett and T. L. Boyd, Chem. Phys. Lett, Vol 58, 446-449, (1978) S. Eliet, A. Cuisset, M Guinet, F. Hindle, G. Mouret, R. Bocquet, and J. Demaison, Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy, Vol 279, 12-15 (2012). G. Mouret, M. Guinet, A. Cuisset, L. Croizé, S. Eliet, R. Bocquet and F. Hindle, Sensors Journal. IEEE, Vol 13, 133 - 138, (2013)

Modeling of Biogas Production Process from Cow Manure with Completely Stirred Tank Reactor under Semi Continuously Feeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Taghinazhad

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction Anaerobic digestion (AD is a process of breaking down organic matter, such as manure, in the absence of oxygen by concerted action of various groups of anaerobic bacteria. The AD process generates biogas, an important renewable energy source that is composed mostly of methane (CH4, and carbon dioxide (CO2 which can be used as an energy source. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is therefore a type of biofuel. Enhancement of biogas production from cattle dung or animal wastes by co-digesting with crop residues like sugarcane stalk, maize stalks, rice straw, cotton stalks, wheat straw, water hyacinth, onion waste and oil palm fronds as well as with liquid waste effluent such as palm oil mill effluent. Nevertheless, the search for cost effective and environmentally friendly methods of enhancing biogas generation (i.e. biogas yield still needs to be further investigated. Many workers have studied the reaction kinetics of biogas production and developed kinetic models for the anaerobic digestion process. Objective of this study is to investigate the effect of biological additive using of organic loading rate (OLR in biogas production from cow dung. In addition, cumulative biogas production was simulated using logistic growth model, and modified Gompertz models, respectively. Materials and Methods The study was performed in 2015-2016 at the agricultural research center of Ardabil Province, Moghan (39.39 °N, 48.88° E. Fresh cow manure used for this research was collected from the research farm of the Institute for Animal Breeding and Animal Husbandry, Moghan. It was kept in 30 l containers at ambient temperature until fed to the reactors. In this study, experiments were conducted to investigate the biogas production from anaerobic digestion of cow manure (CM with effect of organic loading rate (OLR at mesophilic temperature (35°C±2 in a long time experiment with completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR under semi continuously

Continuous Production of Dextran from Immobilized Cells of Leuconostoc mesenteroides KIBGE HA1 Using Acrylamide as a Support

OpenAIRE

Qader, Shah Ali Ul; Aman, Afsheen; Azhar, Abid

2011-01-01

The cells of L. mesenteroides KIBGE HA1 were immobilized for the production of dextran on acrylamide gel and gel concentration was optimized for maximum entrapment. Sucrose at substrate concentration of 10% produced high yield of dextran at 25°C with a percent conversion of 5.82 while at 35°C it was 3.5. However, increasing levels of sucrose diminished dextran yields. The free cells stopped producing dextran after 144 h, while immobilized cells continued to produce dextran even after 480 h. M...

Evaluating continuous application of treated sludge on soil and plant productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Al-Busaidi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Kala Compost is a mixture of treated sewage bio-solids and green wastes. It can improve soil fertility and plant growth. However, long-term application of treated sewage bio-solids could result in heavy metals accumulation and some health problems. e objective of this study was to evaluate the e ect of a long run application of Kala compost mixed with chemical fertilizer on soil and plant productivity. Soil and plant (mainly cucumber samples were taken from 12 greenhouses that received Kala compost continuously for the last ve years. No symptoms of physical or chemical problems were observed in the greenhouses and measured soil samples. Moreover, the soil had su cient values of di erent nutrients for plant growth and all measured micronutrients (heavy metals were within the safe limit and below the range of the international standards. An excellent growth was observed in all grown plants and no symptoms of elements de ciency were found. Chemical analysis of fruit samples did not show any accumulation of heavy metals and all measured elements were within the safe limit and did not exceed the international standards. It can be concluded that Kala compost was a good media for plant growth that can enrich the soil with di erent elements needed for higher yield. However, more monitoring is needed with treated bio-solid application but good management could be the key to avoid any adverse e ect of any contaminant.

Catalytic Synthesis of Nitriles in Continuous Flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordvang, Emily Catherine

The objective of this thesis is to report the development of a new, alternative process for the flexible production of nitrile compounds in continuous flow. Nitriles are an important class of compounds that find applications as solvents, chemical intermediates and pharmaceutical compounds......, alternative path to acetonitrile from ethanol via the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylamine. The catalytic activity and product ratios of the batch and continuous flow reactions are compared and the effect of reaction conditions on the reaction is investigated. The effects of ammonia in the reaction...... dehydrogenation of ethylamine and post-reaction purging.Chapter 4 outlines the application of RuO2/Al2O3 catalysts to the oxidative dehydrogenation of benzylamine in air, utilizing a new reaction setup. Again, batch and continuous flow reactions are compared and the effects of reaction conditions, ammonia...

Feasibility of introducing continuous systems in surface mines of India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bordia, S K

1987-06-01

The paper presents a brief outline of the mineral types, production trends and techno-economic feasiblity associated with the possible introduction of continuous mining systems to India. Production trends are outlined for coal, limestone, bauxite, phosphate, and iron ore. Continuous mining systems described are heavy-duty bucket wheel excavators, road milling type machines and shearing type machines. 8 refs.

Protein energy malnutrition decreases immunity and increases susceptibility to influenza infection in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Andrew K; Cao, Weiping; Vora, Keyur P; De La Cruz, Juan; Shieh, Wun-Ju; Zaki, Sherif R; Katz, Jacqueline M; Sambhara, Suryaprakash; Gangappa, Shivaprakash

2013-02-01

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM), a common cause of secondary immune deficiency in children, is associated with an increased risk of infections. Very few studies have addressed the relevance of PEM as a risk factor for influenza. We investigated the influence of PEM on susceptibility to, and immune responses following, influenza virus infection using isocaloric diets providing either adequate protein (AP; 18%) or very low protein (VLP; 2%) in a mouse model. We found that mice maintained on the VLP diet, when compared to mice fed with the AP diet, exhibited more severe disease following influenza infection based on virus persistence, trafficking of inflammatory cell types to the lung tissue, and virus-induced mortality. Furthermore, groups of mice maintained on the VLP diet showed significantly lower virus-specific antibody response and a reduction in influenza nuclear protein-specific CD8(+) T cells compared with mice fed on the AP diet. Importantly, switching diets for the group maintained on the VLP diet to the AP diet improved virus clearance, as well as protective immunity to viral challenge. Our results highlight the impact of protein energy on immunity to influenza infection and suggest that balanced protein energy replenishment may be one strategy to boost immunity against influenza viral infections.

Antibody Persistence in Adults Two Years after Vaccination with an H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza Virus-Like Particle Vaccine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuriban Valero-Pacheco

Full Text Available The influenza virus is a human pathogen that causes epidemics every year, as well as potential pandemic outbreaks, as occurred in 2009. Vaccination has proven to be sufficient in the prevention and containment of viral spreading. In addition to the current egg-based vaccines, new and promising vaccine platforms, such as cell culture-derived vaccines that include virus-like particles (VLPs, have been developed. VLPs have been shown to be both safe and immunogenic against influenza infections. Although antibody persistence has been studied in traditional egg-based influenza vaccines, studies on antibody response durations induced by VLP influenza vaccines in humans are scarce. Here, we show that subjects vaccinated with an insect cell-derived VLP vaccine, in the midst of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic outbreak in Mexico City, showed antibody persistence up to 24 months post-vaccination. Additionally, we found that subjects that reported being revaccinated with a subsequent inactivated influenza virus vaccine showed higher antibody titres to the pandemic influenza virus than those who were not revaccinated. These findings provide insights into the duration of the antibody responses elicited by an insect cell-derived pandemic influenza VLP vaccine and the possible effects of subsequent influenza vaccination on antibody persistence induced by this VLP vaccine in humans.

[Applicability of agricultural production systems simulator (APSIM) in simulating the production and water use of wheat-maize continuous cropping system in North China Plain].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Zheng, You-fei; Yu, Qiang; Wang, En-li

2007-11-01

The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) was applied to simulate the 1999-2001 field experimental data and the 2002-2003 water use data at the Yucheng Experiment Station under Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, aimed to verify the applicability of the model to the wheat-summer maize continuous cropping system in North China Plain. The results showed that the average errors of the simulations of leaf area index (LAI), biomass, and soil moisture content in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 field experiments were 27.61%, 24.59% and 7.68%, and 32.65%, 35.95% and 10.26%, respectively, and those of LAI and biomass on the soils with high and low moisture content in 2002-2003 were 26.65% and 14.52%, and 23.91% and 27.93%, respectively. The simulations of LAI and biomass accorded well with the measured values, with the coefficients of determination being > 0.85 in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003, and 0.78 in 2000-2001, indicating that APSIM had a good applicability in modeling the crop biomass and soil moisture content in the continuous cropping system, but the simulation error of LAI was a little larger.

40 CFR Table 9 to Subpart Xxxx of... - Minimum Data for Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Production Affected Sources

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Minimum Data for Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Production Affected Sources 9 Table 9 to Subpart XXXX of Part 63... Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing Pt. 63, Subpt. XXXX, Table 9 Table 9 to Subpart XXXX of...

40 CFR Table 11 to Subpart Xxxx of... - Minimum Data for Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Cord Production Affected...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... With the Emission Limits for Tire Cord Production Affected Sources 11 Table 11 to Subpart XXXX of Part... for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing Pt. 63, Subpt. XXXX, Table 11 Table 11 to Subpart XXXX of Part 63—Minimum Data for Continuous Compliance With the Emission Limits for Tire Cord...

