Terpenoids from Curcuma wenyujin increased glucose consumption on HepG2 cells.

PubMed

Zhou, Chang-Xin; Zhang, Li-Sha; Chen, Fei-Fei; Wu, Hao-Shu; Mo, Jian-Xia; Gan, Li-She

2017-09-01

Thirty four terpenoids, including two new cadinane-type sesquiterpenoids containing conjugated aromatic-ketone moieties, curcujinone A (1) and curcujinone B (2), were isolated from 95% ethanol extract of the root tubers of Curcuma wenyujin. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR and HRMS techniques. The relative and absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were identified by quantum chemical DFT and TDDFT calculations of the 13 C NMR chemical shifts, ECD spectra, and specific optical rotations. All compounds and extracts were evaluated for their anti-diabetic activities with a glucose consumption model on HepG2 Cells. The petroleum fraction CWP (10μg/mL) and compounds curcumenol (4), 7α,11α-epoxy-5β-hydroxy-9-guaiaen-8-one (5), curdione (17), (1S, 4S, 5S 10S)-germacrone (18), zederone (20), a mixture of curcumanolide A (25) and curcumanolide B (26), gajutsulactone B (27), and wenyujinin C (30) showed promising activities with over 45% increasing of glucose consumption at 10μM. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Organic Contaminant Abatement in Reclaimed Water by UV/H2O2 and a Combined Process Consisting of O3/H2O2 Followed by UV/H2O2: Prediction of Abatement Efficiency, Energy Consumption, and Byproduct Formation.

PubMed

Lee, Yunho; Gerrity, Daniel; Lee, Minju; Gamage, Sujanie; Pisarenko, Aleksey; Trenholm, Rebecca A; Canonica, Silvio; Snyder, Shane A; von Gunten, Urs

2016-04-05

UV/H2O2 processes can be applied to improve the quality of effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants by attenuating trace organic contaminants (micropollutants). This study presents a kinetic model based on UV photolysis parameters, including UV absorption rate and quantum yield, and hydroxyl radical (·OH) oxidation parameters, including second-order rate constants for ·OH reactions and steady-state ·OH concentrations, that can be used to predict micropollutant abatement in wastewater. The UV/H2O2 kinetic model successfully predicted the abatement efficiencies of 16 target micropollutants in bench-scale UV and UV/H2O2 experiments in 10 secondary wastewater effluents. The model was then used to calculate the electric energies required to achieve specific levels of micropollutant abatement in several advanced wastewater treatment scenarios using various combinations of ozone, UV, and H2O2. UV/H2O2 is more energy-intensive than ozonation for abatement of most micropollutants. Nevertheless, UV/H2O2 is not limited by the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and bromate whereas ozonation may produce significant concentrations of these oxidation byproducts, as observed in some of the tested wastewater effluents. The combined process of O3/H2O2 followed by UV/H2O2, which may be warranted in some potable reuse applications, can achieve superior micropollutant abatement with reduced energy consumption compared to UV/H2O2 and reduced oxidation byproduct formation (i.e., NDMA and/or bromate) compared to conventional ozonation.

Increased plasma O2 solubility improves O2 uptake of in situ dog muscle working maximally.

PubMed

Hogan, M C; Willford, D C; Keipert, P E; Faithfull, N S; Wagner, P D

1992-12-01

A perfluorocarbon emulsion [formulation containing 90% wt/vol perflubron (perfluorooctylbromide); Alliance Pharmaceutical] was used to increase O2 solubility in the plasma compartment during hyperoxic low hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) perfusion of a maximally working dog muscle in situ. Our hypothesis was that the increased plasma O2 solubility would increase the muscle O2 diffusing capacity (DO2) by augmenting the capillary surface area in contact with high [O2]. Oxygen uptake (VO2) was measured in isolated in situ canine gastrocnemius (n = 4) while working for 6 min at a maximal stimulation rate of 1 Hz (isometric tetanic contractions) on three to four separate occasions for each muscle. On each occasion, the last 4 min of the 6-min work period was split into 2 min of a control treatment (only emulsifying agent mixed into blood) and 2 min of perflubron treatment (6 g/kg body wt), reversing the order for each subsequent work bout. Before contractions, the [Hb] of the dog was decreased to 8-9 g/100 ml and arterial PO2 was increased to 500-600 Torr by having the dog breathe 100% O2 to maximize the effect of the perflubron. Muscle blood flow was held constant between the two experimental conditions. Plasma O2 solubility was almost doubled to 0.005 ml O2 x 100 ml blood-1 x Torr-1 by the addition of the perflubron. Muscle O2 delivery and maximal VO2 were significantly improved (at the same blood flow and [Hb]) by 11 and 12.6%, respectively (P < 0.05), during the perflubron treatment compared with the control. O2 extraction by the muscle remained the same between the two treatments, as did the estimate of DO2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Renal transplantation induces mitochondrial uncoupling, increased kidney oxygen consumption, and decreased kidney oxygen tension.

PubMed

Papazova, Diana A; Friederich-Persson, Malou; Joles, Jaap A; Verhaar, Marianne C

2015-01-01

Hypoxia is an acknowledged pathway to renal injury and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and is known to reduce renal oxygen tension (Po2). We hypothesized that renal I/R increases oxidative damage and induces mitochondrial uncoupling, resulting in increased oxygen consumption and hence kidney hypoxia. Lewis rats underwent syngenic renal transplantation (TX) and contralateral nephrectomy. Controls were uninephrectomized (1K-CON) or left untreated (2K-CON). After 7 days, urinary excretion of protein and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were measured, and after 14 days glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal blood flow, whole kidney Qo2, cortical Po2, kidney cortex mitochondrial uncoupling, renal oxidative damage, and tubulointerstitial injury were assessed. TX, compared with 1K-CON, resulted in mitochondrial uncoupling mediated via uncoupling protein-2 (16 ± 3.3 vs. 0.9 ± 0.4 pmol O2 · s(-1)· mg protein(-1), P < 0.05) and increased whole kidney Qo2 (55 ± 16 vs. 33 ± 10 μmol O2/min, P < 0.05). Corticomedullary Po2 was lower in TX compared with 1K-CON (30 ± 13 vs. 47 ± 4 μM, P < 0.05) whereas no significant difference was observed between 2K-CON and 1K-CON rats. Proteinuria, oxidative damage, and the tubulointerstitial injury score were not significantly different in 1K-CON and TX. Treatment of donors for 5 days with mito-TEMPO reduced mitochondrial uncoupling but did not affect renal hemodynamics, Qo2, Po2, or injury. Collectively, our results demonstrate increased mitochondrial uncoupling as an early event after experimental renal transplantation associated with increased oxygen consumption and kidney hypoxia in the absence of increases in markers of damage. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Increased soil emissions of potent greenhouse gases under increased atmospheric CO2.

PubMed

van Groenigen, Kees Jan; Osenberg, Craig W; Hungate, Bruce A

2011-07-13

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) can affect biotic and abiotic conditions in soil, such as microbial activity and water content. In turn, these changes might be expected to alter the production and consumption of the important greenhouse gases nitrous oxide (N(2)O) and methane (CH(4)) (refs 2, 3). However, studies on fluxes of N(2)O and CH(4) from soil under increased atmospheric CO(2) have not been quantitatively synthesized. Here we show, using meta-analysis, that increased CO(2) (ranging from 463 to 780 parts per million by volume) stimulates both N(2)O emissions from upland soils and CH(4) emissions from rice paddies and natural wetlands. Because enhanced greenhouse-gas emissions add to the radiative forcing of terrestrial ecosystems, these emissions are expected to negate at least 16.6 per cent of the climate change mitigation potential previously predicted from an increase in the terrestrial carbon sink under increased atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. Our results therefore suggest that the capacity of land ecosystems to slow climate warming has been overestimated. ©2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

The Increase of Energy Consumption and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emission in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasana, Hadi; Putri, Annisa Eka

2018-02-01

In the last decade, the increase of energy consumption that has multiplied carbondioxide emissions becomes world problems, especially in the developing countries undergoing industrialization to be developed ones like Indonesia. This aim of this study was to analyze the effect of fossil energy consumption, population growth, and consumption of renewable energy on carbon dioxide emission. The method used was multiple linear regression analysis with Ordinary Least Square approach using time series in the period of 1990 - 2014. The result showed that fossil energy consumption and population growth have a positive influence on carbon dioxide emission in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the consumption variable of renewable energy has a negative effect on the level of carbon dioxide emissions produced.

MEMS-Based Gas Sensor Using PdO-Decorated TiO2 Thin Film for Highly Sensitive and Selective H2 Detection with Low Power Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwak, Seungmin; Shim, Young-Seok; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Lee, Jin-Hyung; Kim, Inho; Kim, Jinseok; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Lee, Jeong Hoon

2018-03-01

We report a micromachined H2 sensor that is composed of a Pt micro-heater, low-stress insulating layer (SiO2/SiNx/SiO2), Pt-interdigitated electrodes, and gas sensing materials. Three types of Pt micro-heater are designed as function of electrode width, and their thermal properties are systematically analyzed by finite element modeling FEM with infrared camera. The power consumptions when the surface temperature reached 150, 200, 250, and 300 °C are calculated to approximately 33, 48, 67 and 85 mW, respectively. The response of the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin films to H2 is much higher than those of other gases such as CH4 and CO at 200 °C (48 mW). Further, the response time is reduced to approximately 3 s. The enhancement of gas sensing properties is related to well-designed micro-heater and catalytic effects of PdO nanoparticles such as electronic and chemical sensitization. These results suggest that the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin film, namely MEMS-based H2 sensors are very promising for use in IoT application to improve the quality of human's life.

MEMS-Based Gas Sensor Using PdO-Decorated TiO2 Thin Film for Highly Sensitive and Selective H2 Detection with Low Power Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwak, Seungmin; Shim, Young-Seok; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Lee, Jin-Hyung; Kim, Inho; Kim, Jinseok; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Lee, Jeong Hoon

2018-05-01

We report a micromachined H2 sensor that is composed of a Pt micro-heater, low-stress insulating layer (SiO2/SiNx/SiO2), Pt-interdigitated electrodes, and gas sensing materials. Three types of Pt micro-heater are designed as function of electrode width, and their thermal properties are systematically analyzed by finite element modeling FEM with infrared camera. The power consumptions when the surface temperature reached 150, 200, 250, and 300 °C are calculated to approximately 33, 48, 67 and 85 mW, respectively. The response of the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin films to H2 is much higher than those of other gases such as CH4 and CO at 200 °C (48 mW). Further, the response time is reduced to approximately 3 s. The enhancement of gas sensing properties is related to well-designed micro-heater and catalytic effects of PdO nanoparticles such as electronic and chemical sensitization. These results suggest that the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin film, namely MEMS-based H2 sensors are very promising for use in IoT application to improve the quality of human's life.

Low toxicity of HfO2, SiO2, Al2O3 and CeO2 nanoparticles to the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

García-Saucedo, Citlali; Field, James A; Otero-Gonzalez, Lila; Sierra-Álvarez, Reyes

2011-09-15

Increasing use of nanomaterials necessitates an improved understanding of their potential impact on environment health. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of nanosized HfO(2), SiO(2), Al(2)O(3) and CeO(2) towards the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and characterized their state of dispersion in bioassay medium. Nanotoxicity was assessed by monitoring oxygen consumption in batch cultures and by analysis of cell membrane integrity. CeO(2), Al(2)O(3), and HfO(2) nanoparticles were highly unstable in yeast medium and formed micron-sized, settleable agglomerates. A non-toxic polyacrylate dispersant (Dispex A40) was used to improve nanoparticle stability and determine the impact of enhanced dispersion on toxicity. None of the NPs tested without dispersant inhibited O(2) uptake by yeast at concentrations as high as 1000 mg/L. Dispersant supplementation only enhanced the toxicity of CeO(2) (47% at 1000 mg/L). Dispersed SiO(2) and Al(2)O(3) (1000 mg/L) caused cell membrane damage, whereas dispersed HfO(2) and CeO(2) did not cause significant disruption of membrane integrity at the same concentration. These results suggest that the O(2) uptake inhibition observed with dispersed CeO(2) NPs was not due to reduced cell viability. This is the first study evaluating toxicity of nanoscale HfO(2), SiO(2), Al(2)O(3) and CeO(2) to S. cerevisiae. Overall the results obtained demonstrate that these nanomaterials display low or no toxicity to yeast. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Situ Generation and Consumption of H2O2 by Bienzyme-Quantum Dots Bioconjugates for Improved Chemiluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer.

PubMed

Xu, Shuxia; Li, Xianming; Li, Chaobi; Li, Jialin; Zhang, Xinfeng; Wu, Peng; Hou, Xiandeng

2016-06-21

Exploration of quantum dots (QDs) as energy acceptors revolutionizes the current chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET), since QDs possess large Stokes shifts and high luminescence efficiency. However, the strong and high concentration of oxidant (typically H2O2) needed for luminol chemiluminescence (CL) reaction could cause oxidative quenching to QDs, thereby decreasing the CRET performance. Here we proposed the use of bienzyme-QDs bioconjugate as the energy acceptor for improved CRET sensing. Two enzymes, one for H2O2 generation (oxidase) and another for H2O2 consumption (horseradish peroxidase, HRP), were bioconjugated onto the surface of QDs. The bienzyme allowed fast in situ cascaded H2O2 generation and consumption, thus alleviating fluorescence quenching of QDs. The nanosized QDs accommodate the two enzymes in a nanometric range, and the CL reaction was confined on the surface of QDs accordingly, thereby amplifying the CL reaction rate and improving CRET efficiency. As a result, CRET efficiency of 30-38% was obtained; the highest CRET efficiency by far was obtained using QDs as the energy acceptor. The proposed CRET system could be explored for ultrasensitive sensing of various oxidase substrates (here exemplified with cholesterol, glucose, and benzylamine), allowing for quantitative measurement of a spectrum of metabolites with high sensitivity and specificity. Limits of detection (LOD, 3σ) for cholesterol, glucose, and benzylamine were found to be 0.8, 3.4, and 10 nM, respectively. Furthermore, multiparametric blood analysis (glucose and cholesterol) is demonstrated.

Induction by Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens of Different Pathways for Growth in D-mannitol or L-arabinose Leading to Pronounced Differences in CO2 Fixation, O2 Consumption, and Lateral-Flagellum Production.

PubMed

Cogo, Carolina; Pérez-Giménez, Julieta; Rajeswari, Chandrasekar B; Luna, María F; Lodeiro, Aníbal R

2018-01-01

Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens , a soybean N 2 -fixing symbiont, constitutes the basic input in one of the most prominent inoculant industries worldwide. This bacterium may be cultured with D-mannitol or L-arabinose as carbon-plus-energy source (C-source) with similar specific growth rates, but with higher biomass production with D-mannitol. To better understand the bacterium's carbon metabolism, we analyzed, by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (MS), the whole set of proteins obtained from cells grown on each C-source. Among 3,334 proteins identified, 266 were overproduced in D-mannitol and 237 in L-arabinose, but among these, only 22% from D-mannitol cultures and 35% from L-arabinose cultures were annotated with well defined functions. In the D-mannitol-differential pool we found 19 enzymes of the pentose-phosphate and Calvin-Benson-Bassham pathways and accordingly observed increased extracellular-polysaccharide production by D-mannitol grown bacteria in a CO 2 -enriched atmosphere. Moreover, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis was increased, suggesting a surplus of reducing power. In contrast, the L-arabinose-differential pool contained 11 enzymes of the L-2-keto-3-deoxyarabonate pathway, 4 enzymes for the synthesis of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide from aspartate, with those cultures having a threefold higher O 2 -consumption rate than the D-mannitol cultures. The stoichiometric balances deduced from the modeled pathways, however, resulted in similar O 2 consumptions and ATP productions per C-mole of substrate. These results suggested higher maintenance-energy demands in L-arabinose, which energy may be used partly for flagella-driven motility. Since B. diazoefficiens produces the lateral-flagella system in only L-arabinose, we calculated the O 2 -consumption rates of a lafR ::Km mutant devoid of lateral flagella cultured in L-arabinose or D-mannitol. Contrary to that of the wild-type, the O 2 -consumption rate of this mutant was similar on

Increasing the availability of l-arginine and nitric oxide increases sensitivity of nitrous oxide (N2O)-insensitive inbred mice to N2O-induced antinociception.

PubMed

Chung, Eunhee; Ohgami, Yusuke; Quock, Raymond M

2016-07-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O)-induced antinociception in mice is dependent on the neuromodulator nitric oxide (NO). In contrast to C57BL/6J (B6) mice, DBA/2J (D2) mice fail to respond to N2O with a robust antinociceptive response or with an increase in brain nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme activity, suggesting that failure of D2 mice to respond to N2O might result from a deficit of NO function. Therefore, it was of interest to determine whether increasing the availability of NO might increase sensitivity of D2 mice to N2O. Male D2 mice were pretreated with sub-antinociceptive intracerebroventricular doses of the NO donor 3-morpholinosydnoimine or the NO precursor l-arginine then assessed for responsiveness to N2O-induced antinociception using the acetic acid abdominal constriction test. Both pretreatments increased the antinociceptive responsiveness of D2 mice to N2O. These results indicate that the NOS enzyme in D2 mice is functional and that the deficit in NO function that obstructs sensitivity to N2O-induced antinociception may lie in availability or utilization of l-arginine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Excess Maternal Fructose Consumption Increases Fetal Loss and Impairs Endometrial Decidualization in Mice

PubMed Central

Saben, Jessica L.; Asghar, Zeenat; Rhee, Julie S.; Drury, Andrea; Scheaffer, Suzanne

2016-01-01

The most significant increase in metabolic syndrome over the previous decade occurred in women of reproductive age, which is alarming given that metabolic syndrome is associated with reproductive problems including subfertility and early pregnancy loss. Individuals with metabolic syndrome often consume excess fructose, and several studies have concluded that excess fructose intake contributes to metabolic syndrome development. Here, we examined the effects of increased fructose consumption on pregnancy outcomes in mice. Female mice fed a high-fructose diet (HFrD) for 6 weeks developed glucose intolerance and mild fatty liver but did not develop other prominent features of metabolic syndrome such as weight gain, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia. Upon mating, HFrD-exposed mice had lower pregnancy rates and smaller litters at midgestation than chow-fed controls. To explain this phenomenon, we performed artificial decidualization experiments and found that HFrD consumption impaired decidualization. This appeared to be due to decreased circulating progesterone as exogenous progesterone administration rescued decidualization. Furthermore, HFrD intake was associated with decreased bone morphogenetic protein 2 expression and signaling, both of which were restored by exogenous progesterone. Finally, expression of forkhead box O1 and superoxide dismutase 2 [Mn] proteins were decreased in the uteri of HFrD-fed mice, suggesting that HFrD consumption promotes a prooxidative environment in the endometrium. In summary, these data suggest that excess fructose consumption impairs murine fertility by decreasing steroid hormone synthesis and promoting an adverse uterine environment. PMID:26677880

Commercial fertilizers: Total US fertilizer consumption 44.9 million tons in 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hargett, N.L.; Berry, J.T.; McKinney, S.L.

1989-12-31

US fertilizer consumption for the 1988--1989 year was 44.9 million tons of material-an increase of less than one percent from the previous year. The average plant nutrient content of all fertilizers decreased slightly as total plant nutrient consumption declined from 19.61 million to 19.59 million tons of N, P{sub 2}O{sub 5}, and K{sub 2}O. Total nitrogen consumption increased one percent to 10.63 million tons, while P{sub 2}O{sub 5} use decreased by less than one percent to 4.12 million tons. Potash consumption declined from 4.97 million tons to 4.83 million tons K{sub 2}O-a 2.8 percent decrease. Consumption patterns varied widely frommore » state to state as weather conditions adversely affected fertilizer application even with significant increases in total planted crop acreage. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Ohio reported a decline in total plant nutrient application while several of the southeastern states registered an increase in consumption. Nutrient levels in mixed fertilizers remained unchanged as slight gains in the nitrogen and P{sub 2}O{sub 5} content were offset by a decline in K{sub 2}O. Consumption of ammonium polyphosphate solution (10-34-0) and monoammonium phosphates increased 9.2 percent and 12.8 percent respectively, while diammonium phosphate (18-46-0) use was 2.4 percent below last year. A general increase in the use of nitrogen materials was reported with the exception of nitrogen solutions which declined 2.1 percent from 1987--1988. Urea consumption rose almost 2 percent. ammonium nitrate was up 8.1 percent, and ammonium sulfate recorded a 9.5 percent gain in consumption. Anhydrous ammonia use was only 35,000 tons above last year. This document contains a state by state listing of individual fertilizer consumption rates, numerical data only.« less

Commercial fertilizers: Total US fertilizer consumption 44. 9 million tons in 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hargett, N.L.; Berry, J.T.; McKinney, S.L.

1989-01-01

US fertilizer consumption for the 1988--1989 year was 44.9 million tons of material-an increase of less than one percent from the previous year. The average plant nutrient content of all fertilizers decreased slightly as total plant nutrient consumption declined from 19.61 million to 19.59 million tons of N, P[sub 2]O[sub 5], and K[sub 2]O. Total nitrogen consumption increased one percent to 10.63 million tons, while P[sub 2]O[sub 5] use decreased by less than one percent to 4.12 million tons. Potash consumption declined from 4.97 million tons to 4.83 million tons K[sub 2]O-a 2.8 percent decrease. Consumption patterns varied widely frommore » state to state as weather conditions adversely affected fertilizer application even with significant increases in total planted crop acreage. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Ohio reported a decline in total plant nutrient application while several of the southeastern states registered an increase in consumption. Nutrient levels in mixed fertilizers remained unchanged as slight gains in the nitrogen and P[sub 2]O[sub 5] content were offset by a decline in K[sub 2]O. Consumption of ammonium polyphosphate solution (10-34-0) and monoammonium phosphates increased 9.2 percent and 12.8 percent respectively, while diammonium phosphate (18-46-0) use was 2.4 percent below last year. A general increase in the use of nitrogen materials was reported with the exception of nitrogen solutions which declined 2.1 percent from 1987--1988. Urea consumption rose almost 2 percent. ammonium nitrate was up 8.1 percent, and ammonium sulfate recorded a 9.5 percent gain in consumption. Anhydrous ammonia use was only 35,000 tons above last year. This document contains a state by state listing of individual fertilizer consumption rates, numerical data only.« less

Slowdown of N2O emissions from China's croplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, F.; Shang, Z.; Ciais, P.; Piao, S.; Tian, H.; Saikawa, E.; Zaehle, S.; Del Grosso, S. J.; Galloway, J. N.

2016-12-01

To feed the increasing population, China has experienced a rapid agricultural development over past decades, accompanied by increased fertilizer consumptions in croplands, but the magnitude, trend, and causes of the associated nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions has remain unclear. The primary sources of this uncertainty are conflicting estimates of fertilizer consumption and emission factors, the latter being uncertain because of very few regional representativeness of the Nrate-flux relationships in China. Here we re-estimate China's N2O emissions from croplands using three different methods: flux upscaling technique, process-based models and atmospheric inversion, and also analyze the corresponding drivers using an attribution approach. The three methods produce similar estimates of N2O emissions in the range of 0.67 ± 0.08 to 0.62± 0.11 Tg nitrogen per year, which is 29% larger than the estimates by the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) that is adopted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the emission baseline and twofold larger than the latest Chinese national report submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but the revised trend slows down after 2005. Fertilizer N application per area is the dominant factor driving the increase in N2O emissions across most cropping regions from 1990 to 2004, but climate-induced change of emission factors has also controlled N2O flux from 2005 onwards. Our findings suggest that, as precipitation would increase in North China but decline in the South in future, EF will increasingly control China's agri. soil emissions of N2O, unless offset by larger reductions of fertilizer consumptions.

Perceived access to fruits and vegetables associated with increased consumption.

PubMed

Caldwell, Erin M; Miller Kobayashi, M; DuBow, W M; Wytinck, S M

2009-10-01

To examine the association between fruit and vegetable access in the community and change in fruit and vegetable consumption among participants in community-based health promotion programmes. Fruit and vegetable consumption and perceived access to fresh fruit and vegetables were measured by self-administered questionnaires at programme start, end and 1-year follow-up. Community produce availability was determined by grocery store assessments measuring the display space devoted to fruit and vegetable offerings, as well as price, variety and freshness. A total of nine communities were studied; 130 participants completed the fruit and vegetable portions of the questionnaires and could be linked to grocery store assessments. Participants made modest but significant increases in fruit and vegetable consumption from programme start to end: the average increase was 2.88 (95% CI 1.52, 4.25) servings weekly; the average increase from start to follow-up was 2.52 (95% CI 1.09, 3.95) servings weekly. Greater perceived access to fruits and vegetables was significantly associated with higher increases in fruit and vegetable consumption from programme start to programme end. Greater availability of produce was associated with greater increases in fruit and vegetable servings from programme start to programme end as measured by store assessments. Environmental factors, such as access to fruits and vegetables, can modify the effects of community interventions. Interventions with the goal of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption should consider focusing on increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables in target communities. Similarly, researchers may want to study access as an intervention, not just a contextual variable.

[Impact of the decrease of nitrous oxide use on the consumption of halogenated agents].

PubMed

Laverdure, F; Gaudin, A; Bourgain, J-L

2013-11-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) toxicity and its impact on pollution lead to restrict its use. A decrease of N2O consumption should increase the hypnotic inhaled consumption. This monocentric study estimated consumptions and costs of halogenated agents (HA) and N2O over 5 years when the N2O consumption was reduced. Retrospective from a computerized database. Between 2006 and 2010, 34,097 procedures were studied after two meetings exposing the risks of the N2O. At the end of anesthesia, consumptions of hypnotic agents (millilitres transmitted by the injectors and the blender) were archived in the database. The annual consumption of agents was obtained by adding the individual consumptions, then divided by the annual number of cases. The costs were given by the hospital pharmacy from invoices. N2O consumption per anesthesia constantly decreased during the study, from 75.1L by act to 22.7L. The sum of the annual consumptions of N2O and air did not change suggesting that total fresh gas flow remained stable. Between 2006 and 2010, the sevoflurane consumption by act increased by 25%, from 16.5 to 20.6mL, and desflurane consumption by 37%, from 46.1 to 63.1mL by patient. The costs of the administration of hypnotic agents remained stable. N2O consumption decrease had an impact on the consumption of HA. The cost reduction of the N2O was counterbalanced by the increase of halogenated vapor cost. The profit of the ecological impact of the reduction in N2O use could be quantified. Copyright © 2013 Société française d’anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Oxygen consumption in weakly electric Neotropical fishes.

PubMed

Julian, David; Crampton, William G R; Wohlgemuth, Stephanie E; Albert, James S

2003-12-01

Weakly electric gymnotiform fishes with wave-type electric organ discharge (EOD) are less hypoxia-tolerant and are less likely to be found in hypoxic habitats than weakly electric gymnotiforms with pulse-type EOD, suggesting that differences in metabolism resulting from EOD type affects habitat choice. Although gymnotiform fishes are common in most Neotropical freshwaters and represent the dominant vertebrates in some habitats, the metabolic rates of these unique fishes have never been determined. In this study, O(2) consumption rates during EOD generation are reported for 34 gymnotiforms representing 23 species, all five families and 17 (59%) of the 28 genera. Over the size range sampled (0.4 g to 125 g), O(2) consumption of gymnotiform fishes was dependent on body mass, as expected, fitting a power function with a scaling exponent of 0.74, but the O(2) consumption rate was generally about 50% of that expected by extrapolation of temperate teleost metabolic rates to a similar ambient temperature (26 degrees C). O(2) consumption rate was not dependent on EOD type, but maintenance of "scan swimming" (continuous forwards and backwards swimming), which is characteristic only of gymnotiforms with wave-type EODs, increased O(2) consumption 2.83+/-0.49-fold (mean+/-SD). This suggests that the increased metabolic cost of scan swimming could restrict gymnotiforms with wave-type EODs from hypoxic habitats.

China's growing CO2 emissions--a race between increasing consumption and efficiency gains.

PubMed

Peters, Glen P; Weber, Christopher L; Guan, Dabo; Hubacek, Klaus

2007-09-01

China's rapidly growing economy and energy consumption are creating serious environmental problems on both local and global scales. Understanding the key drivers behind China's growing energy consumption and the associated CO2 emissions is critical for the development of global climate policies and provides insight into how other emerging economies may develop a low emissions future. Using recently released Chinese economic input-output data and structural decomposition analysis we analyze how changes in China's technology, economic structure, urbanization, and lifestyles affect CO2 emissions. We find that infrastructure construction and urban household consumption, both in turn driven by urbanization and lifestyle changes, have outpaced efficiency improvements in the growth of CO2 emissions. Net trade had a small effect on total emissions due to equal, but significant, growth in emissions from the production of exports and emissions avoided by imports. Technology and efficiency improvements have only partially offset consumption growth, but there remains considerable untapped potential to reduce emissions by improving both production and consumption systems. As China continues to rapidly develop there is an opportunity to further implement and extend policies, such as the Circular Economy, that will help China avoid the high emissions path taken by today's developed countries.

ICI D7114 a novel selective beta-adrenoceptor agonist selectively stimulates brown fat and increases whole-body oxygen consumption.

PubMed Central

Holloway, B. R.; Howe, R.; Rao, B. S.; Stribling, D.; Mayers, R. M.; Briscoe, M. G.; Jackson, J. M.

1991-01-01

1. ICI D7114 is a novel, beta-adrenoceptor agonist which stimulates whole body oxygen consumption in conscious rats, cats and dogs and brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity in conscious rats. Treatment of rats with ICI D7114 stimulated oxygen consumption (ED50, 0.04 mg kg-1, p.o.) and BAT mitochondrial guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-binding (ED50, 0.15 mg kg-1, p.o.) with no chronotropic effects on the heart at these doses. 2. Reference beta-adrenoceptor agonists, isoprenaline and clenbuterol, also stimulated oxygen consumption and BAT activity but were less selective because they also produced effects on heart rate at these doses. 3. Treatment of conscious rats with ICI D7114 did not attenuate the chronotropic effects on the heart of a subsequent isoprenaline challenge. 4. Administration of ICI D7114 or of its acid metabolite had no effect in a cat soleus muscle model of tremor or on blood potassium levels in the conscious dog, indicating lack of effects at beta 2-adrenoceptors. 5. The results indicate that ICI D7114 may have activity at atypical beta-adrenoceptors in brown adipose tissue leading to increased whole body oxygen consumption. PMID:1686210

Increased photocatalytic activity induced by TiO2/Pt/SnO2 heterostructured films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Testoni, Glaucio O.; Amoresi, Rafael A. C.; Lustosa, Glauco M. M. M.; Costa, João P. C.; Nogueira, Marcelo V.; Ruiz, Miguel; Zaghete, Maria A.; Perazolli, Leinig A.

2018-02-01

In this work, a high photocatalytic activity was attained by intercalating a Pt layer between SnO2 and TiO2 semiconductors, which yielded a TiO2/Pt/SnO2 - type heterostructure used in the discoloration of blue methylene (MB) solution. The porous films and platinum layer were obtained by electrophoretic deposition and DC Sputtering, respectively, and were both characterized morphologically and structurally by FE-SEM and XRD. The films with the Pt interlayer were evaluated by photocatalytic activity through exposure to UV light. An increase in efficiency of 22% was obtained for these films compared to those without platinum deposition. Studies on the reutilization of the films pointed out high efficiency and recovery of the photocatalyst, rendering the methodology favorable for the construction of fixed bed photocatalytic reactors. A proposal associated with the mechanism is discussed in this work in terms of the difference in Schottky barrier between the semiconductors and the electrons transfer and trapping cycle. These are fundamental factors for boosting photocatalytic efficiency.

Exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles increases Staphylococcusaureusinfection of HeLa cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yan; Wei, Ming-Tzo; Walker, Stephen. G.; Wang, Hong Zhan; Gondon, Chris; Brink, Peter; Guterman, Shoshana; Zawacki, Emma; Applebaum, Eliana; Rafailovich, Miriam; Ou-Yang, H. Daniel; Mironava, Tatsiana

TiO2 is one of the most common nanoparticles in industry from food additives to energy generation. Even though TiO2 is also used as an anti-bacterial agent in combination with UV, we found that, in the absence of UV, exposure of HeLa cells to TiO2 nanoparticles largely increased their risk of bacterial invasion. HeLa cells cultured with low dosage rutile and anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (0.1 mg/ml) for 24 hrs prior to exposure to bacteria had 350% and 250% respectively more bacteria infected per cell. The increase was attributed to increased LDH leakage, and changes in the mechanical response of the cell membrane. On the other hand, macrophages exposed to TiO2 particles ingested 40% fewer bacteria, further increasing the risk of infection. In combination, these two factors raise serious concerns regarding the impact of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles on the ability of organisms to resist bacterial infection.

Low Power Consumption Gas Sensor Created from Silicon Nanowires/TiO2 Core-Shell Heterojunctions.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Lin, Leimiao; Chen, Qiaofen; Zhou, Hongzhi; Wu, Jianmin

2017-10-27

Silicon nanowires/TiO 2 (SiNWs/TiO 2 ) array with core-shell nanostructure was created by sol-gel and drop-casting methods. The hybrid material displayed excellent sensing performance for CH 4 detection at room temperature. The chemiresistor sensor has a linear response toward CH 4 gas in the 30-120 ppm range with a detection limit of 20 ppm, which is well below most CH 4 sensors reported before. The enhanced gas sensing performance at room temperature was attributed to the creation of heterojunctions that form a depletion layer at the interface of SiNWs and TiO 2 layer. Adsorption of oxygen and corresponding gas analyte on TiO 2 layer could induce the change of depletion layer thickness and consequently the width of the SiNWs conductive channel, leading to a sensitive conductive response toward gas analyte. Compared to conventional metal oxide gas sensors, the room temperature gas sensors constructed from SiNWs/TiO 2 do not need an additional heating device and work at power at the μW level. The low power consumption feature is of great importance for sensing devices, if they are widely deployed and connected to the Internet of Things. The innovation of room temperature sensing materials may push forward the integration of gas sensing element with wireless device.

Oxygen and SO2 Consumption Rates in White and Rosé Wines: Relationship with and Effects on Wine Chemical Composition.

PubMed

Carrascón, Vanesa; Bueno, Mónica; Fernandez-Zurbano, Purificación; Ferreira, Vicente

2017-11-01

This Article addresses the study of O 2 and SO 2 consumption rates of white and rosé wines, their relationship to the initial chemical composition, and their effects on the chemical changes experienced by wine during oxidation. Eight wines were subjected to five consecutive air-saturation cycles. O 2 was monitored periodically; SO 2 , color, and antioxidant indexes were determined after each cycle, and the initial and final compositions of the wines were thoroughly determined. Wines consumed oxygen at progressively decreasing rates. In the last cycles, after a strong decrease, consistent increases of oxygen levels were seen. Oxygen consumption rates were satisfactorily modeled, being proportional to wine copper, quercetin, and kaempherol contents and negatively proportional to cinnamic acids. SO 2 consumption rates were highly diverse between wines and were positively related to free SO 2 , Mn, and pH, among others. In the last saturations, SO 2 consumption took place regardless of O 2 consumption, implying that SO 2 should reduce chemical species oxidized in previous saturations. Some volatile phenols seem to be the end point of radical-mediated oxidation of polyphenols taking place preferably in the first saturation.

Oscillation in O2 uptake in impulse exercise.

PubMed

Yano, T; Afroundeh, R; Yamanaka, R; Arimitsu, T; Lian, C S; Shirakawa, K; Yunoki, T

2014-06-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine 1) whether O(2) uptake (VO(2)) oscillates during light exercise and 2) whether the oscillation is enhanced after impulse exercise. After resting for 1 min on a bicycle seat, subjects performed 5-min pre-exercise with 25 watts work load, 10-s impulse exercise with 200 watts work load and 15-min post exercise with 25 watts work load at 80 rpm. VO(2) during pre-exercise significantly increased during impulse exercise and suddenly decreased and re-increased until 23 s after impulse exercise. In the cross correlation between heart rate (HR) and VO(2) after impulse exercise, VO(2) strongly correlated to HR with a time delay of -4 s. Peak of power spectral density (PSD) in HR appeared at 0.0039 Hz and peak of PSD in VO(2) appeared at 0.019 Hz. The peak of the cross power spectrum between VO(2) and HR appeared at 0.0078 Hz. The results suggested that there is an oscillation in O(2) uptake during light exercise that is associated with the oscillation in O(2) consumption in active muscle. The oscillation is enhanced not only by change in O(2) consumption but also by O(2) content transported from active muscle to the lungs.

Increases in Cardiac Output and Oxygen Consumption During Enhanced External Counterpulsation.

PubMed

Ahlbom, Magnus; Hagerman, Inger; Ståhlberg, Marcus; Manouras, Aristomenis; Förstedt, Gunilla; Wu, Eline; Lund, Lars H

2016-11-01

Regular enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) improves exercise capacity possibly through a training effect, but the roles of oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) vs. direct EECP effects (diastolic augmentation, DA-ratio), and their relation to cardiac index (CI) during EECP are unknown. We studied eight patients with angina pectoris (median [range] age 72 [53-85], 25% women), who underwent EECP for 35 daily sessions. Before, during and after the first and last sessions, we assessed VO 2 , DA-ratio and CI. At first EECP, CI increased from 2.2 (1.7-2.9) L/min/m 2 prior to EECP to 3.0 (2.2-3.8) during EECP (p=0.011), and returned to 2.4 (0.8-3.0). Similarly, VO 2 increased during EECP and returned to baseline after EECP. These patterns were reproduced at the last EECP session. Absolute values of CI and VO 2 correlated with each other during but not prior to or after EECP. The increase in CI correlated with the increase in VO 2 by trend: (first session, r 0.52, p=0.19; second session r 0.69, p=0.09), but not with DA-ratio. Acutely during EECP, there is an increase in cardiac output that is unrelated to direct EECP effects but related to, and may be secondary to, an increase in peripheral O 2 demand. This may represent a training effect. Copyright © 2016 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structurally Engineered Nanoporous Ta2O5-x Selector-Less Memristor for High Uniformity and Low Power Consumption.

PubMed

Kwon, Soonbang; Kim, Tae-Wook; Jang, Seonghoon; Lee, Jae-Hwang; Kim, Nam Dong; Ji, Yongsung; Lee, Chul-Ho; Tour, James M; Wang, Gunuk

2017-10-04

A memristor architecture based on metal-oxide materials would have great promise in achieving exceptional energy efficiency and higher scalability in next-generation electronic memory systems. Here, we propose a facile method for fabricating selector-less memristor arrays using an engineered nanoporous Ta 2 O 5-x architecture. The device was fabricated in the form of crossbar arrays, and it functions as a switchable rectifier with a self-embedded nonlinear switching behavior and ultralow power consumption (∼2.7 × 10 -6 W), which results in effective suppression of crosstalk interference. In addition, we determined that the essential switching elements, such as the programming power, the sneak current, the nonlinearity value, and the device-to-device uniformity, could be enhanced by in-depth structural engineering of the pores in the Ta 2 O 5-x layer. Our results, on the basis of the structural engineering of metal-oxide materials, could provide an attractive approach for fabricating simple and cost-efficient memristor arrays with acceptable device uniformity and low power consumption without the need for additional addressing selectors.

