Article
Energy & Fuels
A. S. Vickram, A. Saravanan, P. Senthil Kumar, P. Thamarai, S. Yasodha, G. Jamuna, Gayathri Rangasamy
Summary: Production of sustainable energy is important for solving energy needs and reducing the impact of fossil fuels on the environment. Biofuels, obtained from various sources including wastewater, plants, and sludge, provide an alternative to non-renewable fuels while reducing CO2 pollution. Further research is needed to explore the use of different monomers in biofuel production. Pyrolysis of microalgae to produce biochar, bio-oil, and synthesis gas is gaining importance, but more analysis is required to improve their quality and yield.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Abdul Mannan Zafar, Muhammad Asad Javed, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Khalid Mehmood, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie
Summary: Algae is a suitable natural resource for optimizing the use of undesired ions in water and wastewater, especially in high salinity environments. Salt-tolerant algae exhibit high growth rates and significant ion removal capacities, contributing to improved water treatment efficiency.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Roshni Paul, Alla Silkina, Lynsey Melville, Sri Suhartini, Michael Sulu
Summary: This study compared the anaerobic digestion remediation of two marine algal biomass species, Tetraselmis suecica and Nannochloropsis oceanica, and found that Tetraselmis suecica had better methane production potential. Ultrasound treatment had a slight impact on the methane production potential of both Nannochloropsis oceanica and Tetraselmis suecica biomass, but ultrasound techniques can still be recommended for effective bioenergy production.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fong-Lee Ng, Siew-Moi Phang, Cheng-Han Thong, Vengadesh Periasamy, Jeccy Pindah, Kamran Yunus, Adrian C. Fisher
Summary: This study focused on utilizing microalgae for bioremediation of palm oil mill effluent (POME) and developing an algal-biophotovoltaic device to generate bioelectricity. Results showed that culturing microalgae in POME improved growth rate and photosynthetic performance.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Peng Lu, Zhuang Zhuo, Wenhao Zhang, Tengfei Sun, Jing Tang, Jingqi Lu
Summary: The influences of the focusing geometry and axial focusing position of the second laser pulse on DP-LIBS were investigated. The results show that the focusing geometry and axial focusing position play important roles in the emission intensity and repeatability of the DP-LIBS signal. By optimizing the focusing geometry and axial focusing position, emission enhancement and better signal repeatability can be achieved.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Huace Wu, Cong Li, Ding Wu, Jiamin Liu, Zhonglin He, Qianhui Li, Shu Yuan, Xiaoqian Cui, Ran Hai, Hongbin Ding
Summary: A LIBS system with a coaxial collection configuration based on the linear array fiber bundle was developed to investigate the features of laser-induced tungsten (W) plasma spectra at variable laser ablation angles (LAAs) under vacuum conditions. The results showed that the intensity of the W I line decreased faster than W II with increasing LAAs, and the continuum background emission propagated mainly along the direction of the incident laser. The findings will further enhance understanding of the spatial evolution of LIBS plasma at variable LAAs in order to optimize the current collection system in the nuclear fusion device of EAST.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Melany Villegas-Valencia, Ricardo E. Gonzalez-Portela, Barbara Bastos de Freitas, Abdulaziz Al Jahdali, Gabriel I. Romero-Villegas, Raghdah Malibari, Rahul Vijay Kapoore, Claudio Fuentes-Grunewald, Kyle J. Lauersen
Summary: The west coast of the Arabian Peninsula is located next to the Red Sea, which has high temperatures and increased salinity compared to other bodies of water. This geography provides resources that can be used for algal biotechnology in circular economy. However, the extreme summer conditions in this region may not be suitable for most microalgae species. C. merolae 10D, a polyextremophilic red algae, has shown potential for cultivation in this environment due to its ability to tolerate high temperatures and acidity.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Junneng Wen, Kent Rapp, Lukas R. Dahlin, Chien-Ting Li, Jacob Sebesta, Amanda N. Barry, Michael T. Guarnieri, Christie Peebles, Michael Betenbaugh
Summary: Algal technology holds great potential as a source of renewable biomass and bioproducts, but also faces significant challenges. The recent workshop aimed to bring together thought leaders to identify key challenges and propose research strategies to overcome these barriers in algae engineering and cultivation. Themes such as genetic engineering, metabolomics, algal ecology, and data analytics emerged from the discussion.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Nuclear Science & Technology
Aurelien Favre, Vincent Morel, Arnaud Bultel, Gilles Godard, Said Idlahcen, Abdenacer Benyagoub, Isabelle Monnet, Alexandre Semerok, Maria Dinescu, Sabina Markelj, Philippe Magaud, Christian Grisolia
Summary: The LIBS method is used to determine the multi-elemental composition of solid samples, and the double pulse configuration can improve precision. This paper presents preliminary results of double pulse configuration on fusion-relevant materials.
