Use of Flyash as Environmental and Agronomic Amendments

Coal combustion power plant flyash materials have been reported as useful soil amendments with agronomic and environmental benefits. This paper reports the efficacy of fluidized bed combustion (FBC) and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) byproducts, when amended with dairy, swine, and broiler litter manures, in reducing phosphorus (P) solubility and potential impact on water quality. At a rate of 400 g/kg, FBC reduced water soluble P by 60% for dairy and swine and 50% for broiler litter, as compared to un-treated control samples. Byproduct FGD had little effect when amended into dairy manure, but reduced water soluble P by nearly 80% when amended into swine and broiler manure at a rate of 250 g/kg. The amount of Ca added in the amendments together with pH of the mixture is the major contributing factor in soluble P reduction. Sequential extraction results showed that the flyash treatments shifted water soluble P into mainly bicarbonate extractable P. The latter is still considered available for crop uptake but less vulnerable for environmental losses. Coal combustion byproducts, when amended into manure and used properly, can provide a useful and viable option for improving nutrient management on animal farms.     

Cardiotocographic and sonographic findings in two cases of antenatally diagnosed intrauterine fetal brain death

Intrauterine fetal brain death is a rare cause of a fixed fetal heart rate pattern. Seven cases have been previously reported in the literature, but only two of them were diagnosed prenatally and all the newborns died soon after delivery. Two additional cases of antepartum diagnosis of intrauterine fetal brain death, managed expectantly, are reported. We had the unique opportunity to document progressive sonographic cerebral changes during the follow-up period, following the neurological event, while the fetus continued life and growth in utero. The cardiographic and sonographic findings suggesting intrauterine fetal brain death were a prolonged fixed fetal heart rate, even following a vibroacoustic and contraction stress test; an atonic fetus without breathing and body movement; and the appearance of hydramnios and the development of ventriculomegaly.     

Sequential biodegradation of TNT,RDX and HMX in a mixture

We describe TNT's inhibition of RDX and HMX anaerobic degradation in contaminated soil containing indigenous microbial populations. Biodegradation of RDX or HMX alone was markedly faster than their degradation in a mixture with TNT, implying biodegradation inhibition by the latter. The delay caused by the presence of TNT continued even after its disappearance and was linked to the presence of its intermediate, tetranitroazoxytoluene. PCR–DGGE analysis of cultures derived from the soil indicated a clear reduction in microbial biomass and diversity with increasing TNT concentration. At high-TNT concentrations (30 and 90 mg/L), only a single band, related to Clostridium nitrophenolicum, was observed after 3 days of incubation. We propose that the mechanism of TNT inhibition involves a cytotoxic effect on the RDX- and HMX-degrading microbial population. TNT inhibition in the top active soil can therefore initiate rapid transport of RDX and HMX to the less active subsurface and groundwater.     

Simulation of solute transport across low-permeability barrier walls

Low-permeability, non-reactive barrier walls are often used to contain contaminants in an aquifer. Rates of solute transport through such barriers are typically many orders of magnitude slower than rates through the aquifer. Nevertheless, the success of remedial actions may be sensitive to these low rates of transport. Two numerical simulation methods for representing low-permeability barriers in a finite-difference groundwater-flow and transport model were tested. In the first method, the hydraulic properties of the barrier were represented directly on grid cells and in the second method, the intercell hydraulic-conductance values were adjusted to approximate the reduction in horizontal flow, allowing use of a coarser and computationally efficient grid. The alternative methods were tested and evaluated on the basis of hypothetical test problems and a field case involving tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination at a Superfund site in New Hampshire. For all cases, advective transport across the barrier was negligible, but preexisting numerical approaches to calculate dispersion yielded dispersive fluxes that were greater than expected. A transport model (MODFLOW-GWT) was modified to (1) allow different dispersive and diffusive properties to be assigned to the barrier than the adjacent aquifer and (2) more accurately calculate dispersion from concentration gradients and solute fluxes near barriers. The new approach yields reasonable and accurate concentrations for the test cases.     

Research progress on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing technique in plants北大核心CSCD

Many physical, chemical, and biotic stresses always threaten plants during their growth and development. Using the genome editing technique is a good strategy to improve plant characteristics. CRISPR/Cas (clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats / CRISPR-associated protein), the adaptive and heritable immune system of prokaryotes, is a genome editing technique newly developed during recent years. At present, the type II CRISPR / Cas9 system is most widely used. Many plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, tobacco, soybean, tomato, potato, rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, petunia, banana, sweet orange, apple, poplar, and Marchantia polymorpha, have been edited successfully for stress tolerance, delay of fruit ripening, herbicide resistance, and disease resistance, etc. This system is achieved by the formation of nuclease Cas9 and crRNA: tracrRNA (CRISPR-derived RNA:trans-activating RNA) complex. Further studies about the effect of the promoters of Cas9 and gRNA and the number of gRNA targets on gene editing efficiency have been discussed. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Seasonal dynamics of labile soil nitrogen from four plantations at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin北大核心CSCD

