Total Product Yield Research Articles

The comparative techno-economic and life cycle assessment for multi-product biorefinery based on microwave and conventional hydrothermal biomass pretreatment

Microwave as an efficient and clean energy, is easy integrated with DES pretreatment and biorefinery process to achieve process intensification for cleaner production and sustainable development. However, there are worries about its economic and environmental feasibility for application in biorefinery plant. This work conducted the techno-economic (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of the entire biorefinery process based on DES pretreatment by microwave heating (MH) for producing glucose, furfural and lignin from lignocellulose, of which the results were compared with conventional heating (CH). For pretreating equivalent biomass, the total yield of products obtained from MH-assisted process was 8.53% higher than that of CH-assisted process due to microwave intensification effect. From the perspective of cradle-to-gate LCA, the MH-assisted process saved energy demand of 5.82%, reducing the environmental impacts global warming (GW) and fossil resource scarcity (FRS) by 4.85% and 5.69%, respectively, relative to CH-assisted process. The main environmental hotspots of both two processes concentrated on the raw material extraction (RME), followed by product separation and solvent recovery (PSSR) stages. Based on economic evaluation, the specific values of TAC regarding one-ton product for MH- and CH-assisted processes were 3194.35 and 3400.37 $/(y⋅t), respectively. Therefore, the MH-assisted pretreatment possessed certain environmental and economic advantages due to product increasement, energy consumption reduction in the DES pretreatment, and burden reduction for subsequent enzyme hydrolysis. Compared to the single-product biorefinery, the multi-product biorefinery strategy was more sustainable and could maximize the advantages of microwave intensification. However, some issues about the design of microwave reactors and temperature monitoring must be considered to pursue scale-up biorefinery plant.

Strain and model development for auto- and heterotrophic 2,3-butanediol production using Cupriavidus necator H16

The production of platform chemicals from renewable energy sources is a crucial step towards a post-fossil economy. This study reports on the production of acetoin and 2,3-butanediol heterotrophically with fructose as substrate and autotrophically from CO2 as carbon source, H2 as electron donor and O2 as electron acceptor with Cupriavidus necator. In a previous study, the strain was developed for the production of acetoin with high carbon efficiency. Acetoin can serve as a precursor for the synthesis of 2,3-butanediol by the integration of a butanediol dehydrogenase. In this study, different plasmid backbones and butanediol dehydrogenases were evaluated regarding efficiency for CO2-based 2,3-butanediol production. The developed strain utilizes the pBBR1 plasmid bearing a 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase from Enterobacter cloacae and is characterized by 2,3-butanediol as the main product and a heterotrophic total product yield of 88.11%, an autotrophic volumetric productivity of 39.45 mg L−1 h−1, a total product carbon yield of 81.6%, an H2 efficiency of 33.46%, and a specific productivity of 0.016 g product per gram of biomass per hour. In addition, a mathematical model was developed to simulate the processes under these conditions. With this model, it was possible to calculate productivities and substrate usage at distinct time points of the production processes and calculate productivities and substrate usage with high resolution which will be useful in future applications.

Short-term adaptation as a tool to improve bioethanol production using grass press-juice as fermentation medium

Grass raw materials collected from grasslands cover more than 30% of Europe’s agricultural area. They are considered very attractive for the production of different biochemicals and biofuels due to their high availability and renewability. In this study, a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was exploited for second-generation bioethanol production. Grass press–cake and grass press-juice were separated using mechanical pretreatment, and the obtained juice was used as a fermentation medium. In this work, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was utilized for bioethanol production using the grass press-juice as the sole fermentation medium. The yeast was able to release about 11 g/L of ethanol in 72 h, with a total production yield of 0.38 ± 0.2 gEthanol/gsugars. It was assessed to improve the fermentation ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using the short-term adaptation. For this purpose, the yeast was initially propagated in increasing the concentration of press-juice. Then, the yeast cells were re-cultivated in 100%(v/v) fresh juice to verify if it had improved the fermentation efficiency. The fructose conversion increased from 79 to 90%, and the ethanol titers reached 18 g/L resulting in a final yield of 0.50 ± 0.06 gEthanol/gsugars with a volumetric productivity of 0.44 ± 0.00 g/Lh. The overall results proved that short-term adaptation was successfully used to improve bioethanol production with S. cerevisiae using grass press-juice as fermentation medium.Key points• Mechanical pretreatment of grass raw materials• Production of bioethanol using grass press-juice as fermentation medium• Short-term adaptation as a tool to improve the bioethanol production