Control of algal production in a high rate algal pond: investigation through batch and continuous experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Derabe Maobe, H; Onodera, M; Takahashi, M; Satoh, H; Fukazawa, T

2014-01-01

For decades, arid and semi-arid regions in Africa have faced issues related to water availability for drinking, irrigation and livestock purposes. To tackle these issues, a laboratory scale greywater treatment system based on high rate algal pond (HRAP) technology was investigated in order to guide the operation of the pilot plant implemented in the 2iE campus in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Because of the high suspended solids concentration generally found in effluents of this system, the aim of this study is to improve the performance of HRAPs in term of algal productivity and removal. To determine the selection mechanism of self-flocculated algae, three sets of sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and three sets of continuous flow reactors (CFRs) were operated. Despite operation with the same solids retention time and the similarity of the algal growth rate found in these reactors, the algal productivity was higher in the SBRs owing to the short hydraulic retention time of 10 days in these reactors. By using a volume of CFR with twice the volume of our experimental CFRs, the algal concentration can be controlled during operation under similar physical conditions in both reactors.

Microchemostat - microbial continuous culture in a polymer-based, instrumented microbioreactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Z.; Bocazzi, P.; Choi, H. G.

2006-01-01

-based microbioreactor system integrated with optical density (OD), pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) real-time measurements for continuous cultivation of microbial cells. Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells are continuously cultured in a 150 mL, membrane-aerated, well-mixed microbioreactor fed by a pressure-driven flow......In a chemostat, microbial cells reach a steady state condition at which cell biomass production, substrates and the product concentrations remain constant. These features make continuous culture a unique and powerful tool for biological and physiological research. We present a polymer...

High-yield production of canine parvovirus virus-like particles in a baculovirus expression system.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hongli; Xia, Xiaohong; Liu, Bing; Fu, Yu; Chen, Xianping; Wang, Huihui; Xia, Zhenqiang

2016-03-01

An optimized VP2 gene from the current prevalent CPV strain (new CPV-2a) in China was expressed in a baculovirus expression system. It was found that the VP2 proteins assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs) with antigenic properties similar to those of natural CPV and with an especially high hemagglutination (HA) titer (1:2(20)). Dogs intramuscularly or orally immunized with VLPs produced antibodies against CPV with >1:80 hemagglutination inhibition (HI) units for at least 3 months. The CPV VLPs could be considered for use as a vaccine against CPV or as a platform for research on chimeric VLP vaccines against other diseases.

Dose-on-demand production of diverse 18F-radiotracers for preclinical applications using a continuous flow microfluidic system.

Science.gov (United States)

Matesic, Lidia; Kallinen, Annukka; Greguric, Ivan; Pascali, Giancarlo

2017-09-01

The production of 18 F-radiotracers using continuous flow microfluidics is under-utilized due to perceived equipment limitations. We describe the dose-on-demand principle, whereby the back-to-back production of multiple, diverse 18 F-radiotracers can be prepared on the same day, on the same microfluidic system using the same batch of [ 18 F]fluoride, the same microreactor, the same HPLC column and SPE cartridge to obtain a useful production yield. [ 18 F]MEL050, [ 18 F]Fallypride and [ 18 F]PBR111 were radiolabeled with [ 18 F]fluoride using the Advion NanoTek Microfluidic Synthesis System. The outlet of the microreactor was connected to an automated HPLC injector and following the collection of the product, SPE reformulation produced the 18 F-radiotracer in productions for [ 18 F]MEL050 and [ 18 F]Fallypride were performed at total flow rates of 20μL/min, resulting in 40±13% and 25±13% RCY respectively. [ 18 F]PBR111 was performed at 200μL/min to obtain 27±8% RCY. Molar activities for each 18 F-radiotracer were >100GBq/μmol and radiochemical purities were >97%, implying that the cleaning procedure was effective. Using the same initial solution of [ 18 F]fluoride, microreactor, HPLC column and SPE cartridge, three diverse 18 F-radiotracers could be produced in yields sufficient for preclinical studies in a back-to-back fashion using a microfluidic system with no detectable cross-contamination. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stability, resilience and animal production in continuously grazed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Jones-Sandland model, popularly used in southern Africa, may be criticised because it ignores firstly the long-term effects of grazing intensity on the acceptability and productivity of pasture or veld, and secondly possible discontinuities in the animal performance - stocking rate relationship. A mathematical model is ...

Large-Scale, Continuous-Flow Production of Stressed Biomass (Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geller, Jil T.; Borglin, Sharon E.; Fortney, Julian L.; Lam, Bonita R.; Hazen, Terry C.; Biggin, Mark D.

2010-05-01

The Protein Complex Analysis Project (PCAP, http://pcap.lbl.gov/), focuses on high-throughput analysis of microbial protein complexes in the anaerobic, sulfate-reducing organism, DesulfovibriovulgarisHildenborough(DvH).Interest in DvHas a model organism for bioremediation of contaminated groundwater sites arises from its ability to reduce heavy metals. D. vulgarishas been isolated from contaminated groundwater of sites in the DOE complex. To understand the effect of environmental changes on the organism, midlog-phase cultures are exposed to nitrate and salt stresses (at the minimum inhibitory concentration, which reduces growth rates by 50percent), and compared to controls of cultures at midlogand stationary phases. Large volumes of culture of consistent quality (up to 100 liters) are needed because of the relatively low cell density of DvHcultures (one order of magnitude lower than E. coli, for example) and PCAP's challenge to characterize low-abundance membrane proteins. Cultures are grown in continuous flow stirred tank reactors (CFSTRs) to produce consistent cell densities. Stressor is added to the outflow from the CFSTR, and the mixture is pumped through a plug flow reactor (PFR), to provide a stress exposure time of 2 hours. Effluent is chilled and held in large carboys until it is centrifuged. A variety of analyses -- including metabolites, total proteins, cell density and phospholipidfatty-acids -- track culture consistency within a production run, and differences due to stress exposure and growth phase for the different conditions used. With our system we are able to produce the requisite 100 L of culture for a given condition within a week.

Study of advanced control of ethanol production through continuous fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AbdelHamid Ajbar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the control of an experimentally validated model of production of bioethanol. The analysis of the open loop system revealed that the maximum productivity occurred at a periodic point. A robust control was needed to avoid instabilities that may occur when disturbances are injected into the process that may drive it toward or through the unstable points. A nonlinear model predictive controller (NLMPC was used to control the process. Simulation tests were carried out using three controlled variables: the ethanol concentration, the productivity and the inverse of the productivity. In the third configuration, the controller was required to seek the maximum operating point through the optimization capability built in the NLMPC algorithm. Simulation tests presented overall satisfactory closed-loop performance for both nominal servo and regulatory control problems as well as in the presence of modeling errors. The third control configuration managed to steer the process toward the existing maximum productivity even when the process operation or its parameters changed. For comparison purposes, a standard PI controller was also designed for the same control objectives. The PI controller yielded satisfactory performance when the ethanol concentration was chosen as the controlled variable. When, on the other hand, the productivity was chosen as the controlled output, the PI controller did not work properly and needed to be adjusted using gain scheduling. In all cases, it was observed that the closed-loop response suffered from slow dynamics, and any attempt to speed up the feedback response via tuning may result in an unstable behavior.

Continuous production of biohythane from hydrothermal liquefied cornstalk biomass via two-stage high-rate anaerobic reactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Bu-Chun; Li, Jia-Ming; Zhu, Zhang-Bing; Zhang, Yuan-Hui; Lu, Jian-Wen; Shen, Rui-Xia; Zhang, Chong; Xing, Xin-Hui; Liu, Zhidan

2016-01-01

Biohythane production via two-stage fermentation is a promising direction for sustainable energy recovery from lignocellulosic biomass. However, the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass suffers from specific natural recalcitrance. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an emerging technology for the liquefaction of biomass, but there are still several challenges for the coupling of HTL and two-stage fermentation. One particular challenge is the limited efficiency of fermentation reactors at a high solid content of the treated feedstock. Another is the conversion of potential inhibitors during fermentation. Here, we report a novel strategy for the continuous production of biohythane from cornstalk through the integration of HTL and two-stage fermentation. Cornstalk was converted to solid and liquid via HTL, and the resulting liquid could be subsequently fed into the two-stage fermentation systems. The systems consisted of two typical high-rate reactors: an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and a packed bed reactor (PBR). The liquid could be efficiently converted into biohythane via the UASB and PBR with a high density of microbes at a high organic loading rate. Biohydrogen production decreased from 2.34 L/L/day in UASB (1.01 L/L/day in PBR) to 0 L/L/day as the organic loading rate (OLR) of the HTL liquid products increased to 16 g/L/day. The methane production rate achieved a value of 2.53 (UASB) and 2.54 L/L/day (PBR), respectively. The energy and carbon recovery of the integrated HTL and biohythane fermentation system reached up to 79.0 and 67.7%, respectively. The fermentation inhibitors, i.e., 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (41.4-41.9% of the initial quantity detected) and furfural (74.7-85.0% of the initial quantity detected), were degraded during hydrogen fermentation. Compared with single-stage fermentation, the methane process during two-stage fermentation had a more efficient methane production rate, acetogenesis, and COD removal. The microbial distribution

Assembly/disassembly of a complex icosahedral virus to incorporate heterologous nucleic acids

Science.gov (United States)

Pascual, Elena; Mata, Carlos P.; Carrascosa, José L.; Castón, José R.

