Identification of bacteria contaminating pulp and a paper machine in a Canadian paper mill

Over 100 bacteria from pulp and slime samples in a Canadian paper mill were identified by partial sequencing of their 16S rDNAs. Seventy-one percent of the isolates could be assigned to a bacterial genus with a high level of confidence. Another 12% exhibited at least 95% similarity within their 16S rDNA sequence with unidentified organisms that originate from warm or wet environments. Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Pseudoxanthomonas isolates were represented at a relatively high proportion in both pulp and slime samples. This is the first time that Pseudoxanthomonas strains have been isolated from pulp and slime samples on a paper machine. Electronic Publication     

Cellulose extraction from orange peel using sulfite digestion reagents

Orange peel (OP) was used as raw material for cellulose extraction. Two different pulping reagents were used, sodium sulfite and sodium metabisulfite. The effect of the main process parameters, sulfite agent dosage and reaction duration, on cellulose yield was investigated. A central composite rotatable design involving two variables at five levels and response surface methodology were used for the optimization of cellulose recovery. Other two invariable parameters were reaction temperature and hydromodulus. The optimum yields, referred to the weight of double extracted OP, were 40.4% and 45.2% for sodium sulfite and sodium metabisulfite digestions, respectively. The crude celluloses were bleached with hypochlorite and oxygen. The physicochemical characterization data of these cellulose materials indicate good levels of purity, low crystallinities, good whitenesses, good water retention and moderate molecular weights. According to these specific properties the recovered celluloses could be used as fillers, water absorbents, or as raw materials for cellulose derivatives.     

Optimization of isolation of cellulose from orange peel using sodium hydroxide and chelating agents

Response surface methodology was used to optimize cellulose recovery from orange peel using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as isolation reagent, and to minimize its ash content using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as chelating agent. The independent variables were NaOH charge, EDTA charge and cooking time. Other two constant parameters were cooking temperature (98 °C) and liquid-to-solid ratio (7.5). The dependent variables were cellulose yield and ash content. A second-order polynomial model was used for plotting response surfaces and for determining optimum cooking conditions. The analysis of coefficient values for independent variables in the regression equation showed that NaOH and EDTA charges were major factors influencing the cellulose yield and ash content, respectively. Optimum conditions were defined by: NaOH charge 38.2%, EDTA charge 9.56%, and cooking time 317 min. The predicted cellulose yield was 24.06% and ash content 0.69%. A good agreement between the experimental values and the predicted was observed.     

The use of olive tree pruning waste compost to sequestrate methylene blue dye from aqueous solution

Considering that quality water supplies are diminishing and climate disorder affects water cycle, wastewaters should be decontaminated for reuse either by the same establishment or in agriculture for the growth of industrial plants. In that context, much research work has been focused on the development of low cost biosorbents. In this study, the effect of composting on the adsorption capacity of olive tree pruning waste (OTPW) biomass for methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solutions was examined. Composting procedure may improve the sorption properties of the raw organic materials, is economical and easy to apply. MB adsorption on both OTPW and composted olive tree pruning waste (COTPW) biomasses was found to be fast. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm was estimated to be 129.87 and 250.00 mg/g for OTPW and COTPW, respectively, indicating that composting procedure greatly improved the adsorptive properties of OTPW. The raise of temperature from 25°C to 60°C decreased the efficiency of OTPW for MB removal whereas the adsorption capacity of COTPW was not affected at high temperatures. Moreover, COTPW showed constant adsorption over the 2–8 solution pH range.     

Effect of water extraction on sugars recovery from steam exploded olive tree pruning

Biomass of olive tree pruning can be considered a suitable raw material for the production of ethanol due to its high content of potentially fermentable carbohydrates. However its high extractives content could cause condensation reactions between extractives and acid insoluble lignin during pretreatment, hindering the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated material. In this work, the effect of extractives removal before steam explosion of olive tree pruning was evaluated. The objectives are to recover as much glucose as possible in the extraction stage and to avoid the condensation reactions. The effect of temperature and time of water extracted material on sugars recovery was studied using a response surface method according to a central composite design. Extractive removal previous to steam explosion resulted in 20% more total sugars recovery in comparison to a material without water extraction stage.     

