Ethanol production by recombinant hosts

DOEpatents

Ingram, Lonnie O.; Beall, David S.; Burchhardt, Gerhard F. H.; Guimaraes, Walter V.; Ohta, Kazuyoshi; Wood, Brent E.; Shanmugam, Keelnatham T.

1995-01-01

Novel plasmids comprising genes which code for the alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase are described. Also described are recombinant hosts which have been transformed with genes coding for alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate. By virtue of their transformation with these genes, the recombinant hosts are capable of producing significant amounts of ethanol as a fermentation product. Also disclosed are methods for increasing the growth of recombinant hosts and methods for reducing the accumulation of undesirable metabolic products in the growth medium of these hosts. Also disclosed are recombinant host capable of producing significant amounts of ethanol as a fermentation product of oligosaccharides and plasmids comprising genes encoding polysaccharases, in addition to the genes described above which code for the alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase. Further, methods are described for producing ethanol from oligomeric feedstock using the recombinant hosts described above. Also provided is a method for enhancing the production of functional proteins in a recombinant host comprising overexpressing an adhB gene in the host. Further provided are process designs for fermenting oligosaccharide-containing biomass to ethanol.

Characterizing variable biogeochemical changes during the treatment of produced oilfield waste.

PubMed

Hildenbrand, Zacariah L; Santos, Inês C; Liden, Tiffany; Carlton, Doug D; Varona-Torres, Emmanuel; Martin, Misty S; Reyes, Michelle L; Mulla, Safwan R; Schug, Kevin A

2018-09-01

At the forefront of the discussions about climate change and energy independence has been the process of hydraulic fracturing, which utilizes large amounts of water, proppants, and chemical additives to stimulate sequestered hydrocarbons from impermeable subsurface strata. This process also produces large amounts of heterogeneous flowback and formation waters, the subsurface disposal of which has most recently been linked to the induction of anthropogenic earthquakes. As such, the management of these waste streams has provided a newfound impetus to explore recycling alternatives to reduce the reliance on subsurface disposal and fresh water resources. However, the biogeochemical characteristics of produced oilfield waste render its recycling and reutilization for production well stimulation a substantial challenge. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of produced waste from the Eagle Ford shale region before, during, and after treatment through adjustable separation, flocculation, and disinfection technologies. The collection of bulk measurements revealed significant reductions in suspended and dissolved constituents that could otherwise preclude untreated produced water from being utilized for production well stimulation. Additionally, a significant step-wise reduction in pertinent scaling and well-fouling elements was observed, in conjunction with notable fluctuations in the microbiomes of highly variable produced waters. Collectively, these data provide insight into the efficacies of available water treatment modalities within the shale energy sector, which is currently challenged with improving the environmental stewardship of produced water management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting Pheromone Production by the Pepper Weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Collection Efficiency

PubMed Central

Eller, Fred J.; Palmquist, Debra E.

2014-01-01

Several factors affecting pheromone production by male pepper weevils, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) as well as collection efficiency were investigated. Factors studied included: porous polymer adsorbents (Tenax versus Super Q), male age, time of day, male density, and male diet. Super Q was found to be a superior adsorbent for the male-produced alcohols and geranic acid as well as the plant-produced E-β-ocimene. Pheromone production increased with male age up to about age 15 days old and then tapered off. Male pepper weevils produced the highest amount of pheromone between noon and 2 pm (i.e., 4 to 6 h after “lights on”) and were producing ca. 800 ng/h during this period. Thereafter, pheromone production decreased and was extremely low during the scotophase (i.e., ca. 12 ng/h). Male pepper weevil density had a significant effect on both release rate and pheromone composition. Pheromone production on a per male basis was highest for individual males and the percentage of geranic acid in the blend was lowest for individual males. Male pepper weevils produced only extremely low amounts of pheromone when feeding on artificial diet; however, they produced very high amounts when on fresh peppers. Together, this information will be useful in designing better attractant lures for pepper weevils. PMID:26462948

Oil Based Drilling Fluid Waste: An Overview on Environmentally Persistent Pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddique, Shohel; Kwoffie, Lorraine; Addae-Afoakwa, Kofi; Yates, Kyari; Njuguna, James

2017-05-01

Operational discharges of spent drilling fluid, produced water, and accumulated drill cuttings from oil and gas industry are a continuous point source of environmental pollution. To meet the strict environmental standard for waste disposal, oil and gas industry is facing a numerous challenges in technological development to ensure a clean and safe environment. Oil and gas industry generates a large amount of spent drilling fluid, produced water, and drill cuttings, which are very different in every drilling operation in terms of composition and characterisation. This review article highlights the knowledge gap in identifying the different sources of waste streams in combined drilling waste. This paper also emphasises how different chemicals turn into environmentally significant pollutants after serving great performance in oil and gas drilling operations. For instance, oil based drilling fluid performs excellent in deeper drilling and drilling in the harsh geological conditions, but ended with (produces) a significant amount of persistent toxic pollutants in the environment. This review paper provides an overview on the basic concepts of drilling fluids and their functions, sources and characterisation of drilling wastes, and highlights some environmentally significant elements including different minerals present in drilling waste stream.

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid on fresh weight pigment and protein content of bean leaf discs (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

PubMed

Canakçi, S

2003-01-01

The effects of 100, 250, and 500 ppm acetylsalicylic acid solutions treatments on weight alteration, pigment and protein amounts in discs from the primary leaves of one month old bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seedlings produced tinder greenhouse conditions are presented. The experiments show that: 100 ppm ASA had no significant influence (P > 0.05) but 250 and 500 ppm ASA caused an increase on weight loss (P < 0.01); ASA at higher concentrations (250 and 500 ppm), generally, caused a decrease on pigment amounts (P < 0.05-P < 0.01) but 100 ppm ASA had no considerably significant influence on them (P > 0.05), none of the ASA treatments caused a statistically significant influence on carotenoid amount (P > 0.05); 100 and 250 ppm ASA treatments did not cause a significant influence on protein amount (P > 0.05). however 500 ppm ASA treatment caused an increase on protein injury (P < 0.05). Consequently, it is supposed that wet weight loss, pigment and protein injury have somewhat increased on leaf discs. depending on the toxic effect of high acetylsalicylic acid concentrations.

Alkali activation processes for incinerator residues management.

PubMed

Lancellotti, Isabella; Ponzoni, Chiara; Barbieri, Luisa; Leonelli, Cristina

2013-08-01

Incinerator bottom ash (BA) is produced in large amount worldwide and in Italy, where 5.1 millionstons of municipal solid residues have been incinerated in 2010, corresponding to 1.2-1.5 millionstons of produced bottom ash. This residue has been used in the present study for producing dense geopolymers containing high percentage (50-70 wt%) of ash. The amount of potentially reactive aluminosilicate fraction in the ash has been determined by means of test in NaOH. The final properties of geopolymers prepared with or without taking into account this reactive fraction have been compared. The results showed that due to the presence of both amorphous and crystalline fractions with a different degree of reactivity, the incinerator BA geopolymers exhibit significant differences in terms of Si/Al ratio and microstructure when reactive fraction is considered. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMPROVED POLLUTANT MANAGEMENT IN URBAN STORMWATER BMPS

EPA Science Inventory

Increased urbanization has resulted in a larger percentage of impervious areas that produce large quantities of stormwater runoff and contribute significant amounts of debris and pollutants (e.g., litter, oils, heavy metals, sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and microorganism...

Production of brown and black pigments by using flotation waste from copper slag.

PubMed

Ozel, Emel; Turan, Servet; Coruh, Semra; Ergun, Osman Nuri

2006-04-01

One of the major problems in copper-producing countries is the treatment of the large amount of copper slag or copper flotation waste generated from copper slag which contains significant amounts of heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Pb and Co. Dumping or disposal of such large quantities of flotation waste from copper slag causes environmental and space problems. In this study, the treatment of flotation waste from copper slag by a thermal method and its use as an iron source in the production of inorganic brown and black pigments that are used in the ceramic industry were investigated. The pigments were produced by calcining different amounts of flotation waste and chromite, Cr2O3, ZnO and CoO mixtures. The pigments obtained were added to transparent ceramic glazes and porcelainized tile bodies. Their colours were defined by L*a*b* measurements with a spectrophotometer. The results showed that flotation waste from copper slag could be used as an iron source to produce brown and black pigments in both ceramic body and glazes.

Effect of Bio based rejuvenator on mix design, Energy consumption and GHG Emission of High RAP Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullahi Ahmad, Kabiru; Ezree Abdullah, Mohd; Hassan, Norhidayah Abdul; Usman, Nura; Hassan, Mohd Rosli Mohd; Bilema, Munder A. M.; Modibbo Saeed, Saeed; Batari, Ahmad

2018-04-01

Concerns about the cost, availability, and environmental impact of using petroleum-based materials have led to increased usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Mean-while, the demand of the road industry to decrease the energy consumptions and reduce the release of greenhouse gases as well as other harmful gases, which cause serious air pollution has increased due to the amount of energy consumed is a major component of pavement construction that significantly contributes to the total cost. This paper evaluates the effects of Biobased rejuvenator known as JCO on the required heat energy and the amount of CO2 produced to increase the temperature of RAP and virgin aggregates and one binder from 25C to the point of mixing. The results showed that incorporating Biobased rejuvenator (JCO) can potentially reduce the required heat energy and amount of greenhouse gas produced by RAP and virgin, respectively.

Utilization of waste of coal-mining enterprise in production of building materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chugunov, A. D.; Filatova, E. G.; Yakovleva, A. A.

2018-03-01

Wastes of coal producers often include substances allowing treating such wastes as valuable feeds for metallurgy, chemical and construction processes. This study concerned elemental and phase composition of samples obtained by calcination of bottom sediments of the coal producer spoil bank. The research has shown that the samples contain significant amounts of carbon, iron, silicon, aluminum and other valuable components.

Electric Power from Cryo (Nano) Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandasamy, A.; Chandran, M.

2017-05-01

In this paper, the authors have studied experimentally the performance of cryocooler which is a mechanical device for producing very low temperature with significant cooling capacity. Nano particles were administrated to enhance the faster rate of cooling. Electric power (energy) was produced from cryogenic (nano) ice with help of thermoelectric effect. The governing equations for energy conversions, cooling capacity, amount of electric power was also discussed.

Design and evaluation of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete mixes.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-10-01

Concrete is the worlds most consumed man-made material. Unfortunately, the production of portland cement, the active ingredient in concrete, generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. For each pound of cement produced, approximately one pou...

Design and evaluation of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete mixes.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-10-01

Concrete is the worlds most consumed man-made material. Unfortunately, the production of portland cement, the active : ingredient in concrete, generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. For each pound of cement produced, approximately one :...

Extending the usage of high volume fly ash in concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

Concrete is the worlds most consumed man-made material. Unfortunately, the production of Portland cement, the active ingredient in : concrete, generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. For each pound of cement produced, approximately one p...

Effects of agents that inactivate free radical NO (NO•) on nitroxyl anion-mediated relaxations, and on the detection of NO• released from the nitroxyl anion donor Angeli's salt

PubMed Central

Ellis, Anthie; Lu, Hong; Li, Chun Guang; Rand, Michael J

2001-01-01

The effects of agents that inactivate free radical nitric oxide (carboxy-PTIO, hydroxocobalamin and pyrogallol) were tested on relaxations produced by the nitroxyl anion (NO−) donor Angeli's salt in rat aortic rings and anococcygeus muscles. The amount of NO• generated from Angeli's salt in the presence of these agents was measured using a NO•-selective electrode sensor. Carboxy-PTIO (100, 300 μM), hydroxocobalamin (30, 100 μM) and pyrogallol (10, 30 μM) significantly reduced relaxations produced by Angeli's salt (0.3 μM) in aortic rings but not in anococcygeus muscles. NO• generated from Angeli's salt (0.1 – 10 μM), as detected by the sensor electrode, was less than 0.5% of the amount of Angeli's salt added. Carboxy-PTIO (100 μM) and hydroxocobalamin (30 μM), but not pyrogallol significantly increased the amount of NO• detected. In the presence of an oxidizing agent copper [II] (as CuSO4 100 μM), the amount of NO• detected from 0.3 μM of Angeli's salt increased from an undetectable level of 142.7±15.7 nM (equivalent to 47.6% of Angeli's salt added). Under these conditions, carboxy-PTIO, hydroxocobalamin and pyrogallol significantly reduced the amount of NO• detected from Angeli's salt as well as the signal generated by an equivalent amount of authentic NO (0.33 μM). The difference in effects of these agents on relaxations to Angeli's salt in the aorta and the anococcygeus muscle may be explained by the ready conversion of NO− to NO• in the aorta through an unidentified mechanism, which makes NO− susceptible to inactivation by these agents. Furthermore, in addition to inactivating NO•, carboxy-PTIO and hydroxocobalamin may themselves oxidize NO− to NO•, albeit slightly. PMID:11588105

Effects of mechanical properties of thermoplastic materials on the initial force of thermoplastic appliances.

PubMed

Kohda, Naohisa; Iijima, Masahiro; Muguruma, Takeshi; Brantley, William A; Ahluwalia, Karamdeep S; Mizoguchi, Itaru

2013-05-01

To measure the forces delivered by thermoplastic appliances made from three materials and investigate effects of mechanical properties, material thickness, and amount of activation on orthodontic forces. Three thermoplastic materials, Duran (Scheu Dental), Erkodur (Erkodent Erich Kopp GmbH), and Hardcast (Scheu Dental), with two different thicknesses were selected. Values of elastic modulus and hardness were obtained from nanoindentation measurements at 28°C. A custom-fabricated system with a force sensor was employed to obtain measurements of in vitro force delivered by the thermoplastic appliances for 0.5-mm and 1.0-mm activation for bodily tooth movement. Experimental results were subjected to several statistical analyses. Hardcast had significantly lower elastic modulus and hardness than Duran and Erkodur, whose properties were not significantly different. Appliances fabricated from thicker material (0.75 mm or 0.8 mm) always produced significantly greater force than those fabricated from thinner material (0.4 mm or 0.5 mm). Appliances with 1.0-mm activation produced significantly lower force than those with 0.5-mm activation, except for 0.4-mm thick Hardcast appliances. A strong correlation was found between mechanical properties of the thermoplastic materials and force produced by the appliances. Orthodontic forces delivered by thermoplastic appliances depend on the material, thickness, and amount of activation. Mechanical properties of the polymers obtained by nanoindentation testing are predictive of force delivery by these appliances.

T-cell antigenic determinants within hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 and cytokine production profiles in hepatitis C.

PubMed

Pan, C-H; Yang, P-M; Hwang, L-H; Kao, Shing-F; Chen, P-J; Chiang, B-L; Chen, D-S

2002-07-01

The aim of this study was to further investigate the role of T-helper cells in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, focusing on the T-cell antigenic determinants and cytokine profiles of nonstructural 3 (NS3) protein-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HCV patients. A total of 12 recombinant proteins of theNS3 region were purified and used to test T-cell proliferative response and antigenic determinants of HCV-seropositive patients. In addition, cytokines produced by antigen stimulated PBMCs were measured. Our data showed that PBMCs from 55.7% (34/61) of HCV patients proliferated to at least one antigen, but PBMCs of HCV seronegative patients did not. In addition, PBMCs from about 82.0% (32/39) HCV-seropositive patients produced significant amounts of cytokines (10 pg/mL). Interestingly, PBMCs from 66% of patients produced TH2-related cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5. In mappingexperiments, the data showed multiple T-cell antigenic determinants. Our data demonstrated that NS3 antigen-stimulated PBMCs of HCV patients recognized multiple T-cell antigenic determinants and produced significant amounts of TH0 or TH2-related cytokines, which might play a critical role in the chronicity of HCV infection.

Consolidation of lunar regolith: Microwave versus direct solar heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kunitzer, J.; Strenski, D. G.; Yankee, S. J.; Pletka, B. J.

1991-01-01

The production of construction materials on the lunar surface will require an appropriate fabrication technique. Two processing methods considered as being suitable for producing dense, consolidated products such as bricks are direct solar heating and microwave heating. An analysis was performed to compare the two processes in terms of the amount of power and time required to fabricate bricks of various size. The regolith was considered to be a mare basalt with an overall density of 60 pct. of theoretical. Densification was assumed to take place by vitrification since this process requires moderate amounts of energy and time while still producing dense products. Microwave heating was shown to be significantly faster compared to solar furnace heating for rapid production of realistic-size bricks.

Barium recovery by crystallization in a fluidized-bed reactor: effects of pH, Ba/P molar ratio and seed.

PubMed

Su, Chia-Chi; Reano, Resmond L; Dalida, Maria Lourdes P; Lu, Ming-Chun

2014-06-01

The effects of process conditions, including upward velocity inside the column, the amount of added seed and seed size, the pH value of the precipitant or the phosphate stream and the Ba/P molar ratio in a fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) were studied with a view to producing BaHPO₄ crystals of significant size and maximize the removal of barium. XRD were used to identify the products that were collected from the FBR. Experimental results show that an upward velocity of 48 cmmin(-1) produced the largest BaHPO₄ crystals with a size of around 0.84-1.0mm. The addition of seed crystals has no effect on barium removal. The use of a seed of a size in the ranges unseeded<0.149-0.29 mm<0.149 mm<0.29-0.42 mm produced increasing amounts of increasingly large crystals. The largest BaHPO₄ crystals were obtained at pH 8.4-8.8 with a Ba/P molar ratio of 1.0. In the homogeneous and heterogeneous processes, around 98% of barium was removed at pH 8.4-8.6 and [Ba]/[P]=1.0. The XRD results show that a significant amount of barium phosphate (Ba₃(PO₄)₂) was obtained at pH 11. The compounds BaHPO₄ and BaO were present at a pH of below 10. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The position of gas turbine power plants with respect to the emission of nitrogen oxides by fossil-fueled energy installations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaiser, E.

1977-01-01

The amount of nitrogen oxides introduced into the atmosphere by gas turbines is very significant in relation to the total amount of nitrogen oxide emissions produced by chemical installations and combustion engines. Turbine manufacturers are therefore working to develop combustion chambers with sufficiently low nitrogen oxide emission concentrations. Attention is given to aspects of nitrogen oxide formation in gas turbines, the parameters which determine this formation, and suitable approaches to reducing nitrogen oxide emissions.

Environmental durability of electroplated black chromium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowery, J. R.

1981-01-01

A study was undertaken to determine the durability of nickel-black chromium plated aluminum in an outdoor rural industrial, and seacoast environment. Test panels were exposed to these environments for 60, 36, and 13 months, respectively. The results of this study showed that no significant optical degradation occurred from exposure to either of these environments, although a considerable amount of corrosion occurred on the panels exposed to the seacoast environment. The rural and industrial atmosphere produced only a slight amount of corrosion on test panels.

Hydropyrolysis process

DOEpatents

Ullman, Alan Z.; Silverman, Jacob; Friedman, Joseph

1986-01-01

An improved process for producing a methane-enriched gas wherein a hydrogen-deficient carbonaceous material is treated with a hydrogen-containing pyrolysis gas at an elevated temperature and pressure to produce a product gas mixture including methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The improvement comprises passing the product gas mixture sequentially through a water-gas shift reaction zone and a gas separation zone to provide separate gas streams of methane and of a recycle gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane for recycle to the process. A controlled amount of steam also is provided which when combined with the recycle gas provides a pyrolysis gas for treatment of additional hydrogen-deficient carbonaceous material. The amount of steam used and the conditions within the water-gas shift reaction zone and gas separation zone are controlled to obtain a steady-state composition of pyrolysis gas which will comprise hydrogen as the principal constituent and a minor amount of carbon monoxide, steam and methane so that no external source of hydrogen is needed to supply the hydrogen requirements of the process. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, conditions are controlled such that there also is produced a significant quantity of benzene as a valuable coproduct.

Nitrous oxide flux from landfill leachate-sawdust nitrogenous compost.

PubMed

Hui, C H; So, M K; Lee, C M; Chan, G Y S

2003-09-01

Composted nitrogenous waste has the potential to produce excessive amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas that also contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. In this laboratory study, sawdust was irrigated with varying amounts of landfill leachate with high NH4+-N content (3950 mg l(-1)). Physicochemical properties, including the amount of N2O produced, were monitored during the composting process over 28 days. A rapid decline in NH4+-N in the first 4 days and increasing NO3--N for 11 days was followed by lower but stabilized levels of available-N, even with repeated leachate irrigation. Less than 0.03% of the leachate-applied N was lost as N2O. Higher leachate applications as much as tripled N2O production, but this represented a lesser proportion overall of the total nitrogen. Addition of glucose to the composting process had no significant effect on N2O production. The derived sawdust-leachate compost supported healthy growth of Sesbania rostrata. It is concluded that compost can be produced from sawdust irrigated with landfill leachate without substantial emission of N2O, although excessive flux of N2O remains about high application rates over longer time periods.

Frequency analyses for recent regional floods in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melcher, Nick B.; Martinez, Patsy G.; ,

1996-01-01

During 1993-95, significant floods that resulted in record-high river stages, loss of life, and significant property damage occurred in the United States. The floods were caused by unique global weather patterns that produced large amounts of rain over large areas. Standard methods for flood-frequency analyses may not adequately consider the probability of recurrence of these global weather patterns.

Psychometric functions for informational masking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutfi, Robert A.; Kistler, Doris J.; Callahan, Michael R.; Wightman, Frederic L.

2003-04-01

The method of constant stimuli was used to obtain complete psychometric functions (PFs) from 44 normal-hearing listeners in conditions known to produce varying amounts of informational masking. The task was to detect a pure-tone signal in the presence of a broadband noise and in the presence of multitone maskers with frequencies and amplitudes that varied at random from one presentation to the next. Relative to the broadband noise condition, significant reductions were observed in both the slope and the upper asymptote of the PF for multitone maskers producing large amounts of informational masking. Slope was affected more for some listeners while asymptote was affected more for others. Mean slopes and asymptotes varied nonmonotonically with the number of masker components in much the same manner as mean thresholds. The results are consistent with a model that assumes trial-by-trial judgments are based on a weighted sum of dB levels at the output of independent auditory filters. For many listeners, however, the weights appear to reflect how often a nonsignal auditory filter is mistaken for the signal filter. For these listeners adaptive procedures may produce a significant bias in the estimates of threshold for conditions of informational masking. [Work supported by NIDCD.

Geoenvironmental impacts of using high carbon fly ash in structural fill applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

Fly ash produced by power plants in the United States occasionally contains significant amounts of unburned carbon due to the : use of the increased prevalence of low nitrogen-oxide and sulphur-oxide burners in recent years. This ash cannot be reused...

Potential ecological roles of Artemisinin produced by Artemisis annua L

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Artemisia annua L. (annual wormwood, Asteraceae) and its secondary metabolite artemisinin, a unique sesquiterpene lactone with an endoperoxide bridge, has gained much attention due to its antimalarial properties. Artemisinin is a complex structure that is requires a significant amount of energy for ...

Evaluation of maillard reaction variables and their effect on heterocyclic amine formation in chemical model systems.

PubMed

Dennis, Cara; Karim, Faris; Smith, J Scott

2015-02-01

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs), highly mutagenic and potentially carcinogenic by-products, form during Maillard browning reactions, specifically in muscle-rich foods. Chemical model systems allow examination of in vitro formation of HCAs while eliminating complex matrices of meat. Limited research has evaluated the effects of Maillard reaction parameters on HCA formation. Therefore, 4 essential Maillard variables (precursors molar concentrations, water amount, sugar type, and sugar amounts) were evaluated to optimize a model system for the study of 4 HCAs: 2-amino-3-methylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoline, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline, and 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline. Model systems were dissolved in diethylene glycol, heated at 175 °C for 40 min, and separated using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. To define the model system, precursor amounts (threonine and creatinine) were adjusted in molar increments (0.2/0.2, 0.4/0.4, 0.6/0.6, and 0.8/0.8 mmol) and water amounts by percentage (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%). Sugars (lactose, glucose, galactose, and fructose) were evaluated in several molar amounts proportional to threonine and creatinine (quarter, half, equi, and double). The precursor levels and amounts of sugar were significantly different (P < 0.05) in regards to total HCA formation, with 0.6/0.6/1.2 mmol producing higher levels. Water concentration and sugar type also had a significant effect (P < 0.05), with 5% water and lactose producing higher total HCA amounts. A model system containing threonine (0.6 mmol), creatinine (0.6 mmol), and glucose (1.2 mmol), with 15% water was determined to be the optimal model system with glucose and 15% water being a better representation of meat systems. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Oxidative potential of logwood and pellet burning particles assessed by a novel profluorescent nitroxide probe.

PubMed

Miljevic, B; Heringa, M F; Keller, A; Meyer, N K; Good, J; Lauber, A; Decarlo, P F; Fairfull-Smith, K E; Nussbaumer, T; Burtscher, H; Prevot, A S H; Baltensperger, U; Bottle, S E; Ristovski, Z D

2010-09-01

This study reports the potential toxicological impact of particles produced during biomass combustion by an automatic pellet boiler and a traditional logwood stove under various combustion conditions using a novel profluorescent nitroxide probe, BPEAnit. This probe is weakly fluorescent but yields strong fluorescence emission upon radical trapping or redox activity. Samples were collected by bubbling aerosol through an impinger containing BPEAnit solution, followed by fluorescence measurement. The fluorescence of BPEAnit was measured for particles produced during various combustion phases: at the beginning of burning (cold start), stable combustion after refilling with the fuel (warm start), and poor burning conditions. For particles produced by the logwood stove under cold-start conditions, significantly higher amounts of reactive species per unit of particulate mass were observed compared to emissions produced during a warm start. In addition, sampling of logwood burning emissions after passing through a thermodenuder at 250 degrees C resulted in an 80-100% reduction of the fluorescence signal of the BPEAnit probe, indicating that the majority of reactive species were semivolatile. Moreover, the amount of reactive species showed a strong correlation with the amount of particulate organic material. This indicates the importance of semivolatile organics in particle-related toxicity. Particle emissions from the pellet boiler, although of similar mass concentration, were not observed to lead to an increase in fluorescence signal during any of the combustion phases.

Rock-degrading endophytic bacteria in cacti

Treesearch

M. Esther Puente; Ching Y. Li; Yoav Bashan

2009-01-01

A plant-bacterium association of the cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) and endophytic bacteria promotes establishment of seedlings and growth on igneous rocks without soil. These bacteria weather several rock types and minerals, unbind significant amounts of useful minerals for plants from the rocks, fix in vitro N2. produce...

Solar-Panel Dust Accumulation and Cleanings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Air-fall dust accumulates on the solar panels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the solar arrays. Pre-launch models predicted steady dust accumulation. However, the rovers have been blessed with occasional wind events that clear significant amounts of dust from the solar panels.

This graph shows the effects of those panel-cleaning events on the amount of electricity generated by Spirit's solar panels. The horizontal scale is the number of Martian days (sols) after Spirit's Jan. 4, 2005, (Universal Time) landing on Mars. The vertical scale indicates output from the rover's solar panels as a fraction of the amount produced when the clean panels first opened. Note that the gradual declines are interrupted by occasional sharp increases, such as a dust-cleaning event on sol 420.

Can oral rehydration solution be safely flavored at home?

PubMed

Nijssen-Jordan, C

1997-12-01

To determine the concentration of sodium, potassium, glucose, and osmolality of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) which have been flavored with varying amounts of unsweetened Kool-Aid powder, Jell-O powder, apple juice, or orange juice. Descriptive. Alberta Children's Hospital Chemistry Laboratory. None. Addition of varying amounts of flavoring easily available in all households to commercially available unsweetened ORS. Concentrations of electrolytes, glucose, and osmolality. Addition of fruit juices or flavor powders to commercially produced ORS does alter the electrolyte content and osmolality. When limited amounts of flavoring or juice is added, the osmolality of the solution approaches iso-osmolality. Small amounts of unsweetened Kool-Aid powder, Jell-O powder, and apple or orange juice can be added to oral rehydration solutions without significantly altering electrolyte composition and osmolality.

Bioprocess for treating coproduced oily sands

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

Munnecke, D.M.; Ireland, J.

1996-12-31

The production of oil from certain oil fields creates significant amounts of oily sand which in many regulatory jurisdictions is regulated as a hazardous material, thus disposal costs can be significant. Environmental BioTechnologies, Inc. (San Carlos, CA) has developed a physical/biological treatment process that is able to economically treat these coproduced sands and produce a product that contains less than 2,000 ppm total petroleum hydrocarbons.

Small Modular Reactors: The Army’s Secure Source of Energy?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-21

significant advantages of SMRs is the minimal amount of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases) that is released in conjunction with the lifecycle operations...moderator in these reactors as well as the cooling agent and the means by which heat is removed to produce steam for turning the turbines of the...separate water system to generate steam to turn a turbine which then produces electricity. In the second type of light water reactors, the boiling water

Study of Fungal Colonization of Wheat Kernels in Syria with a Focus on Fusarium Species

PubMed Central

Alkadri, Dima; Nipoti, Paola; Döll, Katharina; Karlovsky, Petr; Prodi, Antonio; Pisi, Annamaria

2013-01-01

Wheat is one of the main crops in Mediterranean countries, and its cultivation has an important role in the Syrian economy. In Syria, Fusarium head blight (FHB) has not been reported so far. Mycological analysis of 48 samples of wheat kernels collected from cultivation areas with different climatic conditions were performed in 2009 and 2010. Fungal isolates were identified at the genus level morphologically; Fusarium species were characterized morphologically and by species-specific PCR. The most frequent fungal genera found were Alternaria spp. and Cladosporium spp., with frequencies of 24.7% and 8.1%, respectively, while the frequency of Fusarium spp. was 1.5% of kernels. Most frequent Fusarium species were F. tricinctum (30% of all Fusarium isolates), F. culmorum (18%), F. equiseti (14%) and F. graminearum (13%). The mycotoxin production potential of selected Fusarium isolates was assessed by HPLC-MS analysis of rice cultures; chemotyping by PCR was carried out for comparison. All six F. graminearum strains tested produced small amounts (<3 mg/kg) of nivalenol (NIV). All ten F. culmorum strains tested produced large amounts of trichothecenes (>100 mg/kg); four strains produced NIV and six strains produced deoxynivalenol (DON) and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3Ac-DON). PCR chemotyping lead to an oversimplified picture, because all 3Ac-DON chemotype strains produced more DON than 3Ac-DON; furthermore, the strongest NIV producers produced significant amounts of DON. All tested strains of F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. pseudograminearum (two strains) and most F. equiseti strains (five of six strains) produced zearalenone. Grains of durum wheat were more frequently colonized by Fusarium spp. than grains of soft wheat. Incidence of Fusarium spp. in irrigated fields was higher than in rainfed fields. The incidence of Fusarium strains producing mycotoxins raises concerns about the risk of Fusarium head blight to Syria and its consequences for public health. PMID:23493058

OPTIMIZATION ON MATERIAL FLOW OF NON-METALIC MINERAL MATERIALS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakamoto, Kouji; Nakayama, Hirofumi; Shimaoka, Takayuki; Hasegawa, Ryoji; Osako, Masahiro

Since non-metarilc mineral waste such as concrete mass, asphalt concrete mass, sand, slag and coal ash occupies 36% of total amount of waste generation and 26% of total amount of final disposal, it has significant influence on material flow of our country. Although the amount of non-metaril mineral wastes produced is expected to increase in the near future, demand of their application for recycled construction materials will decrease due to the reduction of public construction works and less use of materials in construction. The aim is to reduce environmental load caused by recycling and disposal of non metallic mineral materials, this study was conducted to evaluate the measurement for the reduction of environmental load like landfill amount and CO2 emission amount by controlling material flow of non metallic mineral materials in the year 2030 by linear programming.

A Study of Spur Gears Lubricated With Grease-Observations From Seven Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krantz, Timothy L.; Handschuh, Robert F.

2005-01-01

To improve understanding of gears operating with a perfluoro type space-qualified grease, seven spur gear experiments were performed. Test conditions were selected to study the influences of torque, lubricant type, and atmosphere. Two testing torques provided nominal pitch-line Hertz stresses greater and lesser than the contact stress limit as recommended by the grease manufacturer. As was expected, all tests resulted in some gear tooth wear. Discoloration of the perfluoro type grease occurred for all tests. Tests in dry nitrogen produced some dark-grey colored perfluoro type grease. Testing in either ambient or dry air produced red debris after short test duration, and for tests of longer duration large amounts of red debris, red grease, and wear were evident. Tests using higher torques produced more debris. The first indications of discoloration occurred more quickly with higher test torques. Total amounts of wear were quite significant, up to four times the profile tolerance for AGMA Class 10 gears.

Higher Education Administrators Roles in Fortification of Information Security Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyadat, Mohammad S.

2015-01-01

Information systems produce significant benefits to organizations. Therefore, organizations invest tremendous amount of money and time to obtain and manage information in order to maintain a high level of performance and to remain competitive. There are many factors that can impact the organizational information management and performance. One of…

CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS VS. RETENTION PONDS BMPS: THE ROLE OF VEGETATION IN IMPROVED POLLUTANT MANAGEMENT FOR URBAN STORMWATER TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Increased urbanization has resulted in a larger percentage of impervious areas that produce large quantities of stormwater runoff and contribute significant amounts of debris and pollutants (e.g., litter, oils, heavy metals, sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and microorganism...

Literary Research: Costs and Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauerlein, Mark

2011-01-01

One of the standard labor practices of research universities is to hire, pay, and promote faculty members on the basis of the research they produce. In the humanities, professors write books and articles and universities reward them accordingly. The system amounts to a considerable expenditure for the institution and a significant portion of…

Microbiota of Minas cheese as influenced by the nisin producer Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis GLc05.

PubMed

Perin, Luana Martins; Dal Bello, Barbara; Belviso, Simona; Zeppa, Giuseppe; Carvalho, Antônio Fernandes de; Cocolin, Luca; Nero, Luís Augusto

2015-12-02

Minas cheese is a popular dairy product in Brazil that is traditionally produced using raw or pasteurized cow milk. This study proposed an alternative production of Minas cheese using raw goat milk added of a nisin producer Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis GLc05. An in situ investigation was carried on to evaluate the interactions between the L. lactis subsp. lactis GLc05 and the autochthonous microbiota of a Minas cheese during the ripening; production of biogenic amines (BAs) was assessed as a safety aspect. Minas cheese was produced in two treatments (A, by adding L. lactis subsp. lactis GLc05, and B, without adding this strain), in three independent repetitions (R1, R2, and R3). Culture dependent (direct plating) and independent (rep-PCR and PCR-DGGE) methods were employed to characterize the microbiota and to assess the possible interferences caused by L. lactis subsp. lactis GLc05. BA amounts were measured using HPLC. A significant decrease in coagulase-positive cocci was observed in the cheeses produced by adding L. lactis subsp. lactis GLc05 (cheese A). The rep-PCR and PCR-DGGE highlighted the differences in the microbiota of both cheeses, separating them into two different clusters. Lactococcus sp. was found as the main microorganism in both cheeses, and the microbiota of cheese A presented a higher number of species. High concentrations of tyramine were found in both cheeses and, at specific ripening times, the BA amounts in cheese B were significantly higher than in cheese A (p<0.05). The interaction of nisin producer L. lactis subsp. lactis GLc05 was demonstrated in situ, by demonstration of its influence in the complex microbiota naturally present in a raw goat milk cheese and by controlling the growth of coagulase-positive cocci. L. lactis subsp. lactis GLc05 influenced also the production of BA determining that their amounts in the cheeses were maintained at acceptable levels for human consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimal precurarizing dose of rocuronium to decrease fasciculation and myalgia following succinylcholine administration.

