Detailed Ecological Footprint Accounting of Liaoning in 2006

Ecological footprint (EF) has received considerable attention as a useful indicator in the context of sustainable development. So far, EF has been used in numerous studies by academies, organizations and government authorities. However, the results of these studies failed to be comparable directly with each other due to imprecise data sets, unmodified accounting methods of pasture and fossil energy, ignored secondary products, undefined process of calculating yield factors and improper biocapacity for biodiversity. In this paper, we elaborated on EF estimating methods from six categories of consumption in order to overcome the limitations above. We adopted precise data and revised methods, calculated EF of some secondary products, introduced weighted factor to calculate yield factors and adjusted biocapacity by an appropriate amount. Meanwhile, we investigated the resource consumption of Liaoning Province in 2006 to assess EF. Its results showed that Liaoning Province overused its natural capital and was in an unsustainable state. We concluded that two specific problems that had arisen in EF assessment and gave some suggestions for Liaoning Province to improve its unsustainable state.

The Quality of Sour Cherry Maidens Fertilized with Various Biopreparations in an Organic Nursery

The study was conducted in an organic nursery of sour cherry cultivars ＂Debreceni Botermo＂ and ＂Sabina＂ in the years 2010 and 2011. Cherry trees grafted on Mahaleb （Prunus mahaleb L.） seedlings were grown at a spacing of 25 crn × 1.0 m. In the nursery, an assessment was carried out of the effect of various biopreparations on such growth characteristics as the thickness and height of the maidens, the formation of lateral shoots and the total increase in their length. The control trees were not treated at all, but fertilized with an NPK fertilizer only （second control）. To stimulate growth, use was made of granular manure, mycorrhizal fungi in the form of the preparation Micosat, humic preparations or so-called vermicomposts （Humus UP, Humus Active）, extracts of marine algae （BF Quality） and of terrestrial plants （BF Arnin）, a product derived from yeast （Vinassa） and Tytanit. The specific biological effects of the preparations used in the sour cherry nursery for each morphological feature are presented in this paper in graphical form. A beneficial effect on the increase in the number of lateral shoots and the increase in their length was produced by the use of such products as： Micosat, Humus UP, Humus Active ＋ Aktywit PM and Vinassa. The most effective in this respect was BF Amin.

Root Growth, Mycorrhizal Frequency and Soil Microorganisms in Strawberry as Affected by Biopreparations

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of various biopreparations on the growth of the strawberry root system, the number of spores of mycorrhizal fungi, the total number of bacteria in the rhizosphere soil, and the degree of mycorrhizal association in the roots of two strawberry cultivars. The experiment with strawberry plants was established in the spring of 2010 in the Experimental Orchard of the Institute of Horticulture in Dabrowice. The objects of research were “frigo” strawberry plants of the cultivars Elsanta and Elkat. The following experimental combinations were used: control, control NPK (standard NPK fertilization), manure, mycorrhizal preparation Micosat F, Humus UP, Humus Active + Aktywit PM, BioFeed Amin, BioFeed Quality, Tytanit, Vinassa, Florovit Eko, and Florovit Pro Natura. The use of the biopreparation BioFeed Quality resulted in a six-fold increase in root length and a seven-fold increase in root surface area. Compared with NPK fertilization, application of the preparation BioFeed Amin contributed to an eight-fold increase in root volume, and the use of Vinassa increased 24-fold the number of root tips of Elkat strawberry plants. Micosat F and Humus UP caused a five-fold increase in mycorrhizal frequency in the roots of strawberry plants. Micosat F and manure contributed to a two- and four-fold increase, respectively, in the number of spores in the rhizosphere soil. Application of the preparations Humus UP, BioFeed Amin and Florovit Eko doubled the total number of bacteria and filamentous fungi in the rhizosphere soil of strawberry plants of the cultivars Elsanta and Elkat in comparison with NPK fertilization. Fertilization with the biopreparations intensified the growth of the root system and increased the number of spores of AM fungi, mycorrhizal frequency, and the total number of bacteria and filamentous fungi in the soil.

