Potential of eNose Technology for Monitoring Biological CO_(2) Conversion Processes

Electronic nose(eNose) is a modern bioelectronic sensor for monitoring biological processes that convert CO_(2) into valueadded products, such as products formed during photosynthesis and microbial fermentation. eNose technology uses an array of sensors to detect and quantify gases, including CO_(2), in the air. This study briefly introduces the concept of eNose technology and potential applications thereof in monitoring CO_(2) conversion processes. It also provides background information on biological CO_(2) conversion processes. Furthermore, the working principles of eNose technology vis-à-vis gas detection are discussed along with its advantages and limitations versus traditional monitoring methods. This study also provides case studies that have used this technology for monitoring biological CO_(2) conversion processes. eNose-predicted measurements were observed to be completely aligned with biological parameters for R~2 values of 0.864, 0.808, 0.802, and 0.948. We test eNose technology in a variety of biological settings, such as algae farms or bioreactors, to determine its effectiveness in monitoring CO_(2) conversion processes. We also explore the potential benefits of employing this technology vis-à-vis monitoring biological CO_(2) conversion processes, such as increased reaction efficiency and reduced costs versus traditional monitoring methods. Moreover, future directions and challenges of using this technology in CO_(2) capture and conversion have been discussed. Overall, we believe this study would contribute to developing new and innovative methods for monitoring biological CO_(2) conversion processes and mitigating climate change.

Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Peroxide Low- Temperature Plasma Sterilization Using Different Monitoring Methods

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the application value of biological monitoring and different types of chemical indicator cards in batch monitoring of hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization.The goal is to standardize the selection of loading conditions for this sterilization method and avoid positive biological monitoring results.Methods:Physical monitoring,Class I chemical indicator card monitoring,Class IV chemical indicator card monitoring,and biological monitoring were used to monitor the hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization process.The sterilization effect on instruments inside the Johnson&Johnson 100S plasma sterilizer was monitored and the qualification of various monitoring methods was compared.Results:The comparison showed that when non-standard or adsorption-prone packaging materials were used,the interception rate of biological monitoring and Class IV chemical indicator cards was significantly higher than that of physical monitoring and Class I chemical indicator cards.These methods more intuitively and effectively detected sterilization failures.Conclusion:Biological monitoring and Class IV chemical indicator cards are safe,fast,accurate,and easy to interpret in hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization,especially for monitoring instruments inside packages.They provide a reliable basis for the release of sterilized instrument packages.Identifying the reasons for positive biological monitoring results in hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization and taking effective measures promptly can minimize associated risks.

Neurotoxicity and Biomarkers of Lead Exposure: a Review

Appropriate selection and measurement of lead biomarkers of exposure are critically important for health care management purposes,public health decision making,and primary prevention synthesis.Lead is one of the neurotoxicants that seems to be involved in the etiology of psychologies.Biomarkers are generally classified into three groups:biomarkers of exposure,effect,and susceptibility.The main body compartments that store lead are the blood,soft tissues,and bone;the half-life of lead in these tissues is measured in weeks for blood,months for soft tissues,and years for bone.Within the brain,lead-induced damage in the prefrontal cerebral cortex,hippocampus,and cerebellum can lead to a variety of neurological disorders,such as brain damage,mental retardation,behavioral problems,nerve damage,and possibly Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and schizophrenia.This paper presents an overview of biomarkers of lead exposure and discusses the neurotoxic effects of lead with regard to children and adults.

Assemblage-based biomonitoring of freshwater ecosystem health via multimetric indices:A critical review and suggestions for improving their applicability