PubMed

Kim, Kyu Nam; Kim, Kyo Sang; Choi, Hoon Il; Jeong, Ji Seon; Lee, Hee-Jong

2014-06-01

Succinylcholine commonly produces frequent adverse effects, including muscle fasciculation and myalgia. The current study identified the optimal dose of rocuronium to prevent succinylcholine-induced fasciculation and myalgia and evaluated the influence of rocuronium on the speed of onset produced by succinylcholine. This randomized, double-blinded study was conducted in 100 patients randomly allocated into five groups of 20 patients each. Patients were randomized to receive 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05 and 0.06 mg/kg rocuronium as a precurarizing dose. Neuromuscular monitoring after each precurarizing dose was recorded from the adductor pollicis muscle using acceleromyography with train-of-four stimulation of the ulnar nerve. All patients received succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg at 2 minutes after the precurarization, and were assessed the incidence and severity of fasciculations, while myalgia was assessed at 24 hours after surgery. The incidence and severity of visible muscle fasciculation was significantly less with increasing the amount of precurarizing dose of rocuronium (P < 0.001). Those of myalgia tend to decrease according to increasing the amount of precurarizing dose of rocuronium, but there was no significance (P = 0.072). The onset time of succinylcholine was significantly longer with increasing the amount of precurarizing dose of rocuronium (P < 0.001). Precurarization with 0.04 mg/kg rocuronium was the optimal dose considering the reduction in the incidence and severity of fasciculation and myalgia with acceptable onset time, and the safe and effective precurarization.

Seawater strontium isotopes, acid rain, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macdougall, J. D.

1988-01-01

A large bolide impact at the end of the Cretaceous would have produced significant amounts of nitrogen oxides by shock heating of the atmosphere. The resulting acid precipitation would have increased continental weathering greatly and could be an explanation for the observed high ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 in seawater at about this time, due to the dissolution of large amounts of strontium from the continental crust. Spikes to high values in the seawater strontium isotope record at other times may reflect similar episodes.

Response surface methodology for optimising the culture conditions for eicosapentaenoic acid production by marine bacteria.

PubMed

Abd Elrazak, Ahmed; Ward, Alan C; Glassey, Jarka

2013-05-01

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are increasingly attracting scientific attention owing to their significant health-promoting role in the human body. However, the human body lacks the ability to produce them in vivo. The limitations associated with the current sources of ω-3 fatty acids from animal and plant sources have led to increased interest in microbial production. Bacterial isolate 717 was identified as a potential high EPA producer. As an important step in the process development of the microbial PUFA production, the culture conditions at the bioreactor scale were optimised for the isolate 717 using a response surface methodology exploring the significant effect of temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen and the interaction between them on the EPA production. This optimisation strategy led to a significant increase in the amount of EPA produced by the isolate under investigation, where the amount of EPA increased from 9 mg/g biomass (33 mg/l representing 7.6 % of the total fatty acids) to 45 mg/g (350 mg/l representing 25 % of the total fatty acids). To avoid additional costs associated with extreme cooling at large scale, a temperature shock experiment was carried out reducing the overall cooling time from the whole cultivation process to 4 h only prior to harvest. The ability of the organism to produce EPA under the complete absence of oxygen was tested revealing that oxygen is not critically required for the biosynthesis of EPA but the production improved in the presence of oxygen. The stability of the produced oil and the complete absence of heavy metals in the bacterial biomass are considered as an additional benefit of bacterial EPA compared to other sources of PUFA. To our knowledge this is the first report of a bacterial isolate producing EPA with such high yields making the large-scale manufacture much more economically viable.

Acrylamide formation in vegetable oils and animal fats during heat treatment.

PubMed

Daniali, G; Jinap, S; Hajeb, P; Sanny, M; Tan, C P

2016-12-01

The method of liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry was utilized and modified to confirm and quantify acrylamide in heating cooking oil and animal fat. Heating asparagine with various cooking oils and animal fat at 180°C produced varying amounts of acrylamide. The acrylamide in the different cooking oils and animal fat using a constant amount of asparagine was measured. Cooking oils were also examined for peroxide, anisidine and iodine values (or oxidation values). A direct correlation was observed between oxidation values and acrylamide formation in different cooking oils. Significantly less acrylamide was produced in saturated animal fat than in unsaturated cooking oil, with 366ng/g in lard and 211ng/g in ghee versus 2447ng/g in soy oil, followed by palm olein with 1442ng/g. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Conventional development versus managed growth: the costs of sprawl.

PubMed

Burchell, Robert W; Mukherji, Sahan

2003-09-01

We examined the effects of sprawl, or conventional development, versus managed (or "smart") growth on land and infrastructure consumption as well as on real estate development and public service costs in the United States. Mathematical impact models were used to produce US estimates of differences in resources consumed according to each growth scenario over the period 2000-2025. Sprawl produces a 21% increase in amount of undeveloped land converted to developed land (2.4 million acres) and approximately a 10% increase in local road lane-miles (188 300). Furthermore, sprawl causes about 10% more annual public service (fiscal) deficits ($4.2 billion US dollars) and 8% higher housing occupancy costs ($13 000 US dollars per dwelling unit). Managed growth can save significant amounts of human and natural resources with limited effects on traditional development procedures.

Conventional Development Versus Managed Growth: The Costs of Sprawl

PubMed Central

Burchell, Robert W.; Mukherji, Sahan

2003-01-01

Objectives. We examined the effects of sprawl, or conventional development, versus managed (or “smart”) growth on land and infrastructure consumption as well as on real estate development and public service costs in the United States. Methods. Mathematical impact models were used to produce US estimates of differences in resources consumed according to each growth scenario over the period 2000–2025. Results. Sprawl produces a 21% increase in amount of undeveloped land converted to developed land (2.4 million acres) and approximately a 10% increase in local road lane-miles (188 300). Furthermore, sprawl causes about 10% more annual public service (fiscal) deficits ($4.2 billion) and 8% higher housing occupancy costs ($13 000 per dwelling unit). Conclusions. Managed growth can save significant amounts of human and natural resources with limited effects on traditional development procedures. PMID:12948976

Salinity Gradient Energy from Expansion and Contraction of Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) Hydrogels.

PubMed

Bui, Tri Quang; Cao, Vinh Duy; Do, Nu Bich Duyen; Christoffersen, Trine Eker; Wang, Wei; Kjøniksen, Anna-Lena

2018-06-22

Salinity gradients exhibit a great potential for production of renewable energy. Several techniques such as pressure-retarded osmosis and reverse electrodialysis have been employed to extract this energy. Unfortunately, these techniques are restricted by the high costs of membranes and problems with membrane fouling. However, the expansion and contraction of hydrogels can be a new and cheaper way to harvest energy from salinity gradients since the hydrogels swell in freshwater and shrink in saltwater. We have examined the effect of cross-linker concentration and different external loads on the energy recovered for this type of energy-producing systems. Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) hydrogels were cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to produce hydrogels with excellent expansion and contraction properties. Increasing the cross-linker concentration markedly improved the energy that could be recovered from the hydrogels, especially at high external loads. A swollen hydrogel of 60 g could recover more than 1800 mJ when utilizing a high cross-linker concentration, and the maximum amount of energy produced per gram of polymer was 3.4 J/g. Although more energy is recovered at high cross-linking densities, the maximum amount of energy produced per gram of polymer is highest at an intermediate cross-linking concentration. Energy recovery was reduced when the salt concentration was increased for the low-concentration saline solution. The results illustrate that hydrogels are promising for salinity gradient energy recovery, and that optimizing the systems significantly increases the amount of energy that can be recovered.

Did the Eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo Volcano Affect Cirrus Properties?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luo, Zhengzhao; Rossow, William B.; Inoue, Toshiro; Stubenrauch, Claudia J.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Some observations suggest that the volcanic aerosols produced by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption may have altered cirrus properties. We look for evidence that such modification of cirrus is extensive enough to be climatically significant by comparing three satellite-based cirrus datasets produced by the ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) analysis, the 'split-window' analysis, and 3I analysis. Since the former two have not been compared in detail before, we conduct such a comparison here. When applied to AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) data, both the ISCCP and split-window analyses identify about 0.2 - 0.3 cirrus cloud amount in tropical latitudes; however, there are detailed differences of classification for about half of these clouds. The discrepancies are attributed to the simplified assumptions made by both methods. The latter two datasets are derived from infrared radiances, so they are much less sensitive to volcanic aerosols than the ISCCP analysis. After the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the ISCCP results indicate a dramatic decrease of thin cirrus (cloud top pressure less than 440 mb and visible optical thickness less than 1.3) over ocean, accompanied by a comparable increase of altocumulus and cumulus clouds; over land, there are no significant changes. In contrast, results from the split-window and 3I analyses show little change in thin cirrus amount over either ocean or land that is associated with the volcanic eruption. The ISCCP results can, therefore, be understood as a misclassification of thin cirrus because the additional reflected sunlight by the volcanic aerosol makes the cirrus clouds appear to be optically thicker. Examination of the split-window signature and the infrared emissivities from 3I show no significant change in infrared emissivity (or optical thickness). These results indicate that the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic aerosol did not have a significant systematic effect on tropical cirrus properties, but rather produced only temporary, local effects. Hence, these results indicate that there was no significant climate feedback produced by aerosol-cirrus-radiative interactions.

A double-blind, randomized, bilateral comparison of skin irritancy following application of the combination acne products clindamycin/tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide/adapalene.

PubMed

Goreshi, Renato; Samrao, Aman; Ehst, Benjamin D

2012-12-01

The use of topical medications for acne vulgaris is often limited by their irritant properties. Newer combination preparations are available and offer convenience, but irritant potential may still be a hindrance, perhaps more so with the combination of 2 agents. Few studies have compared these formulations directly for tolerability. We sought to compare the tolerability of 2 combination topical acne products, clindamycin 1.2%-tretinoin 0.025% (CLIN/RA) gel and benzoyl peroxide 2.5%-adapalene 0.1% (BPO/ADA) gel. CLIN/RA and BPO/ADA were applied daily to opposite sides of a subject's face for 21 days in a double-blinded fashion. Investigators' Global Assessments and study subject self-assessments of burning/stinging, itching, erythema, and dryness/scaling were collected. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was also measured as an objective measure of skin irritation. A mixed model analysis and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used to compare outcomes for both acne formulations. CLIN/RA produced significantly less burning/stinging than BPO/ADA (P<.001) as well as significantly less pruritus than BPO/ ADA (P<.001). BPO/ADA caused significantly more TEWL than CLIN/RA (P=.005). There was no significant difference in the amount of erythema or the amount of dryness/scaling caused by either formulation. CLIN/RA produced significantly less skin irritancy and TEWL than BPO/ADA.

Educating the Hindu Child Citizen: Pedagogy of the Gita Press

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinha, Ritu

2017-01-01

A large amount of literature in this regard was produced by new institutional spaces like religious printing presses, caste associations and religious organizations that mushroomed significantly by early decades of twentieth century. The proliferation of Hindu religious printing and publishing in Hindi by presses like Gita Press of north India…

Beyond fatty acid methyl esters: Expanding the renewable carbon profile with alkenones from Isochrysis sp.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In addition to characteristic fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), biodiesel produced from Isochrysis sp. contains a significant amount (14% dry weight) of predominantly C37 and C38 longchain alkenones. These compounds are members of a class of lipids known collectively as polyunsaturated long-chain al...

Detection of corn adulteration in Brazilian coffee (Coffea arabica) by tocopherol profiling and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Coffee is a high-value commodity that is a target for adulteration, especially after the beans have been roasted and ground. Countries such as Brazil, the second largest coffee producer, have set limits on the allowable amount of coffee contamination and adulteration. Therefore, there is significant...

Chocolate: A Heart-healthy Food? Show Me the Science!

PubMed

Hannum, Sandra M.; Schmitz, Harold H.; Keen, Carl L.

2002-01-01

Cocoa and chocolate foods produced by appropriate methods can contribute significant amounts of heart-healthy flavanols to the diet. These flavanols may enhance cardiovascular health by delaying blood clotting, improving vascular endothelial function, and helping to moderate inflammation. The benefits of chocolate can be enjoyed without guilt as part of a healthful balanced diet.

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

Belsher, Jeremy D.; Pierson, Kayla L.; Gimpel, Rod F.

The Hanford site in southeast Washington contains approximately 207 million liters of radioactive and hazardous waste stored in 177 underground tanks. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection is currently managing the Hanford waste treatment mission, which includes the storage, retrieval, treatment and disposal of the tank waste. Two recent studies, employing the modeling tools managed by the One System organization, have highlighted waste cleanup mission sensitivities. The Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator Sensitivity Study evaluated the impact that varying 21 different parameters had on the Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator model. It concluded that inaccuracies in themore » predicted phase partitioning of a few key components can result in significant changes in the waste treatment duration and in the amount of immobilized high-level waste that is produced. In addition, reducing the efficiency with which tank waste is retrieved and staged can increase mission duration. The 2012 WTP Tank Utilization Assessment concluded that flowsheet models need to include the latest low-activity waste glass algorithms or the waste treatment mission duration and the amount of low activity waste that is produced could be significantly underestimated. (authors)« less

Preliminary estimates of the quantities of rare-earth elements contained in selected products and in imports of semimanufactured products to the United States, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bleiwas, Donald I.; Gambogi, Joseph

2013-01-01

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are contained in a wide range of products of economic and strategic importance to the Nation. The REEs may or may not represent a significant component of that product by mass, value, or volume; however, in many cases, the embedded REEs are critical for the device’s function. Domestic sources of primary supply and the manufacturing facilities to produce products are inadequate to meet U.S. requirements; therefore, a significant percentage of the supply of REEs and the products that contain them are imported to the United States. In 2011, mines in China produced roughly 97 percent of the world’s supply of REEs, and the country’s production of these elements will likely dominate global supply until at least 2020. Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of rare-earth elements, reported as oxides, in semimanufactured form and the amounts used for electric vehicle batteries, catalytic converters, computers, and other applications were developed to provide a perspective on the Nation’s use of these elements. The amount of rare-earth metals recovered from recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse is negligible when the tonnage of products that contain REEs deposited in landfills and retained in storage is considered. Under favorable market conditions, the recovery of REEs from obsolete products could potentially displace a portion of the supply from primary sources.

A pollinators' eye view of a shelter mimicry system.

PubMed

Vereecken, Nicolas J; Dorchin, Achik; Dafni, Amots; Hötling, Susann; Schulz, Stefan; Watts, Stella

2013-06-01

'Human-red' flowers are traditionally considered to be rather unpopular with bees, yet some allogamous species in the section Oncocyclus (genus Iris, Iridaceae) have evolved specialized interactions with their pollinators, a narrow taxonomic range of male solitary bees. The dark-red, tubular flowers of these irises are nectarless but provide protective shelters (i.e. a non-nutritive form of reward) primarily to male solitary bees (Apidae, Eucerini) that pollinate the flowers while looking for a shelter. An earlier study on orchids suggested that species pollinated predominantly by male solitary bees produce significantly larger amounts and larger numbers of different n-alkenes (unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons). Whether or not this also applies to the Oncocyclus irises and whether pollinators are attracted by specific colours or scents of these flowers is unknown. Using Iris atropurpurea, recording of pollinator preferences for shelters with different spatial parameters was combined with analyses of floral colours (by spectrophotometry) and scents (by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) to test the hypotheses that (a) pollinators significantly prefer floral tunnels facing the rising sun (floral heat-reward hypothesis), and that (b) flowers pollinated predominantly by male solitary bees produce significantly larger amounts and larger numbers of unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons (n-alkenes) in their floral scent (preadaptation to sexual-deception hypothesis). Male bees do not significantly prefer shelters facing the rising sun or with the presence of high absolute/relative amounts and numbers of n-alkenes in the floral scent. The results suggest that the flowers of I. atropurpurea probably evolved by pollinator-mediated selection acting primarily on floral colours to mimic large achromatic ('bee-black') protective shelters used preferentially by male solitary bees, and that pollinator visits are presumably not the result of an odour-based sexual stimulation or motivated by an increased morning floral heat reward in tunnels facing the rising sun.

Volatile compounds and odor preferences of ground beef added with garlic and red wine, and irradiated with charcoal pack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyung Haeng; Yun, Hyejeong; Lee, Ju Woon; Ahn, Dong Uk; Lee, Eun Joo; Jo, Cheorun

2012-08-01

Irradiation is the most efficient non-thermal technology for improving hygienic quality and extending the shelf-life of food products. One of the adverse effects of food irradiation, however, is off-flavor production, which significantly affects the sensory preferences for certain foods. In this study, garlic (5%, w/w) and red wine (1:1, w/w) were added to ground beef to increase the radiation sensitivity of pathogens and improve meat odor/flavor. Samples were irradiated at 0 or 5 kGy in the presence of charcoal pack. SPME-GC-MS analysis was performed to measure the changes in the volatile compounds and sensory characteristics of the samples. The amount of total volatile compounds produced from ground beef was greater when the sample was irradiated. When garlic and red wine were added to the ground beef, the amount of volatile compounds significantly increased, and the amount of volatile compounds increased even further after irradiation. However, when the samples were irradiated with charcoal pack, the amount of volatile compounds decreased significantly. Sensory evaluation indicated that charcoal pack significantly increased the odor preferences for both irradiated and non-irradiated ground beef added with garlic. These results indicated that addition of charcoal pack to ground beef could reduce off-odor problems induced by irradiation, and this effect was consistent even when certain additives such as garlic and red wine were added.

Effect of curve sawing on lumber recovery and warp of short cherry logs containing sweep

Treesearch

Brian H. Bond; Philip Araman

2008-01-01

It has been estimated that approximately one-third of hardwood sawlogs have a significant amount of sweep and that 7 to nearly 40 percent of the yield is lost from logs that have greater than 1 inch of sweep. While decreased yield is important, for hardwood logs the loss of lumber value is likely more significant. A method that produced lumber while accounting for log...

Desalination of fish sauce by electrodialysis: effect on selected aroma compounds and amino acid compositions.

PubMed

Chindapan, Nathamol; Devahastin, Sakamon; Chiewchan, Naphaporn; Sablani, Shyam S

2011-09-01

Fish sauce is an ingredient that exhibits unique flavor and is widely used by people in Southeast Asia. Fish sauce, however, contains a significant amount of salt (sodium chloride). Recently, electrodialysis (ED) has been successfully applied to reduce salt in fish sauce; however, no information is available on the effect of ED on changes in compounds providing aroma and taste of ED-treated fish sauce. The selected aroma compounds, amino acids, and sensory quality of the ED-treated fish sauce with various salt concentrations were then analyzed. The amounts of trimethylamine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, phenols, and all carboxylic acids except for hexanoic acid significantly decreased, whereas benzaldehyde increased significantly when the salt removal level was higher. The amounts of all amino acids decreased with the increased salt removal level. Significant difference in flavor and saltiness intensity among ED-treated fish sauce with various salt concentrations, as assessed by a discriminative test, were observed. Information obtained in this work can serve as a guideline for optimization of a process to produce low-sodium fish sauce by ED. It also forms a basis for further in-depth sensory analysis of low-sodium fish sauce. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Two Different Bacterial Community Types Are Linked with the Low-Methane Emission Trait in Sheep

PubMed Central

Kittelmann, Sandra; Pinares-Patiño, Cesar S.; Seedorf, Henning; Kirk, Michelle R.; Ganesh, Siva; McEwan, John C.; Janssen, Peter H.

2014-01-01

The potent greenhouse gas methane (CH4) is produced in the rumens of ruminant animals from hydrogen produced during microbial degradation of ingested feed. The natural animal-to-animal variation in the amount of CH4 emitted and the heritability of this trait offer a means for reducing CH4 emissions by selecting low-CH4 emitting animals for breeding. We demonstrate that differences in rumen microbial community structure are linked to high and low CH4 emissions in sheep. Bacterial community structures in 236 rumen samples from 118 high- and low-CH4 emitting sheep formed gradual transitions between three ruminotypes. Two of these (Q and S) were linked to significantly lower CH4 yields (14.4 and 13.6 g CH4/kg dry matter intake [DMI], respectively) than the third type (H; 15.9 g CH4/kg DMI; p<0.001). Low-CH4 ruminotype Q was associated with a significantly lower ruminal acetate to propionate ratio (3.7±0.4) than S (4.4±0.7; p<0.001) and H (4.3±0.5; p<0.001), and harbored high relative abundances of the propionate-producing Quinella ovalis. Low-CH4 ruminotype S was characterized by lactate- and succinate-producing Fibrobacter spp., Kandleria vitulina, Olsenella spp., Prevotella bryantii, and Sharpea azabuensis. High-CH4 ruminotype H had higher relative abundances of species belonging to Ruminococcus, other Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Catabacteriaceae, Coprococcus, other Clostridiales, Prevotella, other Bacteroidales, and Alphaproteobacteria, many of which are known to form significant amounts of hydrogen. We hypothesize that lower CH4 yields are the result of bacterial communities that ferment ingested feed to relatively less hydrogen, which results in less CH4 being formed. PMID:25078564

The atmospheric heat engine response to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauluis, O. M.

2014-12-01

Moist convection is characterized by complex interactions between dynamics and thermodynamics. As air parcels within the atmosphere, they experience multiple thermodynamic transformations, such as compression and expansion, diabatic heating and cooling, condensation and mixing. These transformations correspond to those of a heat engine that produces kinetic energy while transporting energy from a warm source to a colder sink. This atmospheric heat engine is however directly affected by moist processes. First, falling precipitation acts as a break on the circulation by dissipating a significant amount of kinetic energy. Second, evaporation of unsaturated water and diffusion of water vapor are irrevesible processes that also reduce the amount of work that can be produced. An important challenge is to quantify the impacts that these two effects have on the generation of kinetic energy. Here, I will introduce a new technique - the Mean Air Flow As Lagragian Dynamics Approximation (MAFALDA) - that can be used to systematically analyze the thermodynamic behavior of complex atmospheric flows. This approach relies on sorting the upward mass transport in terms of the equivalent potential temperature of the air parcels to obtain an isentropic streamfunction. This streamfunction is then used to determine the thermodynamic evolution of air parcels as they move through the atmosphere. This approach is applied to analyze how convective systems would behave in a warmer climate. It is shown that an increase in atmospheric temperature lead to a significant increase of the amount of kinetic energy that is produced per unit of mass of air transported. At the same time, the total generation of kinetic energy is only slightly affected. Taken together, these findings imply that, in a warming atmosphere, the number of intense convective events will be reduced, while their intensity should increase. I will also discuss the new possibility of systematically studying the thermodynamic transformation in atmospheric models.

Biorhythms in the activity of children during free play1

PubMed Central

Wade, M. G.; Ellis, M. J.; Bohrer, R. E.

1973-01-01

The interaction between the arousal to action of environmental stimuli and recovery from that activity was presumed to generate biorhythms in the activity level of children. The level of environmental stimuli was manipulated by varying the play-group size and the apparatus, and higher environmental complexity was expected to produce more pronounced rhythms. The heart rates of 16 subjects playing in monad, dyad, and tetrad group sizes, in two playroom configurations, were monitored and spectral analysis used to locate significant biorhythms. There was a tendency toward 40-min (slow frequency) and 15-min (fast frequency) biorhythms. The group size manipulation produced the strongest biorhythmic behavior in the dyadic groups. Apparatus differences were not significant but the configuration containing a minimum quantity of play apparatus produced more variable activity than the configuration containing a large amount of play apparatus. PMID:4714575

Biorhythms in the activity of children during free play.

PubMed

Wade, M G; Ellis, M J; Bohrer, R E

1973-07-01

The interaction between the arousal to action of environmental stimuli and recovery from that activity was presumed to generate biorhythms in the activity level of children. The level of environmental stimuli was manipulated by varying the play-group size and the apparatus, and higher environmental complexity was expected to produce more pronounced rhythms. The heart rates of 16 subjects playing in monad, dyad, and tetrad group sizes, in two playroom configurations, were monitored and spectral analysis used to locate significant biorhythms. There was a tendency toward 40-min (slow frequency) and 15-min (fast frequency) biorhythms. The group size manipulation produced the strongest biorhythmic behavior in the dyadic groups. Apparatus differences were not significant but the configuration containing a minimum quantity of play apparatus produced more variable activity than the configuration containing a large amount of play apparatus.

Incorporation of catalytic dehydrogenation into fischer-tropsch synthesis to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions

DOEpatents

Huffman, Gerald P.

2012-11-13

A new method of producing liquid transportation fuels from coal and other hydrocarbons that significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions by combining Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with catalytic dehydrogenation is claimed. Catalytic dehydrogenation (CDH) of the gaseous products (C1-C4) of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) can produce large quantities of hydrogen while converting the carbon to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Incorporation of CDH into a FTS-CDH plant converting coal to liquid fuels can eliminate all or most of the CO.sub.2 emissions from the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction that is currently used to elevate the H.sub.2 level of coal-derived syngas for FTS. Additionally, the FTS-CDH process saves large amounts of water used by the WGS reaction and produces a valuable by-product, MWCNT.

27 CFR 19.245 - Bonds and penal sums of bonds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Distiller The amount of tax on spirits produced during a period of 15 days $5,000 $100,000 (ii) Warehouseman... gallons ......do 5,000 50,000 (iii) Distiller and warehouseman The amount of tax on spirits produced... transit to bonded premises 10,000 200,000 (iv) Distiller and processor The amount of tax on spirits...

Enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis: Improved cellulase productivity by insoluble solids recycling

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background It is necessary to develop efficient methods to produce renewable fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. One of the main challenges to the industrialization of lignocellulose conversion processes is the large amount of cellulase enzymes used for the hydrolysis of cellulose. One method for decreasing the amount of enzyme used is to recycle the enzymes. In this study, the recycle of enzymes associated with the insoluble solid fraction after the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated for pretreated corn stover under a variety of recycling conditions. Results It was found that a significant amount of cellulase activity could be recovered by recycling the insoluble biomass fraction, and the enzyme dosage could be decreased by 30% to achieve the same glucose yields under the most favorable conditions. Enzyme productivity (g glucose produced/g enzyme applied) increased between 30 and 50% by the recycling, depending on the reaction conditions. While increasing the amount of solids recycled increased process performance, the methods applicability was limited by its positive correlation with increasing total solids concentrations, reaction volumes, and lignin content of the insoluble residue. However, increasing amounts of lignin rich residue during the recycle did not negatively impact glucose yields. Conclusions To take advantage of this effect, the amount of solids recycled should be maximized, based on a given processes ability to deal with higher solids concentrations and volumes. Recycling of enzymes by recycling the insoluble solids fraction was thus shown to be an effective method to decrease enzyme usage, and research should be continued for its industrial application. PMID:23336604

Application of alkyne-TCNQ addition reaction to polymerization.

PubMed

Washino, Yusuke; Michinobu, Tsuyoshi

2011-04-19

The polymerization using a high-yielding addition reaction between electron-rich alkynes and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) derivatives is described. The bifunctional monomer containing two TCNQ moieties and the counter comonomer bearing two dialkylaniline (DAA)-substituted alkynes are reacted in 1,2-dichloroethane under mild heating conditions. At the high monomer concentrations, high molecular weight linear polymers are obtained, while the reaction at the low monomer concentrations produces a significant amount of the cyclic compounds. A clear relationship between the monomer concentration and the cyclic compound amount is demonstrated. The obtained polymers feature a sufficient thermal stability with the decomposition temperature exceeding 300  °C as well as strong charge-transfer (CT) bands and redox activities ascribed to the produced donor-acceptor moieties. These features are also used to optimize the polymerization conditions and to estimate the chemical structures. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Acetylene fuel from atmospheric CO2 on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Linne, Diane L.

1992-01-01

The Mars mission scenario proposed by Baker and Zubrin (1990) intended for an unmanned preliminary mission is extended to maximize the total impulse of fuel produced with a minimum mass of hydrogen from Earth. The hydrogen along with atmospheric carbon dioxide is processed into methane and oxygen by the exothermic reaction in an atmospheric processing module. Use of simple chemical reactions to produce acetylene/oxygen rocket fuel on Mars from hydrogen makes it possible to produce an amount of fuel that is nearly 100 times the mass of hydrogen brought from earth. If such a process produces the return propellant for a manned Mars mission, the required mission mass in LEO is significantly reduced over a system using all earth-derived propellants.

Energy Production and Transmutation of Nuclear Waste by Accelerator Driven Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhivkov, P. K.

2018-05-01

There is a significant amount of highly radiotoxic long-life nuclear waste (NW) produced by NPP (Nuclear Power Plants). Transmutation is a process which transforms NW into less radiotoxic nuclides with a shorter period of half-life by spallation neutrons or radiative capture of neutrons produced by ADS (Accelerator Driven System). In the processes of transmutation new radioactive nuclides are produced. ADS is big energy consumer equipment. It is a method for production of a high-flux and high-energy neutron field. All these processes occur in ADS simultaneously. ADS is able to transmute actinides and produce energy simultaneously. The article considers the energy production problems in ADS. Several ideas are developed regarding the solution of the global energy supply.

Mist characterization in drilling 1018 steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, Ian

Minimum quantity lubrication replaces the traditional method of flood cooling with small amounts of high-efficient lubrication. Limited studies have been performed to determine the characteristics of mist produced during MQL. This study investigated the mist concentration levels produced while drilling 1018 steel using a vegetable based lubricant. ANOVA was performed to determine whether speed and feed rates or their interactions have a significant effect on mist concentration levels and particle diameter. It was observed that the concentration levels obtained under all four speed and feed rate combinations studied exceeded the current OSHA and NIOSH standards.

An analytical benchmark and a Mathematica program for MD codes: Testing LAMMPS on the 2nd generation Brenner potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favata, Antonino; Micheletti, Andrea; Ryu, Seunghwa; Pugno, Nicola M.

2016-10-01

An analytical benchmark and a simple consistent Mathematica program are proposed for graphene and carbon nanotubes, that may serve to test any molecular dynamics code implemented with REBO potentials. By exploiting the benchmark, we checked results produced by LAMMPS (Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator) when adopting the second generation Brenner potential, we made evident that this code in its current implementation produces results which are offset from those of the benchmark by a significant amount, and provide evidence of the reason.

Stretchable Mesh for Cavity Noise Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorrami, Mehdi R. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A stretchable mesh material extends across the opening of a cavity of the landing gear of an aircraft when the landing gear is in the deployed position. The mesh material alters the flow of air across the opening of the landing gear cavity and significantly reduces the amount of noise produced by the wheel well at low-to-mid frequencies.

78 FR 31635 - Oil and Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal and Indian Lands

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-24

... part of a field development proposal, and whenever there is evidence of a problem with the cement job... of the country that previously did not produce significant amounts of oil or gas. The resulting... received as a result of this revised proposed rule. The BLM's revised proposed rule is generally consistent...

Heat stability of chaetoglobosins A and C.

PubMed

Fogle, M R; Douglas, D R; Jumper, C A; Straus, D C

2008-05-01

Chaetomium globosum is commonly found in water-damaged buildings and produces the mycotoxins chaetoglobosin A and chaetoglobosin C (Ch-A and Ch-C, respectively). While attempting to purify Ch-A and Ch-C, we observed that these mycotoxins were broken down after heating. The objective of this study was to determine the temperature and the amount of time necessary to break down Ch-A and Ch-C. We demonstrated that the amounts of Ch-A were significantly reduced when exposed to 75 degrees C for 24 h and 100 degrees C for 90, 120, or 150 min. Under the same conditions, the levels of Ch-C were also lower (although not significantly). At 175 degrees C, no Ch-A was detected after 15 min and Ch-C was significantly reduced after 30 min. Our findings will aid other researchers who work with these mycotoxins in the future.

Effects of Biochar Amendment on Soil Properties and Soil Carbon Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, R.; Zhu, S.

2015-12-01

Biochar addition to soils potentially affects various soil properties and soil carbon sequestration, and these effects are dependent on biochars derived from different feedstock materials and pyrolysis processes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of amendment of different biochars on soil physical and biological properties as well as soil carbon sequestration. Biochars were produced with dairy manure and woodchip at temperatures of 300, 500, and 700°C, respectively. Each biochar was mixed at 5% (w/w) with a forest soil and the mixture was incubated for 180 days, during which soil physical and biological properties, and soil respiration rates were measured. Results showed that the biochar addition significantly enhanced the formation of soil macroaggregates at the early incubation time. The biochar application significantly reduced soil bulk density, increased the amount of soil organic matter, and stimulated microbial activity and soil respiration rates at the early incubation stage. Biochar applications improved water retention capacity, with stronger effects by biochars produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures. At the same suction, the soil with woodchip biochars possessed higher water content than with the dairy manure biochars. Biochar addition significantly affected the soil physical and biological properties, which resulted in different soil carbon mineralization rates and the amount of soil carbon storage.

Artificial maturation of an immature sulfur- and organic matter-rich limestone from the Ghareb Formation, Jordan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koopmans, M.P.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; De Leeuw, J. W.; Lewan, M.D.; Damste, J.S.S.