Beer Consumption Increases Human Attractiveness to Malaria Mosquitoes

PubMed Central

Lefèvre, Thierry; Gouagna, Louis-Clément; Dabiré, Kounbobr Roch; Elguero, Eric; Fontenille, Didier; Renaud, François; Costantini, Carlo; Thomas, Frédéric

2010-01-01

Background Malaria and alcohol consumption both represent major public health problems. Alcohol consumption is rising in developing countries and, as efforts to manage malaria are expanded, understanding the links between malaria and alcohol consumption becomes crucial. Our aim was to ascertain the effect of beer consumption on human attractiveness to malaria mosquitoes in semi field conditions in Burkina Faso. Methodology/Principal Findings We used a Y tube-olfactometer designed to take advantage of the whole body odour (breath and skin emanations) as a stimulus to gauge human attractiveness to Anopheles gambiae (the primary African malaria vector) before and after volunteers consumed either beer (n = 25 volunteers and a total of 2500 mosquitoes tested) or water (n = 18 volunteers and a total of 1800 mosquitoes). Water consumption had no effect on human attractiveness to An. gambiae mosquitoes, but beer consumption increased volunteer attractiveness. Body odours of volunteers who consumed beer increased mosquito activation (proportion of mosquitoes engaging in take-off and up-wind flight) and orientation (proportion of mosquitoes flying towards volunteers' odours). The level of exhaled carbon dioxide and body temperature had no effect on human attractiveness to mosquitoes. Despite individual volunteer variation, beer consumption consistently increased attractiveness to mosquitoes. Conclusions/Significance These results suggest that beer consumption is a risk factor for malaria and needs to be integrated into public health policies for the design of control measures. PMID:20209056

Low-calorie sweetener consumption is increasing in the United States123

PubMed Central

Welsh, Jean A; Brown, Rebecca J; Vos, Miriam B

2012-01-01

Background: Low-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) have emerged as alternatives to added sugars. Research suggests that consumption among all Americans is increasing, yet it is unknown whether consumption trends differ among population subgroups. Objective: Our study aimed to assess recent national trends in LCS consumption among children and other demographic subgroups in the United States. Design: We used NHANES data collected in five 2-y cycles from 1999–2000 to 2007–2008. Consumption of foods and beverages with LCSs was estimated by using one 24-h dietary recall. Estimates of the proportion of the population consuming foods and beverages containing LCSs (prevalence of consumption) were weighted to obtain nationally representative results. Trends in prevalence of LCS consumption and mean intake of beverages sweetened with LCSs were tested by using chi-square tests for trend and F tests. Results: In 2007–2008, the percentage of children and adults consuming foods and beverages containing LCSs increased. The prevalence of consuming beverages with LCSs increased from 6.1% to 12.5% among children (P-trend < 0.0001) and from 18.7% to 24.1% among adults (P < 0.001). Increases in the prevalence of consumption of calorie-containing beverages with LCSs were observed among all weight, age, socioeconomic, and race-ethnicity subgroups in both children and adults. However, little change in consumption of no-calorie beverages with LCSs or LCS-containing foods was found. Conclusions: The consumption of LCS-containing beverages has doubled among US children over the past decade. Further research is needed to understand the health effects of this trend. PMID:22854409

Characterization and production and consumption processes of N2O emitted from temperate agricultural soils determined via isotopomer ratio analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyoda, Sakae; Yano, Midori; Nishimura, Sei-Ichi; Akiyama, Hiroko; Hayakawa, Atsushi; Koba, Keisuke; Sudo, Shigeto; Yagi, Kazuyuki; Makabe, Akiko; Tobari, Yoshifumi; Ogawa, Nanako O.; Ohkouchi, Naohiko; Yamada, Keita; Yoshida, Naohiro

2011-06-01

Isotopomer ratios of N2O (bulk nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios, δ15Nbulk and δ18O, and intramolecular 15N site preference, SP) are useful parameters that characterize sources of this greenhouse gas and also provide insight into production and consumption mechanisms. We measured isotopomer ratios of N2O emitted from typical Japanese agricultural soils (Fluvisols and Andisols) planted with rice, wheat, soybean, and vegetables, and treated with synthetic (urea or ammonium) and organic (poultry manure) fertilizers. The results were analyzed using a previously reported isotopomeric N2O signature produced by nitrifying/denitrifying bacteria and a characteristic relationship between δ15Nbulk and SP during N2O reduction by denitrifying bacteria. Relative contributions from nitrification (hydroxylamine oxidation) and denitrification (nitrite reduction) to gross N2O production deduced from the analysis depended on soil type and fertilizer. The contribution from nitrification was relatively high (40%-70%) in Andisols amended with synthetic ammonium fertilizer, while denitrification was dominant (50%-90%) in the same soils amended with poultry manure during the period when N2O production occurred in the surface layer. This information on production processes is in accordance with that obtained from flux/concentration analysis of N2O and soil inorganic nitrogen. However, isotopomer analysis further revealed that partial reduction of N2O was pronounced in high-bulk density, alluvial soil (Fluvisol) compared to low-bulk density, volcanic ash soil (Andisol), and that the observed difference in N2O flux between normal and pelleted manure could have resulted from a similar mechanism with different rates of gross production and gross consumption. The isotopomeric analysis is based on data from pure culture bacteria and would be improved by further studies on in situ biological processes in soils including those by fungi. When flux/concentration-weighted average isotopomer

Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates and the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States: an ecologic assessment.

PubMed

Gross, Lee S; Li, Li; Ford, Earl S; Liu, Simin

2004-05-01

Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic that is affecting an ever-increasing proportion of the US population. Although consumption of refined carbohydrates has increased and is thought to be related to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the ecologic effect of changes in the quality of carbohydrates in the food supply on the risk of type 2 diabetes remains to be quantified. The objective was to examine the correlation between consumption of refined carbohydrates and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the United States. In this ecologic correlation study, the per capita nutrient consumption in the United States between 1909 and 1997 obtained from the US Department of Agriculture was compared with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a univariate analysis, a significant correlation with diabetes prevalence was observed for dietary fat (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), carbohydrate (r = 0.55, P < 0.001), protein (r = 0.71, P < 0.001), fiber (r = 0.16, P = 0.03), corn syrup (r = 0.83, P < 0.001), and total energy (r = 0.75, P < 0.001) intakes. In a multivariate nutrient-density model, in which total energy intake was accounted for, corn syrup was positively associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (beta = 0.0132, P = 0.038). Fiber (beta = -13.86, P < 0.01) was negatively associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, protein (P = 0.084) and fat (P = 0.79) were not associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes when total energy was controlled for. Increasing intakes of refined carbohydrate (corn syrup) concomitant with decreasing intakes of fiber paralleled the upward trend in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes observed in the United States during the 20th century.

Soil Nitrification and N2O Production: the connection with N concentration and Soil Water Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu-Barker, X.; Horwath, W. R.

2016-12-01

The development of mitigation strategies to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from soils is dependent on explicating the biophysical factors affecting different N2O production pathways. Ammonia oxidation and heterotrophic denitrification are the main pathways of N2O production, depending on soil conditions such as soil moisture content, oxygen (O2) content and N substrate. Many researchers have reported that N2O production increased as substrate concentration and soil moisture content increased. However, less understood is how N fertilizer concentration and moisture content interact to affect N2O production pathways. To investigate interaction and its effect on O2 consumption, we incubated three agricultural soils (clay, sandy loam, and peat) with different concentrations of (NH4)2SO4 (0-1000 µg N g-1) under 50 %, 75%, and 100% of water holding capacity. All treatments received 15N -KNO3 to bring the concentrations of NO3-_N in soils to 50 mg kg-1 soil and the NO3- pool to an enrichment of 10 atom% 15N. In all soils, the total amount of O2 consumption and N2O production increased as soil ammonical N concentration increased. The increased soil moisture significantly promoted N2O production in sandy loam and clay loam soils, compared to the peat soil. These results indicate that N2O production increased as substrate concentration increased likely due to the onset of O2 limitation caused by ammonia oxidation.

Oxygen consumption of animals under conditions of hypokinesia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loginova, Y. N.; Volozhin, A. I.; Krasnyku, I. G.; Stroganova, Y. A.

1980-01-01

The influence of hypokinesia on the oxygen consumption of rats, dog, and squirrels was investigated. Three periods of gaseous exchange were revealed in rats under conditions of a limited motor activity. During the first 10-15 days O2 consumption displayed a sharp elevation; on the 20th-30th day, it became stabilized at a higher level (in comparison with control) and it sharply rose again on the 40th-100th day. In dogs, hypokinesia produced a reduction of O2 consumption and then a tendency to its elevation was seen. A short period of physical exercises in squirrels after hypokinesia led to increased oxygen consumption at rest.

High-Intensity Interval Training Increases Cardiac Output and V˙O2max.

PubMed

Astorino, Todd A; Edmunds, Ross M; Clark, Amy; King, Leesa; Gallant, Rachael A; Namm, Samantha; Fischer, Anthony; Wood, Kimi M

2017-02-01

Increases in maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) frequently occur with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yet the specific adaptation explaining this result remains elusive. This study examined changes in V˙O2max and cardiac output (CO) in response to periodized HIIT. Thirty-nine active men and women (mean age and V˙O2max = 22.9 ± 5.4 yr and 39.6 ± 5.6 mL·kg·min) performed HIIT and 32 men and women (age and V˙O2max = 25.7 ± 4.5 yr and 40.7 ± 5.2 mL·kg·min) were nonexercising controls (CON). The first 10 sessions of HIIT required eight to ten 60 s bouts of cycling at 90%-110% percent peak power output interspersed with 75 s recovery, followed by randomization to one of three regimes (sprint interval training (SIT), high-volume interval training (HIITHI), or periodized interval training (PER) for the subsequent 10 sessions. Before, midway, and at the end of training, progressive cycling to exhaustion was completed during which V˙O2max and maximal CO were estimated. Compared with CON, significant (P < 0.001) increases in V˙O2max in HIIT + SIT (39.8 ± 7.3 mL·kg·min to 43.6 ± 6.1 mL·kg·min), HIIT + HIITHI (41.1 ± 4.9 mL·kg·min to 44.6 ± 7.0 mL·kg·min), and HIIT + PER (39.5 ± 5.6 mL·kg·min to 44.1 ± 5.4 mL·kg·min) occurred which were mediated by significant increases in maximal CO (20.0 ± 3.1 L·min to 21.7 ± 3.2 L·min, P = 0.04). Maximal stroke volume was increased with HIIT (P = 0.04), although there was no change in maximal HR (P = 0.88) or arteriovenous O2 difference (P = 0.36). These CO data are accurate and represent the mean changes from pre- to post-HIIT across all three training groups. Increases in V˙O2max exhibited in response to different HIIT regimes are due to improvements in oxygen delivery.

Influence of H2O2 on LPG fuel performance evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Muhammad Saad; Ahmed, Iqbal; Mutalib, Mohammad Ibrahim bin Abdul; Nadeem, Saad; Ali, Shahid

2014-10-01

The objective of this mode of combustion is to insertion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) combustion on spark plug ignition engines. The addition of hydrogen peroxide may probably decrease the formation of NOx, COx and unburned hydrocarbons. Hypothetically, Studies have shown that addition of hydrogen peroxide to examine the performance of LPG/H2O2 mixture in numerous volumetric compositions starting from lean LPG until obtaining a better composition can reduce the LPG fuel consumption. The theory behind this idea is that, the addition of H2O2 can cover the lean operation limit, increase the lean burn ability, diminution the burn duration along with controlling the exhaust emission by significantly reducing the greenhouse gaseous.

Increased osteoblast and decreased Staphylococcus epidermidis functions on nanophase ZnO and TiO2.

PubMed

Colon, Gabriel; Ward, Brian C; Webster, Thomas J

2006-09-01

Many engineers and surgeons trace implant failure to poor osseointegration (or the bonding of an orthopedic implant to juxtaposed bone) and/or bacteria infection. By using novel nanotopographies, researchers have shown that nanostructured ceramics, carbon fibers, polymers, metals, and composites enhance osteoblast adhesion and calcium/phosphate mineral deposition. However, the function of bacteria on materials with nanostructured surfaces remains largely uninvestigated. This is despite the fact that during normal surgical insertion of an orthopedic implant, bacteria from the patient's own skin and/or mucosa enters the wound site. These bacteria (namely, Staphylococcus epidermidis) irreversibly adhere to an implant surface while various physiological stresses induce alterations in the bacterial growth rate leading to biofilm formation. Because of their integral role in determining the success of orthopedic implants, the objective of this in vitro study was to examine the functions of (i) S. epidermidis and (ii) osteoblasts (or bone-forming cells) on ZnO and titania (TiO(2)), which possess nanostructured compared to microstructured surface features. ZnO is a well-known antimicrobial agent and TiO(2) readily forms on titanium once implanted. Results of this study provided the first evidence of decreased S. epidermidis adhesion on ZnO and TiO(2) with nanostructured when compared with microstructured surface features. Moreover, compared with microphase formulations, results of this study showed increased osteoblast adhesion, alkaline phosphatase activity, and calcium mineral deposition on nanophase ZnO and TiO(2). In this manner, this study suggests that nanophase ZnO and TiO(2) may reduce S. epidermidis adhesion and increase osteoblast functions necessary to promote the efficacy of orthopedic implants.

Hemoglobin-based O2 carrier O2 affinity and capillary inlet pO2 are important factors that influence O2 transport in a capillary.

PubMed

Dimino, Michael L; Palmer, Andre F

2007-01-01

Hemopure (Biopure; Cambridge, MA) and PolyHeme (Northfield Laboratories; Evanston, IL) are two acellular hemoglobin-based O2 carriers (HBOCs) currently in phase III clinical trials for use as red blood cell substitutes. The most common adverse side effect that these HBOCs exhibit is increased vasoconstriction. Autoregulatory theory has been presented as a possible explanation for this physiological effect, where it is hypothesized that low-affinity HBOCs over-deliver O2 to tissues surrounding arterioles, thereby eliciting vasoconstriction. In this paper, we wanted to investigate HBOC oxygenation of tissue surrounding a capillary, which is the smallest element of the circulatory system. An a priori model has been developed in which the performance of mixtures of acellular HBOCs (synthesized by our group and others) and human red blood cells (hRBCs) has been simulated using a Krogh tissue cylinder model (KTCM) comprising a capillary surrounded by a capillary membrane and skeletal muscle tissue in cylindrical coordinates with specified tissue O2 consumption rates and Michaelis-Menten kinetics. In this study, the total hemoglobin (hRBCs and HBOCs) concentration was kept constant. The HBOCs studied possessed O2 affinities that were higher and lower compared to hRBCs (P50's spanned 5-55 mmHg), and the equilibrium binding/release of oxygen to/from the HBOCs was modeled using the Adair equation. At normoxic inlet pO2's, there was no correlation between O2 flux out of the capillary and the O2 affinity of the HBOC. However, a correlation was found between the average pO2 tension in the capillary and the O2 affinity of the HBOC. Additionally, we studied the change in the O2 equilibrium curve of HBOCs with different O2 affinities over a wide range of inlet pO2's and found that changing the inlet pO2 greatly affected which HBOC, having a unique O2 affinity, best delivered O2 to the surrounding tissue. The analysis of oxygen transport presented could lead to a better prediction

Maximization of current efficiency for organic pollutants oxidation at BDD, Ti/SnO2-Sb/PbO2, and Ti/SnO2-Sb anodes.

PubMed

Xing, Xuan; Ni, Jinren; Zhu, Xiuping; Jiang, Yi; Xia, Jianxin

2018-08-01

Whereas electrochemical oxidation is noted for its ability to degrade bio-refractory organics, it has also been incorrectly criticized for excessive energy consumption. The present paper rectifies this misunderstanding by demonstrating that the energy actually consumed in the degradation process is much less than that wasted in the side reaction of oxygen evolution. To minimize the side reaction, the possible highest instantaneous current efficiency (PHICE) for electrochemical oxidation of phenol at Boron-doped Diamond (BDD), Ti/SnO 2 -Sb/PbO 2 (PbO 2 ), and Ti/SnO 2 -Sb (SnO 2 ) anodes has been investigated systematically, and found to reach almost 100% at the BDD anode compared with 23% at the PbO 2 anode and 9% at the SnO 2 anode. The significant discrepancy between PHICE values at the various anodes is interpreted in terms of different existing forms of hydroxyl radicals. For each anode system, the PHICEs are maintained experimentally using a computer-controlled exponential decay current mode throughout the electrolysis process. For applications, the minimized energy consumption is predicted by response surface methodology, and demonstrated for the BDD anode system. Consequently, almost 100% current efficiency is achieved (for a relatively meagre energy consumption of 17.2 kWh kgCOD -1 ) along with excellent COD degradation efficiency by optimizing the initial current density, flow rate, electrolysis time, and exponential decay constant. Compared with galvanostatic conditions, over 70% of the energy is saved in the present study, thus demonstrating the great potential of electrochemical oxidation for practical applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrical conductivity optimization of the Na3AlF6-Al2O3-Sm2O3 molten salts system for Al-Sm intermediate binary alloy production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Chun-fa; Jiao, Yun-fen; Wang, Xu; Cai, Bo-qing; Sun, Qiang-chao; Tang, Hao

2017-09-01

Metal Sm has been widely used in making Al-Sm magnet alloy materials. Conventional distillation technology to produce Sm has the disadvantages of low productivity, high costs, and pollution generation. The objective of this study was to develop a molten salt electrolyte system to produce Al-Sm alloy directly, with focus on the electrical conductivity and optimal operating conditions to minimize the energy consumption. The continuously varying cell constant (CVCC) technique was used to measure the conductivity for the Na3AlF6-AlF3-LiF-MgF2-Al2O3-Sm2O3 electrolysis medium in the temperature range from 905 to 1055°C. The temperature ( t) and the addition of Al2O3 ( W(Al2O3)), Sm2O3 ( W(Sm2O3)), and a combination of Al2O3 and Sm2O3 into the basic fluoride system were examined with respect to their effects on the conductivity ( κ) and activation energy. The experimental results showed that the molten electrolyte conductivity increases with increasing temperature ( t) and decreases with the addition of Al2O3 or Sm2O3 or both. We concluded that the optimal operation conditions for Al-Sm intermediate alloy production in the Na3AlF6-AlF3-LiF-MgF2-Al2O3-Sm2O3 system are W(Al2O3) + W(Sm2O3) = 3wt%, W(Al2O3): W(Sm2O3) = 7:3, and a temperature of 965 to 995°C, which results in satisfactory conductivity, low fluoride evaporation losses, and low energy consumption.

High-gain subnanowatt power consumption hybrid complementary logic inverter with WSe2 nanosheet and ZnO nanowire transistors on glass.

PubMed

Shokouh, Seyed Hossein Hosseini; Pezeshki, Atiye; Ali Raza, Syed Raza; Lee, Hee Sung; Min, Sung-Wook; Jeon, Pyo Jin; Shin, Jae Min; Im, Seongil

2015-01-07

A 1D-2D hybrid complementary logic inverter comprising of ZnO nanowire and WSe2 nanosheet field-effect transistors (FETs) is fabricated on glass, which shows excellent static and dynamic electrical performances with a voltage gain of ≈60, sub-nanowatt power consumption, and at least 1 kHz inverting speed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Integrated measurements and modeling of CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes using soil microsite frequency distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, Eric; Sihi, Debjani; Savage, Kathleen

2017-04-01

and N2O range from below ambient to above ambient atmospheric values. As soil moisture or temperature increase, the skewness of the microsite distributions of heterotrophic respiration and CH4 concentrations shifts toward a larger fraction of high values, while the skewness of microsite distributions of O2 and N2O concentrations shifts toward a larger fraction of low values. This approach of probability distribution functions for each gas simulates the importance of microsite hotspots of methanogenesis and N2O reduction at high moisture (and temperature). In addition, the model demonstrates that net consumption of atmospheric CH4 and N2O can occur simultaneously within a chamber due to the distribution of soil microsite conditions, which is consistent with some episodes of measured fluxes. Because soil CO2, N2O and CH4 fluxes are linked through substrate supply and O2 effects, the multiple constraints of simultaneous measurements of all three GHGs proved to be effective when applied to our combined model. Simulating all three GHGs simultaneously in a parsimonious modeling framework provides confidence that the most important mechanisms are skillfully simulated using appropriate parameterization and good process representation.

Effects of rapamycin on cerebral oxygen supply and consumption during reperfusion after cerebral ischemia.

PubMed

Chi, O Z; Barsoum, S; Vega-Cotto, N M; Jacinto, E; Liu, X; Mellender, S J; Weiss, H R

2016-03-01

Activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) leads to cell growth and survival. We tested the hypothesis that inhibition of mTOR would increase infarct size and decrease microregional O2 supply/consumption balance after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. This was tested in isoflurane-anesthetized rats with middle cerebral artery blockade for 1h and reperfusion for 2h with and without rapamycin (20mg/kg once daily for two days prior to ischemia). Regional cerebral blood flow was determined using a C(14)-iodoantipyrine autoradiographic technique. Regional small-vessel arterial and venous oxygen saturations were determined microspectrophotometrically. The control ischemic-reperfused cortex had a similar blood flow and O2 consumption to the contralateral cortex. However, microregional O2 supply/consumption balance was significantly reduced in the ischemic-reperfused cortex. Rapamycin significantly increased cerebral O2 consumption and further reduced O2 supply/consumption balance in the reperfused area. This was associated with an increased cortical infarct size (13.5±0.8% control vs. 21.5±0.9% rapamycin). We also found that ischemia-reperfusion increased AKT and S6K1 phosphorylation, while rapamycin decreased this phosphorylation in both the control and ischemic-reperfused cortex. This suggests that mTOR is important for not only cell survival, but also for the control of oxygen balance after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influences of Na2O and K2O Additions on Electrical Conductivity of CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 Melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guo-Hua; Zheng, Wei-Wei; Chou, Kuo-Chih

2017-04-01

The present study investigated the influences of Na2O and K2O additions on electrical conductivity of blast furnace type CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 melts by the four-electrode method. Both the single addition of Na2O or K2O and the double additions of Na2O and K2O were studied. It was found that electrical conductivity monotonously increased as the amount of Na2O addition was gradually increased, whereas, when K2O was added, there was a continuous decrease of electrical conductivity. With melts containing both Na2O and K2O, electrical conductivity first decreased but then increased when Na2O was gradually substituted for K2O while keeping the molar fractions of other components constant. In other words, the mixed-alkali effect took place in CaO-Mg-Al2O3-SiO2-ΣR2O melts.

Quantitative 17O imaging towards oxygen consumption study in tumor bearing mice at 7 T.

PubMed

Narazaki, Michiko; Kanazawa, Yoko; Koike, Sachiko; Ando, Koichi; Ikehira, Hiroo

2013-06-01

(17)O magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a conventional pulse sequence was explored as a method of quantitative imaging towards regional oxygen consumption rate measurement for tumor evaluation in mice. At 7 T, fast imaging with steady state (FISP) was the best among gradient echo, fast spin echo and FISP for the purpose. The distribution of natural abundance H2(17)O in mice was visualized under spatial resolution of 2.5 × 2.5mm(2) by FISP in 10 min. The signal intensity by FISP showed a linear relationship with (17)O quantity both in phantom and mice. Following the injection of 5% (17)O enriched saline, (17)O re-distribution was monitored in temporal resolution down to 5 sec with an image quality sufficient to distinguish each organ. The image of labeled water produced from inhaled (17)O2 gas was also obtained. The present method provides quantitative (17)O images under sufficient temporal and spatial resolution for the evaluation of oxygen consumption rate in each organ. Experiments using various model compounds of R-OH type clarified that the signal contribution of body constituents other than water in the present in vivo(17)O FISP image was negligible. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Meat consumption in São Paulo-Brazil: trend in the last decade.

PubMed

de Carvalho, Aline Martins; César, Chester Luiz Galvão; Fisberg, Regina Mara; Marchioni, Dirce Maria

2014-01-01

To characterize trends in meat consumption, and verify the percentage of excessive red and processed meat consumption in the last decade in São Paulo, Brazil. Cross-sectional weighted data from the Health Survey for São Paulo, conducted in São Paulo, Brazil among people aged 12 years and older. Diet was assessed by two 24-hour recalls in each survey. Usual meat consumption was estimated by Multiple Source Method. Wald tests were used to compare means across survey years. Data were collected from adolescents, adults, and elderly using a representative, complex, multistage probability-based survey in 2003 and in 2008 in São Paulo, southeast of Brazil. 2631 Brazilians were studied in 2003 and 1662 in 2008. Daily mean of red and processed meat consumption was 100 g/day in 2003, and 113 g/day in 2008. Excessive red and processed meat consumption was observed in almost 75% of the subjects, especially among adolescents in both surveys. Beef represented the largest proportion of meat consumed, followed by poultry, pork and fish in both surveys. Daily red and processed meat consumption was higher in 2008 than in 2003, and almost the entire population consumed more than what is recommended by World Cancer Research Fund. Public health strategies are needed, in order to reduce red and processed meat consumption to the recommended amounts, for a healthy diet.

The effect of cigarette price increase on the cigarette consumption in Taiwan: evidence from the National Health Interview Surveys on cigarette consumption.

PubMed

Lee, Jie-Min; Hwang, Tsorng-Chyi; Ye, Chun-Yuan; Chen, Sheng-Hong

2004-12-14

This study uses cigarette price elasticity to evaluate the effect of a new excise tax increase on cigarette consumption and to investigate responses from various types of smokers. Our sample consisted of current smokers between 17 and 69 years old interviewed during an annual face-to-face survey conducted by Taiwan National Health Research Institutes between 2000 to 2003. We used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) procedure to estimate double logarithmic function of cigarette demand and cigarette price elasticity. In 2002, after Taiwan had enacted the new tax scheme, cigarette price elasticity in Taiwan was found to be -0.5274. The new tax scheme brought about an average annual 13.27 packs/person (10.5%) reduction in cigarette consumption. Using the cigarette price elasticity estimate from -0.309 in 2003, we calculated that if the Health and Welfare Tax were increased by another NT 3 dollars per pack and cigarette producers shifted this increase to the consumers, cigarette consumption would be reduced by 2.47 packs/person (2.2%). The value of the estimated cigarette price elasticity is smaller than one, meaning that the tax will not only reduce cigarette consumption but it will also generate additional tax revenues. Male smokers who had no income or who smoked light cigarettes were found to be more responsive to changes in cigarette price. An additional tax added to the cost of cigarettes would bring about a reduction in cigarette consumption and increased tax revenues. It would also help reduce incidents smoking-related illnesses. The additional tax revenues generated by the tax increase could be used to offset the current financial deficiency of Taiwan's National Health Insurance program and provide better public services.

[Degradation of Organic Sunscreens 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone by UV/ H2O2 Process: Kinetics and Factors].

PubMed

Feng, Xin-xin; Du, Er-deng; Guo, Ying-qing; Li, Hua-jie; Liu, Xiang; Zhou, Fang

2015-06-01

Organic sunscreens continue to enter the environment through people's daily consumption, and become a kind of emerging contaminants. The photochemical degradation of benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in water by UV/H2O2 process was investigated. Several factors, including the initial BP-3 concentration, H2O2 concentration, UV light intensity, coexisting cations and anions, humic acid and tert-butyl alcohol, were also discussed. The results showed that BP-3 degradation rate constant decreased with increasing initial BP-3 concentration, while increased with increasing H2O2 dosage and UV intensity. Coexisting anions could reduce the degradation rate, while coexisting ferric ions could stimulate the production of OH through Fenton-like reaction, further significantly accelerated BP-3 degradation process. The BP-3 degradation would be inhibited by humic acid or tert-butyl alcohol. The electrical energy per order (E(Eo)) values were also calculated to evaluate the cost of BP-3 degradation by UV/H2O2 process. The addition of ferric ions significantly reduced the value of E(Eo). The investigation of processing parameter could provide a reference for the practical engineering applications of benzophenone compounds removal by UV/H2O2 process.

Increasing portion sizes of fruits and vegetables in an elementary school lunch program can increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

PubMed

Miller, Nicole; Reicks, Marla; Redden, Joseph P; Mann, Traci; Mykerezi, Elton; Vickers, Zata

2015-08-01

Increasing portion size can increase children's consumption of food. The goal of this study was to determine whether increasing the portion sizes of fruits and vegetables in an elementary school cafeteria environment would increase children's consumption of them. We measured each child's consumption of the fruit and vegetables served in a cafeteria line on a control day (normal cafeteria procedures) and on two intervention days. When we increased the portion size of 3 of the 4 fruits and vegetables by about 50%, children who took those foods increased their consumption of them. Although this was an effective strategy for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among students who took those foods, many children chose not to take any fruits or vegetables. Further efforts are needed to increase children's selection and consumption of fruits and vegetables in an environment of competing foods of higher palatability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxygen consumption during pouch development of the macropod marsupial Setonix brachyurus

PubMed Central

Shield, John

1966-01-01

1. Measurements of O2 consumption at 9 or 10 temperatures in the 20-40° C ambient temperature range were made on joeys with ages selected to cover the 180-day period of pouch occupancy. 2. The rate of O2 consumption of joeys younger than 100 days increased directly with ambient temperature. 3. After 100 days of age the O2 consumption rate at low temperatures rose and at about 140 days of age a constant rate was maintained over the full ambient temperature range. 4. Heat transfer from joey to mother commenced after 100 days of age. 5. At 150-180 days of age the rate of O2 consumption at 20° C was approximately 12 times greater than at ages less than 100 days. A thermal neutral zone was established in the range 32-36° C by joeys older than 150 days. 6. At the usual pouch temperature of 36·5° C, O2 consumption per unit wet body weight rose from 12 ml./kg.min at birth to 17 ml./kg.min at the end of pouch life. On a unit dry body weight basis it fell from 120 to 56 ml./kg.min. This decline parallels the decrease in growth rate. PMID:5972171

[Energy Consumption Comparison and Energy Saving Approaches for Different Wastewater Treatment Processes in a Large-scale Reclaimed Water Plant].

PubMed

Yang, Min; Li, Ya-ming; Wei, Yuan-song; Lü, Jian; Yu, Da-wei; Liu, Ji-bao; Fan, Yao-bo

2015-06-01

Energy consumption is the main performance indicator of reclaimed water plant (RWP) operation. Methods of specific energy consumption analysis, unit energy consumption analysis and redundancy analysis were applied to investigate the composition and spatio-temporal distribution of energy consumption in Qinghe RWP with inverted A2/O, A2/O and A2/O-MBR processes. And the A2/ O-MBR process was mainly analyzed to identify the main nodes and causes for high energy consumption, approaches for energy saving were explored, and the energy consumption before and after upgrading for energy saving was compared. The results showed that aeration was the key factor affecting energy consumption in both conventional and A2/O-MBR processes, accounting for 42.97% and 50.65% of total energy consumption, respectively. A pulsating aeration allowed an increasing membrane flux and remarkably reduced the energy consumption of the A2/O-MBR process while still meeting the effluent standard, e.g., the membrane flux was increased by 20%, and the energy consumptions per kiloton wastewater and kilogram COD(removed) were decreased by 42.39% to 0.53 kW-h-kg-3 and by 54.74% to 1.29 kW x h x kg(-1), respectively. The decrease of backflow ratio in the A2/O-MBR process within a certain range would not deteriorate the effluent quality due to its insignificant correlation with the effluent quality, and therefore may be considered as one of the ways for further energy saving.

The effect of cigarette price increase on the cigarette consumption in Taiwan: evidence from the National Health Interview Surveys on cigarette consumption

PubMed Central

Lee, Jie-Min; Hwang, Tsorng-Chyi; Ye, Chun-Yuan; Chen, Sheng-Hong

2004-01-01

Background This study uses cigarette price elasticity to evaluate the effect of a new excise tax increase on cigarette consumption and to investigate responses from various types of smokers. Methods Our sample consisted of current smokers between 17 and 69 years old interviewed during an annual face-to-face survey conducted by Taiwan National Health Research Institutes between 2000 to 2003. We used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) procedure to estimate double logarithmic function of cigarette demand and cigarette price elasticity. Results In 2002, after Taiwan had enacted the new tax scheme, cigarette price elasticity in Taiwan was found to be -0.5274. The new tax scheme brought about an average annual 13.27 packs/person (10.5%) reduction in cigarette consumption. Using the cigarette price elasticity estimate from -0.309 in 2003, we calculated that if the Health and Welfare Tax were increased by another NT$ 3 per pack and cigarette producers shifted this increase to the consumers, cigarette consumption would be reduced by 2.47 packs/person (2.2%). The value of the estimated cigarette price elasticity is smaller than one, meaning that the tax will not only reduce cigarette consumption but it will also generate additional tax revenues. Male smokers who had no income or who smoked light cigarettes were found to be more responsive to changes in cigarette price. Conclusions An additional tax added to the cost of cigarettes would bring about a reduction in cigarette consumption and increased tax revenues. It would also help reduce incidents smoking-related illnesses. The additional tax revenues generated by the tax increase could be used to offset the current financial deficiency of Taiwan's National Health Insurance program and provide better public services. PMID:15598345

Energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Iran, 2025.

PubMed

Mirzaei, Maryam; Bekri, Mahmoud

2017-04-01

Climate change and global warming as the key human societies' threats are essentially associated with energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. A system dynamic model was developed in this study to model the energy consumption and CO 2 emission trends for Iran over 2000-2025. Energy policy factors are considered in analyzing the impact of different energy consumption factors on environmental quality. The simulation results show that the total energy consumption is predicted to reach 2150 by 2025, while that value in 2010 is 1910, which increased by 4.3% yearly. Accordingly, the total CO 2 emissions in 2025 will reach 985million tonnes, which shows about 5% increase yearly. Furthermore, we constructed policy scenarios based on energy intensity reduction. The analysis show that CO 2 emissions will decrease by 12.14% in 2025 compared to 2010 in the scenario of 5% energy intensity reduction, and 17.8% in the 10% energy intensity reduction scenario. The results obtained in this study provide substantial awareness regarding Irans future energy and CO 2 emission outlines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global increase and geographic convergence in antibiotic consumption between 2000 and 2015

PubMed Central

Van Boeckel, Thomas P.; Martinez, Elena M.; Pant, Suraj; Gandra, Sumanth; Levin, Simon A.; Goossens, Herman

2018-01-01

Tracking antibiotic consumption patterns over time and across countries could inform policies to optimize antibiotic prescribing and minimize antibiotic resistance, such as setting and enforcing per capita consumption targets or aiding investments in alternatives to antibiotics. In this study, we analyzed the trends and drivers of antibiotic consumption from 2000 to 2015 in 76 countries and projected total global antibiotic consumption through 2030. Between 2000 and 2015, antibiotic consumption, expressed in defined daily doses (DDD), increased 65% (21.1–34.8 billion DDDs), and the antibiotic consumption rate increased 39% (11.3–15.7 DDDs per 1,000 inhabitants per day). The increase was driven by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where rising consumption was correlated with gross domestic product per capita (GDPPC) growth (P = 0.004). In high-income countries (HICs), although overall consumption increased modestly, DDDs per 1,000 inhabitants per day fell 4%, and there was no correlation with GDPPC. Of particular concern was the rapid increase in the use of last-resort compounds, both in HICs and LMICs, such as glycylcyclines, oxazolidinones, carbapenems, and polymyxins. Projections of global antibiotic consumption in 2030, assuming no policy changes, were up to 200% higher than the 42 billion DDDs estimated in 2015. Although antibiotic consumption rates in most LMICs remain lower than in HICs despite higher bacterial disease burden, consumption in LMICs is rapidly converging to rates similar to HICs. Reducing global consumption is critical for reducing the threat of antibiotic resistance, but reduction efforts must balance access limitations in LMICs and take account of local and global resistance patterns. PMID:29581252

Food consumption increases cell proliferation in the python brain.

PubMed

Habroun, Stacy S; Schaffner, Andrew A; Taylor, Emily N; Strand, Christine R

2018-04-06

Pythons are model organisms for investigating physiological responses to food intake. While systemic growth in response to food consumption is well documented, what occurs in the brain is currently unexplored. In this study, male ball pythons ( Python regius ) were used to test the hypothesis that food consumption stimulates cell proliferation in the brain. We used 5-bromo-12'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) as a cell-birth marker to quantify and compare cell proliferation in the brain of fasted snakes and those at 2 and 6 days after a meal. Throughout the telencephalon, cell proliferation was significantly increased in the 6 day group, with no difference between the 2 day group and controls. Systemic postprandial plasticity occurs quickly after a meal is ingested, during the period of active digestion; however, the brain displays a surge of cell proliferation after most digestion and absorption is complete. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Heavier smoking increases coffee consumption: findings from a Mendelian randomization analysis.