2017-12-01

Hollow protein containers are widespread in nature, and include virus capsids as well as eukaryotic and bacterial complexes. Protein cages are studied extensively for applications in nanotechnology, nanomedicine and materials science. Their inner and outer surfaces can be modified chemically or genetically, and the internal cavity can be used to template, store and/or arrange molecular cargos. Virus capsids and virus-like particles (VLP, noninfectious particles) provide versatile platforms for nanoscale bioengineering. Study of capsid protein self-assembly into monodispersed particles, and of VLP structure and biophysics is necessary not only to understand natural processes, but also to infer how these platforms can be redesigned to furnish novel functional VLP. Here we address the assembly dynamics of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), a complex icosahedral virus. IBDV has a ~70 nm-diameter T  =  13 capsid with VP2 trimers as the only structural subunits. During capsid assembly, VP2 is synthesized as a precursor (pVP2) whose C terminus is cleaved. The pVP2 C terminus has an amphipathic helix that controls VP2 polymorphism. In the absence of the VP3 scaffolding protein, necessary for control of assembly, 466/456-residue pVP2 intermediates bearing this helix assemble into VLP only when expressed with an N-terminal His6 tag (the HT-VP2-466 protein). HT-VP2-466 capsids are optimal for genetic insertion of proteins (cargo space ~78 000 nm3). We established an in vitro assembly/disassembly system of HT-VP2-466-based VLP for heterologous nucleic acid packaging and/or encapsulation of drugs and other molecules. HT-VP2-466 (empty) capsids were disassembled and reassembled by dialysis against low-salt/basic pH and high-salt/acid pH buffers, respectively, thus illustrating the reversibility in vitro of IBDV capsid assembly. HT-VP2-466 VLP also packed heterologous DNA by non-specific confinement during assembly. These and previous results establish the bases

Mixing and settling in continuous metal production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, H.J.; Laaspere, J.T.; Fitzpatrick, J.M.

1993-01-01

Modern metallurgical processes produce metal from ore in a single converter operated in horizontal mode to permit staging of bath and oxygen potential by utilizing bottom-blowing of oxygen and fuel. The submerged injectors must create sufficient turbulence to provide excellent gas-liquid contact in order to maximize heat and mass transfer in the bath, but this turbulence must be selectively localized so as to provide adequate phase separation zones of metal and slag between the active turbulent zones. It is important to know the behavior of gas and liquids in the bubble plume, the nature and paths of liquids and entrainment into the plume, and separation phenomena including travel and behavior in the settling zones. Such knowledge is of fundamental value in designing reactors for continuous direct metal making. In this work the mixing caused by submerged injection of gas into a bath simulating a converter and subsequent phase separation of two immiscible liquids representing slag and metal respectively, are being studied experimentally and analytically. First results of experiments and of the numerical analysis are presented

An enhanced heterologous virus-like particle for human papillomavirus type 16 tumour immunotherapy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khairunadwa Jemon

Full Text Available Cervical cancer is caused by high-risk, cancer-causing human papillomaviruses (HPV and is the second highest cause of cancer deaths in women globally. The majority of cervical cancers express well-characterized HPV oncogenes, which are potential targets for immunotherapeutic vaccination. Here we develop a rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV virus-like particle (VLP-based vaccine designed for immunotherapy against HPV16 positive tumours. An RHDV-VLP, modified to contain the universal helper T cell epitope PADRE and decorated with an MHC I-restricted peptide (aa 48-57 from the HPV16 E6, was tested for its immunotherapeutic efficacy against the TC-1 HPV16 E6 and E7-expressing tumour in mice. The E6-RHDV-VLP-PADRE was administered therapeutically for the treatment of a pre-existing TC-1 tumour and was delivered with antibodies either to deplete regulatory T cells (anti-CD25 or to block T cell suppression mediated through CTLA-4. As a result, the tumour burden was reduced by around 50% and the median survival time of mice to the humane endpoint was almost doubled the compared to controls. The incorporation of PADRE into the RHDV-VLP was necessary for an E6-specific enhancement of the anti-tumour response and the co-administration of the immune modifying antibodies contributed to the overall efficacy of the immunotherapy. The E6-RHDV-VLP-PADRE shows immunotherapeutic efficacy, prolonging survival for HPV tumour-bearing mice. This was enhanced by the systemic administration of immune-modifying antibodies that are commercially available for use in humans. There is potential to further modify these particles for even greater efficacy in the path to development of an immunotherapeutic treatment for HPV precancerous and cancer stages.

Continuous photocatalytic fuel production over wide-bandgap metal oxides

OpenAIRE

Bazzo, Antonio

2014-01-01

Artificial photosynthesis has been proposed as one of the possible solutions to the energetic and chemical-feedstock problems to cope with the anticipated near future depletion of fossil fuel resources. This doctoral thesis deals with the study of promising catalysts and reactor designs to enhance the reaction efficiency and understand the origin of photocatalytic activity. A continuous flow reaction system was designed and constructed to study CO2 photoreduction with H2O and photocatalytic w...

Gas-liquid countercurrent integration process for continuous biodiesel production using a microporous solid base KF/CaO as catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shengyang; Wen, Libai; Wang, Yun; Zheng, Xinsheng; Han, Heyou

2012-11-01

A continuous-flow integration process was developed for biodiesel production using rapeseed oil as feedstock, based on the countercurrent contact reaction between gas and liquid, separation of glycerol on-line and cyclic utilization of methanol. Orthogonal experimental design and response surface methodology were adopted to optimize technological parameters. A second-order polynomial model for the biodiesel yield was established and validated experimentally. The high determination coefficient (R(2)=98.98%) and the low probability value (Prcontinuous-flow process has good potential in the manufacture of biodiesel. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of continuous glass melting for production of Nd-doped phosphate glasses for the NIF and LMJ laser system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, J. H.; Ficini-Dorn, G.; Hawley-Fedder, R.; McLean, M. J.; Suratwala, T.; Trombert, J. H.

1998-01-01

The NIF and LMJ laser systems require about 3380 and 4752 Nd-doped laser glass slabs, respectively. Continuous laser glass melting and forming will be used for the first time to manufacture these slabs. Two vendors have been chosen to produce the glass: Hoya Corporation and Schott Glass Technologies. The laser glass melting systems that each of these two vendors have designed, built and tested are arguably the most advanced in the world. Production of the laser glass will begin on a pilot scale in the fall of 1999

Workload Control with Continuous Release

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Phan, B. S. Nguyen; Land, M. J.; Gaalman, G. J. C.

2009-01-01

Workload Control (WLC) is a production planning and control concept which is suitable for the needs of make-to-order job shops. Release decisions based on the workload norms form the core of the concept. This paper develops continuous time WLC release variants and investigates their due date

Continuous auditing & continuous monitoring : Continuous value?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hillo, Rutger; Weigand, Hans; Espana, S; Ralyte, J; Souveyet, C

2016-01-01

Advancements in information technology, new laws and regulations and rapidly changing business conditions have led to a need for more timely and ongoing assurance with effectively working controls. Continuous Auditing (CA) and Continuous Monitoring (CM) technologies have made this possible by

A Continuous Measure of Gross Primary Production for the Conterminous U.S. Derived from MODIS and AmeriFlux Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, Jingfeng; Zhuang, Qianlai; Law, Beverly E.; Chen, Jiquan; Baldocchi, Dennis D.; Cook, David R.; Oren, Ram; Richardson, Andrew D.; Wharton, Sonia; Ma, Siyan; Martin, Timothy A.; Verma, Shashi B.; Suyker, Andrew E.; Scott, Russell L.; Monson, Russell K.; Litvak, Marcy; Hollinger, David Y.; Sun, Ge; Davis, Kenneth J.; Bolstad, Paul V.; Burns, Sean P.; Curtis, Peter S.; Drake, Bert G.; Falk, Matthias; Fischer, Marc L.; Foster, David R.; Gu, Lianhong; Hadley, Julian L.; Katul, Gabriel G.; Matamala, Roser; McNulty, Steve; Meyers, Tilden P.; Munger, J. William; Noormets, Asko; Oechel, Walter C.; U, Kyaw Tha Paw; Schmid, Hans Peter; Starr, Gregory; Torn, Margaret S.; Wofsy, Steven C.

2009-01-28

The quantification of carbon fluxes between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere is of scientific importance and also relevant to climate-policy making. Eddy covariance flux towers provide continuous measurements of ecosystem-level exchange of carbon dioxide spanning diurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual time scales. However, these measurements only represent the fluxes at the scale of the tower footprint. Here we used remotely-sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to upscale gross primary productivity (GPP) data from eddy covariance flux towers to the continental scale. We first combined GPP and MODIS data for 42 AmeriFlux towers encompassing a wide range of ecosystem and climate types to develop a predictive GPP model using a regression tree approach. The predictive model was trained using observed GPP over the period 2000-2004, and was validated using observed GPP over the period 2005-2006 and leave-one-out cross-validation. Our model predicted GPP fairly well at the site level. We then used the model to estimate GPP for each 1 km x 1 km cell across the U.S. for each 8-day interval over the period from February 2000 to December 2006 using MODIS data. Our GPP estimates provide a spatially and temporally continuous measure of gross primary production for the U.S. that is a highly constrained by eddy covariance flux data. Our study demonstrated that our empirical approach is effective for upscaling eddy flux GPP data to the continental scale and producing continuous GPP estimates across multiple biomes. With these estimates, we then examined the patterns, magnitude, and interannual variability of GPP. We estimated a gross carbon uptake between 6.91 and 7.33 Pg C yr{sup -1} for the conterminous U.S. Drought, fires, and hurricanes reduced annual GPP at regional scales and could have a significant impact on the U.S. net ecosystem carbon exchange. The sources of the interannual variability of U.S. GPP were dominated

Modeling of Clostridium tyrobutyricum for Butyric Acid Selectivity in Continuous Fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianjun Du

2014-04-01

Full Text Available A mathematical model was developed to describe batch and continuous fermentation of glucose to organic acids with Clostridium tyrobutyricum. A modified Monod equation was used to describe cell growth, and a Luedeking-Piret equation was used to describe the production of butyric and acetic acids. Using the batch fermentation equations, models predicting butyric acid selectivity for continuous fermentation were also developed. The model showed that butyric acid production was a strong function of cell mass, while acetic acid production was a function of cell growth rate. Further, it was found that at high acetic acid concentrations, acetic acid was metabolized to butyric acid and that this conversion could be modeled. In batch fermentation, high butyric acid selectivity occurred at high initial cell or glucose concentrations. In continuous fermentation, decreased dilution rate improved selectivity; at a dilution rate of 0.028 h−1, the selectivity reached 95.8%. The model and experimental data showed that at total cell recycle, the butyric acid selectivity could reach 97.3%. This model could be used to optimize butyric acid production using C. tyrobutyricum in a continuous fermentation scheme. This is the first study that mathematically describes batch, steady state, and dynamic behavior of C. tyrobutyricum for butyric acid production.