Effect of process parameters on plasma partial oxidation approach for removal of leaking LPG

In order to address the challenge of preventing explosions in the accidental disposal of leaking liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a plasma partial oxidation (PPO) approach for converting the gas into liquid products is proposed for the first time, which eliminates the explosion risk in leaking LPG from the pathway of combustible gas removal. The effect of the initial C4H10 (Simulated LPG) concentration, discharge power, and residence time on the reaction performance were investigated, and the main reaction pathway was proposed. The residence time had the greatest effect on C4H10 conversion (27.6 – 78.0%) and yield of total liquid products (26.0 – 63.9%). The rise in discharge power substantially increased the C4H10 conversion (29.9 – 51.2%) and maintained a liquid product selectivity of more than 88.0%. When the initial C4H10 concentration is lower than 5%, the C4H10 concentration can reduce directly to 1.8% at a moderate discharge power (39 W) and residence time (0.81 s), which can eliminate the risk of explosion. This article provides a new approach for the disposal of LPG spills and offers new insights into the effects of main process parameters and their mechanisms for optimizing the PPO reaction performance of converting C4H10 into liquid products.

A macromolecular intumescent flame retardant with thermal cross-linking groups for poly(ethylene terephthalate) with enhanced fire safety

To improve the flame retardancy of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) without loss of its mechanical properties, a macromolecular intumescent flame retardant (SPPO) with thermal-responsive groups was developed in an effective way. As 8 wt% of SPPO was melt-blended into PET, the prepared PET/SPPO composite achieved a V-0 rating during UL-94 tests without melt-dripping, and exhibited substantial reduction in the total heat release (THR), peak heat release rate (PHRR), total smoke production (TSP) and average carbon monoxide yield (av-COY) by 44.8 %, 39.0 %, 63.3 % and 45.8 %, respectively, in comparison with pure PET. The improved flame retardancy of this composite was considered to be ascribed to the formation of intumescent residues of SPPO. The generated physical barrier increased the melt viscosity by triggering the cross-linking reactions of the C≡N groups in SPPO, effectively inhibiting the melt-dripping of PET during burning. The tensile strength was also well-retained for PET composites when different contents of SPPO were added into PET, demonstrating the good compatibility between SPPO and PET matrix, which can meet the requirements of industrial application.

BiVO4-Based Heterojunction Photocathode for High-Performance Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Production.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells provide a promising solution for the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Herein, an integrated photocathode of p-type BiVO4 (p-BVO) array with tetragonal zircon structure coupled with different metal oxide (MOx, M = Sn, Ti, Ni, and Zn) heterostructure and NiNC cocatalyst (p-BVO/MOx/NiNC) was synthesized for the PEC oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in production of H2O2. The p-BVO/SnO2/NiNC array achieves the production rate 65.46 μmol L-1 h-1 of H2O2 with a Faraday efficiency (FE) of 76.12%. Combined with the H2O2 generation of water oxidation from the n-type Mo-doped BiVO4 (n-Mo:BVO) photoanode, the unbiased photoelectrochemical cell composed of a p-BVO/SnO2/NiNC photocathode and n-Mo:BVO photoanode achieves a total FE of 97.67% for H2O2 generation. The large area BiVO4-based tandem cell of 3 × 3 cm2 can reach a total H2O2 production yield of 338.84 μmol L-1. This work paves the way for the rational design and fabrication of artificial photosynthetic cells for the production of liquid solar fuel.

