A. Zakari, Irfan Khan

Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies • 2021

ABSTRACT In 2019, Chinese investment rose to $110 billion across all sectors in Africa. However, there are many criticisms that the Chinese presence is a curse to the development of Africa. Hence, we direct our attention to unravel the truth about these allegations by examining the underlying effect of institutional quality and Chinese investment in Africa on energy consumption (EC) and its impact on economic growth. We applied a panel corrected standard error (PCSE) econometric procedure for a selected 21 sub-Saharan African countries. Our results show that energy consumption promotes economic growth. Similarly, the study revealed that the institutional quality and Chinese investment in Africa were the underlying factors for the positive effect of energy consumption and economic growth. Therefore, our results expand the economic growth literature and inform policymakers of the need to pay attention to bilateral trade and investment with China.

Mei Wang, Pei-Fen Yao, Pengjun Sun et al.

Chinese Medicine • 2022

Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of diseases, which are widely recognized in the world. More and more CHMs are becoming increasingly popular in the international markets. However, the quality control of CHMs is a significant issue for their acceptance and recognition in the international market. This review mainly focuses on the quality requirements for CHMs to enter the European Union (EU) market. Both Chinese and European regulations and quality controls are compared. Firstly, the EU medicinal regulatory system and relevant regulations were reviewed. Secondly, the key factors of the quality control of CHMs, including Chinese herbal drugs, extracts and products were compared with those of European herbal medicines in the EU market. Subsequently, three main registration routes for herbal medicinal products including Chinese herbal medicinal products entering the EU were introduced. Furthermore, the legal status of traditional Chinese medicine granules in the EU was also discussed. Through the comparison of the key quality factors for CHMs in China and the EU, the similarities and differences in terms of quality requirements and regulations are addressed, which provides a reference for the development of CHMs into the EU market.

Lai Wei, Zeyu Wang, Nian-cai Jing et al.

Chinese Medicine • 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, accounting for 90% of primary liver cancer) was the sixth most common cancer in the world and the third leading cause of cancer death in 2020. The number of new HCC patients in China accounted for nearly half of that in the world. HCC was of occult and complex onset, with poor prognosis. Clinically, at least 15% of patients with HCC had strong side effects of interventional therapy (IT) and have poor sensitivity to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a multi-target adjuvant therapy, had been shown to play an active anti-tumor role in many previous studies. This review systematically summarized the role of TCM combined with clinically commonly used drugs for the treatment of HCC (including mitomycin C, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, sorafenib, etc.) in the past basic research, and summarized the efficacy of TCM combined with surgery, IT and conventional therapy (CT) in clinical research. It was found that TCM, as an adjuvant treatment, played many roles in the treatment of HCC, including enhancing the tumor inhibition, reducing toxic and side effects, improving chemosensitivity and prolonging survival time of patients. This review summarized the advantages of integrated traditional Chinese and modern medicine in the treatment of HCC and provides a theoretical basis for clinical research.

K. W. Chan, V. Wong, S. Tang

The American Journal of Chinese Medicine • 2020

As of 22 February 2020, more than 77662 cases of confirmed COVID-19 have been documented globally with over 2360 deaths. Common presentations of confirmed cases include fever, fatigue, dry cough, upper airway congestion, sputum production, shortness of breath, myalgia/arthralgia with lymphopenia, prolonged prothrombin time, elevated C-reactive protein, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. The reported severe/critical case ratio is approximately 7-10% and median time to intensive care admission is 9.5-10.5 days with mortality of around 1-2% varied geographically. Similar to outbreaks of other newly identified virus, there is no proven regimen from conventional medicine and most reports managed the patients with lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, beta-interferon, glucocorticoid and supportive treatment with remdesivir undergoing clinical trial. In China, Chinese medicine is proposed as a treatment option by national and provincial guidelines with substantial utilization. We reviewed the latest national and provincial clinical guidelines, retrospective cohort studies, and case series regarding the treatment of COVID-19 by add-on Chinese medicine. We have also reviewed the clinical evidence generated from SARS and H1N1 management with hypothesized mechanisms and latest in silico findings to identify candidate Chinese medicines for the consideration of possible trials and management. Given the paucity of strongly evidence-based regimens, the available data suggest that Chinese medicine could be considered as an adjunctive therapeutic option in the management of COVID-19.

Junning Fan, Zhijia Sun, Canqing Yu et al.

Chinese Medical Journal • 2022

Abstract Background: Few studies have assessed the relationship between multimorbidity patterns and mortality risk in the Chinese population. We aimed to identify multimorbidity patterns and examined the associations of multimorbidity patterns and the number of chronic diseases with the risk of mortality among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We used data from the China Kadoorie Biobank and included 512,723 participants aged 30 to 79 years. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more of the 15 chronic diseases collected by self-report or physical examination at baseline. Multimorbidity patterns were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Cox regression was used to estimate the associations of multimorbidity patterns and the number of chronic diseases with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results: Overall, 15.8% of participants had multimorbidity. The prevalence of multimorbidity increased with age and was higher in urban than rural participants. Four multimorbidity patterns were identified, including cardiometabolic multimorbidity (diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and hypertension), respiratory multimorbidity (tuberculosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), gastrointestinal and hepatorenal multimorbidity (gallstone disease, chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis, peptic ulcer, and cancer), and mental and arthritis multimorbidity (neurasthenia, psychiatric disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis). During a median of 10.8 years of follow-up, 49,371 deaths occurred. Compared with participants without multimorbidity, cardiometabolic multimorbidity (hazard ratios [HR] = 2.20, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2.14 − 2.26) and respiratory multimorbidity (HR = 2.13, 95% CI:1.97 − 2.31) demonstrated relatively higher risks of mortality, followed by gastrointestinal and hepatorenal multimorbidity (HR = 1.33, 95% CI:1.22 − 1.46). The mortality risk increased by 36% (HR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.35 − 1.37) with every additional disease. Conclusion: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity and respiratory multimorbidity posed the highest threat on mortality risk and deserved particular attention in Chinese adults.

