Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
Elaina M. Blair, Noa J. Margalith, Michelle A. O’Malley
Microbial Ecology · 2025
Abstract Desert tortoises play ecologically significant roles, including plant seed dispersal and mineral cycling, and yet little is known about microbial members that are critical to their gut and overall health. Tortoises consume recalcitrant plant material, which their gut microbiota degrades and converts into usable metabolites and nutrients for the tortoise. Findings from tortoise gut microbiomes may translate well into biotechnological applications as these microbes have evolved to efficiently degrade recalcitrant substrates and generate useful products. In this study, we cultivated microbial communities from desert tortoise fecal samples following a targeted anaerobic enrichment for microbes involved in deconstruction and utilization of plant biomass. We employed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to compare cultivated communities to initial fecal source material and found high abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidota typically associated with biomass deconstruction in all cultivated samples. Significantly decreased microbial diversity was observed in the cultivated microbial communities, yet several key taxa thrived in lignocellulose enrichments, including Lachnospiraceae and Enterococcus . Additionally, cultivated communities produced short-chain fatty acids under anaerobic conditions, and their growth and metabolic output provide evidence of their viability in the initial fecal communities. Overall, this study adds to the limited understanding of reptilian herbivore microbiota, and offers a path towards biotechnological translation based on the ability of the cultivated communities to convert lignocellulose directly to acetate, propionate, and butyrate.
Alexander Tunik, Mikhail Tolstoy, Devard Stom et al.
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering · 2019
Abstract The results of studies of a multifunctional energy container are given. The use of microbial-fuel cells for generating electricity, as well as flat liquid solar collectors for generating thermal energy, has been investigated in the energy container.
Valentina Josan, Inna Rastimeşina, О. Postolaky et al.
5th International Scientific Conference on Microbial Biotechnology · 2022
It is well known that large quantities of non-recyclable plastic, namely low-density polyethylene (LDPE), represent a major pollution problem in the environment, thus a solution would be its degradation through the adhesion and accumulation of microorganisms’ consortia on the polyethylene surface. The microbial complexes that are involved in the decomposition of non-recyclable plastic were created in the polluted soil collected from the landfill situated near Slobozia-Dusca village. Consortia of microorganisms isolated from soil LDPE-treated under the aerobic conditions were inoculated into the liquid mineral salt media MSM 2 and MSM 4 to obtain enrichment cultures. MSM 2 medium was favoring the growth of micromycetes and MSM 4 medium – the growth of bacteria. Four microbial consortia were obtained. Figure 1. Composition of consortia isolated from soil treated with LDPE under aerobic conditions. Analyzing the consortia of microorganisms obtained, which includes mycelial fungi and bacteria, we observed that the fungi are predominant, for the most part representatives of the Trichoderma spp., Penicillium spp., and Fusarium spp., while for bacteria only the genus Pseudomonas spp. was identified (fig. 1.). The results demonstrate that after 100 days of cultivation, the microorganisms in the consortia retain their viability, the titer being from 7.00 × 106 CFU/mL to 26.00 × 106 UFC/mL. In conclusion, that complexes of microorganisms isolated from polluted soil treated with LDPE can use plastic as a potential source of carbon and/or energy.
Kenneth Timmis, Juan Luis Ramos, Willy Verstraete
Microbial Biotechnology · 2022
The core responsibility of governments is the security of their citizens, and this means inter alia protecting their safety, nutrition and health. Microbiology and microbial biotechnology have key roles to play in improving supply security of essential resources. In this paper, we discuss the urgent need to fully and immediately exploit existing microbial biotechnologies to maximize supply security of energy, food and medical supplies, and of waste management, and to invest in new research specifically targetting supply security of essential resources.
Zane Kusnere, Vladimirs Kirsanovs, Dace Lauka et al.
CONECT. International Scientific Conference of Environmental and Climate Technologies · 2025
Syngas biomethanation has emerged as a promising technology for converting synthesis gas (CO, H2, and CO2) into renewable methane, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil-based natural gas. However, despite significant progress at the laboratory scale, the transition to industrial applications remains hindered by multiple challenges spanning microbial efficiency, reactor design, process optimization, and large-scale feasibility. At the fundamental level, mass transfer limitations significantly constrain the biological conversion of syngas, with poor gas-liquid diffusion of CO and H2 affecting microbial metabolism. Moreover, the adaptation of microbial consortia to varying syngas compositions remains insufficiently understood, particularly regarding the dominant pathways under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. Reactor design further exacerbates these challenges, with current configurations (continuous stirred-tank reactors, packed bed reactors, and membrane bioreactors) struggling to achieve efficient syngas conversion at high productivity rates. Process parameters such as temperature, H2/CO ratio, and trace element supplementation also require fine-tuning to enhance methane yields while maintaining process stability. While small-scale experiments have demonstrated promising results, scaling up remains a major hurdle due to economic constraints, reactor operational challenges, and the need for reliable feedstock supply. Additionally, the integration of syngas biomethanation with existing energy infrastructure, including power-to-gas technologies and anaerobic digestion systems, requires further investigation to ensure economic viability and process efficiency. This review systematically explores these multi-scale challenges, from bench-scale research to commercial deployment, highlighting key research gaps and potential strategies to accelerate the transition of syngas biomethanation from laboratory studies to industrial reality.
Shaunak V Potdar, Mohamed Shazin, Geetha Kannan
Journal of Physics: Conference Series · 2019
Abstract A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a sustainable energy source which hopes to meet the growing demand of energy in the world by providing bioelectricity. The microbes like bacteria help produce current and voltage by metabolizing the carbon source into ions which are accepted at their respective electrodes. The prototype cell designed by our team is novel, cost effective, portable and environment friendly. This microbial fuel cell is a two chambered setup containing four graphite electrodes as the anode and four aluminum electrodes as the cathode. The MFC has been optimized under various experimental condition which includes sugar concentration, surface area of the electrodes, material of the electrodes as well as the effects of reducing salts on the current and voltage.