1998-01-01

An immature (Ro=0.39%), S-rich (S(org)/C = 0.07), organic matter-rich (19.6 wt. % TOC) limestone from the Ghareb Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in Jordan was artificially matured by hydrous pyrolysis (200, 220 ..., 300??C; 72 h) to study the effect of progressive diagenesis and early catagenesis on the amounts and distributions of hydrocarbons, organic sulfur compounds and S-rich geomacromolecules. The use of internal standards allowed the determination of absolute amounts. With increasing thermal maturation, large amounts of alkanes and alkylthiophenes with predominantly linear carbon skeletons are generated from the kerogen. The alkylthiophene isomer distributions do not change significantly with increasing thermal maturation, indicating the applicability of alkylthiophenes as biomarkers at relatively high levels of thermal maturity. For a given carbon skeleton, the saturated hydrocarbon, alkylthiophenes and alkylbenzo[b]thiophenes are stable forms at relatively high temperatures, whereas the alkylsulfides are not stable. The large amount of alkylthiophenes produced relative to the alkanes may be explained by the large number of monosulfide links per carbon skeleton. These results are in good agreement with those obtained previously for an artificial maturation series of an immature S-rich sample from the Gessoso-solfifera Formation.An immature (Ro = 0.39%), S-rich (Sorg/C = 0.07), organic matter-rich (19.6 wt.% TOC) limestone from the Ghareb Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in Jordan was artificially matured by hydrous pyrolysis (200, 220, ..., 300??C; 72 h) to study the effect of progressive diagenesis and early catagenesis on the amounts and distributions of hydrocarbons, organic sulfur compounds and S-rich geomacromolecules. The use of internal standards allowed the determination of absolute amounts. With increasing thermal maturation, large amounts of alkanes and alkylthiophenes with predominantly linear carbon skeletons are generated from the kerogen. The alkylthiophene isomer distributions do not change significantly with increasing thermal maturation, indicating the applicability of alkylthiophenes as biomarkers at relatively high levels of thermal maturity. For a given carbon skeleton, the saturated hydrocarbon, alkylthiophene and alkylbenzo[b]thiophenes are stable forms at relatively high temperatures, whereas the alkylsulfides are not stable. The large amount of alkylthiophenes produced relative to the alkanes may be explained by the large number of monosulfide links per carbon skeleton. These results are in good agreement with those obtained previously for an artificial maturation series of an immature S-rich sample from the Gessoso-solfifera Formation.

Ensuring Resiliency of the Milk and Dairy Industry in California

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

cannot be zero. Also, the upper bound cannot exceed the capacity of raw milk that the milk producing cows can make in each county. Between the...the amount of milk producing cows in each county and multiplying by the daily average amount of raw milk produced. RawMilkProd = NumMilkProdCows...the total number of milk producing cows . 365 TotalMilkProdDailyAvgAmtMilkProdPerCow TotalMilkProdCows = × We get the number of milk producing cows

Evaluation of Beer Fermentation with a Novel Yeast
Williopsis saturnus.

PubMed

Liu, Shao-Quan; Quek, Althea Ying Hui

2016-12-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of a novel yeast Williopsis saturnus var. mrakii NCYC 500 to produce fruity beer. Fermentation performance of W. mrakii and beer volatile composition were compared against that fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Safale US-05. o Brix, sugar and pH differed significantly between the two types of beer. A total of 8 alcohols, 11 acids, 41 esters, 9 aldehydes, 8 ketones, 21 terpenes and terpenoids, 5 Maillard reaction products and 2 volatile phenolic compounds were detected. Yeast strain Safale US-05 was more capable of producing a wider range of ethyl and other esters, while yeast strain NCYC 500 produced significantly higher amounts of acetate esters. Strain NCYC 500 retained more terpenes and terpenoids, suggesting that the resultant beer could possess more of the aromatic hint of hops. This study showed that W. saturnus var. mrakii NCYC 500 could ferment wort to produce low-alcohol beer with higher levels of acetate esters, terpenes and terpenoids than yeast S. cerevisiae Safale US-05.

Economical Production of Pu-238: NIAC Phase I Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, Steven D.; Crawford, Douglas; Navarro, Jorge; O'Brien, Robert C.; Katalenich, Jeff; Ring, Terry

2016-01-01

All space exploration missions traveling beyond Jupiter must use radioisotopic power sources for electrical power. The best isotope to power these sources is plutonium-238 (Pu-238). The US supply of Pu-238 is almost exhausted and will be gone within the next decade. The Department of Energy has initiated a production program with a $10M allocation from NASA but the cost is estimated at over $100M to get to production levels. The Center for Space Nuclear Research (CSNR) has conceived of a potentially better process to produce Pu-238 earlier and for significantly less cost. Potentially, the front end capital costs could be provided by private industry such that the government only had to pay for the product produced. In the Phase I NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) grant, the CSNR has evaluated the feasibility of using a low power, commercially available nuclear reactor to produce 1.5 kg of Pu-238 per year. The impact on the neutronics of the reactor have been assessed, the amount of Neptunium target material estimated, and the production rates calculated. In addition, the size of the post-irradiation processing facility has been established. Finally, as the study progressed, a new method for fabricating the Pu-238 product into the form used for power sources has been identified to reduce the cost of the final product. In short, the concept appears to be viable, can produce the amount of Pu-238 needed to support the NASA missions, can be available within a few years, and will cost significantly less than the current DOE program.

Quality Characteristics and Quantification of Acetaldehyde and Methanol in Apple Wine Fermentation by Various Pre-Treatments of Mash

PubMed Central

Won, Seon Yi; Seo, Jae Soon; Kwak, Han Sub; Lee, Youngseung; Kim, Misook; Shim, Hyoung-Seok; Jeong, Yoonhwa

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of adding lactic acid and pectinase, and chaptalization for the quality of apple wine and the production of hazardous compounds (methanol and acetaldehyde). The pH of all of the samples was below 4; therefore, mash seemed to be fermented without any issue. Total acidity was the highest in sample A due to lactic acid addition. Pre-treated groups (samples B, C, and D) showed higher total acidities than that of the control (P<0.05). Pre-treatments might influence the production of organic acids in apple wines. The control and pectinase added sample (sample B) had the lowest alcohol contents. Adding lactic acid produced more alcohol, and chaptalized samples produced more alcohol due to the addition of sugar. Adding pectinase with and without chaptalization was not effective for producing more alcohol. The control sample had significantly higher acetaldehyde content (2.39 mg/L) than the other samples (1.00~2.07 mg/L); therefore, pre-treatments for apple wine fermentation produced a lower amount of acetaldehyde. Among the pre-treated samples, samples C and D showed the lowest acetaldehyde content of 1.00 mg/L and 1.16 mg/L, respectively. On the other hand, a significantly higher amount of methanol was generated for sample A (1.03 mg/L) and sample D (1.22 mg/L) than that of the control (0.82 mg/L) (P<0.05). Adding lactic acid or chaptalization was effective in reducing methanol and acetaldehyde in apple wines. PMID:26770917

Difference of EGCg adhesion on cell surface between Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli visualized by electron microscopy after novel indirect staining with cerium chloride.

PubMed

Nakayama, Motokazu; Shigemune, Naofumi; Tsugukuni, Takashi; Tokuda, Hajime; Miyamoto, Takahisa

2011-07-01

We developed a novel method using indirect staining with cerium chloride for visualization of the catechin derivative epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) on the surface of particles, i.e., polystyrene beads and bacterial cells, by electron microscopy. The staining method is based on the fact that in an alkaline environment, EGCg produces hydrogen peroxide, and then hydrogen peroxide reacts with cerium, resulting in a cerium hydroperoxide precipitate. This precipitate subsequently reacts with EGCg to produce larger deposits. The amount of precipitate is proportional to the amount of EGCg. Highly EGCg-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and EGCg-resistant Escherichia coli were treated with EGCg under various pH conditions. Transmission electron microscopy observation showed that the amount of deposits on S. aureus increased with an increase in EGCg concentration. After treating bacterial cells with 0.5mg/mL EGCg (pH 6.0), attachment of EGCg was significantly lower to E. coli than to S. aureus. This is the first report that shows differences in affinity of EGCg to the cell surfaces of Gram-positive and -negative bacteria by electron microscopy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Production of carcinogenic acetaldehyde by Candida albicans from patients with potentially malignant oral mucosal disorders.

PubMed

Gainza-Cirauqui, M L; Nieminen, M T; Novak Frazer, L; Aguirre-Urizar, J M; Moragues, M D; Rautemaa, R

2013-03-01

Production of carcinogenic acetaldehyde by Candida has been suggested to contribute to epithelial dysplasia and oral carcinogenesis. Oral lichen planus (OLP), oral lichenoid lesion (OLL) and oral leukoplakia (OL) are potentially carcinogenic oral diseases where colonisation by Candida is common, but acetaldehyde production by Candida has not been studied. Acetaldehyde production in ethanol (11 mM), glucose (100 mM), ethanol-glucose (11 mM and 100 mM) or red wine (1200 mM ethanol) incubation by Candida albicans from patients with OLL (n = 6), OLP (n = 16), OL (n = 6) and controls (n = 6) was measured by gas chromatography. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding their smoking habits and alcohol consumption. All Candida albicans isolates produced potentially carcinogenic levels of acetaldehyde (>100 μM) in all incubations containing ethanol. The control group isolates produced the highest acetaldehyde levels. Isolates from smokers produced more acetaldehyde in all incubations than those from non-smokers. The difference was significant in ethanol-glucose incubation. Isolates from patients who were both smokers and drinkers produced the highest amounts when incubated in ethanol, ethanol-glucose and wine. Candida albicans isolated from potentially carcinogenic oral diseases can produce mutagenic amounts of acetaldehyde. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption may favour adaptational changes resulting in the upregulation of candidal acetaldehyde metabolism. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. All rights reserved.

A novel bread making process using salt-stressed Baker's yeast.

PubMed

Yeh, Lien-Te; Charles, Albert Linton; Ho, Chi-Tang; Huang, Tzou-Chi

2009-01-01

By adjusting the mixing order of ingredients in traditional formula, an innovative bread making process was developed. The effect of salt-stressed Baker's yeast on bread dough of different sugar levels was investigated. Baker's yeast was stressed in 7% salt solution then mixed into dough, which was then evaluated for fermentation time, dough fermentation producing gas, dough expansion, bread specific volumes, and sensory and physical properties. The results of this study indicated that salt-stressed Baker's yeast shortened fermentation time in 16% and 24% sugar dough. Forty minutes of salt stress produced significant amount of gas and increased bread specific volumes. The bread was softer and significantly improved sensory properties for aroma, taste, and overall acceptability were obtained.

Sakurajima volcano: a physico-chemical study of the health consequences of long-term exposure to volcanic ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillman, S. E.; Horwell, C. J.; Densmore, A. L.; Damby, D. E.; Fubini, B.; Ishimine, Y.; Tomatis, M.

2012-05-01

Regular eruptions from Sakurajima volcano, Japan, repeatedly cover local urban areas with volcanic ash. The frequency of exposure of local populations to the ash led to substantial concerns about possible respiratory health hazards, resulting in many epidemiological and toxicological studies being carried out in the 1980s. However, very few mineralogical data were available for determination of whether the ash was sufficiently fine to present a respiratory hazard. In this study, we review the existing studies and carry out mineralogical, geochemical and toxicological analyses to address whether the ash from Sakurajima has the potential to cause respiratory health problems. The results show that the amount of respirable (<4 μm) material produced by the volcano is highly variable in different eruptions (1.1-18.8 vol.%). The finest samples derive from historical, plinian eruptions but considerable amounts of respirable material were also produced from the most recent vulcanian eruptive phase (since 1955). The amount of cristobalite, a crystalline silica polymorph which has the potential to cause chronic respiratory diseases, is ~3-5 wt.% in the bulk ash. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope imaging showed no fibrous particles similar to asbestos particles. Surface reactivity tests showed that the ash did not produce significant amounts of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (0.09-1.35 μmol m-2 at 30 min.) in comparison to other volcanic ash types. A basic toxicology assay to assess the ability of ash to rupture the membrane of red blood cells showed low propensity for haemolysis. The findings suggest that the potential health hazard of the ash is low, but exposure and respiratory conditions should still be monitored given the high frequency and durations of exposure.

A Probabilistic Approach to Data Integration in Biomedical Research: The IsBIG Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anand, Vibha

2010-01-01

Biomedical research has produced vast amounts of new information in the last decade but has been slow to find its use in clinical applications. Data from disparate sources such as genetic studies and summary data from published literature have been amassed, but there is a significant gap, primarily due to a lack of normative methods, in combining…

Radiation effects on beta /10.6/ of pure and europium doped KCl

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimes, H. H.; Maisel, J. E.; Hartford, R. H.

1975-01-01

Changes in the optical absorption coefficient as the result of X-ray and electron bombardment of pure monocrystalline and polycrystalline KCl and of divalent europium doped polycrystalline KCl were determined. A constant heat flow calorimetric method was used to measure the optical absorption coefficients. Both 300 kV X-ray irradiation and 2 MeV electron irradiation produced increases in the optical absorption coefficient at room temperature. X-ray irradiation produced more significant changes in pure monocrystalline KCl than equivalent amounts of electron irradiation. Electron irradiation of pure and Eu-doped polycrystalline KCl produced increases in the absorption by as much as a factor of 20 over untreated material. Bleaching of the electron-irradiated doped KCl with 649 millimicron light produced a further increase.

Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols Collected in an Urban Area in Upstate NY Using Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Jeremy; Ali, Salina; Nadareski, Benjamin; Safiq, Alexandrea; Yoskowitz, Joshua; Labrake, Scott; Vineyard, Michael

2013-10-01

We examined atmospheric aerosol samples collected in Schenectady NY for evidence of pollution. We collected aerosol samples using a nine stage cascade impactor which distributes the particulate matter by aerodynamic size onto 7.5 μm Kapton foils. We then used a 1MV electrostatic Pelletron accelerator to produce a 2.2 MeV proton beam to hit the impacted foils. X-ray intensity versus energy spectra were collected using an Amptek x-ray detector where the x-rays are produced from the proton beam interacting with the sample. This is called PIXE. The elemental composition and concentrations of the elements present in the aerosol samples were determined using a software package called GUPIX. We have found elements ranging from Al to Pb and in particular have found significant amounts of Pb and Br on some of our impacted foils, with a Br/Pb ratio of 0.6 +/- 0.2 which agrees with previous studies. This result suggests the presence of leaded aviation fuel perhaps due to the proximity of the collection site to a small airport with a significant amount of general aviation traffic. Union College.

Gene expression profiling of astaxanthin and fatty acid pathways in Haematococcus pluvialis in response to different LED lighting conditions.

PubMed

Ma, Ruijuan; Thomas-Hall, Skye R; Chua, Elvis T; Alsenani, Faisal; Eltanahy, Eladl; Netzel, Michael E; Netzel, Gabriele; Lu, Yinghua; Schenk, Peer M

2018-02-01

Haematococcus pluvialis is a green microalga of major interest to industry based on its ability to produce large amounts of astaxanthin. Biosynthesis of astaxanthin and its mono- and di-esters was significantly stimulated under 150 μmol m -2 s -1 of white LED (W-150) compared with lower light intensities, but the highest astaxanthin amounts were produced under 70 μmol m -2 s -1 of blue LED (B-70). Transcripts of astaxanthin biosynthesis genes psy, crtO, and bkt2 were upregulated under W-150, while psy, lcy, crtO, and crtR-B were upregulated by B-70. Total fatty acid content and biosynthesis genes fata and all dgat genes were induced under W-150, while C18:3n6 biosynthesis and dgat2a expression were specifically stimulated by B-70 which was correlated to astaxanthin ester biosynthesis. Nitrogen starvation, various LEDs and the identified upregulated genes may provide useful tools for future metabolic engineering to significantly increase free astaxanthin, its esters and fatty acid precursors in H. pluvialis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method for the enzymatic production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Woodward, Jonathan; Mattingly, Susan M.

1999-01-01

The present invention is an enzymatic method for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of: a) forming a reaction mixture within a reaction vessel comprising a substrate capable of undergoing oxidation within a catabolic reaction, such as glucose, galactose, xylose, mannose, sucrose, lactose, cellulose, xylan and starch. The reaction mixture further comprises an amount of glucose dehydrogenase in an amount sufficient to catalyze the oxidation of the substrate, an amount of hydrogenase sufficient to catalyze an electron-requiring reaction wherein a stoichiometric yield of hydrogen is produced, an amount of pH buffer in an amount sufficient to provide an environment that allows the hydrogenase and the glucose dehydrogenase to retain sufficient activity for the production of hydrogen to occur and also comprising an amount of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate sufficient to transfer electrons from the catabolic reaction to the electron-requiring reaction; b) heating the reaction mixture at a temperature sufficient for glucose dehydrogenase and the hydrogenase to retain sufficient activity and sufficient for the production of hydrogen to occur, and heating for a period of time that continues until the hydrogen is no longer produced by the reaction mixture, wherein the catabolic reaction and the electron-requiring reactions have rates of reaction dependent upon the temperature; and c) detecting the hydrogen produced from the reaction mixture.

Method for the enzymatic production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Woodward, J.; Mattingly, S.M.

1999-08-24

The present invention is an enzymatic method for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of: (a) forming a reaction mixture within a reaction vessel comprising a substrate capable of undergoing oxidation within a catabolic reaction, such as glucose, galactose, xylose, mannose, sucrose, lactose, cellulose, xylan and starch; the reaction mixture also comprising an amount of glucose dehydrogenase in an amount sufficient to catalyze the oxidation of the substrate, an amount of hydrogenase sufficient to catalyze an electron-requiring reaction wherein a stoichiometric yield of hydrogen is produced, an amount of pH buffer in an amount sufficient to provide an environment that allows the hydrogenase and the glucose dehydrogenase to retain sufficient activity for the production of hydrogen to occur and also comprising an amount of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate sufficient to transfer electrons from the catabolic reaction to the electron-requiring reaction; (b) heating the reaction mixture at a temperature sufficient for glucose dehydrogenase and the hydrogenase to retain sufficient activity and sufficient for the production of hydrogen to occur, and heating for a period of time that continues until the hydrogen is no longer produced by the reaction mixture, wherein the catabolic reaction and the electron-requiring reactions have rates of reaction dependent upon the temperature; and (c) detecting the hydrogen produced from the reaction mixture. 8 figs.

The skin reservoir of sulphur mustard.

PubMed

Hattersley, I J; Jenner, J; Dalton, C; Chilcott, R P; Graham, J S

2008-09-01

Studies of the percutaneous reservoir of sulphur mustard (HD) formed during absorption carried out during WWI and WWII are inconclusive. More recent studies have indicated that a significant amount of unreacted HD remains in human epidermal membranes during percutaneous penetration studies in vitro. The present study investigated the nature and persistence of the HD reservoir formed during in vitro penetration studies using dermatomed slices of human and pig skin (0.5mm thick). Amounts of (14)C-HD that (a) penetrated, (b) remained on the surface, (c) were extractable from and (d) remained in the skin after extraction were estimated by liquid scintillation counting (confirmed using GC-MS analysis). The results demonstrated that there is a reservoir of HD in human and pig skin for up to 24 h after contamination of the skin surface in vitro with liquid agent. At least some of this reservoir could be extracted with acetonitrile, and the amounts of extracted and unextracted HD exceed the amount required to produce injury in vivo by at least 20 fold. The study demonstrated the presence of a reservoir whether the skin was covered (occluded) or left open to the air (unoccluded). The study concluded that the extractable reservoir was significant in terms of the amount of HD required to induce a vesicant response in human skin. The extractable reservoir was at least 20 times the amount required per cm(2) estimated to cause a response in all of the human population, as defined by studies carried out in human volunteers during the 1940s.

Process for reproducibly preparing titanium subhydride

DOEpatents

Carlson, Richard S.

1982-01-01

Titanium subhydride is produced in a reactor by heating a selected amount of finely divided titanium compound at a selected temperature for a selected period of time under dynamic vacuum conditions. Hydrogen is removed substantially uniformly from each powder grain and there is produced a subhydride of substantially uniform titanium-hydrogen composition. Selection of the amount, temperature and time produces a subhydride of selected titanium-hydrogen composition.

Effects of Shock-Breakout Pressure on Ejection of Micron-Scale Material from Shocked Tin Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, Michael; Hammerberg, James; Hixson, Robert; Morley, Kevin; Obst, Andrew; Olson, Russell; Payton, Jeremy; Rigg, Paulo; Buttler, William; Grover, Michael; Iverson, Adam; Macrum, Gregory; Stevens, Gerald; Turley, William; Veeser, Lynn; Routley, Nathan

2007-06-01

Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) is actively engaged in the development of a model to predict the formation of micron-scale fragments ejected (ejecta) from shocked metal surfaces. The LANL ejecta model considers that the amount of ejecta is mainly related to the material's phase on shock release at the free-surface. This effort investigates the relation between ejecta production and shock-breakout pressure for Sn shocked with high explosives to pressures near the solid-on-release/partial-liquid-on-release phase transition region. We found that the amount of ejecta produced for shock-breakout pressures that resulted in partial-liquid-on-release increased significantly compared to that which resulted in solid-on-release. Additionally, we found that the amount of ejecta remained relatively constant within the partial-liquid-on-release, regardless of shock-breakout pressure.

Pressure Effects on the Ejection of Material from Shocked Tin Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, M. B.; Grover, M.; Hammerberg, J. E.; Hixson, R. S.; Iverson, A. J.; Macrum, G. S.; Morley, K. B.; Obst, A. W.; Olson, R. T.; Payton, J. R.; Rigg, P. A.; Routley, N.; Stevens, G. D.; Turley, W. D.; Veeser, L.; Buttler, W. T.

2007-12-01

Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) is actively engaged in the development of a model to predict the formation of micron-scale fragments ejected (ejecta) from shocked metals that have surface defects. The LANL ejecta model considers that the amount of ejecta is mainly related to the material's phase on shock release at the free-surface. This effort investigates the relation between ejecta production and shock-breakout pressure for Sn shocked with high explosives to pressures near the solid-on-release/partial-liquid-on-release phase transition region. We found that the amount of ejecta produced for shock-breakout pressures that resulted in partial-liquid-on-release increased significantly compared to that which resulted in solid-on-release. Additionally, we found that the amount of ejecta remained relatively constant within the partial-liquid-on-release, regardless of shock-breakout pressure.

Pyrolysis process for producing fuel gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Serio, Michael A. (Inventor); Kroo, Erik (Inventor); Wojtowicz, Marek A. (Inventor); Suuberg, Eric M. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

Solid waste resource recovery in space is effected by pyrolysis processing, to produce light gases as the main products (CH.sub.4, H.sub.2, CO.sub.2, CO, H.sub.2O, NH.sub.3) and a reactive carbon-rich char as the main byproduct. Significant amounts of liquid products are formed under less severe pyrolysis conditions, and are cracked almost completely to gases as the temperature is raised. A primary pyrolysis model for the composite mixture is based on an existing model for whole biomass materials, and an artificial neural network models the changes in gas composition with the severity of pyrolysis conditions.

Generation and Functional Evaluation of Designer Monoterpene Synthases.

PubMed

Srividya, N; Lange, I; Lange, B M

2016-01-01

Monoterpene synthases are highly versatile enzymes that catalyze the first committed step in the pathways toward terpenoids, the structurally most diverse class of plant natural products. Recent advancements in our understanding of the reaction mechanism have enabled engineering approaches to develop mutant monoterpene synthases that produce specific monoterpenes. In this chapter, we are describing protocols to introduce targeted mutations, express mutant enzyme catalysts in heterologous hosts, and assess their catalytic properties. Mutant monoterpene synthases have the potential to contribute significantly to synthetic biology efforts aimed at producing larger amounts of commercially attractive monoterpenes. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Medical molecular farming: production of antibodies, biopharmaceuticals and edible vaccines in plants

PubMed Central

Daniell, Henry; Streatfield, Stephen J.; Wycoff, Keith

2017-01-01

The use of plants for medicinal purposes dates back thousands of years but genetic engineering of plants to produce desired biopharmaceuticals is much more recent. As the demand for biopharmaceuticals is expected to increase, it would be wise to ensure that they will be available in significantly larger amounts, on a cost-effective basis. Currently, the cost of biopharmaceuticals limits their availability. Plant-derived biopharmaceuticals are cheap to produce and store, easy to scale up for mass production, and safer than those derived from animals. Here, we discuss recent developments in this field and possible environmental concerns. PMID:11335175

Controlling composition and color characteristics of Monascus pigments by pH and nitrogen sources in submerged fermentation.

PubMed

Shi, Kan; Song, Da; Chen, Gong; Pistolozzi, Marco; Wu, Zhenqiang; Quan, Lei

2015-08-01

Submerged fermentations of Monascus anka were performed with different nitrogen sources at different pH in 3 L bioreactors. The results revealed that the Monascus pigments dominated by different color components (yellow pigments, orange pigments or red pigments) could be selectively produced through pH control and nitrogen source selection. A large amount of intracellular pigments dominated by orange pigments and a small amount of water-soluble extracellular yellow pigments were produced at low pH (pH 2.5 and 4.0), independently of the nitrogen source employed. At higher pH (pH 6.5), the role of the nitrogen source became more significant. In particular, when ammonium sulfate was used as nitrogen source, the intracellular pigments were dominated by red pigments with a small amount of yellow pigments. Conversely, when peptone was used, intracellular pigments were dominated by yellow pigments with a few red pigments derivatives. Neither the presence of peptone nor ammonium sulfate promoted the production of intracellular orange pigments while extracellular pigments with an orangish red color were observed in both cases, with a higher yield when peptone was used. Two-stage pH control fermentation was then performed to improve desirable pigments yield and further investigate the effect of pH and nitrogen sources on pigments composition. These results provide a useful strategy to produce Monascus pigments with different composition and different color characteristics. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alternate propellant program, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, F. A.; West, W. R.

1979-01-01

Candidate propellant systems for the shuttle booster solid rocket motor (SRM), which would eliminate, or greatly reduce, the amount of HCl produced in the exhaust of the shuttle SRM were investigated. Ammonium nitrate was selected for consideration as the main oxidizer, with ammonium perchlorate and the nitramine, cyclo-tetramethylene-tetranitramine as secondary oxidizers. The amount of ammonium perchlorate used was limited to an amount which would produce an exhaust containing no more than 3% HCl.

Methane Pyrolysis and Disposing Off Resulting Carbon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, P. K.; Rapp, D.; Rahotgi, N. K.

1999-01-01

Sabatier/Electrolysis (S/E) is a leading process for producing methane and oxygen for application to Mars ISPP. One significant problem with this process is that it produces an excess of methane for combustion with the amount of oxygen that is produced. Therefore, one must discard roughly half of the methane to obtain the proper stoichiometric methane/oxygen mixture for ascent from Mars. This is wasteful of hydrogen, which must be brought from Earth and is difficult to transport to Mars and store on Mars. To reduced the problem of transporting hydrogen to Mars, the S/E process can be augmented by another process which reduces overall hydrogen requirement. Three conceptual approaches for doing this are (1) recover hydrogen from the excess methane produced by the S/E process, (2) convert the methane to a higher hydrocarbon or other organic with a lower H/C ratio than methane, and (3) use a separate process (such as zirconia or reverse water gas shift reaction) to produce additional oxygen, thus utilizing all the methane produced by the Sabatier process. We report our results here on recovering hydrogen from the excess methane using pyrolysis of methane. Pyrolysis has the advantage that it produces almost pure hydrogen, and any unreacted methane can pass through the S/E process reactor. It has the disadvantage that disposing of the carbon produced by pyrolysis presents difficulties. Hydrogen may be obtained from methane by pyrolysis in the temperature range 10000-12000C. The main reaction products are hydrogen and carbon, though very small amounts of higher hydrocarbons, including aromatic hydrocarbons are formed. The conversion efficiency is about 95% at 12000C. One needs to distinguish between thermodynamic equilibrium conversion and conversion limited by kinetics in a finite reactor.

Process and system for removing sulfur from sulfur-containing gaseous streams

DOEpatents

Basu, Arunabha; Meyer, Howard S.; Lynn, Scott; Leppin, Dennis; Wangerow, James R.

2012-08-14

A multi-stage UCSRP process and system for removal of sulfur from a gaseous stream in which the gaseous stream, which contains a first amount of H.sub.2S, is provided to a first stage UCSRP reactor vessel operating in an excess SO.sub.2 mode at a first amount of SO.sub.2, producing an effluent gas having a reduced amount of SO.sub.2, and in which the effluent gas is provided to a second stage UCSRP reactor vessel operating in an excess H.sub.2S mode, producing a product gas having an amount of H.sub.2S less than said first amount of H.sub.2S.

Effect of Grain Refinement and Cooling Rate on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Secondary Al-Si-Cu Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timelli, Giulio; Camicia, Giordano; Ferraro, Stefano

2014-02-01

The effect of AlTi5B1 grain refinement and different solidification rates on metallurgical and mechanical properties of a secondary AlSi7Cu3Mg alloy is reported. While the Ti content ranges from 0.04 up to 0.225 wt.%, the cooling rate varies between 0.1 and 5.5 °C/s. Metallographic and thermal analysis techniques have been used to quantitatively examine the macro- and microstructural changes occurring with grain refiner addition at various cooling rates. The results indicate that a small AlTi5B1 addition produces the greatest refinement, while no significant reduction of grain size is obtained with a great amount of grain refiner. On increasing the cooling rate, a lower amount of AlTi5B1 master alloy is necessary to produce a uniform grain size throughout the casting. The combined addition of AlTi5B1 and Sr does not produce any reciprocal interaction or effect on primary α-Al and eutectic solidification. The grain refinement improves the plastic behavior of the alloy and increases the reliability of castings, as evidenced by the Weibull statistics.

Predicting language outcomes for children learning AAC: Child and environmental factors

PubMed Central

Brady, Nancy C.; Thiemann-Bourque, Kathy; Fleming, Kandace; Matthews, Kris

2014-01-01

Purpose To investigate a model of language development for nonverbal preschool age children learning to communicate with AAC. Method Ninety-three preschool children with intellectual disabilities were assessed at Time 1, and 82 of these children were assessed one year later at Time 2. The outcome variable was the number of different words the children produced (with speech, sign or SGD). Children’s intrinsic predictor for language was modeled as a latent variable consisting of cognitive development, comprehension, play, and nonverbal communication complexity. Adult input at school and home, and amount of AAC instruction were proposed mediators of vocabulary acquisition. Results A confirmatory factor analysis revealed that measures converged as a coherent construct and an SEM model indicated that the intrinsic child predictor construct predicted different words children produced. The amount of input received at home but not at school was a significant mediator. Conclusions Our hypothesized model accurately reflected a latent construct of Intrinsic Symbolic Factor (ISF). Children who evidenced higher initial levels of ISF and more adult input at home produced more words one year later. Findings support the need to assess multiple child variables, and suggest interventions directed to the indicators of ISF and input. PMID:23785187

Stability of zinc stearate under alpha irradiation in the manufacturing process of SFR nuclear fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gracia, J.; Vermeulen, J.; Baux, D.; Sauvage, T.; Venault, L.; Audubert, F.; Colin, X.

2018-03-01

The manufacture of new fuels for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) will involve powders derived from recycling existing fuels in order to keep on producing electricity while saving natural resources and reducing the amount of waste produced by spent MOX fuels. Using recycled plutonium in this way will significantly increase the amount of 238Pu, a high energy alpha emitter, in the powders. The process of shaping powders by pressing requires the use of a solid lubricant, zinc stearate, to produce pellets with no defects compliant with the standards. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of alpha radiolysis on this additive and its lubrication properties. Experiments were conducted on samples in contact with PuO2, as well as under external helium ion beam irradiation, in order to define the kinetics of radiolytic gas generation. The yield results relating to the formation of these gases (G0) show that the alpha radiation of plutonium can be simulated using external helium ion beam irradiation. The isotopic composition of plutonium has little impact on the yield. However, an increased yield was globally observed with increasing the mean linear energy transfer (LET). A radiolytic degradation process is proposed.

Antioxidants Potential of the Filamentous Fungi (Mucor circinelloides)

PubMed Central

Hussain, Syed Ammar; Yang, Junhuan; Ijaz, Muhammad Umair; Liu, Qing; Song, Yuanda

2017-01-01

Three important strains of Mucor circinelloides grown in complete and minimal media for specified period (72 h, 120 h and 168 h) under submerged fermentation conditions were investigated for their potential antioxidants/secondary metabolite production. All mycelial extracts demonstrated effective antioxidant activities in terms of β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, radical scavenging, reduction of metal ions and chelating abilities against ferrous ions. Different extraction methods and solvent systems affected the recovery yield and antioxidant activities of the extracts significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Ethanolic extracts were found to be rich source of antioxidant components and subsequently more effective in antioxidant properties. Fermentation period and media used also significantly affected (p ≤ 0.05) the antioxidant production and the resulting antioxidant properties. The (ethanolic) extracts of all the strains from late exponential growth phase (120 h) showed highest antioxidant production with topmost reducing, chelating and radical scavenging capabilities. Strain MC277.49 was found to be the highest producer of antioxidants followed by MC108.16 and WJ11. Phenolic compounds were detected significantly in higher (p ≤ 0.05) amount succeeded by the condensed tannins and flavonoids. Total phenol content of each extract was attributed to overall antioxidant capacity. Submerged fermentation with nutritional stress conditions were found to be excellent way of producing surplus amount of natural antioxidants/secondary metabolites with their vast potential commercial application in food and pharmaceutical industries. PMID:28991177

Antioxidants Potential of the Filamentous Fungi (Mucor circinelloides).

PubMed

Hameed, Ahsan; Hussain, Syed Ammar; Yang, Junhuan; Ijaz, Muhammad Umair; Liu, Qing; Suleria, Hafiz Ansar Rasul; Song, Yuanda

2017-10-07

Three important strains of Mucor circinelloides grown in complete and minimal media for specified period (72 h, 120 h and 168 h) under submerged fermentation conditions were investigated for their potential antioxidants/secondary metabolite production. All mycelial extracts demonstrated effective antioxidant activities in terms of β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, radical scavenging, reduction of metal ions and chelating abilities against ferrous ions. Different extraction methods and solvent systems affected the recovery yield and antioxidant activities of the extracts significantly ( p ≤ 0.05). Ethanolic extracts were found to be rich source of antioxidant components and subsequently more effective in antioxidant properties. Fermentation period and media used also significantly affected ( p ≤ 0.05) the antioxidant production and the resulting antioxidant properties. The (ethanolic) extracts of all the strains from late exponential growth phase (120 h) showed highest antioxidant production with topmost reducing, chelating and radical scavenging capabilities. Strain MC277.49 was found to be the highest producer of antioxidants followed by MC108.16 and WJ11. Phenolic compounds were detected significantly in higher ( p ≤ 0.05) amount succeeded by the condensed tannins and flavonoids. Total phenol content of each extract was attributed to overall antioxidant capacity. Submerged fermentation with nutritional stress conditions were found to be excellent way of producing surplus amount of natural antioxidants/secondary metabolites with their vast potential commercial application in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Bark yields of 11-year-old loblolly pine as influenced by competition control and fertilization

Treesearch

Allan E. Tiarks; James D. Haywood

1992-01-01

Bolts cut from 11-year-old loblolly pines (Pinus taeda L.) were measured to determine the effects of applications of fertilizer and competition control treatments on the amount of pine bark produced. Bark thickness at breast height was not significantly affected by any of the treatments. Regression analysis showed that the dry weight of bark per unit...

New Method for Producing Significant Amounts of RNA Labeled at Specific Sites | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Among biomacromolecules, RNA is the most versatile, and it plays indispensable roles in almost all aspects of biology. For example, in addition to serving as mRNAs coding for proteins, RNAs regulate gene expression, such as controlling where, when, and how efficiently a gene gets expressed, participate in RNA processing, encode the genetic information of some viruses, serve as

Identification and characterization of genes responsible for biosynthesis of kojic acid, an industrially important compound from Aspergillus oryzae.