W. U. Jiashuo, Fangqing Zhang, L. Zhuangzhuang et al.

PubMed • 2022

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been extensively used as a mainstay for treating various pathologies. Combing the pharmacology and systems biology approaches, the network pharmacology (NP) approach was developed to predict the probable mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of TCM. However, approaches solely based on NP cannot effectively elucidate the curative mechanism in a holistic and reliable manner due to limitations in NP-based methods and complexity of TCM components. Thus, integration strategies combining NP with other approaches are increasingly being used. Since the interdisciplinary research in TCM has received much attention in the advent of the big data era of which the NP-based integration strategy is broadly used, the strategy is clearly elaborated in the present review. We summarized several NP-based integration strategies and their applications in TCM studies, including multi-omics approach, gut microbiota study, chemical information analysis, data-mining, and network toxicology study.

Yi-xuan Yu, Shuo Wang, Zhe-Ning Liu et al.

Chinese Medicine • 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer management and have been widely applied; however, they still have some limitations in terms of efficacy and toxicity. There are multiple treatment regimens in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that play active roles in combination with Western medicine in the field of oncology treatment. TCM with ICIs works by regulating the tumor microenvironment and modulating gut microbiota. Through multiple targets and multiple means, TCM enhances the efficacy of ICIs, reverses resistance, and effectively prevents and treats ICI-related adverse events based on basic and clinical studies. However, there have been few conclusions on this topic. This review summarizes the development of TCM in cancer treatment, the mechanisms underlying the combination of TCM and ICIs, existing studies, ongoing trials, and prospects for future development.

Jin-Fang Chen, Shiheng Wu, Zi-Man Shi et al.

Chinese Medicine • 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with complex pathogenesis, it is prone to metastasis, and its development involves abnormalities in multiple signaling pathways. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, target therapy, and immunotherapy remain the main treatments for CRC, but improvement in the overall survival rate and quality of life is urgently needed. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of preventing and treating CRC. It could affect CRC cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, invasion, autophagy, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance by regulating multiple signaling pathways, such as PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, epidermal growth factor receptors, p53, TGF-β, mTOR, Hedgehog, and immunomodulatory signaling pathways. In this paper, the main signaling pathways and potential targets of TCM and its active ingredients in the treatment of CRC were systematically summarized, providing a theoretical basis for treating CRC with TCM and new ideas for further exploring the pathogenesis of CRC and developing new anti-CRC drugs.

Jia-Hui Liao, C. Hsueh, Bor-Yann Chen

Science Discovery • 2017

For thousands of years, toxicity risk assessment on Chinese medicinal herbs showed that they are "generally regarded as safe" at appropriate dosages. Literature revealed that medical mechanism for human health could be associated with abundant compositions of antioxidants (e.g., polyphenolics and flavonoids). As a matter of fact, some studies disclosed such bioelectrochemical characteristics also strongly depended upon contents of antioxidants. That is, Chinese medicinal herbs contained significant amounts of electron transfer (ET)-associated antioxidants for myriads of uses. As prior studies revealed, decolorized intermediates owned promising ET capabilities; however, such intermediates were originally obtained from artificially synthesized chemicals and could not be considered as environmentally friendly. Thus, using edible medicinal herbs for bioenergy and/or biorefinery applications would be inevitable. This first-attempt study explored technical feasibility using microbial fuel cell-aided wastewater treatment (e.g., the association of antioxidants and dye decolorization and power generation) as evaluation platform. The findings indicated that some Chinese medicinal herbs apparently showed electrochemical capabilities not only antioxdidant activities, but also ET characteristics for sustainable development. In addition, ET capabilities were strongly affected by pH, temperature, dosage and method of extraction. Moreover, extracts of medicinal herbs owned moderate ET capabilities relatively less than tea extracts for bioenergy applications not only in bioremediation, but also functional foods.

Jiefu Wang, Hao Niu, Wenguo Wu

PubMed • 2017

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is a highly promising bioelectrochemical technology and uses microorganisms as catalyst to convert chemical energy directly to electrical energy. Microorganisms in the anodic chamber of MFC oxidize the substrate and generate electrons. The electrons are absorbed by the anode and transported through an external circuit to the cathode for corresponding reduction. The flow of electrons is measured as current. This current is a linear measure of the activity of microorganisms. If a toxic event occurs, microbial activity will change, most likely decrease. Hence, fewer electrons are transported and current decreases as well. In this way, a microbial fuel cell-based biosensor provides a direct measure to detect toxicity for samples. This paper introduces the detection of antibiotics, heavy metals, organic pollutants and acid in MFCs. The existing problems and future application of MFCs are also analyzed.

Lai Xie, Min Yang, Enzhe Yang et al.