Ecological and Economic Assessment of Micro-/Milli-Continuous Campaign Manufacturing: The Case of Writing Ink

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Grundemann

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Many products from the fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries are currently manufactured batch-wise in multi-product plants. However, this processing scheme suffers from severe drawbacks, such as a high specific energy demand, cleaning costs and high staff requirements. Transferring batch into continuous campaign productions may overcome these drawbacks. Using the case of writing ink, such a continuous manufacturing scheme was developed employing micro- and milli-structured components in order to intensify certain unit operations. In this paper, an ecological and economic assessment of both production concepts considering all lifecycle stages is presented. The aim of our work is to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the two multi-product plants and to derive recommendations for the most efficient design and operation of a continuous campaign manufacturing plant. The results show that lower environmental impacts are related to continuous processing, which is due to the option for energy integration in this case. Furthermore, in the economic assessment, continuous processing proved to be economically viable. In this case, reduced staff requirements based on a highly automated manufacturing plant are the key to lower personnel costs. In general, the results emphasize the importance of such micro-/milli-continuous multi-product plants for the future manufacturing of newly developed products in the mentioned industries.

French industrial plant AVM for continuous vitrification of high level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonniaud, Roger; Sombret, Claude; Barbe, Alain

1975-01-01

The A.V.M. plant is a continuous process plant now under construction at Marcoule and intended for vitrifying the whole of fission product solutions from the C.E.A. (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) - Marcoule reprocessing plant. The outset of the construction took place in the second 1974 half year; the first radioactive run is scheduled in July 1977. The two steps of the process are shown: first a continuous calcination then a continuous glass making from the calcined product and suitable additives. The plant consists in two parts: vitrification and storage facilities. Some wastes will be continuously produced day after day due to gas clean up and worn out materials. Characteristics of the solutions processed, calcined products, glass composition, and expected liquid wastes are given in tables [fr

Scalable and continuous fabrication of bio-inspired dry adhesives with a thermosetting polymer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sung Ho; Kim, Sung Woo; Kang, Bong Su; Chang, Pahn-Shick; Kwak, Moon Kyu

2018-04-04

Many research groups have developed unique micro/nano-structured dry adhesives by mimicking the foot of the gecko with the use of molding methods. Through these previous works, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been developed and become the most commonly used material for making artificial dry adhesives. The material properties of PDMS are well suited for making dry adhesives, such as conformal contacts with almost zero preload, low elastic moduli for stickiness, and easy cleaning with low surface energy. From a performance point of view, dry adhesives made with PDMS can be highly advantageous but are limited by its low productivity, as production takes an average of approximately two hours. Given the low productivity of PDMS, some research groups have developed dry adhesives using UV-curable materials, which are capable of continuous roll-to-roll production processes. However, UV-curable materials were too rigid to produce good adhesion. Thus, we established a PDMS continuous-production system to achieve good productivity and adhesion performance. We designed a thermal roll-imprinting lithography (TRL) system for the continuous production of PDMS microstructures by shortening the curing time by controlling the curing temperature (the production speed is up to 150 mm min-1). Dry adhesives composed of PDMS were fabricated continuously via the TRL system.

The Petroleum continues being the king

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carta Petrolera

2001-01-01

In spite of the environmental inconveniences and the rapids advances in technologies and alternative products, the black gold continue being for many years, the fuel of the world economy. A comparison is made among the traditional and new energy

[Analysis of the continuity, circulation and productivity of the Revista Española de Quimioterapia].

Science.gov (United States)

Gimeno Sieres, E

2007-06-01

The primary objective of this study was to compare some of the bibliometric indicators of the continuity, circulation and productivity of the Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia up to 2003 with other spanish journals of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. This was done by reviewing periodicals directories, such as the ISSN (International Standard Serial Number/Número Internacional Normalizado de Publicaciones Seriadas) and ULRICH'S (Periodicals Directory), as well as the CDU (Classification Universal Decimal), national and international databases including IME (Indice Médico Español), ICYT (Indice Espanol de Ciencia y Tecnologia), IPA (International Pharmaceutical Abstracts), SCI Expanded (Science Citation Index Expanded), MEDLINE (Index Medicus), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica), BIOSIS PREVIEWS, ANALYTICAL ABSTRACTS, FSTA (Food Science and Technology Abstracts), SCIFINDER SCHOLAR and CHEMISTRY CITATION INDEX. According to the results, the Revista Española de Quimioterapia, in publication for 15 years, is widely distributed and has a good rating among other scientific journals of the same discipline.

Production of FMDV virus-like particles by a SUMO fusion protein approach in Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Shu-Mei

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Virus-like particles (VLPs are formed by the self-assembly of envelope and/or capsid proteins from many viruses. Some VLPs have been proven successful as vaccines, and others have recently found applications as carriers for foreign antigens or as scaffolds in nanoparticle biotechnology. However, production of VLP was usually impeded due to low water-solubility of recombinant virus capsid proteins. Previous studies revealed that virus capsid and envelope proteins were often posttranslationally modified by SUMO in vivo, leading into a hypothesis that SUMO modification might be a common mechanism for virus proteins to retain water-solubility or prevent improper self-aggregation before virus assembly. We then propose a simple approach to produce VLPs of viruses, e.g., foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV. An improved SUMO fusion protein system we developed recently was applied to the simultaneous expression of three capsid proteins of FMDV in E. coli. The three SUMO fusion proteins formed a stable heterotrimeric complex. Proteolytic removal of SUMO moieties from the ternary complexes resulted in VLPs with size and shape resembling the authentic FMDV. The method described here can also apply to produce capsid/envelope protein complexes or VLPs of other disease-causing viruses.

Airline business continuity and IT disaster recovery sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Haji, Jassim

2016-01-01

Business continuity is defined as the capability of the organisation to continue delivery of products or services at acceptable predefined levels following a disruptive incident. Business continuity is fast evolving to become a critical and strategic decision for any organisation. Transportation in general, and airlines in particular, is a unique sector with a specialised set of requirements, challenges and opportunities. Business continuity in the airline sector is a concept that is generally overlooked by the airline managements. This paper reviews different risks related to airline processes and will also propose solutions to these risks based on experiences and good industry practices.

Microorganism selection and biosurfactant production in a continuously and periodically operated bioslurry reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, D P; Hudak, A J

2001-06-29

A continuous-flow reactor (CSTR) and a soil slurry-sequencing batch reactor (SS-SBR) were maintained in 8l vessels for 180 days to treat a soil contaminated with diesel fuel (DF). Concentrations of Candida tropicalis, Brevibacterium casei, Flavobacterium aquatile, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Pseudomonas fluorescens were determined using fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. DF removal (biological and volatile) and biosurfactant concentrations were measured. The SS-SBR encouraged the growth of biosurfactant-producing species relative to the CSTR. Counts of biosurfactant-producing species (C. tropicalis, P. aeruginosa, P. fluorescens) relative to total microbial counts were 88% in the SS-SBR and 23% in the CSTR. Biosurfactants were produced in the SS-SBR to levels of nearly 70 times the critical micelle concentration (CMC) early in the cycle, but were completely degraded by the end of each cycle. No biosurfactant production was observed in the CSTR. DF biodegradation rates were over 40% greater and DF stripping was over five times lower in the SS-SBR than the CSTR. However, considerable foaming occurred in the SS-SBR. Reversing the mode of operation in the reactors on day 80 caused a complete reversal in microbial consortia and reactor performance by day 120. These results show that bioslurry reactor operation can be manipulated to control overall reactor performance.

Sugar and ethanol production from woody biomass via supercritical water hydrolysis in a continuous pilot-scale system using acid catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Hanseob; Park, Yong-Cheol; Seong, Yeong-Je; Lee, Soo Min

2017-12-01

The aim of this study were to efficiently produce fermentable sugars by continuous type supercritical water hydrolysis (SCWH) of Quercus mongolica at the pilot scale with varying acid catalyst loading and to use the obtained sugars for ethanol production. The SCWH of biomass was achieved in under one second (380°C, 230bar) using 0.01-0.1% H 2 SO 4 . With 0.05% H 2 SO 4 , 49.8% of sugars, including glucose (16.5% based on biomass) and xylose monomers (10.8%), were liberated from biomass. The hydrolysates were fermented with S. cerevisiae DXSP and D452-2 to estimate ethanol production. To prepare the fermentation medium, the hydrolysates were detoxified using activated charcoal and then concentrated. The ethanol yield of fermentation with S. cerevisiae DXSP was 14.1% (based on biomass). The proposed system has potential for improvement in yield through process optimization. After further development, it is expected to be a competitive alternative to traditional systems for ethanol production from woody biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Explanatory Study of Lean Practices in Job Shop Production/ Special Job Production/ Discrete Production/ Batch Shop Production Industries

OpenAIRE

Lavlesh Kumar Sharma; Ravindra Mohan Saxena

2014-01-01

In this paper, the study explores the benefits and advantages of Lean Practices or Lean Thinking in Job shop production/ Special job production/ Discrete production/ Batch shop production industries. The Lean Practices have been applied more compatible in Job shop production than in the continuous/ mass production because of several barriers and hurdles in the industrial context that influence the whole processes again and again, this happens due to the lack of knowledge about...