PubMed

Bjørngaard, Johan H; Nordestgaard, Ask Tybjærg; Taylor, Amy E; Treur, Jorien L; Gabrielsen, Maiken E; Munafò, Marcus R; Nordestgaard, Børge Grønne; Åsvold, Bjørn Olav; Romundstad, Pål; Davey Smith, George

2017-12-01

There is evidence for a positive relationship between cigarette and coffee consumption in smokers. Cigarette smoke increases metabolism of caffeine, so this may represent a causal effect of smoking on caffeine intake. We performed Mendelian randomization analyses in the UK Biobank (N = 114 029), the Norwegian HUNT study (N = 56 664) and the Copenhagen General Population Study (CGPS) (N = 78 650). We used the rs16969968 genetic variant as a proxy for smoking heaviness in all studies and rs4410790 and rs2472297 as proxies for coffee consumption in UK Biobank and CGPS. Analyses were conducted using linear regression and meta-analysed across studies. Each additional cigarette per day consumed by current smokers was associated with higher coffee consumption (0.10 cups per day, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.17). There was weak evidence for an increase in tea consumption per additional cigarette smoked per day (0.04 cups per day, 95% CI: -0.002, 0.07). There was strong evidence that each additional copy of the minor allele of rs16969968 (which increases daily cigarette consumption) in current smokers was associated with higher coffee consumption (0.16 cups per day, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.20), but only weak evidence for an association with tea consumption (0.04 cups per day, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.09). There was no clear evidence that rs16969968 was associated with coffee or tea consumption in never or former smokers or that the coffee-related variants were associated with cigarette consumption. Higher cigarette consumption causally increases coffee intake. This is consistent with faster metabolism of caffeine by smokers, but could also reflect a behavioural effect of smoking on coffee drinking. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Heavier smoking increases coffee consumption: findings from a Mendelian randomization analysis

PubMed Central

Bjørngaard, Johan H; Nordestgaard, Ask Tybjærg; Taylor, Amy E; Treur, Jorien L; Gabrielsen, Maiken E; Munafò, Marcus R; Nordestgaard, Børge Grønne; Åsvold, Bjørn Olav; Romundstad, Pål; Davey Smith, George

2017-01-01

Abstract Background There is evidence for a positive relationship between cigarette and coffee consumption in smokers. Cigarette smoke increases metabolism of caffeine, so this may represent a causal effect of smoking on caffeine intake. Methods We performed Mendelian randomization analyses in the UK Biobank (N = 114 029), the Norwegian HUNT study (N = 56 664) and the Copenhagen General Population Study (CGPS) (N = 78 650). We used the rs16969968 genetic variant as a proxy for smoking heaviness in all studies and rs4410790 and rs2472297 as proxies for coffee consumption in UK Biobank and CGPS. Analyses were conducted using linear regression and meta-analysed across studies. Results Each additional cigarette per day consumed by current smokers was associated with higher coffee consumption (0.10 cups per day, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.17). There was weak evidence for an increase in tea consumption per additional cigarette smoked per day (0.04 cups per day, 95% CI: −0.002, 0.07). There was strong evidence that each additional copy of the minor allele of rs16969968 (which increases daily cigarette consumption) in current smokers was associated with higher coffee consumption (0.16 cups per day, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.20), but only weak evidence for an association with tea consumption (0.04 cups per day, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.09). There was no clear evidence that rs16969968 was associated with coffee or tea consumption in never or former smokers or that the coffee-related variants were associated with cigarette consumption. Conclusions Higher cigarette consumption causally increases coffee intake. This is consistent with faster metabolism of caffeine by smokers, but could also reflect a behavioural effect of smoking on coffee drinking. PMID:29025033

Mechanisms for chemostatic behavior in catchments: implications for CO2 consumption by mineral weathering

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, David W.; Mast, M. Alisa

2010-01-01

Concentrations of weathering products in streams often show relatively little variation compared to changes in discharge, both at event and annual scales. In this study, several hypothesized mechanisms for this “chemostatic behavior” were evaluated, and the potential for those mechanisms to influence relations between climate, weathering fluxes, and CO2 consumption via mineral weathering was assessed. Data from Loch Vale, an alpine catchment in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, indicates that cation exchange and seasonal precipitation and dissolution of amorphous or poorly crystalline aluminosilicates are important processes that help regulate solute concentrations in the stream; however, those processes have no direct effect on CO2 consumption in catchments. Hydrograph separation analyses indicate that old water stored in the subsurface over the winter accounts for about one-quarter of annual streamflow, and almost one-half of annual fluxes of Na and SiO2 in the stream; thus, flushing of old water by new water (snowmelt) is an important component of chemostatic behavior. Hydrologic flushing of subsurface materials further induces chemostatic behavior by reducing mineral saturation indices and increasing reactive mineral surface area, which stimulate mineral weathering rates. CO2 consumption by carbonic acid mediated mineral weathering was quantified using mass-balance calculations; results indicated that silicate mineral weathering was responsible for approximately two-thirds of annual CO2 consumption, and carbonate weathering was responsible for the remaining one-third. CO2 consumption was strongly dependent on annual precipitation and temperature; these relations were captured in a simple statistical model that accounted for 71% of the annual variation in CO2 consumption via mineral weathering in Loch Vale.

Synthesis of Nanoscale CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O and Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O Using the Hydrothermal Method and Their Characterization

PubMed Central

Yang, Jingbin; Li, Dongxu; Fang, Yuan

2017-01-01

C-A-S-H (CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O) and N-A-S-H (Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O) have a wide range of chemical compositions and structures and are difficult to separate from alkali-activated materials. Therefore, it is difficult to analyze their microscopic properties directly. This paper reports research on the synthesis of C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H particles with an average particle size smaller than 300 nm by applying the hydrothermal method. The composition and microstructure of the products with different CaO(Na2O)/SiO2 ratios and curing conditions were characterized using XRD, the RIR method, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and laser particle size analysis. The results showed that the C-A-S-H system products with a low CaO/SiO2 ratio were mainly amorphous C-A-S-H gels. With an increase in the CaO/SiO2 ratio, an excess of Ca(OH)2 was observed at room temperature, while in a high-temperature reaction system, katoite, C4AcH11, and other crystallized products were observed. The katoite content was related to the curing temperature and the content of Ca(OH)2 and it tended to form at a high-temperature and high-calcium environment, and an increase in the temperature renders the C-A-S-H gels more compact. The main products of the N-A-S-H system at room temperature were amorphous N-A-S-H gels and a small amount of sodalite. An increase in the curing temperature promoted the formation of the crystalline products faujasite and zeolite-P. The crystallization products consisted of only zeolite-P in the high-temperature N-A-S-H system and its content were stable above 70%. An increase in the Na2O/SiO2 ratio resulted in more non-bridging oxygen and the TO4 was more isolated in the N-A-S-H structure. The composition and microstructure of the C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H system products synthesized by the hydrothermal method were closely related to the ratio of the raw materials and the curing conditions. The results of this study increase our understanding of the hydration products of alkali-activated materials. PMID

Conversion from rice to vegetable production increases N2O emission via increased soil organic matter mineralization.

PubMed

Wu, Lei; Tang, Shuirong; He, Dongdong; Wu, Xian; Shaaban, Muhammad; Wang, Milan; Zhao, Jingsong; Khan, Imran; Zheng, Xunhua; Hu, Ronggui; Horwath, William R

2017-04-01

The conversion from rice to vegetable production widely occurs in China. However, the effects of this conversion on N 2 O emission and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In the present study, 12 rice paddies (R) were selected and half of them converted to vegetable fields (V) with the following treatments: rice paddies without N-fertilizer (R-CK), rice paddies with conventional N-fertilizer (R-CN), converted vegetable fields without N-fertilizer (V-CK), and converted vegetable fields with conventional N-fertilizer (V-CN) in a randomized block design with 3 replicates. N 2 O emissions were measured with static chambers from December 2012 to December 2015. Within each V-CN plot, a root exclusion subplot was established to measure soil heterotrophic respiration (CO 2 effluxes), a proxy for soil organic matter mineralization. Conversion of rice paddies to vegetable production dramatically increased N 2 O emissions. The three-year cumulative N 2 O emissions were 0.59, 1.90, 55.50 and 160.14kg N ha -1 for R-CK, R-CN, V-CK and V-CN, respectively. The annual N 2 O emissions from vegetable fields ranged between 5.99 and 113.45kg N ha -1 yr -1 , with substantially higher emissions in the first year. N 2 O fluxes from V-CN were significantly and positively related to CO 2 fluxes and inorganic N concentrations. The linear relationship between natural logarithms of N 2 O and CO 2 fluxes was stronger and the regression coefficient higher in the first year, showing the dependence of N 2 O on soil organic matter mineralization. These results suggest that soil organic matter and N mineralization contributes significantly to N 2 O emission following conversion of rice paddies to vegetable production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic properties of x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5.Li2O] and x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5.CaO] glass systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andronache, Constantin; Racolta, Dania; Ardelean, Gheorghe

2017-12-01

Magnetic properties of x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5 .Li2O] and x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5 .CaO] with 0 < x ≤ 50 mol % were investigated using magnetic susceptibility measurements. The both glass systems were prepared in the same condition. The valence states and the distribution of iron ions in the glass matrix depend on the Fe2O3 content. For the P2O5.CaO glass matrix with x≤35mol%, the data revealed iron ions as isolated or participating in dipole-dipole interaction. For x > 35 mol% an antiferromagnetic coupling is observed. For the P2O5.Li2O glass matrix, the iron ions behave magnetically similarly as in other oxide glasses, but concentration of Fe2O3 over which magnetic superexchange interactions occur is lower. The absolute magnitude of θp values increases when content of Fe2O3 are increased. If the content of the magnetic ions is increased in the glass, the exchange integral increased and as a result the magnitude of the θP increases.

CO2-induced pH reduction increases physiological toxicity of nano-TiO2 in the mussel Mytilus coruscus

PubMed Central

Hu, Menghong; Lin, Daohui; Shang, Yueyong; Hu, Yi; Lu, Weiqun; Huang, Xizhi; Ning, Ke; Chen, Yimin; Wang, Youji

2017-01-01

The increasing usage of nanoparticles has caused their considerable release into the aquatic environment. Meanwhile, anthropogenic CO2 emissions have caused a reduction of seawater pH. However, their combined effects on marine species have not been experimentally evaluated. This study estimated the physiological toxicity of nano-TiO2 in the mussel Mytilus coruscus under high pCO2 (2500–2600 μatm). We found that respiration rate (RR), food absorption efficiency (AE), clearance rate (CR), scope for growth (SFG) and O:N ratio were significantly reduced by nano-TiO2, whereas faecal organic weight rate and ammonia excretion rate (ER) were increased under nano-TiO2 conditions. High pCO2 exerted lower effects on CR, RR, ER and O:N ratio than nano-TiO2. Despite this, significant interactions of CO2-induced pH change and nano-TiO2 were found in RR, ER and O:N ratio. PCA showed close relationships among most test parameters, i.e., RR, CR, AE, SFG and O:N ratio. The normal physiological responses were strongly correlated to a positive SFG with normal pH and no/low nano-TiO2 conditions. Our results indicate that physiological functions of M. coruscus are more severely impaired by the combination of nano-TiO2 and high pCO2. PMID:28054631

CO2-induced pH reduction increases physiological toxicity of nano-TiO2 in the mussel Mytilus coruscus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Menghong; Lin, Daohui; Shang, Yueyong; Hu, Yi; Lu, Weiqun; Huang, Xizhi; Ning, Ke; Chen, Yimin; Wang, Youji

2017-01-01

The increasing usage of nanoparticles has caused their considerable release into the aquatic environment. Meanwhile, anthropogenic CO2 emissions have caused a reduction of seawater pH. However, their combined effects on marine species have not been experimentally evaluated. This study estimated the physiological toxicity of nano-TiO2 in the mussel Mytilus coruscus under high pCO2 (2500-2600 μatm). We found that respiration rate (RR), food absorption efficiency (AE), clearance rate (CR), scope for growth (SFG) and O:N ratio were significantly reduced by nano-TiO2, whereas faecal organic weight rate and ammonia excretion rate (ER) were increased under nano-TiO2 conditions. High pCO2 exerted lower effects on CR, RR, ER and O:N ratio than nano-TiO2. Despite this, significant interactions of CO2-induced pH change and nano-TiO2 were found in RR, ER and O:N ratio. PCA showed close relationships among most test parameters, i.e., RR, CR, AE, SFG and O:N ratio. The normal physiological responses were strongly correlated to a positive SFG with normal pH and no/low nano-TiO2 conditions. Our results indicate that physiological functions of M. coruscus are more severely impaired by the combination of nano-TiO2 and high pCO2.

Increased cigarette tax is associated with reductions in alcohol consumption in a longitudinal U.S. sample.

PubMed

Young-Wolff, Kelly C; Kasza, Karin A; Hyland, Andrew J; McKee, Sherry A

2014-01-01

Cigarette taxation has been recognized as one of the most significant policy instruments to reduce smoking. Smoking and drinking are highly comorbid behaviors, and the public health benefits of cigarette taxation may extend beyond smoking-related outcomes to impact alcohol consumption. The current study is the first to test whether increases in cigarette taxes are associated with reductions in alcohol consumption among smokers using a large, prospective U.S. sample. Our sample included 21,473 alcohol consumers from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate whether increases in cigarette taxes between Waves 1 (2001 to 2002) and 2 (2004 to 2005) were associated with reductions in quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, adjusting for demographics, baseline alcohol consumption, and alcohol price. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex, hazardous drinking status, and age and income group. Increases in cigarette taxes were associated with modest reductions in typical quantity of alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking among smokers. Cigarette taxation was not associated with changes in alcohol consumption among nonsmokers. In analyses stratified by sex, the inverse associations of cigarette taxes with typical quantity and binge drinking frequency were found only for male smokers. Further, the inverse association of cigarette taxation and alcohol consumption was stronger among hazardous drinkers (translating into approximately 1/2 a drink less alcohol consumption per episode), young adult smokers, and smokers in the lowest income category. Findings from this longitudinal, epidemiological study suggest increases in cigarette taxes are associated with modest to moderate reductions in alcohol consumption among vulnerable groups. Additional research is needed to further quantify the public health benefits of cigarette taxation on alcohol consumption and

Betalains increase vitexin-2-O-xyloside cytotoxicity in CaCo-2 cancer cells.

PubMed

Farabegoli, F; Scarpa, E S; Frati, A; Serafini, G; Papi, A; Spisni, E; Antonini, E; Benedetti, S; Ninfali, P

2017-03-01

Vitexin-2-O-xyloside (XVX) from Beta vulgaris var. cicla L. (BVc) seeds, betaxanthin (R1) and betacyanin (R2) fractions from Beta vulgaris var. rubra L. (BVr) roots were combined and tested for cytotoxicity in CaCo-2 colon cancer cells. XVX was the most cytotoxic molecule, but the combination of XVX with R1 and R2 significantly prolonged its cytotoxicity. Cytotoxicity was mediated by the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, as shown by an increase in Bcl2-like protein 4, cleaved Poly ADP-Ribosyl Polymerase 1 and cleaved Caspase 3 levels with a parallel decrease in anti-apoptotic protein B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 levels. R1 and R2, used alone or in combination, reduced oxidative stress triggered by H 2 O 2 in CaCo-2 cells. Betalains dampened cyclooxygenase-2 and interleukin-8 mRNA expression after lipopolysaccharide induction in CaCo-2, showing an anti-inflammatory action. Our results support the use of a cocktail of R1, R2 and XVX as a chemopreventive tool against colon cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of TiO2, ZrO2, and TiO2-ZrO2 on the performance of CuO-ZnO catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Jie; Mao, Dongsen; Guo, Xiaoming; Yu, Jun

2015-05-01

The influence of TiO2, ZrO2, and TiO2-ZrO2 mixed oxide on the catalytic performance of CuO-ZnO catalyst in the methanol synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation was studied. The catalysts were prepared by oxalate co-precipitation method and characterized by TGA, N2 adsorption, XRD, reactive N2O adsorption, XPS, H2-TPR, H2-TPD, and CO2-TPD techniques. Characterization results reveal that all the additives improve the CuO dispersion in the catalyst body and increase the Cu surface area and adsorption capacities of CO2 and H2. The results of catalytic test reveal that the additives increase both the CO2 conversion and methanol selectivity, and TiO2-ZrO2 mixed oxide is more effective than single components of TiO2 or ZrO2. Moreover, the activity of methanol synthesis is correlated directly with CO2 adsorption capacity over the catalysts.

O2 consumption and heart rate in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio): influence of temperature and ambient O2.

PubMed

Barrionuevo, W R; Burggren, W W

1999-02-01

Body mass, length, oxygen consumption (MO2) and heart rate (fH) were measured in "embryos" (prior to hatching), "larvae" (days 10-20), "juveniles" (days 30-70 in 10-day intervals), and "adults" (day 100) of the zebrafish Danio rerio. Fish were chronically reared at either 25, 28, or 31 degreesC and then acutely exposed to hypoxia at different developmental stages. We hypothesized that at any given rearing and measurement temperature, D. rerio would maintain MO2 at lower ambient PO2 [i.e., have a lower critical partial pressure (Pcrit)] as development progressed and that at any given developmental stage individuals reared and measured at higher temperatures would show a more pronounced hypoxic bradycardia. MO2 in normoxic fish at 28 degreesC peaked at approximately 40 micromol. g-1. h-1 at day 10, thereafter falling to 4-5 micromol. g-1. h-1 at day 100. The Q10 for MO2 was 4-5 in embryos, falling to 2-3 from day 10 to day 60 and rising again to 4-5 at day 100. Pcrit at 28 degreesC was approximately 80 mmHg in embryos but decreased sharply to 20 mmHg at 100 days, supporting the hypothesis that more mature fish would be better able to oxygen regulate to lower ambient PO2 levels. Pcrit increased sharply with measurement temperature. Heart rate (fH) at 28 degreesC increased from about 125 beats/min in embryos to a peak of approximately 175 beats/min at days 10-30 and then fell to approximately 130 beats/min by day 100. Unlike for MO2, the Q10 for fH was more constant at 1.2-2.5 throughout development. Hypoxic exposure at any temperature had no effect on fH until approximately day 30, after which time a hypoxic bradycardia was evident. As evident for MO2, the bradycardia in older larvae was more profound at higher temperatures. On the assumption that bradycardia is indicative of hypoxic stress, the increasing prevalence of a hypoxic bradycardia in older, warmer individuals supports the hypothesis that increasing hypoxic susceptibility with development would be

A global approach to assess the economic benefits of increased consumption of sugar-free chewing gum.

PubMed

Rychlik, Reinhard; Kreimendahl, Fabian; Blaich, Cornelia; Calache, Hanny; Garcia-Godoy, Franklin; Kay, Elizabeth; Si, Yan; Zilberman, David; Zimmer, Stefan

2017-04-01

To analyze the influence of increasing the average consumption of sugar-free gum (SFG) in 25 industrialized countries on dental expenditures due to caries by the national health care systems. It was assumed that large cost savings were possible, because the regular consumption of SFG significantly reduces the relative risk of caries and therefore, improves dental health, which reduces expenditures on dental treatments. A budget impact analysis (BIA) was performed to model the decrease in the relative risk of caries and the subsequent cost savings for dental care. Annual consumption of SFG, dental expenditures due to caries, chewing frequencies by age groups and the relative risk reduction for caries due to the consumption of SFG were identified and used as model parameters. Three different scenarios for the increase in the number of SFG were calculated. Besides overall results for all countries together, analyses were conducted for countries grouped by regions and the Human Development Index (HDI). For the entity of all 25 analyzed countries together, possible annual cost savings range from US$805.77 M in the scenario with the lowest increase of SFG consumption up to US$18,248 billion in the scenario with the biggest increase of SFG consumption. Europe and the USA show potential cost savings of US$1,061 billion and US$2,071 billion per year, respectively, if all chewers increase their consumption of SFG by 1 piece per day. The analysis showed the potential cost savings in dental expenditures due to caries that can be achieved by only slightly increasing the consumption of SFG. The regular consumption of SFG cannot replace good dental hygiene like tooth brushing, but can have a significant impact on dental health, which can lead to increased cost savings for health care systems worldwide. Based on the fact that a regular consumption of sugar-free chewing gum has the beneficial effect of reducing caries prevalence, an increased consumption may not only lead to

Oxygen Consumption by Red Wines. Part I: Consumption Rates, Relationship with Chemical Composition, and Role of SO₂.

PubMed

Ferreira, Vicente; Carrascon, Vanesa; Bueno, Mónica; Ugliano, Maurizio; Fernandez-Zurbano, Purificación

2015-12-30

Fifteen Spanish red wines extensively characterized in terms of SO2, color, antioxidant indexes, metals, and polyphenols were subjected to five consecutive sensor-controlled cycles of air saturation at 25 °C. Within each cycle, O2 consumption rates cannot be interpreted by simple kinetic models. Plots of cumulated consumed O2 made it possible to define a fast and highly wine-dependent initial O2 consumption rate and a second and less variable average O2 consumption rate which remains constant in saturations 2 to 5. Both rates have been satisfactorily modeled, and in both cases they were independent of Fe and SO2 and highly dependent on Cu levels. Average rates were also related to Mn, pH, Folin, protein precipitable proanthocyanidins (PPAs), and polyphenolic profile. Initial rates were strong and negatively correlated to SO2 consumption, indicating that such an initial rate is either controlled by an unknown antioxidant present in some wines or affected by a poor real availability of SO2. Remaining unreacted SO2 is proportional to initial combined SO2 and to final free acetaldehyde.

B2O3/SiO2 substitution effect on structure and properties of Na2O-CaO-SrO-P2O5-SiO2 bioactive glasses from molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Ren, Mengguo; Lu, Xiaonan; Deng, Lu; Kuo, Po-Hsuen; Du, Jincheng

2018-05-23

The effect of B2O3/SiO2 substitution in SrO-containing 55S4.3 bioactive glasses on glass structure and properties, such as ionic diffusion and glass transition temperature, was investigated by combining experiments and molecular dynamics simulations with newly developed potentials. Both short-range (such as bond length and bond angle) and medium-range (such as polyhedral connection and ring size distribution) structures were determined as a function of glass composition. The simulation results were used to explain the experimental results for glass properties such as glass transition temperature and bioactivity. The fraction of bridging oxygen increased linearly with increasing B2O3 content, resulting in an increase in overall glass network connectivity. Ion diffusion behavior was found to be sensitive to changes in glass composition and the trend of the change with the level of substitution is also temperature dependent. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results show a decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg) with increasing B2O3 content. This is explained by the increase in ion diffusion coefficient and decrease in ion diffusion energy barrier in glass melts, as suggested by high-temperature range (above Tg) ion diffusion calculations as B2O3/SiO2 substitution increases. In the low-temperature range (below Tg), the Ea for modifier ions increased with B2O3/SiO2 substitution, which can be explained by the increase in glass network connectivity. Vibrational density of states (VDOS) were calculated and show spectral feature changes as a result of the substitution. The change in bioactivity with B2O3/SiO2 substitution is discussed with the change in pH value and release of boric acid into the solution.

Energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions in Iran, 2025

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mirzaei, Maryam

Climate change and global warming as the key human societies' threats are essentially associated with energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions. A system dynamic model was developed in this study to model the energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emission trends for Iran over 2000–2025. Energy policy factors are considered in analyzing the impact of different energy consumption factors on environmental quality. The simulation results show that the total energy consumption is predicted to reach 2150 by 2025, while that value in 2010 is 1910, which increased by 4.3% yearly. Accordingly, the total CO{sub 2} emissions in 2025 will reach 985more » million tonnes, which shows about 5% increase yearly. Furthermore, we constructed policy scenarios based on energy intensity reduction. The analysis show that CO{sub 2} emissions will decrease by 12.14% in 2025 compared to 2010 in the scenario of 5% energy intensity reduction, and 17.8% in the 10% energy intensity reduction scenario. The results obtained in this study provide substantial awareness regarding Irans future energy and CO{sub 2} emission outlines. - Highlights: • Creation of an energy consumption model using system dynamics. • The effect of different policies on energy consumption and emission reductions. • An ascending trend for the environmental costs caused by CO{sub 2} emissions is observed. • An urgent need for energy saving and emission reductions in Iran.« less

Effect of increasing concentration of Na2O on structural, elastic and optical properties of (90  -  x)GeO2-xNa2O-10PbO glass system in the germanate anomaly region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainudin, C. N.; Hisam, R.; Yusof, M. I. M.; Yahya, A. K.; Halimah, M. K.

2017-10-01

Ternary germanate glasses (90  -  x)GeO2-xNa2O-10PbO (x  =  10-30 mol%) have been prepared by the melt-quenching method. Density, ρ increased with Na2O content up to maxima at 20 mol% while molar volume, V a showed an opposite trend to the density, with a minima at 20 mol% of Na2O content indicating the presence of the germanate anomaly. Ultrasonic velocity measurements showed both longitudinal, v l and shear, v s velocities increased up to 20 mol% before decreasing with further addition of Na2O. Independent longitudinal, L and shear, G moduli along with Young’s modulus, Y, mean sound velocity, v m, Debye temperature, θ D, and hardness, H recorded maximum values at 20 mol% of Na2O content which were suggested to be related to the germanate anomaly. Structural modification occurring due to conversion of six-membered GeO4 rings to three-membered rings of GeO4 changed bond density and compactness of the glass systems and caused the increase in rigidity and stiffness of the glasses. Beyond 20 mol% of Na2O, the decrease in the elastic moduli was due to depolymerization of the glass network. Meanwhile, optical energy gap, E opt exhibited a minima at 20 mol% whereas Urbach energy, E U and refractive index, n showed a maxima at the same concentration, thereby indicating variation in polarizability due to changes in concentration of bridging and non-bridging oxygen.

Public Health Investigation of Two Outbreaks of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 Associated with Consumption of Watercress

PubMed Central

Dallman, Timothy J.; Launders, Naomi; Willis, Caroline; Byrne, Lisa; Jorgensen, Frieda; Eppinger, Mark; Adak, Goutam K.; Aird, Heather; Elviss, Nicola; Grant, Kathie A.; Morgan, Dilys; McLauchlin, Jim

2015-01-01

An increase in the number of cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 phage type 2 (PT2) in England in September 2013 was epidemiologically linked to watercress consumption. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified a phylogenetically related cluster of 22 cases (outbreak 1). The isolates comprising this cluster were not closely related to any other United Kingdom strain in the Public Health England WGS database, suggesting a possible imported source. A second outbreak of STEC O157 PT2 (outbreak 2) was identified epidemiologically following the detection of outbreak 1. Isolates associated with outbreak 2 were phylogenetically distinct from those in outbreak 1. Epidemiologically unrelated isolates on the same branch as the outbreak 2 cluster included those from human cases in England with domestically acquired infection and United Kingdom domestic cattle. Environmental sampling using PCR resulted in the isolation of STEC O157 PT2 from irrigation water at one implicated watercress farm, and WGS showed this isolate belonged to the same phylogenetic cluster as outbreak 2 isolates. Cattle were in close proximity to the watercress bed and were potentially the source of the second outbreak. Transfer of STEC from the field to the watercress bed may have occurred through wildlife entering the watercress farm or via runoff water. During this complex outbreak investigation, epidemiological studies, comprehensive testing of environmental samples, and the use of novel molecular methods proved invaluable in demonstrating that two simultaneous outbreaks of STEC O157 PT2 were both linked to the consumption of watercress but were associated with different sources of contamination. PMID:25841005

Isotopomeric characterization of N2O produced, consumed, and emitted by automobiles.

PubMed

Toyoda, Sakae; Yamamoto, Sei-ichiro; Arai, Shinji; Nara, Hideki; Yoshida, Naohiro; Kashiwakura, Kiriko; Akiyama, Ken-ichi

2008-01-01

Fossil fuel combustion is the second largest anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N2O) after agriculture. The estimated global N2O flux from combustion sources, as well as from other sources, still has a large uncertainty. Herein, we characterize automobile sources using N2O isotopomer ratios (nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios and intramolecular site preference of 15N, SP) to assess their contributions to total global sources and to deconvolute complex production/consumption processes during combustion and subsequent catalytic treatments of exhaust. Car exhaust gases were sampled under running and idling state, and N2O isotopomer ratios were measured by mass spectrometry. The N2O directly emitted from an engine of a vehicle running at constant velocity had almost constant isotopomer ratios (delta15Nbulk = -28.7 +/- 1.2 per thousand, delta18O = 28.6 +/- 3.3 per thousand, and SP = 4.2 +/- 0.8 per thousand) irrespective of the velocity. After passing through catalytic converters, the isotopomer ratios showed an increase which varied with the temperature and the aging of the catalysts. The increase suggests that both production and consumption of N2O occur on the catalyst and that their rates can be comparable. It was noticed that in the idling state, the N2O emitted from a brand new car has higher isotopomer ratios than that from used cars, which indicate that technical improvements in catalytic converters can reduce the N2O from mobile combustion sources. On average, the isotopomeric signatures of N2O finally emitted from automobiles are not sensitive to running/idling states or to aging of the catalysts. Characteristic average isotopomer ratios of N2O from automobile sources are estimated at -4.9 +/- 8.2 per thousand, 43.5 +/- 13.9 per thousand, and 12.2 +/- 9.1 per thousand for delta15Nbulk, delta18O, and SP, respectively.

Vascular oxidative stress: a key factor in the development of hypertension associated with ethanol consumption.

PubMed

Ceron, Carla S; Marchi, Katia C; Muniz, Jaqueline J; Tirapelli, Carlos R

2014-01-01

The observation that the excessive consumption of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is associated with high blood pressure is nearing its centennial mark. Mechanisms linking ethanol consumption and hypertension are complex and not fully understood. It is established that chronic ethanol consumption leads to hypertension and that this process is a multimediated event involving increased sympathetic activity, stimulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with a subsequent increase in vascular oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Under physiological conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role as a signaling molecule in the control of vascular tone and endothelial function. Increased ROS bioavailability is associated with important processes underlying vascular injury in cardiovascular disease such as endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodeling, and inflammation. Studies focusing on molecular mechanisms showed a link between overproduction of ROS in the vasculature and ethanol-induced hypertension. Of the ROS generated in vascular cells, superoxide anion (O2(-)) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) appear to be especially important. Ethanol-mediated generation of O2(-) and H2O2 in vascular tissues is associated with elevations in intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]i), reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, endothelial dysfunction and vasoconstriction. O2(-) can also act as a vascular signaling molecule regulating signaling pathways that lead to vascular contraction. Thus, through increased generation of ROS and activation of redox-sensitive pathways, ethanol induces vascular dysfunction, a response that might contribute to the hypertension associated with ethanol consumption. The present article reviews the role of ROS in vascular (patho)biology of ethanol.

Photogeneration of H2O2 in SPEEK/PVA aqueous polymer solutions.

PubMed

Little, Brian K; Lockhart, PaviElle; Slaten, B L; Mills, G

2013-05-23

Photolysis of air-saturated aqueous solutions containing sulphonated poly(ether etherketone) and poly(vinyl alcohol) results in the generation of hydrogen peroxide. Consumption of oxygen and H2O2 formation are initially concurrent processes with a quantum yield of peroxide generation of 0.02 in stirred or unstirred solutions within the range of 7 ≤ pH ≤ 9. The results are rationalized in terms of O2 reduction by photogenerated α-hydroxy radicals of the polymeric ketone in competition with radical-radical processes that consume the macromolecular reducing agents. Generation of H2O2 is controlled by the photochemical transformation that produces the polymer radicals, which is most efficient in neutral and slightly alkaline solutions. Quenching of the excited state of the polyketone by both H3O(+) and OH(-) affect the yields of the reducing macromolecular radicals and of H2O2. Deprotonation of the α-hydroxy polymeric radicals at pH > 9 accelerate their decay and contribute to suppressing the peroxide yields in basic solutions. Maxima in [H2O2] are observed when illuminations are performed with static systems, where O2 reduction is faster than diffusion of oxygen into the solutions. Under such conditions H2O2 can compete with O2 for the reducing radicals resulting in a consumption of the peroxide.

Fertilizer consumption trend in developing countries vs. developed countries.

PubMed

Motesharezadeh, Babak; Etesami, Hassan; Bagheri-Novair, Sepideh; Amirmokri, Hormoz

2017-03-01

The study of the chemical fertilizer consumption in different countries provides basal data for the decision-making of fertilizer production and for the environmental impact assessment of fertilizer application. Hence, the aim of this research was to study and compare the trend of the chemical fertilizer consumption from 1980 to 2012 in Iran, Turkey, Japan, Germany, France, and the USA. For this purpose, various indices such as application rates (kg ha -1 ) of N, P, and K, arable land, and total fertilizer consumption were analysed. Results showed that the application rates of nutrients (N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O) in Iran, Turkey, Japan, Germany, France, and the USA in 2012 were 100-42-7, 100-42-7, 100-94-60, 100-17-25, 100-13-38, and 100-33-35, respectively. The lowest and highest area under production were observed in Japan with 4.0 million ha (0.033 ha/person) and in the USA with 155.0 million ha (0.51 ha/person) during 2008-2015, respectively. In addition, the highest and lowest application rates of net nutrient consumption were recorded in France and Germany (285 and 285 kg ha -1 ) and in Iran (66 kg ha -1 ), respectively. Overall, the average net consumption of fertilizers in the studied countries in three recent decades (million tonnes) decreased in the order: the USA (19.282) > France (4.601) > Germany (3.302) > Turkey (1.825) > Japan (1.604) > Iran (1.130). Regarding an estimated 9.2 billion people by 2050, the balanced consumption of nutrients (N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O) and the principles of optimal consumption of fertilizers are keys for achieving the increased food production, food security, and environmental conservation.

Increased ethanol consumption after interruption of fat bingeing.

PubMed

Blanco-Gandía, M Carmen; Miñarro, José; Aguilar, Maria Asuncion; Rodríguez-Arias, Marta

2018-01-01

There is a marked comorbidity between alcohol abuse and eating disorders, especially in the young population. We have previously reported that bingeing on fat during adolescence increases the rewarding effects of ethanol (EtOH). The aim of the present work was to study if vulnerability to EtOH persists after cessation of binge eating. OF1 mice binged on fat (HFB: high-fat binge) during adolescence (PND 25-43) and were tested for 15 days after the last access to HFB (on PND 59) using the self-administration paradigm, the conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization to ethanol. Our results showed that after 15 days of cessation of fat ingestion, mice increased their consumption of ethanol and showed greater motivation to obtain ethanol. On the other hand, no effects were observed in the CPP, while an increased locomotor response to ethanol was detected. The present results confirm and extend our previous study demonstrating that the compulsive intake of fat induces long-lasting effects on the reward system that lead to an increased consumption of EtOH.

Increased ethanol consumption after interruption of fat bingeing

PubMed Central

Blanco-Gandía, M. Carmen; Miñarro, José; Aguilar, Maria Asuncion

2018-01-01

There is a marked comorbidity between alcohol abuse and eating disorders, especially in the young population. We have previously reported that bingeing on fat during adolescence increases the rewarding effects of ethanol (EtOH). The aim of the present work was to study if vulnerability to EtOH persists after cessation of binge eating. OF1 mice binged on fat (HFB: high-fat binge) during adolescence (PND 25–43) and were tested for 15 days after the last access to HFB (on PND 59) using the self-administration paradigm, the conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization to ethanol. Our results showed that after 15 days of cessation of fat ingestion, mice increased their consumption of ethanol and showed greater motivation to obtain ethanol. On the other hand, no effects were observed in the CPP, while an increased locomotor response to ethanol was detected. The present results confirm and extend our previous study demonstrating that the compulsive intake of fat induces long-lasting effects on the reward system that lead to an increased consumption of EtOH. PMID:29590149

Chocolate consumption is increased in Parkinson's disease. Results from a self-questionnaire study.

PubMed

Wolz, Martin; Kaminsky, Alice; Löhle, Matthias; Koch, Rainer; Storch, Alexander; Reichmann, Heinz

2009-03-01

Clinical observations in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suggested an increased chocolate consumption. Chocolate contains high contents of various biogenic amines potentially influencing brain monoamine metabolism. 498 PD patients and their partners were evaluated by a structured self-questionnaire asking for consumption of chocolate and non-chocolate sweets, changes in chocolate consumption during the disease course, and depressive symptoms. Questionnaires from 274 patients (55 %) and 234 controls were eligible for further analysis. Consumption of chocolate was significantly higher in PD patients compared to controls, while consumption of non-chocolate sweets was similar in both groups. Our study suggests that chocolate consumption is increased in PD independent of concomitant depressive symptoms measured by BDI-1. Although reasons for increased chocolate consumption in PD remain elusive, it may hypothetically be a consequence of the high content of various biogenic amines and/or caffeine analogues with potential antiparkinsonian effects.

Territorial approach to increased energy consumption of water extraction from depletion of a highlands Mexican aquifer.

PubMed

Fonseca, Carlos Roberto; Esteller, María Vicenta; Díaz-Delgado, Carlos

2013-10-15

This work proposes a method to estimate increased energy consumption of pumping caused by a drawdown of groundwater level and the equivalent energy consumption of the motor-pump system in an aquifer under intensive exploitation. This method has been applied to the Valley of Toluca aquifer, located in the Mexican highlands, whose intensive exploitation is reflected in a decline in the groundwater level of between 0.10 and 1.6 m/year. Results provide a summary of energy consumption and a map of energy consumption isopleths showing the areas that are most susceptible to increases in energy consumption due to pumping. The proposed method can be used to estimate the effect of the intensive exploitation of the Valley of Toluca aquifer on the energy consumption of groundwater extraction. Finding reveals that, for the year 2006, groundwater extraction in the urban zone required 2.39 times more energy than the conditions observed 38 years earlier. In monetary terms, this reflects an increase of USD$ 3 million annually, according to 2005 energy production costs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isotopomer analysis of production and consumption mechanisms of N2O and CH4 in an advanced wastewater treatment system.

PubMed

Toyoda, Sakae; Suzuki, Yuuri; Hattori, Shohei; Yamada, Keita; Fujii, Ayako; Yoshida, Naohiro; Kouno, Rina; Murayama, Kouki; Shiomi, Hiroshi

2011-02-01

Wastewater treatment processes are believed to be anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide (N(2)O) and methane (CH(4)). However, few studies have examined the mechanisms and controlling factors in production of these greenhouse gases in complex bacterial systems. To elucidate production and consumption mechanisms of N(2)O and CH(4) in microbial consortia during wastewater treatment and to characterize human waste sources, we measured their concentrations and isotopomer ratios (elemental isotope ratios and site-specific N isotope ratios in asymmetric molecules of NNO) in water and gas samples collected by an advanced treatment system in Tokyo. Although the estimated emissions of N(2)O and CH(4) from the system were found to be lower than those from the typical treatment systems reported before, water in biological reaction tanks was supersaturated with both gases. The concentration of N(2)O, produced mainly by nitrifier-denitrification as indicated by isotopomer ratios, was highest in the oxic tank (ca. 4000% saturation). The dissolved CH(4) concentration was highest in in-flow water (ca. 3000% saturation). It decreased gradually during treatment. Its carbon isotope ratio indicated that the decrease resulted from bacterial CH(4) oxidation and that microbial CH(4) production can occur in anaerobic and settling tanks.

Viscosity and Structure of CaO-SiO2-P2O5-FetO System with Varying P2O5 and FeO Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Jiang; Gu, Pan; Liu, De-Man; Jiang, Lu; Wang, Cong; Xie, Bing

2017-10-01

A rotary viscosimeter and Raman spectrum were employed to measure the viscosity and structural information of the CaO-SiO2-P2O5-FetO system at 1673 K. The experimental data have been compared with the calculated results using different viscosity models. It shows that the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Pal models fit the CaO-SiO2-P2O5-FeOt system better. With the P2O5 content increasing from 5% to 14%, the viscosity increases from 0.12 Pa s to 0.27 Pa s. With the FeO content increasing from 30% to 40%, the viscosity decreases from 0.21 Pa s to 0.12 Pa s. Increasing FeO content makes the complicated molten melts become simple, and increasing P2O5 content will complicate the molten melts. The linear relation between viscosity and structure parameter Q(Si + P) was obtained by regression analysis. The calculated viscosity by using the optimized NPL and Pal model are almost identical with the fitted values.

Abiotic controls on N2O emissions from soils and wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horwath, W. R.

