Lenzing (Austria)

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a quarantine pathogen heavily affecting economically important crops worldwide. Different sequence types (STs) belonging to Xf subspecies are present in various areas of Spain, including the Balearic Islands, and cause the almond leaf scorch disease (ALSD) in Prunus spp. The increased demand for rapid tests for early detection of the pathogen should enforce strict containment measures. Molecular detection through isothermal amplification reactions enables simplified instrumentation and the use of raw nucleic acid extracts. Colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (cLAMP) was applied to rapidly detect Xf in naturally infected almonds on Mallorca Island (Spain), using a quick crude sap extraction without DNA purification. Following tissue homogenization, an alkaline treatment for target DNA extraction was conducted before the cLAMP test. The cLAMP assay was able to detect up to 100 CFU/mL of the Xf bacterial suspension diluted in healthy almond sap. The same crude extracts used in the cLAMP test were also tested by qPCR. An overall positive agreement of about 47% was observed between the results of the two techniques, while a decrease in cLAMP sensitivity was evident as the bacterial titer declined in infected plants over Cq > 26–27. This study shows the potential of the cLAMP application as a rapid and low-cost point-of-care diagnostic method for the timely monitoring of Xf directly in the field.

BackgroundMultivariate calibration by Partial Least Squares (PLS) on near-infrared data has been applied successfully in several industrial sectors, including pulp and paper. The creation of multivariate calibration models relies on a set of well-characterised samples that cover the range of the intended application. However, sample sets that originate from an industrial process often show an uneven distribution of reference values. This can be addressed by curation of the reference data and the methodology for multivariate calibration. It needs to be better understood, how these approaches affect the quality and scope of the final model. ResultsWe describe the effect of log10 transformation of the reference values, regular PLS, robust PLS, the newly introduced bin PLS, and their combinations to select more evenly distributed reference values for the quantification of five pulp characteristics (kappa number, R18, R10, cuen viscosity, and brightness; 200 samples) by near-infrared spectroscopy. The quality of the models was assessed by root mean squared error of prediction, calibration range, and coverage of sample types. The best models yielded uncertainty levels equivalent to that of the reference measurement. The optimal approach depended on the investigated reference value. SignificanceRobust PLS commonly gives the model with the lowest error, but this usually comes at the cost of a notably reduced calibration range. The other approaches rarely impacted the calibration range. None of them stood out as superior; their performance depended on the calibrated parameter. It is therefore worthwhile to investigate various calibration options to obtain a model that matches the requirements of the application without compromising calibration range and sample coverage.

The prehydrolysis liquor from the prehydrolysis Kraft process is rich in sugars and could thus serve as a sustainable feedstock for the production of various chemicals. However, its industrial utilization is impeded by the presence of fermentation inhibitors and extensive lignin precipitation, the latter receiving only little attention in the literature.In order to provide a feedstock suitable for biotechnological or chemical conversion, the prehydrolysis liquor from eucalyptus wood must be detoxified whilst preventing the precipitation of lignin. To increase the yield of monomeric sugars, acid posthydrolysis should be investigated.Various solvents and solvent mixtures were screened for the high temperature liquid–liquid extraction of isothermally separated prehydrolysis liquor. Their capability to prevent lignin precipitation and to extract fermentation inhibitors was assessed using mass balances and size-exclusion chromatography. Based on the solvent screening, a process for simultaneous posthydrolysis and liquid–liquid extraction of eucalyptus prehydrolysis liquor was proposed and investigated using statistic experimental design.Liquid–liquid extraction using aliphatic alcohols effectively prevents lignin precipitation, and the addition of 25% (w/w) tri-n-octylamine was found to increase the overall inhibitor extraction efficiency. The conditions for the simultaneous posthydrolysis were investigated using a Box-Behnken experimental design, allowing for a maximum monomeric sugar yield of 83.0% at a sugar purity of 91.6%.The simultaneous posthydrolysis and liquid-liquid extraction (SIMPLLE) process thus avoids industrial-level problems associated with lignin precipitation. It provides a carbohydrate-rich stream with low levels of fermentation inhibitors, enabling further conversion to value added products.