PubMed

Terabayashi, Yasunobu; Sano, Motoaki; Yamane, Noriko; Marui, Junichiro; Tamano, Koichi; Sagara, Junichi; Dohmoto, Mitsuko; Oda, Ken; Ohshima, Eiji; Tachibana, Kuniharu; Higa, Yoshitaka; Ohashi, Shinichi; Koike, Hideaki; Machida, Masayuki

2010-12-01

Kojic acid is produced in large amounts by Aspergillus oryzae as a secondary metabolite and is widely used in the cosmetic industry. Glucose can be converted to kojic acid, perhaps by only a few steps, but no genes for the conversion have thus far been revealed. Using a DNA microarray, gene expression profiles under three pairs of conditions significantly affecting kojic acid production were compared. All genes were ranked using an index parameter reflecting both high amounts of transcription and a high induction ratio under producing conditions. After disruption of nine candidate genes selected from the top of the list, two genes of unknown function were found to be responsible for kojic acid biosynthesis, one having an oxidoreductase motif and the other a transporter motif. These two genes are closely associated in the genome, showing typical characteristics of genes involved in secondary metabolism. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Tropospheric Aerosol Absorption on Ozone Retrieval from buv Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torres, O.; Bhartia, P. K.

1998-01-01

The impact of tropospheric aerosols on the retrieval of column ozone amounts using spaceborne measurements of backscattered ultraviolet radiation is examined. Using radiative transfer calculations, we show that uv-absorbing desert dust may introduce errors as large as 10% in ozone column amount, depending on the aerosol layer height and optical depth. Smaller errors are produced by carbonaceous aerosols that result from biomass burning. Though the error is produced by complex interactions between ozone absorption (both stratospheric and tropospheric), aerosol scattering, and aerosol absorption, a surprisingly simple correction procedure reduces the error to about 1%, for a variety of aerosols and for a wide range of aerosol loading. Comparison of the corrected TOMS data with operational data indicates that though the zonal mean total ozone derived from TOMS are not significantly affected by these errors, localized affects in the tropics can be large enough to seriously affect the studies of tropospheric ozone that are currently undergoing using the TOMS data.

Width of thermal damage after using the YAG contact laser for cutting biological tissue: animal experimental investigation.

PubMed

Mecke, H; Schünke, M; Schnaidt, S; Freys, I; Semm, K

1991-01-01

At the University Women's Clinic in Kiel, the YAG contact laser has been used as a cutting instrument in pelviscopic operations since 1987. When the laser cuts, it produces only a scant amount of mechanical trauma. The determining factor is the amount of thermal damage produced along the wound margins and in direct neighboring tissue. The extent of the tissue change seen in the uterus and liver parenchyma of rats and the striated muscle of rabbits after application of the YAG contact laser was demonstrated using various staining techniques and stains. Liver parenchyma proved to be the most sensitive to thermal damage. In the uterine horn, enzyme-histochemical ATPase and alkaline phosphatase demonstrations showed a significantly wider zone of thermal damage after laser incision than did hematoxylin-eosin and Goldner staining techniques. A good understanding of the extent of thermal damage is essential for atraumatic pelviscopic operations using the YAG contact laser and also for the preventing of complications.

Review of non-traditional coal mining countries. Part I

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

Pettigrew, J.

1976-03-01

The coal reserves and coal production of countries in Africa and Central and South America are reviewed. About 0.5 percent of world hard coal output originates from Central and South America, but production of lignite and brown coals is negligible. Colombia, Mexico and Brazil are the largest producers, while significant amounts of coal are won in Chile. At present Argentina, Peru and Venezuela have very small coal industries. Excluding the Republic of South Africa, the African continent has only about 0.25 percent of world coal reserves. Lignite and brown coal resources are negligible. Despite the relatively small amount of coalmore » resources there is nevertheless a degree of underexploitation. Of those African countries that have reserves, most are capable of modest increases in production given the right financial and technical assistance. Africa produces about 3.0 percent of total world coal production, and all but 0.2 percent comes from South Africa. Over half of the remainder is mined in Rhodesia.« less

Low-molecular-weight thiols in streptomycetes and their potential role as antioxidants.

PubMed Central

Newton, G L; Fahey, R C; Cohen, G; Aharonowitz, Y

1993-01-01

The intracellular low-molecular-weight thiols present in five gram-positive Streptomyces species and one Flavobacterium species were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography after fluorescence labeling with monobromobimane. Bacteria were chosen to include penicillin and cephalosporin beta-lactam producers and nonproducers. No significant amount of glutathione was found in any of the streptomycetes. Major intracellular thiols in all strains examined were cysteine, coenzyme A, sulfide, thiosulfate, and an unknown thiol designated U17. Those streptomycetes that make beta-lactam antibiotics also produce significant amounts of delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV), a key intermediate in their biosynthesis. In Streptomyces clavuligerus, a potent producer of beta-lactams, the level of ACV was low during the early phase of growth and increased rapidly toward the end of exponential growth, paralleling that of antibiotic production. These and other observations indicate that ACV does not function as a protective thiol in streptomycetes. U17 may have this role since it was the major thiol in all streptomycetes and appeared to occur at levels about 10-fold higher than those of the other thiols measured, including ACV. Purification and amino acid analysis of U17 indicated that it contains cysteine and an unusual amine that is not one of the common amino acids. This thiol is identical to an unknown thiol found previously in Micrococcus roseus and Streptomyces griseus. A high level of ergothioneine was found in Streptomyces lactamdurans, and several unidentified thiols were detected in this and other streptomycetes. PMID:8478335

Effect of linoleic acid concentration on conjugated linoleic acid production by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens A38.

PubMed

Kim, Y J; Liu, R H; Bond, D R; Russell, J B

2000-12-01

Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens A38 inocula were inhibited by as little as 15 microM linoleic acid (LA), but growing cultures tolerated 10-fold more LA before growth was inhibited. Growing cultures did not produce significant amounts of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) until the LA concentration was high enough to inhibit biohydrogenation, growth was inhibited, and lysis was enhanced. Washed-cell suspensions that were incubated anaerobically with 350 microM LA converted most of the LA to hydrogenated products, and little CLA was detected. When the washed-cell suspensions were incubated aerobically, biohydrogenation was inhibited, CLA production was at least twofold greater, and CLA persisted. The LA isomerase reaction was very rapid, but the LA isomerase did not recycle like a normal enzyme to catalyze more substrate. Cells that were preincubated with CLA lost their ability to produce more CLA from LA, and the CLA accumulation was directly proportional (r(2) = 0.98) to the initial cell density. Growing cells were as sensitive to CLA as LA, the LA isomerase and reductases of biohydrogenation were linked, and free CLA was not released. Because growing cultures of B. fibrisolvens A38 did not produce significant amounts of CLA until the LA concentration was high, biohydrogenation was arrested, and the cell density had declined, the flow of CLA from the rumen may be due to LA-dependent bacterial inactivation, death, or lysis.

Effect of Linoleic Acid Concentration on Conjugated Linoleic Acid Production by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens A38

PubMed Central

Kim, Young Jun; Liu, Rui Hai; Bond, Daniel R.; Russell, James B.

2000-01-01

Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens A38 inocula were inhibited by as little as 15 μM linoleic acid (LA), but growing cultures tolerated 10-fold more LA before growth was inhibited. Growing cultures did not produce significant amounts of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) until the LA concentration was high enough to inhibit biohydrogenation, growth was inhibited, and lysis was enhanced. Washed-cell suspensions that were incubated anaerobically with 350 μM LA converted most of the LA to hydrogenated products, and little CLA was detected. When the washed-cell suspensions were incubated aerobically, biohydrogenation was inhibited, CLA production was at least twofold greater, and CLA persisted. The LA isomerase reaction was very rapid, but the LA isomerase did not recycle like a normal enzyme to catalyze more substrate. Cells that were preincubated with CLA lost their ability to produce more CLA from LA, and the CLA accumulation was directly proportional (r2 = 0.98) to the initial cell density. Growing cells were as sensitive to CLA as LA, the LA isomerase and reductases of biohydrogenation were linked, and free CLA was not released. Because growing cultures of B. fibrisolvens A38 did not produce significant amounts of CLA until the LA concentration was high, biohydrogenation was arrested, and the cell density had declined, the flow of CLA from the rumen may be due to LA-dependent bacterial inactivation, death, or lysis. PMID:11097894

A pollinators' eye view of a shelter mimicry system

PubMed Central

Vereecken, Nicolas J.; Dorchin, Achik; Dafni, Amots; Hötling, Susann; Schulz, Stefan; Watts, Stella

2013-01-01

Background and Aims ‘Human-red’ flowers are traditionally considered to be rather unpopular with bees, yet some allogamous species in the section Oncocyclus (genus Iris, Iridaceae) have evolved specialized interactions with their pollinators, a narrow taxonomic range of male solitary bees. The dark-red, tubular flowers of these irises are nectarless but provide protective shelters (i.e. a non-nutritive form of reward) primarily to male solitary bees (Apidae, Eucerini) that pollinate the flowers while looking for a shelter. An earlier study on orchids suggested that species pollinated predominantly by male solitary bees produce significantly larger amounts and larger numbers of different n-alkenes (unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons). Whether or not this also applies to the Oncocyclus irises and whether pollinators are attracted by specific colours or scents of these flowers is unknown. Methods Using Iris atropurpurea, recording of pollinator preferences for shelters with different spatial parameters was combined with analyses of floral colours (by spectrophotometry) and scents (by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) to test the hypotheses that (a) pollinators significantly prefer floral tunnels facing the rising sun (floral heat-reward hypothesis), and that (b) flowers pollinated predominantly by male solitary bees produce significantly larger amounts and larger numbers of unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons (n-alkenes) in their floral scent (preadaptation to sexual-deception hypothesis). Key Results Male bees do not significantly prefer shelters facing the rising sun or with the presence of high absolute/relative amounts and numbers of n-alkenes in the floral scent. Conclusions The results suggest that the flowers of I. atropurpurea probably evolved by pollinator-mediated selection acting primarily on floral colours to mimic large achromatic (‘bee-black’) protective shelters used preferentially by male solitary bees, and that pollinator visits are presumably not the result of an odour-based sexual stimulation or motivated by an increased morning floral heat reward in tunnels facing the rising sun. PMID:23599249

Anti-inflammatory activities of ethanolic extract of Carica papaya leaves.

PubMed

Owoyele, Bamidele V; Adebukola, Olubori M; Funmilayo, Adeoye A; Soladoye, Ayodele O

2008-08-01

The anti-inflammatory activity of an ethanolic extract of Carica papaya leaves was investigated in rats using carrageenan induced paw oedema, cotton pellet granuloma and formaldehyde induced arthritis models. Experimental animals received 25-200 mg/Kg (orally) of the extracts or saline (control group) and the reference group received 5 mg/ Kg of indomethacin. The ulcerogenic activity of the extract was also investigated. The results show that the extracts significantly (p <0.05) reduced paw oedema in the carrageenan test. Likewise the extract produced significant reduction in the amount of granuloma formed from 0.58 +/-0.07 to 0.22 +/-0.03 g. In the formaldehyde arthritis model, the extracts significantly reduced the persistent oedema from the 4th day to the 10th day of the investigation. The extracts also produced slight mucosal irritation at high doses. The study establishes the anti-inflammatory activity of Carica papaya leaves.

Methods for producing hydrogen (BI) sulfide and/or removing metals

DOEpatents

Truex, Michael J [Richland, WA; Peyton, Brent M [Pullman, WA; Toth, James J [Kennewick, WA

2002-05-14

The present invention is a process wherein sulfide production by bacteria is efficiently turned on and off, using pH adjustment. The adjustment of pH impacts sulfide production by bacteria by altering the relative amounts of H.sub.2 S and HS-- in solution and thereby control the inhibition of the bacterial metabolism that produces sulfide. This process can be used to make a bioreactor produce sulfide "on-demand" so that the production of sulfide can be matched to its use as a metal precipitation reagent. The present invention is of significance because it enables the use of a biological reactor, a cost effective sulfide production system, by making the biological reactor produce hydrogen sulfide "on demand", and therefore responsive to production schedules, waste stream generation rate, and health and safety requirements/goals.

The mineralogy of bauxite for producing smelter-grade alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Authier-Martin, M.; Forte, G.; Ostap, S.; See, J.

2001-12-01

Aluminum-producing companies rely on low-cost, high-purity, smelter-grade alumina (aluminum oxide), and alumina production utilizes the bulk of bauxites mined world-wide. The mineralogy of the bauxites has a significant impact on the operation of the Bayer process for alumina production. Typically, the Bayer process produces smelter-grade alumina of 99.5% Al2O3, starting from bauxite containing 30% to 60% Al2O3. The main objective of the Bayer process is to extract the maximum amount of aluminum from the bauxite at as high an aluminate concentration in solution as possible, while limiting any troublesome side reactions. Only with a better understanding of the chemistry of the mineral species and a strict control of the operating/processing conditions can the Bayer process produce efficiently, a low cost, high-quality alumina with minimum detrimental environmental impact.

Electron treatment of wood pulp for the viscose process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepanik, T. M.; Ewing, D. E.; Whitehouse, R.

2000-03-01

Electron processing is currently being evaluated by several viscose producers for integration into their process. The viscose industry converts dissolving wood pulp into products such as staple fibre, filament, cord, film, packaging, and non-edible sausage casings. These materials are used in the clothing, drapery, hygiene, automobile, food, and packaging industries. Viscose producers are facing increasingly high production costs and stringent environmental regulations that have forced some plants to close. Electron treatment of wood pulp can significantly reduce the amounts of chemicals used for producing viscose and the production of hazardous pollutants. Acsion Industries has worked with companies worldwide to demonstrate the benefits of using electron treated pulp for producing viscose (rayon). This paper describes the viscose process, the benefits of using electron treatment in the viscose process, and Acsion's efforts in developing this technology.

Influence of soil arsenic on the growth of lowbush blueberry

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

Anastasia, F.B.; Kender, W.J.

1973-01-01

Samples of commercial and virgin soils taken from various lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait) areas in Maine contained measurable amounts of As. The highest levels were found in soils from commercial fields which had been repeatedly treated with calcium arsenate for insect control. The amount of As decreased as the soil depth increased. Soils from commercial blueberry fields ranged from 7.7 to 37.8 ppm while virgin soils ranged from 5.7 to 7.0 ppm in the upper levels. Lowbush blueberry plants grown as As levels of 7.7, 17.1, 43.8, 69.5, and 84.5 ppm in a loamy sand in the greenhouse weremore » injured only at the highest level. At 69.5 ppm As and higher blueberry plant growth was significantly inhibited when compared to plants grown at 7.7 ppm As. The greatest As accumulation in blueberry tissue occurred in the roots with decreasing amounts in the stems and leaves, respectively. When foliar As reached 6.7 ppm, a significant reduction in plant growth resulted. Although As was present in all field soils analyzed, at no point did the amount found exceed that which was necessary to produce a reduction in plant growth under greenhouse conditions.« less

Methods of Advanced Wound Management for Care of Combined Traumatic and Chemical Warfare Injuries

PubMed Central

Graham, John S.; Gerlach, Travis W.; Logan, Thomas P.; Bonar, James P.; Fugo, Richard J.; Lee, Robyn B.; Coatsworth, Matthew A.

2008-01-01

Objective: Chemical warfare agents are potential threats to military personnel and civilians. The potential for associated traumatic injuries is significant. Damage control surgery could expose medical personnel to agents contaminating the wounds. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate efficacy of surgical decontamination and assess exposure risk to attending personnel. Methods: Weanling pigs were randomly assigned to 2 of 4 debridement tools (scalpel, Bovie® knife, Fugo Blade®, and Versajet™ Hydrosurgery System). Penetrating traumatic wounds were created over the shoulder and thigh and then exposed to liquid sulfur mustard (HD) for 60 minutes. Excisional debridement of the injuries was performed while vapors over each site were collected. Gas chromatography was used to measure HD in samples of collected vapors. Unbound HD was quantified in presurgical wound swabs, excised tissues, and peripheral tissue biopsies following solvent extraction. Results: Excisional debridement produced agent-free wound beds (surgical decontamination). A significant amount of HD vapor was detected above the surgical fields with each tool. Apart from the Versajet™ producing significantly lower levels of HD detected over thigh wounds compared with those treated using the scalpel, there were no differences in the amount of agent detected among the tools. All measured levels significantly exceeded established safety limits. Vesicating levels of unbound HD were extracted from excised tissue. There was no measured lateral spreading of HD beyond the surgical margins. Conclusions: There is significant occupational exposure risk to HD during surgical procedures designed to stabilize agent-contaminated wounds. If appropriate protective measures are taken, surgical decontamination is both effective and safe. PMID:18716652

An Alkalophilic Bacillus sp. Produces 2-Phenylethylamine

PubMed Central

Hamasaki, Nobuko; Shirai, Shinji; Niitsu, Masaru; Kakinuma, Katsumi; Oshima, Tairo

1993-01-01

A large amount of 2-phenylethylamine was produced in cells of alkalophilic Bacillus sp. strain YN-2000. This amine is secreted in the medium during the cell growth. The amounts of 2-phenylethylamine in both cells and medium change upon changing the pH of the medium. PMID:16349025

26 CFR 1.993-4 - Definition of producer's loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 10 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Definition of producer's loans. 1.993-4 Section...'s research and experimental expenditures. The amount described in this subdivision is the aggregate amount, whether or not charged to capital account, of research and experimental expenditures (within the...

Effects of an oil production effluent on gametogenesis and gamete performance in the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus Stimpson)

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

Krause, P.R.

1994-07-01

Adult organisms subjected to chronic discharges from a point source of pollution may exhibit several sublethal responses. One such response is the impairment of gamete production. This may be expressed in the amount and/or quality of gametes produced by adults. In this study the effects of chronic exposure to produced water (an oil production effluent) on the gametogenesis and gamete performance of the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus Stimpson) were examined using an in situ caging experiment. Adult purple sea urchins were kept in benthic cages arrayed down-field from a discharging diffuser at 13 sites, with distances ranging from 5more » to 1,000 m. Cage exposures were maintained in the field for eight weeks, and each cage held 25 animals. Gametogenesis was examined for each sex by comparing a size-independent measure of relative gonads ass as determined by analysis of covariance. Results showed that there was a significant negative relationship between these estimates of relative gonad mass and distance from the outfall for both sexes, indicating that sea urchins living closer to the outfall produced significantly larger gonads. Gamete performance was measured through a fertilization kinetics bioassay that held the concentration of eggs constant and varied the amount of sperm added. The proportion of eggs fertilized under each sperm concentration was determined and the response fit to a model of fertilizability showed a positive relationship with distance away from the outfall. These findings indicate that although adult sea urchins exposed to a produced water outfall exhibit larger gonads, they suffer a marked decrease in a gamete performance.« less

A burst from a thermonuclear runaway on an ONeMg white dwarf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starrfield, S.; Politano, M.; Truran, J. W.; Sparks, W. M.

1992-01-01

Studies which examine the consequences of accretion, at rates of 10(exp -9) solar mass/yr and 10(exp -10) solar mass/yr, onto an ONeMg white dwarf with a mass of 1.35 solar masses are performed. In these studies, a Lagrangian, hydrodynamic, one-dimensional computer code was used. The code now includes a network with 89 nuclei up to Ca-40, elemental diffusion, new opacities, and new equation of state. The initial abundance distribution corresponded to a mixture that was enriched to either 25, 50, or 75 percent in products of carbon burning. The remaining material in each case is assumed to have a solar composition. The evolution of the thermonuclear runaway in the 1.35 solar mass white dwarf, with M = 10(exp -9) solar mass, produced peak temperatures in the shell source exceeding 300 million degrees. The sequence produced significant amounts of Na-22 from proton captures onto Ne-20 and significant amounts of Al-26 from proton captures on Mg-24. This sequence ejected 5.2 x 10(exp -6) solar mass moving with speeds from approximately 100 km/s to 2300 km/s. When the mass accretion rate was decreased to 10(exp -10) solar mass, the resulting thermonuclear runaway produced a shock that moved through the outer envelope of the white dwarf and raised the surface luminosity to L greater than 10(exp 7) solar luminosity and the effective temperature to values exceeding 10(exp 7) K. The interaction of the material expanding from off of the white dwarf with the accretion disk should produce a burst of gamma-rays.

Differential response of wheat cultivars to Pseudomonas brassicacearum and take-all decline soil.

PubMed

Yang, Mingming; Mavrodi, Dmitri; Thomashow, Linda S; Weller, David M

2018-06-15

2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)-producing Pseudomonas spp. in the P. fluorescens complex are primarily responsible for a natural suppression of take-all of wheat known as take-all decline (TAD) in many fields in the USA. P. brassicacearum, the most common DAPG producer found in TAD soils in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the USA, has biocontrol, growth promoting and phytotoxic activities. In this study, we explored how the wheat cultivar affects the level of take-all suppression when grown in a TAD soil, and how cultivars respond to colonization by P. brassicacearum. Three cvs. Tara, Finley and Buchanan supported similar rhizosphere population sizes of P. brassicacearum when grown in a TAD soil, however they developed significantly different amounts of take-all. Cultivars Tara and Buchanan developed the least and most take-all, respectively, and Finley showed an intermediate amount of disease. However, when grown in TAD soil that was pasteurized to eliminate both DAPG producers and take-all suppression, all three cultivars were equally susceptible to take-all. The three cultivars also responded differently to the colonization and phytotoxicity of P. brassicacearum strains Q8r1-96 and L5.1-96, which are characteristic of DAPG producers in PNW TAD soils. As compared to cv. Tara, cv. Buchanan showed significantly reduced seedling emergence and root growth when colonized by P. brassicacearum, and the response of Finley was intermediate. However, all cultivars emerged equally when treated with a DAPG-deficient mutant of Q8r1-96. Our results indicate that wheat cultivars grown in a TAD soil modulate both the robustness of take-all suppression and the potential phytotoxicity of the antibiotic DAPG.

Components of male aggregation pheromone of strawberry blossom weevil, Anthonomus rubi herbst. (Coleoptera:Curculionidae).

PubMed

Innocenzi, P J; Hall, D R; Cross, J V

2001-06-01

The strawberry blossom weevil, Anthonomus rubi, is a major pest of strawberries in the United Kingdom and continental Europe. As part of a project to develop noninsecticidal control methods, the pheromone system of this species was investigated. Comparison of volatiles produced by field-collected, overwintering individuals of each sex led to identification of three male-specific compounds--(Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)ethanol, (cis)-1-methyl-2-(1-methylethenyl)cyclobutaneethanol, and 2-(1-methylethenyl)-5-methyl-4-hexen-1-ol (lavandulol)--in amounts of 6.1, 1.2, and 0.82 microg/day/ male. The first two compounds are components of the aggregation pheromone of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, grandlure II and grandlure I, respectively. Grandlure I was the (1R,2S)-(+) enantiomer and lavandulol was a single enantiomer, although the absolute configuration was not determined. Trace amounts of the other two grandlure components (Z)-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)acetaldehyde (grandlure III) and (E)-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)acetaldehyde (grandlure IV) were also detected. (E,E)-1-(1-Methylethyl)-4-methylene-8-methyl-2,7-cyclo-decadiene (germacrene-D), a known volatile from strawberry plants, Fragaria ananassa, was collected in increased amounts in the presence of pheromone-producing weevils. Male weevils only produced pheromone on F. ananassa and not on scented mayweed, Matracaria recutita, or cow parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris, although these are known food sources. In field trials using various combinations of synthetic grandlures I, II, III, and IV and lavandulol, significantly more weevils were caught in traps baited with blends containing grandlure I and II and lavandulol than in those baited with blends without lavandulol or unbaited controls. Addition of grandlure III and IV had no significant effect on attractiveness. Horizontal sticky traps were found to be more effective than vertical sticky traps or standard boll weevil traps. In mid-season females predominated in the catches, but later more males than females were trapped.

Relationship between environmental factors, dry matter loss and mycotoxin levels in stored wheat and maize infected with Fusarium species.

PubMed

Mylona, Kalliopi; Sulyok, Michael; Magan, Naresh

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationship between storage environmental factors (water activity (a(w)) (0.89-0.97) and temperature (15°C-30°C)), colonisation of wheat and maize by Fusarium graminearum and F. verticillioides respectively and the dry matter losses (DMLs) caused and quantified by contamination with deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and fumonisins (FUMs) during storage. Fungal growth was assessed by the amount of CO(2) produced under different interacting conditions of a(w) and temperature. DMLs were quantified using the cumulative CO(2) data, and these were shown to increase as temperature and a(w) increased. The amount of DON, ZEA (wheat for human consumption) and FUMs (feed maize) produced was significantly affected by the storage conditions. The three toxins however showed different patterns of production. Optimum for DON was at the wettest conditions (0.97a(w)) and the highest temperature assessed (30°C), whereas for ZEA this shifted to 25°C. FUMs were produced in higher amounts in maize at 30°C and 0.97a(w); however, at intermediate a(w) levels (0.955a(w)), the highest production occurred at 25°C followed by 20°C. Polynomial models were developed for the effect of the storage factors on DMLs and toxin production. DMLs under different environmental conditions were significantly correlated with DON and FUMs. DON contamination was above the EU limits in at least 80% of the wheat samples with DMLs >1%, whereas at least 70% of the same samples contained ZEA above the respective EU legislative limits. Similarly, at least 75% of the maize samples with DMLs ≥ 0.9% exceeded the EU limits for the sum of FUMs in feed. These results show that it may be possible to use temporal CO(2) production during storage of grains as an indicator of the level of contamination of the grain with mycotoxins.

Effective Trapping of Fruit Flies with Cultures of Metabolically Modified Acetic Acid Bacteria

PubMed Central

Ishii, Yuri; Akasaka, Naoki; Goda, Itsuko; Sakoda, Hisao

2015-01-01

Acetoin in vinegar is an attractant to fruit flies when combined with acetic acid. To make vinegar more effective in attracting fruit flies with increased acetoin production, Komagataeibacter europaeus KGMA0119 was modified by specific gene disruption of the acetohydroxyacid isomeroreductase gene (ilvC). A previously constructed mutant lacking the putative ligand-sensing region in the leucine-responsive regulatory protein (KeLrp, encoded by Kelrp) was also used. The ilvC and Kelrp disruptants (KGMA5511 and KGMA7203, respectively) produced greater amounts of acetoin (KGMA5511, 0.11%; KGMA7203, 0.13%) than the wild-type strain KGMA0119 (0.069%). KGMA7203 produced a trace amount of isobutyric acid (0.007%), but the other strains did not. These strains produced approximately equal amounts of acetic acid (0.7%). The efficiency of fruit fly attraction was investigated with cultured Drosophila melanogaster. D. melanogaster flies (approximately 1,500) were released inside a cage (2.5 m by 2.5 m by 1.5 m) and were trapped with a device containing vinegar and a sticky sheet. The flies trapped on the sticky sheet were counted. The cell-free supernatant from KGMA7203 culture captured significantly more flies (19.36 to 36.96% of released flies) than did KGMA0119 (3.25 to 11.40%) and KGMA5511 (6.87 to 21.50%) cultures. Contrastingly, a 0.7% acetic acid solution containing acetoin (0.13%) and isobutyric acid (0.007%), which mimicked the KGMA7203 supernatant, captured significantly fewer flies (0.88 to 4.57%). Furthermore, the KGMA0119 supernatant with additional acetoin (0.13%) and isobutyric acid (0.007%) captured slightly more flies than the original KGMA0119 supernatant but fewer than the KGMA7203 supernatant, suggesting that the synergistic effects of acetic acid, acetoin, isobutyric acid, and unidentified metabolites achieved the efficient fly trapping of the KGMA7203 supernatant. PMID:25595769

Evaluation of Beer Fermentation with a Novel Yeast
Williopsis saturnus

PubMed Central

Quek, Althea Ying Hui

2016-01-01

Summary The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of a novel yeast Williopsis saturnus var. mrakii NCYC 500 to produce fruity beer. Fermentation performance of W. mrakii and beer volatile composition were compared against that fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Safale US-05. oBrix, sugar and pH differed significantly between the two types of beer. A total of 8 alcohols, 11 acids, 41 esters, 9 aldehydes, 8 ketones, 21 terpenes and terpenoids, 5 Maillard reaction products and 2 volatile phenolic compounds were detected. Yeast strain Safale US-05 was more capable of producing a wider range of ethyl and other esters, while yeast strain NCYC 500 produced significantly higher amounts of acetate esters. Strain NCYC 500 retained more terpenes and terpenoids, suggesting that the resultant beer could possess more of the aromatic hint of hops. This study showed that W. saturnus var. mrakii NCYC 500 could ferment wort to produce low-alcohol beer with higher levels of acetate esters, terpenes and terpenoids than yeast S. cerevisiae Safale US-05. PMID:28115897

High-Throughput Fabrication Method for Producing a Silver-Nanoparticles-Doped Nanoclay Polymer Composite with Novel Synergistic Antibacterial Effects at the Material Interface.

PubMed

Cai, Shaobo; Pourdeyhimi, Behnam; Loboa, Elizabeth G

2017-06-28

In this study, we report a high-throughput fabrication method at industrial pilot scale to produce a silver-nanoparticles-doped nanoclay-polylactic acid composite with a novel synergistic antibacterial effect. The obtained nanocomposite has a significantly lower affinity for bacterial adhesion, allowing the loading amount of silver nanoparticles to be tremendously reduced while maintaining satisfactory antibacterial efficacy at the material interface. This is a great advantage for many antibacterial applications in which cost is a consideration. Furthermore, unlike previously reported methods that require additional chemical reduction processes to produce the silver-nanoparticles-doped nanoclay, an in situ preparation method was developed in which silver nanoparticles were created simultaneously during the composite fabrication process by thermal reduction. This is the first report to show that altered material surface submicron structures created with the loading of nanoclay enables the creation of a nanocomposite with significantly lower affinity for bacterial adhesion. This study provides a promising scalable approach to produce antibacterial polymeric products with minimal changes to industry standard equipment, fabrication processes, or raw material input cost.

STUDIES ON THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT EMITTED BY MIXTURES OF CYPRIDINA LUCIFERIN AND LUCIFERASE

PubMed Central

Stevens, Kenneth P.

1927-01-01

1. A photometric method was devised for measuring the intensities of light emitted per cc. of hiciferin solution and calculating the amount of light emitted per gm. of dried Cypridina powder. A total of 128 runs was made and the data are incorporated in this report. 2. The maximum amount of light emitted from 1 gm. of powder under the experimental conditions was 0.655 lumens. Different samples of powder vary greatly in amount of light production. 3. When the concentration of substrate is doubled, nearly twice as much light is emitted, or an average ratio 2C/C of 1.86. Calculations of total light emissions per gm. of powder at different concentrations indicate that slightly more light is produced from the smaller concentrations. The maximum amount of light was produced by the solutions made with neutral sea water and averaged 0.445 lumens. The least light was obtained from solutions in distilled water saturated with hydrogen. The technique allows too rapid spontaneous oxidation prior to the saturation with hydrogen. The maximum amount of light from such experiments was only 0.077 lumens. Acid sea water solutions subsequently neutralized gave an average maximum of 0.386 lumens per gm. of powder per second. 4. When the concentration of enzyme is doubled, approximately the same amount of light is produced by both concentrations, although the stronger concentrations are slightly less effective than weaker ones. This undoubtedly is due to the colloidal nature of the enzyme and is a function of surface rather than of mass. In dilute solutions greater dispersion probably allows for greater adsorption to the surface of the enzyme. The average maximum amount of light produced in the series of enzyme experiments is of the magnitude 0.56 lumens per gm. of powder. PMID:19872366

Solubility of Nitrogen in Superaustenitic Stainless Steels During Air Induction Melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandrasekar, A.; Anburaj, J.; Narayanan, R.; Balusamy, V.; Mohamed Nazirudeen, S. S.

2013-04-01

The amount of nitrogen contained in super austenitic stainless steels (SASS) influences their properties significantly. The effect of maximum amount of nitrogen in the highly alloyed Cr and Ni SASS containing further additions of Mo and Mn is studied. The calculated nitrogen contents of the experimental alloys are compared with the actual nitrogen contents obtained in the alloys produced using induction melting furnace. The actual nitrogen content of the alloys is always lower than the calculated value, and this discrepancy is due to the presence of positive interaction parameters of Ni, Cu, and Si in the alloy. However, the yield of nitrogen in the liquid SASS is improved significantly with additions of Mn and Mo contents. The construction of multicomponent phase diagrams for SASS is demonstrated using Thermo-Calc software. SASS containing more nitrogen exhibited a very high strength without loss of toughness.

DDE in brown and white fat of hibernating bats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, D.R.; Krynitsky, A.J.

1983-01-01

Samples of brown and white fat from hibernating bats (big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus; little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus; and eastern pipistrelle, Pipistrellus subflavus) collected in western Maryland, USA, were analysed to determine lipid and DDE content. Amounts of brown fat, expressed as percentages of total bat weight, were the same for all three species. Lipid content of brown fat was significantly less than that of white fat. Lipids of brown fat contained significantly higher (28%) concentrations of DDE than did lipids of white fat. In our mixed-species sample of 14 bats, concentrations of DDE increased exponentially in both brown and white fat as white fat reserves declined. Brown fat facilitates arousal from hibernation by producing heat through rapid metabolism of triglycerides. The question is raised whether organochlorine residues, such as DDE, may be concentrated and then liberated in lethal amounts by the processes of hibernation and arousal.

Production of C-14 and neutrons in red giants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowan, J. J.; Rose, W. K.

1977-01-01

We have examined the effects of mixing various amounts of hydrogen-rich material into the intershell convective region of red giants undergoing helium shell flashes. We find that significant amounts of C-14 can be produced via the N-14(n, p)C-14 reaction. If substantial portions of this intershell region are mixed out into the envelopes of red giants, then C-14 may be detectable in evolved stars. We find a neutron flux many orders of magnitude above the flux required for the classical s-process, and thus an intermediate neutron process (i-process) may operate in evolved red giants. In all cases studied we find substantial enhancements of O-17. These mixing models offer a plausible explanation of the observations of enhanced O-17 in the carbon star IRC 10216. For certain physical conditions we find significant enhancements of N-15 in the intershell region.

The effects of physical activity on impulsive choice: Influence of sensitivity to reinforcement amount and delay

PubMed Central

Strickland, Justin C.; Feinstein, Max A.; Lacy, Ryan T.; Smith, Mark A.