2016-12-01

The increase in atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) is a critical climate change issue contributing to global warming. Most studies on N2O production attribute microbial processes and their associated enzymatic reactions to be the main driver affecting emissions. The role of redox capable iron, manganese and organic compounds that can react with intermediates in the nitrogen cycle has also been shown to produce N2O abiotically. The importance of the abiotic pathways, however, is highly debated. The abiotic production of N2O is related to biophysiochemical controls and unique isotopic signatures of nitrogen cycle intermediates (hydroxylamine, nitric oxide, and nitrite), redox-active metals (iron and manganese) and organic matter (humic and fulvic acids). In a range of soils, we find that the iron directly associated with organic compounds is the strongest variable relating to N2O emissions. In addition to these factors, management is also assumed to affect abiotic N2O production through its impact on nitrogen cycle intermediates, but the environmental and physiochemical conditions that are changed by management are rarely considered in the abiotic production of N2O. We find that the amount and quality of organic compounds in soils directly determines the fate of soil N2O production (i.e. be emitted or consumed). Water depth in rice paddies and wetlands also plays a significant role in partitioning production and consumption of N2O. What is evident from studies on N2O emission is that abiotic reactions are coupled to biotic processes and they cannot be easily separated. The biotic/abiotic interactions have important ecological outcomes that influence abiotic production mechanisms and should be recognized as important controllers of N2O production and consumption processes in soils and sediments.

Phase Equilibria in the System "FeO"-CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO at Different CaO/SiO2 Ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Kyoung-oh; Ma, Xiaodong; Zhu, Jinming; Xu, Haifa; Wang, Geoff; Zhao, Baojun

2017-06-01

The "FeO"-containing slags play an important role in the operation of an ironmaking blast furnace (BF), in particular the primary slags such as the system "FeO"-CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-2 mass pct MgO with CaO/SiO2 weight ratios of 1.3, 1.5, and 1.8 saturated with metallic iron. To investigate the characteristics of such a slag system and its behavior in BF, the phase equilibria and liquidus temperatures in the slag system have been experimentally determined using the high-temperature equilibration and quenching technique followed by an electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA). Isotherms between 1553 K and 1603 K (1280 °C and 1330 °C) were determined in the primary phase fields of dicalcium silicate, melilite, spinel, and monoxide [(Mg,Fe2+)O]. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of (CaO + SiO2)-Al2O3-"FeO" with a fixed MgO concentration at 2 mass pct and at CaO/SiO2 ratios of 1.3, 1.5, and 1.8 have been discussed, respectively, simplifying the complexity of the slag system for easy understanding and applying in BF operation. It was found that the liquidus temperatures increase in melilite and spinel primary phase fields, but decrease in dicalcium silicate and monoxide primary phase fields with increasing Al2O3/(CaO + SiO2) ratio. In addition, the liquidus temperatures decrease with increasing "FeO" concentration in dicalcium silicate and melilite primary phase fields, while showing an increasing trend in the spinel and monoxide primary phase fields. The data resulted from this study can be used to improve and optimize currently available database of thermodynamic models used in FactSage.

Study on the microwave catalytic pyrolysis characteristics and energy consumption analysis of oil shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chunxiang; Cheng, Zheng; Xu, Qing; Qin, Songheng

2018-04-01

In order to explore the high-efficient utilization of oil shale, the effects of different microwave powers and different kinds of catalysts (metal oxides and metal salts) on the temperature characteristics and product yield towards the oil shale are investigated by microwave catalytic pyrolysis. The results show that the effect of microwave power on the heating and pyrolysis rates of oil shale is significant, and the maximum output of shale oil is 5.1% when the microwave power is 1500W; CaO has a certain effect on the temperature rise of oil shale, and MgO and CuO have a certain degree of inhibition, but the addition of three kinds of metal oxidation is beneficial to increase the shale oil production; From the perspective of unit power consumption and gas production, the catalytic effect order of three kinds of metal oxides is MgO> CaO> CuO; The addition of three kinds of metal salts is favorable for the increase of pyrolysis temperature of oil shale, after adding 5% ZnCl2, the unit power consumption of shale oil and pyrolysis gas increases by 62.60% and 81.96% respectively. After adding 5% NaH2PO3, the unit power consumption of shale oil increases by 64.64%, and reduces by 9.56% by adding 5% MgCl2.

Resource demand growth and sustainability due to increased world consumption

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balatsky, Alexander V.; Balatsky, Galina I.; Borysov, Stanislav S.

The paper aims at continuing the discussion on sustainability and attempts to forecast the impossibility of the expanding consumption worldwide due to the planet’s limited resources. As the population of China, India and other developing countries continue to increase, they would also require more natural and financial resources to sustain their growth. We coarsely estimate the volumes of these resources (energy, food, freshwater) and the gross domestic product (GDP) that would need to be achieved to bring the population of India and China to the current levels of consumption in the United States. We also provide estimations for potentially neededmore » immediate growth of the world resource consumption to meet this equality requirement. Given the tight historical correlation between GDP and energy consumption, the needed increase of GDP per capita in the developing world to the levels of the U.S. would deplete explored fossil fuel reserves in less than two decades. These estimates predict that the world economy would need to find a development model where growth would be achieved without heavy dependence on fossil fuels.« less

Resource demand growth and sustainability due to increased world consumption

DOE PAGES

Balatsky, Alexander V.; Balatsky, Galina I.; Borysov, Stanislav S.

2015-03-20

The paper aims at continuing the discussion on sustainability and attempts to forecast the impossibility of the expanding consumption worldwide due to the planet’s limited resources. As the population of China, India and other developing countries continue to increase, they would also require more natural and financial resources to sustain their growth. We coarsely estimate the volumes of these resources (energy, food, freshwater) and the gross domestic product (GDP) that would need to be achieved to bring the population of India and China to the current levels of consumption in the United States. We also provide estimations for potentially neededmore » immediate growth of the world resource consumption to meet this equality requirement. Given the tight historical correlation between GDP and energy consumption, the needed increase of GDP per capita in the developing world to the levels of the U.S. would deplete explored fossil fuel reserves in less than two decades. These estimates predict that the world economy would need to find a development model where growth would be achieved without heavy dependence on fossil fuels.« less

Public Health Investigation of Two Outbreaks of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 Associated with Consumption of Watercress.

PubMed

Jenkins, Claire; Dallman, Timothy J; Launders, Naomi; Willis, Caroline; Byrne, Lisa; Jorgensen, Frieda; Eppinger, Mark; Adak, Goutam K; Aird, Heather; Elviss, Nicola; Grant, Kathie A; Morgan, Dilys; McLauchlin, Jim

2015-06-15

An increase in the number of cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 phage type 2 (PT2) in England in September 2013 was epidemiologically linked to watercress consumption. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified a phylogenetically related cluster of 22 cases (outbreak 1). The isolates comprising this cluster were not closely related to any other United Kingdom strain in the Public Health England WGS database, suggesting a possible imported source. A second outbreak of STEC O157 PT2 (outbreak 2) was identified epidemiologically following the detection of outbreak 1. Isolates associated with outbreak 2 were phylogenetically distinct from those in outbreak 1. Epidemiologically unrelated isolates on the same branch as the outbreak 2 cluster included those from human cases in England with domestically acquired infection and United Kingdom domestic cattle. Environmental sampling using PCR resulted in the isolation of STEC O157 PT2 from irrigation water at one implicated watercress farm, and WGS showed this isolate belonged to the same phylogenetic cluster as outbreak 2 isolates. Cattle were in close proximity to the watercress bed and were potentially the source of the second outbreak. Transfer of STEC from the field to the watercress bed may have occurred through wildlife entering the watercress farm or via runoff water. During this complex outbreak investigation, epidemiological studies, comprehensive testing of environmental samples, and the use of novel molecular methods proved invaluable in demonstrating that two simultaneous outbreaks of STEC O157 PT2 were both linked to the consumption of watercress but were associated with different sources of contamination. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The denitrification paradox: The role of O2 in sediment N2O production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Jonathan; Upstill-Goddard, Robert C.

2018-01-01

We designed a novel laboratory sediment flux chamber in which we maintained the headspace O2 partial pressure at preselected values, allowing us to experimentally regulate "in-situ" O2 to evaluate its role in net N2O production by an intertidal estuarine sediment (Tyne, UK). In short-term (30 h) incubations with 10 L of overlying estuarine water (∼3 cm depth) and headspace O2 regulation (headspace: sediment/water ratio ∼9:1), net N2O production was highest at 1.2% O2 (sub-oxic; 32.3 nmol N2O m-2 d-1), an order of magnitude higher than at either 0.0% (anoxic; 2.5 N2O nmol m-2 d-1) or 20.85% (ambient; 2.3 nmol N2O m-2 d-1) O2. In a longer-term sealed incubation (∼490 h) without O2 control, time-dependent behaviour of N2O in the tank headspace was highly non-linear with time, showing distinct phases: (i) an initial period of no or little change in O2 or N2O up to ∼ 100 h; (ii) a quasi-linear, inverse correlation between O2 and N2O to ∼360 h, in which O2 declined to ∼2.1% and N2O rose to ∼7800 natm; (iii) over the following 50 h a slower O2 decline, to ∼1.1%, and a more rapid N2O increase, to ∼12000 natm; (iv) over the next 24 h a slowed O2 decline towards undetectable levels and a sharp fall in N2O to ∼4600 natm; (iv) a continued N2O decrease at zero O2, to ∼3000 natm by ∼ 490 h. These results show clearly that rapid N2O consumption (∼115 nmol m-2 d-1), presumably via heterotrophic denitrification (HD), occurs under fully anoxic conditions and therefore that N2O production, which was optimal for sub-oxic O2, results from other nitrogen transformation processes. In experiments in which we amended sediment overlying water to either 1 mM NH4+ or 1 mM NO3-, N2O production rates were 2-134 nmol N2O m-2 d-1 (NH4+ addition) and 0.4-2.2 nmol N2O m-2 d-1 (NO3- addition). We conclude that processes involving NH4+ oxidation (nitrifier nitrification; nitrifier denitrification; nitrification-coupled denitrification) are principally responsible for N2O

Studies of CW lasing action in CO2-CO, N2O-CO, CO2-H2O, and N2O-H2O mixtures pumped by blackbody radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abel, Robert W.; Christiansen, Walter H.; Li, Jian-Guo

1988-01-01

A proof of principle experiment to evaluate the efficacy of CO and H2O in increasing the power output for N2O and CO2 lasing mixtures has been conducted and theoretically analyzed for a blackbody radiation-pumped laser. The results for N2O-CO, CO2-CO, N2O-H2O and CO2-H2O mixtures are presented. Additions of CO to the N2O lasant increased power up to 28 percent for N2O laser mixtures, whereas additions of CO to the CO2 lasant, and the addition of H2O to both the CO2 and N2O lasants, resulted in decreased output power.

Impact of nano and bulk ZrO2, TiO2 particles on soil nutrient contents and PGPR.

PubMed

Karunakaran, Gopalu; Suriyaprabha, Rangaraj; Manivasakan, Palanisamy; Yuvakkumar, Rathinam; Rajendran, Venkatachalam; Kannan, Narayanasamy

2013-01-01

Currently, nanometal oxides are used extensively in different industries such as medicine, cosmetics and food. The increased consumption of nanoparticles (NPs) leads the necessity to understand the fate of the nanoparticles in the environment. The present study focused on the ecotoxicological behaviour of bulk and nano ZrO2 (Zirconia) and TiO2 (Titania) particles on PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria), soil and its nutrient contents. The microbial susceptibility study showed that nano TiO2 had 13 +/- 0.9 mm (B. megaterium), 15 +/- 0.2 mm (P. fluorescens), 16 +/- 0.2 mm (A. vinelandii) and 12 +/- 0.3 mm (B. brevis) zones of inhibition. However, nano and bulk ZrO2 particles were non-toxic to PGPR. In addition, it was found that toxicity varied depends on the medium of reaction. The soil study showed that nano TiO2 was found to be highly toxic, whereas bulk TiO2 was less toxic towards soil bacterial populations at 1000 mg L(-1). In contrast, nano and bulk ZrO2 were found to be inert at 1000 mg L(-1). The observed zeta potential and hydrophobicity of TiO2 particles causes more toxic than ZrO2 in parallel with particle size. However, nano TiO2 decreases the microbial population as well as nutrient level of the soil but not zirconia. Our finding shows that the mechanism of toxicity depends on size, hydrophobic potential and zeta potential of the metal oxide particles. Thus, it is necessary to take safety measures during the disposal and use of such toxic nanoparticles in the soil to prevent their hazardous effects.

Viscosity of TiO2-FeO-Ti2O3-SiO2-MgO-CaO-Al2O3 for High-Titania Slag Smelting Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Kai; Lv, Xuewei; Li, Shengping; Lv, Wei; Song, Bing; Han, Kexi

2018-05-01

The present study demonstrates the dependence of viscosity on chemical composition and temperature of high-titania slag, a very important raw material for producing titanium dioxide. The results indicated that completely molten high-titania slag exhibits a viscosity of less than 1 dPa s with negligible dependence on temperature. However, it increases dramatically with decreasing temperature slightly below the critical temperature, i.e., the solidus temperature of the slag. Above the critical temperature, the slag samples displayed the same order of viscosity at 0.6 dPa s, regardless of their compositional variation. However, the FeO, CaO, and MgO were confirmed to decrease viscosity, while SiO2 and Ti2O3 increase it. The apparent activation energy for viscosity-temperature relation and liquidus temperature based on experiments and thermodynamic calculations are also presented. Conclusively, the critical temperatures of the slags are on average 15 K below their corresponding calculated liquidus temperatures. The increase in FeO content was found to considerably lower the critical temperature, while the increase in both Ti2O3 and TiO2 contents increases it. The main phases of the slag in solid state, as indicated by X-ray diffraction, are (Fe, Mg) x Ti y O5 (x + y = 3, pseudobrookite) and rutile.

Consumption of strawberries on a daily basis increases the non-urate 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of fasting plasma in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Prymont-Przyminska, Anna; Zwolinska, Anna; Sarniak, Agata; Wlodarczyk, Anna; Krol, Maciej; Nowak, Michal; de Graft-Johnson, Jeffrey; Padula, Gianluca; Bialasiewicz, Piotr; Markowski, Jaroslaw; Rutkowski, Krzysztof P.; Nowak, Dariusz

2014-01-01

Strawberries contain anthocyanins and ellagitanins which have antioxidant properties. We determined whether the consumption of strawberries increase the plasma antioxidant activity measured as the ability to decompose 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) in healthy subjects. The study involved 10 volunteers (age 41 ± 6 years, body weight 74.4 ± 12.7 kg) that consumed 500 g of strawberries daily for 9 days and 7 matched controls. Fasting plasma and spot morning urine samples were collected at baseline, during fruit consumption and after a 6 day wash-out period. DPPH decomposition was measured in both deproteinized native plasma specimens and pretreated with uricase (non-urate plasma). Twelve phenolics were determined with HPLC. Strawberries had no effect on the antioxidant activity of native plasma and circulating phenolics. Non-urate plasma DPPH decomposition increased from 5.7 ± 0.6% to 6.6 ± 0.6%, 6.5 ± 1.0% and 6.3 ± 1.4% after 3, 6 and 9 days of supplementation, respectively. The wash-out period reversed this activity back to 5.7 ± 0.8% (p<0.01). Control subjects did not reveal any changes of plasma antioxidant activity. Significant increase in urinary urolithin A and 4-hydroxyhippuric (by 8.7- and 5.9-times after 6 days of supplementation with fruits) was noted. Strawberry consumption can increase the non-urate plasma antioxidant activity which, in turn, may decrease the risk of systemic oxidants overactivity. PMID:25120279

Spectroscopic and optical properties of the VO2+ ion doped TeO2-TiO2-ZnO-Nb2O5 glass system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swapna; Upender, G.; Sreenivasulu, V.; Prasad, M.

2016-04-01

Studies such as optical absorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were carried out on VO2+ ion doped TeO2-TiO2-ZnO-Nb2O5 glass system. Raman and FTIR spectra of the glasses revealed the presence of [TeO3], [TeO4] and [NbO6] structural units in the glass network. The Urbach energy (Δ E), cut-off wavelength (λ c ), optical band gap ( E opt ), optical basicity (Λ) and electron polarizability ( α) of the glasses were determined from optical absorption studies. The density ( ρ), molar volume ( V m ), oxygen molar volume ( V o ) and refractive index ( n) were also measured. Spin-Hamiltonian parameters were calculated from the EPR studies. When Nb2O5 was increased at the expense of ZnO, the density, optical band gap and Urbach energy of the glasses increased, and the electronic polarizability and optical basicity decreased. The EPR spectra clearly showed that vanadium was in the glass as VO2+ and occupied octahedral sites with tetrahedral compression. Spin-Hamiltonian parameters g‖ and g⊥ decreased as Nb2O5 content increased in the glass. The glass transition temperature ( T g ) also increased with increasing Nb2O5 content in the glass.

A study on electrical conductivity of chemosynthetic Al 2O 3-2SiO 2 geoploymer materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Xue-Min; Zheng, Guang-Jian; Han, Yao-Cong; Su, Feng; Zhou, Ji

Al 2O 3-2SiO 2 amorphous powders are synthesized by sol-gel method with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and aluminum nitrate (ANN) as the starting materials. The microstructure and phase structure of the powders are investigated by SEM and XRD analysis. Geopolymer materials samples are prepared by mechanically mixing stoichiometric amounts of calcined Al 2O 3-2SiO 2 powders and sodium silicate solutions to allow a mass ratio of Na 2O/Al 2O 3 = 0.4, 0.375, 0.35, 0.325, 0.288, 0.26, 0.23 or 0.2 separately, and finally to form a homogenous slurry at a fixed H 2O/Na 2O mole ratio = 11.7. The results show that the synthetic Al 2O 3-2SiO 2 powders have polycondensed property and their compressive strengthes are similar to that of nature metakaolin geopolymer materials. The results also show that the water consumption is not the main influencing factor on electrical conductivity of harden geopolymer materials but it can intensively affect the microstructure of geopolymer materials. In addition, the electrical conductivity of harden geopolymer sample is investigated, and the results show that the geopolymer materials have a high ionic electrical conductivity of about 1.5 × 10 -6 S cm -1 in air at room temperature.

Sweetened beverage consumption and increased risk of metabolic syndrome in Mexican adults.

PubMed

Denova-Gutiérrez, Edgar; Talavera, Juan O; Huitrón-Bravo, Gerardo; Méndez-Hernández, Pablo; Salmerón, Jorge

2010-06-01

To examine the relationship between sweetened beverage consumption and components of the metabolic syndrome in a Mexican population. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from selected adults participating in the baseline assessment of the Health Workers Cohort Study. Information on participants' sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns and physical activity were collected via self-administered questionnaires. Sweetened beverage consumption was evaluated through a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. Anthropometric and clinical measures were assessed with standardized procedures. The definition of metabolic syndrome was determined using criteria from the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. The associations of interest were evaluated by means of linear and logistic regression models. The Mexican states of Morelos and Mexico. A total of 5240 individuals aged 20 to 70 years (mean 39.4 (sd 11.5) years) were evaluated. Overweight/obesity prevalence was 56.6 %. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this sample was 26.6 %. We found that for each additional daily sweetened beverage serving consumed, participants experienced an average increase of 0.49 mmol/l in TAG and a decrease in HDL cholesterol of 0.31 mmol/l. Subjects consuming more than two servings of sweetened beverages daily were at 2.0 times greater risk of metabolic syndrome than those who did not consume sweetened beverages. We also observed that higher sweetened beverage consumption increased the risk of all components of the metabolic syndrome. Our data support the hypothesis that sweetened beverage consumption increases the risk of metabolic syndrome in Mexican adults, possibly by providing excess energy and large amounts of rapidly absorbable sugars.

Rapidly Increasing Trend of Recorded Alcohol Consumption Since the End of the Armed Conflict in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Nugawela, Manjula D; Lewis, Sarah; Szatkowski, Lisa; Langley, Tessa

2017-09-01

To evaluate temporal changes in recorded alcohol consumption in Sri Lanka during and after the armed conflict 1998-2013. District level alcohol sales, and mid-year population data for the whole study period (1998-2013) were consistently available from the Department of Excise and the Department of Census and Statistics for 18 of 25 districts. These data were used to estimate the recorded per capita consumption for the areas that were not directly exposed to the armed conflict. An interrupted time series design was employed to estimate the impact of the end of the armed conflict on recorded adult per capita alcohol consumption of population lived in the 18 districts. Adult per capita recorded alcohol consumption among Sri Lankans living in the 18 districts was 1.59 l of pure alcohol in 1998. This increased up to 2.07 l in 2009 and 2.55 l in 2013. Prior to the end of the conflict in 2009 adult per capita recorded consumption increased by 0.051 l of pure alcohol per year (95% CI: 0.029-0.074, P < 0.001); after 2009 this was 0.166 l per year (95% CI: 0.095-0.236, P < 0.001). Beer consumption showed the highest per capita growth compared with other beverages. Adult per capita recorded alcohol consumption among Sri Lankans living in areas that were not directly exposed to the conflict increased markedly after the end of the conflict. Rapid socio-economic development, alcohol industry penetration and lack of alcohol control strategies during the post-conflict period may have driven this increase. Adult per capita recorded alcohol consumption among Sri Lankans living in 18 districts that were not directly exposed to the armed conflict increased markedly after the end of the conflict in 2009, with a dramatic acceleration in the trend of per capita beer consumption. © The Author 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

INCREASED CIGARETTE TAX IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCTIONS IN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN A LONGITUDINAL U.S. SAMPLE

PubMed Central

Young-Wolff, Kelly C.; Kasza, Karin A.; Hyland, Andrew J.; McKee, Sherry A.

2013-01-01

Background Cigarette taxation has been recognized as one of the most significant policy instruments to reduce smoking. Smoking and drinking are highly comorbid behaviors, and the public health benefits of cigarette taxation may extend beyond smoking-related outcomes to impact alcohol consumption. The current study is the first to test whether increases in cigarette taxes are associated with reductions in alcohol consumption among smokers using a large, prospective U.S. sample. Method Our sample included 21,473 alcohol consumers from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate whether increases in cigarette taxes between Waves I (2001–2002) and II (2004–2005) were associated with reductions in quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, adjusting for demographics, baseline alcohol consumption, and alcohol price. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex, hazardous drinking status, and age and income group. Results Increases in cigarette taxes were associated with modest reductions in typical quantity of alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking among smokers. Cigarette taxation was not associated with changes in alcohol consumption among non-smokers. In analyses stratified by sex, the inverse associations of cigarette taxes with typical quantity and binge drinking frequency were found only for male smokers. Further, the inverse association of cigarette taxation and alcohol consumption was stronger among hazardous drinkers (translating into approximately 1/2 a drink less alcohol consumption per episode), young adult smokers, and smokers in the lowest income category. Conclusions Findings from this longitudinal, epidemiological study suggest increases in cigarette taxes are associated with modest to moderate reductions in alcohol consumption among vulnerable groups. Additional research is needed to further quantify the public health benefits of cigarette

Effect of the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio and FeO content on the viscosity of CaO-SiO2-"FeO"-12wt%ZnO-3wt%Al2O3 slags

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lü, Jian-fang; Jin, Zhe-nan; Yang, Hong-ying; Tong, Lin-lin; Chen, Guo-bao; Xiao, Fa-xin

2017-07-01

An effective process for recycling lead from hazardous waste cathode ray tubes (CRTs) funnel glass through traditional lead smelting has been presented previously. The viscous behavior of the molten high lead slag, which is affected by the addition of funnel glass, plays a critical role in determining the production efficiency. Therefore, the viscosities of the CaO-SiO2-"FeO"-12wt%ZnO-3wt%Al2O3 slags were measured in the current study using the rotating spindle method. The slag viscosity decreases as the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio is increased from 0.8 to 1.2 and also as the FeO content is increased from 8wt% to 20wt%. The breaking temperature of the slag is lowered substantially by the addition of FeO, whereas the influence of the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio on the breaking temperature is complex. The structural analysis of quenched slags using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy reveals that the silicate network structure is depolymerized with increasing CaO/SiO2 mass ratio or increasing FeO content. The [FeO6]-octahedra in the slag melt increase as the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio or the FeO content increases. This increase can further decrease the degree of polymerization (DOP) of the slag. Furthermore, the activation energy for viscous flow decreases both with increasing CaO/SiO2 mass ratio and increasing FeO content.

Decrease in the red cell cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate increases hemoglobin oxygen affinity in the hibernating brown bear Ursus arctos.

PubMed

Revsbech, Inge G; Malte, Hans; Fröbert, Ole; Evans, Alina; Blanc, Stéphane; Josefsson, Johan; Fago, Angela

2013-01-01

During winter hibernation, brown bears (Ursus arctos) reduce basal O(2) consumption rate to ∼25% compared with the active state, while body temperature decreases moderately (to ∼30°C), suggesting a temperature-independent component in their metabolic depression. To establish whether changes in O(2) consumption during hibernation correlate with changes in blood O(2) affinity, we took blood samples from the same six individuals of hibernating and nonhibernating free-ranging brown bears during winter and summer, respectively. A single hemoglobin (Hb) component was detected in all samples, indicating no switch in Hb synthesis. O(2) binding curves measured on red blood cell lysates at 30°C and 37°C showed a less temperature-sensitive O(2) affinity than in other vertebrates. Furthermore, hemolysates from hibernating bears consistently showed lower cooperativity and higher O(2) affinity than their summer counterparts, regardless of the temperature. We found that this increase in O(2) affinity was associated with a significant decrease in the red cell Hb-cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) during hibernation to approximately half of the summer value. Experiments performed on purified Hb, to which DPG had been added to match summer and winter levels, confirmed that the low DPG content was the cause of the left shift in the Hb-O(2) equilibrium curve during hibernation. Levels of plasma lactate indicated that glycolysis is not upregulated during hibernation and that metabolism is essentially aerobic. Calculations show that the increase in Hb-O(2) affinity and decrease in cooperativity resulting from decreased red cell DPG may be crucial in maintaining a fairly constant tissue oxygen tension during hibernation in vivo.

Impedance spectroscopy study of SiO2-Li2O:Nd2O3 glasses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pereia, R.; Gozzo, C B; Guedes, I.

2014-01-01

In the present study, neodymium-doped lithium silicate glasses have been prepared by the conventional melt-quenching technique. The dielectric properties, electric modulus and electrical conductivity of SiO2-Li2O (SiLi-0Nd) and SiO2-Li2O:Nd2O3 (SiLi-1.35Nd) have been studied from 1 Hz to 1 MHz in the 333 423 K temperature range. At a given temperature and frequency, we observe that the resistivity increases while the conductivity accordingly decreases when neodymium ions are added to the glass matrix. The activation energy of two distinct regions was evaluated from the ln( dc)=f(1/T) plot and was found to be E1(T<363K)=0.61(0.66)eV and E2(T>363K)=1.26(1.09)eV for SiLi-0Nd (SiLi-1,35Nd). The dielectric constantmore » ( Re) decreases while the dielectric loss (tan ( )) increases under Nd2O3 doping. We also observe that for both glasses, Re and tan ( ) tend to increase with increasing temperature and decrease with increasing frequency.« less

Novel bamboo structured TiO2 nanotubes for energy storage/production applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, J. J.; Beh, K. P.; Cheong, Y. L.; Yusuf, W. A. A.; Yam, F. K.

2018-04-01

Nanostructured TiO2 received much attention owing to its high surface-to-volume ratio, which can be advantageous in energy storage and production applications. However, the increase in energy consumption at present and possibly the foreseeable future has demanded energy storage and production devices of even higher performance. A direct approach would be manipulating the physical aspects of TiO2 nanostructures, particularly, nanotubes. In this work, dual voltage anodization system has been implemented to fabricate bamboo shaped TiO2 nanotubes, which offers even greater surface area. This unique nanostructure would be used in Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) fabrication and its performance will be evaluated and compared along other forms of TiO2 nanotubes. The results showed that bamboo shaped nanotubes indeed are superior morphologically, with an increase of efficiency of 107% at 1.130% efficiency when compared to smooth walled nanotubes at 0.546% efficiency.

Adolescent caffeine consumption increases adulthood anxiety-related behavior and modifies neuroendocrine signaling

PubMed Central

O’Neill, Casey E.; Newsom, Ryan J.; Stafford, Jacob; Scott, Talia; Archuleta, Solana; Levis, Sophia C.; Spencer, Robert L.; Campeau, Serge; Bachtell, Ryan K.

2016-01-01

Caffeine is a commonly used psychoactive substance and consumption by children and adolescents continues to rise. Here, we examine the lasting effects of adolescent caffeine consumption on anxiety-related behaviors and several neuroendocrine measures in adulthood. Adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats consumed caffeine (0.3 g/L) for 28 consecutive days from postnatal day 28 (P28) to P55. Age-matched control rats consumed water. Behavioral testing for anxiety-related behavior began in adulthood (P62) 7 days after removal of caffeine. Adolescent caffeine consumption enhanced anxiety-related behavior in an open field, social interaction test, and elevated plus maze. Similar caffeine consumption in adult rats did not alter anxiety-related behavior after caffeine removal. Characterization of neuroendocrine measures was next assessed to determine whether the changes in anxiety were associated with modifications in the HPA axis. Blood plasma levels of corticosterone (CORT) were assessed throughout the caffeine consumption procedure in adolescent rats. Adolescent caffeine consumption elevated plasma CORT 24 h after initiation of caffeine consumption that normalized over the course of the 28-day consumption procedure. CORT levels were also elevated 24 h after caffeine removal and remained elevated for 7 days. Despite elevated basal CORT in adult rats that consumed caffeine during adolescence, the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and CORT response to placement on an elevated pedestal (a mild stressor) was significantly blunted. Lastly, we assessed changes in basal and stress-induced c-fos and corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf) mRNA expression in brain tissue collected at 7 days withdrawal from adolescent caffeine. Adolescent caffeine consumption increased basal c-fos mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Adolescent caffeine consumption had no other effects on the basal or stress-induced c-fos mRNA changes. Caffeine consumption during adolescence

Chronic ethanol consumption induces erectile dysfunction: Role of oxidative stress.

PubMed

Muniz, Jaqueline J; Leite, Letícia N; De Martinis, Bruno S; Carneiro, Fernando S; Tirapelli, Carlos R

2015-11-15

Investigate the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on erectile function and on the corpus cavernosum (CC) reactivity to endothelin-1 (ET-1). Male Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (20% v/v) for six weeks. Ethanol-treated rats showed impaired erectile function represented by decreased intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) responses. Ethanol consumption increased the contractile response induced by ET-1 in the isolated CC. Tiron increased ET-1-induced contraction in CC from control and ethanol-treated rats. No differences in the maximal contraction to ET-1 were observed after incubation of CC with PEG-catalase. SC560 and SC236 increased ET-1-induced contraction in CC from ethanol-treated rats. Y27632 reduced the contraction induced by ET-1 in CC from control and ethanol-treated rats. Ethanol increased plasma TBARS, superoxide anion (O2(-)) levels and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the rat CC. Reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels in CC and increased catalase (CAT) activity in plasma and CC were detected after treatment with ethanol. Ethanol decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the rat CC. Increased expression of COX-1 was observed in CC from ethanol-treated rats. Treatment with ethanol decreased COX-2 expression but did not alter the expression of Nox1, RhoA and p-RhoA (ser(188)) in the rat CC. The major new findings of our study are that ethanol consumption induces erectile dysfunction (ED) and increases the contraction induced by ET-1 in the rat CC by a mechanism that involves decreased generation of H2O2 and vasodilator prostanoids as well as increased activation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MnO2 Motor: A Prospective Cancer-Starving Therapy Promoter.

PubMed

Zhang, Yao-Hui; Qiu, Wen-Xiu; Zhang, Mingkang; Zhang, Lu; Zhang, Xian-Zheng

2018-05-02

Here, a tumor-targeted MnO 2 motor nanosystem (designed as MG/HA) was constructed by the assembly of glucose oxidase (GOD), manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ), and glycoprotein CD44-targeting polymer hyaluronic acid (HA) to elevate cancer-starving therapy efficacy in solid tumor. Upon the specific uptake of MG/HA by CD44 overexpressed cancer cells, GOD catalyzed the oxidation of glucose into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) accompanying the consumption of oxygen (O 2 ). Meanwhile, MnO 2 would react with H 2 O 2 and acid to generate O 2 , which is in turn supplied to the glucose-depletion process, running like a loop. As a result, MnO 2 is displayed as a motor to promote the rate of glucose depletion that contributed to the starving therapy. In contrast to G/HA, MG/HA could not only achieve effective glucose consumption to depress cancer progression, but also alleviate hypoxia and reduce the expression of Glut1 to inhibit the metabolism for further restraining the tumor aggressiveness and metastasis. The concept of MnO 2 motor shows a promising prospect to overcome the restriction of the starving therapy.

Potato Consumption Does Not Increase Blood Pressure or Incident Hypertension in 2 Cohorts of Spanish Adults.

PubMed

Hu, Emily A; Martínez-González, Miguel A; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Corella, Dolores; Ros, Emilio; Fitó, Montse; Garcia-Rodriguez, Antonio; Estruch, Ramon; Arós, Fernando; Fiol, Miquel; Lapetra, José; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Pintó, Xavier; Ruiz-Canela, Miguel; Razquin, Cristina; Bulló, Mònica; Sorlí, José V; Schröder, Helmut; Rebholz, Casey M; Toledo, Estefania

2017-12-01

Background: Potatoes have a high glycemic load but also antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It is unclear what mechanisms are involved in relation to their effect on blood pressure (BP) and hypertension. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the association between potato consumption, BP changes, and the risk of hypertension in 2 Spanish populations. Methods: Separate analyses were performed in PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea), a multicenter nutrition intervention trial of adults aged 55-80 y, and the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) project, a prospective cohort made up of university graduates and educated adults with ages (means ± SDs) of 42.7 ± 13.3 y for men and 35.1 ± 10.7 y for women. In PREDIMED, generalized estimating equations adjusted for lifestyle and dietary characteristics were used to assess changes in BP across quintiles of total potato consumption during a 4-y follow-up. Controlled BP values (systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mm Hg) during follow-up were also assessed. For SUN, multivariate-adjusted HRs for incident hypertension during a mean 6.7-y follow-up were calculated. Results: In PREDIMED, the total potato intake was 81.9 ± 40.6 g/d. No overall differences in systolic or diastolic BP changes were detected based on consumption of potatoes. For total potatoes, the mean difference in change between quintile 5 (highest intake) and quintile 1 (lowest intake) in systolic BP after multivariate adjustment was -0.90 mm Hg (95% CI: -2.56, 0.76 mm Hg; P -trend = 0.1) and for diastolic BP was -0.02 mm Hg (95% CI: -0.93, 0.89 mm Hg; P -trend = 0.8). In SUN, the total potato consumption was 52.7 ± 33.6 g/d, and no significant association between potato consumption and hypertension incidence was observed in the fully adjusted HR for total potato consumption (quintile 5 compared with quintile 1: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.19; P -trend = 0.8). Conclusions: Potato consumption is not associated with changes over 4 y in blood

Consumption of synbiotic bread decreases triacylglycerol and VLDL levels while increasing HDL levels in serum from patients with type-2 diabetes.

PubMed

Shakeri, Hossein; Hadaegh, Haleh; Abedi, Fatemeh; Tajabadi-Ebrahimi, Maryam; Mazroii, Navid; Ghandi, Yaser; Asemi, Zatollah

2014-07-01

To our knowledge, no reports are available indicating the favorable effects of synbiotic bread consumption on blood lipid profiles among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the daily consumption of synbiotic bread on blood lipid profiles of patients with T2DM. This randomized double-blinded controlled clinical trial was performed with 78 diabetic patients, aged 35-70 years. After a 2-week run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to consume either synbiotic (n = 26), probiotic (n = 26) or control bread (n = 26) for 8 weeks. The synbiotic bread contained viable and heat-resistant probiotic Lactobacillus sporogenes (1 × 10(8) CFU) and 0.07 g inulin (HPX) as prebiotic per 1 g. The probiotic bread contained L. sporogenes (1 × 10(8) CFU) per 1 g. Patients were asked to consume the synbiotic, probiotic and control breads three times a day in a 40 g package for a total of 120 g/day. Biochemical measurements including blood lipid profiles were conducted before and after 8 weeks of intervention. Consumption of the synbiotic bread, compared to the probiotic and control breads, led to a significant decrease in serum TAG (P = 0.005), VLDL-C (P = 0.005), TC/HDL-C (P = 0.002) and a significant increase in serum HDL-C levels (P = 0.01). No significant effect of synbiotic bread consumption on FPG, TC, LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels was seen compared to the probiotic and control breads (P > 0.05). Trial registry code: http://www.irct.ir IRCT201311215623N13.

Over-expression of Trxo1 increases the viability of tobacco BY-2 cells under H2O2 treatment

PubMed Central

Ortiz-Espín, Ana; Locato, Vittoria; Camejo, Daymi; Schiermeyer, Andreas; De Gara, Laura; Sevilla, Francisca; Jiménez, Ana

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide, play a critical role in the regulation of plant development and in the induction of plant defence responses during stress adaptation, as well as in plant cell death. The antioxidant system is responsible for controlling ROS levels in these processes but redox homeostasis is also a key factor in plant cell metabolism under normal and stress situations. Thioredoxins (Trxs) are ubiquitous small proteins found in different cell compartments, including mitochondria and nuclei (Trxo1), and are involved in the regulation of target proteins through reduction of disulphide bonds, although their role under oxidative stress has been less well studied. This study describes over-expression of a Trxo1 for the first time, using a cell-culture model subjected to an oxidative treatment provoked by H2O2. Methods Control and over-expressing PsTrxo1 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells were treated with 35 mm H2O2 and the effects were analysed by studying the growth dynamics of the cultures together with oxidative stress parameters, as well as several components of the antioxidant systems involved in the metabolism of H2O2. Analysis of different hallmarks of programmed cell death was also carried out. Key Results Over-expression of PsTrxo1 caused significant differences in the response of TBY-2 cells to high concentrations of H2O2, namely higher and maintained viability in over-expressing cells, whilst the control line presented a severe decrease in viability and marked indications of oxidative stress, with generalized cell death after 3 d of treatment. In over-expressing cells, an increase in catalase activity, decreases in H2O2 and nitric oxide contents and maintenance of the glutathione redox state were observed. Conclusions A decreased content of endogenous H2O2 may be responsible in part for the delayed cell death found in over-expressing cells, in which changes in oxidative parameters and

Over-expression of Trxo1 increases the viability of tobacco BY-2 cells under H2O2 treatment.