Chemical activation of the cyanobacterial orange carotenoid protein

The effects of the Hofmeister series of ions on the activation of the orange carotenoid protein (OCP) from the inactive orange form to the active red form were tested. Kosmotropes led to lower OCP activation, whereas chaotropes led to greater OCP activation. Concentrations of thiocyanate exceeding 1.5 M dark activate the orange carotenoid protein to its red form. This chemically activated OCP was studied by UV–vis and circular dichroism spectroscopies. The chemically-activated OCP quenches the fluorescence of phycobilisomes in vitro, to a level comparable to that of the light-activated OCP.     

Manipulation of quality and mineralization of tropical legume tree prunings by varying nitrogen supply

The effect of N supply on the quality of Calliandra calothyrsus and Gliricidia sepium prunings was studied in a glasshouse over a 7-month growing period. Increasing the concentration of N supplied from 0.625 to 10.0 mM NO₃-N resulted in increased N concentration but decreased polyphenol concentration, protein-binding capacity and C:N ratio of prunings from both species. Lignin concentration was not consistently altered by the N treatment. Mineralization of N from the prunings was measured over a 14-week period under controlled leaching and non-leaching conditions. The results indicated a strong interaction between legume species and concentration of N supply in their influence on N mineralization of the prunings applied to the soil. Differences in the %N mineralized were dictated by the quality of the prunings. The (lignin + polyphenol):N ratio was the pruning quality factor which could be used most consistently and accurately to predict N mineralization of the legume prunings incubated under leaching conditions, and the relationship was best described by a linear regression. Under non-leaching conditions, however, the protein-binding capacity appeared to be the most important parameter in determining the patterns of N release from the prunings studied. The relationship between the N mineralization rate constant and the protein-binding capacity was best described by a negative exponential function, y=0.078 exp(–0.0083x). The present study also indicated that the release of N from legume prunings containing a relatively high amount of polyphenol could be enhanced by governing the N availability conditions under which the plant is grown, for example whether or not it is actively fixing nitrogen. Estimates of pruning N mineralization after 14 weeks with the difference method averaged 6% (leaching conditions) and 22% (nonleaching conditions) more than with the ¹⁵N method for all legume prunings studied. The recovery of pruning by maize (4–38%) was well correlated with the % pruning N mineralized suggesting that incubation data closely reflect the pruning N value for a given catch crop under non-leaching conditions.     

Use of autocatalytic kinetics to obtain composition of lignocellulosic materials

Non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data of biomasses and pulps originating from non-wood and alternatives materials (i.e., Tagasaste or rice straw) have been fitted with refined models, which include autocatalytic kinetics. Data sets were obtained for different experimental conditions, such as variations of heating rate and atmosphere, i.e., inert (pyrolysis) versus oxidative atmosphere (combustion). Besides the access to classical kinetic parameters (pre-exponential factor, activation energy, and reaction order), the improved data analysis enabled the determination of the chemical composition of the samples (cellulose, hemicellulose, extractives, lignin). The latter compared very well with those obtained by conventional methods (chemical analysis, HPLC). Given the reduced environmental impact and rapidness of the method, potential applications for research related to new biomasses and industrial processes can be foreseen.     

Influence of variables in the hydrothermal treatment of rice straw on the composition of the resulting fractions

The influence of the hydrothermal treatment conditions of rice straw (temperature – 150–190 °C , time – 0–20 min after reaching the operation temperature – and liquid/solid ratio – 6–8), on the composition of liquid and solid fractions was studied. Polynomial models were found for to reproduce the experimental results with errors less than 6%.     

Cellulase-free xylanases from Bacillus and other microorganisms

Xylanases are used mainly in the pulp and paper industries for the pretreatment of Kraft pulp prior to bleaching to minimize use of chlorine, the conventional bleaching agent. This application has great potential as an environmentally safe method. Hydrolysis by xylanases of relocated and reprecipitated xylan on the surface of cellulose fibres formed during Kraft cooking facilitates the removal of lignin by increasing permeability to oxidising agents. Most of the xylanases reported in the literature contained significant cellulolytic activity, which make them less suitable for pulp and paper industries. The need for large quantities of xylanases which would be stable at higher temperatures and pH values and free of cellulase activity has necessitated a search for novel enzymes. We have isolated and characterised several xylanase-producing cultures, one of which (an alkalophilic Bacillus SSP-34) produced more than 100 IU ml(-1) of xylanase activity. The SSP-34 xylanases have optimum activity at 50 degrees C in a pH range 6-8, with only small amounts of cellulolytic activity (CMCase (0.4 IU ml(-1), pH 7), FPase (0.2 IU ml(-1), pH 7) and no activity at pH 9).     