2016-01-01

Impulsive choice is a diagnostic feature and/or complicating factor for several psychological disorders and may be examined in the laboratory using delay-discounting procedures. Recent investigators have proposed using quantitative measures of analysis to examine the behavioral processes contributing to impulsive choice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity (i.e., wheel running) on impulsive choice in a single-response, discrete-trial procedure using two quantitative methods of analysis. To this end, rats were assigned to physical activity or sedentary groups and trained to respond in a delay-discounting procedure. In this procedure, one lever always produced one food pellet immediately, whereas a second lever produced three food pellets after a 0, 10, 20, 40, or 80-second delay. Estimates of sensitivity to reinforcement amount and sensitivity to reinforcement delay were determined using (1) a simple linear analysis and (2) an analysis of logarithmically transformed response ratios. Both analyses revealed that physical activity decreased sensitivity to reinforcement amount and sensitivity to reinforcement delay. These findings indicate that (1) physical activity has significant but functionally opposing effects on the behavioral processes that contribute to impulsive choice and (2) both quantitative methods of analysis are appropriate for use in single-response, discrete-trial procedures. PMID:26964905

A Proteomic Network for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation Efficiency in Bradyrhizobium elkanii.

PubMed

Cooper, Bret; Campbell, Kimberly B; Beard, Hunter S; Garrett, Wesley M; Mowery, Joseph; Bauchan, Gary R; Elia, Patrick

2018-03-01

Rhizobia colonize legumes and reduce N 2 to NH 3 in root nodules. The current model is that symbiotic rhizobia bacteroids avoid assimilating this NH 3 . Instead, host legume cells form glutamine from NH 3 , and the nitrogen is returned to the bacteroid as dicarboxylates, peptides, and amino acids. In soybean cells surrounding bacteroids, glutamine also is converted to ureides. One problem for soybean cultivation is inefficiency in symbiotic N 2 fixation, the biochemical basis of which is unknown. Here, the proteomes of bacteroids of Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA76 isolated from N 2 fixation-efficient Peking and -inefficient Williams 82 soybean nodules were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Nearly half of the encoded bacterial proteins were quantified. Efficient bacteroids produced greater amounts of enzymes to form Nod factors and had increased amounts of signaling proteins, transporters, and enzymes needed to generate ATP to power nitrogenase and to acquire resources. Parallel investigation of nodule proteins revealed that Peking had no significantly greater accumulation of enzymes needed to assimilate NH 3 than Williams 82. Instead, efficient bacteroids had increased amounts of enzymes to produce amino acids, including glutamine, and to form ureide precursors. These results support a model for efficient symbiotic N 2 fixation in soybean where the bacteroid assimilates NH 3 for itself.

Striped Bass Spawning in Non-Estuarine Portions of the Savannah River

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

Martin, D.; Paller, M.

2007-04-17

Historically, the estuarine portions of the Savannah River have been considered to be the only portion of the river in which significant amounts of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) spawning normally occur. A reexamination of data from 1983 through 1985 shows a region between River Kilometers 144 and 253 where significant numbers of striped bass eggs and larvae occur with estimated total egg production near that currently produced in the estuarine reaches. It appears possible that there are two separate spawning populations of striped bass in the Savannah River.

Effects of entanglement in an ideal optical amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franson, J. D.; Brewster, R. A.

2018-04-01

In an ideal linear amplifier, the output signal is linearly related to the input signal with an additive noise that is independent of the input. The decoherence of a quantum-mechanical state as a result of optical amplification is usually assumed to be due to the addition of quantum noise. Here we show that entanglement between the input signal and the amplifying medium can produce an exponentially-large amount of decoherence in an ideal optical amplifier even when the gain is arbitrarily close to unity and the added noise is negligible. These effects occur for macroscopic superposition states, where even a small amount of gain can leave a significant amount of which-path information in the environment. Our results show that the usual input/output relation of a linear amplifier does not provide a complete description of the output state when post-selection is used.

Gibberellins Producing Endophytic Fungus Porostereum spadiceum AGH786 Rescues Growth of Salt Affected Soybean

PubMed Central

Hamayun, Muhammad; Hussain, Anwar; Khan, Sumera A.; Kim, Ho-Youn; Khan, Abdul L.; Waqas, Muhammad; Irshad, Muhammad; Iqbal, Amjad; Rehman, Gauhar; Jan, Samin; Lee, In-Jung

2017-01-01

In the pursuit of sustainable agriculture through environment and human health friendly practices, we evaluated the potential of a novel gibberellins (GAs) producing basidiomycetous endophytic fungus Porostereum spadiceum AGH786, for alleviating salt stress and promoting health benefits of soybean. Soybean seedlings exposed to different levels of NaCl stress (70 and 140 mM) under greenhouse conditions, were inoculated with the AGH786 strain. Levels of phytohormones including GAs, JA and ABA, and isoflavones were compared in control and the inoculated seedlings to understand the mechanism through which the stress is alleviated. Gibberellins producing endophytic fungi have been vital for promoting plant growth under normal and stress conditions. We report P. spadiceum AGH786 as the ever first GAs producing basidiomycetous fungus capable of producing six types of GAs. In comparison to the so for most efficient GAs producing Gibberella fujikuroi, AGH786 produced significantly higher amount of the bioactive GA3. Salt-stressed phenotype of soybean seedlings was characterized by low content of GAs and high amount of ABA and JA with reduced shoot length, biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll contents, and rate of photosynthesis. Mitigation of salt stress by AGH786 was always accompanied by high GAs, and low ABA and JA, suggesting that this endophytic fungus reduces the effect of salinity by modulating endogenous phytohormones of the seedlings. Additionally, this strain also enhanced the endogenous level of two isoflavones including daidzen and genistein in soybean seedlings under normal as well as salt stress conditions as compared to their respective controls. P. spadiceum AGH786 boosted the NaCl stress tolerance and growth in soybean, by modulating seedlings endogenous phytohormones and isoflavones suggesting a valuable contribution of this potent fungal biofertilizer in sustainable agriculture in salt affected soils. PMID:28473818

Novel dry-desulfurization process using Ca(OH)2/fly ash sorbent in a circulating fluidized bed.

PubMed

Matsushima, Norihiko; Li, Yan; Nishioka, Masateru; Sadakata, Masayoshi; Qi, Haiying; Xu, Xuchang

2004-12-15

A dry-desulfurization process using Ca(OH)2/fly ash sorbent and a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) was developed. Its aim was to achieve high SO2 removal efficiency without humidification and production of CaSO4 as the main byproduct. The CaSO4 produced could be used to treat alkalized soil. An 83% SO2 removal rate was demonstrated, and a byproduct with a high CaSO4 content was produced through baghouse ash. These results indicated that this process could remove SO2 in flue gas with a high efficiency under dry conditions and simultaneously produce soil amendment. It was shown that NO and NO2 enhanced the SO2 removal rate markedly and that NO2 increased the amount of CaSO4 in the final product more than NO. These results confirmed that the significant effects of NO and NO2 on the SO2 removal rate were due to chain reactions that occurred under favorable conditions. The amount of baghouse ash produced increased as the reaction progressed, indicating that discharge of unreacted Ca(OH)2 from the reactor was suppressed. Hence, unreacted Ca(OH)2 had a long residence time in the CFB, resulting in a high SO2 removal rate. It was also found that 350 degrees C is the optimum reaction temperature for dry desulfurization in the range tested (320-380 degrees C).

7 CFR 1001.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... to the handler for the month as determined pursuant to § 1001.60. (b) The sum of: (1) An amount... multiplying the total pounds of protein, other solids, and butterfat contained in producer milk by the protein, other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; and (3) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of...

7 CFR 1001.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... to the handler for the month as determined pursuant to § 1001.60. (b) The sum of: (1) An amount... multiplying the total pounds of protein, other solids, and butterfat contained in producer milk by the protein, other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; and (3) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of...

7 CFR 1001.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... to the handler for the month as determined pursuant to § 1001.60. (b) The sum of: (1) An amount... multiplying the total pounds of protein, other solids, and butterfat contained in producer milk by the protein, other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; and (3) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of...

7 CFR 1001.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... to the handler for the month as determined pursuant to § 1001.60. (b) The sum of: (1) An amount... multiplying the total pounds of protein, other solids, and butterfat contained in producer milk by the protein, other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; and (3) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of...

7 CFR 1001.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... to the handler for the month as determined pursuant to § 1001.60. (b) The sum of: (1) An amount... multiplying the total pounds of protein, other solids, and butterfat contained in producer milk by the protein, other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; and (3) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of...

Process for producing a clean hydrocarbon fuel from high calcium coal

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

Kindig, J.K.

A method is described for substantially reducing the amount of at least one insoluble fluoride-forming species selected from the group consisting of Group IA species and Group IIA species. The species is present in a coal feed material comprising: forming a slurry of a coal feed; a fluoride acid in an amount to produce a first molar concentration of free-fluoride-ions; at least one fluoride-complexing species, the total of all fluoride-complexing species in the slurry being present in an amount to produce a second molar concentration, the second molar concentration being at least equal to that amount such that the ratiomore » of the first molar concentration to the second molar concentration is substantially equal to the stoichiometric ratio of fluoride in at least one tightly-bound complexion so as to from tightly-bound complexions with substantially all free-fluoride ions in the slurry to produce a leached coal product and a spent leach liquor; and separating the leached coal product from the spent leach liquor.« less

Effects of beta-glucuronidase-deficient and lycopene-producing Escherichia coli strains on formation of azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci in the rat colon.

PubMed

Arimochi, H; Kataoka, K; Kuwahara, T; Nakayama, H; Misawa, N; Ohnishi, Y

1999-08-27

We tried to inhibit the formation of azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the rat intestine by feeding a culture of a beta-glucuronidase-deficient Escherichia coli strain or a cell suspension of a lycopene-producing E. coli strain. Feeding of the former culture to F344 rats did not decrease fecal beta-glucuronidase activity or the number of ACF compared with the control beta-glucuronidase-proficient groups. However, a significant positive correlation between the fecal beta-glucuronidase activity and the ACF number was observed among groups treated with cultures of beta-glucuronidase-proficient and -deficient strains. In the group treated with lycopene-producing cells, the number of ACF was significantly lower than that in the control group. A vegetable juice containing a larger amount of lycopene than a cell suspension of the lycopene-producing E. coli also decreased the number of ACF to the same extent as a cell suspension of the lycopene-producing bacteria. These results suggest that feeding of the beta-glucuronidase-deficient E. coli is not very effective in preventing colon carcinogenesis, although activity of the fecal beta-glucuronidase is associated with AOM-induced ACF formation, and that lycopene-producing intestinal bacteria can effectively prevent colon carcinogenesis. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Satellite DNA methylation status and expression of selected genes in Bos indicus blastocysts produced in vivo and in vitro.

PubMed

Urrego, R; Bernal-Ulloa, S M; Chavarría, N A; Herrera-Puerta, E; Lucas-Hahn, A; Herrmann, D; Winkler, S; Pache, D; Niemann, H; Rodriguez-Osorio, N

2017-04-01

Bovine embryos produced in vivo and in vitro differ with respect to molecular profiles, including epigenetic marks and gene expression profiles. This study investigated the CpG methylation status in bovine testis satellite I (BTS) and Bos taurus alpha satellite I (BTαS) DNA sequences, and concomitantly the relative abundance of transcripts, critically involved in DNA methylation (DNMT1 and DNMT3A), growth and development (IGF2R) and pluripotency (POU5F1) in Bos indicus embryos produced in vitro or in vivo. Results revealed that methylation of BTS were higher (P < 0.05) in embryos produced in vitro compared with their in vivo produced counterparts, while the methylation status of BTαS was similar in both groups. There were no significant differences in transcript abundance for DNMT3A, IGF2R and POU5F1 between blastocysts produced in vivo and in vitro. However, a significantly lower amount of DNMT1 transcripts was found in the in vitro cultured embryos (P < 0.05) compared with their in vivo derived counterparts. In conclusion, this study reported only minor changes in the expression of developmentally important genes and satellite DNA methylation related to the in vitro embryo production system.

Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Gingival Retraction using Polyvinyl Acetate Strips and Conventional Retraction Cord - An in Vivo Study.

PubMed

Shivasakthy, M; Asharaf Ali, Syed

2013-10-01

A new material is proposed in dentistry in the form of strips for producing gingival retraction. The clinical efficacy of the material remains untested. This study aimed to determine whether the polyvinyl acetate strips are able to effectively displace the gingival tissues in comparison with the conventional retraction cord. Complete metal ceramic preparation with supra-gingival margin was performed in fourteen maxillary incisors and gingival retraction was done using Merocel strips and conventional retraction cords alternatively in 2 weeks time interval. The amount of displacement was compared using a digital vernier caliper of 0.01mm accuracy. RESULTS were analyzed statistically using Paired students t-test. The statistical analysis of the data revealed that both the conventional retraction cord and the Merocel strip produce significant retraction. Among both the materials, Merocel proved to be significantly more effective. Merocel strip produces more gingival displacement than the conventional retraction cord.

Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Gingival Retraction using Polyvinyl Acetate Strips and Conventional Retraction Cord – An in Vivo Study

PubMed Central

Shivasakthy, M.; Asharaf Ali, Syed

2013-01-01

Statement of Problem: A new material is proposed in dentistry in the form of strips for producing gingival retraction. The clinical efficacy of the material remains untested. Purpose of the Study: This study aimed to determine whether the polyvinyl acetate strips are able to effectively displace the gingival tissues in comparison with the conventional retraction cord. Material and Methods: Complete metal ceramic preparation with supra-gingival margin was performed in fourteen maxillary incisors and gingival retraction was done using Merocel strips and conventional retraction cords alternatively in 2 weeks time interval. The amount of displacement was compared using a digital vernier caliper of 0.01mm accuracy. Results were analyzed statistically using Paired students t-test. Results: The statistical analysis of the data revealed that both the conventional retraction cord and the Merocel strip produce significant retraction. Among both the materials, Merocel proved to be significantly more effective. Conclusion: Merocel strip produces more gingival displacement than the conventional retraction cord. PMID:24298531

Evaluation of consumers’ perception and willingness to pay for bacteriophage treated fresh produce

PubMed Central

Naanwaab, Cephas; Yeboah, Osei-Agyeman; Ofori Kyei, Foster; Sulakvelidze, Alexander; Goktepe, Ipek

2014-01-01

Food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria such as enterohemorrhagic E. coli and Salmonella spp. take a significant toll on American consumers’ health; they also cost the United States an estimated $77.7 billion annually in health care and other losses.1 One novel modality for improving the safety of foods is application of lytic bacteriophages directly onto foods, in order to reduce or eliminate their contamination with specific foodborne bacterial pathogens. The main objective of this study was to assess consumers’ perception about foods treated with bacteriophages and examine their willingness to pay (WTP) an additional amount (10–30 cents/lb) for bacteriophage-treated fresh produce. The study utilized a survey questionnaire administered by telephone to consumers in 4 different states: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The results show that consumers are in general willing to pay extra for bacteriophage-treated fresh produce if it improves their food safety. However, income, race, and the state where a consumer lives are significant determinants in their WTP. PMID:26713224

Natural killer cells attack tumor cells expressing high levels of sialyl Lewis x oligosaccharides

PubMed Central

Ohyama, Chikara; Kanto, Satoru; Kato, Kazunori; Nakano, Osamu; Arai, Yoichi; Kato, Tetsuro; Chen, Shihao; Fukuda, Michiko N.; Fukuda, Minoru

2002-01-01

Epithelial carcinoma and leukemia cells express sialyl Lewis x oligosaccharides as tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens. To determine the role of sialyl Lewis x oligosaccharides in tumor dissemination, human melanoma MeWo cells, which do not express sialyl Lewis x, were transfected with α1,3-fucosyltransferase III (FTIII), and cell lines expressing different amounts of sialyl Lewis x were isolated. When these cells were injected into the tail vein of nude mice, cells expressing moderate amounts of sialyl Lewis x (MeWo-FTIII⋅M) produced a significantly greater number of lung tumor foci than did parental MeWo cells. In contrast, cells expressing large amounts of sialyl Lewis x (MeWo-FTIII⋅H) produced few lung tumor foci in nude mice but were highly tumorigenic in beige mice, which have defective natural killer (NK) cells. In vitro assays demonstrated that MeWo-FTIII⋅H cells are much more sensitive to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity than are MeWo-FTIII⋅M cells or parental MeWo cells and the susceptibility of MeWo-FTIII⋅H cells to NK cell-mediated cytolysis can be inhibited by preincubating MeWo-FTIII⋅H cells with anti-sialyl Lewis x antibody. Moreover, we discovered that NK cell-mediated cytolysis of MeWo-FTIII⋅H cells can be inhibited by the addition of an antibody against the NK cell receptor CD94 or sialyl Lewis x oligosaccharides. These results, combined with structural analysis of MeWo-FTIII⋅H cell carbohydrates, indicate that moderate amounts of sialyl Lewis x lead to tumor metastasis, whereas expression of high levels of sialyl Lewis x leads to an NK cell attack on tumor cells, demonstrating that expression of different amounts of sialyl Lewis x results in entirely different biological consequences. PMID:12370411

Iran: Politics, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-19

nuclear weapon if it decided to do so. President Obama has asserted that the JCPOA has the potential to produce the added benefit of improving U.S... benefits , and can spend significant amounts of unbudgeted funds on arms, technology, and support to pro-Iranian movements. Society of Militant...international isolation, continues to back state intervention in the economy to benefit workers and lower classes. Appeared at some of the 2009 protests

Iran: Politics, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-30

to produce the added benefit of improving U.S.-Iran relations. However, since the deal was finalized, Iran, Iran has tested ballistic missiles and...political and social freedoms and reducing Iran’s international isolation, continues to back state intervention in the economy to benefit workers and lower...is able to generate profits from its business affiliates, which enjoy vast tax and regulatory benefits , and can spend significant amounts of

High solids Quasi-Simultaneous Enzymatic Saccharification and Fermentation of Un-Detoxified Whole Slurry of SPORL Pretreated Douglas-fir Forest Residue

Treesearch

Jinlan Cheng; S.-Y. Leu; Roland Gleisner; X.J. Pan; J.Y. Zhu

2014-01-01

Forest residue is the most affordable feedstock for biofuel production as stated in a recent US National Research Council Report. Softwood forest residue represents a significant amount of woody biomass that can be sustainably used to produce biofuel. It also has very low contents of acetyl groups and 5-carbon polysaccharides, favorable for biofuel production through...

Compressive and flexural strength of high strength phase change mortar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Qingyao; Fang, Changle

2018-04-01

High-strength cement produces a lot of hydration heat when hydrated, it will usually lead to thermal cracks. Phase change materials (PCM) are very potential thermal storage materials. Utilize PCM can help reduce the hydration heat. Research shows that apply suitable amount of PCM has a significant effect on improving the compressive strength of cement mortar, and can also improve the flexural strength to some extent.

Pressurized Martian-Like Pure CO2 Atmosphere Supports Strong Growth of Cyanobacteria, and Causes Significant Changes in their Metabolism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murukesan, Gayathri; Leino, Hannu; Mäenpää, Pirkko; Ståhle, Kurt; Raksajit, Wuttinun; Lehto, Harry J.; Allahverdiyeva-Rinne, Yagut; Lehto, Kirsi

2016-03-01

Surviving of crews during future missions to Mars will depend on reliable and adequate supplies of essential life support materials, i.e. oxygen, food, clean water, and fuel. The most economical and sustainable (and in long term, the only viable) way to provide these supplies on Martian bases is via bio-regenerative systems, by using local resources to drive oxygenic photosynthesis. Selected cyanobacteria, grown in adequately protective containment could serve as pioneer species to produce life sustaining substrates for higher organisms. The very high (95.3 %) CO2 content in Martian atmosphere would provide an abundant carbon source for photo-assimilation, but nitrogen would be a strongly limiting substrate for bio-assimilation in this environment, and would need to be supplemented by nitrogen fertilizing. The very high supply of carbon, with rate-limiting supply of nitrogen strongly affects the growth and the metabolic pathways of the photosynthetic organisms. Here we show that modified, Martian-like atmospheric composition (nearly 100 % CO2) under various low pressure conditions (starting from 50 mbar to maintain liquid water, up to 200 mbars) supports strong cellular growth. Under high CO2 / low N2 ratio the filamentous cyanobacteria produce significant amount of H2 during light due to differentiation of high amount of heterocysts.

[Evaluation on self-pollution of marine culture in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea].

PubMed

Cui, Yi; Chen, Bijuan; Chen, Jufa

2005-01-01

This paper studied the respective contribution of feeding and non-feeding marine culture on seawater and red tide occurrence. The results showed that the annual output of marine had a positive correlation with the nutrients and COD in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, of which, the correlation between DIN content and shrimp yield was significant. The output also had a positive correlation with the occurrence times of red tide recorded in the Yellow and Sea Bohai Sea. These results illustrated that the self-pollution of marine culture had a significant influence on the eutrophication and red tide occurred in the neighboring waters. It was estimated that the amounts of N, P and COD entered into seawater through the marine culture in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea accounted for 2.8%, 5.3% and 1.8% of the amounts of corresponding land-based pollutants entered to the sea, respectively. Although the discharge of the pollutants produced by marine culture was less than that produced by other human activities, some local waters, especially dense marine culture areas, would bring out some additive effects on environment. Therefore, the pollutants discharged by marine culture were very likely to be an important factor stimulating the eutrophication and red tide occurrence in coastal waters, which should be paid adequate attention.

Passive inhalation of marijuana smoke: urinalysis and room air levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

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

Cone, E.J.; Johnson, R.E.; Darwin, W.D.

In two separate studies, 5 drug-free male volunteers with a history of marijuana use were passively exposed to the sidestream smoke of 4 and 16 marijuana cigarettes (2.8% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) for 1 h each day for 6 consecutive days. A third study was similarly performed with 2 marijuana-naive subjects passively exposed to the smoke of 16 marijuana cigarettes. Passive smoke exposure was conducted in a small, unventilated room. Room air levels of THC and CO were monitored frequently. All urine specimens were collected and analyzed by EMIT d.a.u. assay, Abuscreen radioimmunoassay and GC/MS. The studies show that significant amounts ofmore » THC were absorbed by all subjects at the higher level of passive smoke exposure (eg., smoke from 16 marijuana cigarettes), resulting in urinary excretion of significant amounts of cannabinoid metabolites. However, it seems improbable that subjects would unknowingly tolerate the noxious smoke conditions produced by this exposure. At the lower level of passive marijuana-smoke exposure, specimens tested positive only infrequently or were negative. Room air levels of THC during passive smoke exposure appeared to be the most critical factor in determining whether a subject produced cannabinoid-positive urine specimens.« less

The Effect of Oxygen on Organic Haze Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ugelow, Melissa S.; De Haan, David O.; Hörst, Sarah M.; Tolbert, Margaret A.

2018-05-01

Atmospheric organic hazes are present on many planetary bodies, possibly including the ancient Earth and exoplanets, and can greatly influence surface and atmospheric properties. Here we examine the physical and optical properties of organic hazes produced with molecular nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and increasing amounts of molecular oxygen, and compare them to hazes produced without added oxygen. As molecular oxygen is included in increasing amounts from 0 to 200 ppmv, the mass loading of haze produced decreases nonlinearly. With 200 ppmv molecular oxygen, the mass loading of particles produced is on the order of the amount of organic aerosol in modern Earth’s atmosphere, suggesting that while not a thick organic haze, haze particles produced with 200 ppmv molecular oxygen could still influence planetary climates. Additionally, the hazes produced with increasing amounts of oxygen become increasingly oxidized and the densities increase. For hazes produced with 0, 2 and 20 ppmv oxygen, the densities were found to be 0.94, 1.03 and 1.12 g cm‑3, respectively. Moreover, the hazes produced with 0, 2, and 20 ppmv oxygen are found to have real refractive indices of n = 1.58 ± 0.04, 1.53 ± 0.03 and 1.67 ± 0.03, respectively, and imaginary refractive indices of k={0.001}-0.001+0.002, 0.002 ± 0.002 and {0.002}-0.002+0.003, respectively. These k values demonstrate that the particles formed with oxygen have no absorption within our experimental error, and could result in a light scattering layer in an oxygen-containing atmosphere.

Characteristics of the microwave pyrolysis and microwave CO2-assisted gasification of dewatered sewage sludge.

PubMed

Chun, Young Nam; Jeong, Byeo Ri

2017-07-28

Microwave drying-pyrolysis or drying-gasification characteristics were examined to convert sewage sludge into energy and resources. The gasification was carried out with carbon dioxide as a gasifying agent. The examination results were compared with those of the conventional heating-type electric furnace to compare both product characteristics. Through the pyrolysis or gasification, gas, tar, and char were generated as products. The produced gas was the largest component of each process, followed by the sludge char and the tar. During the pyrolysis process, the main components of the produced gas were hydrogen and carbon monoxide, with a small amount of hydrocarbons such as methane and ethylene. In the gasification process, however, the amount of carbon monoxide was greater than the amount of hydrogen. In microwave gasification, a large amount of heavy tar was produced. The largest amount of benzene in light tar was generated from the pyrolysis or gasification. Ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, which are precursors of NO x , were also generated. In the microwave heating method, the sludge char produced by pyrolysis and gasification had pores in the mesopore range. This could be explained that the gas obtained from the microwave pyrolysis or gasification of the wet sewage sludge can be used as an alternative fuel, but the tar and NO x precursors in the produced gas should be treated. Sludge char can be used as a biomass solid fuel or as a tar removal adsorbent if necessary.

Summary of results of January climate simulations with the GISS coarse-mesh model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spar, J.; Cohen, C.; Wu, P.

1981-01-01

The large scale climates generated by extended runs of the model are relatively independent of the initial atmospheric conditions, if the first few months of each simulation are discarded. The perpetual January simulations with a specified SST field produced excessive snow accumulation over the continents of the Northern Hemisphere. Mass exchanges between the cold (warm) continents and the warm (cold) adjacent oceans produced significant surface pressure changes over the oceans as well as over the land. The effect of terrain and terrain elevation on the amount of precipitation was examined. The evaporation of continental moisture was calculated to cause large increases in precipitation over the continents.

Process for the production of ethylene and other hydrocarbons from coal

DOEpatents

Steinberg, Meyer; Fallon, Peter

1986-01-01

A process for the production of economically significant amounts of ethyl and other hydrocarbon compounds, such as benzene, from coal is disclosed wherein coal is reacted with methane at a temperature in the approximate range of 500.degree. C. to 1100.degree. C. at a partial pressure less than about 200 psig for a period of less than 10 seconds. Ethylene and other hydrocarbon compounds may be separated from the product stream so produced, and the methane recycled for further production of ethylene. In another embodiment, other compounds produced, such as by-product tars, may be burned to heat the recycled methane.

Cutting Edge: Protection by Antiviral Memory CD8 T Cells Requires Rapidly Produced Antigen in Large Amounts.

PubMed

Remakus, Sanda; Ma, Xueying; Tang, Lingjuan; Xu, Ren-Huan; Knudson, Cory; Melo-Silva, Carolina R; Rubio, Daniel; Kuo, Yin-Ming; Andrews, Andrew; Sigal, Luis J

2018-05-15

Numerous attempts to produce antiviral vaccines by harnessing memory CD8 T cells have failed. A barrier to progress is that we do not know what makes an Ag a viable target of protective CD8 T cell memory. We found that in mice susceptible to lethal mousepox (the mouse homolog of human smallpox), a dendritic cell vaccine that induced memory CD8 T cells fully protected mice when the infecting virus produced Ag in large quantities and with rapid kinetics. Protection did not occur when the Ag was produced in low amounts, even with rapid kinetics, and protection was only partial when the Ag was produced in large quantities but with slow kinetics. Hence, the amount and timing of Ag expression appear to be key determinants of memory CD8 T cell antiviral protective immunity. These findings may have important implications for vaccine design. Copyright © 2018 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Alternative preparation of inclusion bodies excludes interfering non-protein contaminants and improves the yield of recombinant proinsulin.

PubMed

Mackin, Robert B

2014-01-01

The goal of simple, high-yield expression and purification of recombinant human proinsulin has proven to be a considerable challenge. First, proinsulin forms inclusion bodies during bacterial expression. While this phenomenon can be exploited as a capture step, conventionally prepared inclusion bodies contain significant amounts of non-protein contaminants that interfere with subsequent chromatographic purification. Second, the proinsulin molecules within the inclusion bodies are incorrectly folded, and likely cross-linked to one another, making it difficult to quantify the amount of expressed proinsulin. Third, proinsulin is an intermediate between the initial product of ribosomal translation (preproinsulin) and the final product secreted by pancreatic beta cells (insulin). Therefore, to be efficiently produced in bacteria, it must be produced as an N-terminally extended fusion protein, which has to be converted to authentic proinsulin during the purification scheme. To address all three of these problems, while simultaneously streamlining the procedure and increasing the yield of recombinant proinsulin, we have made three substantive modifications to our previous method for producing proinsulin:.•Conditions for the preparation of inclusion bodies have been altered so contaminants that interfere with semi-preparative reversed-phase chromatography are excluded while the proinsulin fusion protein is retained at high yield.•Aliquots are taken following important steps in the procedure and the quantity of proinsulin-related polypeptide in the sample is compared to the amount present prior to that step.•Final purification is performed using a silica-based reversed-phase matrix in place of a polystyrene-divinylbenzene-based matrix.

Alternative preparation of inclusion bodies excludes interfering non-protein contaminants and improves the yield of recombinant proinsulin

PubMed Central

Mackin, Robert B.

2014-01-01

The goal of simple, high-yield expression and purification of recombinant human proinsulin has proven to be a considerable challenge. First, proinsulin forms inclusion bodies during bacterial expression. While this phenomenon can be exploited as a capture step, conventionally prepared inclusion bodies contain significant amounts of non-protein contaminants that interfere with subsequent chromatographic purification. Second, the proinsulin molecules within the inclusion bodies are incorrectly folded, and likely cross-linked to one another, making it difficult to quantify the amount of expressed proinsulin. Third, proinsulin is an intermediate between the initial product of ribosomal translation (preproinsulin) and the final product secreted by pancreatic beta cells (insulin). Therefore, to be efficiently produced in bacteria, it must be produced as an N-terminally extended fusion protein, which has to be converted to authentic proinsulin during the purification scheme. To address all three of these problems, while simultaneously streamlining the procedure and increasing the yield of recombinant proinsulin, we have made three substantive modifications to our previous method for producing proinsulin:.•Conditions for the preparation of inclusion bodies have been altered so contaminants that interfere with semi-preparative reversed-phase chromatography are excluded while the proinsulin fusion protein is retained at high yield.•Aliquots are taken following important steps in the procedure and the quantity of proinsulin-related polypeptide in the sample is compared to the amount present prior to that step.•Final purification is performed using a silica-based reversed-phase matrix in place of a polystyrene-divinylbenzene-based matrix. PMID:26150942

Alkaline phosphatase activity of rumen bacteria.

PubMed

Cheng, K J; Costerton, J W

1977-11-01

Of the 54 strains of rumen bacteria examined for alkaline phosphatase (APase) production, 9 of 33 gram-negative strains and none of 21 gram-positive strains produced the enzyme. The APase of the cells of the three strains of Bacteroides ruminicola that produced significant amounts of the enzyme was located in the periplasmic area of the cell envelope, whereas the enzyme was located in the strains of Selenomonas ruminantium and Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens was associated with the outer membrane. The localization of APase production in the cells of natural populations of rumen bacteria from hay-fed sheep was accomplished by reaction product deposition, and both the proportion of APase-producing bacteria and the location of the enzyme in the cell envelope of the producing cells could be determined. We suggest that this procedure is useful in detecting shifts in the bacterial population and the release of cell-bound APase that accompany feedlot bloat and other sequelae of dietary manipulation in ruminants.

Screening and identification of a cutinase-producing Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and properties of the cutinase.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Ning; Ran, Qin-Qin; Zhang, Xuejun

2015-01-01

Eucommia leaf contains large amounts of natural active products. In extracting the substances, the most important is the removal of the cuticle layer on the leaves and the cell wall in the leaves of Eucommia ulmoides. But the removal of the cuticle layer is a technical difficulty now. Cutinase (EC3.1.1.74) is a multifunctional enzyme with a common alpha/beta fold structure belonging to hydroplane that can make a substantial degradation of horny fatty acids. So this study isolated bacteria capable of producing cutinase from the lesion of Eucommia leaves and identified the bacteria. The identification using PCR-RFLP method confirmed that the strain belongs to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The fermentation conditions of the strain-producing cutinase were optimized in this study. The finding of cutinase-producing R. mucilaginosa is significant because the yeast is more secure than plant pathogens, being suitable for mass production.

Obtaining accurate amounts of mercury from mercury compounds via electrolytic methods

DOEpatents

Grossman, Mark W.; George, William A.

1987-01-01

A process for obtaining pre-determined, accurate rate amounts of mercury. In one embodiment, predetermined, precise amounts of Hg are separated from HgO and plated onto a cathode wire. The method for doing this involves dissolving a precise amount of HgO which corresponds to a pre-determined amount of Hg desired in an electrolyte solution comprised of glacial acetic acid and H.sub.2 O. The mercuric ions are then electrolytically reduced and plated onto a cathode producing the required pre-determined quantity of Hg. In another embodiment, pre-determined, precise amounts of Hg are obtained from Hg.sub.2 Cl.sub.2. The method for doing this involves dissolving a precise amount of Hg.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 in an electrolyte solution comprised of concentrated HCl and H.sub.2 O. The mercurous ions in solution are then electrolytically reduced and plated onto a cathode wire producing the required, pre-determined quantity of Hg.

Obtaining accurate amounts of mercury from mercury compounds via electrolytic methods

DOEpatents

Grossman, M.W.; George, W.A.

1987-07-07

A process is described for obtaining pre-determined, accurate rate amounts of mercury. In one embodiment, predetermined, precise amounts of Hg are separated from HgO and plated onto a cathode wire. The method for doing this involves dissolving a precise amount of HgO which corresponds to a pre-determined amount of Hg desired in an electrolyte solution comprised of glacial acetic acid and H[sub 2]O. The mercuric ions are then electrolytically reduced and plated onto a cathode producing the required pre-determined quantity of Hg. In another embodiment, pre-determined, precise amounts of Hg are obtained from Hg[sub 2]Cl[sub 2]. The method for doing this involves dissolving a precise amount of Hg[sub 2]Cl[sub 2] in an electrolyte solution comprised of concentrated HCl and H[sub 2]O. The mercurous ions in solution are then electrolytically reduced and plated onto a cathode wire producing the required, pre-determined quantity of Hg. 1 fig.

[Influence of different levels of irrigation and nitrogen application on the root growth and yield of spring wheat under permanent raised bed.