PubMed • 2023

To investigate the bioelectrochemical enhanced anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) nitrogen removal process, a bioelectrochemical system with coupled anammox cathode was constructed using a dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Specifically, a dark incubation batch experiment was conducted at 30 ℃ with different influent total nitrogen concentrations under an applied voltage of 0.2 V, and the enhanced denitrification mechanism was investigated by combining various characterization methods such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and high-throughput sequencing methods. The results showed that the total nitrogen removal rates of 96.9%±0.3%, 97.3%±0.4% and 99.0%±0.3% were obtained when the initial total nitrogen concentration was 200, 300 and 400 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the cathode electrode biofilm showed good electrochemical activity. High-throughput sequencing results showed that the applied voltage enriched other denitrifying functional groups, including Denitratisoma, Limnobacter, and ammonia oxidizing bacteria SM1A02 and Anaerolineaceae, Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrospira, besides the anammox bacteria. These electrochemically active microorganisms comprised of ammonium oxidizing exoelectrogens (AOE) and denitrifying electrotrophs (DNE). Together with anammox bacteria Candidatus Brocadia, they constituted the microbial community structure of denitrification system. Enhanced direct interspecies electron transfer between AOE and DNE was the fundamental reason for the further improvement of the total nitrogen removal rate of the system.

Cheng Shang

The American Journal of Chinese Medicine • 1993

Several converging points from recent research results on cellular signal transduction, pattern formation, bioelectromagnetism and acupuncture are reviewed. These converging points indicate the general importance of bioelectrochemical oscillations in morphogenesis and physiology: An organism is not only a system of molecules and cells, but also a system of oscillations. These oscillations precede the morphological changes in development or pathology. Converging discoveries and hypotheses in different fields, and a perspective on their potential application in biomedicine are also discussed in this article.

J. Zamorano, P. Lancellotti, Daniel Rodríguez Muñoz et al.

European Heart Journal • 2016

2-D : two-dimensional 3-D : three-dimensional 5-FU : 5-fluorouracil ACE : angiotensin-converting enzyme ARB : angiotensin II receptor blocker ASE : American Society of Echocardiography BNP : B-type natriuretic peptide CABG : coronary artery bypass graft CAD : coronary artery

V. Kunadian, A. Chieffo, P. Camici et al.

European Heart Journal • 2020

This consensus document, a summary of the views of an expert panel organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), appraises the importance of ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA). Angina pectoris affects approximately 112 million people globally. Up to 70% of patients undergoing invasive angiography do not have obstructive coronary artery disease, more common in women than in men, and a large proportion have INOCA as a cause of their symptoms. INOCA patients present with a wide spectrum of symptoms and signs that are often misdiagnosed as non-cardiac leading to under-diagnosis/investigation and under-treatment. INOCA can result from heterogeneous mechanism including coronary vasospasm and microvascular dysfunction and is not a benign condition. Compared to asymptomatic individuals, INOCA is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular events, repeated hospital admissions, as well as impaired quality of life and associated increased health care costs. This consensus document provides a definition of INOCA and guidance to the community on the diagnostic approach and management of INOCA based on existing evidence from research and best available clinical practice; noting gaps in knowledge and potential areas for further investigation.

C. Durante, L. Hegedüs, A. Czarniecka et al.

European Thyroid Journal • 2023

With the widespread use of sensitive imaging techniques, which include neck visualization, a conspicuous number of thyroid nodules emerge and demand attention. Most lesions are benign, asymptomatic, and do not warrant treatment. In the case of cancer diagnosis, most are small, intrathyroidal and indolent neoplasms that can safely be managed conservatively. There is a pronounced need for more cost-effective, risk-adapted approaches to the management of this highly prevalent condition, taking the wishes of the patient into consideration. Thus, the present guidelines aim at providing a clinical practice guide for the initial workup and the subsequent management of adult individuals harboring thyroid nodules. Importantly, these guidelines are not intended to cover the management of thyroid malignancy. The manuscript and the specific recommendations were developed by reconciling the best available research evidence with the knowledge and clinical experience of the panelists and updating aspects of a number of previous European Thyroid Association guidelines.

A. Timmis, P. Vardas, N. Townsend et al.

European Heart Journal • 2022

AIMS This report from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Atlas Project updates and expands upon the widely cited 2019 report in presenting cardiovascular disease (CVD) statistics for the 57 ESC member countries. METHODS AND RESULTS Statistics pertaining to 2019, or the latest available year, are presented. Data sources include the World Health Organization, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the World Bank, and novel ESC sponsored data on human and capital infrastructure and cardiovascular healthcare delivery. New material in this report includes sociodemographic and environmental determinants of CVD, rheumatic heart disease, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, left-sided valvular heart disease, the advocacy potential of these CVD statistics, and progress towards World Health Organization (WHO) 2025 targets for non-communicable diseases. Salient observations in this report: (i) Females born in ESC member countries in 2018 are expected to live 80.8 years and males 74.8 years. Life expectancy is longer in high income (81.6 years) compared with middle-income (74.2 years) countries. (ii) In 2018, high-income countries spent, on average, four times more on healthcare than middle-income countries. (iii) The median PM2.5 concentrations in 2019 were over twice as high in middle-income ESC member countries compared with high-income countries and exceeded the EU air quality standard in 14 countries, all middle-income. (iv) In 2016, more than one in five adults across the ESC member countries were obese with similar prevalence in high and low-income countries. The prevalence of obesity has more than doubled over the past 35 years. (v) The burden of CVD falls hardest on middle-income ESC member countries where estimated incidence rates are ∼30% higher compared with high-income countries. This is reflected in disability-adjusted life years due to CVD which are nearly four times as high in middle-income compared with high-income countries. (vi) The incidence of calcific aortic valve disease has increased seven-fold during the last 30 years, with age-standardized rates four times as high in high-income compared with middle-income countries. (vii) Although the total number of CVD deaths across all countries far exceeds the number of cancer deaths for both sexes, there are 15 ESC member countries in which cancer accounts for more deaths than CVD in males and five-member countries in which cancer accounts for more deaths than CVD in females. (viii) The under-resourced status of middle-income countries is associated with a severe procedural deficit compared with high-income countries in terms of coronary intervention, ablation procedures, device implantation, and cardiac surgical procedures. CONCLUSION Risk factors and unhealthy behaviours are potentially reversible, and this provides a huge opportunity to address the health inequalities across ESC member countries that are highlighted in this report. It seems clear, however, that efforts to seize this opportunity are falling short and present evidence suggests that most of the WHO NCD targets for 2025 are unlikely to be met across ESC member countries.