Between strong continuity and almost continuity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.K. Kohli

2010-04-01

Full Text Available As embodied in the title of the paper strong and weak variants of continuity that lie strictly between strong continuity of Levine and almost continuity due to Singal and Singal are considered. Basic properties of almost completely continuous functions (≡ R-maps and δ-continuous functions are studied. Direct and inverse transfer of topological properties under almost completely continuous functions and δ-continuous functions are investigated and their place in the hier- archy of variants of continuity that already exist in the literature is out- lined. The class of almost completely continuous functions lies strictly between the class of completely continuous functions studied by Arya and Gupta (Kyungpook Math. J. 14 (1974, 131-143 and δ-continuous functions defined by Noiri (J. Korean Math. Soc. 16, (1980, 161-166. The class of almost completely continuous functions properly contains each of the classes of (1 completely continuous functions, and (2 al- most perfectly continuous (≡ regular set connected functions defined by Dontchev, Ganster and Reilly (Indian J. Math. 41 (1999, 139-146 and further studied by Singh (Quaestiones Mathematicae 33(2(2010, 1–11 which in turn include all δ-perfectly continuous functions initi- ated by Kohli and Singh (Demonstratio Math. 42(1, (2009, 221-231 and so include all perfectly continuous functions introduced by Noiri (Indian J. Pure Appl. Math. 15(3 (1984, 241-250.

Continual monitoring of radon decay products concentration in indoor and outdoor air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petruf, P.; Holy, K.; Stanys, T.

1998-01-01

The goal of this work was the development of the method and construction and testing of measurement device for continual monitoring of radon daughters concentrations in the indoor and outdoor environment with regard to make possible to determine very low activities in the outdoor air (below % Bq/m 3 ). In this method air sample is drawn through the appropriate filter material. Radon and thoron daughters both attached and unattached on aerosols particles are collected on the filter surface and then the filter activity is counted. The silicon surface barrier detector with the active area of 200 mm 2 in monitor was used. The Millipore AW19-type filter was chosen and sampling rate of 30 l/min for collecting of the air samples. The determination of the individual activity concentrations in three-count method is based on the solution of the simultaneous equations describing the number of atoms of measured nuclides on the filter during and after sampling. The monitor was tested in three different environments (the average values of the activity concentrations of radon and its decay products in Bq/m 3 are given): in the basement of the building: 61.4 ± 5.0 of 222 Rn, 29.5 ± 2.8 of 218 Po, 14.1 ± 1.8 of 214 Pb and 12.1 ± 1.6 of 214 Bi; in the room on the second floor of the same building:22.2 ± 7.9 of 222 Rn, 7.3 ± 2.8 of 218 Po, 4.6 ± 1.9 of 214 Pb and 2.6 ± 1.2 of 214 Bi ; in the outdoor air in front of the building: 4.1 ± 2.7 of 222 Rn, 2.3 ± 0.9 of 218 Po, 1.5 ± 0.8 of 214 Pb and 1.4 ± 0.6 of 214 Bi. The results show a good agreement with expectations of the activity concentrations in three different environments. The monitor enables to determine low activity concentrations in the outdoor with an acceptable precision during one hour counting. The monitor can be used for the research of the correlation between the atmospheric stability and activity concentrations of radon decay products

Application of near real-time radial semblance to locate the shallow magmatic conduit at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, P.; Whilldin, D.; Chouet, B.

2004-01-01

Radial Semblance is applied to broadband seismic network data to provide source locations of Very-Long-Period (VLP) seismic energy in near real time. With an efficient algorithm and adequate network coverage, accurate source locations of VLP energy are derived to quickly locate the shallow magmatic conduit system at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. During a restart in magma flow following a brief pause in the current eruption, the shallow magmatic conduit is pressurized, resulting in elastic radiation from various parts of the conduit system. A steeply dipping distribution of VLP hypocenters outlines a region extending from sea level to about 550 m elevation below and just east of the Halemaumau Pit Crater. The distinct hypocenters suggest the shallow plumbing system beneath Halemaumau consists of a complex plexus of sills and dikes. An unconstrained location for a section of the conduit is also observed beneath the region between Kilauea Caldera and Kilauea Iki Crater.

Experimentally supported mathematical modeling of continuous baking processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenby Andresen, Mette

and temperature) and control the process (air flow, temperature, and humidity) are therefore emphasized. The oven is furthermore designed to work outside the range of standard tunnel ovens, making it interesting for manufacturers of both baking products and baking equipment. A mathematical model describing......The scope of the PhD project was to increase knowledge on the process-to-product interactions in continuous tunnel ovens. The work has focused on five main objectives. These objectives cover development of new experimental equipment for pilot plant baking experiments, mathematical modeling of heat...... and mass transfer in a butter cookie product, and evaluation of quality assessment methods. The pilot plant oven is a special batch oven designed to emulate continuous convection tunnel oven baking. The design, construction, and validation of the oven has been part of the project and is described...

Evaluation and Characterization of In-Line Annealed Continuous Cast Aluminum Sheet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr Subodh K. Das

2006-01-17

This R&D program will develop optimized, energy-efficient thermo-mechanical processing procedures for in-line annealing of continuously cast hot bands of two 5000 series aluminum alloys (5754 and 5052). The implementation of the R&D will result in the production of sheet with improved formability at high levels of productivity consistency and quality. The proposed R&D involves the following efforts: (1) Design and build continuous in-line annealing equipment for plant-scale trials; (2) Carry out plant-scale trials at Commonwealth Aluminum Corp.'s (CAC) plant in Carson; (3) Optimize the processing variables utilizing a metallurgical model for the kinetics of microstructure and texture evolution during thermo-mechanical processing; (4) Determine the effects of processing variables on the microstructure, texture, mechanical properties, and formability of aluminum sheet; (5) Develop design parameters for commercial implementation; and (6) Conduct techno-economic studies of the recommended process equipment to identify impacts on production costs. The research and development is appropriate for the domestic industry as it will result in improved aluminum processing capabilities and thus lead to greater application of aluminum in various industries including the automotive market. A teaming approach is critical to the success of this effort as no single company alone possesses the breadth of technical and financial resources for successfully carrying out the effort. This program will enable more energy efficient aluminum sheet production technology, produce consistent high quality product, and have The proposal addresses the needs of the aluminum industry as stated in the aluminum industry roadmap by developing new and improved aluminum processes utilizing energy efficient techniques. The effort is primarily related to the subsection on Rolling and Extrusion with the R&D to address energy and environmental efficiencies in aluminum manufacturing and will provide

Experience of developing and introduction of the integrated systems for accounting, control and physical protection of nuclear materials under conditions of continuously operating production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filatov, O.N.; Rogachev, V.E.

2003-01-01

The improvements of the integrated systems for accounting, control and physical protection (ACPP) of nuclear materials under conditions practically continuous production cycle are described. As a result of development and introduction of the improved means and technologies the developed systems realized successfully the requirements of reliable ACPP of nuclear materials [ru

Continuous production of fatty acid ethyl esters from soybean oil at supercritical conditions - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v34i2.11255

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila da Silva

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This work reports the production of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE from the transesterification of soybean oil in supercritical ethanol in a continuous catalyst-free process using different reactor configurations. Experiments were performed in a tubular reactor in one-step reaction and experimentally simulating two reactors, one operated in series and the other a recycle reactor. The reaction products were analyzed for their content of residual triglycerides, glycerol, monoglycerides, diglycerides, ethyl esters and decomposition. Results show that the configurations studied with intermediate separation of glycerol afford higher conversions of vegetable oil to their fatty acid ethyl esters derivatives when compared to the one-step reaction, with relatively low decomposition of fatty acids (< 5.0 wt%.

Daily Management System of the Henry Ford Production System: QTIPS to Focus Continuous Improvements at the Level of the Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarbo, Richard J; Varney, Ruan C; Copeland, Jacqueline R; D'Angelo, Rita; Sharma, Gaurav

2015-07-01

To support our Lean culture of continuous improvement, we implemented a daily management system designed so critical metrics of operational success were the focus of local teams to drive improvements. We innovated a standardized visual daily management board composed of metric categories of Quality, Time, Inventory, Productivity, and Safety (QTIPS); frequency trending; root cause analysis; corrective/preventive actions; and resulting process improvements. In 1 year (June 2013 to July 2014), eight laboratory sections at Henry Ford Hospital employed 64 unique daily metrics. Most assessed long-term (>6 months), monitored process stability, while short-term metrics (1-6 months) were retired after successful targeted problem resolution. Daily monitoring resulted in 42 process improvements. Daily management is the key business accountability subsystem that enabled our culture of continuous improvement to function more efficiently at the managerial level in a visible manner by reviewing and acting based on data and root cause analysis. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Exploring Interacting Quantum Many-Body Systems by Experimentally Creating Continuous Matrix Product States in Superconducting Circuits

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C. Eichler

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Improving the understanding of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems such as gases of interacting atoms or electrons is one of the most important challenges in modern condensed matter physics, materials research, and chemistry. Enormous progress has been made in the past decades in developing both classical and quantum approaches to calculate, simulate, and experimentally probe the properties of such systems. In this work, we use a combination of classical and quantum methods to experimentally explore the properties of an interacting quantum gas by creating experimental realizations of continuous matrix product states—a class of states that has proven extremely powerful as a variational ansatz for numerical simulations. By systematically preparing and probing these states using a circuit quantum electrodynamics system, we experimentally determine a good approximation to the ground-state wave function of the Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian, which describes an interacting Bose gas in one dimension. Since the simulated Hamiltonian is encoded in the measurement observable rather than the controlled quantum system, this approach has the potential to apply to a variety of models including those involving multicomponent interacting fields. Our findings also hint at the possibility of experimentally exploring general properties of matrix product states and entanglement theory. The scheme presented here is applicable to a broad range of systems exploiting strong and tunable light-matter interactions.