Photovoltaic modules with glass/glass configuration can overcome some problems typical of glass/polymer backsheet modules by limiting, for instance, moisture ingress. However, it is necessary to adapt the bill of materials to extend the lifetime of glass/glass PV modules and to improve their reliability. The application of an edge seal and the use of encapsulants alternative to ethylene vinyl acetate might reduce the issues connected to humidity ingress and acetic acid production during exposure in the field. This study is focused on the analysis of the performance of test coupons laminated with four different encapsulants and exposed to damp heat test.

Simple SummaryTo evaluate the best possible treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma—a cancer whose development is associated with asbestos exposure—an analysis of 112 consecutive patients treated at a high-volume center in Vienna (Austria) was conducted. The average survival of all patients was 16.9 months after diagnosis. Of the patients who underwent combined chemotherapy and lung-preserving surgery, 29% were still alive 5 years after diagnosis. In statistical analysis, combined chemotherapy and surgery, epithelioid tumor subtype, early tumor stage and the absence of relevant comorbidities were found to be favorable factors for survival. Therefore, the best possible treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma should incorporate multiple therapeutic approaches.Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare pleural cancer associated with asbestos exposure. According to current evidence, the combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy improves patients’ survival. However, the optimal sequence and weighting of the respective treatment modalities is unclear. In anticipation of the upcoming results of the MARS-2 trial, we sought to determine the relative impact of the respective treatment modalities on complications and overall survival in our own consecutive institutional series of 112 patients. Fifty-seven patients (51%) underwent multimodality therapy with curative intent, while 55 patients (49%) were treated with palliative intent. The median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 16.9 months (95% CI: 13.4–20.4) after diagnosis; 5-year survival was 29% for patients who underwent lung-preserving surgery. In univariate analysis, surgical treatment (p < 0.001), multimodality therapy (p < 0.001), epithelioid subtype (p < 0.001), early tumor stage (p = 0.02) and the absence of arterial hypertension (p = 0.034) were found to be prognostic factors for OS. In multivariate analysis, epithelioid subtype was associated with a survival benefit, whereas the occurrence of complications was associated with worse OS. Multimodality therapy including surgery significantly prolonged the OS of MPM patients compared with multimodal therapy without surgery.

Nanofiltration is considered to be an appropriate separation technique in the production of bio-based materials. For the utilization of process streams from the viscose-fiber production, understanding the separation behavior of organic compounds in highly alkaline solutions is necessary. Experiments with succinic acid in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions with varying concentrations up to 5 mol L−1 were performed with the NP030 membrane from Microdyn Nadir. Furthermore, experiments with aqueous disodium succinate and solutions of sodium sulfate in sodium hydroxide were carried out. The influence of concentration ratios and temperature was studied. The Spiegler and Kedem model as well as the Pusch model were applied to fit the experimental data. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared (ATR–IR) measurements were performed to validate the chemical and thermomechanical stability of the membrane. The succinic acid retention varies with its degree of dissociation. In a fully dissociated form, the NaOH concentration shows no impact on the retention. In contrast, the retention of sulfate decreases with increasing NaOH concentration.

In this paper, a simple yet versatile modelling approach for sinusoidal pressure oscillations in an industrial multi-stage condensation system and different control schemes for suppression are presented. The investigated condensation system is embedded in an extensive extraction system and is used to separate a hazardous substance out of a gas mixture. The main problem is posed by unknown and unmeasured process disturbances which may ultimately lead to pressure peaks exceeding the ambient pressure. When an over-pressure occurs, the hazardous substance may escape, and a safety shut-down is triggered. A surrogate model, based on observations and the physical motivation that a gas flow contains kinetic and potential energy, is developed. The model is then based on the momentum and the ideal gas equation. The validation shows a good agreement with measurements in the time and frequency domain. To suppress the oscillations and guarantee an under-pressure in the system a linear output feedback controller, an adaptive algorithm for rejection of sinusoidal disturbances and an LQR-Controller with integration of the control error are compared. The simulation shows that the readily implementable linear output feedback control scheme sufficiently suppresses the oscillations and safely keeps the pressure in the under-pressure range.