M. Fassnacht, S. Tsagarakis, M. Terzolo et al.

European Journal of Endocrinology • 2023

Adrenal incidentalomas are adrenal masses detected on imaging performed for reasons other than suspected adrenal disease. In most cases, adrenal incidentalomas are non-functioning adrenocortical adenomas, but may also require therapeutic intervention including that for adrenocortical carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, hormone-producing adenoma or metastases. Here, we provide a revision of the first international, interdisciplinary guidelines on incidentalomas. We followed the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system and updated systematic reviews on four predefined clinical questions crucial for the management of incidentalomas: A) How to assess risk of malignancy? ; B) How to define and manage mild autonomous cortisol secretion? ; C) Who should have surgical treatment and how should it be performed? ; D) What follow-up is indicated if the adrenal incidentaloma is not surgically removed? Selected Recommendations: 1) Each adrenal mass requires dedicated adrenal imaging. Recent advances now allow discrimination between risk categories: Homogeneous lesions with HU ≤ 10 on unenhanced CT are benign and do not require any additional imaging independent of size. All other patients should be discussed in a multidisciplinary expert meeting, but only lesions >4 cm that are inhomogeneous or have HU >20 have sufficiently high risk of malignancy that surgery will be the usual management of choice. 2) Every patient needs a thorough clinical and endocrine work-up to exclude hormone excess including the measurement of plasma or urinary metanephrines and a 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (applying a cutoff value of serum cortisol ≤50 nmol/l (≤1.8 µg/dl)). Recent studies have provided evidence that most patients without clinical signs of overt Cushing's syndrome but serum cortisol levels post dexamethasone >50 nmol/l (>1.8 µg/dl) harbor increased risk of morbidity and mortality. For this condition, we propose the term 'mild autonomous cortisol secretion' (MACS). 3) All patients with MACS should be screened for potential cortisol-related comorbidities that are potentially attributably to cortisol (e.g. hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus), to ensure these are appropriately treated. 4) In patients with MACS who also have relevant comorbidities surgical treatment should be considered in an individualized approach. 5) The appropriateness of surgical intervention should be guided by the likelihood of malignancy, the presence and degree of hormone excess, age, general health and patient preference. We provide guidance on which surgical approach should be considered for adrenal masses with radiological findings suspicious of malignancy. 6) Surgery is not usually indicated in patients with an asymptomatic, non-functioning unilateral adrenal mass and obvious benign features on imaging studies. Furthermore, we offer recommendations for the follow-up of non-operated patients, management of patients with bilateral incidentalomas, for patients with extra-adrenal malignancy and adrenal masses, and for young and elderly patients with adrenal incidentalomas. Finally, we suggest ten important research questions for the future.

D. Pant, Suman Bajracharya, Srikanth Sandipam et al.

Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2014 Issue 1 • 2014

Background Increasing renewable electricity leads to moments of overproduction coupled to points in time for which not enough production is available to fulfill the needs. In a scenario of 100% renewable energy, about 20% of the yearly production will need to be stored to keep the system in balance. Since the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr (ARRR) cluster is the European region where the highest CO2-emissions are measured (highest production, but also highest population density and energy supply), this region is well positioned to focus on CO2 and 'peak shaving' of renewable energy. Since it is also one of the biggest chemical clusters, the conversion of CO2 into new molecules makes sense guaranteeing that the final balance on energy use and CO2-emissions are lower than in the classical production. We have started an initiative to explore technologies for converting CO2, preferentially coupled to 'peak shaving', to building blocks for the chemical sector. Microbial Electrosynthesis Generation of electric current from the metabolism of organic substrates in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), using bacteria as electrocatalysts was reported. By converting the chemical energy stored in organic substrates to electricity, MFCs can reduce the operational cost of wastewater treatment plants. Recently, a new concept of microbial electrosynthesis has evolved where similar setups, generally known as bioelectrochemical systems (BES), are being used for the production of chemicals. Already the bioelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to acetate has been achieved, as well as the reduction of CO2 to methane and multi-carbon compounds. Efforts are underway to utilize a wide variety of substrates for production of an array of compounds. The key advantage here is the use of excess electricity that is often generated renewably, from solar cells and wind mills, all of which cannot be utilized immediately and can be fed into BES to produce chemicals. We will report our first results with specific bacteria towards bioelectrochemical conversion of CO2 to organic compounds. Acetogens like Sporomusa and Clostridium sps. were experimented for their CO2 reduction capacity at -0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl cathode potential. Adjustment of reduction potential and optimization of cell conditions were carried out in a fed batch reactor with an activated carbon cathode. Production of 67 mg/L ethanol with mixed culture as biocatalyst was the most remarkable achievement. Enzymatic Electrosynthesis Enzymes can also be used for chemical transformations including both the reduction and oxidation reactions. We are using CO2 as substrate for the production of methanol which will have a significant positive impact on environment as well as energy crisis. Electrosynthesis of formic acid was higher at an operational voltage of -1 V vs. Ag/AgCl (9.37 mg L-1 CO2) compared to operation at -0.8 V (4.73 mg L-1 CO2) which was strongly supported by the reduction catalytic current. Voltammograms also depicted a reversible redox peak throughout operation at -1 V, indicating NAD+ recycling for proton transfer from the source to CO2. Product saturation was observed after 45 minutes of enzyme addition and then reversibility commenced, depicting a lower and stable formic acid concentration throughout the subsequent time of operation.