FUSION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ayumu Matsumoto, Yusuke Shimazu, Shinji Yae, Tetsuo Sakka
Summary: In this study, the signal fluctuation of underwater laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (underwater LIBS) was investigated by analyzing a copper plate immersed in a sodium chloride solution. Strong correlations were found between the signal intensity and the collapse time of the laser-induced bubble. The signal fluctuation caused by repeated irradiation was successfully reduced through normalization with bubble collapse time.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ines P. E. Macario, Sonia P. M. Ventura, Fernando J. M. Goncalves, Mario A. Torres-Acosta, Joana L. Pereira
Summary: Global warming and human-induced degradation of water quality are identified as main causes of the global increase in harmful algal blooms (HABs). Cyanobacteria, major components of HABs, can lead to ecological, economic, and human health issues. Utilizing cyanobacteria biomass for high-value products could create a win-win relationship between environmental and economic sustainability in water quality management.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Guillermo Quintana-Silva, Hugo Sobral, Jesus Rangel-Cardenas
Summary: Orthogonal reheating double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to analyze the elements in CdTe thin film samples. The double-pulse scheme produced higher temperature values and a longer plasma duration than single-pulse LIBS. The results showed a significant increase in emission intensity and a reduction in self-absorption effect, leading to more accurate elemental values for the thin films.
Article
Spectroscopy
Minchao Cui, Yoshihiro Deguchi, Guoxi Li, Zhenzhen Wang, Haorong Guo, Zixiong Qin, Changfeng Yao, Dinghua Zhang
Summary: In this study, the long-short double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LS-DPLIBS) technique was used to generate Fraunhofer-type signal, which was then employed for quantitative analysis of manganese concentrations in submerged steel samples. A linear relationship between OD values and Mn concentrations was established through calibration curve, showing the potential of Fraunhofer-type absorption lines in quantitative measurement of submerged solid samples.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B-ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xinyu Gan, Holger Klose, Diana Reinecke
Summary: This study investigates and optimizes the nutrient remediation efficiency of an inexpensive algal biofilm reactor (ATS) for wastewater treatment. The results show that under specific growth conditions, the ATS can effectively remove total phosphorous and total nitrogen from wastewater while significantly improving biomass productivity.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dimitrios Kaloudas, Nikolet Pavlova, Robert Penchovsky
Summary: The high rate of depletion of fossil fuels and the negative effects have led to a call for biofuels. Plant, algae and microbes are renewable biomasses for biofuel generation. Microalgae show promise for combined biofuel production, wastewater treatment and CO2 fixation. Metabolic engineering can improve strains for biofuel production.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Katarina Rebrosova, Silvie Bernatova, Martin Siler, Magdalena Uhlirova, Ota Samek, Jan Jezek, Veronika Hola, Filip Ruzicka, Pavel Zemanek
Summary: Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections worldwide. This study demonstrates that Raman spectroscopy can be used as a rapid diagnostic tool to differentiate causative agents and determine antimicrobial susceptibility. It holds great potential for clinical diagnostics in the future.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
David Prochazka, Pavel Porizka, Jakub Hruska, Karel Novotny, Ales Hrdlicka, Jozef Kaiser