Mayumi Seto, Michio Kondoh
ARPHA Conference Abstracts · 2023
Microorganisms thriving in low-energy ecosystems have evolved diverse strategies to sustain life, including individual-level energy conservation, optimizing energy utilization through interspecies competition, and mutually beneficial interspecies syntrophy. This study introduces a novel community-level strategy to enhance energy efficiency. We employed an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction network model to capture the intricate metabolic interactions within microbial communities. Our findings highlight the importance of microbial functional diversity in facilitating metabolic handoffs, leading to an improved energy utilization efficiency. Moreover, the mutualistic division of labor and the resulting complexity of redox pathways actively facilitate material cycling, thereby enhancing energy exploitation. These findings provide new insights into the potential of self-organized ecological interactions to develop efficient energy utilization strategies, with significant implications for the functioning and evolution of microbial ecosystems.
F. Alsaeed, M. Baran
IET Conference Proceedings · 2021
Recently, battery energy storage (BES) has emerged as an economically viable technology to be adopted in large-scale photovoltaic (PV) and wind farms to facilitate their integration into the system and increase their economic value. This paper focuses on the determining a proper BES for such a system that will enable the system to respond to the power price variations and thus maximize the BES benefits. Additionally, this paper proposes a detailed dispatching scheme that can handle various operation constraints in order to maximize the BES benefits. This paper also takes into account the factors affecting the degradation of BES during its operation and shows that this is a critical factor in determining economic viability of the BES. A case study for a 300 MW solar power plant is given to illustrate the proposed method and assess the economic viability of the storage for this case. The results show the importance of adopting a detailed BES model to improve the accuracy of the estimated economic benefits.
T. Allen, S. Bruemmer, M. Kassner et al.
· 2002
On March 18-21, 2002, the Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology (NE) and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) sponsored a workshop to identify needs and opportunities for materials research aimed at performance improvements of structural materials in higher temperature reactors. The workshop focused discussion around the reactor concepts proposed as part of the Generation IV Nuclear Energy System Roadmap. The goal of the Generation IV initiative is to make revolutionary improvements in nuclear energy system design in the areas of sustainability, economics, safety and reliability. The Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Roadmap working groups have identified operation at higher temperature as an important step in improving economic performance and providing a means for nuclear energy to support thermochemical production of hydrogen. However, the move to higher operating temperatures will require the development and qualification of advanced materials to perform in the more challenging environment. As part of the process of developing advanced materials for these reactor concepts, a fundamental understanding of materials behavior must be established and the data-base defining critical performance limitations of these materials under irradiation must be developed. This workshop reviewed potential reactor designs and operating regimes, potential materials for application in high-temperature reactor environments, anticipated degradation mechanisms, and research necessary to understand and develop reactor materials capable of satisfactory performance while subject to irradiation damage at high temperature. The workshop brought together experts from the reactor materials and fundamental materials science communities to identify research and development needs and opportunities to provide optimum high temperature nuclear energy system structural materials.
Cong Tu, Lena Q. Ma, Bhaskar Bondada
Journal of Environmental Quality · 2002
ABSTRACT The unique property of arsenic hyperaccumulation by the newly discovered Chinese brake ( Pteris vittata L.) fern is of great significance in the phytoremediation of arsenic‐contaminated soils. The objectives of this study were to (i) examine arsenic accumulation characterized by its distribution pattern in Chinese brake, and (ii) assess the phytoextraction potential of the plant. Young ferns with five or six fronds were transferred to an arsenic‐contaminated soil containing 98 mg As kg −1 and grown for 20 wk in a greenhouse. At harvest, the Chinese brake produced a total dry biomass of 18 g plant −1 Arsenic concentration in the fronds was 6000 mg kg −1 dry mass after 8 wk of transplanting, and it increased to 7230 mg kg −1 after 20 wk with a bioconcentration factor (ratio of plant arsenic concentration to water‐soluble arsenic in soil) of 1450 and a translocation factor (ratio of arsenic concentration in shoot to that in root) of 24. The arsenic concentrations increased as the fronds aged, with the old fronds accumulating as much as 13 800 mg As kg −1 Most (approximately 90%) of the arsenic taken up by the Chinese brake was transported to the fronds, with the lowest arsenic concentrations in roots. About 26% of the initial soil arsenic was removed by the plant after 20 wk of transplanting. Our data suggest that the arsenic hyperaccumulating property of the Chinese brake could be exploited on a large scale to remediate arsenic contaminated soils.
B. Telsang, S. Djouadi, M. Olama et al.
2018 9th IEEE International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems (PEDG) · 2018
With the increasing demand for energy in day-to-day life, the need for integrating renewable energy is growing. In this paper, we take a step in addressing this challenge by employing solar photovoltaic (PV) energy to maintain indoor temperatures in buildings. The objective we aim to meet is to consume as much of the generated PV energy as possible locally while maintaining the indoor comfort temperatures. We set this objective to reduce wastage of renewable energy and cut down the need for storage devices. We formulate a thermal model of the building Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system and employ the model-free control (MFC) technique to achieve the defined objective. Simulation results illustrate that the performance of the MFC technique, in terms of indoor temperature and total energy consumption tracking errors, is comparable with that of the recently developed augmented model predictive control technique. In addition, the MFC is computationally light and easily deployable on small embedded devices. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between the generated PV energy and the required energy consumption of the buildings, and the results show that this relationship is linear, indicating that the developed framework can be directly implemented for a certain number of buildings given an arbitrary PV profile.