Increased global cropland greening as a response to the unusual reduction in atmospheric PM₂.₅ concentrations during the COVID-19 lockdown period

The devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic have widely affected human lives and economy across the globe. There were significant changes in the global environmental conditions in response to the lockdown (LD) restrictions made due to COVID-19. The direct impact of LD on environment is analysed widely across the latitudes, but its secondary effect remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we examine the changes in particulate matter (PM₂.₅) during LD, and its impact on the global croplands. Our analysis finds that there is a substantial decline in the global PM₂.₅ concentrations during LD (2020) compared to pre-lockdown (PreLD: 2017–2019) in India (10–20%), East China (EC, 10%), Western Europe (WE, 10%) and Nigeria (10%), which are also the cropland dominated regions. Partial correlation analysis reveals that the decline in PM₂.₅ positively affects the cropland greening when the influence of temperature, precipitation and soil moisture are limited. Croplands in India, EC, Nigeria and WE became more greener as a result of the improvement in air quality by the reduction in particulates such as PM₂.₅ during LD, with an increase in the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) of about 0.05–0.1, 0.05, 0.05 and 0.05–0.1, respectively. As a result of cropland greening, increase in the total above ground biomass production (TAGP) and crop yield (TWSO) is also found in EC, India and Europe. In addition, the improvement in PM₂.₅ pollution and associated changes in meteorology also influenced the cropland phenology, where the crop development stage has prolonged in India for wet-rice (1–20%) and maize (1–10%). Therefore, this study sheds light on the response of global croplands to LD-induced improvements in PM₂.₅ pollution. These finding have implications for addressing issues of air pollution, global warming, climate change, environmental conservation and food security to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Gamma-glutamylation of beef protein hydrolysates to improve its overall taste and functions of gastro-intestinal hormone (CCK and GLP-1) pro-secretion and anti-inflammation

γ-Glutamylation of beef protein hydrolysate (BPH) by L-glutaminase was carried out to improve the taste, as well as enhance the stimulating effect of gastrointestinal hormone (CCK and GLP-1) secretion and the anti-inflammatory property. Results of sensory evaluation showed that the kokumi taste, umaminess, saltiness of the γ-glutamylated product (γ-GBPH) were significantly higher (p < 0.05), whilst the bitterness was remarkably decreased (p < 0.05) than that of BPH. γ-GBPH had a better promoting effect (p < 0.05) on CCK and GLP-1 secretion and a higher inhibition (p < 0.05) on TNF-α and IL-8 production than BPH in vitro cell experiments. In γ-GBPH, 15 γ-Glutamylated amino acids (γ-[Glu](n =1/2)-AAs) and 10 γ-Glutamyl-tripeptide (γ-Glu-AA-AAs) were synthesized from the bitter amino acids and bitter peptides, respectively, and their total production yield was 140.01–170.46 mg/g and 149.06 mg/g, respectively. The synthesized γ-Glu-AA-AAs entered the binding pocket of the calcium-sensitive receptor (CaSR), and they all interacted with three reported amino acid residues (Ser147, Ala168, and Ser170) of CaSR.

Insights into the action of phylogenetically diverse microbial expansins on the structure of cellulose microfibrils

