The cultivation of crop sunflower or Helianthus annuus is a 20 billion USD industry globally. Crop wild relatives of H. annuus have a long history of being used to breed improved traits into cultivated varieties. Cultivated H. annuus is not known to have a pleasant aroma, and at times seed yield is limited by pollination services, particularly in the production of hybrid seed. Improved floral fragrance could improve pollinator attraction and would add value to ornamental sunflowers in the context of the cut-flower industry. If volatile organic compounds that together generate favorable scents are present in wild Helianthus species, they could be bred into domesticated varieties. In order to assess the diversity of floral fragrance available in crop wild relatives, 30 diverse accessions of wild Helianthus as well as seven varieties of H. annuus spanning a domestication gradient were grown in a greenhouse experiment and variation in floral volatiles was analyzed by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. While alpha-pinene made up a significant portion of the volatiles emitted for most taxa, there was substantial diversity present across the genus. Most volatiles emitted were found to be monoterpenoids with a significant share of sesquiterpenoids. Several wild accessions such as H. debilis subsp. tardiflorus and H. praecox subsp. praecox as well as open-pollinated domesticated accessions of H. annuus show promise for breeding for improved floral fragrance due to high volatile abundance and likely favorable compound compositions.

No description available.

This collection of studies focuses on a PCO system for the oxidation of a model compound, ethanol, using an adsorption-enhanced silica-Ti02 composite (STC) as the photocatalyst; studies are aimed at addressing the optimization of various parameters including light source, humidity, temperature, and possible poisoning events for use as part of a system for gaseous trace-contaminant control system in closed-environment habitats. The first goal focused on distinguishing the effect of photon flux (i.e., photons per unit time reaching a surface) from that ofphoton energy (i.e., wavelength) of a photon source on the PCO of ethanol. Experiments were conducted in a bench-scale annular reactor packed with STC pellets and irradiated with either a UV -A fluorescent black light blue lamp O·max=365 nm) at its maximum light intensity or a UV -C germicidal lamp O.·max=254 nm) at three levels of light intensity. The STC-catalyzed oxidation of ethanol was found to follow zero-order kinetics with respect to C02 production, regardless of the photon source. Increased photon flux led to increased EtOH removal, mineralization, and oxidation rate accompanied by lower intermediate concentration in the effluent. The oxidation rate was higher in the reactor irradiated by UV -C than by UV-A (38.4 vs. 31.9 nM s-1 ) at the same photon flux, with similar trends for mineralization (53.9 vs. 43.4%) and reaction quantum efficiency (i.e., photonic efficiency, 63.3 vs. 50.1 nmol C02 ~mol photons-1 ). UV-C irradiation also led to decreased intermediate concentration in the effluent compared to UV -A irradiation. These results demonstrated that STC-catalyzed oxidation is enhanced by both increased photon flux and photon energy. The effect of temperature and relative humidity on the STC-catalyzed degradation of ethanol was also determined using the UV-A light source at its maximum intensity. Increasing ii temperature from 25°C to 65°C caused a significant decrease in ethanol adsorption (47.1% loss in adsorption capacity); minimal changes in EtOH removal; and ·a dramatic increase in mineralization (37.3 vs. 74.8%), PCO rate (25.8 vs. 53.2 nM s-1 ), and reaction quantum efficiency (42.7 vs. 82.5 nmol C02 J..Lmol phontons-1 ); intermediate acetaldehyde (ACD) evolution in the effluent was also decreased. By elevating the reactor temperature to 45°C, a -32% increase in reaction quantum efficiency was obtained over the use ofUV-C irradiation at room temperature; this also allowed for increased energy usage efficiency by utilizing both the light and heat energy of the UV-A light source. Higher relative humidity (RH) also caused a significant decrease (16.8 vs. 6.0 mg EtOH g STCs-1 ) in ethanol adsorption and dark adsorption 95% breakthrough times (48.5 vs.16.8 hours). Trends developed for ethanol adsorption correlated well with studies using methanol as the target VOC on a molar basis. At higher RH, ethanol removal and ACD evolution were increased while mineralization, PCO rate, and reaction quantum efficiency were decreased. These studies allowed for the development of empirical formulas to approximate EtOH removal, PCO rate, mineralization, and ACD evolution based on the parameters (light intensity, temperature, and RH) assessed. Poisoning events included long-term exposure to low-VOC laboratory air and episodic spikes of either Freon 218 or hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane. To date, all poisoning studies have shown minimal (0-6%) decreases in PCO rates, mineralization, and minimal increases in ACD evolution, with little change in EtOH removal. These results, while studies are still ongoing, show great promise of this technology for use as part of a trace contaminant control system for niche applications such as air processing onboard the ISS or other new spacecrafts.