O. Bara, M. Olama, S. Djouadi et al.
2017 North American Power Symposium (NAPS) · 2017
This paper presents a new model-free control (MFC) mechanism that enables the local distribution level circuit consumption of the photovoltaic (PV) generation by local building loads, in particular, distributed heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units. The local consumption of PV generation will help minimize the impact of PV generation on the distribution grid, reduce the required battery storage capacity for PV penetration, and increase solar PV generation penetration levels. The proposed MFC approach with its corresponding intelligent controllers does not require any precise model for buildings, where a reliable modeling is a demanding task. Even when assuming the availability of a good model, the various building architectures would compromise the performance objectives of any model-based control strategy. The objective is to consume most of the PV generation locally while maintaining occupants comfort and physical constraints of HVAC units. That is, by enabling proper scheduling of responsive loads temporally and spatially to minimize the difference between demand and PV production, it would be possible to reduce voltage variations and two-way power flow. Computer simulations show promising results where a significant proportion of the PV generation can be consumed by building HVAC units with the help of intelligent control.
Milad Andalibi, Mojtaba Hajihosseini, M. Gheisarnejad et al.
2020 IEEE 11th International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems (PEDG) · 2020
Today, regarding the increase in using renewable energy resources, DC/DC boost converters have become more popular than in the past, in particular, the multilevel DC/DC boost converter due to its high voltage gain and simple components to implement. However, the constant power loads (CPLs) are contributed to instability in these converters because of the intense non-linear nature of CPLs. This paper intends to address this issue by applying a new method based on a combination of the Nonlinear Integral-Backstepping technique (NIB) and Model-Free Control (MFC) to a DC/DC multilevel boost converter (MBC) in presence of a non-ideal CPL. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed controller theoretical analysis and simulation results are represented.
Y.-X. Zhang, Shao‐Long Zhong, Q. Feng et al.
IET Conference Proceedings · 2021
Metallized film capacitors (MFC) are important devices in many industries, while its voltage drop obstacles the exertion of its energy storage characteristics. Therefore, it has become an important research topic to clarify the voltage drop law of MFC and predict the voltage drop of MFC. At first, this paper gives the voltage drop test circuit of MFC. Then, the classical voltage drop model, power function, 9-order polynomial and smoothing spline are used to fit the voltage drop data, and the voltage drop values are predicted based on the fitting results. At final, fitting and prediction performance of these methods are compared, and the research direction of how to improve the prediction accuracy is pointed out.
Xi Fu, Wenzhou Ruan, Qing Guo et al.
2022 IEEE MTT-S International Wireless Symposium (IWS) · 2022
An ultra-wide band tile-type Transmit/Receive module (T/R module) with the characteristics of high integration, small volume, light-weight is presented in this paper. The proposed T/R module can realize transmit/receive signal amplification, amplitude and phase control. In electrical design, two 2-channels multi-function MMICs (MFC) are applied to provide the amplitude and phase control of RF signal. And it is remarkable that large, the MFC is a three-dimensional (3D) chip which achieved by stacking digital circuits on top of the microwave circuits to increase densities. And 4 RF front modules are applied to realize transmit/receive signal amplification. The designed T/R module provides above 30dB of receive gain with Noise Figure (NF) better than 2.5dB, and up to 40dBm of pulsed power with about 35% of power added efficiency (PAE). In mechanical design, a newly assembly method of 3D vertical interconnection technology in the highly integrated packaging TR module is proposed. Signals transmission between the proposed TR module and the external system are achieved by fuzz-button connectors to form a vertical interconnection structure. The designed 4-channels T/R module is about 38mm38mm*8mm, and the total weight is 30g.
S. A. Verne, Javier Donati
2024 Argentine Conference on Electronics (CAE) · 2024
In this work, a programmable high voltage signal generator for driving macro-fiber composite (MFC) actuators is presented. Peak to peak output voltages on the range of kilo volts is achieved through an H-bridge three-level Neutral Point Clamp (NPC) inverter. The inverter delivers DC and AC output voltages both bipolar or unipolar as required for driving either unimorph or bimorph MFC devices. The modulation of the inverter is based on a level shifted multi-carrier PWM which is implemented by using the motor control module of a low cost ESP32 microcontroller. The complete setup is described which includes DC bus supply, isolated driver modules and output filter.
Hao Sun, Mengqi Zhang, Xinrong Li et al.
Ninth International Symposium on Sensors, Mechatronics, and Automation System (ISSMAS 2023) · 2024
Due to GMR biosensor has the advantages of miniaturization, low-power consumption and rapid detection, so it has a widely application in bacterial, viral and cancer biomarker detection. However, the current GMR biosensor has relatively low detection sensitivity in biotarget detection, that limiting the development in biomedical detection applications rapidly. As we know, the magnetic flux concentrator (MFC) can improve detection sensitivity and resolution of the GMR sensor. So, a new micro-funnel-shaped MFC is proposed for GMR biosensor and analyzed by finite element method (FEM). The MFC shape, size and distribution of magnetic labels were investigated. The simulation results indicate that the signal gain can be increased by 30% with the hypotenuse of MFC. The distribution of magnetic labels was arranged horizontally along the X-axis can generate high magnetic field intensity and the strongest magnetic gain. The simulation results has certain theoretical guidance for high sensitivity GMR biosensors design.