Landsat Data Continuity Mission

Science.gov (United States)

,

2012-01-01

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is a partnership formed between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to place the next Landsat satellite in orbit in January 2013. The Landsat era that began in 1972 will become a nearly 41-year global land record with the successful launch and operation of the LDCM. The LDCM will continue the acquisition, archiving, and distribution of multispectral imagery affording global, synoptic, and repetitive coverage of the Earth's land surfaces at a scale where natural and human-induced changes can be detected, differentiated, characterized, and monitored over time. The mission objectives of the LDCM are to (1) collect and archive medium resolution (30-meter spatial resolution) multispectral image data affording seasonal coverage of the global landmasses for a period of no less than 5 years; (2) ensure that LDCM data are sufficiently consistent with data from the earlier Landsat missions in terms of acquisition geometry, calibration, coverage characteristics, spectral characteristics, output product quality, and data availability to permit studies of landcover and land-use change over time; and (3) distribute LDCM data products to the general public on a nondiscriminatory basis at no cost to the user.

An improvement of surfactin production by B. subtilis BBG131 using design of experiments in microbioreactors and continuous process in bubbleless membrane bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Motta Dos Santos, Luiz Fernando; Coutte, François; Ravallec, Rozenn; Dhulster, Pascal; Tournier-Couturier, Lucie; Jacques, Philippe

2016-10-01

Culture medium elements were analysed by a screening DoE to identify their influence in surfactin specific production by a surfactin constitutive overproducing Bacillus subtilis strain. Statistics pointed the major enhancement caused by high glutamic acid concentrations, as well as a minor positive influence of tryptophan and glucose. Successively, a central composite design was performed in microplate bioreactors using a BioLector®, in which variations of these impressive parameters, glucose, glutamic acid and tryptophan concentrations were selected for optimization of product-biomass yield (YP/X). Results were exploited in combination with a RSM. In absolute terms, experiments attained an YP/X 3.28-fold higher than those obtained in Landy medium, a usual culture medium used for lipopeptide production by B. subtilis. Therefore, two medium compositions for enhancing biomass and surfactin specific production were proposed and tested in continuous regime in a bubbleless membrane bioreactor. An YP/X increase of 2.26-fold was observed in bioreactor scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A PAT-based qualification of pharmaceutical excipients produced by batch or continuous processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertrampf, A; Müller, H; Menezes, J C; Herdling, T

2015-10-10

Pharmaceutical excipients have an influence on the main requirements for medicinal products (viz., quality, safety and efficacy) but also on their manufacturability. During product lifecycle it may become necessary to introduce minor changes (e.g., to continuously improve it) or major changes in the validated process (e.g., moving it to a new production site, replacing process version or even disruptively changing processing type). Those changes can influence the critical to quality attributes of the product. Therefore, it is important to enhance process understanding to avoid the risk of any significant quality changes. Process analytical technology can support better decision making and risk-management as required in quality by design - viz., by many pharmaceutical regulatory authorities. This study compares the quality of the pharmaceutical excipient sodium carbonate (anhydrous) produced either in a batch or a continuous process. For continuous processing two different production lines were available that differed on the dryer and crystallizer types used. Therefore their influence on critical to quality attributes of sodium carbonate was investigated for each of the three processing alternatives. The overall goal was to identify which of the continuous processes ensures a similar product quality to batch processing. Namely, changes on chemical and physical attributes of the product were investigated with Raman spectroscopy, laser diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction. Principal component analysis, a very common multivariate analysis technique, was applied to extract relevant information from small differences at multiple spectral regions from samples from each process type and from each analytical technique used. Changing processing from batch to continuous improved consistency of certain attributes (e.g., particle size distribution) but affected others. However, the increased process/product knowledge gained can lead to an enhanced control strategy and

Combined Noncyclic Scheduling and Advanced Control for Continuous Chemical Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damon Petersen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A novel formulation for combined scheduling and control of multi-product, continuous chemical processes is introduced in which nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC and noncyclic continuous-time scheduling are efficiently combined. A decomposition into nonlinear programming (NLP dynamic optimization problems and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP problems, without iterative alternation, allows for computationally light solution. An iterative method is introduced to determine the number of production slots for a noncyclic schedule during a prediction horizon. A filter method is introduced to reduce the number of MILP problems required. The formulation’s closed-loop performance with both process disturbances and updated market conditions is demonstrated through multiple scenarios on a benchmark continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR application with fluctuations in market demand and price for multiple products. Economic performance surpasses cyclic scheduling in all scenarios presented. Computational performance is sufficiently light to enable online operation in a dual-loop feedback structure.

Petroleum demand continues to grow but slowly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1998-01-01

While it is always entertaining and intellectually stimulating to look at all the marvelous technological alternatives just around the corner for transport, the transport task in Australia continues to grow and so does petroleum consumption. Australia presently consumes more than 750,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Latest figures are given for petroleum consumption up to the end of August 1998. They indicate that total demand for petrol has continued to grow, but very slowly. Growth in 1997-1998 compared with 1996-1997 was only 0.3%. This trend for very low growth has been continued into July and August, perhaps indicative of a slow down in the economy

Protection against Multiple Subtypes of Influenza Viruses by Virus-Like Particle Vaccines Based on a Hemagglutinin Conserved Epitope

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaoheng Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We selected the conserved sequence in the stalk region of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA trimmer, the long alpha helix (LAH, as the vaccine candidate sequence, and inserted it into the major immunodominant region (MIR of hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc, and, by using the E. coli expression system, we prepared a recombinant protein vaccine LAH-HBc in the form of virus-like particles (VLP. Intranasal immunization of mice with this LAH-HBc VLP plus cholera toxin B subunit with 0.2% of cholera toxin (CTB* adjuvant could effectively elicit humoral and cellular immune responses and protect mice against a lethal challenge of homologous influenza viruses (A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8 (H1N1. In addition, passage of the immune sera containing specific antibodies to naïve mice rendered them resistant against a lethal homologous challenge. Immunization with LAH-HBc VLP vaccine plus CTB* adjuvant could also fully protect mice against a lethal challenge of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus or the avian H9N2 virus and could partially protect mice against a lethal challenge of the avian H5N1 influenza virus. This study demonstrated that the LAH-HBc VLP vaccine based on a conserved sequence of the HA trimmer stalk region is a promising candidate vaccine for developing a universal influenza vaccine against multiple influenza viruses infections.

Recombinant norovirus-specific scFv inhibit virus-like particle binding to cellular ligands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hardy Michele E

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Noroviruses cause epidemic outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in all age-groups. The rapid onset and ease of person-to-person transmission suggest that inhibitors of the initial steps of virus binding to susceptible cells have value in limiting spread and outbreak persistence. We previously generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb 54.6 that blocks binding of recombinant norovirus-like particles (VLP to Caco-2 intestinal cells and inhibits VLP-mediated hemagglutination. In this study, we engineered the antigen binding domains of mAb 54.6 into a single chain variable fragment (scFv and tested whether these scFv could function as cell binding inhibitors, similar to the parent mAb. Results The scFv54.6 construct was engineered to encode the light (VL and heavy (VH variable domains of mAb 54.6 separated by a flexible peptide linker, and this recombinant protein was expressed in Pichia pastoris. Purified scFv54.6 recognized native VLPs by immunoblot, inhibited VLP-mediated hemagglutination, and blocked VLP binding to H carbohydrate antigen expressed on the surface of a CHO cell line stably transfected to express α 1,2-fucosyltransferase. Conclusion scFv54.6 retained the functional properties of the parent mAb with respect to inhibiting norovirus particle interactions with cells. With further engineering into a form deliverable to the gut mucosa, norovirus neutralizing antibodies represent a prophylactic strategy that would be valuable in outbreak settings.

Neutralizing antibodies induced by recombinant virus-like particles of enterovirus 71 genotype C4 inhibit infection at pre- and post-attachment steps.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiqiang Ku

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Enterovirus 71 (EV71 is a major causative agent of hand, foot and mouth disease, which has been prevalent in Asia-Pacific regions, causing significant morbidity and mortality in young children. Antibodies elicited by experimental EV71 vaccines could neutralize infection in vitro and passively protect animal models from lethal challenge, indicating that neutralizing antibodies play an essential role in protection. However, how neutralizing antibodies inhibit infection in vitro remains unclear. METHODS/FINDINGS: In the present study, we explored the mechanisms of neutralization by antibodies against EV71 virus-like particles (VLPs. Recombinant VLPs of EV71 genotype C4 were produced in insect cells using baculovirus vectors. Immunization with the VLPs elicited a high-titer, EV71-specific antibody response in mice. Anti-VLP mouse sera potently neutralized EV71 infection in vitro. The neutralizing antibodies in the anti-VLP mouse sera were found to target mainly an extremely conserved epitope (FGEHKQEKDLEYGAC located at the GH loop of the VP1 protein. The neutralizing anti-VLP antisera were able to inhibit virus binding to target cells efficiently. In addition, post-attachment treatment of virus-bound cells with the anti-VLP antisera also neutralized virus infection, although the antibody concentration required was higher than that of the pre-attachment treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our findings represent a valuable addition to the understanding of mechanisms of EV71 neutralization and have strong implications for EV71 vaccine development.