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Canines can detect different diseases simply by smelling different biological sample types, including urine, breath and sweat. This has led researchers to try and discovery unique volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers. The power of VOC biomarkers lies in the fact that one day they may be able to be utilized for noninvasive, rapid and accurate diagnostics at a point of care using miniaturized biosensors. However, the identity of the specific VOC biomarkers must be demonstrated before designing and fabricating sensing systems. Through an extensive series of experiments, VOCs in urine are profiled by solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify biomarkers for breast cancer using murine models. The results from these experiments indicated that unique classes of urinary VOCs, primarily terpene/terpenoids and carbonyls, are potential biomarkers of breast cancer. Through implementing chemometric approaches, unique panels of VOCs were identified for breast cancer detection, identifying tumor location, determining the efficacy of dopaminergic antitumor treatments, and tracking cancer progression. Other diseases, including COVID-19 and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) were also probed to identify volatile biomarkers present in breath samples. VOC biomarker identification is an important step toward developing portable gas sensors, but another hurdle that exists is that current sensors lack selectivity toward specific VOCs of interest. Furthermore, testing sensors for sensitivity and selectivity is an extensive process as VOCs must be tested individually because the sensors do not have modes of chromatographic separation or compound identification. Another set of experiments is presented to demonstrate that SPME fibers can be coated with materials, used to extract standard solutions of VOCs, and analyzed by GC-MS to determine the performance of various gas sensing layers. In the first of these experiments, polyetherimide (PEI) was coated onto a SPME fiber and compared to commercial polyacrylate (PAA) fibers. The second experiment tuned the extraction efficiency of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) - carbon black (CB) composites and showed that they had higher sensitivity for urinary VOC extraction relative to a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) SPME fiber. These results demonstrate SPME GC-MS can rapidly characterize and tune the VOC adsorption capabilities of gas sensing layers.

No description available.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are global environmental contaminants and a need for monitoring levels has arisen due to their persistency and their ability to bioaccumulate. One relatively novel method of monitoring for both long and short time intervals and generating time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations is passive sampling for which no power, maintenance and supervision is required. The polar organic compound integrative sampler (POCIS) with a weak anion exchange (WAX) sorbent and the POCIS with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) adsorbent were calibrated for PFASs in a laboratory uptake experiment, and applied at a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in Stockholm, Sweden.   In the calibration study, all of the 14 studied PFASs were taken up by both passive samplers. Two and three out of the 14 studied PFASs had reached equilibrium after 28 days using POCIS WAX (PFBA and PFTeDA) and POCIS HLB (PFBA, PFPeA and PFTeDA), respectively. The sampling rate (Rs), which is the extracted water in liters per day, ranged between 0.003 and 0.10 L day-1 for the POCIS WAX and between 0.00052 and 0.13 L day-1 for the POCIS HLB. In general, Rs increased with increasing perfluorocarbon chain-length (C4 to C8) and for a perfluorocarbon chain-length longer than C8, Rs decreased with increasing perfluorocarbon chain-length (C8 to C13) for both passive samplers. FOSA had the highest Rs-value (0.10 and 0.13 L day-1) for both POCIS WAX and POCIS HLB, respectively. The POCIS WAX had a higher uptake for the short-chained PFASs PFBA (134 ng after 28 days), PFPeA (410 ng) and PFHxA (834 ng), compared to the POCIS HLB (0.5 ng, 58 ng, and 373 ng, respectively). For all other compounds, the accumulated amounts in the POCIS HLB were in the same range as in the POCIS WAX.   The application of the passive samplers at the DWTP showed that both passive samplers could detect ultra-trace (pg to ng L-1) levels of PFASs. A comparison of the TWA concentration showed that the two passive samplers had a good linear correlation (R2 = 0.63), but the TWA concentrations derived by POCIS WAX was approximately 40% higher compared to POCIS HLB. A comparison between the passive samplers and the grab samples did not show a correlation (R2 = 0.24 for POCIS WAX and R2 = 0.10 for POCIS HLB). The application also included a comparison of the removal efficiency in the conventional DWTP and a pilot plant with additional treatments steps of granulated activated carbon (GAC) and nanofiltration (NF). For the full-scale DWTP the average removal efficiency was 32% and high removal efficiency was observed for PFBA (81%). For the pilot plant, the removal efficiency was 100% for all the detected PFASs in the raw water. / Perfluoroalkylsubstanser (PFAS) har blivit uppmärksammade som globala miljöföroreningar, och ett behov av att övervaka dessa ämnens förekomst i miljön har uppkommit på grund av hög persistens i kombination med hög förmåga att bioackumulera. En relativt ny metod för tidsintegrerad provtagning är så kallad passiv provtagning. En adsorbent placeras i fält och ackumulerar PFAS från vattnet. Tillgång till elektricitet behövs inte, och behov av övervakning och underhåll är minimalt. I denna studie kalibrerades en så kallad ’polar organic compound integrative sampler’ (POCIS) för mätning av PFAS genom upptagsexperiment med två olika adsorbenter: en svag anjons adsorbent (WAX) och en hydrofil-lipofil balanserad adsorbent (HLB). Metodiken tillämpades sedan på vatten från ett dricksvattenverk i Stockholm, Sverige.   Upptagsexperimenten utfördes med 14 PFAS och samtliga togs upp av båda adsorbenterna. Två respektive tre av de studerade PFAS uppnådde jämvikt efter 28 dagar för WAX (PFBS och PFTeDA) samt HLB (PFBA, PFPeA och PFTeDA). Upptagshastigheten (Rs), det vill säga den volym som extraheras per dag, varierade mellan 0,003 och 0,1 L dag-1 för WAX och mellan 0,00052 och 0,13 L dag-1 för HLB. Generellt ökade Rs med en ökande längd på kedjan av perfluorerade kol upp till C8, för att sedan avta med ökande kedjelängd. FOSA hade det högsta Rs-värdet (0,10 och 0,13 L dag-1) för både WAX och HLB. WAX hade ett högre upptag (upp till 134, 410 och 834 ng) för PFAS med kort perfluorerad kolkedja (PFBA, PFPeA respektive PFHxA) jämfört med HLB (upp till 0,5, 58, och 373 ng). Den ackumulerade mängden för alla andra PFAS överensstämde väl mellan de båda provtagarna.   Mätning av PFAS halter i dricksvattenverket med hjälp av POCIS WAX och POCIS HLB visade att även PFAS kunde detekteras även vid miljörelevanta halter. En jämförelse mellan de båda passiva provtagarna visade på ett linjärt samband (R2 = 0,63), men där POCIS WAX hade en tendens att överskatta koncentrationen med ca 40%. En jämförelse mellan de passiva provtagarna och traditionell uppsamlingsprovtagning visade på låg överrensstämmelse (R2 = 0.24 för POCIS WAX och 0.10 för POCIS HLB). Vid tillämpningen gjordes även en beräkning för reningseffektiviteten av PFAS i dricksvattenverket och i en pilotanläggning där ytterligare rening med granulerat aktivt kol (GAC) och nanofiltration (NF) används. I dricksvattenverket var den genomsnittliga reningen 32%, med den högsta reningseffektiviteten för PFBA (81%). I pilotanläggningen var reningen 100% för alla upptäckta PFAS i råvattnet.