Composting of pulp and paper mill fly ash with wastewater treatment sludge

Wastewater treatment sludge and power boiler fly ash were combined and composted in mixed and static windrows 50 m long, 4 m high and 6 m wide. Moisture content was maintained above 50%. The final compost had a pH of 8.5, contained high concentrations of specific nutrients, and an average C:N ratio of 43:1. All metal, PCB, chlorophenol and PAH concentrations were below levels stipulated by local regulations. Over the first 8 weeks of the composting period dioxin concentration decreased by 45% to 41 pg/g TEQ. Leachate tests indicated minimal (<0.1 mg/l Cu and Pb; <50 mg/l Na, P, and SO₄⁻²) leaching of contaminants from the composted material. Application of compost (8 cubic yards/acre) at a sod farm improved soil characteristics as measured by a number of parameters. The dioxin concentration in the final soil/compost mixture was 3 pg/g TEQ, allowing the soil/compost mixture to be classified as agricultural soil. It was concluded that composting produced an acceptable soil conditioner attractive for large volume users of inexpensive soil material (sod farms, golf courses, land reclamation sites).     

Biobleaching of wheat straw-rich soda pulp with alkalophilic laccase from gamma-proteobacterium JB: optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology

An alkalophilic laccase from gamma-proteobacterium JB was applied to wheat straw-rich soda pulp to check its bleaching potential by using response surface methodology based on central composite design. The design was employed by selecting laccase units, ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) concentration and pH as model factors. The results of second order factorial design experiments showed that all three independent variables had significant effect on brightness and kappa number of laccase-treated pulp. Optimum conditions for biobleaching of pulp with laccase preparation (specific activity, 65 nkat mg(-1) protein) were 20 nkat g(-1) of pulp, 2mM ABTS and pH 8.0 which enhanced brightness by 5.89% and reduced kappa number by 21.1% within 4h of incubation at 55 degrees C, without further alkaline extraction of pulp. Tear index (8%) and burst index (18%) also improved for laccase-treated pulp as compared to control raw pulp. Treatment of chemically (CEH1H2) bleached pulp with laccase showed significant effect on release of chromophores, hydrophobic and reducing compounds. Laccase-prebleaching of raw pulp reduced the use of hypochlorite by 10% to achieve brightness of resultant hand sheets similar to the fully chemically bleached pulp.     

treegraph: automated drawing of complex tree figures using an extensible tree description format

treegraph assists in producing complex ready‐to‐publish figures of phylogenetic trees. The TGF format used by the program automates formatting of several different statistical support value types (confidence estimates) per tree node. Moreover, internal text and graphical labels are automatically arranged at the nodes as are annotations for clades or groups of terminals. treegraph imports nexus trees and related file formats. Beyond common tree edit operations, simultaneous pruning of subtrees (simplification of the tree to higher order clades) and saving of subtrees is possible. treegraph exports to the standard vector graphics formats Scalable Vector Graphics and PostScript.     

Artificial modification of the chemical composition of orange oil (Citrus sinensis L.) and its effect on larvicidal activity

The use of synthetic pesticide carries along several disadvantages talking about the preservation of the natural homeostasis of the planet, causing the searching of biopesticide, which one presents advantages as well as biodegradability in minimum possible time, the low toxicity in comparison to synthetic pesticides and their variety of structure, which allows slowing down the appearance of resistance. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect on the larvicidal action when artificially varying the chemical composition of orange oil (Citrus sinensis L.). As results, we found that the analysis of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry showed the presence of terpenoid and sesquiterpenoid compounds in the different samples. The use of electric pulses on samples modified their chemical composition, so that the percentage of limonene went from 72% in the sample that was not subjected to electric treatment to lower percentages, even in sample three the percentage of limonene was <50%. Only three compounds (limonene, linalool and caryophyllene) were found to be common in all samples. Subsequently, the larvicidal action on Drosophila melanogaster larvae was evaluated. Six concentrations of each oil sample were tested (0, 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000 ppm). We found that there was no linear relationship between concentration and lethality. Additionally, in the sample without electrical treatment most of the concentrations tested had lethality higher than 50%, while in sample 7 the results of the lethality were lower than 30%, so that biological tests showed that in samples where the concentration of limonene was lower, the lethality in the larvae decreased.     