Treatments Comparison of Mineral and Bio Fertilizers in the Apple and Sour Cherry Organic Nursery

Maiden trees of apple cultivars ＇Topaz＇ and ＇Ariwa＇ grafted on M26 rootstock and of sour cherry cultivars ＇Debreceni Botermo and ＇Sabina＇ on mahaleb cherry （Prunus mahaleb L.） were fertilized with bioproducts such as： Fertigo-granulated manure, Micosat-microbial inoculum consisting of mycorrhizal fungi; Humus UP-an extract from vermicompost; Humus Active ＋ Aktywit PM-an extract from vermicomposts with PM （Positive Microorganism）; BioFeed Amin--a plant extract reinforced with amino acids; BioFeed Quality-a seaweed extract reinforced with humic and fulvic acids; Tytanit-titanium; Vinassa-molasses residue from yeast production; Florovit Eko-composed of many environmentally-friendly products. Control maidens were fertilized with mineral fertilizers containing mainly NPK. The maiden trees fertilized with the preparations Tytanit and Humus UP grew less vigorously and produced smaller increases in the length of lateral shoots than those fertilized with mineral fertilizers. On the other hand, bio preparations such as BF Amin, BF Quality, Micosat and Vinassa promoted tree branching and intensified the growth of lateral shoots, stimulating tree growth to a greater extent than the mineral fertilizers.

Effect of Fertilization in Organic Nursery for Later Growth and Fruiting of Apple Trees in the Orchard

There is a deficiency of nurseries in the world producing fruit trees using the organic material management. However, such material has been produced since 2009 at the Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice. To stimulate plant growth, various biopreparations were applied in an organic nursery. Apple trees （＇Topaz＇/M26） obtained from the organic nursery were used to establish an orchard in 2011. One of the combinations in the orchard consisted of trees produced in a conventional nursery. Trees whose maidens had not been fertilized at all in the organic nursery served as the control. The study was conducted for four years （2011-2014）. The least vigorously growing trees were the control trees and those that had been treated in the nursery with the preparation Tytanit, and the most vigorously--those that had been treated there with manure and the biopreparations Micosat, Humus Active ＋ Aktywit PM, and BF Quality and BF Amin. Trees whose maidens had been produced by the conventional method did not differ, in terms of growth vigour, from those treated with the biopreparations Humus UP or Vinassa. The highest cumulative fruit yields from the four-year-old trees were obtained in the combinations where the maidens had been treated in the nursery with the biopreparations BF Amin and BF Quality. The type of fertilization applied to maiden trees in the nursery had no significant effect on mean fruit weight, but it influenced the distribution of fruit in size classes.

Utilization of Crude Glycerol by Yarrowia lipolytica IMUFRJ 50678 in Bioproduct Production

Transesterification is the most common production process for biodiesel. From this reaction, a glycerin phase is produced that is impure, thus lowering market value. However, because it is rich in carbon, it is an alternative for generating bioproducts with a higher added value through bioconversion by microorganisms. The aim of this study was to screen parameters, such as pH （4, 5, 6, 7 and 8） and the initial glycerol concentration at 30 ± ℃ with agitation at 150 rpm for bioemulsifier and lipid synthesis in a submerged medium by Yarrowia lipolytica IMUFRJ 50678 from crude glycerin. The best conditions for bioemulsifier production were 30 ± ℃ at pH： 6 with 50 g/L of initial substrate, which produced 2.7 g/L of lipids, from which the optimum 300.5 mg/L of triglycerides was produced over 48 h of microorganism growth.

Biogeochemistry of Lake Baikal Stony Littoral

The problem of biogenic income from rocks into a water ecosystem and of their use by hydrobionts is considered by the example of Lake Baikal biogeocenoses. A complex interreaction of stony material and Baikal water occurs on the stony littoral of Lake Baikal with an active participation of benthic and planktonic hydrobionts. Biogeochemical processes enable income of biophile elements providing productivity of stony littoral and hydrobionts biodiversity. A particular role in the littoral zone belongs to symbiotic organisms: lichens and sponges. They extract from the tocks a wide spectrum of macro- and micro- elements including phosphorus, fixe nitrogen and consume carbon. Biodiversity and bioproductivity of stony littoral depend on the diversity of petrographic composition of the rocks and on their geochemical peculiarities. Increase of anthropogenic impact onto the stony littoral manifested by income of biogenic elements and alien microbial cenosis flow results in degradation of primary aquatic biogeocenoses.