PubMed

Chen, Juan; Ma, Zhong Ming; Lyu, Xiao Dong; Liu, Ting Ting

2016-05-01

To establish an optimum combination of water and nitrogen for spring under permanent raised bed (PRB) tillage, a field investigation was carried out to assess effects of irrigation and N application on root growth, yield, irrigation water productivity and N efficiency. The experiment followed a completely randomized split-plot design, taking furrow irrigation 1200 m 3 ·hm -2 (W 1 ), 2400 m 3 ·hm -2 (W 2 ), 3600 m 3 ·hm -2 (W 3 ) as main plot treatments, and N rates (0, 90, 180, 270 kg·hm -2 ) the sub-plot treatments. Our results showed that the root mass density (RWD) was significantly affected by irrigation and N application, the RWD of spring wheat reached a maximum at the filling stage, followed by a slow decline until maturity, while the effect of N on RWD depended on soil water conditions. The application of N 2 produced the maximum RWD under W 2 irrigation, the application of N 1 produced the maximum RWD under W 1 irrigation, and the application of N 3 produced the maximum RWD under W 3 irrigation. The order of irrigation regime effect on RWD of spring wheat was W 2 >W 3 >W 1 . The order of irrigation regime and N rate effect on RWD of spring wheat was irrigation>N>irrigation and N interaction. W 2 N 2 treatment produced the highest RWD value. The root-to-shoot ratio (R/S) descended with the rising of irrigation water and nitrogen amount, and the combined treatment (W 1 N 0 ) produced the maximum R/S. The root system was mainly distributed in the 0-40 cm soil layer, in which the RWD accounted for 85% of the total RWD in 0-80 cm soil depth. There was a significantly positive relationship between RWD in the 0-40 cm and the yield of spring wheat, RWD in the 40-60 cm had higher linear dependence on the yield of spring wheat. W 2 increased the proportion of RWD in the deep soil layer (40-60 cm). The irrigation and N rate had a significant impact on biomass and grain yield of spring wheat, the biomass increased as the N rate and water amount increased, W 2 N 2 treatment produced the highest grain yield, irrigation water productivity descended with increasing the irrigation amount, and the nitrogen agronomic efficiency descended with increasing N rate. It was concluded that the irrigation level W 2 (2400 m 3 ·hm -2 ) and nitrogen level N 2 (180 kg·hm -2 ) could be recommended as the best combination of water and N, which promoted the root growth, improved grain yield, water and nitrogen use efficiencies of spring wheat production under PRB tillage in the experimental area.

Process to produce silicon carbide fibers using a controlled concentration of boron oxide vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnard, Thomas Duncan (Inventor); Lipowitz, Jonathan (Inventor); Nguyen, Kimmai Thi (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A process for producing polycrystalline silicon carbide by heating an amorphous ceramic fiber that contains silicon and carbon in an environment containing boron oxide vapor. The boron oxide vapor is produced in situ by the reaction of a boron containing material such as boron carbide and an oxidizing agent such as carbon dioxide, and the amount of boron oxide vapor can be controlled by varying the amount and rate of addition of the oxidizing agent.

Process to produce silicon carbide fibers using a controlled concentration of boron oxide vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnard, Thomas Duncan (Inventor); Lipowitz, Jonathan (Inventor); Nguyen, Kimmai Thi (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A process for producing polycrystalline silicon carbide includes heating an amorphous ceramic fiber that contains silicon and carbon in an environment containing boron oxide vapor. The boron oxide vapor is produced in situ by the reaction of a boron containing material such as boron carbide and an oxidizing agent such as carbon dioxide, and the amount of boron oxide vapor can be controlled by varying the amount and rate of addition of the oxidizing agent.

S-(−)equol producing status not associated with breast cancer risk among low isoflavone consuming US postmenopausal women undergoing a physician recommended breast biopsy

PubMed Central

Virk-Baker, Mandeep K.; Barnes, Stephen; Krontiras, Helen; Nagy, Tim R.

2014-01-01

Soy foods are the richest sources of isoflavones, mainly daidzein and genistein. Soy isoflavones are structurally similar to the steroid hormone 17β-estradiol and may protect against breast cancer. S-(−)equol, a metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein, has a higher bioavailability and greater affinity for estrogen receptor-β than daidzein. About one third of the Western population is able to produce S-(−)equol, and the ability is linked to certain gut microbes. We hypothesized that the prevalence of breast cancer, ductal hyperplasia, and overall breast pathology will be lower among S-(−)equol producing, as compared to non -producing, postmenopausal women undergoing a breast biopsy. We tested our hypothesis using a cross-sectional study design. Usual diets of the participants were supplemented with one soy bar per day for three consecutive days. Liquid chromatography-multiple reaction ion monitoring mass spectrometry analysis of urine from 143 subjects revealed 25 (17.5%) as S-(−)equol producers. We found no statistically significant associations between S-(−)equol producing status and overall breast pathology (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.23 – 1.89), ductal hyperplasia (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.20 – 3.41), or breast cancer (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.16 – 1.87). However, the mean dietary isoflavones intake was much lower (0.3 mg/day) than in previous reports. Given that the amount of S-(−)equol produced in the gut depends on the amount of daidzein exposure, the low soy intake coupled with lower prevalence of S-(−)equol producing status in the study population favors towards null associations. Findings from our study could be used for further investigations on S-(−)equol producing status and disease risk. PMID:24461312

A sustainable use of Ricotta Cheese Whey for microbial biodiesel production.

PubMed

Carota, Eleonora; Crognale, Silvia; D'Annibale, Alessandro; Gallo, Anna Maria; Stazi, Silvia Rita; Petruccioli, Maurizio

2017-04-15

The increasing demand of plant oils for biodiesel production has highlighted the need for alternative strategies based either on non-food crops or agro-industrial wastes that do not compete with food and feed production. In this context, the combined use of wastewater and oleaginous microorganisms could be a valuable production option. Ricotta cheese whey (RCW), one of the major byproducts of the dairy industry, is produced in very high and steadily increasing amounts and, due to its high organic load, its disposal is cost-prohibitive. In the present study, in order to assess the adequacy of RCW as a growth medium for lipid production, 18 strains of oleaginous yeasts were investigated in shaken flask for their growth and lipid-producing capabilities on this substrate. Among them, Cryptococcus curvatus NRRL Y-1511 and Cryptococcus laurentii UCD 68-201 adequately grew therein producing substantial amounts of lipids (6.8 and 5.1gL -1 , respectively). A high similarity between the percent fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) composition of lipids from the former and the latter strain was found with a predominance of oleic acid (52.8 vs. 48.7%) and of total saturated fatty acids (37.9 vs. 40.8%). The subsequent scale transfer of the C. laurentii UCD 68-201 lipid production process on RCW to a 3-L STR led to significantly improved biomass and total lipid productions (14.4 and 9.9gL -1 , respectively) with the biodiesel yield amounting to 32.6%. Although the C. laurentii FAME profile was modified upon process transfer, it resembled that of the Jatropha oil, a well established feedstock for biodiesel production. In conclusion, C. laurentii UCD 68-201, for which there is very limited amount of available information, turned out to be a very promising candidate for biodiesel production and wide margins of process improvement might be envisaged. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solubility of Carbon Dioxide in Water.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Pat; And Others

1992-01-01

Describes an activity measuring the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in carbonated water at different temperatures. The amount of carbon dioxide is measured by the amount of dilute ammonia solution needed to produce a pH indicator color change. (PR)

Root canal volume change and transportation by Vortex Blue, ProTaper Next, and ProTaper Universal in curved root canals

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare root canal volume change and canal transportation by Vortex Blue (VB; Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties), ProTaper Next (PTN; Dentsply Maillefer), and ProTaper Universal (PTU; Dentsply Maillefer) nickel-titanium rotary files in curved root canals. Materials and Methods Thirty canals with 20°–45° of curvature from extracted human molars were used. Root canal instrumentation was performed with VB, PTN, and PTU files up to #30.06, X3, and F3, respectively. Changes in root canal volume before and after the instrumentation, and the amount and direction of canal transportation at 1, 3, and 5 mm from the root apex were measured by using micro-computed tomography. Data of canal volume change were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey test, while data of amount and direction of transportation were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test. Results There were no significant differences among 3 groups in terms of canal volume change (p > 0.05). For the amount of transportation, PTN showed significantly less transportation than PTU at 3 mm level (p = 0.005). VB files showed no significant difference in canal transportation at all 3 levels with either PTN or PTU files. Also, VB files showed unique inward transportation tendency in the apical area. Conclusions Other than PTN produced less amount of transportation than PTU at 3 mm level, all 3 file systems showed similar level of canal volume change and transportation, and VB file system could prepare the curved canals without significant shaping errors. PMID:29487834

The effect of a multidisciplinary regional educational programme on the quality of colon cancer resection.

PubMed

Sheehan-Dare, G E; Marks, K M; Tinkler-Hundal, E; Ingeholm, P; Bertelsen, C A; Quirke, P; West, N P

2018-02-01

Mesocolic plane surgery with central vascular ligation produces an oncologically superior specimen following colon cancer resection and appears to be related to optimal outcomes. We aimed to assess whether a regional educational programme in optimal mesocolic surgery led to an improvement in the quality of specimens. Following an educational programme in the Capital and Zealand areas of Denmark, 686 cases of primary colon cancer resected across six hospitals were assessed by grading the plane of surgery and undertaking tissue morphometry. These were compared to 263 specimens resected prior to the educational programme. Across the region, the mesocolic plane rate improved from 58% to 77% (P < 0.001). One hospital had previously implemented optimal surgery as standard prior to the educational programme and continued to produce a high rate of mesocolic plane specimens (68%) with a greater distance between the tumour and the high tie (median for all fresh cases: 113 vs 82 mm) and lymph node yield (33 vs 18) compared to the other hospitals. Three of the other hospitals showed a significant improvement in the plane of surgical resection. A multidisciplinary regional educational programme in optimal mesocolic surgery improved the oncological quality of colon cancer specimens as assessed by mesocolic planes; however, there was no significant effect on the amount of tissue resected centrally. Surgeons who attempt central vascular ligation continue to produce more radical specimens suggesting that such educational programmes alone are not sufficient to increase the amount of tissue resected around the tumour. Colorectal Disease © 2017 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

A XANES Study of Sulfur Speciation and Reactivity in Cokes for Anodes Used in Aluminum Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahrsengene, Gøril; Wells, Hannah C.; Rørvik, Stein; Ratvik, Arne Petter; Haverkamp, Richard G.; Svensson, Ann Mari

2018-03-01

Availability of anode raw materials in the growing aluminum industry results in a wider range of petroleum cokes being used to produce carbon anodes. The boundary between anode grade cokes and what previously was considered non-anode grades are no longer as distinct as before, leading to introduction of cokes with higher sulfur and higher trace metal impurity content in anode manufacturing. In this work, the chemical nature of sulfur in five industrial cokes, ranging from 1.42 to 5.54 wt pct S, was investigated with K-edge XANES, while the reactivity of the cokes towards CO2 was measured by a standard mass loss test. XANES identified most of the sulfur as organic sulfur compounds. In addition, a significant amount is identified (16 to 53 pct) as S-S bound sulfur. A strong inverse correlation is observed between CO2-reactivity and S-S bound sulfur in the cokes, indicating that the reduction in reactivity is more dependent on the amount of this type of sulfur compound rather than the total amount of sulfur or the amount of organic sulfur.

A XANES Study of Sulfur Speciation and Reactivity in Cokes for Anodes Used in Aluminum Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahrsengene, Gøril; Wells, Hannah C.; Rørvik, Stein; Ratvik, Arne Petter; Haverkamp, Richard G.; Svensson, Ann Mari

2018-06-01

Availability of anode raw materials in the growing aluminum industry results in a wider range of petroleum cokes being used to produce carbon anodes. The boundary between anode grade cokes and what previously was considered non-anode grades are no longer as distinct as before, leading to introduction of cokes with higher sulfur and higher trace metal impurity content in anode manufacturing. In this work, the chemical nature of sulfur in five industrial cokes, ranging from 1.42 to 5.54 wt pct S, was investigated with K-edge XANES, while the reactivity of the cokes towards CO2 was measured by a standard mass loss test. XANES identified most of the sulfur as organic sulfur compounds. In addition, a significant amount is identified (16 to 53 pct) as S-S bound sulfur. A strong inverse correlation is observed between CO2-reactivity and S-S bound sulfur in the cokes, indicating that the reduction in reactivity is more dependent on the amount of this type of sulfur compound rather than the total amount of sulfur or the amount of organic sulfur.

High field 27Al MAS NMR and TPD studies of active sites in ethanol dehydration using thermally treated transitional aluminas as catalysts

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

Hu, Jian Zhi; Xu, Suochang; Kwak, Ja Hun

High field quantitative 27Al MAS NMR and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of ethanol are used to study the surface and phase transformation of gamma-Al2O3 during calcination in the temperature range of 500 to 1300 degrees C. Following ethanol adsorption, ethylene is generated during TPD with a desorption temperature > 200 degrees C. With increasing calcination temperature prior to TPD, the amount of ethylene produced decreases monotonically. Significantly, 27Al MAS NMR reveals that the amount of penta-coordinate Al3+ ions (Lewis acid sites) also decreases with increasing calcination temperature. In fact, a strong correlation between the amount of penta-coordinate Al3+ ions andmore » the amount of strongly adsorbed ethanol molecules (i.e., the ones that convert to ethylene during TPD) is obtained. This result indicates that the penta-coordinate aluminum sites are the catalytic active sites on alumina surfaces during ethanol dehydration reaction across the entire course of gamma- to alpha-Al2O3 phase transformations.« less

Effect of carbon and nitrogen sources on simultaneous production of α-amylase and green food packaging polymer by Bacillus sp. CFR 67.

PubMed

Sreekanth, M S; Vijayendra, S V N; Joshi, G J; Shamala, T R

2013-04-01

In this paper, effect of different carbon and nitrogen sources, including hydrolysates of rice bran and wheat bran, on simultaneous production of α-amylase (for hydrolysis of starch in food systems) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA, a green biopolymer, which can be used as a packing material for foods) by Bacillus sp. CFR 67 was studied by submerged fermentation. Amongst various carbon sources tested, glucose and sucrose supported production of significantly (P < 0.05) higher amount of α-amylase (66 U/ml) and PHA (444 mg/l), respectively. Of the nitrogen sources tested, ammonium acetate and beef extract led to the production of maximum amount of amylase (36 U/ml) and PHA (592 mg/l), respectively. Supplementation of the production medium with wheat bran hydrolysate (50 ml/l) produced significantly higher amounts of amylase (73 U/ml) and PHA (524 mg/l). Thus this study indicated the potential of agro-residues for the production of value added biomolecules, which can reduce the cost of production of these molecules and enables to reduce the pollution mainly caused by the use of non biodegradable plastics.

Kazakhstan In situ BioTransformation of Mercury ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Our final international work on the biological decontamination of the mercury contamination of soils in the Northern outskirts of Pavlodar as a result of activity at the former PO “Khimprom” chemical plant is reported here. The plant produced chlorine and alkali from the 1970s into the 1990s using the electrolytic amalgam method entailing the use of massive amounts of mercury. Ground water became contaminated with Hg resulting in a plume 470 m wide, 1.9 km long, estimated to contain 2 million cubic meters of water. This plume could reach the River Irtysh, a source of drinking water for large cities in Kazakhstan and Russia. Significant amounts of mercuric compounds are deposited in the sediments of Lake Balkyldak, 1.5 km north of the factory. This lake occasionally received wastewater from the factory. Phase I of the PO “Kimprom” clean-up that isolated the major sources of mercury at the site was completed in 2004. However, significant amounts of mercury remain underground including groundwater contaminated with Hg in the form of HgCl2 with little to no elemental or methyl mercury (MeHg). Develop biotechnology strategies to mitigate mercury contamination in groundwater

Production of sophorolipid glycolipid biosurfactants from sugarcane molasses using Starmerella bombicola NBRC 10243.

PubMed

Takahashi, Makoto; Morita, Tomotake; Wada, Koji; Hirose, Naoto; Fukuoka, Tokuma; Imura, Tomohiro; Kitamoto, Dai

2011-01-01

Biosurfactants (BS) are produced by a variety of microorganisms from renewable resources, and have unique properties compared to chemical surfactants. In order to attain efficient production of BS from low-cost materials, we focused our attention on the use of sugarcane molasses. Fifteen yeast strains that are known as BS producers were examined for BS productivity from a culture medium consisting of only molasses and water. Among the strains tested, only Starmerella bombicola NBRC 10243 produced sophorolipids (SL), which are glycolipid BS. The culture conditions for the yeast were then investigated in a shake-flask culture. SL production was significantly affected by the pH of the medium and was highly accelerated at pH 6. Under the optimum conditions, the amount of SL reached 14.4 g/L after 120 h from a medium containing 150 g/L of total sugars. We tried to improve the production of SL further by feeding the molasses using a jar fermentor. Interestingly, the amount of SL increased up to 22.8 g/L after 120 h; the production rate was 1.6-fold higher than that in the shake-flask culture. These results suggest that the present yeast should have great potential for the low-cost production of SL, and facilitate the application of BS in various fields.

Optimization of Reduced Glutathione Production by a Lactobacillus plantarum Isolate Using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken Designs.

PubMed

Al-Madboly, Lamiaa A; Khedr, Eman G; Ali, Safaa M

2017-01-01

In this work, we aim to optimize the production of reduced glutathione (GSH) synthesized intracellularly by a food-grade microorganism through a statistical approach. Using a colorimetric method, 25 Lactobacillus plantarum isolates were screened in an attempt to find a GSH-producing strain. It was found that 36% of the tested isolates showed positive result. Isolate (L 7 ) was found to produce 152.61 μM glutathione per gram which was the highest amount produced intracellularly. Accordingly, the later isolate was selected for the optimization process using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs. Temperature, amino acids, and urea were found to be the most significant independent variables. Following data analysis, the composition of the optimized medium was De Man-Sharp-Rogosa broth as a basal medium supplemented with NaCl (5%), H 2 O 2 (0.05%), sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.05%), amino acids (0.0281%), and urea (0.192%). The pH of the medium was adjusted to 8 and incubated for 24 h at 40°C. The GSH amount was increased by 10-fold (851%) using the optimized medium. Hence, our optimization design estimated the biotechnological potential of L. plantarum (L 7 ) for the production of GSH in the industry.

Improving Plant Nitrogen Use Efficiency through Alteration of Amino Acid Transport Processes1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Perchlik, Molly

2017-01-01

Improving the efficiency of nitrogen (N) uptake and utilization in plants could potentially increase crop yields while reducing N fertilization and, subsequently, environmental pollution. Within most plants, N is transported primarily as amino acids. In this study, pea (Pisum sativum) plants overexpressing AMINO ACID PERMEASE1 (AAP1) were used to determine if and how genetic manipulation of amino acid transport from source to sink affects plant N use efficiency. The modified plants were grown under low, moderate, or high N fertilization regimes. The results showed that, independent of the N nutrition, the engineered plants allocate more N via the vasculature to the shoot and seeds and produce more biomass and higher seed yields than wild-type plants. Dependent on the amount of N supplied, the AAP1-overexpressing plants displayed improved N uptake or utilization efficiency, or a combination of the two. They also showed significantly increased N use efficiency in N-deficient as well as in N-rich soils and, impressively, required half the amount of N to produce as many fruits and seeds as control plants. Together, these data support that engineering N allocation from source to sink presents an effective strategy to produce crop plants with improved productivity as well as N use efficiency in a range of N environments. PMID:28733388

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel, Highly Selective Astaxanthin-Producing Marine Bacterium.

PubMed

Asker, Dalal

2017-10-18

A high-throughput screening approach for astaxanthin-producing bacteria led to the discovery of a novel, highly selective astaxanthin-producing marine bacterium (strain N-5). Phylogenetic analysis based on partial 16S rRNA gene and phenotypic metabolic testing indicated it belongs to the genus Brevundimonas. Therefore, it was designated as Brevundimonas sp. strain N-5. To identify and quantify carotenoids produced by strain N-5, HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS methods were used. The culture conditions including media, shaking, and time had significant effects on cell growth and carotenoids production including astaxanthin. The total carotenoids were ∼601.2 μg g -1 dry cells including a remarkable amount (364.6 μg g -1 dry cells) of optically pure astaxanthin (3S, 3'S) isomer, with high selectivity (∼60.6%) under medium aeration conditions. Notably, increasing the culture aeration enhanced astaxanthin production up to 85% of total carotenoids. This is the first report that describes a natural, highly selective astaxanthin-producing marine bacterium.

The use of shale ash in dry mix construction materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulbe, L.; Setina, J.; Juhnevica, I.

2017-10-01

The research was made to determine the use of shale ash usage in dry mix construction materials by replacing part of cement amount. Cement mortar ZM produced by SIA Sakret and two types of shale ashes from Narva Power plant (cyclone ash and electrostatic precipitator ash) were used. Fresh mortar properties, hardened mortar bulk density, thermal conductivity (λ10, dry) (table value) were tested in mortar ZM samples and mortar samples in which 20% of the amount of cement was replaced by ash. Compressive strenght, frost resistance and resistance to sulphate salt solutions were checked. It was stated that the use of electrostatic precipitator ash had a little change of the material properties, but the cyclone ash significantly reduced the mechanical strength of the material.

Water Consumption in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, May; Mintz, Marianne; Wang, Michael; Arora, Salil

2009-11-01

We assessed current water consumption during liquid fuel production, evaluating major steps of fuel lifecycle for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, bioethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from U.S. conventional crude obtained from onshore wells, gasoline from Saudi Arabian crude, and gasoline from Canadian oil sands. Our analysis revealed that the amount of irrigation water used to grow biofuel feedstocks varies significantly from one region to another and that water consumption for biofuel production varies with processing technology. In oil exploration and production, water consumption depends on the source and location of crude, the recovery technology, and the amount of produced water re-injected for oil recovery. Our results also indicate that crop irrigation is the most important factor determining water consumption in the production of corn ethanol. Nearly 70% of U.S. corn used for ethanol is produced in regions where 10-17 liters of water are consumed to produce one liter of ethanol. Ethanol production plants are less water intensive and there is a downward trend in water consumption. Water requirements for switchgrass ethanol production vary from 1.9 to 9.8 liters for each liter of ethanol produced. We found that water is consumed at a rate of 2.8-6.6 liters for each liter of gasoline produced for more than 90% of crude oil obtained from conventional onshore sources in the U.S. and more than half of crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia. For more than 55% of crude oil from Canadian oil sands, about 5.2 liters of water are consumed for each liter of gasoline produced. Our analysis highlighted the vital importance of water management during the feedstock production and conversion stage of the fuel lifecycle.

Engineering Geology and Geomorphology of Streambank Erosion. Report 3. The Application of Waterborne Geophysical Techniques in Fluvial Environments.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

filters are frequency-discriminating instruments whose signal transmission char- acteristics are functions of frequency. Their basic purpose is to pass...sediment loads. The sediment particles block effective transmission of acoustic pulses so that meaningful reflections from the bottom are not received...structures such as dikes, bridge piers, piling, etc. Eddies, boils, and other forms of turbulence associated with streamflow produce significant amounts of

Transformations of inorganic mercury by Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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

Yannai, S.; Berdicevsky, I.; Duek, L.

1991-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans were incubated with 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 {mu}g of Hg (as HgCl{sub 2}) per ml of Nelson's medium in the presence of trace amounts of oxygen at 28{degree}C for 12 days. Two control media were used, one without added Hg and one without yeast inoculum. Yeast cell growth was estimated after 1, 2, 3, and 8 days of incubation. The contents of organomercury in the system and of elemental mercury released from the media and collected in traps were determined at the end of the experiments. The results were as follows: (1) C. albicans wasmore » the more mercury-resistant species, but both yeast species failed to grown in the media containing 0.75 {mu}g of Hg per ml.; (2) The amounts of organomercury produced by the two species were proportional to the amount of HgCl{sub 2} added to the medium. In all cases C. albicans produced considerably larger amounts of methylmercury than S. cerevisiae; (3) The amounts of elemental Hg produced were inversely proportional to the HgCl{sub 2} level added in the case of S. cerevisiae but were all similar in the case of C. albicans;and (4) Neither organomercury nor elemental Hg was produced in any of the control media.« less

Carvacrol Induces Heat Shock Protein 60 and Inhibits Synthesis of Flagellin in Escherichia coli O157:H7▿

PubMed Central

Burt, Sara A.; van der Zee, Ruurd; Koets, Ad P.; de Graaff, Anko M.; van Knapen, Frans; Gaastra, Wim; Haagsman, Henk P.; Veldhuizen, Edwin J. A.

2007-01-01

The essential oils of oregano and thyme are active against a number of food-borne pathogens, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7. Carvacrol is one of the major antibacterial components of these oils, and p-cymene is thought to be its precursor in the plant. The effects of carvacrol and p-cymene on protein synthesis in E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895 cells were investigated. Bacteria were grown overnight in Mueller-Hinton broth with a sublethal concentration of carvacrol or p-cymene, and their protein compositions were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and confirmed by Western blotting. The presence of 1 mM carvacrol during overnight incubation caused E. coli O157:H7 to produce significant amounts of heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) (GroEL) (P < 0.05) and inhibited the synthesis of flagellin highly significantly (P < 0.001), causing cells to be aflagellate and therefore nonmotile. The amounts of HSP70 (DnaK) were not significantly affected. p-Cymene at 1 mM or 10 mM did not induce HSP60 or HSP70 in significant amounts and did not have a significant effect on flagellar synthesis. Neither carvacrol (0.3, 0.5, 0.8, or 1 mM) nor p-cymene (0.3, 0.5, or 0.8 mM) treatment of cells in the mid-exponential growth phase induced significant amounts of HSP60 or HSP70 within 3 h, although numerical increases of HSP60 were observed. Motility decreased with increasing concentrations of both compounds, but existing flagella were not shed. This study is the first to demonstrate that essential oil components induce HSP60 in bacteria and that overnight incubation with carvacrol prevents the development of flagella in E. coli O157:H7. PMID:17526792

Profiling of lipid and glycogen accumulations under different growth conditions in the sulfothermophilic red alga Galdieria sulphuraria.

PubMed

Sakurai, Toshihiro; Aoki, Motohide; Ju, Xiaohui; Ueda, Tatsuya; Nakamura, Yasunori; Fujiwara, Shoko; Umemura, Tomonari; Tsuzuki, Mikio; Minoda, Ayumi

2016-01-01

The unicellular red alga Galdieria sulphuraria grows efficiently and produces a large amount of biomass in acidic conditions at high temperatures. It has great potential to produce biofuels and other beneficial compounds without becoming contaminated with other organisms. In G. sulphuraria, biomass measurements and glycogen and lipid analyses demonstrated that the amounts and compositions of glycogen and lipids differed when cells were grown under autotrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic conditions. Maximum biomass production was obtained in the mixotrophic culture. High amounts of glycogen were obtained in the mixotrophic cultures, while the amounts of neutral lipids were similar between mixotrophic and heterotrophic cultures. The amounts of neutral lipids were highest in red algae, including thermophiles. Glycogen structure and fatty acids compositions largely depended on the growth conditions. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The future role of chemicals in forestry.

Treesearch

Tarrant R.F.; H.J. Gratkowski; W.E. Waters

1973-01-01

As a result of an increasing population, our reduced acreage of forest land will be called upon to produce maximum amounts of wood fiber, to satisfy an ever-increasing demand for recreational use, and to produce maximum amounts of clean, pure water. Under such demands, forestry must be practiced with an intensity that is beyond our ability to conceive at present. Of...

Accumulation of a 5’ proximal subgenomic RNA of Citrus tristeza virus is correlated with encapsidation by the minor coat protein

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

During replication, Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) produces large amounts of two unusual subgenomic (sg) RNAs that are positive-stranded and 5' -coterminal. Although these RNAs are produced in similar amounts and are similar in size, with LMT1 (~750 nt) only slightly larger than LMT2 (~650), we found ...

Diffuse CO2 degassing at Vesuvio, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frondini, Francesco; Chiodini, Giovanni; Caliro, Stefano; Cardellini, Carlo; Granieri, Domenico; Ventura, Guido

2004-10-01

At Vesuvio, a significant fraction of the rising hydrothermal-volcanic fluids is subjected to a condensation and separation process producing a CO2-rich gas phase, mainly expulsed through soil diffuse degassing from well defined areas called diffuse degassing structures (DDS), and a liquid phase that flows towards the outer part of the volcanic cone. A large amount of thermal energy is associated with the steam condensation process and subsequent cooling of the liquid phase. The total amount of volcanic-hydrothermal CO2 discharged through diffuse degassing has been computed through a sequential Gaussian simulation (sGs) approach based on several hundred accumulation chamber measurements and, at the time of the survey, amounted to 151 t d-1. The steam associated with the CO2 output, computed assuming that the original H2O/CO2 ratio of hydrothermal fluids is preserved in fumarolic effluents, is 553 t d-1, and the energy produced by the steam condensation and cooling of the liquid phase is 1.47×1012 J d-1 (17 MW). The location of the CO2 and temperature anomalies show that most of the gas is discharged from the inner part of the crater and suggests that crater morphology and local stratigraphy exert strong control on CO2 degassing and subsurface steam condensation. The amounts of gas and energy released by Vesuvio are comparable to those released by other volcanic degassing areas of the world and their estimates, through periodic surveys of soil CO2 flux, can constitute a useful tool to monitor volcanic activity.

Foamed lightweight materials made from mixed scrap metal waste powder and sewage sludge ash.

PubMed

Wang, Kuen-Sheng; Chiou, Ing-Jia

2004-10-01

The porous properties and pozzolanic effects of sewage sludge ash (SSA) make it possible to produce lightweight materials. This study explored the effects of different metallic foaming agents, made from waste aluminium products, on the foaming behaviours and engineering characteristics, as well as the microstructure of sewage sludge ash foamed lightweight materials. The results indicated that aluminium powder and mixed scrap metal waste powder possessed similar chemical compositions. After proper pre-treatment, waste aluminium products proved to be ideal substitutes for metallic foaming agents. Increasing the amount of mixed scrap metal waste by 10-15% compared with aluminium powder would produce a similar foaming ratio and compressive strength. The reaction of the metallic foaming agents mainly produced pores larger than 10 microm, different from the hydration reaction of cement that produced pores smaller than 1 microm mostly. To meet the requirements of the lightweight materials characteristics and the compressive strength, the amount of SSA could be up to 60-80% of the total solids. An adequate amount of aluminium powder is 0.5-0.9% of the total solids. Increasing the fineness of the mixed scrap metal waste powder could effectively reduce the amount required and improve the foaming ratio.

Anxiolytic-Like Actions of Fatty Acids Identified in Human Amniotic Fluid

PubMed Central

García-Ríos, Rosa Isela; Rodríguez-Landa, Juan Francisco; Contreras, Carlos M.

2013-01-01

Eight fatty acids (C12–C18) were previously identified in human amniotic fluid, colostrum, and milk in similar proportions but different amounts. Amniotic fluid is well known to be the natural environment for development in mammals. Interestingly, amniotic fluid and an artificial mixture of fatty acids contained in amniotic fluid produce similar anxiolytic-like actions in Wistar rats. We explored whether the lowest amount of fatty acids contained in amniotic fluid with respect to colostrum and milk produces such anxiolytic-like effects. Although a trend toward a dose-response effect was observed, only an amount of fatty acids that was similar to amniotic fluid fully mimicked the effect of diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.) in the defensive burying test, an action devoid of effects on locomotor activity and motor coordination. Our results confirm that the amount of fatty acids contained in amniotic fluid is sufficient to produce anxiolytic-like effects, suggesting similar actions during intrauterine development. PMID:23737729

GCM simulations of volcanic aerosol forcing. I - Climate changes induced by steady-state perturbations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollack, James B.; Rind, David; Lacis, Andrew; Hansen, James E.; Sato, Makiko; Ruedy, Reto

1993-01-01

The response of the climate system to a temporally and spatially constant amount of volcanic particles is simulated using a general circulation model (GCM). The optical depth of the aerosols is chosen so as to produce approximately the same amount of forcing as results from doubling the present CO2 content of the atmosphere and from the boundary conditions associated with the peak of the last ice age. The climate changes produced by long-term volcanic aerosol forcing are obtained by differencing this simulation and one made for the present climate with no volcanic aerosol forcing. The simulations indicate that a significant cooling of the troposphere and surface can occur at times of closely spaced multiple sulfur-rich volcanic explosions that span time scales of decades to centuries. The steady-state climate response to volcanic forcing includes a large expansion of sea ice, especially in the Southern Hemisphere; a resultant large increase in surface and planetary albedo at high latitudes; and sizable changes in the annually and zonally averaged air temperature.

Characterization of Extracellular Polymeric Substances Produced by Pseudomonas fragi Under Air and Modified Atmosphere Packaging.

PubMed

Wang, Guang-Yu; Ma, Fang; Wang, Hu-Hu; Xu, Xing-Lian; Zhou, Guang-Hong

2017-09-01

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play an important role in bacterial biochemical properties. The characteristics of EPS from 2 strains of Pseudomonas fragi cultured in meat aerobically (control) and in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were studied. The amount and components of EPS, the surface properties, and the effect on biofilm formation of several spoilage organisms were evaluated. The results showed that MAP inhibited the growth of the P. fragi strains. Compared with the control, more loose and less bound EPS (containing protein and carbohydrate) were produced by P. fragi in MAP samples. MAP also caused increased cell autoaggregation and surface hydrophobicity. After the removal of the EPS, the surface property changes were strain-dependent, suggesting that membrane compositions were also changed. In addition, the EPS displayed significant antibiofilm activity on Pseudomonas fluorescens and Serratia liquefaciens. In conclusion, P. fragi strains not only modified the amount, components, and surface properties of EPS but also changed the cell membrane compositions to adapt to MAP stress. Moreover, EPS may play an important role in microbial community competitions. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Production, purification and characterization of an exo-polygalacturonase from Penicillium janthinellum sw09.

PubMed

Ma, Yuping; Sun, Siwen; Hao, Hui; Xu, Chunping

2016-01-01

A soil isolate, Penicillium janthinellum sw09 has been found to produce significant amounts of an extracellular pectinase subsequently characterized as exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG). By optimizing growth conditions, P. janthinellum sw09 produced high amount of exo-PG (16.54 units/mL). The crude enzyme was purified by gel filtration chromatography and two exo-PG activity peaks (designated as PGI and PGII) were revealed. On SDS-PAGE analysis, purified PGII using DEAE-Sepharose FF column, was found to be a single band with a molecular mass of 66.2 kDa. The purified PGII exhibited maximal activity at the temperature of 45 oC and pH 5.0. The stability profiles show that PGII is more stable in the pH range of 4.0-8.0 and below 60 oC. The Km and Vmax for the enzyme was 1.74 mg/mL and 18.08 μmol/ (mL•min), respectively. Due to this enzymatic characterization, this pectinase is an attractive candidate for applications in degradation of pectin.

Plant-associated methylobacteria as co-evolved phytosymbionts: a hypothesis.