BackgroundMicrobial expansins (EXLXs) are non-lytic proteins homologous to plant expansins involved in plant cell wall formation. Due to their non-lytic cell wall loosening properties and potential to disaggregate cellulosic structures, there is considerable interest in exploring the ability of microbial expansins (EXLX) to assist the processing of cellulosic biomass for broader biotechnological applications. Herein, EXLXs with different modular structure and from diverse phylogenetic origin were compared in terms of ability to bind cellulosic, xylosic, and chitinous substrates, to structurally modify cellulosic fibrils, and to boost enzymatic deconstruction of hardwood pulp.ResultsFive heterogeneously produced EXLXs (Clavibacter michiganensis; CmiEXLX2, Dickeya aquatica; DaqEXLX1, Xanthomonas sacchari; XsaEXLX1, Nothophytophthora sp.; NspEXLX1 and Phytophthora cactorum; PcaEXLX1) were shown to bind xylan and hardwood pulp at pH 5.5 and CmiEXLX2 (harboring a family-2 carbohydrate-binding module) also bound well to crystalline cellulose. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed a 20–25% increase in interfibrillar distance between neighboring cellulose microfibrils following treatment with CmiEXLX2, DaqEXLX1, or NspEXLX1. Correspondingly, combining xylanase with CmiEXLX2 and DaqEXLX1 increased product yield from hardwood pulp by ~ 25%, while supplementing the TrAA9A LPMO from Trichoderma reesei with CmiEXLX2, DaqEXLX1, and NspEXLX1 increased total product yield by over 35%.ConclusionThis direct comparison of diverse EXLXs revealed consistent impacts on interfibrillar spacing of cellulose microfibers and performance of carbohydrate-active enzymes predicted to act on fiber surfaces. These findings uncover new possibilities to employ EXLXs in the creation of value-added materials from cellulosic biomass.

Study of life cycle assessment: Transforming microalgae to biofuel through hydrothermal liquefaction and upgrading in organic or aqueous medium

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising method for the utilization of low-lipid microalgae. For the upgrading of biocrude obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction of Dunaliella salina, two different catalysts for hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), which could function in organic solvents and aqueous phases respectively, were published in our previous work (Lin et al., 2023; Lin et al., 2022). Corresponding to quite different upgrading processes based on these catalysts, two systems for resource utilization of low-lipid microalgae were established, including microalgae growth & collection, HTL, HDO upgrading, and catalysts recovery, which were named case 1 and case 2, respectively. Through life cycle assessment (LCA), the product yield, energy consumption, and different environmental impact categories of the two systems were compared. It was found that both conversion processes of microalgae had significant environmental benefits for the reuse of wastewater in terms of global warming potential (GWP) and eutrophication (EP) by reducing up to a maximum value of 8.73 kg PO4-eq and 158.80 kg CO2-eq, respectively. In two systems, case 2 has more significant advantages in terms of low energy consumption, high product yield, and less hazardous substance emissions, which achieves 62 % total production yield and complete self-heating. The annual profits of case 2 increased by 41 % compared to case 1. Remarkably, the carbon-based catalysts contribute to the sustainability of the system due to the easy procedure of catalyst recovery. Through this work, the significance of technological innovation for environmental protection and economic development was emphasized.

Evaluation of Advanced F4 Groundnut Breeding Lines for Chlorosis Tolerance, Morphological and Yield Parameters under Lime-induced Iron Chlorosis Condition

Iron deficiency chlorosis, a major physiological disorder affecting the groundnut production worldwide and is prevalent in alkaline and calcareous soils with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Identifying and developing a chlorosis tolerant genotype is the best solution to overcome this major abiotic stress in calcareous soils. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, in June, 2019 under rainfed conditions to evaluate a set of sixteen advanced breeding lines along with three parents of groundnut checks for chlorosis tolerance, morphological and yield parameters. Associated traits like SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR) and visual chlorotic rating (VCR) were assessed to evaluate the chlorosis tolerance. Among the parents, lime induced iron chlorosis (LIIC) tolerant parent, ICGV 86031 had recorded higher SCMR value and lower VCR (35.62 and 2.40, respectively) at 60 DAS with lower plant height, higher number of branches per plant, total dry matter production and pod yield (19.27cm, 5.20, 9.34g and 9.21g, respectively) at harvest compared to LIIC susceptible parents. However, among the derived breeding lines, TIP 16-5 recorded higher SCMR value and lower VCR (28.82 and 1.72, respectively) at 60 DAS with higher plant height, number of branches and total dry matter (26.29 cm, 5.33 and 12.80g, respectively) at harvest over the respective susceptible parent TMV 2. Further, TIP 16-5 and JIP 29-14 recorded about 50.47 and 31.46 per cent increased pod yield over their susceptible parents. These results indicate introgression of dry matter production, pod yield and chlorosis tolerance from the tolerant parent.