G. Puggioni, A. Carucci, E. Dessì et al.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology · 2022
Sustainable exploitation of coastal aquifers is often hindered by the presence of contaminants and high salinity levels. This study proves for the first time the electro-bioremediation of nitrate contaminated saline groundwater. Two 3-chamber bioelectrochemical systems (BES) were operated in potentiostatic mode for the treatment of a synthetic medium mimicking saline groundwater from the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone of Arborea (Sardinia, Italy). This groundwater is characterised by high nitrate concentrations (>33 mgNO3--N/L) and conductivity (>3.5 mS/cm). The electrochemically active microbial community grown on the surface of the biocathode was able to achieve nitrate removal rates and efficiencies of 6.8±0.4 mg/L·d and 87±2%, respectively. Conductivity significantly decreased (from 4.11±0.2 to 0.17±0.2 mS/cm) by enhancing the electromigration of ions from the middle chamber to the peripheral anodic and bio-cathodic chambers. Under the applied conditions, WHO (World Health Organization) drinking water threshold limits for nitrate (11.3 mgNO3--N/L) and conductivity (2.5 mS/cm) were satisfied. Moreover, high chloride migration was observed (63±7 mg/L·d), suggesting its possible recovery as chlorine in the anodic chamber using a specific electrode (Ti-MMO), within a circular economy-based approach. The results pave the way to the potential development of a new electro-bioremediation technology for water recovery (i.e., simultaneous denitrification and desalination) and sustainable chemicals production (i.e., chlorine).
S. Keller
2021 21st International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers) · 2021
In bioelectrochemical applications, cells are typically incubated on 2D electrodes. The major limitation of this approach is that planar electrode geometry poorly mimics the natural environment of the cells. 3D polymer scaffolds have been developed to provide a more realistic environment for the cells but these structures usually lack integrated sensor functionality to perform in situ measurements in the 3D cell culture. Here, we address these limitations and demonstrate the in situ electrochemical analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in a 3D bone tissue model with integrated electrochemical sensing using 3D pyrolytic carbon microelectrodes. Furthermore, we integrate pyrolytic carbon electrodes on an optical fibre to obtain a leaky optoelectrical fibre (LOEF). With the LOEF serving as a smart scaffold, we demonstrate the combined optical stimulation of optogenetially modified human neural stem cells (hNSC) and electrochemical recording of the resulting release of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Xilai Ma
Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics · 2022
: Due to the potential risks to human health and ecosystems, antibiotics contamination is an emerging environmental concern. Currently, numerous technologies have been widely explored for the removal of antibiotics from wastewater, including membrane bioreactor, biological process, bioelectrochemical system, constructed wetland and microalgae. In this review, the fundamental mechanisms and removal efficiency of such technologies were discussed. Besides, current challenges and further direction of the antibiotic removal are present, in which the recovery of antibiotics was highlighted. Thus, a shift of antibiotics from the removal to recovery would be a focus in the future for the sustainable development of society.
Segundo Jonathan Rojas Flores, Santiago M. Benites, M. D. L. Cruz-Noriega et al.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series · 2024
Microbial fuel cells are a bioelectrochemical technology that uses different types of waste as fuel sources to generate sustainable and environmentally friendly electricity. Various MFCs have been developed, with the electrode used being a crucial problem due to its high manufacturing cost. This research shows that electrodes can be manufactured quickly and economically using activated carbon (100 g), sugar (80 g), ethanol (250 ml), and pine resin (200 g). For its demonstration, grape waste was used in a single-chamber MFC for 35 days. The manufactured electrode generated a Rint. of 18.471 ± 2.475 Ω, whose current density was 8.348 ±0.768 mW/cm2 at a current density of 5.166 A/cm2. The electrical potential shown was 0.889 ± 0.017 V and 4.571 ± 0.061 mA, with an ORPmax of 81.495 ± 1.874 mV, operating at a pH of 7.26 ±0.19. The micrographs made by scanning electron microscopy showed porous surfaces with carbonaceous substances in the final monitoring stage. These preliminary results showed excellent performance of the electrodes, showing their potential for use in MFCs in an economical way.
D. Sepúlveda, M. A. Aroca, Andres Varela et al.
Sensors · 2017
Bioelectrochemical sensing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis through electro-immunosensors is a promising technique to detect relevant analytes. In general, immunosensors require the formation of organic assemblies by the adsorption of molecular constituents. Moreover, they depend on the correct immobilization of the bio-recognition element in the biosensor. These procedures cannot be easily monitored without the use of invasive methods. In this work, an impedance analysis technique was used, as a non-invasive method, to measure and differentiate the manufacturing stages of the sensors. Biomicrosystems were fabricated through physical vapor deposition (PVD) of 80 nm Au nanolayers on 35 µm copper surfaces. Later, the surface was modified through thiolation methods generating a self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) with 20 mM 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) on which a polyclonal antibody (pAb) was covalently attached. Using impedance analysis, every step of the electro-immunosensor fabrication protocol was characterized using 40 independent replicas. Results showed that, compared to the negative controls, distilled water, and 0.5 µg/mL HSA, a maximum variation of 171% between each replica was achieved when compared to samples containing 0.5 µg/mL of ESAT-6 M. tuberculosis immunodominant protein. Therefore, this development validates a non-invasive method to electrically monitor the assembly process of electro-immunosensors and a tool for its further measure for detection of relevant antigens.