PubMed

Kutschera, Ulrich

2007-03-01

Due to their wall-associated pectin metabolism, growing plant cells emit significant amounts of the one-carbon alcohol methanol. Pink-pigmented microbes of the genus Methylobacterium that colonize the surfaces of leaves (epiphytes) are capable of growth on this volatile C1-compound as sole source of carbon and energy. In this article the results of experiments with germ-free (gnotobiotic) sporophytes of angiosperms (sunflower, maize) and gametophytes of bryophytes (a moss and two liverwort species) are summarized. The data show that methylobacteria do not stimulate the growth of these angiosperms, but organ development in moss protonemata and in thalli of liverworts is considerably enhanced. Since methylobacteria produce and secrete cytokinins and auxin, a model of plant-microbe-interaction (symbiosis) is proposed in which the methanol-consuming bacteria are viewed as coevolved partners of the gametophyte that determine its growth, survival and reproduction (fitness). This symbiosis is restricted to the haploid cells of moisture-dependent "living fossil" plants; it does not apply to the diploid sporophytes of higher embryophytes, which are fully adapted to life on land and apparently produce sufficient amounts of endogenous phytohormones.

Plant-Associated Methylobacteria as Co-Evolved Phytosymbionts

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Due to their wall-associated pectin metabolism, growing plant cells emit significant amounts of the one-carbon alcohol methanol. Pink-pigmented microbes of the genus Methylobacterium that colonize the surfaces of leaves (epiphytes) are capable of growth on this volatile C1-compound as sole source of carbon and energy. In this article the results of experiments with germ-free (gnotobiotic) sporophytes of angiosperms (sunflower, maize) and gametophytes of bryophytes (a moss and two liverwort species) are summarized. The data show that methylobacteria do not stimulate the growth of these angiosperms, but organ development in moss protonemata and in thalli of liverworts is considerably enhanced. Since methylobacteria produce and secrete cytokinins and auxin, a model of plant-microbe-interaction (symbiosis) is proposed in which the methanol-consuming bacteria are viewed as coevolved partners of the gametophyte that determine its growth, survival and reproduction (fitness). This symbiosis is restricted to the haploid cells of moisture-dependent “living fossil” plants; it does not apply to the diploid sporophytes of higher embryophytes, which are fully adapted to life on land and apparently produce sufficient amounts of endogenous phytohormones. PMID:19516971

Raytheon RSP2 Cryocooler Low Temperature Testing and Design Enhancements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hon, R. C.; Kirkconnell, C. S.; Shrago, J. A.

2010-04-01

The High Capacity Raytheon Stirling/Pulse Tube Hybrid 2-Stage cryocooler (HC-RSP2) was originally developed to provide simultaneous cooling at temperatures of 85 K and 35 K. During testing performed in 2008 it was demonstrated that this stock-configuration cryocooler is capable of providing significant amounts of heat lift at 2nd stage temperatures as low as 12 K, and modeling indicated that minor changes to the 2nd stage inertance tube/surge volume setup could yield improved performance. These changes were implemented and the cooler was successfully retested, producing >350 mW of heat lift at 12 K. A comprehensive redesign of the system has been performed, the result of which is a robust 2-stage cryocooler system that is intended to efficiently produce relatively large amounts of cooling at 2nd stage temperatures <12 K. This cryocooler, called the Low Temperature RSP2 (LT-RSP2) will be fabricated and tested over the next 12 months. This paper reports on the recently-completed test activities, as well as details relating to the system redesign. Expected performance, mass and packaging volume are addressed.

Degradation of C60 Fullerol by White-Rot Basidiomycete Fungi: Implications for Environmental Release of Nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreiner, K. M.; Filley, T. R.; Bolskar, R. D.; Blanchette, R. A.

2008-12-01

Industrially produced carbon-based nanomaterials, including fullerenes and fullerols, will be introduced into the environment in increasing amounts over the next century. Oxygenated fullerenes are likely to be produced in the environment through both biotic and abiotic weathering, and yet the environmental fate of compounds like hydroxylated fullerenes are almost unknown. This study examines the ability of two white rot basidiomycete fungi (Phlebia tremellosa and Trametes versicolor) to metabolize and degrade 13C-labeled C60 fullerol. Both of these fungi were shown to degrade fullerol to CO2 both in the presence of wood tissue and without, and incorporate trace amounts of the carbon into fungal biomass. Absorbance data also indicate that a significant portion of the original fullerol was broken down into small molecular weight metabolites. Phlebia tremellosa proved to be, in general, more aggressive towards fullerol degradation than Trametes versicolor. These findings represent the report of fungal degradation of this important nanomaterial and also provide valuable information about the possible environmental fates of this compound.

Resource-Competing Oscillator Network as a Model of Amoeba-Based Neurocomputer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aono, Masashi; Hirata, Yoshito; Hara, Masahiko; Aihara, Kazuyuki

An amoeboid organism, Physarum, exhibits rich spatiotemporal oscillatory behavior and various computational capabilities. Previously, the authors created a recurrent neurocomputer incorporating the amoeba as a computing substrate to solve optimization problems. In this paper, considering the amoeba to be a network of oscillators coupled such that they compete for constant amounts of resources, we present a model of the amoeba-based neurocomputer. The model generates a number of oscillation modes and produces not only simple behavior to stabilize a single mode but also complex behavior to spontaneously switch among different modes, which reproduces well the experimentally observed behavior of the amoeba. To explore the significance of the complex behavior, we set a test problem used to compare computational performances of the oscillation modes. The problem is a kind of optimization problem of how to allocate a limited amount of resource to oscillators such that conflicts among them can be minimized. We show that the complex behavior enables to attain a wider variety of solutions to the problem and produces better performances compared with the simple behavior.

The bacterial and archaeal community structures and methanogenic potential of the cecal microbiota of goats fed with hay and high-grain diets.

PubMed

Jin, Wei; Li, Yin; Cheng, Yanfen; Mao, Shengyong; Zhu, Weiyun

2018-05-17

The cecum plays an important role in the feed fermentation of ruminants. However, information is very limited regarding the cecal microbiota and their methane production. In the present study, the cecal content from twelve local Chinese goats, fed with either a hay diet (0% grain) or a high-grain diet (71.5% grain), were used to investigate the bacterial and archaeal community and their methanogenic potential. Microbial community analysis was determined using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and real-time PCR, and the methanogenesis potential was assessed by in vitro fermentation with ground corn or hay as substrates. Compared with the hay group, the high-grain diet significantly increased the length and weight of the cecum, the proportions of starch and crude protein, the concentrations of volatile fatty acids and ammonia nitrogen, but decreased the pH values (P < 0.05). The high-grain diet significantly increased the abundances of bacteria and archaea (P < 0.05) and altered their community. For the bacterial community, the genera Bifidobacterium, Prevotella, and Treponema were significantly increased in the high-grain group (P < 0.05), while Akkermansia, Oscillospira, and Coprococcus were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). For the archaeal community, Methanosphaera stadtmanae was significantly increased in the high-grain group (P < 0.05), while Methanosphaera sp. ISO3-F5 was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In the in vitro fermentation with grain as substrate, the cecal microorganisms from the high-grain group produced a significantly higher amount of methane and volatile fatty acids (P < 0.05), and produced significantly lower amount of lactate (P < 0.05). Conclusively, high-grain diet led to more fermentable substrates flowing into the hindgut of goats, resulting in an enhancement of microbial fermentation and methane production in the cecum.

Tychoparthenogenesis and mixed mating in natural populations of the mayfly Stenonema femoratum.

PubMed

Ball, S L

2001-09-01

Tychoparthenogenesis is a breeding system characterized by low population mean hatching success (usually < 10%) of unfertilized eggs from females of typically sexually reproducing species. I used progeny-array analysis to estimate outcrossing and parthenogenetic rates for two tychoparthenogenetic populations of the mayfly, Stenonema femoratum. Based on multilocus outcrossing rate estimates (t(m)), populations exhibited moderate rates of tychoparthenogenetic reproduction (population LD: 1 - t(m)=0.266; population RBG: 1 - t(m)=0.495). Differences between multilocus and average single-locus outcrossing rates indicated some biparental inbreeding in population LD, but not in population RBG. Family outcrossing rates ranged from 0 to 1.0, indicating mixed mating in which some females generated a mixture of sexually and parthenogenetically produced offspring. Outcrossing rates showed substantial heterogeneity among families. Correlation with paternity was high, indicating that outcrossed sibs within families were sired by the same father. Progeny-array sex ratios were significantly female biased for both populations and did not differ significantly between populations. However, family outcrossing rate was not significantly correlated with family sex ratio. Results indicate that substantial amounts of parthenogenetic reproduction are occurring in these natural S. femoratum populations and that some females produce mixed broods of sexually and parthenogenetically produced offspring.

Emissions of organic compounds from produced water ponds II: Evaluation of flux chamber measurements with inverse-modeling techniques.

PubMed

Tran, Huy N Q; Lyman, Seth N; Mansfield, Marc L; O'Neil, Trevor; Bowers, Richard L; Smith, Ann P; Keslar, Cara

2018-07-01

In this study, the authors apply two different dispersion models to evaluate flux chamber measurements of emissions of 58 organic compounds, including C2-C11 hydrocarbons and methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol from oil- and gas-produced water ponds in the Uintah Basin. Field measurement campaigns using the flux chamber technique were performed at a limited number of produced water ponds in the basin throughout 2013-2016. Inverse-modeling results showed significantly higher emissions than were measured by the flux chamber. Discrepancies between the two methods vary across hydrocarbon compounds and are largest in alcohols due to their physical chemistries. This finding, in combination with findings in a related study using the WATER9 wastewater emission model, suggests that the flux chamber technique may underestimate organic compound emissions, especially alcohols, due to its limited coverage of the pond area and alteration of environmental conditions, especially wind speed. Comparisons of inverse-model estimations with flux chamber measurements varied significantly with the complexity of pond facilities and geometries. Both model results and flux chamber measurements suggest significant contributions from produced water ponds to total organic compound emission from oil and gas productions in the basin. This research is a component of an extensive study that showed significant amount of hydrocarbon emissions from produced water ponds in the Uintah Basin, Utah. Such findings have important meanings to air quality management agencies in developing control strategies for air pollution in oil and gas fields, especially for the Uintah Basin in which ozone pollutions frequently occurred in winter seasons.

Production of melanin pigment from Pseudomonas stutzeri isolated from red seaweed Hypnea musciformis.

PubMed

Ganesh Kumar, C; Sahu, N; Narender Reddy, G; Prasad, R B N; Nagesh, N; Kamal, A

2013-10-01

Hypnea musciformis red seaweed is popularly known to produce carrageenan was collected from the Gulf of Mannar, India. Strain HMGM-7 [MTCC 11712] was isolated from the surface of this seaweed, which was capable of producing an extracellular black-coloured polymeric pigment. Based on phenotypic characterization and 16S rDNA sequencing, the strain HMGM-7 was identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri. Biophysical characterization by UV-visible, FT-IR, EPR and XRD spectroscopic studies confirmed the pigment as melanin. Further chemical characterization showed that it was acid-resistant, alkali-soluble and alkali-insoluble in most of the organic solvents and distilled water. To our knowledge, this is a first report on a marine Pseudomonas stutzeri strain producing significant amounts of melanin of about 6·7 g l(-1) without L-tyrosine supplementation in the sea-water production medium. This investigation reports a marine Pseudomonas stutzeri strain HMGM-7 [MTCC 11712] that produces significant quantities of melanin (6·7 g l(-1) ) in sea-water medium without the supplementation of L-tyrosine. The confirmation of the produced melanin was carried out by various chemical and physical characterization studies. The isolated melanin may find potential application for use in cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical industries. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Preparation and characterization of nanocomposite polyvinyl chloride films with NO-generating activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozakevych, Roman B.; Korobeinyk, Alina V.; Bolbukh, Yulia M.; Tertykh, Valentin A.; Mikhalovska, Lyuba I.; Zienkiewicz-Strzałka, Malgorzlata; Deryło-Marczewska, Anna

2018-03-01

The silica and copper oxide nanoparticles were embedded into the polyvinyl chloride film and obtained filled composites were tested as a catalyst in the reaction of the NO release from appropriate biomolecules. Obtained materials were characterized using scanning electron, atomic-force microscopies and thermomechanical analysis. It has been shown that the introduced particles are distributed uniformly in the polymeric matrix of hybrid composite and such film produces a significant amount of NO when reacts with S-nitrosothiols. At the same time, the unfilled polyvinyl chloride film had no statistically significant catalytic activity.

Detection of Allophane on Mars Through Orbital and In-Situ Thermal-Infrared Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rampe, E. B.; Kraft, M. D.; Sharp, T. G.; Golden, D. C.; Ming, Douglas W.

2011-01-01

We have collected laboratory thermal IR spectra of the mineraloid allophane and aluminosilicate gels. Using those spectra to model regional TES spectra, we suggest that several areas of Mars contain significant amounts of allophane-like weathering products. The presence of allophane on Mars indicates that 1) significant Al sources, such as feldspar or glass, were weathered; 2) weathering on Mars produced poorly-crystalline aluminosilicates, rather than easily identifiable crystalline minerals; and 3) some Martian weathering proceeded under moderate pH environments, suggesting acid weathering is not the only major alteration mechanism on Mars.

Production of optically pure D-lactic acid from brown rice using metabolically engineered Lactobacillus plantarum.

PubMed

Okano, Kenji; Hama, Shinji; Kihara, Maki; Noda, Hideo; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Kondo, Akihiko

2017-03-01

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of D-lactic acid was performed using brown rice as both a substrate and a nutrient source. An engineered Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 strain, in which the ʟ-lactate dehydrogenase gene was disrupted, produced 97.7 g/L D-lactic acid from 20% (w/v) brown rice without any nutrient supplementation. However, a significant amount of glucose remained unconsumed and the yield of lactic acid was as low as 0.75 (g/g-glucose contained in brown rice). Interestingly, the glucose consumption was significantly improved by adapting L. plantarum cells to the low-pH condition during the early stage of SSF (8-17 h). As a result, 117.1 g/L D-lactic acid was produced with a high yield of 0.93 and an optical purity of 99.6% after 144 h of fermentation. SSF experiments were repeatedly performed for ten times and D-lactic acid was stably produced using recycled cells (118.4-129.8 g/L). On average, D-lactic acid was produced with a volumetric productivity of 2.18 g/L/h over 48 h.

Ground-Level Ozone Following Astrophysical Ionizing Radiation Events: An Additional Biological Hazard?

PubMed

Thomas, Brian C; Goracke, Byron D

2016-01-01

Astrophysical ionizing radiation events such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and solar proton events have been recognized as a potential threat to life on Earth, primarily through depletion of stratospheric ozone and subsequent increase in solar UV radiation at Earth's surface and in the upper levels of the ocean. Other work has also considered the potential impact of nitric acid rainout, concluding that no significant threat is likely. Not yet studied to date is the potential impact of ozone produced in the lower atmosphere following an ionizing radiation event. Ozone is a known irritant to organisms on land and in water and therefore may be a significant additional hazard. Using previously completed atmospheric chemistry modeling, we examined the amount of ozone produced in the lower atmosphere for the case of a gamma-ray burst and found that the values are too small to pose a significant additional threat to the biosphere. These results may be extended to other ionizing radiation events, including supernovae and extreme solar proton events.

Natural Flood Management Plus: Scaling Up Nature Based Solutions to Larger Catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Paul; Nicholson, Alex; Adams, Russ

2017-04-01

It has been established that networks NFM features, such as ponds and wetlands, can have a significant effect on flood flow and pollution at local scales (less than 10km2). However, it is much less certain that NFM and NBS can impact at larger scales and protect larger cities. This is especially true for recent storms in the UK such as storm Desmond that caused devastation across the north of England. It is possible using observed rainfall and runoff data to estimate the amounts of storage that would be required to impact on extreme flood events. Here we will how a toolkit that will estimate the amount of storage that can be accrued through a dense networks of NFM features. The analysis suggest that the use of many hundreds of small NFM features can have a significant impact on peak flow, however we still require more storage in order to address extreme events and to satisfy flood engineers who may propose more traditional flood defences. We will also show case studies of larger NFM feature positioned on flood plains that can store significantly more flood flow. Examples designs of NFM plus feature will be shown. The storage aggregation tool will then show the degree to which storing large amounts of flood flow in NFM plus features can contribute to flood management and estimate the likely costs. Together smaller and larger NFM features if used together can produce significant flood storage and at a much lower cost than traditional schemes.

Biohydrogen production by dark fermentation of glycerol using Enterobacter and Citrobacter Sp.

PubMed

Maru, Biniam T; Constanti, Magda; Stchigel, Alberto M; Medina, Francesc; Sueiras, Jesus E

2013-01-01

Glycerol is an attractive substrate for biohydrogen production because, in theory, it can produce 3 mol of hydrogen per mol of glycerol. Moreover, glycerol is produced in substantial amounts as a byproduct of producing biodiesel, the demand for which has increased in recent years. Therefore, hydrogen production from glycerol was studied by dark fermentation using three strains of bacteria: namely, Enterobacter spH1, Enterobacter spH2, and Citrobacter freundii H3 and a mixture thereof (1:1:1). It was found that, when an initial concentration of 20 g/L of glycerol was used, all three strains and their mixture produced substantial amounts of hydrogen ranging from 2400 to 3500 mL/L, being highest for C. freundii H3 (3547 mL/L) and Enterobacter spH1 (3506 mL/L). The main nongaseous fermentation products were ethanol and acetate, albeit in different ratios. For Enterobacter spH1, Enterobacter spH2, C. freundii H3, and the mixture (1:1:1), the ethanol yields (in mol EtOH/mol glycerol consumed) were 0.96, 0.67, 0.31, and 0.66, respectively. Compared to the individual strains, the mixture (1:1:1) did not show a significantly higher hydrogen level, indicating that there was no synergistic effect. Enterobacter spH1 was selected for further investigation because of its higher yield of hydrogen and ethanol. Copyright © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

A competitive trade-off limits the selective advantage of increased antibiotic production.

PubMed

Gerardin, Ylaine; Springer, Michael; Kishony, Roy

2016-09-26

In structured environments, antibiotic-producing microorganisms can gain a selective advantage by inhibiting nearby competing species 1 . However, despite their genetic potential 2,3 , natural isolates often make only small amounts of antibiotics, and laboratory evolution can lead to loss rather than enhancement of antibiotic production 4 . Here, we show that, due to competition with antibiotic-resistant cheater cells, increased levels of antibiotic production can actually decrease the selective advantage to producers. Competing fluorescently labelled Escherichia coli colicin producers with non-producing resistant and sensitive strains on solid media, we found that although producer colonies can greatly benefit from the inhibition of nearby sensitive colonies, this benefit is shared with resistant colonies growing in their vicinity. A simple model, which accounts for such local competitive and inhibitory interactions, suggests that the advantage of producers varies non-monotonically with the amount of production. Indeed, experimentally varying the amount of production shows a peak in selection for producers, reflecting a trade-off between benefit gained by inhibiting sensitive competitors and loss due to an increased contribution to resistant cheater colonies. These results help explain the low level of antibiotic production observed for natural species and can help direct laboratory evolution experiments selecting for increased or novel production of antibiotics.

Difficulties in maintaining long-term partial nitritation of ammonium-rich sludge digester liquids in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR).

PubMed

Fux, C; Huang, D; Monti, A; Siegrist, H

2004-01-01

Nitrogen can be eliminated effectively from sludge digester effluents by anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), but 55-60% of the ammonium must first be oxidized to nitrite. Although a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with suspended biomass could be used, its hydraulic dilution rate is limited to 0.8-1 d(-1) (30 degrees C). Higher specific nitrite production rates can be achieved by sludge retention, as shown here for a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with Kaldnes carriers on laboratory and pilot scales. The maximum nitrite production rate amounted to 2.7 gNO2-Nm(-2)d(-1) (3 gO2m(-3)d(-1), 30.5 degrees C), thus doubling the dilution rate compared to CSTR operation with suspended biomass for a supernatant with 700 gNH4-Nm(-3). Whenever the available alkalinity was fully consumed, an optimal amount of nitrite was produced. However, a significant amount of nitrate was produced after 11 months of operation, making the effluent unsuitable for anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Because the sludge retention time (SRT) is relatively long in biofilm systems, slow growth of nitrite oxidizers occurs. None of the selection criteria applied - a high ammonium loading rate, high free ammonia or low oxygen concentration - led to selective suppression of nitrite oxidation. A CSTR or SBR with suspended biomass is consequently recommended for full-scale operation.

The production of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating activity by isolated human T lymphocyte subpopulations.

PubMed

Hesketh, P J; Sullivan, R; Valeri, C R; McCarroll, L A

1984-05-01

Isolated human T lymphocyte subpopulations were obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting using the murine monoclonal antibodies, OKT4 and OKT8. The capabilities of the isolated lymphocytes to produce granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating activity (CSA) in response to mitogen challenge were assessed by in vitro assays employing light density nonadherent bone marrow cells. Essentially, no CSA production was noted by any isolated T lymphocyte population [OKT4 positive (+) or OKT8 positive (+)] cultured alone or following the addition of 10(4) autologous monocytes/ml. When phytohemagglutinin (PHA) alone was added, OKT4+ lymphocytes elaborated small amounts of CSA. With the addition of concanavalin A (Con-A) alone, both OKT4+ and OKT8+ cells were able to produce modest amounts of CSA. Significantly enhanced CSA production was observed when either OKT4+ or OKT8+ lymphocytes were coincubated with autologous monocytes in the presence of mitogen. We conclude that highly purified T lymphocyte subpopulations, free of monocytes as assessed by nonspecific esterase staining, can elaborate small amounts of CSA in response to PHA or Con-A challenge. A synergistic augmentation of CSA production was noted with coincubation of sorted lymphocytes and autologous monocytes in the presence of mitogen. Finally, our results suggest that the ability of T lymphocytes to make CSA is not exclusively limited to either the OKT4+ or OKT8+ defined subsets.

The effects of physical activity on impulsive choice: Influence of sensitivity to reinforcement amount and delay.

PubMed

Strickland, Justin C; Feinstein, Max A; Lacy, Ryan T; Smith, Mark A

2016-05-01

Impulsive choice is a diagnostic feature and/or complicating factor for several psychological disorders and may be examined in the laboratory using delay-discounting procedures. Recent investigators have proposed using quantitative measures of analysis to examine the behavioral processes contributing to impulsive choice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity (i.e., wheel running) on impulsive choice in a single-response, discrete-trial procedure using two quantitative methods of analysis. To this end, rats were assigned to physical activity or sedentary groups and trained to respond in a delay-discounting procedure. In this procedure, one lever always produced one food pellet immediately, whereas a second lever produced three food pellets after a 0, 10, 20, 40, or 80-s delay. Estimates of sensitivity to reinforcement amount and sensitivity to reinforcement delay were determined using (1) a simple linear analysis and (2) an analysis of logarithmically transformed response ratios. Both analyses revealed that physical activity decreased sensitivity to reinforcement amount and sensitivity to reinforcement delay. These findings indicate that (1) physical activity has significant but functionally opposing effects on the behavioral processes that contribute to impulsive choice and (2) both quantitative methods of analysis are appropriate for use in single-response, discrete-trial procedures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving ethanol productivity through self-cycling fermentation of yeast: a proof of concept.

PubMed

Wang, Jie; Chae, Michael; Sauvageau, Dominic; Bressler, David C

2017-01-01

The cellulosic ethanol industry has developed efficient strategies for converting sugars obtained from various cellulosic feedstocks to bioethanol. However, any further major improvements in ethanol productivity will require development of novel and innovative fermentation strategies that enhance incumbent technologies in a cost-effective manner. The present study investigates the feasibility of applying self-cycling fermentation (SCF) to cellulosic ethanol production to elevate productivity. SCF is a semi-continuous cycling process that employs the following strategy: once the onset of stationary phase is detected, half of the broth volume is automatically harvested and replaced with fresh medium to initiate the next cycle. SCF has been shown to increase product yield and/or productivity in many types of microbial cultivation. To test whether this cycling process could increase productivity during ethanol fermentations, we mimicked the process by manually cycling the fermentation for five cycles in shake flasks, and then compared the results to batch operation. Mimicking SCF for five cycles resulted in regular patterns with regards to glucose consumption, ethanol titer, pH, and biomass production. Compared to batch fermentation, our cycling strategy displayed improved ethanol volumetric productivity (the titer of ethanol produced in a given cycle per corresponding cycle time) and specific productivity (the amount of ethanol produced per cellular biomass) by 43.1 ± 11.6 and 42.7 ± 9.8%, respectively. Five successive cycles contributed to an improvement of overall productivity (the aggregate amount of ethanol produced at the end of a given cycle per total processing time) and the estimated annual ethanol productivity (the amount of ethanol produced per year) by 64.4 ± 3.3 and 33.1 ± 7.2%, respectively. This study provides proof of concept that applying SCF to ethanol production could significantly increase productivities, which will help strengthen the cellulosic ethanol industry.

Health properties of oca (Oxalis tuberosa) and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius).

PubMed

Jimenez, María Eugenia; Rossi, Analia; Sammán, Norma

2015-10-01

Andean roots and tubers are underexploited crops; many contain compounds beneficial to health, so a greater knowledge of their properties is important for encouraging their consumption. The aim of this work was to study the content of bioactive compounds of yacon and oca and their effect on intestinal health using as a model rats of the Wistar strain. Two varieties of ocas (Overa and Rosada) and yacon, which contain significant amounts of fructooligosaccharides and phenolic compounds, were chosen. Rats of the Wistar strain were fed for two months with diets containing these foods in amounts sufficient to provide 8% of fiber. A significant decrease in pH values and an increment in lactobacilli and bifidobacteria counts in the cecum of rats fed with inulin, oca Rosada and Overa were observed; there was no significant decrease in enterobacteriaceae and enterococci counts. The cecum antioxidant activity was incremented in rats fed with the experimental foods with respect to the control diets. The components of dietary fiber and phenolic compound contents in yacon and oca produce effects that contribute to the intestinal health of the experimental animals.

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

Goff, F.; Aams, A.I.; McMurtry, G.M.

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Detailed geochemical sampling of high-temperature fumaroles, background water, and fresh magmatic products from 14 active volcanoes reveal that they do not produce measurable amounts of tritium ({sup 3}H) of deep origin (<0.1 T.U. or <0.32 pCi/kg H{sub 2}O). On the other hand, all volcanoes produce mixtures of meteoric and magmatic fluids that contain measurable {sup 3}H from the meteoric end-member. The results show that cold fusion is probably not a significant deep earth process but the samples and data havemore » wide application to a host of other volcanological topics.« less

Radiographic comparison of apical root resorption after orthodontic treatment between bidimensional and Roth straight-wire techniques

PubMed Central

Zawawi, Khalid H; Malki, Ghadah A

2014-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the amount of root resorption after orthodontic treatment between the bidimensional and the Roth straight-wire techniques. Another objective was to compare the amount of root resorption in the whole sample studied and record the prevalence of root resorption. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 40 patients (age ranged between 11 and 18 years) with Angle Class II division 1 malocclusions, treated nonextraction. Twenty patients were treated with bidimensional technique and 20 with a 0.018-inch Roth straight-wire technique. Root lengths of the maxillary incisors were measured on pre- and post-treatment periapical radiographs. Results: The results demonstrated that the bidimensional and Roth straight-wire groups showed significant root resorption after treatment, 1.11 (0.17) and 0.86 (0.05), respectively, P < 0.001. When comparing the amount of root shortening between the bidimensional and Roth straight-wire groups, there was no significant difference between the mean change from pre- to post-treatment between bidimensional group (mean = 1.00 ± 1.34) and Roth straight-wire group (mean = 0.88 ± 0.86), P = 0.63. Considering the whole sample, there was no root resoprtion in 32.5% of the analysed teeth. There was only mild resorption in 56.2%, moderate in 8.8% and severe in only 2.5% of the teeth. Conclusions: Treatment with the bidimensional technique did not produce an increase in the amount of root resorption. The prevalence and amount of root resorption was similar between bidimensional and Roth straight-wire techniques. PMID:25426453

Radiographic comparison of apical root resorption after orthodontic treatment between bidimensional and Roth straight-wire techniques.

PubMed

Zawawi, Khalid H; Malki, Ghadah A

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare the amount of root resorption after orthodontic treatment between the bidimensional and the Roth straight-wire techniques. Another objective was to compare the amount of root resorption in the whole sample studied and record the prevalence of root resorption. The sample consisted of 40 patients (age ranged between 11 and 18 years) with Angle Class II division 1 malocclusions, treated nonextraction. Twenty patients were treated with bidimensional technique and 20 with a 0.018-inch Roth straight-wire technique. Root lengths of the maxillary incisors were measured on pre- and post-treatment periapical radiographs. The results demonstrated that the bidimensional and Roth straight-wire groups showed significant root resorption after treatment, 1.11 (0.17) and 0.86 (0.05), respectively, P < 0.001. When comparing the amount of root shortening between the bidimensional and Roth straight-wire groups, there was no significant difference between the mean change from pre- to post-treatment between bidimensional group (mean = 1.00 ± 1.34) and Roth straight-wire group (mean = 0.88 ± 0.86), P = 0.63. Considering the whole sample, there was no root resoprtion in 32.5% of the analysed teeth. There was only mild resorption in 56.2%, moderate in 8.8% and severe in only 2.5% of the teeth. Treatment with the bidimensional technique did not produce an increase in the amount of root resorption. The prevalence and amount of root resorption was similar between bidimensional and Roth straight-wire techniques.

Having it both ways? Land use change in a U.S. midwestern agricultural ecoregion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Auch, Roger F.; Laingen, Chris R.

2015-01-01

Urbanization has been directly linked to decreases in area of agricultural lands and, as such, has been considered a threat to food security. Although the area of land used to produce food has diminished, often overlooked have been changes in agricultural output. The Eastern Corn Belt Plains (ECBP) is an important agricultural region in the U.S. Midwest. It has both gained a significant amount of urban land, primarily from the conversion of agricultural land between 1973 and 2000, and at the same time continued to produce ever-increasing quantities of agricultural products. By 2002, more corn, soybeans, and hogs were produced on a smaller agricultural land base than in 1974. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, ECBP ecoregion society appeared to have “had it both ways”: more urbanization along with increased agricultural output.

Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for biofuels production: from bugs to synthetic biology to fuels.

PubMed

Lee, Sung Kuk; Chou, Howard; Ham, Timothy S; Lee, Taek Soon; Keasling, Jay D

2008-12-01

The ability to generate microorganisms that can produce biofuels similar to petroleum-based transportation fuels would allow the use of existing engines and infrastructure and would save an enormous amount of capital required for replacing the current infrastructure to accommodate biofuels that have properties significantly different from petroleum-based fuels. Several groups have demonstrated the feasibility of manipulating microbes to produce molecules similar to petroleum-derived products, albeit at relatively low productivity (e.g. maximum butanol production is around 20 g/L). For cost-effective production of biofuels, the fuel-producing hosts and pathways must be engineered and optimized. Advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology will provide new tools for metabolic engineers to better understand how to rewire the cell in order to create the desired phenotypes for the production of economically viable biofuels.

Suppression of synthesis of an IgG subclass in a persistent viral infection.

PubMed Central

McGuire, T C

1976-01-01

Comparison of immunoglobulin levels of nine horses before and after infection with equine infectious anaemia (EIA) virus demonstrated a significant depression of serum IgG(T) at 2 months (P less than 0-001) and at 1 year (P less than 0-01) after infection. In contrast, the levels of IgGa were significantly increased at both times after infection. Another sixteen horses with EIA for 1-4 months were examined and there was also significant depression (P less than 0-001) of IgG(T) when compared to pre-infection levels. No significant changes in IgG(T), IgGa and IgM were noted in fourteen normal horses housed for 2-7 months in the same manner as infected horses. Following DNP immunization there was a significant (P less than 0-02) decrease in the amount of IgG(T) antibody produced in five horses with EIA when compared to five normal horses. Metabolism studies with iodinated IgG(T) showed a significant (P less than 0-001) decrease in synthesis of this immunoglobulin in EIA-infected horses when compared to normal horses. Amounts of IgGa synthesized were similar in the two groups. Thus, persistent EIA viral infection suppresses the synthesis of IgG(T), an IgG subclass, without suppressing IgGa. PMID:814077

Production of liquid fuels out of plant biomass and refuse: Methods, cost, potential (in MIXED)

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

Woick, B.; Friedrich, R.

1981-09-01

Different ways of producing biomass and its conversion into high grade fuel for vehicles are reviewed with particular reference to physical and geographical factors, pertaining in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Even with the potentially small amount of biomass in the FRG, the fueling of diesel engines with rape oil or modified ethanol, which can be obtained from any cellulosic feedstock, seems to pose the fewest difficulties and promises greatest efficiency. However, the amount of fuel produced from biomass can probably only meet a very small percentage of the total amount required.

Method to separate and determine the amount of ejecta produced in a second-shock material-fragmentation event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, W. T.; Hixson, R. S.; King, N. S. P.; Olson, R. T.; Rigg, P. A.; Zellner, M. B.; Routley, N.; Rimmer, A.

2007-04-01

The authors consider a mathematical method to separate and determine the amount of ejecta produced in a second-shock material-fragmentation process. The technique is theoretical and assumes that a material undergoing a shock release at a vacuum interface ejects particulate material or fragments as the initial shock unloads and reflects at the vacuum-surface interface. In this case it is thought that the reflected shock may reflect again at the source of the shock and return to the vacuum-surface interface and eject another amount of fragments or particulate material.

Comparing fixed-amount and progressive-amount DRO Schedules for tic suppression in youth with chronic tic disorders.

PubMed

Capriotti, Matthew R; Turkel, Jennifer E; Johnson, Rachel A; Espil, Flint M; Woods, Douglas W

2017-01-01

Chronic tic disorders (CTDs) involve motor and/or vocal tics that often cause substantial distress and impairment. Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) schedules of reinforcement produce robust, but incomplete, reductions in tic frequency in youth with CTDs; however, a more robust reduction may be needed to affect durable clinical change. Standard, fixed-amount DRO schedules have not commonly yielded such reductions, so we evaluated a novel, progressive-amount DRO schedule, based on its ability to facilitate sustained abstinence from functionally similar behaviors. Five youth with CTDs were exposed to periods of baseline, fixed-amount DRO (DRO-F), and progressive-amount DRO (DRO-P). Both DRO schedules produced decreases in tic rate and increases in intertic interval duration, but no systematic differences were seen between the two schedules on any dimension of tic occurrence. The DRO-F schedule was generally preferred to the DRO-P schedule. Possible procedural improvements and other future directions are discussed. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

The effect of initial flow nonuniformity on second-stage fuel injection and combustion in a supersonic duct. [supersonic combustion ramjet engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russin, W. R.