Characterization of the metabolism of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica growing as a biofilm.

Yarrowia lipolytica is a well-characterized yeast with remarkable metabolic adaptability. It is capable of producing various products from different carbon sources and easily switching between planktonic and biofilm states. A biofilm represents a natural means of cell immobilization that could support continuous cultivation and production processes, such as perfusion cultivation. However, the metabolic activities of Y. lipolytica in biofilms have not yet been studied in detail. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the metabolic activities of Y. lipolytica in biofilm and planktonic states. Conventionally, a stirred tank bioreactor was used to cultivate Y. lipolytica in a planktonic state. On the other hand, a trickle bed bioreactor system was used for biofilm cultivation. The low pH at 3 was maintained to favor polyol production. The accumulation of citric acid was observed over time only in the biofilm state, which significantly differed from the planktonic state. Although the biofilm cultivation process has lower productivity, it has been observed that the production rate remains constant and the total product yield is comparable to the planktonic state when supplied with 42% oxygen-enriched air. This finding indicates that the biofilm state has the potential for continuous bioprocessing applications and is possibly a feasible option.

Reaction of aromatic carboxylic acids with phenylacetylene with the participation of a zinc catalyst

The reaction of benzoic, 4-methylbenzoic, 2-bromobenzoic and 4-bromobenzoic acids with phenylacetylene was carried out in a toluene solution at a temperature of 110 0C in the presence of a catalyst - 1 mol % [Zn(C4H7S2)4](NO3)2. In the coupling reaction of carboxylic acids with phenylacetylene a mixture of coupling products is formed according to the Markovnikov and anti-Markovnikov rules. A reaction mechanism was proposed and it was found that the yield of vinyl esters increased in the serie 4-CH3-C6H4COOH&lt; C6H5COOH&lt; 4-Br-C6H4COOH&lt; 2-Br-C6H4COOH. It was found that with an increasing acidity of the carboxylic acids, the product formed by Markovnikov rule has been formed in a larger amount. On the contrary, as the acidity of the starting compounds decreased, the amount of the anti-Markovnikov coupling product has increased. The total yield of reaction products of phenylacetylene with carboxylic acid is 44% (65/35) in 4-methylbenzoic acid, 67% (80/20) in benzoic acid, 78% (82/18) in 4-bromobenzoic acid, 82% (85 /15) in 2-bromobenzoic acid. The structure of the synthesized vinyl esters was proved on the base of the analysis of IR, 1H, 13C NMR and Mass spectrums.

Effect of Foliar Applied DAP and Nano-DAP on Growth and Yield of Upland Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The main objectives of the experiment were to evaluate the effect of DAP and nano-DAP along with basal fertilizers on growth and yield of upland rice. The study was conducted in randomized block design with three replications. The experiment was carried out at Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala during November 2022 to February 2023. The study consisted of (4×2)+1 treatments with two factors. The first factor was levels of recommended dose of nutrients (N) with four levels (n1 : 100 per cent N and P; n2 : 75 per cent N and P; n3 : 50 per cent N and P; n4 : 25 per cent N and P). Second factor was foliar fertilizers (F), included two levels (f1 : 2 per cent DAP at AT and PI stage; f2 : 0.2 per cent nano-DAP at AT and PI stage). Plant height, tillers per square metre, leaf area per hill, leaf area index, flag leaf area per hill and total dry matter production were significantly higher in full recommended dose of nutrients. Leaf area per hill, leaf area index, leaf area duration and flag leaf area per hill were higher with DAP treatment. Higher value of leaf area per hill, leaf area index, leaf area duration, flag leaf area per hill, total dry matter production, grain and straw yield were recorded in full dose of fertilizer along with DAP treatment. Considering the growth attributing factors and yield, the application of 100 per cent N and P along with 2 per cent DAP application was the best treatment combination.

