Effect of Feed Strategy on Methane Production and Performance of an AnSBBR Treating Effluent from Biodiesel Production

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of different feeding times (2, 4 and 6 h) and applied volumetric organic loads (4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 gCOD L-1 day(-1)) on the performance of an anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor (AnSBBR) treating effluent from biodiesel production. Polyurethane foam cubes were used as inert support in the reactor, and mixing was accomplished by recirculating the liquid phase. The effect of feeding time on reactor performance showed to be more pronounced at higher values of applied volumetric organic loads (AVOLs). Highest organic material removal efficiencies achieved at AVOL of 4.5 gCOD L-1 day(-1) were 87 % at 4-h feeding against 84 % at 2-h and 6-h feeding. At AVOL of 6.0 gCOD L-1 day(-1), highest organic material removal efficiencies achieved with 4-h and 6-h feeding were 84 %, against 71 % at 2-h feeding. At AVOL of 7.5 gCOD L-1 day(-1), organic material removal efficiency achieved with 4-h feeding was 77 %. Hence, longer feeding times favored minimization of total volatile acids concentration during the cycle as well as in the effluent, guaranteeing process stability and safety.

Ractopamine as a Metabolic Modifier Feed Additive for Finishing Pigs: A Review

The beta-adrenergic agonist ractopamine is increasingly used in the swine industry due to higher consumer demand for leaner pork products. Redirecting nutrients to favor leanness rather than fat deposition, ractopamine improves growth and carcass traits of finishing pigs. However, the impact of this agonist on pork quality is not clearly defined. Understanding the biological effects of dietary ractopamine dose, treatment period, lysine levels, and the lysine to metabolizable energy ratio will help pork producers achieve improvements in animal performance, carcass leanness, and economic efficiency in swine production systems.

Effect of Substrate Concentration on Dark Fermentation Hydrogen Production Using an Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor

The effect of substrate (glucose) concentration on the stability and yield of a continuous fermentative process that produces hydrogen was studied. Four anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBRs) were operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 1 to 8 h and an influent glucose concentration from 2 to 25 gL(-1). The reactors were inoculated with thermally pre-treated anaerobic sludge and operated at a temperature of 30 degrees C with an influent pH around 5.5 and an effluent pH of about 3.5. The AFBRs with a HRT of 2 h and a feed strength of 2, 4, and 10 gL(-1) showed satisfactory H-2 production performance, but the reactor fed with 25 gL(-1) of glucose did not. The highest hydrogen yield value was obtained in the reactor with a glucose concentration of 2 gL(-1) when it was operated at a HRT of 2 h. The maximum hydrogen production rate value was achieved in the reactor with a HRT of 1 h and a feed strength of 10 gL(-1). The AFBRs operated with glucose concentrations of 2 and 4 gL(-1) produced greater amounts of acetic and butyric acids, while AFBRs with higher glucose concentrations produced a greater amount of solvents.

Glycerol as a by-product of biodiesel production in Brazil: Alternatives for the use of unrefined glycerol

On January 1 2008, Brazil included yet another element into its energy matrix: biodiesel. The predominant biodiesel production process involves a phase of transesterification that yields glycerol as a by-product. The use of this glycerol is limited since it is considered an unrefined raw material that must be refined for its various types of use. Several studies have addressed identification of possible uses for unrefined glycerol. Given the diversity of uses, an overview is necessary. The purpose of this work is to present alternatives currently being considered for the use of unrefined glycerol as a by-product of biodiesel production, aiming to contribute to the sustainable consolidation of the biofuel market. Exploratory research was carried out to identify these viable alternatives for the use of this by-product. The possibilities include the production of chemical products, fuel additives, production of hydrogen, development of fuel cells, ethanol or methanol production, animal feed, co-digestion and co-gasification, and waste treatment among others. The present research reveals that there are promising possibilities for the use of unrefined glycerol, which may help consolidate the sustainability of the biofuel market. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spray Congealing of Pharmaceuticals: Study on Production of Solid Dispersions Using Box-Behnken Design

This work aimed at evaluating the spray congealing method for the production of microparticles of carbamazepine combined with a polyoxylglyceride carrier. In addition, the influence of the spray congealing conditions on the improvement of drug solubility was investigated using a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design. The factors studied were the cooling air flow rate, atomizing pressure, and molten dispersion feed rate. Dependent variables were the yield, solubility, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, water activity, and flow properties. Statistical analysis showed that only the yield was affected by the factors studied. The characteristics of the microparticles were evaluated using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and hot-stage microscopy. The results showed a spherical morphology and changes in the crystalline state of the drug. The microparticles were obtained with good yields and encapsulation efficiencies, which ranged from 50 to 80% and 99.5 to 112%, respectively. The average size of the microparticles ranged from 17.7 to 39.4 mu m, the water activities were always below 0.5, and flowability was good to moderate. Both the solubility and dissolution rate of carbamazepine from the spray congealed microparticles were remarkably improved. The carbamazepine solubility showed a threefold increase and dissolution profile showed a twofold increase after 60 min compared to the raw drug. The Box-Behnken fractional factorial design proved to be a powerful tool to identify the best conditions for the manufacture of solid dispersion microparticles by spray congealing.