Upland peat catchments are usually assumed to function as carbon sinks, however, there have been extensive studies witnessing increasing trends in concentrations and fluxes of organic carbon in UK rivers over the last few decades. A number of controls on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release from peatlands, such as climatic changes and landuse management, have been proposed. This study examines the effects of land use and management on organic carbon exports in the Dyke catchment of the River Halladale (northern Scotland) with a nested catchment approach. This study provides insight into the processes controlling the DOC dynamics in the Dyke catchment, and the impact of disturbance caused by landuse changes such as afforestation and tree felling for restoration. The results from factor analysis, end-member mixing, absorbance (E4/E6), and hysteresis analyses on stream water chemistry from individual sub-catchments identified the major hydrological pathways during storm events, and based on these results, conceptual models were developed to explain DOC evolution during storm events. At all the sites studied, nearsurface soil water was identified as the major controlling end-member for stream DOC concentrations. The calculated annual flux of DOC from the Dyke catchment, up-scaled from the results of the individual sub-catchments, is 521.6 kg C ha-1 yr-1, which is significantly (~5 times) higher than the previously published value (103.4 kg C ha-1 yr-1) for the River Halladale catchment (Hope et al., 1997). In this study, it is shown that about 57 - 95% of the DOC export occur during 5 - 10% of the high flows, therefore, it is crucial that quantitative records of DOC export are developed using high frequency storm event measurements, as well as lower frequency low flow sampling. Climatic changes related to precipitation, temperature, coupled with water yield capacity of the sub-catchments, are identified as significant controls on DOC fluxes, rather than landuse change, as the intact site releases more organic carbon per unit area compared to the disturbed and re-wetted site undergoing restoration. In addition, the results from this study provide landowners, policy makers and organisations with the evidence they require for initiating future peatland restoration works, as felling of forestry coupled with drain-blocking is shown to be an effective restoration technique that may help a catchment to eventually return to a near-pristine state.