Ayorinde Babatund Fasan, Oluwaseun A. Adelaja, J. Babatola et al.

Asian Journal of Biological Sciences • 2024

The erratic power supply in Nigeria has led to a decline in economic development and a low standard of living for many people within the country. Access to Nigeria’s electricity has been low for a very long time with no improvement in sight. One of the ways of resolving this problem is the provision of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) that can power some of the devices at home. This study investigates some of the electrochemical parameters of the electrolyte in microbial fuel cells. Three identical laboratory microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were constructed with a working volume of 1000 mL for each chamber. The MFCs were constructed in an H-shaped design with both chambers separated by cation ceramic membranes (CEM). Activated carbon materials obtained from white afara tree ( Terminalia superba (TS)), bamboo tree ( Bambusa vulgaris (BV)) and carbon cloth (CC) were used as the electrodes which were dipped into the reactors as MFC-1, MFC-2 and MFC-3, respectively. The electrochemical parameters of the electrolyte were studied. The maximum potential difference being obtained from MFC-1 ( Terminalia superba (TS)) and MFC-3 (carbon cloth (CC)) occurred on day 5 which were 0.510 V and 0.95 V, respectively. The maximum potential difference obtained from MFC-2 ( Bambusa vulgaris (BV)) occurred on day 15 which was 0.2 V. The results generated in this study showed that MFC-3 (carbon cloth (CC)) performed better in terms of voltage generation. The result of MFC-1 ( Terminalia superba (TS)) showed that it performed better than MFC-2 ( Bambusa vulgaris (BV) in terms of voltage generation. The results provide further information on the possibility of using MFCs for electricity generation.

J. Unuofin, S. Iwarere, M. Daramola

Environmental Science and Pollution Research • 2023

Sustainable development and energy security, highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), necessitate the use of renewable and sustainable energy sources. However, upon careful evaluation of literature, we have discovered that many existing and emerging renewable energy systems (RESs) prioritize renewability over true sustainability. These systems not only suffer from performance inconsistencies and lack of scalability but also fall short in fully embodying the principles of sustainability and circular economy. To address this gap, we propose considering microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a viable alternative and integral part of the renewable energy ecosystem. MFCs harness the omnipresence, abundance, and cost-effectiveness of their essential components, making them a promising candidate. Through our comprehensive analysis, we shed light on the limitations and advancements of this technology, which underscore the remarkable potential of MFCs to revolutionize our perception of clean, sustainable energy.

İzzet Yüksek, İlker Karadağ

Renewable Energy - Technologies and Applications • 2021

Owing to factors such as high living standards and digitalization, energy use is growing. However, the proportion of renewable energy sources is also rising in all energy consumption. Given this use of renewable energy, global warming and environmental issues are still rising. Fossil-based energy species are more polluting and resource-stricken than others. Studies on environmental pollution show that fossil-based energies are the most important pollutants. Fossil-based energy source is still the most consumed type of energy. Besides, the renewable energy sources’ consumption is very low. Therefore, it is important to increase the use of renewable energy, which creates cleaner and less emissions. Buildings should have the right clean energy use incentives. The needs such as heating, refrigeration, and lighting can be met by renewable energy. This research aims to explore and demonstrate how renewable energy can profit when fulfilling public building functions. Through using both conventional methods and creative methods together, the rate of use of renewable resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal resources in buildings can be increased. Therefore, major contributions to reducing the environmental issues caused by energy consumption can be made.

Nick Jelley

Renewable Energy: A Very Short Introduction • 2020

Abstract ‘Renewable electricity and energy storage’ addresses the transmission of electricity using high voltage alternating or direct current (HVAC or HVDC), the effect of the variability of renewable energy supplies, and the importance of energy storage. Solar and wind farms are now providing an increasing proportion of electricity on many electricity grids. This is changing the requirements on power plants, requiring fast-reacting generators, interconnectors to other grids, demand response, smart grids, and energy storage. There is a cost in accommodating the variability in supply of electricity from wind and solar farms, and surplus supply can lower revenues and give rise to a ‘missing money problem’. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly important in providing storage for the grid and for electric vehicles. Other storage options are explored, including pumped and compressed air storage, flow batteries, and using electricity to heat or cool water or to generate a combustible fuel (power-to-gas), such as hydrogen, which can be used to provide heat sustainably.

, Preeya Kritthiraput, Kittikorn Sasujit et al.

Engineering and Technology Horizons • 2023

The processing of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) for high-quality animal feed protein is being promoted to transformation at the industry level in Thailand. This is due to the fact that the washing process of BSFL generates wastewater with high organic matter that must be treated. This research was interested in studying the potential of methane production from wastewater in the BSFL washing process that is fed by Inca meal and mixed with inoculum sludge from a swine biogas production system at different substrate and inoculum ratio of 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 by gVS add. The system also controlled the temperature within the mesophilic condition at 35 ± 2°C. The result of this study shows that the optimum ratio which the most biochemical methane potential (BMP) was 1:1 on 45 days of fermentation period. This optimum ratio can also generate the cumulative methane gas production of 401.51 ± 24.42 NmL/gVS add with the highest methane content of 67.90%. The VS removal was 23.76% and the COD removal was 68.51%, which shows the BSFL washing process wastewater can be a substrate for biogas production and further expanded to the industry level.

Xiaofei Zeng, Abhijeet P. Borole, Spyros G. Pavlostathis

RSC Advances • 2016

An MEC bioanode operated under different continuous-flow conditions converts problematic furanic and phenolic compounds to renewable hydrogen.

Nurettin Çek, Aysun Tuna, Ali Çelik et al.