H. Maeda, M. Ikarashi, N. Fukushima et al.
SPE Asia Pacific Unconventional Resources Conference and Exhibition · 2015
Abstract As potential CO2 geological storage site in CCS, utilization of depleted oil/gas reservoirs and aquifer has been proposed. The long-term aim of this research is to establish a biotechnological system to microbiologically convert geologically stored CO2 into methane. Our recent study revealed that methanogen and exoelectrogen inhabiting subsurface reservoir are involved in the recently discovered bioelectrochemical reaction called electromethanogenesis (CO2 + 8H++ 8e− → CH4 + 2H2O). In this reaction, methanogen receives proton from reservoir brine and electron from a solid electrode. As a result, reduces CO2 into methane. Required electricity for the methane conversion can be obtained from renewable energy sources such as wind or photovoltaic power generations. Single-chambered electromethanogenic reactors were used for an evaluation. The reactors were inoculated with reservoir brine anaerobically collected from Yabase oil field in Japan. Each reactor headspace was filled with mixed gases of N2/CO2 (80/20). The reactors were incubated at 55°C with an applied voltage of 0.75 V. The reactors produced methane at a rate of 386mmol/day m−2. The current-methane conversion efficiency was almost 100%. On the other hand, no significant methane production was detected in the reactors without applied voltage. To investigate the mechanism of electromethanogenic reaction, the phylogenetic diversity of the microbes on the cathode was analyzed. The result shows, as for archaea, methanogen closely related to Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus dominated. On the other hand, as for bacteria, Thermincola ferriacetica, one of the exoelectrogen, was the dominant spices. Our experimental research demonstrated for the first time that the possibility of bioelectrochemical methane conversion of carbon dioxide by utilizing microbes indigenous to depleted oil fields. The final goal of this research is to establish the "Subsurface Methane Regeneration" system, combining CCS and biotechnology, in which geologically-stored CO2 is converted into CH4 by bio-electrochemical process called "Electromethanogenesis".
Andris R. Abele
1st International Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology Conference · 2003
On-board storage and handling of hydrogen continues to be a major challenge on the road to the widespread commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. QUANTUM Fuel Systems Technologies WorldWide, Inc. (QUANTUM) is developing a number of advanced technologies in response to the demand by its customers for compact, lightweight, safe, robust, and cost-effective hydrogen fuel systems. QUANTUM approaches hydrogen storage and handling as an engineered system integrated into the design of the vehicle. These engineered systems comprise advanced storage, regulation, metering, and electronic controls developed by QUANTUM. In 2001, QUANTUM validated, commercialized, and began production of lightweight compressed hydrogen storage systems. The first commercial products include storage technologies that achieved 7.5 to 8.5 percent hydrogen storage by weight at 350 bar (5,000 psi). QUANTUM has also received German TUV regulatory approval for its 700 bar (10,000-psi) TriShield10™ hydrogen storage cylinder, based on hydrogen standards developed by the European Integrated Hydrogen Project (EIHP). QUANTUM has patented an In-Tank Regulator for use with hydrogen and CNG, which have applications in both fuel cell and alternative fuel vehicle markets. To supplement the inherent safety features designed into the new 700 bar storage tank, QUANTUM’s patented 700 bar In-Tank Regulator provides additional safety by confining the high pressure in the tank and allowing only a maximum delivery pressure of 10 bar (150-psi) outside the storage system. This paper describes initial applications for these hydrogen fuel systems, which have included fuel cell automobiles, buses, and hydrogen refueling stations.
Jing Chen, Juan Ge, Baolin Guo et al.
Journal of Materials Chemistry B · 2016
A conveniently fabricated electroactive nanofibrous composite scaffold serves as a sustained drug release system and promotes myoblast differentiation.
Rocio López‐Leal, Manuel Octavio Fuentez‐Torres, María Esther Sánchez‐Castro et al.
Energy Technology · 2025
Developing cost‐effective technology for overall electrochemical water splitting requires multifunctional nanocatalysts with reduced Pt‐content. In this work, (5 wt%) Pt/carbon nanotubes (Pt/CNT) functionalized with the [(C 6 H 2 (CH 3 ) 3 ) 2 Cu] (labeled as Pt/CNT Cu‐mes ) and [(η 6 ‐C 6 H 5 OCH 2 CH 2 OH)RuCl 2 ] 2 (labeled as Pt/CNT Ru‐dim ) organometallic complexes are implemented for electrochemical water splitting. Pt/CNT Cu‐mes shows high performance for hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER), and oxygen reduction reactions, while the catalytic activity of Pt/CNT Ru‐dim is limited to HER only. Pt/CNT Cu‐mes outperformed 20% Pt/C for the HER and the OER, while sustaining a comparable behavior for the ORR, after accelerated degradation tests. Moreover, Pt/CNT Cu‐mes showed water splitting overpotential () and oxygen potential () comparable (cycle 1) and enhanced (cycle 3000) related to 20% Pt/C. Additionally, the polarization curve of a Pt/CNT Cu‐mes ||Pt/CNT Cu‐mes electrolyzer showed a higher performance and stability compared to one 20% Pt/C||20% Pt/C. The high performance of Pt/CNT Cu‐mes is ascribed to the development of Pt‐Cu alloyed phases and Cu oxides due to functionalization, which in turn led to a modification of its Pt electronic structure as confirmed by the shift of Pt 0 species and upshifting of d‐band center, and a contraction of its interplanar distance, compared to non‐alloyed Pt. Thus, Pt/CNT Cu‐mes revealed a high potential for water splitting/oxygen reactions applications.
Radu RAILIANU
Journal of Experimental and Clinical Surgery · 2020
Introduction. Combined methods of hernioplasty appear to be a promising surgical treatment of inguinal hernias, allowing reducing suture tension due to the contraction and stretching of the abdominal muscles optimized during the operation. This protects the inguinal region from relapse in severe connective tissue dysplasia.The aim of research was to study the influence of the level of connective tissue dysplasia and methods of combined hernioplasty of inguinal hernias on the electroactivity of the abdominal muscles.Methods. The study included 151 patients with inguinal hernias. The electroactivity of the abdominal muscles and the level of severity of connective tissue dysplasia were studied in these patients before and after combined methods of hernioplasty according to Milkovskaya Dmitrova diagnostic scheme; this also includes tension-reducing mechanism.Results. In the preoperative period, the decrease in the parameters of electromyograms compared to the healthy side in the inguinal region was 67.2%, compared to the region over the group of lateral muscles - 55% and compared to the region over the rectus abdominis muscles - 23.6%. The increase in the electrical activity of the rectus muscles against the background of a decrease in the severity of connective tissue dysplasia to the middle and light levels obtained 43.5% and 77.9%, respectively.The average frequency parameters of electromyograms of the abdominal muscles after combined tension-reducing hernioplasty of inguinal hernias seemed to be most significant: in the inguinal regions on the side of the hernia they amounted to 91.95 7.1 vibrations per second, in the region over the group of lateral muscles - 94.61 4.6/s and in the region over the rectus abdominis muscles - 93.7 2.9/s. Moreover, approximately similar rehabilitation of the rectus and lateral abdominal muscles was reported, which allowed balancing oppositely directed tension forces in the abdominal wall.Conclusion. Thus, in patients with inguinal hernias before surgery, the decrease in the electroactivity of the lateral muscle group was more pronounced than the decrease in the electroactivity of the rectus abdominis. The combined tension-reducing hernioplasty of inguinal hernias contributed to the most significant electromyographic rehabilitation of the abdominal muscles.