Influence of Biopreparations on Maiden Growth of Sour Cherry （Prunus cerasus L.） in Organic Nursery- Preliminary Results

A study was conducted in an organic nursery in 2010 and 2011 on the maiden growth of sour cherry cultivars ＂Debreceni Botermo＂ and ＂Sabina＂ grafted on Mahaleb cherry seedlings （Prunus mahaleb L.）. The young trees were grown at a spacing of 25 cm × 1.0 m on a podzolic soil. The study focused on the differences in diameter and height of the maiden stock, the branch number, lateral shoots in the crown and their length, among treatments with various bioproducts applied to the maidens once or twice, such as granulated manure, Micosat, Humus UP （humus cultivated）, Humus Active ＋ Aktywit PM （positive microorganisms）, BioFeed Amin, BioFeed Quality, Tytanit and Vinassa. The control maidens were not fertilized at all, or fertilized with NPK （nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus）. The first time when these products were applied in the nursery was mid-May, and the second time was one month later. Repeating the application of humic preparations （vermiculites） and a formulation containing mycorrhizal fungi （Micosat） gave better results than applying them only once, but in the case of BF Quality and the preparation Tytanit treating the plants for the second time did not increase their growth vigour compared to the plants treated only once. And the effectiveness of the biopreparations was different for the treated cultivars changed.

Progeny evaluation of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata with comparison to bioproductivity and biodiesel parameters

Progeny studies of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata were carried with respect to bioproductivity,pod and seed characters which is one of the selection methods in tree improvement programmes. Variations in bioproductivity and biodiesel parameters of both the plants were compared every 6 months for 4 years of investigation and analyzed by analysis of variance and correlation coefficient by Pearson＇s method using software Graphpad instat 3.06（for Windows and Mac）. P. pinnata has better germination rate（71.4 %）, 100 pod weight（PW）（311.59 g） and 100 seed weight（SW）（173.46 g） as compared to J. curcas for germination rate（43.2 %）, 100 PW（111.29 g） and 100 SW（67.46 g）. P. pinnata has strong correlation for plant height to canopy growth（CG）（0.948）, collar diameter（CD）（0.994）, number of branches per plant（NBP）（0.995） and to number of leaves per branch（NLB）（0.862） as compared to J.curcas which showed good correlation among plant height to CG（0.976）, CD（0.970）, NBP（0.988）, NLB（0.920） and to number of pods per branch（0.657）. However, J. curcas depicted negative correlation for pod breadth to seed length（SL）（-0.447）, seed breadth（-0.248） and to seed thickness（ST）（-0.364） and among the 100 PW to SL（-0.199）, ST（-0.220） and to 100 SW（-0.704）. About 4 kg of P. pinnata seeds were required for each liter of crude oil which yields896 ml of biodiesel on transesterification as compared to5.66 kg of J. curcas seeds for a liter of crude oil, producing about 663 ml of biodiesel. The quality of biodiesel meets the major specification of American Society for Testing and Materials（ASTM） standards for biodiesel. The crude glycerin and seed cake obtained as byproduct during biodiesel production were also measured which can be purified and used in composting, animal feeds, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries.

3-81 Enhancement of Bioproduction of Butyrate by Heavy-ion Irradiation

Butyric acid as a renewable resource has become an increasingly attractive alternative to petroleum based fuels.Clostridium tyrobutyricum is well documented as a fermentation strain for the production of acids. However, it hasbeen reported that butyrate inhibits its growth, and the accumulation of acetate also inhibits biomass synthesis,making production of butyric acid from conventional fermentation processes economically challenging. The presentstudy aimed to identify whether irradiation of C. tyrobutyricum cells makes them more tolerant to butyric acidinhibition and increases the production of butyrate compared with wild type.

Off-Line Quality Control in Bioproducts Processing: A Case Study in Greece

In the present article we study the production of grape molasses. Data drawn from a specified biolaboratory, are properly analyzed in order to detect factors that affect significantly the Brix value and the volatile acidity of the final product. The ground that is used for planting and a variety of grapes have been taken into account. Off-line statistical quality control techniques have been employed and the outcomes are displayed and discussed in detail.

Influence of detergent on metabolic activity of fungi Aspergillus niger

The aim of this study was to find out, among grate variety of fungi species from wastewater these which are resistant to effects of detergent and its component, ethoxyl-oleyl-cetyl alcohol and sodium tripolyphosphate. On inoculated fungi specie grown in vitro condition, in the presence of mentioned pollutant, the metabolic changes of bioproduction of different organic compounds, in various aging step of fungi, have been investigated. The results indicated sig-nificant changes in bioproduction of amino ac-ids and proteins of Aspergillus niger cultivated in the presence of detergent and its component, compared with control experiment. The results suggest that bioremediation by Aspergillus ni-ger are promising for biodegradation of deter-gents in aquatic systems.