Research Square • 2024

Abstract Plant-based plant microbial fuel cells are introduced as devices that directly convert solar energy into electrical energy through photosynthesis reactions. Plant microbial fuel cells, which are a renewable and sustainable energy source, produce bioelectricity at different levels depending on plant species and characteristics. In this paper, a plant microbial fuel cell was manufactured by planting Aloe vera in natural plant soil and placing graphite electrodes, then it was operated by giving pure water. Thus, an Aloe vera based plant-microbial fuel cell was manufactured and open circuit potential, linear scanning voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests were performed. The peak open-circuit potential generated by the aloe vera-based plant microbial fuel cell was 288 mV, and the peak value of power density reached levels of 200 W/m 2 . The high activation resistance and ohmic resistance of aloe vera-based plant microbial fuel cell triggered total internal resistance, causing it to show internal resistance at levels of 10 kiloohms. The aloe vera-based system demonstrates promising potential for electricity generation, as evidenced by its peak open-circuit potential. However, the high activation resistance and ohmic resistance leading to a total internal resistance of 10 kiloohms highlight areas for improvement to enhance its efficiency and practicality for widespread use. Further research and development are needed to address these challenges and unlock the full capabilities of aloe vera-based P-MFCs.

Paul F. Meier

The Changing Energy Mix • 2020

In an effort to reduce the amount of crude oil used in the United States, a government program was started in 2002 to examine the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. In this application, hydrogen is used in a fuel cell vehicle to produce electricity. This allows a vehicle to enjoy the higher energy efficiency of a battery versus a gasoline-powered vehicle, while avoiding the frequent and long charging times needed for an electric vehicle. There are currently other applications for hydrogen in the United States and the world, primarily in refineries and the manufacture of ammonia. Unlike fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and crude oil, there are no natural sources of hydrogen gas. There are several options for producing hydrogen, such as reforming natural gas or gasifying coal or biomass. Alternatively, a renewable energy source, such as wind or solar, could be used to produce hydrogen via water electrolysis.

Welly Anggraini

Jurnal Pijar Mipa • 2025

This study explores the role of microbial enzymes in the bioconversion of organic waste into renewable energy sources such as bioethanol, biogas, and biohydrogen. Employing a qualitative literature review, this research applies a systematic thematic synthesis to 28 scientific sources, including journal articles, policy reports, and textbooks published between 2018 and 2024. The findings indicate that enzymes such as cellulase, amylase, and lipase play a dominant role in the hydrolysis of organic substrates, breaking down complex biomolecules into glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids. These hydrolysis products are then fermented anaerobically by microbes like Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Clostridium spp. to generate various bioenergy outputs. In addition, the study highlights the importance of biochemical characteristics such as enzyme kinetics, stability, and substrate specificity, which are critical for improving energy conversion efficiency. Operational challenges include high production costs and suboptimal enzyme performance under non-laboratory conditions. However, promising innovations have emerged, including enzyme immobilization techniques, co-fermentation strategies, and the use of genetically engineered microorganisms. Case studies from India, Germany, and Indonesia demonstrate the practical potential of microbial enzyme-based bioconversion systems in transforming agricultural and household waste into valuable energy products. The integration of microbial enzymes into waste management not only reduces environmental pollution but also supports clean energy transition efforts. This research implies the need for policy alignment and educational curriculum integration in environmental science to accelerate public adoption and awareness. This research implies the need for policy alignment and educational curriculum integration in environmental science to accelerate public adoption and awareness.

Paul F. Meier

The Changing Energy Mix • 2020

Geothermal energy is heat taken from below the surface of the earth in the form of either steam or hot water. This energy can be used to generate electricity, but also has use in heating and cooling homes and some direct uses, such as gold mining, food dehydration, and milk pasteurizing. There are four basic types of geothermal power plants including steam, flash, binary, and enhanced geothermal system (EGS). The first three rely on permeable aquifers that have water flowing through them such that hot water or steam can be extracted. EGS, however, extracts heat from deep in the earth by injecting water and creating artificial fractures in the rock. A great deal of the world’s potential for geothermal energy exists in the so-called Ring of Fire, a ring of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean.

Paul F. Meier

The Changing Energy Mix • 2020

Just as a fossil fuel can be burned to generate steam and drive a turbine, biomass can also be burned as a fuel to generate electricity. Biomass comes in many forms, such as wood and wood waste, agricultural waste, municipal waste, and energy crops. In the United States, biomass accounted for 1.5% of electricity generation, and was about 9% of electricity from renewables. Two-thirds of electricity from biomass comes from wood and wood waste. An advantage of using biomass as a fuel is that plants remove carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, thereby recycling the CO 2 made from combustion. The overall footprint of a biomass-to-electricity plant is dominated by the land area needed to grow and harvest the biomass fuel.

Paul F. Meier

The Changing Energy Mix • 2020

A wind farm is a collection of wind turbines, sufficiently spaced to avoid wind interference between turbines. Onshore and offshore are the two basic types of wind farms. The cost of building an offshore farm is greater because of the need for turbines that withstand high wind and corrosive conditions of the sea, plus the expense of installing underwater transmission cables to shore. For an onshore wind farm, the land area for the farm is large, but the direct impact area is relatively small. The direct impact area includes the turbine pads, roads, substations, and transmission equipment, and only makes up about 2% of the total wind farm area. Since the direct impact area is small compared to the total wind farm area, agriculture and ranching can coexist with the wind farm. Wind is a very fast growing renewable energy technology. In the ten years since 2009, the worldwide capacity for wind power increased 276% while US capacity increased 175%.