The modeling of ethanol production by Kluyveromyces marxianus using whey as substrate in continuous A-Stat bioreactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabardo, Sabrina; Pereira, Gabriela Feix; Rech, Rosane; Ayub, Marco Antônio Záchia

2015-09-01

We investigated the kinetics of whey bioconversion into ethanol by Kluyveromyces marxianus in continuous bioreactors using the "accelerostat technique" (A-stat). Cultivations using free and Ca-alginate immobilized cells were evaluated using two different acceleration rates (a). The kinetic profiles of these systems were modeled using four different unstructured models, differing in the expressions for the specific growth (μ) and substrate consumption rates (r s), taking into account substrate limitation and product inhibition. Experimental data showed that the dilution rate (D) directly affected cell physiology and metabolism. The specific growth rate followed the dilution rate (μ≈D) for the lowest acceleration rate (a = 0.0015 h(-2)), condition in which the highest ethanol yield (0.52 g g(-1)) was obtained. The highest acceleration rate (a = 0.00667 h(-2)) led to a lower ethanol yield (0.40 g g(-1)) in the system where free cells were used, whereas with immobilized cells ethanol yields increased by 23 % (0.49 g g(-1)). Among the evaluated models, Monod and Levenspiel combined with Ghose and Tyagi models were found to be more appropriate for describing the kinetics of whey bioconversion into ethanol. These results may be useful in scaling up the process for ethanol production from whey.

Distributed continuous energy scheduling for dynamic virtual power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niesse, Astrid

2015-01-01

This thesis presents DynaSCOPE as distributed control method for continuous energy scheduling for dynamic virtual power plants (DVPP). DVPPs aggregate the flexibility of distributed energy units to address current energy markets. As an extension of the Virtual Power Plant concept they show high dynamics in aggregation and operation of energy units. Whereas operation schedules are set up for all energy units in a day-ahead planning procedure, incidents may render these schedules infeasible during execution, like deviation from prognoses or outages. Thus, a continuous scheduling process is needed to ensure product fulfillment. With DynaSCOPE, software agents representing single energy units solve this problem in a completely distributed heuristic approach. Using a stepped concept, several damping mechanisms are applied to allow minimum disturbance while continuously trying to fulfill the product as contracted at the market.

Modeling of Clostridium tyrobutyricum for Butyric Acid Selectivity in Continuous Fermentation

OpenAIRE

Du, Jianjun; McGraw, Amy; Hestekin, Jamie

2014-01-01

A mathematical model was developed to describe batch and continuous fermentation of glucose to organic acids with Clostridium tyrobutyricum. A modified Monod equation was used to describe cell growth, and a Luedeking-Piret equation was used to describe the production of butyric and acetic acids. Using the batch fermentation equations, models predicting butyric acid selectivity for continuous fermentation were also developed. The model showed that butyric acid production was a strong function ...

Effects of mixing technologies on continuous methyl ester production: Comparison of using plug flow, static mixer, and ultrasound clamp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somnuk, Krit; Prasit, Tanongsak; Prateepchaikul, Gumpon

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Four types of continuous reactors were compared with methyl ester conversion. • Plug flow, static mixer, ultrasound clamp, SM with ultrasound reactors were tested. • The 16 × 400 W ultrasound clamps were operated at 20 kHz frequency for US reactor. • The US reactor was clearly superior over the other types of continuous reactor. • The US reactor was the most effective alternative with short reactor length. - Abstract: Four types of continuous reactors, namely plug flow reactor (PF), static mixer reactor (SM), ultrasound clamp on tubular reactor (US), and static mixer combined with ultrasound (SM/US) were compared for their purities of methyl ester in biodiesel production from refined palm oil (RPO). The reactor conditions were: KOH 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 g L −1 , methanol content 20 vol.%, and under 20 L h −1 RPO flow rate at 60 °C temperature. The highest purity of methyl esters: 81.99 wt.% for PF, 95.70 wt.% for SM, 98.98 wt.% for US, and 97.67 wt.% for SM/US, were achieved with 900 mm, 900 mm, 700 mm, and 900 mm reactor lengths respectively, and 12 g L −1 of KOH was used in all cases. The 16 × 400 W ultrasound clamp was operated at 20 kHz frequency, and among short length reactors the US case was more effective than PF, SM, or SM/US. Moreover, ester purity from the US reactor was slightly decreased by the lowest 4 g L −1 KOH. The US reactor was clearly superior over the other types of continuous reactor, and had the potential to reduce KOH consumption by sonochemical effects on the base-catalyzed transesterification reaction.

Ethanol production by repeated batch and continuous fermentations of blackstrap molasses using immobilized yeast cells on thin-shell silk cocoons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rattanapan, Anuchit; Limtong, Savitree; Phisalaphong, Muenduen

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Thin-shell silk cocoons for immobilization of Saccharomycescerevisiae. → Advantages: high mechanical strength, light weight, biocompatibility and high surface area. → Enhanced cell stability and ethanol productivity by the immobilization system. -- Abstract: A thin-shell silk cocoon (TSC), a residual from the silk industry, is used as a support material for the immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae M30 in ethanol fermentation because of its properties such as high mechanical strength, light weight, biocompatibility and high surface area. In batch fermentation with blackstrap molasses as the main fermentation substrate, an optimal ethanol concentration of 98.6 g/L was obtained using a TSC-immobilized cell system at an initial reducing sugar concentration of 240 g/L. The ethanol concentration produced by the immobilized cells was 11.5% higher than that produced by the free cells. Ethanol production in five-cycle repeated batch fermentation demonstrated the enhanced stability of the immobilized yeast cells. Under continuous fermentation in a packed-bed reactor, a maximum ethanol productivity of 19.0 g/(L h) with an ethanol concentration of 52.8 g/L was observed at a 0.36 h -1 dilution rate.

Reduced dimer production in solar-simulator-pumped continuous wave iodine lasers based on model simulations and scaling and pumping studies

Science.gov (United States)

Costen, Robert C.; Heinbockel, John H.; Miner, Gilda A.; Meador, Willard E., Jr.; Tabibi, Bagher M.; Lee, Ja H.; Williams, Michael D.

1995-01-01

A numerical rate equation model for a continuous wave iodine laser with longitudinally flowing gaseous lasant is validated by approximating two experiments that compare the perfluoroalkyl iodine lasants n-C3F7I and t-C4F9I. The salient feature of the simulations is that the production rate of the dimer (C4F9)2 is reduced by one order of magnitude relative to the dimer (C3F7)2. The model is then used to investigate the kinetic effects of this reduced dimer production, especially how it improves output power. Related parametric and scaling studies are also presented. When dimer production is reduced, more monomer radicals (t-C4F9) are available to combine with iodine ions, thus enhancing depletion of the laser lower level and reducing buildup of the principal quencher, molecular iodine. Fewer iodine molecules result in fewer downward transitions from quenching and more transitions from stimulated emission of lasing photons. Enhanced depletion of the lower level reduces the absorption of lasing photons. The combined result is more lasing photons and proportionally increased output power.

Continuous cell recycle fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warren, R K; Hill, G A; MacDonald, D G

1991-10-01

A cell recycle fermentor using a cross-flow membrane filter has been operated for extended periods. Productivities as high as 70 g/l/h were obtained at a cell concentration of 120 g/l and a product concentration of 70 g/l. The experimental results were then fitted to previously derived biokinetic models (Warren et al., 1990) for a continuous stirred tank fermentor. A good fit for growth rate was found and the cell yield was shown to decrease with product concentration. The product yield, however, was found to remain nearly constant at all cell, substrate and product concentrations. These biokinetics, along with a previous model for the membrane filter (Warren et al., 1991) were then used in a simulalation to estimate the costs of producing ethanol in a large scale system. This simulation was optimized using a variant of the steepest descent method from which a fermentor inlet substrate concentration of 150 g/l and a net cost of $CAN 253.5/1000 L ethanol were projected. From a sensitivity analysis, the yield parameters were found to have the greatest effect on ethanol net cost of the fermentor parameters, while the operating costs and the profit was found to be most sensitive to the wheat raw material cost and to the dried grains by-product value. 55 refs., 11 tabs., 7figs.

Integrated continuous processing of proteins expressed as inclusion bodies: GCSF as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kateja, Nikhil; Agarwal, Harshit; Hebbi, Vishwanath; Rathore, Anurag S

2017-07-01

Affordability of biopharmaceuticals continues to be a challenge, particularly in developing economies. This has fuelled advancements in manufacturing that can offer higher productivity and better economics without sacrificing product quality in the form of an integrated continuous manufacturing platform. While platform processes for monoclonal antibodies have existed for more than a decade, development of an integrated continuous manufacturing process for bacterial proteins has received relatively scant attention. In this study, we propose an end-to-end integrated continuous downstream process (from inclusion bodies to unformulated drug substance) for a therapeutic protein expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion body. The final process consisted of a continuous refolding in a coiled flow inverter reactor directly coupled to a three-column periodic counter-current chromatography for capture of the product followed by a three-column con-current chromatography for polishing. The continuous bioprocessing train was run uninterrupted for 26 h to demonstrate its capability and the resulting output was analyzed for the various critical quality attributes, namely product purity (>99%), high molecular weight impurities (<0.5%), host cell proteins (<100 ppm), and host cell DNA (<10 ppb). All attributes were found to be consistent over the period of operation. The developed assembly offers smaller facility footprint, higher productivity, fewer hold steps, and significantly higher equipment and resin utilization. The complexities of process integration in the context of continuous processing have been highlighted. We hope that the study presented here will promote development of highly efficient, universal, end-to-end, fully continuous platforms for manufacturing of biotherapeutics. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:998-1009, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Learning and improvement in product innovation processes: Enabling behaviors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gieskes, J.F.B.; Langenberg, Ilse

2001-01-01

Product Innovation is described as a continuous and cross-functional process involving all stages in the product life cycle. This approach gives way to study product innovation processes from a continuous improvement and learning viewpoint. The Continuous Improvement in the global product MAnagement

production of ethyl alcohol from molasses using continuous process

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BSN

Sugar cane molasses from Nigerian Sugar processing factory Bacita were used for ethanol production. A special ethanol resistant yeast strain Sacch:iromyces cerevisiae. (DIST/IPF/90) employed as inoculum was propagated on clarified molasses. Fermentation of clarified molasses to ethanol was brought about at room ...