The objective of this study was to investigate the soil nitrogen components of four native artificial plantations at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin. Soil samples from two layers (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) were collected from 4 plantations (Cryptomeria fortunei, Michelia wilsonii, Phoebe zhennan, and Quercus acutissima) during March, June, September, and December 2015 at the western edge of Sichuan Basin, to perform a comparative analysis on seasonal dynamics. Soil ammonium, nitrate, microbial biomass nitrogen, and environmental factors were synchronously monitored. The results showed that soil inorganic nitrogen was mainly the result of nitrate. The components of labile soil nitrogen showed significant seasonal dynamics. Soil ammonium during the growing season (June and September) was higher than that during the non-growing season (March and December), but soil nitrate, microbial biomass nitrogen, and inorganic nitrogen showed the opposite pattern. Labile nitrogen components in the 0-20 cm layer were generally higher than those in the 20-40 cm layer. Labile soil nitrogen was significantly affected by forest type, which was dependent on season and soil layer. In general, there were significant correlations between the soil nitrogen pools and labile soil nitrogen and the environmental factors, including soil temperature, water content, and monthly rainfall. In conclusion, the variation of labile soil nitrogen was influenced more by season than forest type or soil layer. Compared to the biological effects of tree species, the environmental factors had a stronger effect on labile soil nitrogen. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Screening and identification of cellulose degrading bacterium Bacillus siamensis BREC-11 with tolerance to furfural北大核心CSCD

Furfural is a toxic metabolic inhibitor that is created during the conversion of lignocellulose to produce fuel, which can retard fermentation and increase production costs. thus, it is important for lignocellulosic conversion that the ability of the strain to resist furfural stress be improved. A cellulose-degrading bacterium BREC-11 with tolerance to furfural was isolated from the intestinal tract of Omphisa fuscidentalis hampson larvae via the addition of furfural in the medium. Based on analyses of morphological observations, physiological and biochemical characterizations, and 16S rDNA sequences, strain BREC-11 was shown to represent a member of the genus Bacillus and was named B. siamensis BREC-11. to study the tolerance concentration of strain BREC-11, a wide range of furfural formaldehyde concentrations were tested and strain BREC-11 was shown to grow in the mineral medium containing furfural up to 3.5 g/L. Cellulase activity of strain BREC-11 was determined at the tolerable concentration of 3.5 g/L furfural after incubation at 30 ℃ and 150 r/min for 2 days. Results indicated that filter paper enzyme, CMC-Na enzyme, and β-glucosidase activity was 0.1 U/mL, 0.21 U/mL, and 0.07 U/mL, respectively. BREC-11 is a cellulose-degrading bacterium with resistance to furfural, which has potential application in future bio-refinery processes. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Microbial fuel cell with three-dimensional electrodes for domestic wastewater treatment and electricity generation北大核心CSCD

A single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) with three-dimensional electrodes packed bed carbon felts was developed to treat domestic wastewater while simultaneously generating electricity. The influence of batch and continuous operation mode on treatment effectiveness and electricity production of the MFC was investigated to provide a reference for the application of the MFC. The MFC with a total working volume of 1 440 mL was operated in the fed-batch mode for 5 d repeatedly three times, and then shifted to the continuous mode. During the testing of the continuous mode, wastewater was continuously pumped into the anode compartment at a flow rate of approximately 0.2 mL/min, resulting in a hydraulic retention time of 5 d. During the batch test, the MFC obtained 91.1% chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 98.2% NH4 +-N removal, which accorded with the first criteria specified in the discharge standard of pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment plants in China (GB18918-2002). A maximum power density of 27.88 mW/m3 was achieved at a 51 Ω external resistor. During the continuous test, the COD removal efficiencies ranged from 83.2% to 97.4%. The concentration of NH4 +-N gradually decreased within 5 d and was then maintained below 9.45 mg/L, thus an enhanced removal performance of NH4 +-N was acquired. However, a low removal efficiency of total nitrogen was observed owing to the accumulation of NO3 --N in the effluent since day 11. Additionally, the MFC continually generated electricity with a maximum power density of 582.5 mW/m3 and average output voltage of 0.087 7 V during the stable period in the continuous operation mode. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing showed that Thauera sp., Saprospiraceae-UN sp., and OPB56-UN sp. were identified as dominant populations. The results suggested that the organic matter associated with power generation was constantly utilized by the microorganisms in the reactor, which caused an excellent electricity generation performance during the continuous test. Therefore, the continuous operation mode could improve the low output voltage phenomenon in the MFC. Thauera sp., as a type of nitrate-reducing bacteria, was enriched in the autotrophic denitrifying microbial communities; therefore, bio-enrichment with denitrifying bacteria such as Thauera sp. could decrease the concentration of NO3 --N in the effluent during the continuous operation mode, which is expected to be an innovation for improvement of wastewater treatment. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.