Analysis of photocatalytic CO2 reduction over MOFs using machine learning

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction over metal organic frameworks is investigated by constructing a database from published articles and analyzed using machine learning tools to predict the total gas product yield and predominant product types under various conditions.

A comparative study on the microwave-assisted peroxidation of cyclohexane by a supracomplex as homogeneous catalyst

A nanostructured supracomplexformulated as [K3FeIII (μ-ox)3(H2O)3]n (UC) where ox-2 = oxalate was synthesized by sonochemical process as an environmentally friendly method. Previously this complex was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions (HC) and characterized by single crystal X-ray structure (SC-XRD). Matching the data obtained from elemental analysis (CHN), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy)FT-IR(, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),differential thermal analysis (DTA), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis confirmed that UC and HC have the same structure. But in another comparison, the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), andBrunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) analysis showed that UC and HC have different particles size, morphology, and texturalproperties. For the first time, the catalytic activity of the nanostructured Fe (III) supracomplex(UC) was compared with that obtained as single crystal (HC) in the peroxidation of cyclohexane in the absence and presence of microwave (MW) irradiation. Hydrogen peroxide was used as an ideal green oxidant because it does not produce toxic by-products. Also, microwave-assisted peroxidative oxidation of alkanes is an environmentally friendly and green method that avoids harsh reaction conditions such as high heat and contamination of products and reduces the amount of solvent used. Our findings showed that UC has higher catalytic activity, with a total product yield of 15 and 21% in the absence and presence of MW irradiation, respectively. For UC, by optimizing parameters such as temperature, solvent, catalyst, acid and oxidant, we were able to increase the yield up to 36.3%. A free radical mechanism is proposed for the peroxidation oxidation of cyclohexane in the presence of the supracomplex, involving the formation of cyclohexyl radical, its oxidation, and consequent hydroxylation by water.

Catalytic hydrogenolysis of lignin in isopropanol as hydrogen donor over nickel-cobalt supported on zeolite to produce aromatic and phenolic monomers

Due to its high catalytic activity and good hydrogenating properties, bimetallic catalysts are gaining increasing attention for lignin valorization. Herein, transition bimetallic catalysts Ni-Co/HZSM-5 were proposed to investigate the catalytic hydrogenolysis reaction of lignin. The activity was demonstrated in an 80 mL stainless-steel reactor. At 250 ℃ temperature in 4 h of reaction using isopropanol as the hydrogen donor solvent. 45 wt% yields of total monomer products and 91% lignin conversion were obtained with Ni-Co/HZSM-5 catalysts. This is superior to the catalytic activity of Ni/HZSM-5 and Co/HZSM-5 monometallic catalysts. BET, SEM, XPS, and EDX techniques were used to characterize the catalysts. The results revealed that the synergistic effect between the two metal species (Ni-Co) was the major cause of their high catalytic activity, which resulted in better hydrogen transformation and better hydrogenolysis activity. The electronic interactions between Co and Ni enhanced the transfer of electrons and accelerated catalytic reactions. Also, well-dispersed Ni and Co on HZSM-5 support enhanced the surface area, providing more active sites for lignin to adsorb and participate in hydrogenolysis reactions. In addition, a series of measurements such as FT-IR, GPC, and GC-MS were performed to examine the hydrogenolysis reaction products. A total of 19 monomer products were successfully identified in GC-MS analysis. These results confirmed the great potential of bimetallic catalysts Ni-Co/HZSM-5 due to their synergistic effect.