Wheat-based thin stillage (W-TS) is liquid by-product of wheat ethanol production and contains valuable chemical intermediates such as 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), acetic acid, and glycerophosphorylcholine. Unfortunately, these compounds cannot be recovered/extracted easily due to the presence of high boiling point and hygroscopic solutes and unfermented particles from ethanol fermentation. Fermentation improvement study using endemic bacteria augmented with Lactobacillus panis PM1B discovered that glucose, incubation temperature, micronutrients, and pH adjustment affected two-stage fermentation (TSF). Importantly, fermentation could be scaled to a 210 L fermenter where 2% (w/v) 1,3-PD was produced. Unfermented particles should be removed prior to compound recovery. TSF was effective in producing solutions that were virtually free of colloids. Bacteria present in TSF system produced anoxic gas and exopolysaccharides and the combined action produced substantially clear solution. On the other hand, recovered particles, rich in lactobacilli, had a high protein content (50%, w/w, dry basis), which might be useful as an animal feed ingredient. Washing processes could lower moisture content and recover a high protein slurry (60% w/w, dry basis). Practical processes that incorporated fermentation using Lactobacilli could add substantial value to thin stillage and increase the value of products from ethanol production. These processes are scalable and readily implemented.

Submitted by Mario BC (mario@bc.ufrpe.br) on 2017-03-16T13:51:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna Morais de Souza.pdf: 1707041 bytes, checksum: aa1ce764250111f69962f0b91c1a0a0e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-16T13:51:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna Morais de Souza.pdf: 1707041 bytes, checksum: aa1ce764250111f69962f0b91c1a0a0e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-31 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Corn is one of the main products produced and marketed worldwide. However, to obtain high productivity necessary to apply synthetic chemical fertilizers, which usually can be harmful to the environment. Because of this, the objective to evaluate the effect of application of organic matter via compost and green manure on corn productivity. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, installment scheme subdivided (3 x 3 +1), three vegetables on the plots (Sunn hemp, pigeon pea beans and dwarf beans macassar), three volumes of organic compound in sub-subparcelas (0, 20 and 40 t ha-1) and an additional witness (Chemistry). The variables analyzed were: height of the plants; height of insertion of the first COB; culm diameter; leaf area; chlorophyll content; foliar N content; crude protein content; dry mass; average number of spikes per plant; diameter and length of spikes; number of row of grain; number of grains per row; mass of 1,000 grains; grain productivity; total organic carbon and soil organic matter. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and averages compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. To the study of organic compound concentrations was employed to linear regression analysis. The statistical analyses were performed by Software SAEG 9.1 version. There was no significant difference to chlorophyll a and b, N and crude protein content, just to the right a/b. Maize plants subjected to the green bean fertilizer macassar showed difference with respect to total chlorophyll, being higher than the other legumes. For leaf area production variables, diameter of the cob, COB length, number of Spike and productivity showed a statistically significant difference. Total organic carbon and soil organic matter after the cultivation of corn, showed no statistical difference. The amount of 40 t ha-1 of the organic compound fertilizer green beans macassar caused greater yields of corn. / O milho é um dos principais produtos produzidos e comercializados em todo o mundo. Entretanto, para obtenção de alta produtividade se faz necessário a aplicação de adubos químicos sintéticos, que via de regra podem ser prejudiciais ao ambiente agrícola. Devido isso, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da aplicação de matéria orgânica via adubação verde e composto orgânico na produtividade do milho. O experimento foi conduzido em um delineamento de blocos ao acaso, em esquema de parcela subdividida (3 x 3 +1), sendo três leguminosas nas parcelas (crotalária, feijão guandu anão e feijão macassar), três quantidades de composto orgânico nas sub-subparcelas (0, 20 e 40 t ha-1) e uma testemunha adicional (químico). As variáveis analisadas foram: altura das plantas; altura de inserção da primeira espiga; diâmetro do colmo; área foliar; teor de clorofila; teor de N foliar; teor de proteína bruta; massa seca; número médio de espigas por planta; diâmetro e comprimento de espigas; número de fileira de grãos; número de grãos por fileira; massa de 1.000 grãos; produtividade de grãos; carbono orgânico total e matéria orgânica do solo. Os dados foram submetidos a análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Para o estudo das concentrações do composto orgânico foi empregado a análise de regressão linear. As análises estatísticas foram efetuadas pelo Software SAEG versão 9.1. Não houve diferença significativa para clorofila a e b, teor de N e proteína bruta, apenas para a variável razão a/b. As plantas de milho submetidas ao adubo verde feijão macassar mostrou diferença com relação a clorofila total, sendo superior as demais leguminosas. Para as variáveis de produção área foliar, diâmetro da espiga, comprimento da espiga, número de espiga e produtividade apresentaram diferença estatística significativa. Carbono orgânico total e matéria orgânica do solo após o cultivo do milho, não apresentou diferença estatística. A quantidade de 40 t ha-1 de composto orgânico aliado ao adubo verde feijão macassar ocasionou maiores produtividades de milho.