Iwona Agnieszka Rutkowska, Anna Wadas, Pawel J Kulesza
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2015
Electrochromism in tungsten oxides and related systems has been recognized for long time and has been still of interest for display applications. Redox transitions and related reversible coloration of thin WO 3 films are believed to be controlled by simultaneous injection or removal of electrons and protons. The dynamics of partial reduction (in acid medium) of transparent tungsten(VI) oxides to blue hydrogen tungsten(VI,V) oxide bronzes or lower tungsten(VI,IV) oxides is largely dependent of the oxide morphology, nanostructuring, degree of hydration, or population of colored W(VI,V) or W(VI,IV) sites. For example, by depositing nanorods of tungsten oxide, rather than conventional tungsten oxide, on the ITO conducting glass (or the inert glassy carbon) substrate, the enhancement in the degree of the system's voltammetric reduction in acid medium (0.5 M H 2 SO 4 ) has been observed. Tungsten oxide nanorods seem to be partially and reversibly reduced not only to nonstoichiometric hydrogen tungsten(VI,V) oxide bronzes (H x WO 3 , 0<x<1) but also substoichiometric lower tungsten (VI,IV) oxides (WO 3-y , 0<y<1). Another important issue is the mobility and availability of protons within the tungsten oxide film. We have found that by controlled admixing of tungsten oxide with zirconia nanoparticles both nanostructured morphology and high mobility of protons can be adjusted. The resulting mixed (hybrid or composite) system is well-behaved: redox reactions (which are characteristics of WO 3 ) are fast and reversible despite the presence of semiconducting zirconia (ZrO 2 ). While ZrO 2 is not electroative, WO 3 undergoes redox reactions leading to formation of partially reduced hydrogen bronzes (H x WO 3 ) in which mobility of H + is coupled to electron transfers. The composite material is stabilized through electrostatic attraction between positively charged zirconium oxo cations (ZrO 2+ , ZrOH 3+ , [Zr 3 (OH) 4 ] 3+ ) and anionic tungstates (WO 4 2- in WO 3 *H 2 O or H 2 WO 4 ). Among important issues are: high population of hydroxyl groups and high mobility of protons at surfaces of zirconia (ZrO 2 ) nanostructures in addition to the existence of fast electron transfers coupled to proton displacements in partially reduced tungsten oxides (H x WO 3 ). In a different series of chronocoulometric experiments, diffusion coefficients (for charge propagation) have been determined, and they have been found typically higher for hybrid mixed metal (tungsten(VI)/zirconium(IV) oxide films (close to 10 -7 cm s -1 ). Mechanistic considerations and the results of spectroelectrochemical and diagnostic spectroscopic (e.g. FTIR) experiments will also be provided. We acknowledge collaboration with Christian Perruchot and Mohamed Jouini from ITODYS, Université Paris Diderot, France.
Huajun Tian, Fengxia Xin, Xiaojian Tan et al.
J. Mater. Chem. A · 2014
Highly lithium electroactive hierarchical boron-doped rutile submicrosphere TiO 2 was synthesized by a facile solvothermal method and successfully employed as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.
Saba Navabzadeh Esmaeely, Srdjan Nesic
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2017
Iron sulfides, particularly the two most stable polymorphs: pyrite and pyrrhotite, have captured the attention of scholars due to their semi-conductive properties. Their semi-conductive nature allows for the corrosive species to be reduced at their surface while electrons are transported from the steel surface via their network. Thus, as a corrosion product layer, pyrite or pyrrhotite do not offer sufficient protection to the steel underneath in the form of a mass transfer barrier for corrosive species. In addition, these layers could accelerate the corrosion rate via an enhancement of reduction of corrosive species rate on their surface. The electrochemistry of iron sulfide layers as it is related to the field of corrosion is unclear and the reported data in the literature has not reached a conclusion. Most of the available literature about electrochemistry of iron sulfides reports on their anodic, rather than cathodic behavior. However, it is noteworthy that in the mechanism related to a mild steel corrosion under such layers, the mild steel is the anode, and the iron sulfide layers are the cathode. A much higher cathodic surface area emerges due to the porous nature of these layers, which results in a higher corrosion currents of the mild steel. Therefore, in order to understand their main role on mild steel corrosion, it is important to study the rate of reduction of corrosive species such as: hydrogen (H + ), carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3 ) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) on their surface to investigate their electroactivity. This would extend the current understanding of galvanic corrosion of a mild steel under iron sulfide layers. In the current study, pyrite and pyrrhotite electrodes made from geological specimens were polarized negatively and the results were compared with the data obtained from a mild steel electrode. The experiments were conducted in deaerated aqueous solutions with and without H 2 S at different pH at a room temperature. The experimental results revealed the significance of electroactivity of pyrite and pyrrhotite related to H + , H 2 CO 3 and H 2 S reduction rates. A comparison of their polarization data with a bare mild steel data showed a similar level of electroactivity. The measured data were compared with the calculated data from an electrochemical model developed and validated for a mild steel electrode exposed to aqueous environments with and without H 2 S. The experimental results from the pyrrhotite electrode showed an extra wave on the polarization curves with a distinct limiting current, it remains unclear what this wave represents. The nature of this wave is still under investigation. Figure 1
Hyun-Woo Shim, Byoungyong Im, Soyeong Joo et al.