Partial oxidation of methane over Fe/ZSM-5 with hydrogen peroxide generated in situ over Pd/C in the presence of halide ions

The effect of halide ion on the catalytic activity for the aqueous-phase partial oxidation of methane with H2O2 generated in situ over Pd/C was examined. Various halide ions, including F-, Cl-, Br-, and I- were compared. Among them, Br- and I- are effective for the synthesis of H2O2 from H2 and O2, resulting in the synthesis of methane oxygenates from methane over Fe/ZSM-5. They show different product yields as a function of their concentrations. The highest total product yields were obtained with [KBr] = 5 mM and [KI] = 0.05 mM, respectively. Compared with Br-, the highest product yield was obtained with a much lower concentration of I-, guaranteeing that no detectable leaching of metal from Fe/ZSM-5 and Pd/C was found. The total productivity was 4.64 mmol/gcat./h over Fe/ZSM-5 at 50 ℃ with H2O2 generated in situ over Pd/C from H2 and O2 in the presence of 0.05 mM of KI.

Plateletpheresis: A comparison between two blood cell separators at a tertiary care facility.

Objective: Platelet concentrate is an invaluable support product in the management patients presenting with thrombocytopenia. Collection of high quality, single donor platelets depends upon efficient cell separators at the plateletapheresis facility. We evaluated the performance of two different cell separators used for plateletpheresis at our facility. This evaluation was done to ascertain which cell separator performed better in terms of various product parameters. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Chughtai Stat Lab, National Hospital. Period: July to December 2020. Material &amp; Methods: A total of 100 plateletapheresis procedures were done, 50 on Cobe Spectra and 50 on Haemonetics MCS900. Male donors were selected after detailed medical history, screening and informed consent. For each cell separator, the total procedure time, collection rate and platelet yield of the final product (single donor platelets) was noted and compared. The predonation platelet count of each donor was also recorded. Results: Donor turnaround time was better for the Cobe 60.1 + 2.757 min vs 81.1 + 3.311 min on Heamonetics (p value &lt; 0.0001). Cobe had a superior collection rate 0.065+0.0088 (PLT×10 11/min) than Heamonetics 0.0519 + 0.007 (PLT×10 11/min) (p value&lt; 0.0001). For both cell separators, the final product was similar in terms of platelet yield (p value = 0.56). Overall, donor predonation platelet counts ranged from 220-480x109 /L. Pearson correlation test showed positive correlation (r = 0811, p value; &lt; 0.0001) between platelet yield and donor platelet count. Conclusion: Continuous flow cell separators, like the Cobe spectra, offer a high quality platelet product with greater efficiency when compared to intermittent flow cell separators like the Haemonetics.

Insights into co-solvent roles in oxidative depolymerization of lignin to vanillin and lactic acid

Efficient low-boiling-point co-solvent systems were developed for the oxidative depolymerization of lignin to high-value platform chemicals, mainly vanillin and lactic acid, using molybdenum (Mo)-based solid oxide catalysts and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidant. The co-solvent, designed with the matching Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) values to lignin, facilitated efficient solvation of lignin. Various factors, including co-solvents, catalyst supports, H2O2 concentrations, and active metals, were detailly investigated. Optimal yields of total liquid products (EA oils: 19.8 %) were obtained in water-tetrahydrofuran (H2O-THF) co-solvent systems, increased by 61.0 % compared to that of the sole aqueous solution, employing a MoO3/Al2O3 catalyst. Additionally, the oxidized lignin (O-lignin) or EA oils was analyzed using UV–vis, CHN, GPC, and FT-IR techniques. Results indicated that the co-solvent system remarkably inhibited the repolymerization of lignin fragments, and enhanced the oxidative cleavage of lignin side chains. Lastly, a hypothetical mechanism explained the reaction pathway of lignin depolymerization in co-solvent systems.