Freshwater biota are more comprehensive and direct indicators of biological impacts,and more meaningful to the public than water quality or physical habitat surrogates.Freshwater biotic data and the multiple biological indicators developed from them offer a much richer array of data for assessing the impacts of pollution controls than a limited set of physical or chemical measures.In recent decades,assemblage-based assessments by ecologists,environmental scientists,and water quality agencies have been employed globally for determining the condition of,and threats to,freshwater ecosystems.A key step in this advance has been the development of multimetric indices(MMIs)or indices of biotic integrity(IBIs)based on quantitative assessments of algae,macrophyte,macroinvertebrate,fish or riparian bird assemblages.In Europe,where biological assemblages are mandated for assessing freshwater ecosystem health,many indices are multimetric.However,the proliferation of MMIs globally has not always occurred through the application of rigorous study designs and monitoring protocols,nor have they always effectively incorporated functional metrics,stressor assessments,and statistical analyses.Therefore,in this review,we discuss eleven major concerns with the development and application(including logistical limitations)of multimetric indicators based on freshwater biota to encourage more rigorous and widely applicable(transferable)MMI use and implementation.Specifically,our concerns focus on reference conditions;sampling effort,methods,and season;trophic guild definition;metric comprehensiveness,options,screening and scoring;and MMI validation.MMIs could also benefit from increased attention to ecological mechanisms and metric development,to further improve our understanding of anthropogenic impacts as well as rehabilitation effects on freshwater ecosystems globally.Paying closer attention to study designs,ecological mechanisms and metric development should further improve our understanding of anthropogenic impacts and better facilitate rehabilitation of degraded freshwater ecosystems,as well as aiding in the conservation of healthy freshwater ecosystems globally.

Health implication among occupational exposed workers in a chromium alloy factory, Thailand

This study was conducted to assess the occupational exposure and its health impact on the chromium alloy workers. Environmental and biological monitoring, noise and audiometry measurements were done to evaluate the exposure levels in the factory. A total of 112 non-smoking workers were monitored from July 2001 to August 2002 The results showed that most of the chromium and lead exposures in the factory were below the ACGIH-TWA of 50 μg/m 3 for chromium(Ⅵ) and OSHA-PEL of 50 μg/m 3 for lead. The highest chromium(7 25±0 16 μg/m 3) and lead(14 50±0 29 μg/m 3) concentrations were measured in the vibro room. The results indicated that elevated concentrations of chromium and lead were found in both blood and urine samples especially in those areas which were characterized by poor ventilation. The metal contents in blood and urine samples were significantly correlated with airborne metal concentrations in the factory. The result demonstrated that blood and urinary levels among workers were associated with increasing age and duration of exposure. The background noise level of the factory ranged from 67 6 to 89 2 dBA and was frequently higher than the threshold limit value for noise(90 dBA). According to the audiometric test, the exposed workers showed signs of noise-induced hearing loss. Noise at work continued to be an important factor to hearing loss among exposed workers. In our statistical analysis, a significant hearing loss was established on age effect and year of exposure among the workforce.

Early Detection of Neurotoxic Effect of Manganese Exposure

A cross sectional epidemiological study of 93 arc welders in a shipyard was conducted to observe the adverse effect of exposure to manganese welding fumes. Among them, 37 workers with paired controls were given the neurobehavioral tests. Air concentration of manganese in working place, hair manganese and platelet 5 hydroxytryptamine in both exposed workers and controls was also measured. The higher percentage of respiratory symptoms including sour throat and dyspnea in the welders were observed as compared with the controls. The results of neurobehavioral tests showed that the welders exhibited poorer performance in simple reaction time and Santa Ana dexterity tests than that in the controls. The hair manganese concentration was higher and the blood platelet 5 HT level decreased in the welders. In conclusion, symptoms in the welders might be related to the exposure of manganese. Long term exposure to manganese welding fume could cause the change in simple reaction time and Santa Ana dexterity tests. The hair manganese concentration could be used as a biological monitoring index of exposure to manganese.

Stretchable human-machine interface based on skin-conformal sEMG electrodes with self-similar geometry

Current stretchable surface electrodes have attracted increasing attention owing to their potential applications in biological signal monitoring, wearable human-machine interfaces（HMIs） and the Internet of Things. The paper proposed a stretchable HMI based on a surface electromyography（sEMG） electrode with a self-similar serpentine configuration. The sEMG electrode was transfer-printed onto the skin surface conformally to monitor biological signals, followed by signal classification and controlling of a mobile robot. Such electrodes can bear rather large deformation（such as 〉30%） under an appropriate areal coverage. The sEMG electrodes have been used to record electrophysiological signals from different parts of the body with sharp curvature, such as the index finger,back of the neck and face, and they exhibit great potential for HMI in the fields of robotics and healthcare. The electrodes placed onto the two wrists would generate two different signals with the fist clenched and loosened. It is classified to four kinds of signals with a combination of the gestures from the two wrists, that is, four control modes. Experiments demonstrated that the electrodes were successfully used as an HMI to control the motion of a mobile robot remotely.