Production of teicoplanin by Actinoplanes teichomyceticus in continuous fermentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vara, A.G.; Hochkoepple, A.; Nielsen, Jens

2002-01-01

Production of the potent antibiotic teicoplanin by Actinoplanes teichomyceticus was studied in batch and in chemostat cultures. It is found that the producing strain deactivates to a non-producing strain named NP-12. This strain is used to find the growth kinetics of the A. teichomyceticus withou...

Continuous Problem of Function Continuity

Science.gov (United States)

Jayakody, Gaya; Zazkis, Rina

2015-01-01

We examine different definitions presented in textbooks and other mathematical sources for "continuity of a function at a point" and "continuous function" in the context of introductory level Calculus. We then identify problematic issues related to definitions of continuity and discontinuity: inconsistency and absence of…

Process Intensification. Continuous Two-Phase Catalytic Reactions in a Table-Top Centrifugal Contact Separator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraai, Gerard N.; Schuur, Boelo; van Zwol, Floris; Haak, Robert M.; Minnaard, Adriaan J.; Feringa, Ben L.; Heeres, Hero J.; de Vries, Johannes G.; Prunier, ML

2009-01-01

Production of fine chemicals is mostly performed in batch reactors. Use of continuous processes has many advantages which may reduce the cost of production. We have developed the use of centrifugal contact separators (CCSs) for continuous two-phase catalytic reactions. This equipment has previously

Immunogenetic mechanisms driving norovirus GII.4 antigenic variation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa C Lindesmith

Full Text Available Noroviruses are the principal cause of epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide with GII.4 strains accounting for 80% of infections. The major capsid protein of GII.4 strains is evolving rapidly, resulting in new epidemic strains with altered antigenic potentials. To test if antigenic drift may contribute to GII.4 persistence, human memory B cells were immortalized and the resulting human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs characterized for reactivity to a panel of time-ordered GII.4 virus-like particles (VLPs. Reflecting the complex exposure history of the volunteer, human anti-GII.4 mAbs grouped into three VLP reactivity patterns; ancestral (1987-1997, contemporary (2004-2009, and broad (1987-2009. NVB 114 reacted exclusively to the earliest GII.4 VLPs by EIA and blockade. NVB 97 specifically bound and blocked only contemporary GII.4 VLPs, while NBV 111 and 43.9 exclusively reacted with and blocked variants of the GII.4.2006 Minerva strain. Three mAbs had broad GII.4 reactivity. Two, NVB 37.10 and 61.3, also detected other genogroup II VLPs by EIA but did not block any VLP interactions with carbohydrate ligands. NVB 71.4 cross-neutralized the panel of time-ordered GII.4 VLPs, as measured by VLP-carbohydrate blockade assays. Using mutant VLPs designed to alter predicted antigenic epitopes, two evolving, GII.4-specific, blockade epitopes were mapped. Amino acids 294-298 and 368-372 were required for binding NVB 114, 111 and 43.9 mAbs. Amino acids 393-395 were essential for binding NVB 97, supporting earlier correlations between antibody blockade escape and carbohydrate binding variation. These data inform VLP vaccine design, provide a strategy for expanding the cross-blockade potential of chimeric VLP vaccines, and identify an antibody with broadly neutralizing therapeutic potential for the treatment of human disease. Moreover, these data support the hypothesis that GII.4 norovirus evolution is heavily influenced by antigenic variation of neutralizing

A novel H6N1 virus-like particle vaccine induces long-lasting cross-clade antibody immunity against human and avian H6N1 viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ji-Rong; Chen, Chih-Yuan; Kuo, Chuan-Yi; Cheng, Chieh-Yu; Lee, Min-Shiuh; Cheng, Ming-Chu; Yang, Yu-Chih; Wu, Chia-Ying; Wu, Ho-Sheng; Liu, Ming-Tsan; Hsiao, Pei-Wen

2016-02-01

Avian influenza A(H6N1) virus is one of the most common viruses isolated from migrating birds and domestic poultry in many countries. The first and only known case of human infection by H6N1 virus in the world was reported in Taiwan in 2013. This led to concern that H6N1 virus may cause a threat to public health. In this study, we engineered a recombinant H6N1 virus-like particle (VLP) and investigated its vaccine effectiveness compared to the traditional egg-based whole inactivated virus (WIV) vaccine. The H6N1-VLPs exhibited similar morphology and functional characteristics to influenza viruses. Prime-boost intramuscular immunization in mice with unadjuvanted H6N1-VLPs were highly immunogenic and induced long-lasting antibody immunity. The functional activity of the VLP-elicited IgG antibodies was proved by in vitro seroprotective hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization titers against the homologous human H6N1 virus, as well as in vivo viral challenge analyses which showed H6N1-VLP immunization significantly reduced viral load in the lung, and protected against human H6N1 virus infection. Of particular note, the H6N1-VLPs but not the H6N1-WIVs were able to confer cross-reactive humoral immunity; antibodies induced by H6N1-VLP vaccine robustly inhibited the hemagglutination activities and in vitro replication of distantly-related heterologous avian H6N1 viruses. Furthermore, the H6N1-VLPs were found to elicit significantly greater anti-HA2 antibody responses in immunized mice than H6N1-WIVs. Collectively, we demonstrated for the first time a novel H6N1-VLP vaccine that effectively provides broadly protective immunity against both human and avian H6N1 viruses. These results, which uncover the underlying mechanisms for induction of wide-range immunity against influenza viruses, may be useful for future influenza vaccine development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE METHOD OF ROLL SURFACE QUALITY MEASUREMENT FOR CONTINUOUS HOT DIP ZINC COATED STEEL SHEET PRODUCTION LINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki Yong Choi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper describes a developed analyzing system of roll surface during the process of continuous hot dip zinc coated steel sheet production line, in particular, adhering problem by transferred inclusions from roll to steel sheet surface during annealing process so called the pickup. The simulated test machine for coated roll surface in processing line has been designed and performed. The system makes it possible to analyze roll surface condition according to pickup phenomena from various roll coatings concerning operating conditions of hearth rolls in annealing furnace. The algorithm of fast pickup detection on surface is developed on the base of processing of several optical images of surface. The parameters for quality estimation of surface with pickups were developed. The optical system for images registration and image processing electronics may be used in real time and embed in processing line.

Monitoring and modelling of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet process line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortier, Séverine T.F.C.; Nopens, Ingmar; De Beer, Thomas

2014-01-01

-time adjustment of critical input variables to ensure that the process stays within the Design Space. Mechanistic models are very useful for this purpose as, once validated, several tools can be applied to gain further process knowledge, for example uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. In addition, several......The intention to shift from batch to continuous production processes within the pharmaceutical industry enhances the need to monitor and control the process in-line and real-time to continuously guarantee the end-product quality. Mass and energy balances have been successfully applied to a drying...... process which is part of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet manufacturing line to calculate the residual moisture content of granules leaving the drying unit on the basis of continuously generated data from univariate sensors. Next to monitoring, the application of continuous processes demands also real...

Advanced Continuous Flow Platform for On-Demand Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ping; Weeranoppanant, Nopphon; Thomas, Dale A; Tahara, Kohei; Stelzer, Torsten; Russell, Mary Grace; O'Mahony, Marcus; Myerson, Allan S; Lin, Hongkun; Kelly, Liam P; Jensen, Klavs F; Jamison, Timothy F; Dai, Chunhui; Cui, Yuqing; Briggs, Naomi; Beingessner, Rachel L; Adamo, Andrea

2018-02-21

As a demonstration of an alternative to the challenges faced with batch pharmaceutical manufacturing including the large production footprint and lengthy time-scale, we previously reported a refrigerator-sized continuous flow system for the on-demand production of essential medicines. Building on this technology, herein we report a second-generation, reconfigurable and 25 % smaller (by volume) continuous flow pharmaceutical manufacturing platform featuring advances in reaction and purification equipment. Consisting of two compact [0.7 (L)×0.5 (D)×1.3 m (H)] stand-alone units for synthesis and purification/formulation processes, the capabilities of this automated system are demonstrated with the synthesis of nicardipine hydrochloride and the production of concentrated liquid doses of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, neostigmine methylsulfate and rufinamide that meet US Pharmacopeia standards. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A novel fermentor system optimized for continuous production of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-29

Aug 29, 2011 ... polyurethane foam with pore size of 1000 Ǻ. The system has ... enhanced solubility in water (Leathers, 2002). ... 8, pressure gauge ; 9, exhaust ; 9a, exhaust ; 10, extra port for .... pullulan production on the outer walls of unit 'B' into the fermentor. ..... retention period of the fermented broth depending on the.