PubMed

Ortiz-Espín, Ana; Locato, Vittoria; Camejo, Daymi; Schiermeyer, Andreas; De Gara, Laura; Sevilla, Francisca; Jiménez, Ana

2015-09-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide, play a critical role in the regulation of plant development and in the induction of plant defence responses during stress adaptation, as well as in plant cell death. The antioxidant system is responsible for controlling ROS levels in these processes but redox homeostasis is also a key factor in plant cell metabolism under normal and stress situations. Thioredoxins (Trxs) are ubiquitous small proteins found in different cell compartments, including mitochondria and nuclei (Trxo1), and are involved in the regulation of target proteins through reduction of disulphide bonds, although their role under oxidative stress has been less well studied. This study describes over-expression of a Trxo1 for the first time, using a cell-culture model subjected to an oxidative treatment provoked by H2O2. Control and over-expressing PsTrxo1 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells were treated with 35 mm H2O2 and the effects were analysed by studying the growth dynamics of the cultures together with oxidative stress parameters, as well as several components of the antioxidant systems involved in the metabolism of H2O2. Analysis of different hallmarks of programmed cell death was also carried out. Over-expression of PsTrxo1 caused significant differences in the response of TBY-2 cells to high concentrations of H2O2, namely higher and maintained viability in over-expressing cells, whilst the control line presented a severe decrease in viability and marked indications of oxidative stress, with generalized cell death after 3 d of treatment. In over-expressing cells, an increase in catalase activity, decreases in H2O2 and nitric oxide contents and maintenance of the glutathione redox state were observed. A decreased content of endogenous H2O2 may be responsible in part for the delayed cell death found in over-expressing cells, in which changes in oxidative parameters and antioxidants were less extended after the oxidative

No Change in 24-Hour Hydration Status Following a Moderate Increase in Fluid Consumption.

PubMed

Tucker, Matthew A; Adams, J D; Brown, Lemuel A; Ridings, Christian B; Burchfield, Jenna M; Robinson, Forrest B; McDermott, Jamie L; Schreiber, Brett A; Moyen, Nicole E; Washington, Tyrone A; Bermudez, Andrea C; Bennett, Meredith P; Buyckx, Maxime E; Ganio, Matthew S

2016-01-01

To investigate changes in 24-hour hydration status when increasing fluid intake. Thirty-five healthy males (age 23.8 ± 4.7 years; mass 74.0 ± 9.4 kg) were divided into 4 treatment groups for 2 weeks of testing. Volumes of 24-hour fluid ingestion (including water from food) for weeks 1 and 2 was 35 and 40 ml/kg body mass, respectively. Each treatment group was given the same proportion of beverages in each week of testing: water only (n = 10), water + caloric cola (n = 7), water + noncaloric cola (n = 10), or water + caloric cola + noncaloric cola + orange juice (n = 8). Serum osmolality (Sosm), total body water (TBW) via bioelectrical impedance, 24-hour urine osmolality (Uosm), and volume (Uvol) were analyzed at the end of each 24-hour intervention. Independent of treatment, total beverage consumption increased 22% from week 1 to 2 (1685 ± 320 to 2054 ± 363 ml; p < 0.001). Independent of beverage assignment, the increase in fluid consumption between weeks 1 and 2 did not change TBW (43.4 ± 5.2 vs 43.0 ± 4.8 kg), Sosm (292 ± 5 vs 292 ± 5 mOsm/kg), 24-hour Uosm (600 ± 224 vs 571 ± 212 mOsm/kg), or 24-hour Uvol (1569 ± 607 vs 1580 ± 554 ml; all p > 0.05). Regardless of fluid volume or beverage type consumed, measures of 24-hour hydration status did not differ, suggesting that standard measures of hydration status are not sensitive enough to detect a 22% increase in beverage consumption.

Interventions for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children aged 5 years and under

PubMed Central

Wolfenden, Luke; Wyse, Rebecca J; Britton, Ben I; Campbell, Karen J; Hodder, Rebecca K; Stacey, Fiona G; McElduff, Patrick; James, Erica L

2014-01-01

Background Insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables in childhood increases the risk of future chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease. Objectives To assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and associated adverse events of interventions designed to increase the consumption of fruit and/or vegetables amongst children aged five years and under. Search methods The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2010, MEDLINE (1950 to 2010 April week 4), EMBASE (1947 to 2010 week 18), CINAHL (up to 12 May 2010), PsycINFO (up to 12 May 2010) and Proquest Dissertations and Theses (up to February 2011) were searched to identify eligible trials, as well as electronic trial registers (also up to February 2011). The reference lists of included trials were reviewed and handsearches of three international nutrition journals were also performed. Authors of all included trials were contacted in order to identify further potentially relevant trials. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including cluster-randomised controlled trials, of any intervention primarily targeting fruit and/or vegetable consumption among children aged five years and under and incorporating a biochemical or dietary assessment of fruit and/or vegetable consumption. Two review authors independently screened the titles and abstracts of identified papers. A third review author with expertise in review methodology resolved any disagreements regarding study eligibility. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. A third reviewer resolved disagreements between review authors. Fixed-effect models were used to perform meta-analysis for the primary review outcomes where a sufficient number of trials with suitable data and homogeneity were identified. Main results Five trials, with 13 trial arms and 3967 participants were included in

Crack-resistant Al2O3-SiO2 glasses.

PubMed

Rosales-Sosa, Gustavo A; Masuno, Atsunobu; Higo, Yuji; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2016-04-07

Obtaining "hard" and "crack-resistant" glasses have always been of great important in glass science and glass technology. However, in most commercial glasses both properties are not compatible. In this work, colorless and transparent xAl2O3-(100-x)SiO2 glasses (30 ≤ x ≤ 60) were fabricated by the aerodynamic levitation technique. The elastic moduli and Vickers hardness monotonically increased with an increase in the atomic packing density as the Al2O3 content increased. Although a higher atomic packing density generally enhances crack formation in conventional oxide glasses, the indentation cracking resistance increased by approximately seven times with an increase in atomic packing density in binary Al2O3-SiO2 glasses. In particular, the composition of 60Al2O3 • 40SiO2 glass, which is identical to that of mullite, has extraordinary high cracking resistance with high elastic moduli and Vickers hardness. The results indicate that there exist aluminosilicate compositions that can produce hard and damage-tolerant glasses.

Crack-resistant Al2O3-SiO2 glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosales-Sosa, Gustavo A.; Masuno, Atsunobu; Higo, Yuji; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2016-04-01

Obtaining “hard” and “crack-resistant” glasses have always been of great important in glass science and glass technology. However, in most commercial glasses both properties are not compatible. In this work, colorless and transparent xAl2O3-(100-x)SiO2 glasses (30 ≤ x ≤ 60) were fabricated by the aerodynamic levitation technique. The elastic moduli and Vickers hardness monotonically increased with an increase in the atomic packing density as the Al2O3 content increased. Although a higher atomic packing density generally enhances crack formation in conventional oxide glasses, the indentation cracking resistance increased by approximately seven times with an increase in atomic packing density in binary Al2O3-SiO2 glasses. In particular, the composition of 60Al2O3•40SiO2 glass, which is identical to that of mullite, has extraordinary high cracking resistance with high elastic moduli and Vickers hardness. The results indicate that there exist aluminosilicate compositions that can produce hard and damage-tolerant glasses.

Auxin increases the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) root tips while inhibiting root growth

PubMed Central

Ivanchenko, Maria G.; den Os, Désirée; Monshausen, Gabriele B.; Dubrovsky, Joseph G.; Bednářová, Andrea; Krishnan, Natraj

2013-01-01

Background and Aims The hormone auxin and reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate root elongation, but the interactions between the two pathways are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate how auxin interacts with ROS in regulating root elongation in tomato, Solanum lycopersicum. Methods Wild-type and auxin-resistant mutant, diageotropica (dgt), of tomato (S. lycopersicum ‘Ailsa Craig’) were characterized in terms of root apical meristem and elongation zone histology, expression of the cell-cycle marker gene Sl-CycB1;1, accumulation of ROS, response to auxin and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and expression of ROS-related mRNAs. Key Results The dgt mutant exhibited histological defects in the root apical meristem and elongation zone and displayed a constitutively increased level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the root tip, part of which was detected in the apoplast. Treatments of wild-type with auxin increased the H2O2 concentration in the root tip in a dose-dependent manner. Auxin and H2O2 elicited similar inhibition of cell elongation while bringing forth differential responses in terms of meristem length and number of cells in the elongation zone. Auxin treatments affected the expression of mRNAs of ROS-scavenging enzymes and less significantly mRNAs related to antioxidant level. The dgt mutation resulted in resistance to both auxin and H2O2 and affected profoundly the expression of mRNAs related to antioxidant level. Conclusions The results indicate that auxin regulates the level of H2O2 in the root tip, so increasing the auxin level triggers accumulation of H2O2 leading to inhibition of root cell elongation and root growth. The dgt mutation affects this pathway by reducing the auxin responsiveness of tissues and by disrupting the H2O2 homeostasis in the root tip. PMID:23965615

Enhanced H2 sensitivity at room temperature of ZnO nanowires functionalized by Pd nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Shoutian; Fan, Guanghua; Qu, Shiliang; Wang, Qiang

2011-10-01

For sensitive detection of H2, ZnO nanowires networks decorated with photo-decomposed Pd nanoparticles were fabricated between femtosecond laser-writing interdigitated electrodes by chemical vapor deposition method. When H2 concentration is increased from 20 to 4000 ppm at room temperature, sensitivity of the sample is increased from 3.7% to 1017.9%. The high sensitivity can be explained by considering the reaction between the adsorbed O2- and the disassociated H atoms facilitated by Pd nanoparticles. This mechanism is further supported by the H2 response results under UV light illumination, which can reduce the amount of O2- on the ZnO surface, leading to depressed sensitivity. The sensor also shows high selectivity, long-term stability, and ultra-low power consumption of nanowatt level, due to the novel fabrication process.

Chemical weathering rate, denudation rate, and atmospheric and soil CO2 consumption of Paraná flood basalts in São Paulo State, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Conceição, Fabiano Tomazini; dos Santos, Carolina Mathias; de Souza Sardinha, Diego; Navarro, Guillermo Rafael Beltran; Godoy, Letícia Hirata

2015-03-01

The chemical weathering rate and atmospheric/soil CO2 consumption of Paraná flood basalts in the Preto Stream basin, São Paulo State, Brazil, were evaluated using major elements as natural tracers. Surface and rain water samples were collected in 2006, and analyses were performed to assess pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS), including SO42-, NO3-, PO43 -, HCO3-, Cl-, SiO2, Ca2 +, Mg2 +, Na+ and K+. Fresh rocks and C horizon samples were also collected, taking into account their geological context, abundance and spatial distribution, to analyze major elements and mineralogy. The Preto Stream, downstream from the city of Ribeirão Preto, receives several elements/compounds as a result of anthropogenic activities, with only sulfate yielding negative flux values. The negative flux of SO42 - can be attributed to atmospheric loading that is mainly related to anthropogenic inputs. After corrections were made for atmospheric inputs, the riverine transport of dissolved material was found to be 30 t km- 2 y- 1, with the majority of the dissolved material transported during the summer (wet) months. The chemical weathering rate and atmospheric/soil CO2 consumption were 6 m/Ma and 0.4 · 106 mol km- 2 y- 1, respectively. The chemical weathering rate falls within the lower range of Paraná flood basalt denudation rates between 135 and 35 Ma previously inferred from chronological studies. This comparison suggests that rates of basalt weathering in Brazil's present-day tropical climate differ by at most one order of magnitude from those prevalent at the time of hothouse Earth. The main weathering process is the monosiallitization of anorthoclase, augite, anorthite and microcline. Magnetite is not weathered and thus remains in the soil profile.

Upland Trees Contribute to Exchange of Nitrous Oxide (N2O) in Forest Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, H.; Thompson, R.; Canadell, J.; Winiwarter, W.; Machacova, K.; Maier, M.; Halmeenmäki, E.; Svobodova, K.; Lang, F.; Pihlatie, M.; Urban, O.

2017-12-01

The increase in atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) concentration contributes to the acceleration of the greenhouse effect. However, the role of trees in the N2O exchange of forest ecosystems is still an open question. While the soils of temperate and boreal forests were shown to be a natural source of N2O, trees have been so far overlooked in the forest N2O inventories. We determined N2O fluxes in common tree species of boreal and temperate forests: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies), downy and silver birch (Betula pubescens, B. pendula), and European beech (Fagus sylvatica). We investigated (1) whether these tree species exchange N2O with the atmosphere under natural field conditions, (2) how the tree N2O fluxes contribute to the forest N2O balance, and (3) whether these fluxes show seasonal dynamics. The studies were performed in a boreal forest (SMEAR II station, Finland; June 2014 - May 2015) and two temperate mountain forests (White Carpathians, Czech Republic; Black Forest, Germany; June and July 2015). Fluxes of N2O in mature tree stems and forest floor were measured using static chamber systems followed by chromatographic and photo-acoustic analyses of N2O concentration changes. Pine, spruce and birch trees were identified as net annual N2O sources. Spruce was found the strongest emitter (0.27 mg ha-1 h-1) amounting thus up to 2.5% of forest floor N2O emissions. All tree species showed a substantial seasonality in stem N2O flux that was related to their physiological activity and climatic variables. In contrast, stems of beech trees growing at soils consuming N2O may act as a substantial sink of N2O from the atmosphere. Consistent N2O consumption by tree stems ranging between -12.1 and -35.2 mg ha-1 h-1 and contributing by up to 3.4% to the forest floor N2O uptake is a novel finding in contrast to current studies presenting trees as N2O emitters. To understand these fluxes, N2O exchange of photoautotrophic organisms associated with

Effects of Al2O3, B2O3, Li2O, Na2O, and SiO2 on Nepheline Crystallization in Hanford High Level Waste Glasses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kroll, Jared O.; Vienna, John D.; Schweiger, Michael J.

2016-09-15

Nepheline (nominally NaAlSiO4) formation during slow cooling of high-alumina (25.4 - 34.5 mass% Al2O3) Hanford high level waste glasses may significantly reduce product durability. To investigate the effects of composition on nepheline crystallization, 29 compositions were formulated by adjusting Al2O3, B2O3, Li2O, Na2O, and SiO2 around a baseline glass that precipitated 12 mass% nepheline. Thirteen of these compositions were generated by adjusting one-component-at-a-time, while two or three components were adjusted to produce the other 16 (with all remaining components staying in the same relative proportions). Quantitative X-ray diffraction was used to determine nepheline concentration in each sample. Twenty two glassesmore » precipitated nepheline, two of which also precipitated eucryptite (nominally LiAlSiO4), and one glass formed only eucryptite upon slow cooling. Increasing Na2O and Li2O had the strongest effect in promoting nepheline formation. Increasing B2O3 inhibited nepheline formation. SiO2 and Al2O3 showed non-linear behavior related to nepheline formation. The composition effects on nepheline formation in these glasses are reported.« less

Potential in-class strategies to increase children's vegetable consumption.

PubMed

Sharp, Gemma; Pettigrew, Simone; Wright, Shannon; Pratt, Iain S; Blane, Sally; Biagioni, Nicole

2017-06-01

The Crunch&Sip programme is a school-based nutrition initiative designed to increase the fruit, vegetable and water intakes of primary-school children. In recognition of the notable deficits in children's vegetable consumption, the present study explored the receptivity of school staff to a realignment of the Crunch&Sip programme to feature a primary focus on vegetable consumption. This involved investigating school staff members' perceptions of relevant barriers, motivators and facilitators. A multi-method approach was adopted that involved four focus groups and a survey (administered in paper and online formats) containing a mixture of open- and closed-ended items. Western Australia. Staff from Western Australian schools participated in the focus groups (n 37) and survey (n 620). School staff were strongly supportive of modifying the Crunch&Sip programme to focus primarily on children's vegetable consumption and this was generally considered to be a feasible change to implement. Possible barriers identified included children's taste preferences and a perceived lack of parental support. Suggested strategies to overcome these barriers were education sessions for parents and children, teachers modelling vegetable consumption for their students and integrating vegetable-related topics into the school curriculum. School staff are likely to support the introduction of school-based nutrition programmes that specifically encourage the consumption of vegetables. Potential barriers may be overcome through strategies to engage parents and children.

Access to Street Markets and Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables by Adolescents Living in São Paulo, Brazil

PubMed Central

de Aguiar, Breno Souza; Barrozo, Ligia Vizeu; Goldbaum, Moisés; Cesar, Chester Luiz Galvão; Alves, Maria Cecilia Goi Porto

2018-01-01

Food environment and income act as determinants of diet, and consequently, of the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption, income, and street market density in adolescents living in São Paulo, Brazil. Data from 521 adolescents (12 to 19 years) participating in the 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo were used. Buffers (500, 1000, and 1500 m) were drawn around the households and the street markets were counted in each zone. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption, income, and street market density. The main results showed that the presence of a street market in the zone closest to the households (500 m) was associated with higher consumption of fruits and vegetables (OR: 1.73; CI 95% 1.01–3.00). Higher family income was associated with a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables for models of 500 m buffer (OR: 2.56; CI 95% 1.47–4.45), 1000 m (OR: 2.30; CI 95% 1.33–3.96), and 1500 m (OR: 2.32; CI 95% 1.35–4.00). These results support the implementation of public policies that jointly consider income and the availability of street markets or healthy food environments. PMID:29538324

Nymphaea nouchali Burm. f. hydroalcoholic seed extract increases glucose consumption in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and insulin sensitization

PubMed Central

Parimala, Mabel; Debjani, M.; Vasanthi, Hannah Rachel; Shoba, Francis Gricilda

2015-01-01

Nymphaea nouchali Burm. f. (Family – Nymphaeaceae) is a well-known medicinal plant used in the Indian ayurvedic system of medicine for treating diabetes. The seeds especially have been prescribed for diabetes. The hydroalcoholic extract of N. nouchali seeds has been demonstrated to possess anti-hyperglycemic effects in diabetic rats, but the functional mechanism remains unknown. The nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is noted to play an important role in glucose and lipid homeostasis. This study was hence focused in evaluating the effect of the extract on PPARγ activation, adipocyte differentiation, and glucose consumption in 3T3-L1 cells. Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), followed by adipogenesis assay using Oil Red O technique. Glucose consumption of preadipocytes and adipocytes in the presence of the extract was also determined. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify the expression of genes involved in glucose consumption in the adipocytes. MTT assay confirmed the extract to be nontoxic, and Oil Red O staining confirmed enhanced adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The extract also increased the expression of PPARγ target gene, which in turn enhanced the expression of GLUT-4. The data, therefore, suggests that N. nouchali seed extract promotes adipocyte differentiation and glucose consumption by inducing PPARγ activation, which in turn increases mRNA GLUT-4 expression and subsequently enhances insulin-responsiveness in insulin target tissues. PMID:26605160

Sol-gel preparation of self-cleaning SiO2-TiO2/SiO2-TiO2 double-layer antireflective coating for solar glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Wensheng; Zheng, Jiaxian; Yan, Lianghong; Zhang, Xinxiang

2018-03-01

Self-cleaning SiO2-TiO2/SiO2-TiO2 double-layer antireflective (AR) coating is prepared by sol-gel process. SiO2 sol is prepared by using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursor and ammonia as catalyst, while TiO2 sol was prepared by using tetrabutyl orthotitanate (TBOT) as precursor and hydrochloric acid as catalyst. The effect of TiO2 content on refractive index, abrasion-resistance and photo-catalytic activity of SiO2-TiO2 hybrid thin films or powders is systematically investigated. It is found that the refractive index of SiO2-TiO2 hybrid thin films increases gradually from 1.18 to 1.53 as the weight ratio of TiO2 to SiO2 increased from 0 to 1.0. The SiO2-TiO2 hybrid thin film and powder possesses good abrasion-resistance and photo-catalytic activity, respectively, as the weight ratio of TiO2 to SiO2 is 0.4. The degradation degree of Rhodamine B by SiO2-TiO2 hybrid powder is 88.3%. Finally, SiO2-TiO2/SiO2-TiO2 double-layer AR coating with high transmittance, abrasion-resistance and self-cleaning property is realized.

Charge transfer between biogenic jarosite derived Fe3+and TiO2 enhances visible light photocatalytic activity of TiO2.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Mahabubur; Shoko, Sipiwe; Cummings, Fransciuos; Fester, Veruscha; Ojumu, Tunde Victor

2017-04-01

In this work, we have shown that mining waste derived Fe 3+ can be used to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 . This will allow us to harness a waste product from the mines, and utilize it to enhance TiO 2 photocatalytic waste water treatment efficiency. An organic linker mediated route was utilized to create a composite of TiO 2 and biogenic jarosite. Evidence of FeOTi bonding in the TiO 2 /jarosite composite was apparent from the FTIR, EFTEM, EELS and ELNEFS analysis. The as prepared material showed enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pristine TiO 2 , biogenic jarosite and mechanically mixed sample of jarosite and TiO 2 under both simulated and natural solar irradiation. The prepared material can reduce the electrical energy consumption by 4 times compared to pristine P25 for degradation of organic pollutant in water. The material also showed good recyclability. Results obtained from sedimentation experiments showed that the larger sized jarosite material provided the surface to TiO 2 nanoparticles, which increases the settling rate of the materials. This allowed simple and efficient recovery of the catalyst from the reaction system after completion of photocatalysis. Enhanced photocatalytic activity of the composite material was due to effective charge transfer between TiO 2 and jarosite derived Fe 3+ as was shown from the EELS and ELNEFS. Generation of OH was supported by photoluminesence (PL) experiments. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of H2O and CO2 on The Oxidation Behavior and Durability at High Temperature of ODS-FeCrAl

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dryepondt, Sebastien N; Rouaix-Vande Put, Aurelie; Pint, Bruce A

Cyclic oxidation testing was conducted on alloy MA956 and two different batches of alloy PM2000 at 1100 and 1200 C in different atmospheres rich in O2, H2O and CO2. Compare to 1h cycle in dry O2, exposure in air + 10 vol.% H2O resulted in an increase of the oxidation rate and a decrease of the time to breakaway for both alloys at 1200 C, and a faster consumption of Al in the MA956 alloy. 1h cyclic testing in 50%CO2/50%H2O+0.75% O2 had less of an impact on the oxidation rate but led to an increased formation of voids for alloymore » MA956, which had an impact on the alloy creep resistance. At 1100 C, exposure in 50%CO2/50%H2O resulted in significant oxide spallation compared with oxidation in air, but it was not the case when 0.75% O2 was added to the CO2/H2O mixture as a buffer. The control of impurities levels drastically improved the PM2000 oxidation resistance.« less

Effect of H2O and CO2 on The Oxidation Behavior and Durability at High Temperature of ODS-FeCrAl

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dryepondt, Sebastien N; Pint, Bruce A; Rouaix-Vande Put, Aurelie

Cyclic oxidation testing was conducted on alloy MA956 and two different batches of alloy PM2000 at 1100 and 1200 C in different atmospheres rich in O2, H2O and CO2. Compared to 1h cycles in dry O2, exposure in air+10 vol.% H2O resulted in an increase of the oxidation rate and a decrease of the time to breakaway for all alloys at 1200 C, and a faster consumption of Al in the MA956 alloy. One hour cyclic testing in 49.25%CO2+50%H2O+0.75% O2 had a smaller effect on the oxidation rate but led to increased formation of voids in alloy MA956, which hadmore » an impact on the alloy creep resistance. At 1100 C, exposure in 50%CO2+50%H2O resulted in significant oxide spallation compared with oxidation in air, but this was not the case when 0.75% O2 was added to the CO2/H2O mixture as a buffer. The control of impurity levels drastically improved the oxidation resistance of PM2000.« less

Thermodynamic Simulation of Viscosity of TiO2-Ti2O3-CaO Ternary Slag

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, P.; Ma, W. H.; Zhang, S. J.; Lei, Y.; Wen, J. H.

2017-12-01

The viscosity of high titanium slag at high temperature is one of the key factors of slag-iron separation. Based on the Einstein-Roscoe equation, thermodynamic simulation of viscosity of TiO2-Ti2O3-CaO ternary slag is studied by using FactSage® software, and the effects of temperature, CaO content and solid-phase particles on the viscosity of slag were studied. The results show that the increase of CaO content has the effect of reducing melting temperature and viscosity of TiO2-Ti2O3-CaO ternary slag. After the TiO2-Ti2O3-CaO ternary slag is completely melted, the increase of temperature has little effect on viscosity of slag, and the viscosity is about 110~125mPa·s. When the temperature is lower than melting temperature, TiO2-Ti2O3-CaO ternary slag will precipitate solid-phase particles, and the precipitation process is carried out in stages, and with the decrease of temperature, the precipitation will increase and the viscosity will sharply increase. TiO2-Ti2O3-CaO ternary titanium slag has obvious characteristics of short slag.

Synthesis of Copper-Based Nanostructured Catalysts on SiO2-Al2O3, SiO2-TiO2, and SiO2-ZrO2 Supports for NO Reduction.

PubMed

Namkhang, Pornpan; Kongkachuichay, Paisan

2015-07-01

The selective catalytic reduction of NO over a series of Cu-based catalysts supported on modified silica including SiO2-Al2O3, SiO2-TiO2, and SiO2-ZrO2 prepared via a sol-gel process and a flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) was studied. The prepared catalysts were characterized by means of TEM, XRD, XRF, TPR, and nitrogen physisorption measurement techniques, to determine particle diameter, morphology, crystallinity, phase composition, copper reducibility, surface area, and pore size of catalysts. The particles obtained from sol-gel method were almost spherical while the particles obtained from the FSP were clearly spherical and non-porous nanosized particles. The effects of Si:Al, Si:Ti, and Si:Zr molar ratio of precursor were identified as the domain for different crystalline phase of materials. It was clearly seen that a high SiO2 content inhibited the crystallization of materials. The BET surface area of catalysts obtained from sol-gel method was higher than that from the FSP and it shows that surface area increased with increasing SiO2 molar ratio due to high surface area from SiO2. The catalyst performances were tested for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with H2. It was found that the catalyst prepared over 7 wt% Cu on Si02-Al2O3 support was the most active compared with the others which converted NO as more than 70%. Moreover, the excess copper decreased the performance of NO reduction, due to the formation of CuO agglomeration covered on the porous silica as well as the alumina surface, preventing the direct contact of CO2 and AL2O3.

Responses of Ceriodaphnia dubia to TiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles: a dynamic nano-toxicity assessment of energy budget distribution.

PubMed

Li, Minghua; Czymmek, Kirk J; Huang, C P

2011-03-15

The in vivo responses of C. dubia to nanoparticles exemplified by a photoactive titanium oxide (TiO(2)) and a non-photocatalytic aluminum oxide (Al(2)O(3)) were studied. Both nanomaterials inhibited the growth of C. dubia at concentrations ca. >100mg/L. The EC50 value was 42 and 45 mg/L in the presence of TiO(2) and Al(2)O(3), respectively, based on 3-brood reproduction assay. Results implied that reactive oxygen species (ROS) may not be totally responsible for the adverse effects exerted on the invertebrate. Aggregation and interaction among nanoparticles, C. dubia, and algal cells, major food source of Daphnia, played a significant role on the responses of C. dubia to nanoparticles. Dynamic energy budget (DEB) analysis was used to assess the impact of nanoparticles on the energy allocation of C. dubia. Results indicated that nanoparticles could disrupt the assimilation and consumption of energy in C. dubia dramatically. The assimilation energy was negatively correlated to the concentration of nanomaterials, a reduction from 11 to near 0 μg-C/animal/day in the presence of TiO(2) or Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles at a nanoparticle concentration of 200mg/L. The energy consumed for life-maintenance increased also with increase in the concentration of nanomaterials. Results clearly demonstrated the importance of energy disruption in determining the toxicity of nanoparticles toward C. dubia. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased vegetable and fruit consumption during weight loss effort correlates with increased weight and fat loss.

PubMed

Whigham, L D; Valentine, A R; Johnson, L K; Zhang, Z; Atkinson, R L; Tanumihardjo, S A

2012-10-01

Individuals who focused on calorie counting lost more weight than those who focused on increasing vegetable and fruit (V&F) intake in a weight loss program. We now present serum carotenoid data (biomarkers of V&F intake) from both groups and test whether these biomarkers correlate with changes in weight and body fat. Sixty obese volunteers were randomized to one of the following weight loss programs: 500 kcal per day reduction (Reduction) or a focus on consuming eight vegetables per day and 2-3 fruits per day (HiVeg). Volunteers in the Reduction group were 36.8±10.3 years with a body mass index of 33.5; 83% were white, 17% chose not to report race; 70% were not Hispanic or Latino, 13% were Hispanic or Latino and 17% chose not to report ethnicity. Volunteers in the HiVeg group were 30.4±6.6 years with a body mass index of 33.2: 74% white, 11% Asian, 5% black or African American, 5% multiracial and 5% chose not to report race; 89% were not Hispanic or Latino, 5% were Hispanic or Latino and 5% chose not to report ethnicity. Subjects were taught basic nutrition principles, received breakfast and lunch 5 days per week for 3 months, meals 2 days per week during month 4, then regular phone calls to month 12. Total serum carotenoid concentrations increased from baseline to 3 months and remained elevated at 12 months, but there was no difference between groups. Changes in weight, fat and % fat correlated negatively with serum carotenoid concentrations. Increased serum carotenoids (a biomarker for V&F intake) correlated with improved weight and fat loss indicating that increased V&F consumption is an appropriate strategy for weight loss. However, in light of the fact that the Reduction group lost more weight, the consumption of increased V&F for the purpose of weight loss should happen within the context of reducing total caloric intake.

Evidence that self-incentives increase fruit consumption: a randomized exploratory trial among high-risk romanian adolescents.

PubMed

Armitage, Christopher J

2014-04-01

High mortality rates associated with cancer and cardiovascular disease in Romania have been partly attributed to low fruit consumption. The aim of the present research was to test whether self-incentives delivered via implementation intentions could increase fruit consumption among 238 high-risk Romanian adolescents. Participants were randomly allocated to either: (1) a control condition (asked to plan to increase their fruit intake but given no further instruction), (2) a standard implementation intention condition (asked to form an implementation intention using standard open-ended instructions), or (3) a self-incentivizing implementation intention condition (asked to reward themselves at the end of the week if they had successfully consumed an extra portion of fruit each day). There were significant increases in fruit consumption in the self-incentivizing implementation intention condition, but not in the control condition or-contrary to predictions-in the standard implementation intention condition. The findings support the use of implementation intentions to deliver self-incentives and increase fruit consumption, and suggest that providing children with a structured prompt might enhance the effectiveness of implementation intention-based interventions compared with standard implementation intention instructions.

CaO-MgO-Al 2O 3-SiO 2 (CMAS) corrosion of Gd 2Zr 2O 7 and Sm 2Zr 2O 7

DOE PAGES

Wang, Honglong; Bakal, Ahmet; Zhang, Xingxing; ...

2016-08-08

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings are applied to superalloys used in gas turbine engineering to increase the operating temperature and the energy conversion efficiency. However, dust consisting of CaO-MgO-Al 2O 3-SiO 2 (CMAS) from the air can be injected into the engines and corrode the thermal barrier coatings. Lanthanide zirconates are promising materials in thermal barrier coatings due to their low thermal conductivities, good phase stability and good corrosion resistance. However, the corrosion resistance mechanism of CMAS on lanthanide zirconates is still not clearly understood. In this work, the corrosion mechanism of Gd 2Zr 2O 7 and Sm 2Zr 2O 7more » in CMAS is studied. Here, the results show that the CMAS can easily react with lanthanide zirconate thermal barrier coatings to form a dense layer, which can resist further corrosion« less

Structural and electrical characterisation of Li(2)O : TiO(2) : SnO(2) : P(2)O(5) electrolyte glass.

PubMed

Abrahams, Isaac; Hadzifejzovic, Emina; Dygas, Jozef R

2004-10-07

Glasses of general formula 50Li(2)O : xSnO(2) : (10 -x)TiO(2) : 40P(2)O(5)(0.0 < or = x < or = 10) were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and ac impedance, (31)P solid-state NMR and IR spectroscopies. Three isotropic resonances can be identified in the (31)P NMR spectra, which have been assigned to various phosphate species. Analysis of the ratios of integrated intensities in the (31)P spectra leads to models for the Ti and Sn coordination environments. Both TiO(2) and SnO(2) are found to be predominantly network forming with Ti and Sn proposed to be in five- and four-coordinate environments respectively. Analysis of ac impedance spectra collected at low temperatures reveals two forms of permittivity dispersion, viz: high frequency conductivity dispersion and Cole-Cole type relaxation of permittivity. The activation energy of the relaxation frequency of the permittivity dispersion is equal to that of the dc conductivity, which is consistent with cooperative motion of lithium ions. The results also suggest that the observed increase in conductivity with temperature appears to be mainly due to an increase in mobility rather than increase in carrier concentration.

Effect of Na poisoning catalyst (V2O5-WO3/TiO2) on denitration process and SO3 formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Haiping; Chen, Yu; Qi, Cong; Ru, Yu

2018-03-01

This paper aims to study the effect of alkali metal sodium (Na) poisoning on the performance of the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst. The result showed that Na2SO4 poisoning leads to a reduced denitration rate of the SCR catalyst and an increase in the SO3 generation rate. Na2O poisoning leads to a significant reduction in the denitration rate of the SCR catalyst and marginally improves the formation of SO3. The maximum of the SO3 generation rate for a Na2SO4-poisoned catalyst reached 1.35%, whereas it was only 0.85% for the SCR catalyst. When the SO2 was contained in flue gas, the denitration rate for the Na2O-poisoned catalyst clearly increased by more than 28%. However, the effect of SO2 on the Na2SO4-poisoned catalyst was very slight. The denitration rate of the SCR catalyst decreased with an increase in the Na content. The BET and XRD results showed that Na poisoning of the catalyst decreased the number of acid sites, the reducibility of the catalyst, the surface area, and pore volume. The H2-TPR and NH3-TPD results show that Na decreases the number of acid sites and the reducibility of the catalyst. The FT-IR and XPS results showed that Na2O poisoning led to the decrease of V5+dbnd O bonds and the consumptions of oxygen atoms. Na2SO4 poisoning can improve surface adsorbed oxygen, which was beneficial for the SO2-SO3 conversion reaction.

Optical properties of BaO added bioactive Na2O-CaO-P2O5 glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edathazhe, Akhila B.; Shashikala, H. D.

2018-04-01

This paper deals with the effect of BaO addition on the optical properties of bioactive Na2O-CaO-P2O5 glasses for biomedical optics applications. The phosphate glasses with composition (26-x)Na2O-xBaO-29CaO-45P2O5 (x = 0, 5, 10, 15 mol%) have been prepared by melt-quenching technique at 1100°C. The refractive index of glasses increased with BaO content. The optical band gap and Urbach energy of synthesized glasses were derived from the optical absorption spectra by using UV-Visible spectrometer. The addition of 5 mol% of BaO increased the band gap energy of glasses due to the formation of ionic cross-links in the glass structure. The defect and interstitial bonds formation in theglasses decreased with BaO additions as indicated by reductions in the Urbach energy values. No such variations in the band gap and Urbach energy values of glasses were observed with BaO content from 5 to 15 mol%. The molar and oxide ion polarizability values were calculated from the band gap and molar volume of glasses. The increase in the calculated optical basicity and metallization criteria of glasses supported the rise in band gap energy values with BaO additions. As the melting temperature of glasses decreased from 1200 to 1100°C, the refractive index increased as supported by the measured density values. The band gap energy is not changed with melting temperature. The Urbach energy decreased with decrease in melting temperature in case of BaO-free Na2O-CaO-P2O5 glasses, whereas it increased in case of BaO added glasses due to the role of BaO as modifying oxide.

Crack-resistant Al2O3–SiO2 glasses

PubMed Central

Rosales-Sosa, Gustavo A.; Masuno, Atsunobu; Higo, Yuji; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Obtaining “hard” and “crack-resistant” glasses have always been of great important in glass science and glass technology. However, in most commercial glasses both properties are not compatible. In this work, colorless and transparent xAl2O3–(100–x)SiO2 glasses (30 ≤ x ≤ 60) were fabricated by the aerodynamic levitation technique. The elastic moduli and Vickers hardness monotonically increased with an increase in the atomic packing density as the Al2O3 content increased. Although a higher atomic packing density generally enhances crack formation in conventional oxide glasses, the indentation cracking resistance increased by approximately seven times with an increase in atomic packing density in binary Al2O3–SiO2 glasses. In particular, the composition of 60Al2O3•40SiO2 glass, which is identical to that of mullite, has extraordinary high cracking resistance with high elastic moduli and Vickers hardness. The results indicate that there exist aluminosilicate compositions that can produce hard and damage-tolerant glasses. PMID:27053006

Microvascular oxygen consumption during sickle cell pain crisis.

PubMed

Rowley, Carol A; Ikeda, Allison K; Seidel, Miles; Anaebere, Tiffany C; Antalek, Matthew D; Seamon, Catherine; Conrey, Anna K; Mendelsohn, Laurel; Nichols, James; Gorbach, Alexander M; Kato, Gregory J; Ackerman, Hans

2014-05-15

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia and episodic vaso-occlusive pain crises. Vaso-occlusion occurs when deoxygenated hemoglobin S polymerizes and erythrocytes sickle and adhere in the microvasculature, a process dependent on the concentration of hemoglobin S and the rate of deoxygenation, among other factors. We measured oxygen consumption in the thenar eminence during brachial artery occlusion in sickle cell patients and healthy individuals. Microvascular oxygen consumption was greater in sickle cell patients than in healthy individuals (median [interquartile range]; sickle cell: 0.91 [0.75-1.07] vs healthy: 0.75 [0.62-0.94] -ΔHbO2/min, P < .05) and was elevated further during acute pain crisis (crisis: 1.10 [0.78-1.30] vs recovered: 0.88 [0.76-1.03] -ΔHbO2/min, P < .05). Increased microvascular oxygen consumption during pain crisis could affect the local oxygen saturation of hemoglobin when oxygen delivery is limiting. Identifying the mechanisms of elevated oxygen consumption during pain crisis might lead to the development of new therapeutic interventions. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01568710.

Electrical mobility of silver ion in Ag2O-B2O3-P2O5-TeO2 glasses.

PubMed

Sklepić, Kristina; Vorokhta, Maryna; Mošner, Petr; Koudelka, Ladislav; Moguš-Milanković, Andrea

2014-10-16

The effect of adding TeO(2) into (100 - x)[0.5Ag(2)O - 0.1B(2)O(3) - 0.4P(2)O(5)] - xTeO(2), with 0-80 mol % TeO(2) glass, on the structural changes and electrical properties has been investigated. DSC and thermodilatomery were used to study their thermal behavior, structure was studied by Raman spectroscopy, and electrical properties have been studied by impedance spectroscopy over a wide temperature and frequency range. The introduction of TeO(2) as a third glass former to the glass network causes the structural transformation from TeO(3) (tp) to TeO(4) (tbp) which contributes to the changes in conductivity. The glasses with low TeO(2) content show only a slow decrease in dc conductivity with addition of TeO(2) due to the increase of the number of nonbridging oxygens, which increases the mobility of Ag(+) ions. The steep decrease in conductivity for glasses containing more than 40 mol % TeO(2) is a result of decrease of the Ag(2)O content and stronger cross-linkage in glass network through the formation of more Te-(eq)O(ax)-Te bonds in TeO(4) tbp units. The glasses obey ac conductivity scaling with respect to temperature, implying that the dynamic process is not temperature dependent. On the other hand, the scaling of the spectra for different glass compositions showed the deviations from the Summerfield scaling because of the local structural disorder which occurs as a result of the structural modifications in the tellurite glass network.