Summary: This study aims to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) that can predict the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of selected spectral lines based on specific experimental parameters and sample properties. The ANN was trained using a large number of measurements from different materials and optimized for performance. It was found that at least 20 combinations of experimental parameters are necessary for one matrix to obtain reasonable performance of the ANN. However, only ten combinations are needed when a new matrix is added. The prediction accuracy is poor for spectral lines not included in the training data. The ANN was used to predict the SNR of selected spectral lines and discuss the values in relation to sample properties.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jakub Laznovsky, Adam Brinek, Tomas Zikmund, Marketa Boudova, Lucy Vojtova, Jana Dorazilova, Martin Trunec, Premysl Stastny, Milan Krticka, Ladislav Planka, Daniel Ira, Martin Faldyna, Jozef Kaiser
Summary: This paper presents an automatic approach for evaluating the spinal fusion in pigs, which is based on the determination of the fused area and quantitatively determining the fusion quality. The proposed method has the potential to establish a standard approach for evaluating fusion quality in ex-vivo samples.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thibault Bouderlique, Julian Petersen, Louis Faure, Daniel Abed-Navandi, Anass Bouchnita, Benjamin Mueller, Murtazo Nazarov, Lukas Englmaier, Marketa Tesarova, Pedro R. Frade, Tomas Zikmund, Till Koehne, Jozef Kaiser, Kaj Fried, Christian Wild, Olga Pantos, Andreas Hellander, John Bythell, Igor Adameyko
Summary: Research has revealed that corals can connect individual polyps and form a coral colony through complex liquid flow networks on the surface and branching flow systems inside the colony. These networks and systems play important roles in the growth, nutrient supply, and symbiont transfer of corals.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
K. Meixner, C. Daffert, D. Dalnodar, K. Mrazova, K. Hrubanova, V Krzyzanek, J. Nebesarova, O. Samek, Z. Sedrlova, E. Slaninova, P. Sedlacek, S. Obruca, I Fritz
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the metabolic response of Synechocystis strains, particularly in terms of PHB, glycogen and photoactive pigment dynamics, under salt stress. The results showed that the salt-tolerant strain Synechocystis cf. salina CCALA192 exhibited the highest PHB accumulation and the strongest tolerance to salt stress.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Polina Kameneva, Victoria Melnikova, Maria Eleni Kastriti, Anastasia Kurtova, Emil Kryukov, Aliia Murtazina, Louis Faure, Irina Poverennaya, Artem Artemov, Tatiana S. Kalinina, Nikita Kudryashov, Michael Bader, Jan Skoda, Petr Chlapek, Lucie Curylova, Lukas Sourada, Jakub Neradil, Marketa Tesarova, Massimo Pasqualetti, Patricia Gaspar, Vasily D. Yakushov, Boris Sheftel, Tomas Zikmund, Jozef Kaiser, Kaj Fried, Natalia Alenina, Elena E. Voronezhskaya, Igor Adameyko
Summary: Adrenal glands regulate stress response by releasing catecholamines, and the local release of serotonin during adrenal development could affect the number of adrenal cells, thus impacting neuroblastoma development and stress-related maternal effects on offspring.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Y. Arita, G. D. Bruce, E. M. Wright, S. H. Simpson, P. Zemanek, K. Dholakia
Summary: We have demonstrated a method of all-optical sympathetic cooling of a laser-trapped microsphere to sub-Kelvin temperatures, achieved through optical binding with a feedback-cooled adjacent particle. Our study opens up possibilities for multi-particle quantum entanglement and sensing in levitated optomechanics.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Marketa Bosakova, Pablo Purohit, Cesar Alvarez-Llamas, Javier Moros, Karel Novotny, Javier Laserna
Summary: This study experimentally examined the impact of different parameters internal and external to the sample on the final acoustic signal from laser-induced plasmas and systematically studied the influence of inherent variables of the sample, as well as evaluated the modulation of soundwave induced by the surroundings of the probed target and the anisotropy of the acoustic signal due to the angle at which the plasma is formed.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Marketa Benesova, Silvie Bernatova, Filip Mika, Zuzana Pokorna, Jan Jezek, Martin Siler, Ota Samek, Filip Ruzicka, Katarina Rebrosova, Pavel Zemanek, Zdenek Pilat