Blue economy:A new era of petroleum microbiology in a changing climate

The productivity and health of our ocean hold some good solutions to the world’s challenges in socio-economy.However,climate change and waste discharge are changing the marine capacity to buffer human impacts,further challenging the marine industry,primarily in offshore oil and gas,shipping,and fishery operations.These encourage the blue economy,a sustainable development approach to utilize marine resources.Petroleum microbiology dealing with microbes that can respond,degrade,and alter crude oils,offers an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the knowledge-and science-based blue economy.However,the new-era petroleum microbiology for supporting the blue economy has yet to be systematically discussed.This review introduces the climate change impacts on key marine industrial sectors,highlights the critical role of advanced petroleum microbiology in supporting sustainable development,and offers insight into the challenges and future research opportunities in availing of petroleum microbiology for benefiting our marine environment and responsible economic growth.

The large increase of δ^(13)C_(carb)-depth gradient and the end-Permian mass extinction

Carbonate carbon isotope （δ^13Ccarb） has received considerable attention in the Permian-Triassic transition for its rapid negative shift coinciding with the great end-Permian mass extinction event. The mechanism has long been debated for such a c~ δ^13Ccarb negative excursion through the end-Permian crisis and subsequent large perturbations in the entire Early Triassic. A δ^13Ccarb depth gradient is observed at the Permian-Triassic boundary sections of different water-depths, i.e., the Yangou, Meishan, and Shangsi sections, and such a large δ^13Ccarb-depth gradient near the end-Permian mass extinction horizon is believed to result from a stratified Paleotethys Ocean with widespread anoxic/euxinic deep water. The evolution of δ^13Ccarb-depth gradient com- bined with paleontological and geochemical data suggests that abundant cyanobacteria and vigorous biological pump in the immediate aftermath of the end-Permian extinction would be the main cause of the large δ^13Ccarb-depth gradient, and the enhanced continental weathering with the mass extinction on land provides a mass amount of nutriment for the flourishing cyanobacteria. Photic zone anoxia/euxinia from the onset of chemocline upward excursion might be the direct cause for the mass extinction whereas the instability of chemocline in the stratified Early Triassic ocean would be the reason for the delayed and involuted biotic recovery.

Solid-state fermentation technology and innovation for the production of agricultural and animal feed bioproducts

It has now passed more than forty years since solid-state fermentation(SSF)research developments have gained importance for the scientific community.After so many years,numerous processes and equipment for SSF were studied and designed focusing on the production of different commercially relevant bioproducts such as enzymes,fermented food,such as Chinese daqu and koji,organic acids,pigments,phenolic compounds,aromas,biosorbents and so many others.However,no review paper has been focused yet specifically on agricultural and animal feed bioproducts obtained through SSF techniques.This review comprises the description of agricultural sub-products that have been employed in most important developed pro-cesses concerning the production of animal feed products and agricultural products such as spores,probiotics,biofungicides,bioinsecticides and other biopesticides,biofertilizers and plant growth hormones.Major designed SSF bioreactors are also described and the most important related cases of successful employment of the technique are reported.Finally,a summary of patents and innovations regarding SSF products and processes in this area is presented,showing that the main involved countries are China,South Korea,India and the USA.It is clear that the interest in this theme is increasing and that scientific and technological developments are still needed.

Liquefaction of bamboo biomass and production of three fractions containing aromatic compounds

Depolymerization of lignin to produce value-added aromatic monomers has attracted increasing attention since these monomers can be used as phenol replacement in production of phenolic resins.Here a one-pot depolymerization of bamboo lignin was investigated to obtain aromatic platforms with low molecular weight using acidic catalyst and ethanol.Three fractions(1#,2#,and 3#)containing different molecular weight distributions of aromatic compounds could be efficiently extracted using water-organic solvent system via a stepwise fractionation process by gradual removal of solvent.The fractions distribution was found to be primarily dependent on the reaction temperature and time.When the temperature was increased from 160°C to 200°C,the yield of fractions containing aromatic products increased significantly from 19.1 wt%to 27 wt%,the same change trend was found by changing the time,and the yield of aromatic products increased from 22.4%to 26.7%with an increase of time from 10 min to 30 min.The bioproducts were characterized by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC-MS),gel permeation chromatography(GPC)and two-dimensional heteronuclear single-quantum coherence(2D HSQC NMR).As evidenced by GC-MS spectra,the three fractions were mainly comprised of phenolic derivatives,and the relative contents of phenolic compounds took up about 80%of the total area of each fraction.With the similar physiochemical properties of the fractions,aromatic platforms could provide a new paradigm of bamboo lignin utilization for renewable energy and value-added biochemicals.