Restoration of Normal Cerebral Oxygen Consumption with Rapamycin Treatment in a Rat Model of Autism-Tuberous Sclerosis.

PubMed

Chi, Oak Z; Wu, Chang-Chih; Liu, Xia; Rah, Kang H; Jacinto, Estela; Weiss, Harvey R

2015-09-01

Tuberous sclerosis (TSC) is associated with autism spectrum disorders and has been linked to metabolic dysfunction and unrestrained signaling of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin can mitigate some of the phenotypic abnormalities associated with TSC and autism, but whether this is due to the mTOR-related function in energy metabolism remains to be elucidated. In young Eker rats, an animal model of TSC and autism, which harbors a germ line heterozygous Tsc2 mutation, we previously reported that cerebral oxygen consumption was pronouncedly elevated. Young (4 weeks) male control Long-Evans and Eker rats were divided into control and rapamycin-treated (20 mg/kg once daily for 2 days) animals. Cerebral regional blood flow ((14)C-iodoantipyrine) and O2 consumption (cryomicrospectrophotometry) were determined in isoflurane-anesthetized rats. We found significantly increased basal O2 consumption in the cortex (8.7 ± 1.5 ml O2/min/100 g Eker vs. 2.7 ± 0.2 control), hippocampus, pons and cerebellum. Regional cerebral blood flow and cerebral O2 extractions were also elevated in all brain regions. Rapamycin had no significant effect on O2 consumption in any brain region of the control rats, but significantly reduced consumption in the cortex (4.1 ± 0.3) and all other examined regions of the Eker rats. Phosphorylation of mTOR and S6K1 was similar in the two groups and equally reduced by rapamycin. Thus, a rapamycin-sensitive, mTOR-dependent but S6K1-independent, signal led to enhanced oxidative metabolism in the Eker brain. We found decreased Akt phosphorylation in Eker but not Long-Evans rat brains, suggesting that this may be related to the increased cerebral O2 consumption in the Eker rat. Our findings suggest that rapamycin targeting of Akt to restore normal cerebral metabolism could have therapeutic potential in tuberous sclerosis and autism.

Consumption-based accounting of CO2 emissions

PubMed Central

Davis, Steven J.; Caldeira, Ken

2010-01-01

CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are the primary cause of global warming. Much attention has been focused on the CO2 directly emitted by each country, but relatively little attention has been paid to the amount of emissions associated with the consumption of goods and services in each country. Consumption-based accounting of CO2 emissions differs from traditional, production-based inventories because of imports and exports of goods and services that, either directly or indirectly, involve CO2 emissions. Here, using the latest available data, we present a global consumption-based CO2 emissions inventory and calculations of associated consumption-based energy and carbon intensities. We find that, in 2004, 23% of global CO2 emissions, or 6.2 gigatonnes CO2, were traded internationally, primarily as exports from China and other emerging markets to consumers in developed countries. In some wealthy countries, including Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, the United Kingdom, and France, >30% of consumption-based emissions were imported, with net imports to many Europeans of >4 tons CO2 per person in 2004. Net import of emissions to the United States in the same year was somewhat less: 10.8% of total consumption-based emissions and 2.4 tons CO2 per person. In contrast, 22.5% of the emissions produced in China in 2004 were exported, on net, to consumers elsewhere. Consumption-based accounting of CO2 emissions demonstrates the potential for international carbon leakage. Sharing responsibility for emissions among producers and consumers could facilitate international agreement on global climate policy that is now hindered by concerns over the regional and historical inequity of emissions. PMID:20212122

Wolf presence and increased willow consumption by Yellowstone elk: implications for trophic cascades.

PubMed

Creel, Scott; Christianson, David

2009-09-01

Recent increases in the height and growth ring width of willow (Salix spp.) and other woody plants in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) have been attributed to a behaviorally mediated trophic cascade from wolves (Canis lupus) to elk (Cervus elaphus) to willows. This hypothesis predicts that individual elk consume less willow in response to the presence of wolves, but this prediction has not been directly tested with data from elk. We collected 727 fecal samples from elk in the Gallatin Canyon portion of the GYE over three winters and used microhistological methods to quantify the proportion of willow in each sample. We then tested the effect of wolf presence on willow consumption by elk, controlling for the effects of snow conditions, sex, and habitat type. During the period of study, 8-17 wolves occupied the study area, and wolves were locally present on 49% of 260 sampling days, stratified at two-week intervals across three drainages. Over the three years combined, willow consumption was related to snow conditions, wolf presence, and a wolf X sex interaction. As expected, willow consumption increased with deeper and less penetrable snow, and this effect was strong. Contrary to expectation, willow consumption increased in the presence of wolves. As with other aspects of antipredator behavior, wolves had different effects on willow consumption by males and females. Finally, we aggregated the data to estimate winter-long mean willow consumption within each drainage; at this broader scale, willow consumption again increased as predation risk increased. In summary, willow consumption was more strongly affected by snow conditions than by the presence of wolves. Interactions between elk and willow were affected by wolves, but not as predicted by the hypothesis that wolf presence favors willow release through a reduction in the selection of willow by individual elk. If a trophic cascade is operating, our results suggest that a decline in the size of the elk

Thermal characteristics, Raman spectra, optical and structural properties of TiO2-Bi2O3-B2O3-TeO2 glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Nupur; Khanna, Atul; Gonzàlez, Fernando; Iordanova, Reni

2017-05-01

Tellurite and borotellurite glasses containing Bi2O3 and TiO2 were prepared and structure-property correlations were carried out by density measurements, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy. Titanium tellurite glasses require high melt-cooling rates and were fabricated by splat quenching. On adding B2O3, the glass forming ability (GFA) enhances, and glasses could be synthesized at lower quenching rates. The density of glasses shows a direct correlation with molecular mass of the constituents. UV-visible studies were used to determine the optical band gap and refractive index. Raman studies found that the co-ordination number of tellurium ions with oxygen (NTe-O) decreases with the increase in B2O3 as well as Bi2O3 content while, TiO2 produce only a small decrease in NTe-O, which explains the lower GFA of titanium tellurite glasses that do not contain Bi2O3 and B2O3. DSC studies show that the glass transition temperature (Tg) increases with B2O3 and TiO2 concentrations and that Tg correlates well with bond enthalpy of the metal oxides.

Mechanisms of nitrous oxide (N2 O) formation and reduction in denitrifying biofilms.

PubMed

Sabba, Fabrizio; Picioreanu, Cristian; Nerenberg, Robert

2017-12-01

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is a potent greenhouse gas that can be formed in wastewater treatment processes by ammonium oxidizing and denitrifying microorganisms. While N 2 O emissions from suspended growth systems have been extensively studied, and some recent studies have addressed emissions from nitrifying biofilms, much less is known about N 2 O emissions from denitrifying biofilm processes. This research used modeling to evaluate the mechanisms of N 2 O formation and reduction in denitrifying biofilms. The kinetic model included formation and consumption of key denitrification species, including nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), nitric oxide (NO), and N 2 O. The model showed that, in presence of excess of electron donor, denitrifying biofilms have two distinct layers of activity: an outer layer where there is net production of N 2 O and an inner layer where there is net consumption. The presence of oxygen (O 2 ) had an important effect on N 2 O emission from suspended growth systems, but a smaller effect on biofilm systems. The effects of NO3- and O 2 differed significantly based on the biofilm thickness. Overall, the effects of biofilm thickness and bulk substrate concentrations on N 2 O emissions are complex and not always intuitive. A key mechanism for denitrifying biofilms is the diffusion of N 2 O and other intermediates from one zone of the biofilm to another. This leads to zones of N 2 O formation or consumption transformations that would not exist in suspended growth systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Attributable Risk Analysis Reveals Potential Healthcare Savings from Increased Consumption of Dairy Products123

PubMed Central

Doidge, James C.; Segal, Leonie; Gospodarevskaya, Elena

2012-01-01

With rising burdens of obesity and chronic disease, the role of diet as a modifiable risk factor is of increasing public health interest. There is a growing body of evidence that low consumption of dairy products is associated with elevated risk of chronic metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Surveys also suggest that dairy product consumption falls well below recommended targets for much of the population in many countries, including the USA, UK, and Australia. We reviewed the scientific literature on the health effects of dairy product consumption (both positive and negative) and used the best available evidence to estimate the direct healthcare expenditure and burden of disease [disability-adjusted life years (DALY)] attributable to low consumption of dairy products in Australia. We implemented a novel technique for estimating population attributable risk developed for application in nutrition and other areas in which exposure to risk is a continuous variable. We found that in the 2010–2011 financial year, AUD$2.0 billion (USD$2.1 billion, €1.6 billion, or ∼1.7% of direct healthcare expenditure) and the loss of 75,012 DALY were attributable to low dairy product consumption. In sensitivity analyses, varying core assumptions yielded corresponding estimates of AUD$1.1–3.8 billion (0.9–3.3%) and 38,299–151,061 DALY lost. The estimated healthcare cost attributable to low dairy product consumption is comparable with total spending on public health in Australia (AUD$2.0 billion in 2009–2010). These findings justify the development and evaluation of cost-effective interventions that use dairy products as a vector for reducing the costs of diet-related disease. PMID:22833660

Luminescence and energy transfer of Tb3+-doped BaO-Gd2O3-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glasses.

PubMed

Zuo, Chenggang; Huang, Jinze; Liu, Shaoyou; Xiao, Anguo; Shen, Youming; Zhang, Xiangyang; Zhou, Zhihua; Zhu, Ligang

2017-12-05

Transparent Tb 3+ -doped BaO-Gd 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glasses with the greater than 4g/cm 3 were prepared by high temperature melting method and its luminescent properties have been investigated by measured UV-vis transmission, excitation, emission and luminescence decay spectra. The transmission spectrum shows there are three weak absorption bands locate at about 312, 378 and 484nm in the glasses and it has good transmittance in the visible spectrum region. Intense green emission can be observed under UV excitation. The effective energy transfer from Gd 3+ ion to Tb 3+ ion could occur and sensitize the luminescence of Tb 3+ ion. The green emission intensity of Tb 3+ ion could change with the increasing SiO 2 /B 2 O 3 ratio in the borosilicate glass matrix. With the increasing concentration of Tb 3+ ion, 5 D 4 → 7 F J transitions could be enhanced through the cross relaxation between the two nearby Tb 3+ ions. Luminescence decay time of 2.12ms from 546nm emission is obtained. The results indicate that Tb 3+ -doped BaO-Gd 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glasses would be potential scintillating material for applications in X-ray imaging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Use of social marketing to increase water consumption among school-age children in Mexico City].

PubMed

Carriedo, Ángela; Bonvecchio, Anabelle; López, Nancy; Morales, Maricruz; Mena, Carmen; Théodore, Florence L; Irizarry, Laura

2013-01-01

To increase water consumption in school children in Mexico City through a social marketing intervention. Cluster quasi-experimental design. Intervention of three months in schools, including water provision and designed based on social marketing. Reported changes in attitude, knowledge and behavior were compared pre and post intervention. Children of the intervention group (n=116) increased in 38% (171 ml) water consumption during school time, control group (n=167) decreased its consumption in 21% (140 ml) (p<0.05), according to their reported consumption. In a sub-sample reported consumption of sweetened beverages decreased 437 ml in the IG and 267 ml in the CG (p<0.05). Social marketing and environmental modifications were effective on increasing water consumption among children, strategy that might contribute to mitigate childhood obesity.

OPTICAL AND SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF Fe2O3-Bi2O3-B2O3:V2O5 GLASSES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanjay; Kishore, N.; Agarwal, A.; Dahiya, S.; Pal, Inder; Kumar, Navin

2013-11-01

The glasses of compositions xFe2O3ṡ (40 - x)Bi2O3ṡ60B2O3ṡ2V2O5 have been prepared by the standard melt-quenching technique. Amorphous nature of these samples is ascertained by XRD patterns. The presence of BO3 and BO4 units is identified by IR spectra of glass samples. The absorption edge (λcut-off) shifts toward longer wavelengths with an increase in Fe2O3 content in the glass matrix. The values of optical band gap energy for indirect allowed and forbidden transitions have been determined and it is found to decrease with increase in transition metal ions. The Urbach's energy is used to characterize the degree of disorder in amorphous solids.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase Navy Bean or Rice Bran Consumption in Colorectal Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Borresen, Erica C; Brown, Dustin G; Harbison, Greg; Taylor, Lynn; Fairbanks, Amanda; O'Malia, Joanne; Bazan, Marlon; Rao, Sangeeta; Bailey, Susan M; Wdowik, Melissa; Weir, Tiffany L; Brown, Regina J; Ryan, Elizabeth P

2016-01-01

Consumption of navy beans (NB) and rice bran (RB) have been shown to inhibit colon carcinogenesis. Given the overall poor diet quality in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors and low reported intake of whole grains and legumes, practical strategies to increase consumption merit attention. This study determined feasibility of increasing NB or RB intake in CRC survivors to increase dietary fiber and examined serum inflammatory biomarkers and telomere lengths. Twenty-nine subjects completed a randomized controlled trial with foods that included cooked NB powder (35 g/day), heat-stabilized RB (30 g/day), or no additional ingredient. Fasting blood, food logs, and gastrointestinal health questionnaires were collected. The amount of NB or RB consumed equated to 4-9% of subjects' daily caloric intake and no major gastrointestinal issues were reported with increased consumption. Dietary fiber amounts increased in NB and RB groups at Weeks 2 and 4 compared to baseline and to control (P ≤ 0.01). Telomere length correlated with age and HDL cholesterol at baseline, and with improved serum amyloid A (SAA) levels at Week 4 (P ≤ 0.05). This study concludes feasibility of increased dietary NB and RB consumption to levels associated with CRC chemoprevention and warrants longer-term investigations with both foods in high-risk populations that include cancer prevention and control outcomes.

A randomized-controlled trial to increase navy bean or rice bran consumption in colorectal cancer survivors

PubMed Central

Borresen, Erica C.; Brown, Dustin G.; Harbison, Greg; Taylor, Lynn; Fairbanks, Amanda; O’Malia, Joanne; Bazan, Marlon; Rao, Sangeeta; Bailey, Susan M.; Wdowik, Melissa; Weir, Tiffany L.; Brown, Regina J.; Ryan, Elizabeth P.

2016-01-01

Consumption of navy beans (NB) and rice bran (RB) have been shown to inhibit colon carcinogenesis. Given the overall poor diet quality in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors and low reported intake of whole grains and legumes, practical strategies to increase consumption merit attention. This study determined feasibility of increasing NB or RB intake in CRC survivors to increase dietary fiber and examined serum inflammatory biomarkers and telomere lengths. Twenty-nine participants completed a randomized-controlled trial with foods that included cooked NB powder (35g/day), heat-stabilized RB (30g/day), or no additional ingredient. Fasting blood, food logs, and gastrointestinal health questionnaires were collected. The amount of NB or RB consumed equated to 4–9% of participants daily caloric intake and no major gastrointestinal issues were reported with increased consumption. Dietary fiber amounts increased in NB and RB groups at weeks 2 and 4 compared to baseline and to control (p≤0.01). Telomere length correlated with age and HDL-cholesterol at baseline, and with improved serum amyloid A (SAA) levels at week 4 (p≤0.05). This study concludes feasibility of increased dietary NB and RB consumption to levels associated with CRC chemoprevention and warrants longer-term investigations with both foods in high-risk populations that include cancer prevention and control outcomes. PMID:27689688

Sources of variation in oxygen consumption of aquatic animals demonstrated by simulated constant oxygen consumption and respirometers of different sizes.

PubMed

Svendsen, M B S; Bushnell, P G; Christensen, E A F; Steffensen, J F

2016-01-01

As intermittent-flow respirometry has become a common method for the determination of resting metabolism or standard metabolic rate (SMR), this study investigated how much of the variability seen in the experiments was due to measurement error. Experiments simulated different constant oxygen consumption rates (M˙O2 ) of a fish, by continuously injecting anoxic water into a respirometer, altering the injection rate to correct for the washout error. The effect of respirometer-to-fish volume ratio (RFR) on SMR measurement and variability was also investigated, using the simulated constant M˙O2 and the M˙O2 of seven roach Rutilus rutilus in respirometers of two different sizes. The results show that higher RFR increases measurement variability but does not change the mean SMR established using a double Gaussian fit. Further, the study demonstrates that the variation observed when determining oxygen consumption rates of fishes in systems with reasonable RFRs mainly comes from the animal, not from the measuring equipment. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

H2O2 space shuttle APU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A cryogenic H2-O2 auxiliary power unit (APU) was developed and successfully demonstrated. It has potential application as a minimum weight alternate to the space shuttle baseline APU because of its (1) low specific propellant consumption and (2) heat sink capabilities that reduce the amount of expendable evaporants. A reference system was designed with the necessary heat exchangers, combustor, turbine-gearbox, valves, and electronic controls to provide 400 shp to two aircraft hydraulic pumps. Development testing was carried out first on the combustor and control valves. This was followed by development of the control subsystem including the controller, the hydrogen and oxygen control valves, the combustor, and a turbine simulator. The complete APU system was hot tested for 10 hr with ambient and cryogenic propellants. Demonstrated at 95 percent of design power was 2.25 lb/hp-hr. At 10 percent design power, specific propellant consumption was 4 lb/hp-hr with space simulated exhaust and 5.2 lb/hp-hr with ambient exhaust. A 10 percent specific propellant consumption improvement is possible with some seal modifications. It was demonstrated that APU power levels could be changed by several hundred horsepower in less than 100 msec without exceeding allowable turbine inlet temperatures or turbine speed.

Understanding the Relationship Between Structure and Thermophysical Properties of CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3 Molten Slags

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yongqi; Wang, Hao; Zhang, Zuotai

2018-04-01

In the present work, the relationship between the microscopic structure and macroscopic thermophysical properties in a basic CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3 quaternary system was identified using Fourier transformation infrared, Raman and 27Al magic angular spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) techniques. The Raman spectra quantitatively proved that with increasing Al2O3 content, the concentrations of the symmetric units of Q 0(Si) and Q 2(Si) decreased, while those of the asymmetric units of Q 1(Si) and Q 3(Si) increased; consequently, the degree of polymerization of the networks increased, which resulted in an increase in slag viscosity. The 27Al MAS-NMR spectra demonstrated that three structural units of Al atoms, namely, AlO4, AlO5, and AlO6, mainly existed in the networks. With increasing Al2O3 content, the concentration of AlO4 slightly decreased, while those of AlO5 and AlO6 increased; overall, Al2O3 acted as a network former in the present system. The increasing Al2O3 content led to additional AlO6 and Si-NBO-Ca-NBO-Al frameworks, which replaced Si-NBO-Ca-NBO-Si in the networks (NBO: non-bridging oxygen) and induced a change in the primarily precipitated crystalline phase from Ca2MgSi2O7 and Ca2Al2SiO7 to MgAlO4.

Increased visible-light photocatalytic activity of TiO2 via band gap manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, Ashley Marie

Hydrogen gas is a clean burning fuel that has potential applications in stationary and mobile power generation and energy storage, but is commercially produced from non-renewable fossil natural gas. Using renewable biomass as the hydrocarbon feed instead could provide sustainable and carbon-neutral hydrogen. We focus on photocatalytic oxidation and reforming of methanol over modified titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles to produce hydrogen gas. Methanol is used as a model for biomass sugars. By using a photocatalyst, we aim to circumvent the high energy cost of carrying out endothermic reactions at commercial scale. TiO2 is a semiconductor metal oxide of particular interest in photocatalysis due to its photoactivity under ultraviolet illumination and its stability under catalytic reaction conditions. However, TiO2 primarily absorbs ultraviolet light, with little absorption of visible light. While an effective band gap for absorbance of photons from visible light is 1.7 eV, TiO2 polymorphs rutile and anatase, have band gaps of 3.03 eV and 3.20 eV respectively, which indicate ultraviolet light. As most of incident solar radiation is visible light, we hypothesize that decreasing the band gap of TiO2 will increase the efficiency of TiO2 as a visible-light active photocatalyst. We propose to modify the band gap of TiO2 by manipulating the catalyst structure and composition via metal nanoparticle deposition and heteroatom doping in order to more efficiently utilize solar radiation. Of the metal-modified Degussa P25 TiO2 samples (P25), the copper and nickel modified samples, 1%Cu/P25 and 1%Ni/P25 yielded the lowest band gap of 3.05 eV each. A difference of 0.22 eV from the unmodified P25. Under visible light illumination 1%Ni/P25 and 1%Pt/P25 had the highest conversion of methanol of 9.9% and 9.6%, respectively.

Investigating the solubility and cytocompatibility of CaO-Na2 O-SiO2 /TiO2 bioactive glasses.

PubMed

Wren, Anthony W; Coughlan, Aisling; Smith, Courtney M; Hudson, Sarah P; Laffir, Fathima R; Towler, Mark R

2015-02-01

This study aims to investigate the solubility of a series of titanium (TiO2 )-containing bioactive glasses and their subsequent effect on cell viability. Five glasses were synthesized in the composition range SiO2 -Na2 O-CaO with 5 mol % of increments TiO2 substituted for SiO2 . Glass solubility was investigated with respect to (1) exposed surface area, (2) particle size, (3) incubation time, and (4) compositional effects. Ion release profiles showed that sodium (Na(+) ) presented high release rates after 1 day and were unchanged between 7 and 14 days. Calcium (Ca(2+) ) release presented a significant change at each time period and was also composition dependent, where a reduction in Ca(2+) release is observed with an increase in TiO2 concentration. Silica (Si(4+) ) release did not present any clear trends while no titanium (Ti(4+) ) was released. Cell numbers were found to increase up to 44%, compared to the growing control population, with a reduction in particle size and with the inclusion of TiO2 in the glass composition. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alcohol drinking during adolescence increases consumptive responses to alcohol in adulthood in Wistar rats

PubMed Central

Amodeo, Leslie R.; Kneiber, Diana; Wills, Derek N.; Ehlers, Cindy L.

2017-01-01

Binge drinking and the onset of alcohol use disorders usually peak during the transition between late adolescence and early adulthood, and early adolescent onset of alcohol consumption has been demonstrated to increase the risk for alcohol dependence in adulthood. In the present study we describe an animal model of early adolescent alcohol consumption where animals drink unsweetened and unflavored ethanol in high concentrations (20%). Using this model we investigated the influence of drinking on alcohol-related appetitive behavior and alcohol consumption levels in early adulthood. Further, we also sought to investigate whether differences in alcohol-related drinking behaviors were specific to exposure in adolescence versus exposure in adulthood. Male Wistar rats were given a 2-bottle choice between 20% ethanol and water in one group and between two water bottles in another group during their adolescence (Postnatal Day (PD) PD26-59) to model voluntary drinking in adolescent humans. As young adults (PD85), rats were trained in a paradigm that provided free access to 20% alcohol for 25 min after completing up to a fixed ratio (FR) 16-lever press response. A set of young adult male Wistar rats was exposed to the same paradigm using the same time course beginning at PD92. The results indicate that adolescent exposure to alcohol increased consumption of alcohol in adulthood. Furthermore, when investigating differences between adolescent high and low adolescent drinkers in adulthood, high consumers continued to drink more alcohol, had fewer FR failures, and had faster completion of FR schedules in adulthood whereas the low consumers were no different than controls. Rats exposed to ethanol in young adulthood also increased future intake but there were no differences in any other components of drinking behavior. Both adolescent- and adult-exposed rats did not exhibit an increase in lever pressing during the appetitive challenge session. These data indicate that adolescent

Effects of dexmedetomidine on microregional O2 balance during reperfusion after focal cerebral ischemia.

PubMed

Chi, Oak Z; Grayson, Jeremy; Barsoum, Sylviana; Liu, Xia; Dinani, Aliraza; Weiss, Harvey R

2015-01-01

This study was performed to determine whether there is an association between microregional O2 balance and neuronal survival in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion using dexmedetomidine, an α2-adrenoreceptor agonist and a sedative. Rats were subjected to 1 hour middle cerebral artery occlusion and a 2-hour reperfusion. During reperfusion, normal saline (n = 14) or dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg/minute (n = 14) was infused intravenously. At 2 hours of reperfusion, regional cerebral blood flow using (14)C-iodoantipyrine autoradiography, microregional arterial and venous (20-60 μm in diameter) O2 saturation (SvO2) using cryomicrospectrophotometry, and the size of cortical infarction were determined. Ischemia-reperfusion decreased microregional SvO2 (52.9 ± 3.7% vs. 61.1 ± .6%, P < .005) with increased variation or heterogeneity (P < .0001) with similar regional cerebral blood flow and O2 consumption. Dexmedetomidine during reperfusion decreased the heterogeneity of SvO2 that was analyzed with an analysis of variance (P < .01) and reported as coefficient of variation (100 × standard deviation/Mean) (11.8 vs. 16.4). The number of veins with O2 saturation less than 50% decreased with dexmedetomidine (13/80 vs. 27/81, P < .01). The percentage of cortical infarct in total cortex was smaller with dexmedetomidine (8.3 ± 2.2% vs. 12.6 ± 1.5%, P < .005). In the cerebral ischemic reperfused cortex, dexmedetomidine decreased the heterogeneity of SvO2 and the number of small veins with low O2 saturation suggesting improved microregional O2 supply/consumption balance. The improvement was accompanied by the reduced size of cortical infarction. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pilot-scale UV/H2O2 study for emerging organic contaminants decomposition.

PubMed

Chu, Xiaona; Xiao, Yan; Hu, Jiangyong; Quek, Elaine; Xie, Rongjin; Pang, Thomas; Xing, Yongjie

2016-03-01

Human behaviors including consumption of drugs and use of personal care products, climate change, increased international travel, and the advent of water reclamation for direct potable use have led to the introduction of significant amounts of emerging organic contaminants into the aqueous environment. In addition, the lower detection limits associated with improved scientific methods of chemical analysis have resulted in a recent increase in documented incidences of these contaminants which previously were not routinely monitored in water. Such contaminants may cause known or suspected adverse ecological and/or human health effects at very low concentrations. Conventional drinking water treatment processes may not effectively remove these organic contaminants. Advanced oxidation process (AOP) is a promising treatment process for the removal of most of these emerging organic contaminants, and has been accepted worldwide as a suitable treatment process. In this study, different groups of emerging contaminants were studied for decomposition efficiency using pilot-scale UV/H2O2 oxidation setup, including EDCs, PPCPs, taste and odor (T&O), and perfluorinated compounds. Results found that MP UV/H2O2 AOP was efficient in removing all the selected contaminants except perfluorinated compounds. Study of the kinetics of the process showed that both light absorption and quantum yield of each compound affected the decomposition performance. Analysis of water quality parameters of the treated water indicated that the outcome of both UV photolysis and UV/H2O2 processes can be affected by changes in the feed water quality.

Crystallization of MgFe2O4 from a glass in the system K2O/B2O3/MgO/P2O5/Fe2O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Shabrawy, Samha; Bocker, Christian; Rüssel, Christian

2016-10-01

Spherical magnetic Mg-Fe-O nanoparticles were successfully prepared by the crystallization of glass in the system K2O/B2O3/MgO/P2O5/Fe2O3. The magnetic glass ceramics were prepared by melting the raw materials using the conventional melt quenching technique followed by a thermal treatment at temperatures in the range 560-700 °C for a time ranging from 2 to 8 h. The studies of the X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and FTIR spectra confirmed the precipitation of finely dispersed spherical (Mg, Fe) based spinel nanoparticles with a minor quantity of hematite (α-Fe2O3) in the glass matrix. The average size of the magnetic nano crystals increases slightly with temperature and time from 9 to 15 nm as determined by the line broadening from the XRD patterns. XRD studies show that annealing the glass samples for long periods of time at temperature ≥604 °C results in an increase of the precipitated hematite concentration, dissolution of the spinel phase and the formation of magnesium di-borate phase (Mg2B2O5). For electron microscopy, the particles were extracted by two methods; (i) replica extraction technique and (ii) dissolution of the glass matrix by diluted acetic acid. An agglomeration of the nano crystals to larger particles (25-35 nm) was observed.

Increased vegetable and fruit consumption during weight loss effort correlates with increased weight and fat loss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recommendations to increase vegetable and fruit consumption often accompany guidelines for weight loss. A previous study indicated that people who were instructed to count calories lost more weight than those simply instructed to increase vegetable and fruit intake. The objective was to determine if...

Nitrous oxide production and consumption by denitrification in a grassland: Effects of grazing and hydrology.

PubMed

Hu, Jing; Inglett, Kanika S; Clark, Mark W; Inglett, Patrick W; Ramesh Reddy, K

2015-11-01

Denitrification is generally recognized as a major mechanism contributing to nitrous oxide (N2O) production, and is the only known biological process for N2O consumption. Understanding factors controlling N2O production and consumption during denitrification will provide insights into N2O emission variability, and potentially predict capacity of soils to serve as sinks or sources of N2O. This study investigated the effects of hydrology and grazing on N2O production and consumption in a grassland based agricultural watershed. A batch incubation study was conducted on soils (0-10 cm) collected along a hydrological gradient representing isolated wetland (Center), transient zone (Edge) and pasture upland (Upland), from both grazed and ungrazed areas. Production and consumption potentials of N2O were quantified on soils under four treatments, including (i) ambient condition, and amended with (ii) NO3(-), (iii) glucose-C, and (iv) NO3(-) +glucose-C. The impacts of grazing on N2O production and consumption were not observed. Soils in hydrologically distinct zones responded differently to N2O production and consumption. Under ambient conditions, both production and consumption rates of Edge soils were higher than those observed for Center and Upland soils. Results of amended incubations suggested NO3(-) was a key factor limiting N2O production and consumption rates in all hydrological zones. Over 5-d incubation with NO3(-) amendment, cumulative production and consumption of N2O for Center soils were 1.6 and 3.3 times higher than Edge soils, and 3.6 and 7.6 times higher than Upland soils, respectively. However, cumulative N2O net production for Edge soils was the highest, with 2 to 3 times higher than Upland and Center soils. Our results suggest that the transient areas between wetland and upland are likely to be "hot spots" of N2O emissions in this ecosystem. Wetlands within agricultural landscapes can potentially function to reduce both NO3(-) leaching and N2O emissions

Microhabitat Effects on N2O Emissions from Floodplain Soils under Controlled Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ley, Martin; Lehmann, Moritz; Niklaus, Pascal; Frey, Beat; Kuhn, Thomas; Luster, Jörg

2015-04-01

gain insight into the sources of, and biogeochemical controls on N2O production, we will measure the bulk isotopic signature of the produced N2O as well as its intramolecular 15N site preference. Changes in soil microbial communities, potentially controlling the balance between N2O production and consumption under different microhabitat conditions will be assessed using high-throughput DNA sequencing and q-PCR of key functional genes. Our study helps to increase our limited understanding of how microhabitats affect the occurrence of high N2O emissions from floodplain soils.

[Early alcohol initiation and increased adult alcohol consumption: cause or indicator?].

PubMed

Geels, L M; Vink, J M; van Beek, J H D A; Willemsen, G; Bartels, M; Boomsma, D I

2013-01-01

Early alcohol initiation is strongly associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse/dependence in adulthood. The mechanisms that underlie this association are unclear. To examine whether there is a causal link between early alcohol initiation and later alcohol consumption. Survey data were collected from twin pairs (age range 18-80) included in the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). A discordant twin design was used to examine the origin of the link between early alcohol initiation and adult alcohol consumption. Within monozygotic pairs (82-143 pairs), twins who started drinking early were compared to their brother/sister who started drinking later, on frequency of alcohol use, weekly alcohol consumption, number of alcohol intoxications, excessive drinking, alcohol abuse/-dependence, and hazardous drinking. By drawing comparisons within monozygotic pairs, we were able to control for the effects of genes/shared environment. Additional analyses examined the effects of age, sex, and in-/exclusion of lifelong abstainers. Within monozygotic twin pairs, the twin who had started drinking early did not differ significantly from his/her brother/sister with respect to future alcohol consumption. Results were independent of age, sex, and in-/exclusion of lifelong abstainers. Early alcohol initiation did not have significant causal effects on subsequent alcohol consumption in adulthood and may be an indicator of a predisposition for alcohol consumption. Campaigns aimed at raising the minimum age for alcohol initiation will possibly have only a limited effect on adult alcohol consumption.

Increased consumption of ethanol and sugar water in mice lacking the dopamine D2 long receptor

PubMed Central

Bulwa, Zachary B.; Sharlin, Jordan A.; Clark, Peter J.; Bhattacharya, Tushar K.; Kilby, Chessa N.; Wang, Yanyan; Rhodes, Justin S.

2011-01-01

Individual differences in dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) expression in the brain are thought to influence motivation and reinforcement for ethanol and other rewards. D2R exists in two isoforms, D2 long (D2LR) and D2 short (D2SR), produced by alternative splicing of the same gene. The relative contributions of D2LR versus D2SR to ethanol and sugar water drinking are not known. Genetic engineering was used to produce a line of knockout (KO) mice that lack D2LR and consequently have increased expression of D2SR. KO and wild-type (WT) mice of both sexes were tested for intake of 20% ethanol, 10% sugar water and plain tap water using established drinking-in-the-dark procedures. Mice were also tested for effects of the D2 antagonist eticlopride on intake of ethanol to determine whether KO responses were caused by lack of D2LR or over-representation of D2SR. Locomotor activity on running wheels and in cages without wheels was also measured for comparison. D2L KO mice drank significantly more ethanol than WT in both sexes. KO mice drank more sugar water than WT in females but not in males. Eticlopride dose- dependently decreased ethanol intake in all groups except male KO. KO mice were less physically active than WT in cages with or without running wheels. Results suggest that over-representation of D2SR contributes to increased intake of ethanol in the KO mice. Decreasing wheel running and general levels of physical activity in the KO mice rules out the possibility that higher intake results from higher motor activity. Results extend the literature implicating altered expression of D2R in risk for addiction by delineating the contribution of individual D2R isoforms. These findings suggest that D2LR and D2SR play differential roles in consumption of alcohol and sugar rewards. PMID:21803530

Increased consumption of ethanol and sugar water in mice lacking the dopamine D2 long receptor.

PubMed

Bulwa, Zachary B; Sharlin, Jordan A; Clark, Peter J; Bhattacharya, Tushar K; Kilby, Chessa N; Wang, Yanyan; Rhodes, Justin S

2011-11-01

Individual differences in dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) expression in the brain are thought to influence motivation and reinforcement for ethanol and other rewards. D2R exists in two isoforms, D2 long (D2LR) and D2 short (D2SR), produced by alternative splicing of the same gene. The relative contributions of D2LR versus D2SR to ethanol and sugar water drinking are not known. Genetic engineering was used to produce a line of knockout (KO) mice that lack D2LR and consequently have increased expression of D2SR. KO and wild-type (WT) mice of both sexes were tested for intake of 20% ethanol, 10% sugar water and plain tap water using established drinking-in-the-dark procedures. Mice were also tested for effects of the D2 antagonist eticlopride on intake of ethanol to determine whether KO responses were caused by lack of D2LR or overrepresentation of D2SR. Locomotor activity on running wheels and in cages without wheels was also measured for comparison. D2L KO mice drank significantly more ethanol than WT in both sexes. KO mice drank more sugar water than WT in females but not in males. Eticlopride dose dependently decreased ethanol intake in all groups except male KO. KO mice were less physically active than WT in cages with or without running wheels. Results suggest that overrepresentation of D2SR contributes to increased intake of ethanol in the KO mice. Decreasing wheel running and general levels of physical activity in the KO mice rules out the possibility that higher intake results from higher motor activity. Results extend the literature implicating altered expression of D2R in risk for addiction by delineating the contribution of individual D2R isoforms. These findings suggest that D2LR and D2SR play differential roles in consumption of alcohol and sugar rewards. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coffee consumption and reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Carlström, Mattias; Larsson, Susanna C

2018-06-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major health problem worldwide that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There is increased interest in the value of different nutrition-based strategies for preventing the development of T2D. This review aims to cover current knowledge regarding the effects of coffee consumption on development of T2D or modulation of adverse complications. A meta-analysis on coffee consumption and the risk of T2D was conducted. Moreover, bioactive components in coffee, polymorphisms, and potential underlying mechanism(s) in relation to T2D and adverse complications are discussed. PubMed was searched up to December 1, 2017, and prospective cohort and nested case-control studies of the association between coffee consumption and T2D risk were selected. Two investigators independently extracted data from included studies. A total of 30 prospective studies with 1 185 210 participants and 53 018 incident T2D cases were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk (RR) was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-0.76) for the highest category of coffee consumption (median consumption, 5 cups/d) vs the lowest category (median consumption, 0 cups/d). The risk of T2D decreased by 6% (RR = 0.94; 95%CI, 0.93-0.95) for each cup-per-day increase in coffee consumption. Results were similar for caffeinated coffee consumption (per additional cup of coffee per day: RR = 0.93; 95%CI, 0.90-0.96) and decaffeinated coffee consumption (corresponding RR = 0.94; 95%CI, 0.90-0.98). Available evidence indicates that coffee consumption is inversely associated with risk of T2D. Possible mechanisms behind this association include thermogenic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory effects; modulation of adenosine receptor signaling; and microbiome content and diversity.

Flooding-related increases in CO2 and N2O emissions from a temperate coastal grassland ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebremichael, Amanuel W.; Osborne, Bruce; Orr, Patrick

2017-05-01

Given their increasing trend in Europe, an understanding of the role that flooding events play in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be important for improved assessments of local and regional GHG budgets. This study presents the results of an analysis of the CO2 and N2O fluxes from a coastal grassland ecosystem affected by episodic flooding that was of either a relatively short (SFS) or long (LFS) duration. Compared to the SFS, the annual CO2 and N2O emissions were 1.4 and 1.3 times higher at the LFS, respectively. Mean CO2 emissions during the period of standing water were 144 ± 18.18 and 111 ± 9.51 mg CO2-C m-2 h-1, respectively, for the LFS and SFS sites. During the growing season, when there was no standing water, the CO2 emissions were significantly larger from the LFS (244 ± 24.88 mg CO2-C m-2 h-1) than the SFS (183 ± 14.90 mg CO2-C m-2 h-1). Fluxes of N2O ranged from -0.37 to 0.65 mg N2O-N m-2 h-1 at the LFS and from -0.50 to 0.55 mg N2O-N m-2 h-1 at the SFS, with the larger emissions associated with the presence of standing water at the LFS but during the growing season at the SFS. Overall, soil temperature and moisture were identified as the main drivers of the seasonal changes in CO2 fluxes, but neither adequately explained the variations in N2O fluxes. Analysis of total C, N, microbial biomass and Q10 values indicated that the higher CO2 emissions from the LFS were linked to the flooding-associated influx of nutrients and alterations in soil microbial populations. These results demonstrate that annual CO2 and N2O emissions can be higher in longer-term flooded sites that receive significant amounts of nutrients, although this may depend on the restriction of diffusional limitations due to the presence of standing water to periods of the year when the potential for gaseous emissions are low.