Archives of Metallurgy and Materials · 2024
In this study, cobalt oxide (Co3O4) powder was prepared by simple precipitation and heat-treatment process of cobalt sulfate that is recovered from waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and the effect of heat-treatment on surface properties of as-synthesized Co(OH)2 powder was systematically investigated. With different heat-treatment conditions, a phase of Co(OH)2 is transformed into CoOOH and Co3O4. The result showed that the porous and large BET surface area (ca. 116 m2/g) of Co3O4 powder was prepared at 200°C for 12 h. In addition, the lithium electroactivity of Co3O4 powder was investigated. When evaluated as an anode material for LIB, it exhibited good electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of about 500 mAh g–1 at a current density of C/5 after 50 cycles, which indicates better than those of commercial graphite anode material.
Yu. V. Pleskov, M. D. Кrotova, E. A. Еkimov
Электрохимия · 2023
The diamond electrodes-compacts with extreme high boron-doping level, added with platinum, were prepared at a pressure of 8―9 GPa and temperature ~2500 К from growth mixtures В–С, Pt–C, and Pt–C–B. They are highly electroactive in the reaction of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid electrooxidation. The oxidation current is a linear function of the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid concentration over the 0.001–0.05 g-equ/L range. This system can be basic to an electroanalytical method for the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid determination.
Terdha Narla, Uma Nudurupati, Yangguang Ou
ChemRxiv · 2025
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), specifically acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, are the most abundant metabolites produced by gut bacteria and play a significant role in brain health and neurochemistry. There is a great deal of interest in measuring how much SCFAs cross into the brain and how they directly affect neurotransmission in a dose-dependent manner. Here we utilize fast scan cyclic voltammetry at carbon fiber microelectrodes to investigate the electroactivity of these SCFAs. Our findings demonstrate that these gut metabolites display a single cathodic and two anodic peaks in the cyclic voltammograms. Two of these peaks (one oxidation, one reduction) respond to changes in scan rate in a manner characteristic of faradaic processes. We varied the holding and switching potentials as well as utilized butyrate analogs to understand the nature of the peaks further. While future optimization will be needed to create SCFA-selective sensors, this work demonstrate the potential for in situ electrochemical detection of these gut metabolites.
A. Gába, Ondřej Kapuš, R. Cuberek et al.
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics · 2015
BACKGROUND Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) is commonly used in research to assess body composition. However, studies that validate the accuracy of BIA exclusively in post-menopausal women are lacking. The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the agreement of multi-frequency (MF)-BIA and single-frequency (SF)-BIA with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the estimation of fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) among post-menopausal women with variation in body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA). METHODS FM and FFM were estimated by BIA and DXA in 146 post-menopausal women with a mean (SD) age of 62.8 (5.2) years. PA was determined by an accelerometer. RESULTS The mean (SD) difference between MF-BIA and DXA was -1.8 (1.8) kg (P = 0.08) and 1.3 (1.8) kg (P = 0.01) for FM and FFM, respectively. SF-BIA provided a significantly lower estimate of FM [-2.0 (2.2) kg; P = 0.04] and a higher estimate of FFM [1.8 (2.4) kg; P < 0.01] compared to DXA. MF-BIA provided significantly better estimates of FM and FFM with narrower limits of agreement than SF-BIA in obese and insufficiently active subjects. In other BMI and PA groups, both BIA devices showed a similar deviation from DXA. CONCLUSIONS BIA tends to underestimate FM and overestimate FFM relative to DXA. MF-BIA appears to be a more appropriate method for the assessment of body composition than SF-BIA in post-menopausal woman with BMI >30 kg/m(2) and in those who are insufficiently active.
D. Petrović, S. Vujkov, B. Petronijević et al.
Vojnosanitetski pregled · 2014
BACKGROUND/AIM The muscles of the orofacial region have great influence on the development of dentition and occlusion formation. It is known that improper function of these muscles is one of the major etiological factors in malocclusion. A correlation between function disorders of orofacial muscle and occlusion disorders has been confirmed, as well as a correlation between the bioelectric activity of the masticatory muscles, recorded by electromyography, and bite force upon maximal voluntary contraction of these muscles. The aim of the study was to analyze the bioelectriacal activity of temporal and masseter muscles. METHODS The sample consisted of 100 subjects of both sexes, divided into the control group (n = 30) with neutral and complete dental arches, and the study group (n = 70) of patients with distal occlusion. Electromyographic measurement of bioelectric potentials in all the subjects was conducted for the examined muscles in the physiologic rest position, central mandible occlusion, and during maximal voluntary contraction of muscles and saliva swallowing, in Angle Class I and II/2 occlusal relationships, prior to treatment, after one year of the orthodontic treatment and after the treatment with an activator. RESULTS Comparing the values of the bioelectrical activity in the control and the study group before the treatment, a decreased muscle activity was established in all the three positions in the study group. After the first year of orthodontic treatment the results showed an elevation in the bioelectrical activity in both muscles. After treatment with an activator, the bioelectrical activity in both muscles in the study group was higher than before the treatment, as it is confirmed by a positive highly significant coefficient of correlation. CONCLUSION In all the three measured positions of the mandible with Angle Class II/2 malocclusion, bioelectrical activity was lowest at baseline and increased during the first year of treatment, and at the end of the treatment it partially reduced close to the approximate values in normal occlusion. Research on electromyographic activity of masticatory muscles is useful in everyday clinical practice, especially in present distinctive skeletal discrepancy before, during and after orthodontic treatment, if on the bases of the results we can evaluate the treatment, but also determine the start and duration of the retention period and retention device type.