Paul F. Meier

The Changing Energy Mix • 2020

There are two basic approaches for using solar energy to generate electricity. The first type, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy, uses semiconductors to convert sunlight into electricity. Crystalline silicon semiconductors are the most common type in use. The second approach is called concentrating solar power (CSP), also referred to as solar thermal. Basically, CSP uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight and generate steam, which is used to power a turbine. The most common method employed commercially is the parabolic trough, where the mirrors are horizontally disposed in a parabolic shape. Solar PV is more commonly used commercially because of high capital costs for building a CSP power plant. Solar PV has experienced rapid growth over the last ten years, increasing by more than twentyfold in the United States. Growth for CSP has increased threefold over the same ten years, but no growth over the last four years. Spain and the United States lead the world in commercial CSP plants.

Paul F. Meier

The Changing Energy Mix • 2020

There are two methods for generating electricity from hydropower. The first, and by far the most common, is the use of flowing water to rotate a turbine, which then turns the generator shaft to generate electricity. For this type of “conventional” hydroelectric, there are two general approaches. The first is a storage dam, where water impoundment upstream of the dam is used to make a reservoir to store water, thus creating a vertical drop in water elevation and giving control over water flow. The second is a run-of-river scheme, such that a portion of a flowing river is diverted to generate electricity. The second method for generating electricity is called pumped storage. In this scheme, water is pumped from a lower to upper reservoir in order to store energy in the form of gravitational potential energy to be used later. In this respect, the system is operating as a battery to store energy for future use. The states of Washington, California, and Oregon control about half of the total US capacity.

Ganjar Samudro

Jurnal Presipitasi : Media Komunikasi dan Pengembangan Teknik Lingkungan • 2016

Penggunaan energi yang besar meningkatkan emisi CO2 yang terlepas ke atmosfer. Upaya konservasi energi terus dilakukan dalam rangka meningkatkan kebutuhan energi. Bentuk konservasi energi berbasis renewable energy technology dengan pemanfaatan teknologi microbial merupakan bentuk ideal back to nature dan lebih ramah lingkungan untuk masa depan lingkungan yang lebih baik. Penelitian-penelitian berbasis teknologi microbial dengan basis modifikasi teknologi konvensional dengan advanced menjadi pilihan terbaik dalam capture energi besar, kebutuhan energi nol, revenue listrik tinggi dan biaya operasional yang rendah. Pilihan inovasi teknologi ini membuka wacana pengembangan inovasi teknologi microbial lainnya dan memberikan kontribusi pengurangan emisi CO2 dari suatu proses. Hasilhasil penelitian terbaru dengan reaktor MFCs sebagai salah satu teknologi microbial didapatkan kecenderungan positif dalampemanfaatannya dalam skala yang lebih besar dan aplikatif.

Seyul Son, N. C. Goulbourne

ASME 2010 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems, Volume 1 • 2010

In this paper, constitutive equations to model the electromechanical behavior of shape memory polymers (SMPs) are introduced for the first time. SMPs are unique material that can be transformed into complicated shapes and recover their original shapes even under large deformations [1]. Above their transition temperature, elastic modulus decreases and they can be easily deformed by mechanical or electrical input. Advantage of this behavior is returning to the deformed shape utilizing a triggering temperature without any applied forces. This can be used to actuate the electroactive polymer to restore the deformed shape without applying an electric field [2]. Therefore in this paper, the equibiaxial extension of two different SMPs (PTBA (poly(tert-butylacrylate)) [2] and Sylgard (Sylgard 184)/PCL (poly(ε-caprolactone)) composite [3]) is simulated numerically to demonstrate the electromechanical behavior with respect to mechanical and electromechanical inputs. For simplification, the response of the SMP above the transition temperature is considered, so that material properties are constant and not a function of temperature. The SMPs are considered a fiber-reinforced membrane with two families of fibers, which enable to tune the material properties of SMPs [3]. To describe the constitutive relation of the SMPs, Mooney-Rivlin and Ogden model for isotropic SMPs, as well as Gasser et al model [4] for anisotropic SMPs, are applied. In the numerical computations, the isotropic and anisotropic electromechanical response of PTBA and Sylgard/PCL composite are presented. PTBA shows larger electromechanical effect in the range of stretch 1.5–2.5. Additionally, the effects of the fiber stiffness, angle, and dispersion on the deformation of the SMPs are observed. According to the result, the fiber stiffness can significantly affect on the electromechanical response and fiber angle and dispersion can influence the anisotropic deformation.

Jingwen Wang, Hani E. Naguib, Aimy Bazylak

ASME 2010 8th International Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology Conference: Volume 2 • 2010

In this work, electroactive polymers (EAPs) are introduced as novel materials for the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Polypyrrole (PPy) is selected as a promising EAP for the PEMFC. The fabrication procedures including the polymer solution preparation and the electro-chemical deposition process for producing a thin and porous PPy film are presented. The activation behavior of PPy thin film is observed, and the surface properties are analyzed.

Cláudia A. Silva, Joana Moreira, Marta Fernandes et al.

Polymers • 2025

Indwelling medical devices, such as urinary catheters, often experience bacterial colonization, forming biofilms that resist antibiotics and the host’s immune defenses through quorum sensing (QS), a chemical communication system. This study explores the development of antimicrobial coatings by immobilizing acylase, a quorum-quenching enzyme, on sandblasted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces. PDMS, commonly used in medical devices, was sandblasted to increase its surface roughness, enhancing acylase attachment. FTIR analysis confirmed that acylase retained its three-dimensional structure upon immobilization, preserving its enzymatic activity. The antibacterial efficacy of the coatings was tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) (a common biofilm-forming pathogen), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The results showed that sandblasted PDMS surfaces had improved bacterial adhesion due to increased focal adhesion points, but acylase-functionalized surfaces had significantly reduced bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Notably, the coatings inhibited P. aeruginosa growth by 40% under static conditions, demonstrating the potential of acylase-functionalized PDMS for medical applications. This approach offers a promising strategy for creating antimicrobial surfaces that prevent biofilm-related infections in urinary catheters and other medical devices. The findings highlight the dual role of surface roughness in enhancing enzyme attachment while reducing bacterial adhesion through effective QS inhibition.