Thermal and fragility studies on microwave synthesized K2O-B2O3-V2O5 glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harikamalasree, Reddy, M. Sudhakara; Viswanatha, R.; Reddy, C. Narayana

2016-05-01

Glasses with composition xK2O-60B2O3-(40-x) V2O5 (15 ≤ x ≤ 39 mol %) was prepared by an energy efficient microwave method. The heat capacity change (ΔCp) at glass transition (Tg), width of glass transition (ΔTg), heat capacities in the glassy (Cpg) and liquid (Cpl) state for the investigated glasses were extracted from Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC) thermograms. The width of glass transition is less than 30°C, indicating that these glasses belongs to fragile category. Fragility functions [NBO]/(Vm3Tg) and (ΔCp/Cpl)increases with increasing modifier oxide concentration. Increase in fragility is attributed to the increasing coordination of boron. Further, addition of K2O creates NBOs and the flow mechanism involves bond switching between BOs and NBOs. Physical properties exhibit compositional dependence and these properties increase with increasing K2O concentration. The observed variations are qualitatively analyzed.

The effects on increasing cardiac output with adrenaline or isoprenaline on arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation and shunt during one-lung ventilation.

PubMed

Russell, W J; James, M F

2000-12-01

Theoretically, if the cardiac output were increased in the presence of a given intrapulmonary shunt, the arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO2) should improve as the venous oxygen extraction per ml of blood decreases. To test this hypothesis, eight pigs were subjected to one-lung ventilation and adrenaline and isoprenaline infusions used to increase the cardiac output. The mixed venous oxygen, shunt fraction and oxygen consumption were measured. With both adrenaline and isoprenaline, although there was a small rise in mixed venous oxygen content, there was a fall in SaO2. With adrenaline, the mean shunt rose from 48% to 65%, the mean oxygen consumption rose from 126 ml/min to 134 ml/min and the mean SaO2 fell from 86.9% to 82.5%. With isoprenaline, the mean shunt rose from 45% to 59%, the mean oxygen consumption rose from 121 ml/min to 137 ml/min and the mean SaO2 fell from 89.5% to 84.7%. It is concluded that potential improvement in SaO2, which might occur from a catecholamine-induced increase in mixed venous oxygen content during one-lung ventilation, is more than offset by increased shunting and oxygen consumption which reduce SaO2.

Manganese Recovery by Silicothermic Reduction of MnO in BaO-MnO-MgO-CaF2 (-SiO2) Slags

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, Jung Ho; Park, Joo Hyun

2018-04-01

The effects of reducing agent, CaF2 content, and reaction temperature upon the silicothermic reduction of MnO in the BaO-MnO-MgO-CaF2 (-SiO2) slags were investigated. Mn recovery was proportional to Si activity in the molten alloy. Moreover, 90 pct yield of Mn recovery was obtained under 5 mass pct CaF2 content and 1873 K (1600 °C) reaction temperature. Increasing CaF2 content above 5 pct yielded little or no further increase in Mn recovery, because it was accompanied by increased slag viscosity owing to the precipitation of high melting point compounds such as Ba2SiO4.

Microstructure, Thermal, Mechanical, and Dielectric Properties of BaO-CaO-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2 Glass-Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bo; Bian, Haibo; Fang, Yi

2017-12-01

BaO-CaO-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2 (BCABS) glass-ceramics were prepared via the method of controlled crystallization. The effect of CaO modification on the microstructure, phase evolution, as well as thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties was investigated. XRD identified that quartz is the major crystal phase; cristobalite and bazirite are the minor crystal phases. Moreover, the increase of CaO could inhibit the phase transformation from quartz to cristobalite, but excessive CaO would increase the porosity of the ceramics. Additionally, with increasing the amount of CaO, the thermal expansion curve tends to be linear, and subsequently the CTE value decreases gradually, which is attributed to the decrease of cristobalite with high CTE and the formation of CaSiO3 with low CTE. The results indicated that a moderate amount of CaO helps attaining excellent mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties, that is, the specimen with 9 wt% CaO sintered at 950 °C has a high CTE value (11.5 × 10-6/°C), a high flexural strength (165.7 MPa), and good dielectric properties (ɛr = 6.2, tanδ = 1.8 × 10-4, ρ = 4.6 × 1011 Ω•cm).

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency does not increase the susceptibility of sperm to oxidative stress induced by H2O2.

PubMed

Roshankhah, Shiva; Rostami-Far, Zahra; Shaveisi-Zadeh, Farhad; Movafagh, Abolfazl; Bakhtiari, Mitra; Shaveisi-Zadeh, Jila

2016-12-01

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzyme defect. G6PD plays a key role in the pentose phosphate pathway, which is a major source of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). NADPH provides the reducing equivalents for oxidation-reduction reductions involved in protecting against the toxicity of reactive oxygen species such as H 2 O 2 . We hypothesized that G6PD deficiency may reduce the amount of NADPH in sperms, thereby inhibiting the detoxification of H 2 O 2 , which could potentially affect their motility and viability, resulting in an increased susceptibility to infertility. Semen samples were obtained from four males with G6PD deficiency and eight healthy males as a control. In both groups, motile sperms were isolated from the seminal fluid and incubated with 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 120 µM concentrations of H 2 O 2 . After 1 hour incubation at 37℃, sperms were evaluated for motility and viability. Incubation of sperms with 10 and 20 µM H 2 O 2 led to very little decrease in motility and viability, but motility decreased notably in both groups in 40, 60, and 80 µM H 2 O 2 , and viability decreased in both groups in 40, 60, 80, and 120 µM H 2 O 2 . However, no statistically significant differences were found between the G6PD-deficient group and controls. G6PD deficiency does not increase the susceptibility of sperm to oxidative stress induced by H 2 O 2 , and the reducing equivalents necessary for protection against H 2 O 2 are most likely produced by other pathways. Therefore, G6PD deficiency cannot be considered as major risk factor for male infertility.

Investigation the influences of B2O3 and R2O on the structure and crystallization behaviors of CaO-Al2O3 based F-free mold flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiangling; Kong, Bowen; Gao, Xiangyu; Liu, Qingcai; Shu, Qifeng; Chou, Kuochih

2018-04-01

The influences of B2O3 and R2O on the structure and crystallization of CaO-Al2O3 based F-free mold flux were investigated by Raman Spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry Technique, respectively, for developing a new type of F-free mold flux. The results of structural investigations showed that B3+ is mainly in the form of [BO3]. And [BO3] appears to form BIII-O-Al linkage which will produce a positive effect on forming [AlO4] network. The number of bridging oxygen and the degree of polymerization of [AlO4] network structure for CaO-Al2O3 system were also increased with the increasing of B2O3. On the contrary, with the addition of R2O into CaO-Al2O3-B2O3 system, the number of bridging oxygen and the degree of polymerization of [AlO4] network were decreased. DSC results showed that the crystallization process became more sluggish with the increase of B2O3, which indicated that the crystallization ability was weakened. While the quenched mold fluxes crystallized more rapidly when introducing R2O. In other word, the crystallization rates of CaO-Al2O3 based slags were accelerated by the introduction of R2O. The liquidus temperature and crystallization temperature were decreased with the increasing amount of B2O3 or by addition of R2O into CaO-Al2O3 system. Only one kind of crystal was precipitated in 8% B2O3 and %R2O-containing samples, which was CaAl2O4 identified by SEM-EDS. When the content of B2O3 increased from 8% to 16%, Ca3B2O6 is clearly observed, demonstrating that the crystallization ability of Ca3B2O6 is enhanced by the increasing concentration of B2O3 in mold flux. The Ca/Al ratio of the generated calcium aluminate has been altered from 1:2 to 1:4 with the increasing of B2O3. The size of CaAl2O4 crystal is gradually increased with the addition of R2O. The crystallization ability of CaAl2O4 is promoted by R2O.

Regional brain blood flow and cerebral hemispheric oxygen consumption during acute hypoxaemia in the llama fetus

PubMed Central

Llanos, Aníbal J; Riquelme, Raquel A; Sanhueza, Emilia M; Herrera, Emilio; Cabello, Gertrudis; Giussani, Dino A; Parer, Julian T

2002-01-01

Unlike fetal animals of lowland species, the llama fetus does not increase its cerebral blood flow during an episode of acute hypoxaemia. This study tested the hypothesis that the fetal llama brain maintains cerebral hemispheric O2 consumption by increasing cerebral O2 extraction rather than decreasing cerebral oxygen utilisation during acute hypoxaemia. Six llama fetuses were surgically instrumented under general anaesthesia at 217 days of gestation (term ca 350 days) with vascular and amniotic catheters in order to carry out cardiorespiratory studies. Following a control period of 1 h, the llama fetuses underwent 3 × 20 min episodes of progressive hypoxaemia, induced by maternal inhalational hypoxia. During basal conditions and during each of the 20 min of hypoxaemia, fetal cerebral blood flow was measured with radioactive microspheres, cerebral oxygen extraction was calculated, and fetal cerebral hemispheric O2 consumption was determined by the modified Fick principle. During hypoxaemia, fetal arterial O2 tension and fetal pH decreased progressively from 24 ± 1 to 20 ± 1 Torr and from 7.36 ± 0.01 to 7.33 ± 0.01, respectively, during the first 20 min episode, to 16 ± 1 Torr and 7.25 ± 0.05 during the second 20 min episode and to 14 ± 1 Torr and 7.21 ± 0.04 during the final 20 min episode. Fetal arterial partial pressure of CO2 (Pa,CO2, 42 ± 2 Torr) remained unaltered from baseline throughout the experiment. Fetal cerebral hemispheric blood flow and cerebral hemispheric oxygen extraction were unaltered from baseline during progressive hypoxaemia. In contrast, a progressive fall in fetal cerebral hemispheric oxygen consumption occurred during the hypoxaemic challenge. In conclusion, these data do not support the hypothesis that the fetal llama brain maintains cerebral hemispheric O2 consumption by increasing cerebral hemispheric O2 extraction. Rather, the data show that in the llama fetus, a reduction in cerebral hemispheric metabolism occurs during acute

Social defeat in adolescent mice increases vulnerability to alcohol consumption.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Arias, Marta; Navarrete, Francisco; Blanco-Gandia, Maria Carmen; Arenas, Maria Carmen; Bartoll-Andrés, Adrián; Aguilar, Maria A; Rubio, Gabriel; Miñarro, José; Manzanares, Jorge

2016-01-01

This study employs an oral operant conditioning paradigm to evaluate the effects of repeated social defeat during adolescence on the reinforcing and motivational actions of ethanol in adult OF1 mice. Social interaction, emotional and cognitive behavioral aspects were also analyzed, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiments were performed to study gene expression changes in the mesocorticolimbic and hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal (HHA) axis. Social defeat did not alter anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze or cognitive performance in the passive avoidance and Hebb-Williams tests. A social interaction test revealed depression-like symptoms and social subordination behavior in defeated OF1 mice. Interestingly, social defeat in adolescence significantly increased the number of effective responses, ethanol consumption values and motivation to drink. Finally, real-time PCR analyses revealed that social defeat significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase and corticotropin-releasing hormone in the ventral tegmental area and paraventricular nucleus, respectively. In contrast, mu-opioid receptor gene expression was decreased in the nucleus accumbens of socially defeated mice. In summary, these findings suggest that exposure to social defeat during adolescence increases vulnerability to the rewarding effects of ethanol without affecting emotional or cognitive performance. The gene expression alterations we have observed in the mesocorticolimbic and HHA axis systems of defeated mice could be related with their increased ethanol consumption. These results endorse future research into pharmacological strategies that modulate these systems for the treatment of social stress-related alcohol consumption problems. © 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Coffee consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese

PubMed Central

Lin, Wen-Yuan; Pi-Sunyer, F. Xaiver; Chen, Ching-Chu; Davidson, Lance E.; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Li, Tsai-Chung; Wu, Mei-Fong; Li, Chia-Ing; Chen, Walter; Lin, Cheng-Chieh

2011-01-01

Background Coffee consumption has been shown to be inversely associated to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but evidence in Chinese populations is limited. We investigated the relationship between coffee consumption and T2DM in a population-based cohort of middle-aged Chinese. Materials and Methods We studied 2,332 subjects who participated in the Taichung Community Health Study in Taiwan in 2004. The relationships between coffee consumption, T2DM and fasting glucose were assessed. Results The prevalence of T2DM was 14.0% and 10.4% in men and women. After adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol drinking, betel nut chewing, physical activity, income, education level, fat%, protein%, carbohydrate%, and magnesium, coffee intake was inversely associated with T2DM. Habitual coffee drinkers had 38–46% lower risk of T2DM than non-drinkers. Compared to non-drinkers, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM according to subjects with habitual coffee consumption (<1, 1–6, ≥ 7 times per week) were 0.77(0.52–1.13), 0.46(0.28–0.76), and 0.37(0.16–0.83), respectively. The decreasing ORs indicate a dose-response effect of coffee consumption on the likelihood of having T2DM (p < 0.001). A similar relationship was also evident in newly-diagnosed T2DM (p < 0.05). The adjusted mean fasting glucose levels gradually decreased as the frequency of coffee consumption increased (p < 0.05). Conclusions Coffee intake is inversely associated with T2DM in Chinese. Coffee may be a protective agent for T2DM in Chinese. PMID:21226707

Improved performance of Ta2O5-x resistive switching memory by Gd-doping: Ultralow power operation, good data retention, and multilevel storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, K. X.; Xu, H. Y.; Wang, Z. Q.; Zhao, X. N.; Liu, W. Z.; Ma, J. G.; Liu, Y. C.

2017-11-01

Resistive-switching memory with ultralow-power consumption is very promising technology for next-generation data storage and high-energy-efficiency neurosynaptic chips. Herein, Ta2O5-x-based multilevel memories with ultralow-power consumption and good data retention were achieved by simple Gd-doping. The introduction of a Gd ion, as an oxygen trapper, not only suppresses the generation of oxygen vacancy defects and greatly increases the Ta2O5-x resistance but also increases the oxygen-ion migration barrier. As a result, the memory cells can operate at an ultralow current of 1 μA with the extrapolated retention time of >10 years at 85 °C and the high switching speeds of 10 ns/40 ns for SET/RESET processes. The energy consumption of the device is as low as 60 fJ/bit, which is comparable to emerging ultralow-energy consumption (<100 fJ/bit) memory devices.

State of energy consumption and CO2 emission in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Azad, Abul K; Nashreen, S W; Sultana, J

2006-03-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important gases in the atmosphere, and is necessary for sustaining life on Earth. It is also considered to be a major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and climate change. In this article, energy consumption in Bangladesh is analyzed and estimates are made of CO2 emission from combustion of fossil fuel (coal, gas, petroleum products) for the period 1977 to 1995. International Panel for Climate Change guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories were used in estimating CO2 emission. An analysis of energy data shows that the consumption of fossil fuels in Bangladesh is growing by more than 5% per year. The proportion of natural gas in total energy consumption is increasing, while that of petroleum products and coal is decreasing. The estimated total CO2 release from all primary fossil fuels used in Bangladesh amounted to 5072 Gigagram (Gg) in 1977, and 14 423 Gg in 1995. The total amounts of CO2 released from petroleum products, natural gas, and coal in the period 1977-1995 were 83 026 Gg (50% of CO2 emission), 72 541 Gg (44% of CO2 emission), and 9545 Gg (6% CO2 emission), respectively. A trend in CO2 emission with projections to 2070 is generated. In 2070, total estimated CO2 emission will be 293 260 Gg with a current growth rate of 6.34% y . CO2 emission from fossil fuels is increasing. Petroleum products contribute the majority of CO2 emission load, and although the use of natural gas is increasing rapidly, its contribution to CO2 emission is less than that of petroleum products. The use of coal as well as CO2 emission from coal is expected to gradually decrease.

Aging of TiO2 Nanoparticles Transiently Increases Their Toxicity to the Pelagic Microcrustacean Daphnia magna

PubMed Central

Seitz, Frank; Lüderwald, Simon; Rosenfeldt, Ricki R.; Schulz, Ralf; Bundschuh, Mirco

2015-01-01

During their aquatic life cycle, nanoparticles are subject to environmentally driven surface modifications (e.g. agglomeration or coating) associated with aging. Although the ecotoxicological potential of nanoparticles might be affected by these processes, only limited information about the potential impact of aging is available. In this context, the present study investigated acute (96 h) and chronic (21 d) implications of systematically aged titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2; ~90 nm) on the standard test species Daphnia magna by following the respective test guidelines. The nTiO2 were aged for 0, 1, 3 and 6 d in media with varying ionic strengths (Milli-Q water: approx. 0.00 mmol/L and ASTM: 9.25 mmol/L) in the presence or absence of natural organic matter (NOM). Irrespective of the other parameters, aging in Milli-Q did not change the acute toxicity relative to an unaged control. In contrast, 6 d aged nTiO2 in ASTM without NOM caused a fourfold decreased acute toxicity. Relative to the 0 d aged particles, nTiO2 aged for 1 and 3 d in ASTM with NOM, which is the most environmentally-relevant setup used here, significantly increased acute toxicity (by approximately 30%), while a toxicity reduction (60%) was observed for 6 d aged nTiO2. Comparable patterns were observed during the chronic experiments. A likely explanation for this phenomenon is that the aging of nTiO2 increases the particle size at the start of the experiment or the time of the water exchange from <100 nm to approximately 500 nm, which is the optimal size range to be taken up by filter feeding D. magna. If subjected to further agglomeration, larger nTiO2 particles, however, cannot be retained by the daphnids’ filter apparatus ultimately reducing their ecotoxicological potential. This non-linear pattern of increasing and decreasing nTiO2 related toxicity over the aging duration, highlights the knowledge gap regarding the underlying mechanisms and processes. This understanding seems, however

Beetroot juice supplementation reduces whole body oxygen consumption but does not improve indices of mitochondrial efficiency in human skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Whitfield, J; Ludzki, A; Heigenhauser, G J F; Senden, J M G; Verdijk, L B; van Loon, L J C; Spriet, L L; Holloway, G P

2016-01-15

Oral consumption of nitrate (NO3(-)) in beetroot juice has been shown to decrease the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise; however, the mechanism of action remains unresolved. We supplemented recreationally active males with beetroot juice to determine if this altered mitochondrial bioenergetics. Despite reduced submaximal exercise oxygen consumption, measures of mitochondrial coupling and respiratory efficiency were not altered in muscle. In contrast, rates of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) emission were increased in the absence of markers of lipid or protein oxidative damage. These results suggest that improvements in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism are not the cause of beetroot juice-mediated improvements in whole body oxygen consumption. Ingestion of sodium nitrate (NO3(-)) simultaneously reduces whole body oxygen consumption (V̇O2) during submaximal exercise while improving mitochondrial efficiency, suggesting a causal link. Consumption of beetroot juice (BRJ) elicits similar decreases in V̇O2 but potential effects on the mitochondria remain unknown. Therefore we examined the effects of 7-day supplementation with BRJ (280 ml day(-1), ∼26 mmol NO3(-)) in young active males (n = 10) who had muscle biopsies taken before and after supplementation for assessments of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Subjects performed 20 min of cycling (10 min at 50% and 70% V̇O2 peak) 48 h before 'Pre' (baseline) and 'Post' (day 5 of supplementation) biopsies. Whole body V̇O2 decreased (P < 0.05) by ∼3% at 70% V̇O2 peak following supplementation. Mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized muscle fibres showed no change in leak respiration, the content of proteins associated with uncoupling (UCP3, ANT1, ANT2), maximal substrate-supported respiration, or ADP sensitivity (apparent Km). In addition, isolated subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria showed unaltered assessments of mitochondrial efficiency, including ADP consumed/oxygen consumed (P/O ratio

Crystallization kinetics of bioactive glasses in the ZnO-Na2O-CaO-SiO2 system.

PubMed

Malavasi, Gianluca; Lusvardi, Gigliola; Pedone, Alfonso; Menziani, Maria Cristina; Dappiaggi, Monica; Gualtieri, Alessandro; Menabue, Ledi

2007-08-30

The crystallization kinetics of Na(2)O.CaO.2SiO(2) (x = 0) and 0.68ZnO.Na(2)O.CaO.2SiO(2) (x = 0.68, where x is the ZnO stoichiometric coefficient in the glass formula) bioactive glasses have been studied using both nonisothermal and isothermal methods. The results obtained from isothermal XRPD analyses have showed that the first glass crystallizes into the isochemical Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6) phase, whereas the Na(2)ZnSiO(4) crystalline phase is obtained from the Zn-rich glass, in addition to Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6). The activation energy (Ea) for the crystallization of the Na(2)O.CaO.2SiO(2) glass is 193 +/- 10 and 203 +/- 5 kJ/mol from the isothermal in situ XRPD and nonisothermal DSC experiments, respectively. The Avrami exponent n determined from the isothermal method is 1 at low temperature (530 degrees C), and its value increases linearly with temperature increase up to 2 at 607 degrees C. For the crystallization of Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6) from the Zn-containing glass, higher values of both the crystallization temperature (667 and 661 degrees C) and Ea (223 +/- 10 and 211 +/- 5 kJ/mol) have been found from the isothermal and nonisothermal methods, respectively. The Na(2)ZnSiO(4) crystalline phase crystallizes at lower temperature with respect to Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6), and the Ea value is 266 +/- 20 and 245 +/- 15 kJ/mol from the isothermal and nonisothermal methods, respectively. The results of this work show that the addition of Zn favors the crystallization from the glass at lower temperature with respect to the Zn-free glass. In fact, it causes an increase of Ea for the Na diffusion process, determined using MD simulations, and consequently an overall increase of Ea for the crystallization process of Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6). Our results show good agreement between the Ea and n values obtained with the two different methods and confirm the reliability of the nonisothermal method applied to kinetic crystallization of glassy systems. This study allows the determination of the temperature

Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence.

PubMed

Arria, Amelia M; Caldeira, Kimberly M; Kasperski, Sarah J; Vincent, Kathryn B; Griffiths, Roland R; O'Grady, Kevin E

2011-02-01

Energy drinks are highly caffeinated beverages that are increasingly consumed by young adults. Prior research has established associations between energy drink use and heavier drinking and alcohol-related problems among college students. This study investigated the extent to which energy drink use might pose additional risk for alcohol dependence over and above that from known risk factors. Data were collected via personal interview from 1,097 fourth-year college students sampled from 1 large public university as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Alcohol dependence was assessed according to DSM-IV criteria. After adjustment for the sampling design, 51.3%(wt) of students were classified as "low-frequency" energy drink users (1 to 51 days in the past year) and 10.1%(wt) as "high-frequency" users (≥52 days). Typical caffeine consumption varied widely depending on the brand consumed. Compared to the low-frequency group, high-frequency users drank alcohol more frequently (141.6 vs. 103.1 days) and in higher quantities (6.15 vs. 4.64 drinks/typical drinking day). High-frequency users were at significantly greater risk for alcohol dependence relative to both nonusers (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.27 to 4.56, p = 0.007) and low-frequency users (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.10, 3.14, p = 0.020), even after holding constant demographics, typical alcohol consumption, fraternity/sorority involvement, depressive symptoms, parental history of alcohol/drug problems, and childhood conduct problems. Low-frequency energy drink users did not differ from nonusers on their risk for alcohol dependence. Weekly or daily energy drink consumption is strongly associated with alcohol dependence. Further research is warranted to understand the possible mechanisms underlying this association. College students who frequently consume energy drinks represent an important target population for alcohol prevention. Copyright © 2010 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence

PubMed Central

Arria, Amelia M.; Caldeira, Kimberly M.; Kasperski, Sarah J.; Vincent, Kathryn B.; Griffiths, Roland R.; O'Grady, Kevin E.

2010-01-01

Background Energy drinks are highly caffeinated beverages that are increasingly consumed by young adults. Prior research has established associations between energy drink use and heavier drinking and alcohol-related problems among college students. This study investigated the extent to which energy drink use might pose additional risk for alcohol dependence over and above that from known risk factors. Methods Data were collected via personal interview from 1,097 fourth-year college students sampled from one large public university as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Alcohol dependence was measured with DSM-IV criteria. Results After adjustment for the sampling design, 51.3%wt of students were classified as “low-frequency” energy drink users (1 to 51 days in the past year) and 10.1%wt as “high-frequency” users (≥52 days). Typical caffeine consumption varied widely depending on the brand consumed. Compared to the low-frequency group, high-frequency users drank alcohol more frequently (141.6 vs. 103.1 days) and in higher quantities (6.15 vs. 4.64 drinks/typical drinking day). High-frequency users were at significantly greater risk for alcohol dependence relative to both non-users (AOR=2.40, 95% CI=1.27-4.56, p=.007) and low-frequency users (AOR=1.86, 95% CI=1.10, 3.14, p=.020), even after holding constant demographics, typical alcohol consumption, fraternity/sorority involvement, depressive symptoms, parental history of alcohol/drug problems, and childhood conduct problems. Low-frequency energy drink users did not differ from non-users on their risk for alcohol dependence. Conclusions Weekly or daily energy drink consumption is strongly associated with alcohol dependence. Further research is warranted to understand the possible mechanisms underlying this association. College students who frequently consume energy drinks represent an important target population for alcohol prevention. PMID:21073486

Increased cardiac output, not pulmonary artery systolic pressure, increases intrapulmonary shunt in healthy humans breathing room air and 40% O2

PubMed Central

Elliott, Jonathan E; Duke, Joseph W; Hawn, Jerold A; Halliwill, John R; Lovering, Andrew T

2014-01-01

Blood flow through intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses (IPAVAs) has been demonstrated to increase in healthy humans during a variety of conditions; however, whether or not this blood flow represents a source of venous admixture (/) that impairs pulmonary gas exchange efficiency (i.e. increases the alveolar-to-arterial difference (A–aDO2)) remains controversial and unknown. We hypothesized that blood flow through IPAVAs does provide a source of /. To test this, blood flow through IPAVAs was increased in healthy humans at rest breathing room air and 40% O2: (1) during intravenous adrenaline (epinephrine) infusion at 320 ng kg−1 min−1 (320 ADR), and (2) with vagal blockade (2 mg atropine), before and during intravenous adrenaline infusion at 80 ng kg−1 min−1 (ATR + 80 ADR). When breathing room air the A–aDO2 increased by 6 ± 2 mmHg during 320 ADR and by 5 ± 2 mmHg during ATR + 80 ADR, and the change in calculated / was +2% in both conditions. When breathing 40% O2, which minimizes contributions from diffusion limitation and alveolar ventilation-to-perfusion inequality, the A–aDO2 increased by 12 ± 7 mmHg during 320 ADR, and by 9 ± 6 mmHg during ATR + 80 ADR, and the change in calculated / was +2% in both conditions. During 320 ADR cardiac output () and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) were significantly increased; however, during ATR + 80 ADR only was significantly increased, yet blood flow through IPAVAs as detected with saline contrast echocardiography was not different between conditions. Accordingly, we suggest that blood flow through IPAVAs provides a source of intrapulmonary shunt, and is mediated primarily by increases in rather than PASP. PMID:25085889

Acute detachment of hexokinase II from mitochondria modestly increases oxygen consumption of the intact mouse heart.

PubMed

Nederlof, Rianne; Denis, Simone; Lauzier, Benjamin; Rosiers, Christine Des; Laakso, Markku; Hagen, Jacob; Argmann, Carmen; Wanders, Ronald; Houtkooper, Riekelt H; Hollmann, Markus W; Houten, Sander M; Zuurbier, Coert J

2017-07-01

Cardiac hexokinase II (HKII) can translocate between cytosol and mitochondria and change its cellular expression with pathologies such as ischemia-reperfusion, diabetes and heart failure. The cardiac metabolic consequences of these changes are unknown. Here we measured energy substrate utilization in cytosol and mitochondria using stabile isotopes and oxygen consumption of the intact perfused heart for 1) an acute decrease in mitochondrial HKII (mtHKII), and 2) a chronic decrease in total cellular HKII. We first examined effects of 200nM TAT (Trans-Activator of Transcription)-HKII peptide treatment, which was previously shown to acutely decrease mtHKII by ~30%. In Langendorff-perfused hearts TAT-HKII resulted in a modest, but significant, increased oxygen consumption, while cardiac performance was unchanged. At the metabolic level, there was a nonsignificant (p=0.076) ~40% decrease in glucose contribution to pyruvate and lactate formation through glycolysis and to mitochondrial citrate synthase flux (6.6±1.1 vs. 11.2±2.2%), and an 35% increase in tissue pyruvate (27±2 vs. 20±2pmol/mg; p=0.033). Secondly, we compared WT and HKII +/- hearts (50% chronic decrease in total HKII). RNA sequencing revealed no differential gene expression between WT and HKII +/- hearts indicating an absence of metabolic reprogramming at the transcriptional level. Langendorff-perfused hearts showed no significant differences in glycolysis (0.34±0.03μmol/min), glucose contribution to citrate synthase flux (35±2.3%), palmitate contribution to citrate synthase flux (20±1.1%), oxygen consumption or mechanical performance between WT and HKII +/- hearts. These results indicate that acute albeit not chronic changes in mitochondrial HKII modestly affect cardiac oxygen consumption and energy substrate metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zn(2+)-dependence of the synergistic increase in rat thymocyte cell lethality caused by simultaneous application of 4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (DCOIT) and H2O2.

PubMed

Saitoh, Shohei; Fukunaga, Eri; Ohtani, Hana; Oyama, Yasuo

2015-09-01

4,5-Dichloro-2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (DCOIT) is an antifouling agent that is an alternative to organotins such as tributyltin (TBT). Because DCOIT decreases catalase activity, it may increase the susceptibility of cells to oxidative stress. We examined the effects of DCOIT on rat thymocytes suffering from oxidative stress induced by H2O2. The simultaneous application of DCOIT and H2O2 induced a synergistic increase in cell lethality that was completely suppressed by chelating intracellular Zn(2+). Intracellular Zn(2+) concentration was increased by DCOIT at concentrations ranging from 0.1 μM to 3 μM. Although the increase in cell lethality produced by DCOIT alone was less than that produced by TBT alone, a synergistic increase was not induced by the combination of TBT and H2O2. Therefore, these results suggest that DCOIT increases vulnerability to oxidative stress and is more cytotoxic than TBT when oxidative stress is induced by H2O2. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study on the effect of H2 pre-adsorption on CO oxidation in O2-poor atmosphere over Au/TiO2 and TiO2: Temperature programmed surface reaction by a multiplexed mass spectrometer testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Si, Ruiru; Liu, Junfeng; Zhang, Yujuan; Chen, Xun; Dai, Wenxin; Fu, Xianzhi

2016-11-01

The behaviors of H2 pre-adsorption on CO oxidation in an O2-poor stream containing a trace H2O over Au/TiO2 and TiO2 have been investigated by a temperature programmed surface reaction testing, respectively. It was found that the H2 pre-adsorption could keep CO oxidation without H2O consumption over Au/TiO2, but suppress CO oxidation over TiO2. The chemisorption testing showed that the H2 adsorption at Au/TiO2 could benefit to the formation of Ti-bonded hydroxyl species (Ti4+-OH), while the H2 adsorption at TiO2 would consume the Ti-bonded hydroxyl species and form the bridge hydroxyl species (Ti4+-OH-Ti4+). These results show that only the Ti-bonded hydroxyl species (not all kinds of hydroxyl species) could act as the active species of oxidizing CO. Furthermore, it is suggested that the dissociative hydrogen adsorbed at Au sites could activate the lattice oxygen of TiO2 to form the active Ti-bonded hydroxyl species (hydrogen spillover from Au to TiO2), which exhibit a strong reducibility than the H directly adsorbed at TiO2.

Effectiveness of a Parent Health Report in Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Preschoolers and Kindergarteners.

PubMed

Hunsaker, Sanita L; Jensen, Chad D

2017-05-01

To determine the effectiveness of a parent health report on fruit and vegetable consumption among preschoolers and kindergarteners. Pre-post open design trial and a randomized controlled trial. A university-sponsored preschool and kindergarten. A total of 63 parents of preschool and kindergarten students participated in the pre-post open design trial and 65 parents participated in the randomized controlled trial. Parents in intervention groups were given a parent health report providing information about their child's fruit and vegetable intake as well as recommendations for how to increase their child's fruit and vegetable consumption. Change in fruit and vegetable consumption. Latent growth curve modeling with Bayesian estimation. Vegetable consumption increased by 0.3 servings/d in the open trial and 0.65 servings/d in the randomized trial. Fruit consumption did not increase significantly in either study. Results from both an open trial and a randomized controlled trial suggested that the parent health report may be a beneficial tool to increase vegetable consumption in preschoolers and kindergarteners. Increases in vegetable consumption can lead to the establishment of lifelong habits of healthy vegetable intake and decrease risk for chronic diseases. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Melting and subsolidus reactions in the system K2O-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannes, Wilhelm

1980-09-01

Beginning of melting and subsolidus relationships in the system K2O-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O have been experimentally investigated at pressures up to 20 kbars. The equilibria discussed involve the phases anorthite, sanidine, zoisite, muscovite, quartz, kyanite, gas, and melt and two invariant points: Point [Ky] with the phases An, Or, Zo, Ms, Qz, Vapor, and Melt; point [Or] with An, Zo, Ms, Ky, Qz, Vapor, and Melt. The invariant point [Ky] at 675° C and 8.7 kbars marks the lowest solidus temperature of the system investigated. At pressures above this point the hydrated phases zoisite and muscovite are liquidus phases and the solidus temperatures increase with increasing pressure. At 20 kbars beginning of melting occurs at 740 °C. The solidus temperatures of the quinary system K2O-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O are almost 60° C (at 20 kbars) and 170° C (at 2kbars) below those of the limiting quaternary system CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O. The maximum water pressure at which anorthite is stable is lowered from 14 to 8.7 kbars in the presence of sanidine. The stability limits of anorthite+ vapor and anorthite+sanidine+vapor at temperatures below 700° C are almost parallel and do not intersect. In the wide temperature — pressure range at pressures above the reaction An+Or+Vapor = Zo+Ms+Qz and temperatures below the melting curve of Zo+Ms+Ky+Qz+Vapor, the feldspar assemblage anorthite+sanidine is replaced by the hydrated phases zoisite and muscovite plus quartz. CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O. Knowledge of the melting relationships involving the minerals zoisite and muscovite contributes to our understanding of the melting processes occuring in the deeper parts of the crust. Beginning of melting in granites and granodiorites depends on the composition of plagioclase. The solidus temperatures of all granites and granodiorites containing plagioclases of intermediate composition are higher than those of the Ca-free alkali feldspar granite system and below those of the Na-free system discussed in this

ZnO Nanoparticles Treatment Induces Apoptosis by Increasing Intracellular ROS Levels in LTEP-a-2 Cells.

PubMed

Wang, Caixia; Hu, Xiaoke; Gao, Yan; Ji, Yinglu

2015-01-01

Owing to the wide use of novel nanoparticles (NPs) such as zinc oxide (ZnO) in all aspects of life, toxicological research on ZnO NPs is receiving increasing attention in these days. In this study, the toxicity of ZnO NPs in a human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line LTEP-a-2 was tested in vitro. Log-phase cells were exposed to different levels of ZnO NPs for hours, followed by colorimetric cell viability assay using tetrazolium salt and cell survival rate assay using trypan blue dye. Cell morphological changes were observed by Giemsa staining and light microscopy. Apoptosis was detected by using fluorescence microscopy and caspase-3 activity assay. Both intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were examined by a microplate-reader method. Results showed that ZnO NPs (≥ 0.01 μg/mL) significantly inhibited proliferation (P < 0.05) and induced substantial apoptosis in LTEP-a-2 cells after 4 h of exposure. The intracellular ROS level rose up to 30-40% corresponding to significant depletion (approximately 70-80%) in GSH content in LTEP-a-2 cells (P < 0.05), suggesting that ZnO NPs induced apoptosis mainly through increased ROS production. This study elucidates the toxicological mechanism of ZnO NPs in human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells and provides reference data for application of nanomaterials in the environment.

Polarizability, optical basicity and optical properties of SiO2B2O3Bi2O3TeO2 glass system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashif, I.; Ratep, A.; Adel, Gh.

2018-07-01

Glasses having a composition xSiO2 xB2O3 (95-2 x) Bi2O35TeO2 where x = (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) prepared by the melt-quenching technique. Thermal stability, density, optical transmittance, and the refractive index of these glasses investigated. Glass samples were transparent in the visible to near-infrared (NIR) region and had a high refractive index. A number of glass samples have high glass-forming ability. This indicates that the quarterly glasses are suitable for optical applications in the visible to the NIR region. Bi2O3 substituted by B2O3 and SiO2 on optical properties discussed. It suggested that the substitution of Bi2O3 increased the density, molar volume, the molar polarizability, optical basicity and refractive index in addition to, the oxygen packing density, the optical energy gap, and metallization decrease. These results are helpful for designing new optical glasses controlled to have a higher refractive index. All studied glass presented high nonlinearities, and the addition of network modifiers made a little contribution. Results clarified the bandgap energy reduction, which associated with the growth within the non-bridging oxygen content with the addition of the network modifier. An increase in the refractive index nonlinearity explained by the optical basicity and the high electronic polarizability of the modifier ions.

Temperature dependence of O2 consumption; opposite effects of leptin and etomoxir on respiratory quotient in mice.

PubMed

Högberg, Helena; Engblom, Lars; Ekdahl, Asa; Lidell, Veronica; Walum, Erik; Alberts, Peteris

2006-04-01

The aims were to compare the temperature dependence of the metabolic rate in young ob/ob mice with that in mature ob/ob and db/db mice and to examine the effect on the metabolic substrate preference of leptin and etomoxir in ob/ob, C57BL/6J (wild-type), and db/db mice. In vivo oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production were continuously measured by indirect calorimetry, and body temperature and total locomotor activity were measured by an implanted transponder. Leptin, etomoxir, or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally. The temperature dependence of the metabolic rate of mature ob/ob and db/db mice were similar to that in wild-type mice. In young 6-week-old ob/ob mice, the metabolic rate was almost doubled at 15 degrees C. Leptin (2 x 3 mg/kg) decreased the respiratory quotient (RQ) and carbon dioxide production but did not alter oxygen consumption, body temperature, or locomotor activity in ob/ob and C57BL/6J mice and had no effect in the db/db mice. Etomoxir (2 x 30 mg/kg) enhanced RQ and decreased oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and body temperature in ob/ob, C57BL/6J, and db/db mice. Total locomotor activity was reduced in ob/ob and C57BL/6J mice. In young ob/ob mice, the temperature sensitivity was enhanced compared with mature mice. Leptin and etomoxir had opposite effects on metabolic substrate preference. Leptin and lowered environmental temperature increased the relative fat oxidation as indicated by decreased RQ, possibly through activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Oxygen consumption rates in hovering hummingbirds reflect substrate-dependent differences in P/O ratios: carbohydrate as a 'premium fuel'.