Summary: Efficient separation and identification of pathogenic bacterial strains is crucial for modern society, with applications in medical diagnostics, drug discovery, biodefense, and food safety. A fast and reliable method for antibody-based immobilization of bacteria onto a gold-plated glass surface, followed by detection using strain-specific antibodies linked to SERS-tags, was developed. The procedure utilizes accessible and affordable materials, and shows potential for rapid identification of bacterial pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
Katerina Mrazova, Jaromir Bacovsky, Zuzana Sedrlova, Eva Slaninova, Stanislav Obruca, Ines Fritz, Vladislav Krzyzanek
Summary: Sample preparation protocols for TEM usually rely on staining agents containing heavy metals, but the toxicity and waste disposal issues of uranyl acetate have led to calls for its reduction or replacement. Low-voltage electron microscopy is a strategy for uranyless imaging. This study investigated the influence of different imaging and staining strategies on cyanobacterial cells using TEM with different accelerating voltages, as well as scanning transmission electron microscopy.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Megha Mohan, Jakub Buday, David Prochazka, Pavel Gejdos, Pavel Porizka, Jozef Kaiser
Summary: In recent years, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has been recognized as a powerful technique for elemental imaging of samples. However, analyzing heterogeneous samples with multiple matrices poses new challenges. In this study, the behavior of plasma plumes at the boundary of two well-defined matrices was investigated using a combination of three-dimensional plasma imaging, spectroscopy, and Mach-Zehnder interferometry. The findings provide valuable insights into the factors that need to be considered when mapping fine heterogeneous structures using LIBS.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Erik Kepes, Jakub Vrabel, Tomas Brazdil, Petr Holub, Pavel Porizka, Jozef Kaiser
Summary: Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is commonly used in high-stakes applications and is often coupled with machine learning models such as artificial neural networks (ANNs). In this study, various interpretation techniques were applied to understand the decision-making process of convolutional neural networks in LIBS. The trained networks predominantly learned spectroscopic features corresponding to the major oxides found in the calibration targets.
Proceedings Paper
Optics
Silvie Bernatova, Martin Kizovsky, Maria G. Donato, Antonino Foti, Ota Samek, Jan Jezek, Onofrio M. Marago, Pavel Zemanek, Pietro G. Gucciardi
Summary: Optical nano-printing enables the printing of various nanoparticles into arbitrary configurations, utilizing optical forces to push the particles onto a substrate. It can be used to create a sensitive sensor, called an active aggregate, for detecting low concentrations of dyes or plastic nanoparticles.
22ND POLISH-SLOVAK-CZECH OPTICAL CONFERENCE ON WAVE AND QUANTUM ASPECTS OF CONTEMPORARY OPTICS
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Ocean
Silvie Bernatova, Martin Kizovsky, Maria Grazia Donato, Antonino Foti, Pavel Zemanek, Ota Samek, Onofrio M. Marago, Jan Jezek, Pietro G. Gucciardi
Summary: This article reports a new optical method for detecting the presence of nanoplastics by using optical aggregation. By utilizing the optical nanoimprinting of plasmonic metal nanoparticles, the detection sensitivity for nanoparticles and molecules can be enhanced.
2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON METROLOGY FOR THE SEA LEARNING TO MEASURE SEA HEALTH PARAMETERS (METROSEA)
(2022)
Article
Spectroscopy
Piyali Deb Barman, Ashok Kumar Maurya, Subhendu Ghosh, Ankit Roy, Mukul Madaan
Summary: In X-ray spectroscopic studies, K beta 1,3 lines have been used to examine the chemical states of 3d transition metals, but are not suitable for characterizing iron oxides. Instead, FeL-lines, which involve the valence shell 3d electrons, were inspected and found to provide information on the chemical states of iron. The study established a linear relationship between the chemical shift of FeL beta 1 line and spin multiplicity, allowing for the speciation of iron.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B-ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY
(2024)