Ground and excited state charmonium production in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report on charmonium measurements [J/psi (1S), psi' (2S), and chi(c) (1P)] in p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV. We find that the fraction of J/psi coming from the feed-down decay of psi' and chi(c) in the midrapidity region (vertical bar y vertical bar < 0: 35) is 9.6 +/- 2.4% and 32 +/- 9%, respectively. We also present the p(T) and rapidity dependencies of the J/psi yield measured via dielectron decay at midrapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.35) and via dimuon decay at forward rapidity (1.2 < vertical bar y vertical bar < 2.2). The statistical precision greatly exceeds that reported in our previous publication [Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 232002 (2007)]. The new results are compared with other experiments and discussed in the context of current charmonium production models.

Ultra-structural mapping of sugarcane bagasse after oxalic acid fiber expansion (OAFEX) and ethanol production by Candida shehatae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Background Diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and oil spills are rousing to explore the alternative sources of energy that can be produced from non-food/feed-based substrates. Due to its abundance, sugarcane bagasse (SB) could be a model substrate for the second-generation biofuel cellulosic ethanol. However, the efficient bioconversion of SB remains a challenge for the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. We hypothesized that oxalic-acid-mediated thermochemical pretreatment (OAFEX) would overcome the native recalcitrance of SB by enhancing the cellulase amenability toward the embedded cellulosic microfibrils. Results OAFEX treatment revealed the solubilization of hemicellulose releasing sugars (12.56 g/l xylose and 1.85 g/l glucose), leaving cellulignin in an accessible form for enzymatic hydrolysis. The highest hydrolytic efficiency (66.51%) of cellulignin was achieved by enzymatic hydrolysis (Celluclast 1.5 L and Novozym 188). The ultrastructure characterization of SB using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform–near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed structural differences before and after OAFEX treatment with enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, fermentation mediated by C. shehatae UFMG HM52.2 and S. cerevisiae 174 showed fuel ethanol production from detoxified acid (3.2 g/l, yield 0.353 g/g; 0.52 g/l, yield, 0.246 g/g) and enzymatic hydrolysates (4.83 g/l, yield, 0.28 g/g; 6.6 g/l, yield 0.46 g/g). Conclusions OAFEX treatment revealed marked hemicellulose degradation, improving the cellulases’ ability to access the cellulignin and release fermentable sugars from the pretreated substrate. The ultrastructure of SB after OAFEX and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulignin established thorough insights at the molecular level.

Glycerine derived from biodiesel production as a feedstuff for broiler diets

The performance, carcass traits, and litter humidity of broilers fed increasing levels of glycerine derived from biodiesel production were evaluated. In this experiment, 1,575 broilers were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design into five treatments with seven replicates of 45 birds each. Treatments consisted of a control diet and four diets containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10% glycerine. The experimental diets contained equal nutritional levels and were based on corn, soybean meal and soybean oil. The glycerine included in the diets contained 83.4% glycerol, 1.18% sodium, and 208 ppm methanol, and a calculated energy value of 3,422 kcal AMEn/kg. Performance parameters (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, live weight, and livability) were monitored when broilers were 7, 21, and 42 days of age. On day 43, litter humidity was determined in each pen, and 14 birds/treatment were sacrificed for the evaluation of carcass traits. During the period of 1 to 7 days, there was a positive linear effect of the treatments on weight gain, feed intake, and live weight gain. Livability linearly decreased during the period of 1 to 21 days. During the entire experimental period, no significant effects were observed on performance parameters or carcass traits, but there was a linear increase in litter humidity. Therefore, the inclusion of up to 5% glycerine in the diet did not affect broiler performance during the total rearing period.

Ractopamine as a metabolic modifier feed additive for finishing pigs: a review

The β-adrenergic agonist ractopamine is increasingly used in the swine industry due to higher consumer demand for leaner pork products. Redirecting nutrients to favor leanness rather than fat deposition, ractopamine improves growth and carcass traits of finishing pigs. However, the impact of this agonist on pork quality is not clearly defined. Understanding the biological effects of dietary ractopamine dose, treatment period, lysine levels, and the lysine to metabolizable energy ratio will help pork producers achieve improvements in animal performance, carcass leanness, and economic efficiency in swine production systems.

Emergence of enteric viruses in production chickens is a concern for avian health

Several viruses have been identified in recent years in the intestinal contents of chickens and turkeys with enteric problems, which have been observed in commercial farms worldwide, including Brazil. Molecular detection of these viruses in Brazil can transform to a big threat for poultry production due to risk for intestinal integrity. This disease is characterized by severely delayed growth, low uniformity, lethargy, watery diarrhea, delayed feed consumption, and a decreased conversion rate. Chicken astrovirus (CAstV), rotavirus, reovirus, chicken parvovirus (ChPV), fowl adenovirus of subgroup I (FAdV-1), and avian nephritis virus (ANV) were investigated using the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which may play a role in enteric disease, was included. The viruses most frequently detected, either alone or in concomitance with other viruses, were IBV, ANV, rotavirus, and CAstV followed by parvovirus, reovirus, and adenovirus. This study demonstrates the diversity of viruses in Brazilian chicken flocks presenting enteric problems characterized by diarrhea, growth retard, loss weight, and mortality, which reflects the multicausal etiology of this disease