Bioproduction of D-psicose using permeabilized cells of newly isolated Rhodobacter sphaeroides SK011

D-psicose exits in an extremely small amount in nature and is difficult to be chemically synthesized.Only three bacteria have been used in the biotransformation of D-psicose from D-fructose.In this paper,another bacterium which could convert D-fructose to D-psicose was isolated and identified as Rhodobacter sphaeroides.The process parameters of D-psicose production using permeabilized cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides SK011 were optimized,including the permeabilization procedure:0.1%(w/v)CTAB,10 min,and reaction conditions:cell concentration,30 g dry cell wt/L;concentration of substrate,50 g/L;40℃,pH 9.0;reaction time,8 h.Under the optimized conditions,the permeabilized cells produced approximately 6.5 g/L D-psicose with a Dpsicose productivity of 0.82 g·L^(-1)·h^(-1).This is the first report of bioproduction of D-psicose using permeabilized cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Lignin bioconversion into valuable products:fractionation,depolymerization,aromatic compound conversion,and bioproduct formation

Lignin fractionation and depolymerization generates heterogeneous streams of aromatic compounds and conversion of aromatic compounds into valuable products,but it is not efficient.Many microbes in nature have evolved metabolic path-ways to convert complex lignin polymers into aromatic compounds and transform these aromatic compounds into central intermediates for bioproduct synthesis.The objective of this paper is to review the recent process development of lignin bioconversion into aromatic compounds and bioproducts.Lignin structural and molecular changes during fractionation and depolymerization are presented.Subsequent lignin conversion into aromatic compounds by upper pathways and further converted into central metabolites and bioproducts via lower pathways are emphasized.In particular,enzymes and mediator systems to enhance lignin conversion and key intermediates in lignin catabolic pathways are discussed.Strategies to enhance bioproduct formation through lignin valorization are summarized.

Crop residues: applications of lignocellulosic biomass in the context of a biorefinery

Interest in lignocellulosic biomass conversion technologies has increased recently because of their potential to reduce the dependency on non-renewable feedstocks. Residues from a variety of crops are the major source of lignocellulose, which is being produced in increasingly large quantities worldwide. The commercial exploitation of crop residues as feedstocks for biorefineries which could be used to produce a variety of goods such as biofuels, biochemicals, bioplastics, and enzymes is an attractive approach not only for adding value to residues but also for providing renewable products required by the expanding bioeconomy market. Moreover, the implementation of biorefineries in different regions has the potential to add value to the specific crop residues produced in the region. In this review, several aspects of crop residue application in biorefineries are discussed, including the role of crop residues in the bioeconomy and circular economy concepts, the main technical aspects of crop residue conversion in biorefineries, the main crop residues generated in different regions of the world and their availability, the potential value-added bioproducts that can be extracted or produced from each crop residue, and the major advantages and challenges associated with crop residue utilization in biorefineries. Despite their potential, most biomass refining technologies are not sufficiently advanced or financially viable. Several technical obstacles, especially with regard to crop residue collection, handling, and pre-treatment, prevent the implementation of biorefineries on a commercial scale. Further research is needed to resolve these scale-up-related challenges. Increased governmental incentives and bioeconomic strategies are expected to boost the biorefinery market and the cost competitiveness of biorefinery products.

Cytochrome P450s in algae:Bioactive natural product biosynthesis and light-driven bioproduction

Algae are a large group of photo synthetic organisms responsible for approximately half of the earth’s total photosynthesis.In addition to their fundamental ecological roles as oxygen producers and as the food base for almost all aquatic life,algae are also a rich source of bioactive natural products,including several clinical drugs.Cytochrome P450 enzymes(P450s) are a superfamily of biocatalysts that are extensively involved in natural product biosynthesis by mediating various types of reactions.In the post-genome era,a growing number of P450 genes have been discovered from algae,indicating their important roles in algal life-cycle.However,the functional studies of algal P450s remain limited.Benefitting from the recent technical advances in algae cultivation and genetic manipulation,the researches on P450s in algal natural product biosynthesis have been approaching to a new stage.Moreover,some photoauto trophic algae have been developed into "photo-bioreactors" for heterologous P450s to produce high-value added pharmaceuticals and chemicals in a carbon-neutral or carbon-negative manner.Here,we comprehensively review these advances of P450 studies in algae from 2000 to 2021.