PubMed

Welch, Kenneth C; Altshuler, Douglas L; Suarez, Raul K

2007-06-01

The stoichiometric relationship of ATP production to oxygen consumption, i.e. the P/O ratio, varies depending on the nature of the metabolic substrate used. The latest estimates reveal a P/O ratio approximately 15% higher when glucose is oxidized compared with fatty acid oxidation. Because the energy required to produce aerodynamic lift for hovering is independent of the metabolic fuel oxidized, we hypothesized that the rate of oxygen consumption, VO2, should decline as the respiratory quotient, RQ (VCO2/VO2), increases from 0.71 to 1.0 as hummingbirds transition from a fasted to a fed state. Here, we show that hovering VO2 values in rufous (Selasphorus rufus) and Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) are significantly greater when fats are metabolized (RQ=0.71) than when carbohydrates are used (RQ=1.0). Because hummingbirds gained mass during our experiments, making mass a confounding variable, we estimated VO2 per unit mechanical power output. Expressed in this way, the difference in VO2 when hummingbirds display an RQ=0.71 (fasted) and an RQ=1.0 (fed) is between 16 and 18%, depending on whether zero or perfect elastic energy storage is assumed. These values closely match theoretical expectations, indicating that a combination of mechanical power estimates and ;indirect calorimetry', i.e. the measurement of rates of gas exchange, enables precise estimates of ATP turnover and metabolic flux rates in vivo. The requirement for less oxygen when oxidizing carbohydrate suggests that carbohydrate oxidation may facilitate hovering flight in hummingbirds at high altitude.

Increased acylated plasma ghrelin, but improved lipid profiles 24-h after consumption of carob pulp preparation rich in dietary fibre and polyphenols.

PubMed

Gruendel, Sindy; Garcia, Ada L; Otto, Baerbel; Wagner, Karen; Bidlingmaier, Martin; Burget, Lukas; Weickert, Martin O; Dongowski, Gerhard; Speth, Maria; Katz, Norbert; Koebnick, Corinna

2007-12-01

We have recently shown that a polyphenol-rich insoluble dietary fibre preparation from carob pulp (Ceratonia siliqua L; carob fibre) decreased postprandial acylated ghrelin, TAG and NEFA during an acute liquid meal challenge test. However, delayed effects of carob fibre consumption are unknown. Therefore, a randomized controlled crossover study in nineteen healthy volunteers consuming foods with or without 50 g carob fibre was conducted. On the subsequent day (day 2), glucose, TAG, total and acylated ghrelin as well as insulin, NEFA and leptin were assessed at baseline and at timed intervals for 300 min after ingestion of standardized bread. Consumption of carob fibre-enriched foods did not affect fasting concentrations of glucose, TAG, total ghrelin, NEFA, insulin and leptin. Fasting acylated ghrelin was increased on the day subsequent to carob fibre consumption compared with control (P = 0.046). After consumption of the standard bread on day 2, glucose response (P = 0.029) was increased, and TAG (P = 0.033) and NEFA (P < 0.001) responses were decreased compared with control. Postprandial responses of total and acylated ghrelin, insulin and leptin on day 2 were unaffected by carob fibre consumption the previous day. In conclusion, an increase in total and acylated plasma ghrelin accompanied by enhanced lipid metabolism after carob fibre consumption suggests higher lipid utilization and suppressed lipolysis on the day subsequent to carob fibre consumption. However, elevated glucose levels after carob fibre consumption need to be addressed in future studies.

Strategies to increase the consumption of traditonal medicine in Medan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salsabila; Supriana, T.

2018-02-01

As people improving their knowledge and increasing their income, it improves their awareness about healthy life. It affects of demanding of medicine highly including traditional medicine because of its using more safety and hereditary. The consumption of traditional medicine in Medan was still low comparing with modern medically. The objective of the study was to analyze the strategy of increasing traditional medicine consumption in Medan. The samples are the business actors of traditional medicine, the consumer of traditional medicine, the leader of Jamu’s enterpreneur Association, and the supervisor of food and medicine in The National Agency of Drug and Food Control (NA-DFC). The analysis SWOT was used in this study. The Result of the study showed that the position of the strategy of increasing the using of herbal in Medan was in the first quadran. Commonly, it means that the strategy was in agresif level which showed the maximal probability. Therefore, jamu’s entrepreneurs should implement the strategy of product development to increase the number and variation of types of traditional medicine which has a good taste and high quality and provide education to consumers about utility and how to use traditional medicine.

Understanding Combustion of H2/O2 Gases inside Nanobubbles Generated by Water Electrolysis Using Reactive Molecular Dynamic Simulations.

PubMed

Jain, S; Qiao, L

2018-06-21

This work explored the mechanism of spontaneous combustion of hydrogen-oxygen mixtures inside nanobubbles (which were generated by water electrolysis) using reactive molecular dynamic simulations based on the first-principles derived reactive force field ReaxFF. The effects of surface-assisted dissociation of H 2 and O 2 gases that produced H and O radicals were examined. Additionally, the ignition outcome and species evolution as a function of the initial system pressure (or bubble size) were studied. A significant amount of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), 6-140 times water (H 2 O), was observed in the combustion products. This was attributed to the low-temperature (∼300 K) and high-pressure (2-80 atm) conditions at which the chemical reactions were taking place. In addition, the rate of consumption of H 2 and O 2 molecules was found to increase with an increase in added H and O radical concentrations and initial system pressure. The rate at which heat was being lost from the combustion chamber (nanobubbles) was also compared to the rate at which heat was being released from the chemical reactions. Only a slight rise in the reaction temperature was observed (∼68 K), signifying that, at such small scales, heat losses dominate. The resulting chemistry was quite different from macroscopic combustion, which usually takes place at a much higher temperatures of above 1000 K.

Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Hartley, Louise; Igbinedion, Ewemade; Holmes, Jennifer; Flowers, Nadine; Thorogood, Margaret; Clarke, Aileen; Stranges, Saverio; Hooper, Lee; Rees, Karen

2013-06-04

There is increasing evidence that high consumption of fruit and vegetables is beneficial for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The primary objective is to determine the effectiveness of i) advice to increase fruit and vegetable consumption ii) the provision of fruit and vegetables to increase consumption, for the primary prevention of CVD.  We searched the following electronic databases: The Cochrane Library (2012, issue 9-CENTRAL, HTA, DARE, NEED), MEDLINE (1946 to week 3 September 2012); EMBASE (1980 to 2012 week 39) and the Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science on ISI Web of Science (5 October 2012). We searched trial registers, screened reference lists and contacted authors for additional information where necessary. No language restrictions were applied. Randomised controlled trials with at least three months follow-up (follow-up was considered to be the time elapsed since the start of the intervention) involving healthy adults or those at high risk of CVD. Trials investigated either advice to increase fruit and vegetable intake (via any source or modality) or the provision of fruit and vegetables to increase intake. The comparison group was no intervention or minimal intervention. Outcomes of interest were CVD clinical events (mortality (CVD and all-cause), myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), angiographically-defined angina pectoris, stroke, carotid endarterectomy, peripheral arterial disease (PAD)) and major CVD risk factors (blood pressure, blood lipids, type 2 diabetes). Trials involving multifactorial lifestyle interventions (including different dietary patterns, exercise) or where the focus was weight loss were excluded to avoid confounding. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Trials of provision of fruit and vegetables were analysed separately from trials of dietary advice

Systematic review and meta-analysis of strategies to increase vegetable consumption in preschool children aged 2-5 years.

PubMed

Nekitsing, Chandani; Blundell-Birtill, Pam; Cockroft, Jennie E; Hetherington, Marion M

2018-04-25

Most children do not meet daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, and consumption of vegetables remains especially low. Eating habits track from childhood to adulthood hence establishing liking and intake of vegetables is important. To identify the most successful strategies to enhance vegetable intake in preschool children aged 2-5 years. The research was a systematic review and a meta-analysis of published studies. A comprehensive search strategy was performed using key databases such as Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, EBSCO and CENTRAL. Articles published between 2005-January 2016, specifically with measured vegetable consumption were included. 30 articles and 44 intervention arms were identified for inclusion (n = 4017). Nine dominant intervention strategies emerged to promote vegetable intake in preschool children. These included; choice, pairing (stealth), education, food service, modelling, reward, taste exposure, variety and visual presentation. The meta-analysis revealed that interventions implementing repeated taste exposure had better pooled effects than those which did not. Intake increased with number of taste exposures and intake was greater when vegetables offered were in their plain form rather than paired with a flavor, dip or added energy (e.g. oil). Moreover, intake of vegetables which were unfamiliar/disliked increased more than those which were familiar/liked. Repeated taste exposure is a simple technique that could be implemented in childcare settings and at home by parents. Health policy could specifically target the use of novel and disliked vegetables in childcare settings with emphasis on a minimum 8-10 exposures. The systematic review protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (number: CRD42016033984). Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ocean acidification increases the toxic effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on the marine microalga Chlorella vulgaris.

PubMed

Xia, Bin; Sui, Qi; Sun, Xuemei; Han, Qian; Chen, Bijuan; Zhu, Lin; Qu, Keming

2018-03-15

Concerns about the environmental effects of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) on marine ecosystems are increasing. Meanwhile, ocean acidification (OA) has become a global environmental problem. However, the combined effects of NPs and OA on marine organisms are still not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of OA (pH values of 7.77 and 7.47) on the bioavailability and toxicity of TiO 2 NPs to the marine microalga Chlorella vulgaris. The results showed that OA enhanced the growth inhibition of algal cells caused by TiO 2 NPs. We observed synergistic interactive effects of pH and TiO 2 NPs on oxidative stress, indicating that OA significantly increased the oxidative damage of TiO 2 NPs on the algal cells. Importantly, the elevated toxicity of TiO 2 NPs associated with OA could be explained by the enhanced internalization of NPs in algal cells, which was attributed to the slighter aggregation and more suspended particles in acidified seawater. Overall, these findings provide useful information on marine environmental risk assessments of NPs under near future OA conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Responses of CH(4), CO(2) and N(2)O fluxes to increasing nitrogen deposition in alpine grassland of the Tianshan Mountains.

PubMed

Li, Kaihui; Gong, Yanming; Song, Wei; He, Guixiang; Hu, Yukun; Tian, Changyan; Liu, Xuejun

2012-06-01

To assess the effects of nitrogen (N) deposition on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in alpine grassland of the Tianshan Mountains in central Asia, CH(4), CO(2) and N(2)O fluxes were measured from June 2010 to May 2011. Nitrogen deposition tended to significantly increase CH(4) uptake, CO(2) and N(2)O emissions at sites receiving N addition compared with those at site without N addition during the growing season, but no significant differences were found for all sites outside the growing season. Air temperature, soil temperature and water content were the important factors that influence CO(2) and N(2)O emissions at year-round scale, indicating that increased temperature and precipitation in the future will exert greater impacts on CO(2) and N(2)O emissions in the alpine grassland. In addition, plant coverage in July was also positively correlated with CO(2) and N(2)O emissions under elevated N deposition rates. The present study will deepen our understanding of N deposition impacts on GHG balance in the alpine grassland ecosystem, and help us assess the global N effects, parameterize Earth System models and inform decision makers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Embryogenesis and oxygen consumption in benthic egg clutches of a tropical clownfish, Amphiprion melanopus (Pomacentridae).

PubMed

Green, Bridget S

2004-05-01

Variation in size at hatching is common in demersal spawning organisms, suggesting that processes during embryonic development may be critical in determining growth and development. To examine critical periods during embryonic development in the demersal spawning reef fish Amphiprion melanopus, the rate of oxygen consumption within an egg clutch was compared to morphological changes in the embryos. Oxygen consumption was least on day 1 of development where organ differentiation had not begun (mean 1.73+/-0.34x10(-5) micromol O(2) egg(-1) s(-1)). Tail movement throughout the perivitelline fluid began on day 3 and is likely to assist in moving oxygen around the embryo, complementing diffusive transport. The appearance of haemoglobin in the blood corresponded to a peak in oxygen consumption on day 4, where the highest mean rate of oxygen consumption was recorded (6.73+/-0.82x10(-5) micromol O(2) egg(-1) s(-1)). This could be a critical period in development whereby risk of mortality is increased through increased embryo requirements at developmental thresholds.

Promoting formation of noncrystalline Li2O2 in the Li-O2 battery with RuO2 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Eda; Yogi, Chihiro; Yamanaka, Keisuke; Ohta, Toshiaki; Byon, Hye Ryung

2013-10-09

Low electrical efficiency for the lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) electrochemical reaction is one of the most significant challenges in current nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries. Here we present ruthenium oxide nanoparticles (RuO2 NPs) dispersed on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a cathode, which dramatically increase the electrical efficiency up to 73%. We demonstrate that the RuO2 NPs contribute to the formation of poorly crystalline lithium peroxide (Li2O2) that is coated over the CNT with large contact area during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This unique Li2O2 structure can be smoothly decomposed at low potential upon oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by avoiding the energy loss associated with the decomposition of the more typical Li2O2 structure with a large size, small CNT contact area, and insulating crystals.

Fibromyalgia survey criteria are associated with increased postoperative opioid consumption in women undergoing hysterectomy.

PubMed

Janda, Allison M; As-Sanie, Sawsan; Rajala, Baskar; Tsodikov, Alex; Moser, Stephanie E; Clauw, Daniel J; Brummett, Chad M

2015-05-01

The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that the fibromyalgia survey criteria would be directly associated with increased opioid consumption after hysterectomy even when accounting for other factors previously described as being predictive for acute postoperative pain. Two hundred eight adult patients undergoing hysterectomy between October 2011 and December 2013 were phenotyped preoperatively with the use of validated self-reported questionnaires including the 2011 fibromyalgia survey criteria, measures of pain severity and descriptors, psychological measures, preoperative opioid use, and health information. The primary outcome was the total postoperative opioid consumption converted to oral morphine equivalents. Higher fibromyalgia survey scores were significantly associated with worse preoperative pain characteristics, including higher pain severity, more neuropathic pain, greater psychological distress, and more preoperative opioid use. In a multivariate linear regression model, the fibromyalgia survey score was independently associated with increased postoperative opioid consumption, with an increase of 7-mg oral morphine equivalents for every 1-point increase on the 31-point measure (Estimate, 7.0; Standard Error, 1.7; P < 0.0001). In addition to the fibromyalgia survey score, multivariate analysis showed that more severe medical comorbidity, catastrophizing, laparotomy surgical approach, and preoperative opioid use were also predictive of increased postoperative opioid consumption. As was previously demonstrated in a total knee and hip arthroplasty cohort, this study demonstrated that increased fibromyalgia survey scores were predictive of postoperative opioid consumption in the posthysterectomy surgical population during their hospital stay. By demonstrating the generalizability in a second surgical cohort, these data suggest that patients with fibromyalgia-like characteristics may require a tailored perioperative analgesic regimen.

Low temperature destruction of PCDD/Fs over V2O5-CeO2/TiO2 catalyst with ozone.

PubMed

Yu, Ming-Feng; Lin, Xiao-Qing; Yan, Mi; Li, Xiao-Dong; Chen, Tong; Yan, Jian-Hua

2016-09-01

Catalytic destruction of PCDD/Fs (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans) over V2O5-CeO2/TiO2 catalyst was investigated at a low temperature range of 140-180 °C, in the absence and presence of ozone (200 ppm). Nano-TiO2 support was used to prepare the catalyst by step impregnation method. A stable PCDD/Fs-generating system was established to support the catalytic destruction tests. In the presence of ozone alone, destruction efficiencies of PCDD/Fs are between 32.2 and 43.1 % with temperature increasing from 140 to 180 °C. The activity of V2O5-CeO2/TiO2 catalyst alone on PCDD/Fs destruction is also studied. The increase of temperature from 140 to 180 °C enhances the activity of catalyst with destruction efficiencies increasing from 54.7 to 73.4 %. However, ozone addition greatly enhances the catalytic activity of V2O5-CeO2/TiO2 catalyst on PCDD/Fs decomposition. At 180 °C, the destruction efficiency of PCDD/Fs achieved with V2O5-CeO2/TiO2 catalyst and ozone is above 86.0 %. It indicates that the combined use of ozone and catalyst reduces the reaction temperature of PCDD/Fs oxidation and offers a new method to destroy PCDD/Fs with high destruction efficiency at a low temperature. Furthermore, the destruction efficiencies of 17 toxic PCDD/F congeners, achieved with ozone alone, catalyst alone, and catalyst/ozone are analyzed.

California Adults Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption from 1997-2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugerman, Sharon; Foerster, Susan B.; Gregson, Jennifer; Linares, Amanda; Hudes, Mark

2011-01-01

Objective: To determine whether fruit and vegetable consumption among California adults significantly increased from 1997-2007. Design: Biennial telephone surveillance surveys of California adults' dietary practices. Participants: California adults (n = 9,105 total all 6 surveys). Intervention: Surveillance data reporting. Main Outcome Measures:…

Optical, physical and structural studies of vanadium doped P2O5-BaO-Li2O glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmikantha, R.; Ayachit, N. H.; Anavekar, R. V.

2014-02-01

Glasses in the compositions (Li2O)25-(BaO)25-(P2O5)50-x-(V2O5)x (with x=0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0,2.5, and 3.0 mol%) have been prepared by the conventional melt quenching technique. X-ray powder diffractrogram show broad peaks which conforms glassy nature of the sample. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms show characteristic glass transition temperature (Tg) and it increases with increasing substitution of V2O5 for P2O5. The measured physical parameters like density, refractive index, ionic concentration and electronic polarizability are found to vary linearly with increasing x. Infrared spectra exhibits few bands, which are attributed to (P=O)AS, (P=O)S, (V=O), (P-O-P)AS,P-O-V, (P-O-P)AS and O-P-O vibrations. The optical absorption spectra of VO2+ ions in these glasses show three bands and are assigned to the 2B2→ 2E,2B2→ 2B1 and 2B2→ 2A1 transitions. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of all the glass samples exhibit resonance signals characteristic of VO2+ ions. The values of Spin-Hamiltonian parameters indicate that the VO2+ ions are present in octahedral sites with tetragonal compression and belong to C4V symmetry.

Effect of Soil pH Increase by Biochar on NO, N2O and N2 Production during Denitrification in Acid Soils

PubMed Central

Obia, Alfred; Cornelissen, Gerard; Mulder, Jan; Dörsch, Peter

2015-01-01

Biochar (BC) application to soil suppresses emission of nitrous- (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO), but the mechanisms are unclear. One of the most prominent features of BC is its alkalizing effect in soils, which may affect denitrification and its product stoichiometry directly or indirectly. We conducted laboratory experiments with anoxic slurries of acid Acrisols from Indonesia and Zambia and two contrasting BCs produced locally from rice husk and cacao shell. Dose-dependent responses of denitrification and gaseous products (NO, N2O and N2) were assessed by high-resolution gas kinetics and related to the alkalizing effect of the BCs. To delineate the pH effect from other BC effects, we removed part of the alkalinity by leaching the BCs with water and acid prior to incubation. Uncharred cacao shell and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were also included in the study. The untreated BCs suppressed N2O and NO and increased N2 production during denitrification, irrespective of the effect on denitrification rate. The extent of N2O and NO suppression was dose-dependent and increased with the alkalizing effect of the two BC types, which was strongest for cacao shell BC. Acid leaching of BC, which decreased its alkalizing effect, reduced or eliminated the ability of BC to suppress N2O and NO net production. Just like untreated BCs, NaOH reduced net production of N2O and NO while increasing that of N2. This confirms the importance of altered soil pH for denitrification product stoichiometry. Addition of uncharred cacao shell stimulated denitrification strongly due to availability of labile carbon but only minor effects on the product stoichiometry of denitrification were found, in accordance with its modest effect on soil pH. Our study indicates that stimulation of denitrification was mainly due to increases in labile carbon whereas change in product stoichiometry was mainly due to a change in soil pH. PMID:26397367

Effect of Soil pH Increase by Biochar on NO, N2O and N2 Production during Denitrification in Acid Soils.

PubMed

Obia, Alfred; Cornelissen, Gerard; Mulder, Jan; Dörsch, Peter

2015-01-01

Biochar (BC) application to soil suppresses emission of nitrous- (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO), but the mechanisms are unclear. One of the most prominent features of BC is its alkalizing effect in soils, which may affect denitrification and its product stoichiometry directly or indirectly. We conducted laboratory experiments with anoxic slurries of acid Acrisols from Indonesia and Zambia and two contrasting BCs produced locally from rice husk and cacao shell. Dose-dependent responses of denitrification and gaseous products (NO, N2O and N2) were assessed by high-resolution gas kinetics and related to the alkalizing effect of the BCs. To delineate the pH effect from other BC effects, we removed part of the alkalinity by leaching the BCs with water and acid prior to incubation. Uncharred cacao shell and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were also included in the study. The untreated BCs suppressed N2O and NO and increased N2 production during denitrification, irrespective of the effect on denitrification rate. The extent of N2O and NO suppression was dose-dependent and increased with the alkalizing effect of the two BC types, which was strongest for cacao shell BC. Acid leaching of BC, which decreased its alkalizing effect, reduced or eliminated the ability of BC to suppress N2O and NO net production. Just like untreated BCs, NaOH reduced net production of N2O and NO while increasing that of N2. This confirms the importance of altered soil pH for denitrification product stoichiometry. Addition of uncharred cacao shell stimulated denitrification strongly due to availability of labile carbon but only minor effects on the product stoichiometry of denitrification were found, in accordance with its modest effect on soil pH. Our study indicates that stimulation of denitrification was mainly due to increases in labile carbon whereas change in product stoichiometry was mainly due to a change in soil pH.

Myosin Activator Omecamtiv Mecarbil Increases Myocardial Oxygen Consumption and Impairs Cardiac Efficiency Mediated by Resting Myosin ATPase Activity.

PubMed

Bakkehaug, Jens Petter; Kildal, Anders Benjamin; Engstad, Erik Torgersen; Boardman, Neoma; Næsheim, Torvind; Rønning, Leif; Aasum, Ellen; Larsen, Terje Steinar; Myrmel, Truls; How, Ole-Jakob

2015-07-01

Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a novel inotropic agent that prolongs systolic ejection time and increases ejection fraction through myosin ATPase activation. We hypothesized that a potentially favorable energetic effect of unloading the left ventricle, and thus reduction of wall stress, could be counteracted by the prolonged contraction time and ATP-consumption. Postischemic left ventricular dysfunction was created by repetitive left coronary occlusions in 7 pigs (7 healthy pigs also included). In both groups, systolic ejection time and ejection fraction increased after OM (0.75 mg/kg loading for 10 minutes, followed by 0.5 mg/kg/min continuous infusion). Cardiac efficiency was assessed by relating myocardial oxygen consumption to the cardiac work indices, stroke work, and pressure-volume area. To circumvent potential neurohumoral reflexes, cardiac efficiency was additionally assessed in ex vivo mouse hearts and isolated myocardial mitochondria. OM impaired cardiac efficiency; there was a 31% and 23% increase in unloaded myocardial oxygen consumption in healthy and postischemic pigs, respectively. Also, the oxygen cost of the contractile function was increased by 63% and 46% in healthy and postischemic pigs, respectively. The increased unloaded myocardial oxygen consumption was confirmed in OM-treated mouse hearts and explained by an increased basal metabolic rate. Adding the myosin ATPase inhibitor, 2,3-butanedione monoxide abolished all surplus myocardial oxygen consumption in the OM-treated hearts. Omecamtiv mecarbil, in a clinically relevant model, led to a significant myocardial oxygen wastage related to both the contractile and noncontractile function. This was mediated by that OM induces a continuous activation in resting myosin ATPase. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Climate change reduces the net sink of CH4 and N2O in a semiarid grassland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are potent greenhouse gases; their concentrations in the atmosphere have increased because of human activity. Soils are important sources and sinks of both gases where their production and consumption are largely regulated by biological processes. Climate change...

Non-enzymatic detection of glucose in fruits using TiO2-Mn3O4 hybrid nano interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayanth Babu, K.; Sasya, Madhurantakam; Nesakumar, Noel; Shankar, Prabakaran; Gumpu, Manju Bhargavi; Ramachandra, Bhat Lakshmishri; Kulandaisamy, Arockia Jayalatha; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru

2017-08-01

Consumption of fruits leads to increase in glucose level in blood for diabetic patients, which in turn leads to peripheral, vascular, ocular complications and cardiac diseases. In this context, a non-enzymatic hybrid glucose biosensor was fabricated for the first time to detect glucose by immobilizing titanium oxide-manganese oxide (TiO2-Mn3O4) nanocomposite and chitosan membrane on to the surface of Pt working electrode (Pt/TiO2-Mn3O4/chitosan). TiO2-Mn3O4 nanocomposite catalyzed the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone in the absence of glucose oxidase enzyme with high electron transfer rate, good biocompatibility and large surface coverage. Electrochemical measurements revealed the excellent sensing response of the developed biosensor towards glucose with a high sensitivity of 7.073 µA mM-1, linearity of 0.01-0.1 mM, low detection limit of 0.01 µM, reproducibility of 1.5% and stability of 98.8%. The electrochemical parameters estimated from the anodic process were subjected to linear regression models for the detection of unknown concentration of glucose in different fruit samples.

Synthesis of Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 Composites with Adjustable Thermal Expansion.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiping; Sun, Weikang; Liu, Hongfei; Xie, Guanhua; Chen, Xiaobing; Zeng, Xianghua

2017-01-01

Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites were fabricated by solid state reaction with the goal of tailoring the thermal expansion coefficient. XRD, SEM and TMA were used to investigate the composition, microstructure, and thermal expansion behavior of Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites with different mass ratio. Relative densities of all the resulting Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 samples were also tested by Archimedes' methods. The obtained Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites were comprised of orthorhombic Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 and monoclinic ZrO 2 . As the increase of the Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 , the relative densities of Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 ceramic composites increased gradually. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites can be tailored from 4.1 × 10 -6 K -1 to -3.3 × 10 -6 K -1 by changing the content of Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 . The 2:1 Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 specimen shows close to zero thermal expansion from 25 to 700°C with an average linear thermal expansion coefficient of -0.09 × 10 -6 K -1 . These adjustable and near zero expansion ceramic composites will have great potential application in many fields.

Physical and optical studies of BaO-TeO2-TiO2-B2O3 glasses containing Cu2+ transition metal ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivas, B.; Kumar, R. Vijaya; Hameed, Abdul; Sagar, D. Karuna; Chary, M. Narasimha; Shareefuddin, Md.

2018-05-01

Glasses with the composition xBaO-(30-x) TeO2-10TiO2-59B2O3-1CuO (where x = 10, 15, 20 and 25 mole %) were prepared by melt quenching technique. The XRD studies were made on these glass samples at room temperature. The amorphous nature of the glass samples was confirmed from the XRD patterns. The physical parameters such as density (ρ), molar volume (Vm), average boron-boron separation (dB-B) and oxygen packing density (OPD) were calculated. The change in density and molar volume has been investigated in terms of the variation of BaO in the glass composition. The optical absorption spectra have been recorded at room temperature. The values of optical band gap have been estimated from the ASF and Tauc's methods. Both Tauc's and ASF methods have been showing progressively increasing indirect optical band gap values with the increase of BaO concentrations.

Impedance spectroscopy of V2O5-Bi2O3-BaTiO3 glass-ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-syadi, Aref M.; Yousef, El Sayed; El-Desoky, M. M.; Al-Assiri, M. S.

2013-12-01

The glasses within composition as: (80 - x)V2O5/20Bi2O3/xBaTiO3 with x = 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 mol% have been prepared. The glass transition (Tg) increases with increasing BaTiO3 content. Synthesized glasses ceramic containing BaTi4O9, Ba3TiV4O15 nanoparticles of the order of 25-35 nm and 30-46 nm, respectively were estimated using XRD. The dielectric properties over wide ranges of frequencies and temperatures were investigated as a function of BaTiO3 content by impedance spectroscopy measurements. The hopping frequency, ωh, dielectric constant, ɛ', activation energies for the DC conduction, Eσ, the relaxation process, Ec, and stretched exponential parameter β of the glasses samples have been estimated. The, ωh,β, decrease from 51.63 to 0.31 × 106 (s-1), 0.84 to 0.79 with increasing BaTiO3 respectively. Otherwise, the Eσ, increase from 0.279 to 0.306 eV with increasing BaTiO3. The value of dielectric constant equal 9.5·103 for the 2.5BaTiO3/77.5V2O5/20Bi2O3 glasses-ceramic at 330 K for 1 KHz which is ten times larger than that of same glasses composition. Finally the relaxation properties of the investigated glasses are presented in the electric modulus formalism, where the relaxation time and the respective activation energy were determined.

Structural, mechanical and optical investigations in the TeO2-rich part of the TeO2-GeO2-ZnO ternary glass system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghribi, N.; Dutreilh-Colas, M.; Duclère, J.-R.; Gouraud, F.; Chotard, T.; Karray, R.; Kabadou, A.; Thomas, P.

2015-02-01

Stable glasses are successfully synthesized in the TeO2-GeO2-ZnO system at 850 °C by the melt-quenching method and the glass forming domain is determined in the TeO2-rich part of the diagram. The thermal study, carried out using differential scanning calorimetry, reveals that the glass transition temperature, as well as the thermal stability, increases with the addition of ZnO or GeO2. Bulk glass samples are elaborated within two series of compositions, corresponding to fixed concentrations in GeO2 (respectively 5 or 10 mol. %), and to various contents in ZnO. Structural changes caused by the ZnO addition are discussed based on Raman spectroscopy data. A progressive but very moderate network depolymerization is shown with increasing amount of ZnO. However, two different regimes can be identified, depending on the ZnO content. It is believed that ZnO acts as a network modifier for compositions below 20 mol. %, and starts to participate as a glass network former over such concentration. It is well evidenced that GeO2 contributes to the increase in Young's modulus E, evaluated from ultrasonic echography measurements. In addition, this oxide favors the network reticulation detected by the decrease of the Poisson ratio and the increase of the fractal bond connectivity. However, the role of ZnO is more complicated and will be extensively discussed. The decrease in the atomic packing density Cg probably explains the global evolution of E as a function of ZnO content. The refractive indices and optical band gap energies are extracted from UV-Visible-NIR optical transmission data. For the studied glasses, it is found that the transmission threshold decreases with larger ZnO contents, reflecting the increase in the optical band gap value. Refractive index is finally seen to decrease as a function of both ZnO and GeO2 contents. Such variation is explained by the decrease of the molar electronic polarizability, and by the lower optical basicity values known for TeO3 entities

Targeted Messages Increase Dairy Consumption in Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Jung, Mary E; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E; Bourne, Jessica E; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A

2017-02-01

Dairy consumption amongst North Americans aged 30-50 has been declining. Targeted messages have been identified as a cost-efficient method through which to increase health-enhancing behavior, such as dairy intake. The aim of this study is to assess the utility of targeted, framed, efficacy-enhancing messages on calcium consumption from dairy in adults aged 30-50 in a randomized controlled trial. Seven hundred and thirty-two individuals (463 women, 269 men; M age  = 40.57 years) were randomly assigned to one of five message conditions: (1) gain-framed (GF), (2) loss-framed (LF), (3) self-regulatory efficacy-enhancing (SRE), (4) GF plus SRE (GF + SRE), or (5) LF plus SRE (LF + SRE). Conditions were separate for men and women. Each condition received an emailed message on four consecutive days. Calcium intake from dairy, self-regulatory efficacy, outcome expectations, and outcome value were measured at baseline, 1 and 4 weeks following the intervention. Calcium intake from dairy significantly increased from baseline to week 1 post-intervention in all conditions (p < .001). A significant message condition x time interaction (p = .04) revealed that increases seen in the LF + SRE condition were maintained at week 4. All social cognitive constructs increased following the intervention (ps < .01). Self-regulatory efficacy (β = .28, p < .01) and outcome expectations (β = .19, p < .01) were significant predictors of subsequent calcium intake (week 4) from dairy. Taken together, it appears as though ensuring message content is targeted to the specific population's beliefs and motives is of importance when developing behavioral change intervention material.

Hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) catalyzed by sulfided CoO-MoO/sub 3//. gamma. -Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/: the reaction kinetics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broderick, D.H.; Gates, B.C.

1980-01-01

Rates of the two competing conversion routes of DBT, a model compound for components of heavy oils and coal liquids, i.e., aromatic ring hydrogenation followed by hydrodesulfurization of the tetra- and hexahydro-DBT intermediates to cyclohexylbenzene (the hydrogenation route) and direct DBT hydrodesulfurization to biphenyl (the hydrogenolysis route) were measured independently at 548/sup 0/, 573/sup 0/, and 598/sup 0/K and 178 atm over an in-situ desulfurized commercial CoO-MoO/sub 3//..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalyst. The rate data were fitted to Langmuir-Hinshelwood equations derived by nonlinear least-squares regression analysis, and all the kinetic parameters were accurately estimated. The selectivity for the hydrogenolysis route canmore » be increased, and hence hydrogen consumption minimized, by increasing temperature, reducing hydrogen sulfide concentration in the system through recycle gas scrubbing, or by adding quinoline which acts as inhibitor of the hydrogenation route preferentially.« less

Nitrogenous fertilizers: Global distribution of consumption and associated emissions of nitrous oxide and ammonia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthews, E.

1994-12-01

The global distribution of nitrogen input via application of chemical nitrogenous fertilizers to agricultural ecosystems is presented. The suite of 1{degrees} (latitude/longitude) resolution data bases includes primary data on fertilizer consumption, as well as supporting data sets defining the distribution and intensity of agriculture associated with fertilizer use. The data were developed from a variety of sources and reflect conditions for the mid-1980s. East Asia, where fertilizer use is increasing at {approximately}10%/year, accounted for {approximately}37% of the total, while North America and western Europe, where fertilizer use is leveling off, accounted for 40% of the world`s total in the mid-1980s.more » While almost every country consumes urea, {approximately}75% of the large East Asian fertilizer use is supplied by this one fertilizer. Ammonium nitrate, used primarily in the former centrally planned economies of Europe, in West Asia, and in Africa, accounted for about one quarter of global consumption. These data were used to estimate distributions of the annual emission of nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) and ammonia (NH{sub 3}) associated with the use of fertilizers. Applying published ranges of emission coefficients for fertilizer types in the data base yields a median emission of 0.1 Tg N{sub 2}O-N, with lower and upper values of 0.03 and 2.0 Tg N{sub 2}O-N in 1984. This equals <1% to {approximately}3% of the total nitrogen applied via commercial fertilizers and represents ,=<1% to 15% of the annual emission of N{sub 2}O from terrestrial sources. Assuming that the {approximately}4% annual increase in consumption of nitrogenous fertilizers during the 1980s corresponds to a {approximately}4% rise in the release of N{sub 2}O-N, yearly increases in emissions from fertilizer use are <0.01 to 0.08 Tg N{sub 2}O-N equal to <1% to 3% of the current growth of atmospheric nitrous oxide. 98 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Correlation of FMISO simulations with pimonidazole-stained tumor xenografts: A question of O{sub 2} consumption?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wack, L. J., E-mail: linda-jacqueline.wack@med.uni

Purpose: To compare a dedicated simulation model for hypoxia PET against tumor microsections stained for different parameters of the tumor microenvironment. The model can readily be adapted to a variety of conditions, such as different human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) xenograft tumors. Methods: Nine different HNSCC tumor models were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice. Tumors were excised and immunoflourescently labeled with pimonidazole, Hoechst 33342, and CD31, providing information on hypoxia, perfusion, and vessel distribution, respectively. Hoechst and CD31 images were used to generate maps of perfused blood vessels on which tissue oxygenation and the accumulation of themore » hypoxia tracer FMISO were mathematically simulated. The model includes a Michaelis–Menten relation to describe the oxygen consumption inside tissue. The maximum oxygen consumption rate M{sub 0} was chosen as the parameter for a tumor-specific optimization as it strongly influences tracer distribution. M{sub 0} was optimized on each tumor slice to reach optimum correlations between FMISO concentration 4 h postinjection and pimonidazole staining intensity. Results: After optimization, high pixel-based correlations up to R{sup 2} = 0.85 were found for individual tissue sections. Experimental pimonidazole images and FMISO simulations showed good visual agreement, confirming the validity of the approach. Median correlations per tumor model varied significantly (p < 0.05), with R{sup 2} ranging from 0.20 to 0.54. The optimum maximum oxygen consumption rate M{sub 0} differed significantly (p < 0.05) between tumor models, ranging from 2.4 to 5.2 mm Hg/s. Conclusions: It is feasible to simulate FMISO distributions that match the pimonidazole retention patterns observed in vivo. Good agreement was obtained for multiple tumor models by optimizing the oxygen consumption rate, M{sub 0}, whose optimum value differed significantly between tumor models.« less

Consumption of sucrose, but not high fructose corn syrup, leads to increased adiposity and dyslipidaemia in the pregnant and lactating rat.

PubMed

Toop, C R; Muhlhausler, B S; O'Dea, K; Gentili, S

2015-02-01

Excess consumption of added sugars, including sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS-55), have been implicated in the global epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to investigate and compare the impact of maternal consumption of sucrose or HFCS-55 during pregnancy and lactation on the metabolic health of the dam and her offspring at birth. Female Albino Wistar rats were given access to chow and water, in addition to a sucrose or HFCS-55 beverage (10% w/v) before, and during pregnancy and lactation. Maternal glucose tolerance was determined throughout the study, and a postmortem was conducted on dams following lactation, and on offspring within 24 h of birth. Sucrose and HFCS-55 consumption resulted in increased total energy intake compared with controls, however the increase from sucrose consumption was accompanied by a compensatory decrease in chow consumption. There was no effect of sucrose or HFCS-55 consumption on body weight, however sucrose consumption resulted in increased adiposity and elevated total plasma cholesterol in the dam, while HFCS-55 consumption resulted in increased plasma insulin and decreased plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). Maternal HFCS-55 consumption was associated with decreased relative liver weight and plasma NEFA in the offspring at birth. There was no effect of either treatment on pup weight at birth. These findings suggest that both sucrose and HFCS-55 consumption during pregnancy and lactation have the potential to impact negatively on maternal metabolic health, which may have adverse consequences for the long-term health of the offspring.