Rooting the tree of life using nonubiquitous genes

Insertion and deletion (indel)-based analyses have great potential for rooting the tree of life, but their use has been limited because they require ubiquitous sequences that have not been horizontally/laterally transferred. Very few such sequences exist. Here we describe and demonstrate a new algorithm that can use nonubiquitous sequences for rooting. This algorithm, top-down indel rooting, uses the traditional logical framework of indel rooting, but by considering gene gains and losses in addition to indel gains and losses, it is able to analyze incomplete data sets. The method is demonstrated using theoretical examples and incomplete gene sets. In particular, it is applied to the well-studied Hsp70/MreB indel, a sequence set thought to have been compromised by gene transfers from Firmicutes to archaebacteria. By sequentially assigning all observable character states, including gene absences, to the questionable archaebacterial Hsp70 and MreB sequences, we demonstrate that this gene set robustly excludes the root of the tree of life from the Gram-negative, double-membrane prokaryotes independently of the archaeal character states. There are very few ubiquitous paralog gene sets, and most of them contain compromised data. The ability of top-down rooting to use incomplete and/or compromised gene sets promises to make rooting analyses more robust and to greatly increase the number of useful indel sets.     

Physiological characteristics of cyanobacteria in pulp and paper waste-treatment systems

An investigation was made into the physiological characteristics of the extensive cyanobacterial communities in pulp and paper secondary waste-treatment systems, including the capacity of isolates to biodegrade organic contaminants in these systems. Although pulp and paper waste-treatment systems were found to be severely light-limited, photosynthesis-irradiance curves indicated that shade-adapted cyanobacterial communities could fix conspicuous amounts of inorganic carbon via photosynthesis. Of 21 cyanobacterial strains isolated from pulp and paper waste-treatment systems located in 4 countries, all except one were capable of glucose uptake in the light, and 19 also showed uptake in the dark. In the 6 species tested, glucose and acetate addition stimulated growth in low light in all except one species. Aphanocapsa rivularis grew equally well on glucose and acetate in the dark but Pseudanabaena sp. grew well on acetate, and minimally on glucose. Growth stimulation by glucose and acetate in these two strains was greater in low than in high light. Pseudanabaena sp. and Phormidium animale both accumulated 2,4-dichlorophenol and 3-chlorobenzoate but showed minimal mineralization to CO₂. None of the four species tested could accumulate or degrade phenol or dichloroacetate. It is concluded that, depending on the light conditions, cyanobacteria contribute organic carbon in photosynthesis, and/or remove small organic molecules during mixotrophic and heterotrophic growth but are not important degraders of contaminants in these waste treatment systems.     

PoInTree： A Polar and Interactive Phylogenetic Tree

PoInTree （Polar and Interactive Tree） is an application that allows to build, visualize, and customize phylogenetic trees in a polar, interactive, and highly flexible view. It takes as input a FASTA file or multiple alignment formats. Phylogenetic tree calculation is based on a sequence distance method and utilizes the Neighbor Joining （N J） algorithm. It also allows displaying precalculated trees of the major protein families based on Pfam classification. In PoInTree, nodes can be dynamically opened and closed and distances between genes are graphically represented. Tree root can be centered on a selected leaf. Text search mechanism, color-coding and labeling display are integrated. The visualizer can be connected to an Oracle database containing information on sequences and other biological data, helping to guide their interpretation within a given protein family across multiple species. The application is written in Borland Delphi and based on VCL Teechart Pro 6 graphical component （Steema software）.     

树种及多样性组配对南亚热带人工林早期树木生长的影响

为科学筛选提升南亚热带人工林生产力的树种配置模式,选择南亚热带8个乡土树种,采用随机区组的试验设计,建立了树种多样性梯度(1、2、4、6个树种)人工新造林试验平台,研究树种多样性及不同功能特性树种混交对人工林早期树木生长的影响。结果表明: 在树木生长第5年,树木生长并没有随树种多样性增加而增加;速生树种马尾松和米老排纯林生长量是珍贵树种红椎和格木纯林的2.5～4.5倍;2个树种混交和4个树种混交情况下,针阔树种混交、速生树种与固氮树种混交显著提高树木生长量51.5%～132.8%,而当6个树种混交时,不同树种组配对生长量没有显著影响。不同树种配置模式下土壤氮、磷养分是影响树木早期生长的主要因素。针阔树种混交、速生和固氮树种混交能显著提高南亚热带人工林树木的早期生长。