Lucinda Elizabeth Doyle, Pui Yi Yung, Stefan Wuertz et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2015

Electrochemically-active microorganisms couple the degradation of organic matter to the production of electricity via extracellular electron transfer. They are usually enriched from sediments via growth at certain potentials, either in microbial fuel cells or in potentiostat-controlled electrochemical cells. Despite the great microbial diversity of sediments from natural and man-made environments, most electrochemical enrichments select a small group of dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms. In this study, we aim to enrich novel electrochemically-active strains in sediments from various equatorial environments. Sediment inocula from urban waterways and mangroves were tested in long-term enrichment experiments at controlled anodic potentials. In addition to the conventional voltamperometric characterisation, the biofilm formed at the working electrode was subjected to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) over a wide range of potentials. EIS of the biofilms revealed several charge transfer routes at different potentials and with different characteristic times. Furthermore, EIS enabled monitoring of the long-term changes of the electroactive biofilm and quantification of the effect of biofilm accumulation on the conductivity of the biofilm/electrode interface. Electrochemical analysis was coupled to metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to reveal novel electrochemically-active microorganisms and to understand their charge-transfer mechanism. The understanding of the microbe/electrode interaction in the sediments will assist in controlling the dynamic of metal cycling in urban sediments. Furthermore, novel electrochemically-active microorganisms will find application in bioremediation and environmental sensing applications.

William M. Aguilera, Mary I. Frecker, Randy Haluck

Volume 2A: 27th Design Automation Conference • 2001

Abstract A model has been developed to design a new active, steerable end-effector for minimally invasive surgery. Active material is incorporated into the surgical instrument to increase the degrees of freedom available to the surgeon. This paper focuses on the modeling of the end-effector using both piezoelectric ceramic and electroactive polymer (EAP) materials. The end-effector design consists of a number of bimorph actuator sections in series with each active layer being individually controlled. Each section may behave as either a bimorph or a unimorph actuator, where in the case of unimorph one of the active layers is passive. By varying the strength and direction of the electric field across each section, a prescribed overall shape can be achieved to allow the user to steer the device. The piezoceramic device is modeled using strain energy methods to predict the quasi-static force-deflection behavior. In the EAP model, experimental data for the electrostrictive P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer is used to model the non-linear relationship between the electric field and the induced strain. Due to the large deflections achievable with the EAP, a model for large deflections beams is also used. Modeling is carried out using MATLAB and then the behavior of piezoelectric ceramic is compared to that of electro-active polymer (EAP).

Lucinda Doyle, Stefan Wuertz, Enrico Marsili

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2014

Sediments are usually enriched in electrochemically active microorganism via growth at defined potential, either in Microbial Fuel Cells or in potentiostat-controlled electrochemical cells. Despite the great microbial diversity of sediments from natural and man-made environment, most electrochemical enrichments select a small group of dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms. In this study, we aim to enrich novel electrochemically active strains in sediments from various equatorial environments. Sediment inocula from urban waterways, industrial area, and mines were tested in long-term enrichment experiments at controlled anodic potentials. In addition to the conventional voltamperometric characterization, the biofilm, formed at the working electrode was subjected to Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) over a wide range of potentials. EIS of the biofilms reveal several charge transfer routes at different potentials and with different characteristic times. Furthermore, EIS enable monitoring the long-term changes of the electroactive biofilm and quantifying the effect of biofilm accumulation on the conductivity of the biofilm/electrode interface. Electrochemical analysis is coupled with meta-genomic and meta-transcriptomics to reveal novel electrochemically active microorganisms and to understand their charge transfer mechanism. The understanding of the microbe/electrode interaction in the sediments will help controlling the dynamic of metal cycling in urban sediments. Furthermore, novel electrochemically active microorganism will find application in bioremediation and environmental sensing applications.

James A. Behan, Ricardo O. Louro, Frédéric Barrière

Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry • 2023

Abstract This article gives an up‐to‐date (2023) account on the bioinorganic basis for extracellular electron transfer (EET) in electroactive bacteria. These microorganisms connect their respiratory metabolism to extracellular solid electron acceptors or donors, typically metal oxides of iron or manganese. Thanks to this peculiar property, electroactive bacteria can develop as biofilms at electrodes, be studied electrochemically, and form the basis of diverse potential applications termed microbial electrochemical systems (MES). The metalloproteins forming the respiratory chain from NADH oxidation to the reduction of the terminal solid electron acceptor are described in detail for the most studied Gram‐negative electroactive strains developed at anodes: Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 and Geobacter sulfurreducens . Although less efficient than their Gram‐negative counterpart and sometimes referred to as weak electricigens, an example of electroactive anodophile Gram‐positive bacteria, Thermincola sp., is also discussed. The key cytochromes involved in the electron transport chain are discussed such as outer membrane c ‐type cytochromes (Omc) and multiheme cytochromes, forming by self‐assembly up to micrometer‐long electron conductive extracellular pili or nanowires. The case of microorganisms that uptake electrons from solid extracellular electron donors is addressed with a highlight on photoferrotrophs and cathodic denitrifying bacteria. Finally, the common strategy developed by different bacteria to electrically connect different types of respiratory metabolism is stressed together with the apparent ubiquity of EET across life domains including archaea.