T. Halski, Lucyna Słupska, R. Dymarek et al.
BioMed Research International · 2014
Objectives. Evaluation of resting and functional bioelectrical activity of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and the synergistic muscles, depending on the orientation of the pelvis, in anterior (P1) and posterior (P2) pelvic tilt. Design. Preliminary, prospective observational study. Setting. Department and Clinic of Urology, University Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland. Participants. Thirty-two menopausal and postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence were recruited. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, sixteen women aged 55 to 70 years were enrolled in the study. Primary Outcome Measures. Evaluation of resting and functional bioelectrical activity of the pelvic floor muscles by electromyography (sEMG) and vaginal probe. Secondary Outcome Measures. Evaluation of activity of the synergistic muscles by sEMG and surface electrodes. Results. No significant differences between orientations P1 and P2 were found in functional and resting sEMG activity of the PFM. During resting and functional PFM activity, higher electrical activity in P2 than in P1 has been recorded in some of the synergistic muscles. Conclusions. This preliminary study does not provide initial evidence that pelvic tilt influences PFM activation. Although different activity of synergistic muscles occurs in various orientations of the pelvic tilt, it does not have to affect the sEMG activity of the PFM.
D. Chmielewska, M. Stania, G. Sobota et al.
BioMed Research International · 2015
We examined pelvic floor muscles (PFM) activity (%MVC) in twenty nulliparous women by body position during exercise as well as the activation of abdominal muscles and the gluteus maximus during voluntary contractions of the PFMs. Pelvic floor muscle activity was recorded using a vaginal probe during five experimental trials. Activation of transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, and gluteus maximus during voluntary PFM contractions was also assessed. Significant differences in mean normalized amplitudes of baseline PFM activity were revealed between standing and lying (P < 0.00024) and lying and ball-sitting positions (P < 0.0053). Average peak, average time before peak, and average time after peak did not differ significantly during the voluntary contractions of the PFMs. Baseline PFM activity seemed to depend on the body position and was the highest in standing. Pelvic floor muscles activity during voluntary contractions did not differ by position in continent women. Statistically significant differences between the supine lying and sitting positions were only observed during a sustained 60-second contraction of the PFMs.
Francesco Campa, G. Coratella, Giuseppe Cerullo et al.
Journal of Translational Medicine · 2024
The appropriate use of predictive equations in estimating body composition through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) depends on the device used and the subject’s age, geographical ancestry, healthy status, physical activity level and sex. However, the presence of many isolated predictive equations in the literature makes the correct choice challenging, since the user may not distinguish its appropriateness. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to classify each predictive equation in accordance with the independent parameters used. Sixty-four studies published between 1988 and 2023 were identified through a systematic search of international electronic databases. We included studies providing predictive equations derived from criterion methods, such as multi-compartment models for fat, fat-free and lean soft mass, dilution techniques for total-body water and extracellular water, total-body potassium for body cell mass, and magnetic resonance imaging or computerized tomography for skeletal muscle mass. The studies were excluded if non-criterion methods were employed or if the developed predictive equations involved mixed populations without specific codes or variables in the regression model. A total of 106 predictive equations were retrieved; 86 predictive equations were based on foot-to-hand and 20 on segmental technology, with no equations used the hand-to-hand and leg-to-leg. Classifying the subject’s characteristics, 19 were for underaged, 26 for adults, 19 for athletes, 26 for elderly and 16 for individuals with diseases, encompassing both sexes. Practitioners now have an updated list of predictive equations for assessing body composition using BIA. Researchers are encouraged to generate novel predictive equations for scenarios not covered by the current literature. Registration code in PROSPERO: CRD42023467894. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-024-05272-x.
N. D. Sorokina, S. Pertsov, G. V. Selitsky
Epilepsia and paroxyzmal conditions · 2018
Recent studies show that the brain gamma activity includes both the gamma rhythm (standard EEG) and high frequency (100-1000 Hz) as well as super-high (>1000 Hz) frequency oscillations, as recorded by electrocorticography. As reported in the literature, the high-frequency oscillations (80-500 Hz) are highly informative markers of an epileptic focus. In this review, we analyze features of high-frequency activity associated with the epileptiform activity, and its relation to the seizure onset range. Further study of high-frequency bioelectric activity of the brain is of interest to researchers and clinicians, and may improve the EEG differential diagnosis of epilepsy.
Wahib Alrofati, Amir Javan-Khoshkholgh, Rui Bao et al.
2018 40th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) · 2018
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a configurable system that can wirelessly acquire gastric electrical activity called slow waves, and deliver high energy electrical pulses to modulate its activity. The system is composed of a front-end unit, and an external stationary backend unit that is connected to a computer. The front-end unit contains a recording module with four channels, and a stimulating module with two channels. Commercial off-theshelf components were used to develop front- and back-end units. A graphical user interface (GUI) was designed in LabVIEW to process and display the recorded data in realtime, and store the data for off-line analysis. Besides, the gain of the analog conditioning circuit as well as the stimulation pulse configuration is programmable directly through the GUI. The system was successfully validated on bench top. The benchtop studies showed an appropriate frequency response for analog conditioning and digitization resolution to acquire gastric slow waves. Moreover, the system was able to deliver electrical pulses at amplitudes up to ±24 mA and ±12 mA to a load of up to 0.5 k $\Omega $ and 1 $\textbf{k}\Omega $, respectively. This study reports the first high-energy stimulator that can be controlled wirelessly and integrated into a gastric bioelectrical activity monitoring system. The system can be used for treating functional gastrointestinal disorders.