1975-01-01

The effects of flow nonuniformity on second-stage hydrogen fuel injection and combustion in supersonic flow were evaluated. The first case, second-stage fuel injection into a uniform duct flow, produced data indicating that fuel mixing is considerably slower than estimates based on an empirical mixing correlation. The second-case, two-stage fuel injection (or second-stage fuel injection into a nonuniform duct flow), produced a large interaction between stages with extensive flow separation. For this case the measured wall pressure, heat transfer, and amount of reaction at the duct exit were significantly greater than estimates based on the mixing correlation. Substantially more second-stage fuel burned in the second case than in the first case. Overall effects of unmixedness/chemical kinetics were found not to be significant at the exit for stoichiometric fuel injection.

System for measuring film thickness

DOEpatents

Batishko, Charles R.; Kirihara, Leslie J.; Peters, Timothy J.; Rasmussen, Donald E.

1990-01-01

A system for determining the thicknesses of thin films of materials exhibiting fluorescence in response to exposure to excitation energy from a suitable source of such energy. A section of film is illuminated with a fixed level of excitation energy from a source such as an argon ion laser emitting blue-green light. The amount of fluorescent light produced by the film over a limited area within the section so illuminated is then measured using a detector such as a photomultiplier tube. Since the amount of fluorescent light produced is a function of the thicknesses of thin films, the thickness of a specific film can be determined by comparing the intensity of fluorescent light produced by this film with the intensity of light produced by similar films of known thicknesses in response to the same amount of excitation energy. The preferred embodiment of the invention uses fiber optic probes in measuring the thicknesses of oil films on the operational components of machinery which are ordinarily obscured from view.

Seismic Indexing System for Army Installations. Volume II. Seismic Hazard Priority-Ranking Procedure for Army Buildings: Basic Concept.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

factors that cause damage are discussed below. a. Architectural elements. Damage to architectural elements can result in both significant dollar losses...hazard priority- ranking procedure are: 1. To produce meaningful results which are as simple as possible, con- sidering the existing databases. 2. To...minimize the amount of data required for meaningful results , i.e., the database should contain only the most fundamental building characteris- tics. 3. To

Molecular characterization of a gene for aldose reductase (CbXYL1) from Candida boidinii and its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Treesearch

Min Hyung Kang; Haiying Ni; Thomas W. Jeffries

2003-01-01

Candida boidinii produces significant amounts of xylitol from xylose, and assays of crude homogenates for aldose (xylose) reductase (XYL1p) have been reported to show relatively high activity with NADH as a cofactor even though XYL1p purified from this yeast does not have such activity. A gene coding for XYL1p from C. boidinii (CbXYL1) was isolated by amplifying the...

Non-Caking Freeze Dried Applesauce

DTIC Science & Technology

A study was initiated to develop an applesauce which resists caking when subjected to elevated temperatures such as 37.7C. for two weeks and/or 57C...following results were obtained: (1) The degree of caking of the freeze dried applesauce powder was correlated with the amount of juice extracted. (2... applesauce powders. (3) Reducing sugars appear to be the factor contributing most significantly to the caking with the higher reducing sugar levels producing the higher degrees of caking.

Drought Management, Service Interruption, and Water Pricing: Evidence From Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Chi-Keung

1992-10-01

Supply shortage is a common problem faced by an urban water supply system. Nonmarket programs are often used to reduce consumption. Using monthly water consumption data collected for Hong Kong for the period 1973-1984, we estimate the effect of service interruption on per capita consumption. The findings show that this effect is statistically significant but relatively small in size. A price increase of 16-35% could have produced the same amount of consumption reduction.

Dexamethasone alone and in combination with desipramine, phenytoin, valproic acid or levetiracetam interferes with 5-ALA-mediated PpIX production and cellular retention in glioblastoma cells.

PubMed

Lawrence, Johnathan E; Steele, Christopher J; Rovin, Richard A; Belton, Robert J; Winn, Robert J

2016-03-01

Extent of resection of glioblastoma (GBM) correlates with overall survival. Fluorescence-guided resection (FGR) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) can improve the extent of resection. Unfortunately not all patients given 5-ALA accumulate sufficient quantities of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) for successful FGR. In this study, we investigated the effects of dexamethasone, desipramine, phenytoin, valproic acid, and levetiracetam on the production and accumulation of PpIX in U87MG cells. All of these drugs, except levetiracetam, reduce the total amount of PpIX produced by GBM cells (p < 0.05). When dexamethasone is mixed with another drug (desipramine, phenytoin, valproic acid or levetiracetam) the amount of PpIX produced is further decreased (p < 0.01). However, when cells are analyzed for PpIX cellular retention, dexamethasone accumulated significantly more PpIX than the vehicle control (p < 0.05). Cellular retention of PpIX was not different from controls in cells treated with dexamethasone plus desipramine, valproic acid or levetiracetam, but was significantly less for dexamethasone plus phenytoin (p < 0.01). These data suggest that medications given before and during surgery may interfere with PpIX accumulation in malignant cells. At this time, levetiracetam appears to be the best medication in its class (anticonvulsants) for patients undergoing 5-ALA-mediated FGR.

Genetic and phenological variation of tocochromanol (vitamin E) content in wild (Daucus carota L. var. carota) and domesticated carrot (D. carota L. var. sativa)

PubMed Central

Luby, Claire H; Maeda, Hiroshi A; Goldman, Irwin L

2014-01-01

Carrot roots (Daucus carota L. var. sativa) produce tocochromanol compounds, collectively known as vitamin E. However, little is known about their types and amounts. Here we determined the range and variation in types and amounts of tocochromanols in a variety of cultivated carrot accessions throughout carrot postharvest storage and reproductive stages and in wild-type roots (Daucus carota L. var. carota). Of eight possible tocochromanol compounds, we detected and quantified α-, and the combined peak for β- and γ- forms of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Significant variation in amounts of tocochromanol compounds was observed across accessions and over time. Large increases in α-tocopherol were noted during both reproductive growth and the postharvest stages. The variation of tocochromanols in carrot root tissue provides useful information for future research seeking to understand the role of these compounds in carrot root tissue or to breed varieties with increased levels of these compounds. PMID:26504534

Occurrence and estimation of trans-resveratrol in one-year-old canes from seven major Chinese grape producing regions.

PubMed

Zhang, Ang; Fang, Yulin; Li, Xuan; Meng, Jiangfei; Wang, Hua; Li, Hua; Zhang, Zhenwen; Guo, Zhijun

2011-03-31

The concentration of trans-resveratrol in 165 grape cane samples from three major grape production regions and four large distribution centers of Chinese wild Vitis species were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among the different genotype groups and purpose of uses, cultivars of V. vinifera had much higher amounts of trans-resveratrol than did the cultivars of both V. labrusca or V. labrusca and V. vinifera hybrids, and within the V. vinifera species, significantly higher amounts of trans-resveratrol were found in wine grapes compared to table ones. No significant differences were observed between V. labrusca and its hybrids from crosses with V. vinifera, and between red cultivars and white ones (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The contents of trans-resveratrol, as a normal constituent occurring in grape canes, in Chinese wild species of V. amurensis, V. pentagona, and V. davidii from their native habitats were also relatively high.

Mechanisms of volatile production from non-sulfur amino acids by irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Dong Uk; Lee, Eun Joo; Feng, Xi; Zhang, Wangang; Lee, Ji Hwan; Jo, Cheorun; Nam, Kichang

2016-02-01

Non-sulfur amino acid monomers were used to study the mechanisms of volatile production in meat by irradiation. Irradiation not only produced many volatiles but also increased the amounts of volatiles from non-sulfur amino acid monomers. The major reaction mechanisms involved in volatile production from each group of the amino acids by irradiation differ significantly. However, we speculate that the radiolysis of amino acid side chains were the major mechanism. In addition, Strecker degradation, especially the production of aldehydes from aliphatic group amino acids, and deamination, isomerization, decarboxylation, cyclic reaction and dehydrogenation of the initial radiolytic products were also contributed to the production of volatile compounds. Each amino acid monomers produced different odor characteristics, but the intensities of odor from all non-sulfur amino acid groups were very weak. This indicated that the contribution of volatiles produced from non-sulfur amino acids was minor. If the volatile compounds from non-sulfur amino acids, especially aldehydes, interact with other volatiles compounds such as sulfur compounds, however, they can contribute to the off-odor of irradiated meat significantly.

Key process parameters to modify the porosity of cerium dioxide microspheres formed in the internal gelation process

DOE PAGES

Hunt, Rodney Dale; Collins, Jack Lee; Reif, Tyler J.; ...

2017-08-04

Recently, an internal gelation study demonstrated that the use of heated urea and hexamethylenetetramine can have a pronounced impact on the porosity and sintering characteristics of cerium dioxide (CeO 2) microspheres. This effort has identified process variables that can significantly change the initial porosity of the CeO 2 microspheres with slight modifications. A relatively small difference in the sample preparation of cerium ammonium nitrate and ammonium hydroxide solution had a large reproducible impact on the porosity and slow pour density of the produced microspheres. Increases in the gelation temperature as small as 0.5 K also produced a noticeable increase inmore » the slow pour density. If the gelation temperature was increased too high, the use of the heated hexamethylenetetramine and urea was no longer observed to be effective in increasing the porosity of the CeO 2 microspheres. In conclusion, the final process variable was the amount of dispersing agent, Span™ 80, which can increase the slow pour density and produce significantly smaller microspheres.« less

Key process parameters to modify the porosity of cerium dioxide microspheres formed in the internal gelation process

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

Hunt, Rodney Dale; Collins, Jack Lee; Reif, Tyler J.

Recently, an internal gelation study demonstrated that the use of heated urea and hexamethylenetetramine can have a pronounced impact on the porosity and sintering characteristics of cerium dioxide (CeO 2) microspheres. This effort has identified process variables that can significantly change the initial porosity of the CeO 2 microspheres with slight modifications. A relatively small difference in the sample preparation of cerium ammonium nitrate and ammonium hydroxide solution had a large reproducible impact on the porosity and slow pour density of the produced microspheres. Increases in the gelation temperature as small as 0.5 K also produced a noticeable increase inmore » the slow pour density. If the gelation temperature was increased too high, the use of the heated hexamethylenetetramine and urea was no longer observed to be effective in increasing the porosity of the CeO 2 microspheres. In conclusion, the final process variable was the amount of dispersing agent, Span™ 80, which can increase the slow pour density and produce significantly smaller microspheres.« less

Quantifying the Microbial Utilization of Methanogenesis and Methane Loss from Northern Wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbett, J. E.; Tfaily, M.; Burdige, D.; Glaser, P. H.; Chanton, J.

2014-12-01

The importance of methanogenesis and percent of methane loss from the subsurface porewater in various northern wetland sites was quantified with isotope-mass balance equations. With equimolar amounts of CO2 and CH4 produced from methanogenesis, the amount of dissolved CO2 produced from methanogenesis as compared to other decomposition processes can be calculated and is equivalent to the amount of CH4 before loss due to ebullition, plant-mediated transport, and diffusion. This method was applied to porewater samples collected from various locations within permafrost collapse-scar bogs and northern peatlands. From the peatland sites, bogs produced less CO2-meth than fens (2.9 ± 1.3 mM and 3.7 ± 1.4 mM, respectively). Methanogenesis was a more utilized decomposition process in the bogs than the fens. However, greater amounts of CO2-meth found in fen sites was most likely due to the presence of more labile organic substrates resulting in greater overall production. More CH4 was lost in fens (89 ± 2.8%) than bogs (82 ± 5.3%) from plant-mediated transport as fens are dominated by vascular plants (Carex) while bogs are dominated by Sphagnum mosses. In permafrost sites, mid-bogs produced twice the amount of CO2-meth as bog moats (1.6 ± 0.63 mM and 0.82 ± 0.20 mM, respectively). Less methanogenesis was found in bog moats as recently thawed organic matter is exposed to initial decomposition processes and methane production grows over time. A similar amount of CH4 was lost from bog moats as mid bogs (63 ± 7.0% and 64 ± 9.3%, respectively) likely due to the greater density of vascular plants found within a bog moat.

Effect of basic alkali-pickling conditions on the production of lysinoalanine in preserved eggs.

PubMed

Zhao, Yan; Luo, Xuying; Li, Jianke; Xu, Mingsheng; Tu, Yonggang

2015-09-01

During the pickling process, strong alkali causes significant lysinoalanine (LAL) formation in preserved eggs, which may reduce the nutritional value of the proteins and result in a potential hazard to human health. In this study, the impacts of the alkali treatment conditions on the production of LAL in preserved eggs were investigated. Preserved eggs were prepared using different times and temperatures, and alkali-pickling solutions with different types and concentrations of alkali and metal salts, and the corresponding LAL contents were measured. The results showed the following: during the pickling period of the preserved egg, the content of LAL in the egg white first rapidly increased and then slowly increased; the content of LAL in the egg yolk continued to increase significantly. During the aging period, the levels of LAL in both egg white and egg yolk slowly increased. The amounts of LAL in the preserved eggs were not significantly different at temperatures between 20 and 25ºC. At higher pickling temperatures, the LAL content in the preserved eggs increased. With the increase of alkali concentration in the alkali-pickling solution, the LAL content in the egg white and egg yolk showed an overall trend of an initial increase followed by a slight decrease. The content of LAL produced in preserved eggs treated with KOH was lower than in those treated with NaOH. NaCl and KCl produced no significant effects on the production of LAL in the preserved eggs. With increasing amounts of heavy metal salts, the LAL content in the preserved eggs first decreased and then increased. The LAL content generated in the CuSO4 group was lower than that in either the ZnSO4 or PbO groups. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Limiting the risk of cardiac toxicity with esophageal-sparing intensity modulated radiotherapy for locally advanced lung cancers.

PubMed

Woodford, Katrina; Panettieri, Vanessa; Ruben, Jeremy D; Senthi, Sashendra

2016-05-01

Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is routinely utilized in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). RTOG 0617 found that overall survival was impacted by increased low (5 Gy) and intermediate (30 Gy) cardiac doses. We evaluated the impact of esophageal-sparing IMRT on cardiac doses with and without the heart considered in the planning process and predicted toxicity compared to 3D-conventional radiotherapy (3DCRT). Ten consecutive patients with N2 Stage III NSCLC treated to 60 Gy in 30 fractions, between February 2012 and September 2014, were evaluated. For each patient, 3DCRT and esophageal-sparing IMRT plans were generated. IMRT plans were then created with and without the heart considered in the optimization process. To compare plans, the dose delivered to 95% and 99% of the target (D95% and D99%), and doses to the esophagus, lung and heart were compared by determining the volume receiving X dose (VXGy) and the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) calculated. IMRT reduced maximum esophagus dose to below 60 Gy in all patients and produced significant reductions to V50Gy, V40Gy and esophageal NTCP. The cost of this reduction was a non-statistically, non-clinically significant increase in low dose (5 Gy) lung exposure that did not worsen lung NTCP. IMRT plans produced significant cardiac sparing, with the amount of improvement correlating to the amount of heart overlapping with the target. When included in plan optimization, for selected patients further sparing of the heart and improvement in heart NTCP was possible. Esophageal-sparing IMRT can significantly spare the heart even if it is not considered in the optimization process. Further sparing can be achieved if plan optimization constrains low and intermediate heart doses, without compromising lung doses.

Drooling, saliva production, and swallowing in cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Senner, Jill E; Logemann, Jerilyn; Zecker, Steven; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah

2004-12-01

Fourteen participants (six females, eight males) ranging in age from 7 years 11 months to 18 years 2 months (mean 11y 7mo) with a confirmed diagnosis of spastic cerebral palsy (CP) were included in the study. Participants included those who drooled (CP+, n=14); age- and sex-matched children with spastic CP who were dry to mild and never to infrequent droolers (CP-, n=14) as well as typically developing peers (CTRL, n=14) served as controls. Frequency of swallowing was measured by using simultaneous cervical ausculation and videotaping of the head and neck. Saliva production was measured with the Saxon test, a simple gauze-chewing procedure. In addition, Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-3 (TONI-3), dysarthria severity scale, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) scores were obtained for each participant. Both groups of participants with CP tended to swallow less frequently than typically developing participants and tended to produce less saliva than typically developing controls; however, these differences were not statistically significant. No correlation was found between amount of saliva produced and amount drooled (r=0.245). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted on the PEDI functional skills mean scores indicated significant differences between the three groups (F(2,39)=23.522,p<0.0001). Likewise, an ANOVA conducted on the TONI-3 scores revealed statistically significant differences between the three groups (F(2,39)=31.761, p<0.0001). A Spearman's rho correlation indicated that GMFCS scores were not significantly correlated with drooling severity (Spearman's rho correlation=0.3951,p=0.037). Drooling severity was found to be positively correlated with dysarthria severity (Spearman's rho correlation=0.82,p<0.0001). These findings suggest that drooling in patients with CP is related to swallowing difficulties rather than hypersalivation.

Methods for the synthesis of olefins and derivatives

DOEpatents

Burk, Mark J; Pharkya, Priti; Van Dien, Stephen J; Burgard, Anthony P; Schilling, Christophe H

2013-06-04

The invention provides a method of producing acrylic acid. The method includes contacting fumaric acid with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylic acid per mole of fumaric acid. Also provided is an acrylate ester. The method includes contacting fumarate diester with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylate ester per mole of fumarate diester. An integrated process for process for producing acrylic acid or acrylate ester is provided which couples bioproduction of fumaric acid with metathesis transformation. An acrylic acid and an acrylate ester production also is provided.

Methods for the synthesis of olefins and derivatives

DOEpatents

Burk, Mark J [San Diego, CA; Pharkya, Priti [San Diego, CA; Van Dien, Stephen J [Encinitas, CA; Burgard, Anthony P [Bellefonte, PA; Schilling, Christophe H [San Diego, CA

2011-09-27

The invention provides a method of producing acrylic acid. The method includes contacting fumaric acid with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylic acid per mole of fumaric acid. Also provided is an acrylate ester. The method includes contacting fumarate diester with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylate ester per mole of fumarate diester. An integrated process for process for producing acrylic acid or acrylate ester is provided which couples bioproduction of fumaric acid with metathesis transformation. An acrylic acid and an acrylate ester production also is provided.

Methods for synthesis of olefins and derivatives

DOEpatents

Burk, Mark J.; Pharkya, Priti; Van Dien, Stephen J.; Burgard, Anthony P.; Schilling, Christophe H.

2016-06-14

The invention provides a method of producing acrylic acid. The method includes contacting fumaric acid with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylic acid per mole of fumaric acid. Also provided is an acrylate ester. The method includes contacting fumarate diester with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylate ester per mole of fumarate diester. An integrated process for process for producing acrylic acid or acrylate ester is provided which couples bioproduction of fumaric acid with metathesis transformation. An acrylic acid and an acrylate ester production also is provided.

IL-2 Produced by CD8+ Immune T cells Can Augment Their IFN-γ Production Independently from Their Proliferation in the Secondary Response to an Intracellular Pathogen

PubMed Central

Sa, Qila; Woodward, Jerold; Suzuki, Yasuhiro

2013-01-01

Chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii induces a potent resistance against re-infection, and IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells is crucial for the protective immunity. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the secondary response remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined the role of IL-2 in IFN-γ production by CD8+ immune T cells in their secondary responses using T. gondii-specific CD8+ T cell hybridomas and splenic CD8+ immune T cells from chronically infected mice. The majority (92 %) of CD8+ T cell hybridomas produced large amounts of IFN-γ only when a low amount (0.5 ng/ml) of exogenous IL-2 was provided in combination with T. gondii antigens. Inhibition of cell proliferation by mitomycin C (MMC) did not affect the enhancing effect of IL-2 on the IFN-γ production, and significant increases in transcription factor T-bet expression were associated with the IL-2-mediated IFN-γ amplification. Splenic CD8+ immune T cells produced similar low levels of IL-2 in the secondary response to T. gondii, and a blocking of IL-2 signaling by anti-IL-2Rα antibody or inhibitors of JAK1 and JAK3 significantly reduced IFN-γ production of the T cells. This IL-2-mediated upregulation of IFN-γ production was observed in MMC-treated CD8+ immune T cells, thus independent from their cell division. Therefore, endogenous IL-2 produced by CD8+ immune T cells can play an important autocrine enhancing role on their IFN-γ production in the secondary responses to T. gondii, suggesting an importance of induction of CD8+ immune T cells with an appropriate IL-2 production for vaccine development. PMID:23359502

Thermal treatment, grain boundary composition and intergranular attack resistance of Alloy 690

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

Smith, A.J.; Stratton, R.P.

1992-12-31

Commercial Alloy 690 PWR steam generator tubes and experimentally produced alloys with varying amounts of carbon, aluminium and titanium have been examined. After simulated mill annealing and thermal treatment, the microstructure and corrosion behaviour in corrosion tests have been investigated. Stress corrosion resistance of selected alloy 690 tubes and experimental alloys has been examined with environments based on pure water, sodium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide + sodium sulphate solutions. Effects of aluminium content and the thermal treatments on the susceptibility to intergranular attack have been examined, although they appear not to be very significant to the amounts of IGA. Samplesmore » used in thermal treatments have been further examined with a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope to show compositional changes at grain boundaries.« less

[Beta-lactamase synthesis and excretion in a non-leaky wild strain and a leaky mutant of Escherichia coli K-12].

PubMed

Fognini-Lefebvre, N; Portalier, R

1983-01-17

After transformation of Escherichia coli strains with plasmid pBR 322 and growth in rich L medium, the total amount of beta-lactamase produced, strongly decreased when the temperature was raised from 30 to 42 degrees C, but increased after addition of ampicillin or tetracycline to the medium. beta-lactamase was synthesized and exported into the periplasmic space of wild-type strain, but was not significantly released into the extracellular medium, after growth at low temperature. We have identified an E. coli mutant which excreted up to 90% of total amount of beta-lactamase activity, any temperature. This mutant has been used as an indicator strain, for the development of an in situ test allowing the detection of beta-lactamase excretion.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activities of Wine Yeasts in Relation to Higher Alcohol Formation

PubMed Central

Singh, Rajendra; Kunkee, Ralph E.

1976-01-01

Alcohol dehydrogenase activities were examined in cell-free extracts of 10 representative wine yeast strains having various productivities of higher alcohols (fusel oil). The amount of fusel alcohols (n-propanol, isobutanol, active pentanol, and isopentanol) produced by the different yeasts and the specific alcohol dehydrogenase activities with the corresponding alcohols as substrates were found to be significantly related. No such relationship was found for ethanol. The amounts of higher alcohols formed during vinification could be predicted from the specific activities of the alcohol dehydrogenases with high accuracy. The results suggest a close relationship between the control of the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and the formation of fusel oil alcohols. Also, new procedures for the prediction of higher alcohol formation during alcoholic beverage fermentation are suggested. PMID:16345179

What automated vocal analysis reveals about the vocal production and language learning environment of young children with autism.

PubMed

Warren, Steven F; Gilkerson, Jill; Richards, Jeffrey A; Oller, D Kimbrough; Xu, Dongxin; Yapanel, Umit; Gray, Sharmistha

2010-05-01

The study compared the vocal production and language learning environments of 26 young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to 78 typically developing children using measures derived from automated vocal analysis. A digital language processor and audio-processing algorithms measured the amount of adult words to children and the amount of vocalizations they produced during 12-h recording periods in their natural environments. The results indicated significant differences between typically developing children and children with ASD in the characteristics of conversations, the number of conversational turns, and in child vocalizations that correlated with parent measures of various child characteristics. Automated measurement of the language learning environment of young children with ASD reveals important differences from the environments experienced by typically developing children.

Co-operative actions and degradation analysis of purified xylan-degrading enzymes from Thermomonospora fusca BD25 on oat-spelt xylan.

PubMed

Tuncer, M; Ball, A S

2003-01-01

To determine and quantify the products from the degradation of xylan by a range of purified xylan-degrading enzymes, endoxylanase, beta-xylosidase and alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase produced extracellularly by Thermomonospora fusca BD25. The amounts of reducing sugars released from oat-spelt xylan by the actions of endoxylanase, beta-xylosidase and alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase were equal to 28.1, 4.6 and 7% hydrolysis (as xylose equivalents) of the substrate used, respectively. However, addition of beta-xylosidase and alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase preparation to endoxylanase significantly enhanced (70 and 20% respectively) the action of endoxylanase on the substrate. The combination of purified endoxylanase, beta-xylosidase and alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase preparations produced a greater sugar yield (58.6% hydrolysis) and enhanced the total reducing sugar yield by around 50%. The main xylooligosaccharide products released using the action of endoxylanase alone on oat-spelt xylan were identified as xylobiose and xylopentose. alpha-l-Arabinofuranosidase was able to release arabinose and xylobiose from oat-spelt xylan. In the presence of all three purified enzymes the hydrolysis products of oat-spelt xylan were mainly xylose, arabinose and substituted xylotetrose with lesser amount of substituted xylotriose. The addition of the beta-xylosidase and alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase enzymes to purified xylanases more than doubled the degradation of xylan from 28 to 58% of the total substrate with xylose and arabinose being the major sugars produced. The results highlight the role of xylan de-branching enzymes in the degradation of xylan and suggest that the use of enzyme cocktails may significantly improve the hydrolysis of xylan in industrial processes.

A comparison of the cardiovascular effects of simulated and spontaneous laughter.

PubMed

Law, Mikaela M; Broadbent, Elizabeth A; Sollers, John J

2018-04-01

Laughter has long been regarded as beneficial for health, but the mechanisms are not clearly understood. The current study aimed to compare the acute cardiovascular effects of spontaneous and simulated laughter. A mixed factorial experiment was performed to examine changes in cardiovascular variables in response to experimental tasks across conditions. A sample of 72 participants were randomised to one of three 6 min interventions. Participants in the simulated laughter condition were asked to generate fake laughter, the spontaneous laughter condition viewed a humorous video, and the control condition watched a non-humorous documentary. This was followed by a laboratory stress task. Heart rate and heart rate variability (as indexed by rMSSD) were monitored continuously throughout the experiment using ECG. The simulated laughter condition had a significantly higher heart rate (p < .001, η p 2  = .26) and lower rMSSD (p < .001, η p 2  = .13) during the laughter task compared to the other two conditions. Follow-up hierarchical regressions indicated that the difference in heart rate was due to the fact that the simulated condition produced more laughter. The difference in rMSSD, however, was unique to the simulated condition even when controlling for the amount of laughter. The simulated laughter condition had a significantly lower mean HR during the stress task but this was not significant after controlling amount of laughter produced. Laughter leads to increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability, which is similar to the effects of exercise. This finding is more pronounced in simulated laughter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speech outcome in young children born with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with one- or two-stage palatal repair and the impact of early intervention.

PubMed

Raud Westberg, Liisi; Höglund Santamarta, Lena; Karlsson, Jenny; Nyberg, Jill; Neovius, Erik; Lohmander, Anette

2017-10-25

The aim of this study was to describe speech at 1, 1;6 and 3 years of age in children born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and relate the findings to operation method and amount of early intervention received. A prospective trial of children born with UCLP operated with a one-stage (OS) palatal repair at 12 months or a two-stage repair (TS) with soft palate closure at 3-4 months and hard palate closure at 12 months was undertaken (Scandcleft). At 1 and 1;6 years the place and manner of articulation and number of different consonants produced in babbling were reported in 33 children. At three years of age percentage consonants correct adjusted for age (PCC-A) and cleft speech errors were assessed in 26 of the 33 children. Early intervention was not provided as part of the trial but according to the clinical routine and was extracted from patient records. At age 3, the mean PCC-A was 68% and 46% of the children produced articulation errors with no significant difference between the two groups. At one year there was a significantly higher occurrence of oral stops and anterior place consonants in the TS group. There were significant correlations between the consonant production between one and three years of age, but not with amount of early intervention received. The TS method was beneficial for consonant production at age 1, but not shown at 1;6 or 3 years. Behaviourally based early intervention still needs to be evaluated.

The impact of newly produced protein and dietary fiber rich fractions of yellow pea (Pisum sativum L.) on the structure and mechanical properties of pasta-like sheets.

PubMed

Muneer, Faraz; Johansson, Eva; Hedenqvist, Mikael S; Plivelic, Tomás S; Markedal, Keld Ejdrup; Petersen, Iben Lykke; Sørensen, Jens Christian; Kuktaite, Ramune

2018-04-01

Two fractions from pea (Pisum sativum L.), protein isolate (PPI) and dietary fiber (PF), were newly produced by extraction-fractionation method and characterized in terms of particle size distribution and structural morphology using SEM. The newly produced PPI and PF fractions were processed into pasta-like sheets with varying protein to fiber ratios (100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and 50/50, respectively) using high temperature compression molding. We studied protein polymerization, molecular structure and protein-fiber interactions, as well as mechanical performance and cooking characteristics of processed PPI-PF blends. Bi-modal particle size distribution and chemical composition of the PPI and PF fractions influenced significantly the physicochemical properties of the pasta-like sheets. Polymerization was most pronounced for the 100 PPI, 90/10 and 80/20 PPI-PF samples as studied by SE-HPLC, and polymerization decreased with addition of the PF fraction. The mechanical properties, as strength and extensibility, were likewise the highest for the 100 PPI and 90/10 PPI-PF blends, while the E-modulus was similar for all the studied blends (around 38 MPa). The extensibility decreased with the increasing amount of PF in the blend. The highest amounts of β-sheets were found in the pasta-like sheets with high amounts of PPI (100, 90 and 80%), by FT-IR. An increase in PF fraction in the blend, resulted into the high amounts of unordered structures as observed by FT-IR, as well as in an increase in the molecular scattering distances observed by SAXS. The water uptake increased and cooking loss decreased with increased proportions of the PF fraction, and the consistency of 10 min cooked pasta-like sheets were alike al dente texture. The new knowledge obtained in this study on the use of extraction-fractionation method to produce novel PPI and PF fractions for developing innovative high nutritious food can be of a great importance. The obtained knowledge on the pea protein and fiber processing behaviour could greatly contribute to a better control of functional properties of various temperature-processed products from yellow pea. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial Distribution and Site-Specific Spraying of Main Sucking Pests of Elm Trees.

PubMed

Karimzadeh, R; Iranipour, S

2017-06-01

Elm trees are important landscape trees and sucking insects weaken the elm trees and produce large amounts of honeydew. The main objectives of this study were to identify main honeydew-producing pests of elm trees and do site-specific spraying against these pests. To map the spatial distribution of the sucking pests in the large scale, the study area was divided into 40 × 40 m grids and one tree was chosen randomly from each grid (a total of 55 trees). These trees were sampled twice a year in 2011 and 2012. Each sample was a 30-cm branch terminal. Eight samples were taken from each tree in four cardinal directions and two canopy levels. The number of sucking insects and leaves of each sample were counted and recorded. Spatial analysis of the data was carried out using geostatistics. Kriging was used for producing prediction maps. Insecticide application was restricted to the regions with populations higher than threshold. To identify within-tree distribution of the honeydew-producing pests, six and four elm trees were chosen in 2011 and 2012 respectively, and sampled weekly. These trees were sampled as described previously. European elm scale (EES), Gossyparia spuria (Modeer) and two species of aphids were the dominant honeydew-producing pests. The results revealed that the effects of direction, canopy level and their interactions on insect populations were not statistically significant (P < 0.05). Site-specific spraying decreased the amount of insecticides used by ca. 20%, while satisfactory control of the sucking pests and honeydew excretion was obtained. Considering the environmental and economic benefits of site-specific spraying, it is worth doing more complementary works in this area.

Micro-computed tomography evaluation of the preparation of mesiobuccal root canals in maxillary first molars with Hyflex CM, Twisted Files, and K3 instruments.

PubMed

Zhao, Dan; Shen, Ya; Peng, Bin; Haapasalo, Markus

2013-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the canal shaping properties of Hyflex CM, Twisted Files (TF), and K3 rotary nickel-titanium files by using micro-computed tomography in maxillary first molars. A total of 36 mesiobuccal root canals of maxillary first molars were prepared with Hyflex CM, TF, or K3 system. Micro-computed tomography was used to scan the specimens before and after instrumentation. The volume of untreated canal, volume of dentin removed after preparation, amount of uninstrumented area, and the transportation for the coronal, middle, and apical thirds of canals were measured. Instrumentation of canals increased their volume and surface area. TF group showed the greatest amount of volumetric dentin removal (P < .05), whereas no significant difference was found in Hyflex CM and K3 groups. There were no significant differences among instrument types concerning uninstrumented area. The TF system produced significantly less transportation than the K3 system in the apical third of canals. No significant difference was found between TF and Hyflex CM instruments relating to apical transportation. In vitro, Hyflex and TF instruments shaped curved root canals in maxillary first molar without significant shaping errors. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Method for producing redox shuttles

DOEpatents

Pupek, Krzysztof Z.; Dzwiniel, Trevor L.; Krumdick, Gregory K.

2015-03-03

A single step method for producing a redox shuttle having the formula 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-phenylene tetraethyl bis(phosphate) is provided, the method comprising phosphorylating tert butyl hydroquinone with a phosphate-containing reagent. Also provided is method for producing 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-phenylene tetraethyl bis(phosphate), the method comprising solubilizing tert-butyl hydroquinone and tetrabutylammonium bromide with methyltetrahydrofuran to create a mixture; heating the mixture while adding base to the mixture in an amount to turn the mixture orange; and adding diethyl chlorophosphate to the orange mixture in an amount to phosphorylate the hydroquinone.

The removal of low level inorganics via electrogenerated hydrogen peroxide in the presence of catalytic amounts of Fe2+.

PubMed

Marrosu, G; Petrucci, R; Trazza, A

2001-01-01

Low level phosphites and hypophosphites were completely converted into phosphates, via hydrogen peroxide generated by cathodic reduction of oxygen in acidic aqueous medium at a reticulated vitreous carbon electrode, in the presence of little amounts of Fe2+. The contemporary regeneration of Fe2+ by cathodic reduction of Fe3+, produced by the well known Fenton reaction, furnishes an excellent way to continuously produce little amounts of the Fenton reactive and, as a consequence, of the powerful oxidant hydroxyl radical HO.. The best conditions for the complete removal of phosphorous as phosphites and hypophosphites are reported.

Investigations of ultrafast charge dynamics in laser-irradiated targets by a self probing technique employing laser driven protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, H.; Kar, S.; Cantono, G.; Nersisyan, G.; Brauckmann, S.; Doria, D.; Gwynne, D.; Macchi, A.; Naughton, K.; Willi, O.; Lewis, C. L. S.; Borghesi, M.

2016-09-01

The divergent and broadband proton beams produced by the target normal sheath acceleration mechanism provide the unique opportunity to probe, in a point-projection imaging scheme, the dynamics of the transient electric and magnetic fields produced during laser-plasma interactions. Commonly such experimental setup entails two intense laser beams, where the interaction produced by one beam is probed with the protons produced by the second. We present here experimental studies of the ultra-fast charge dynamics along a wire connected to laser irradiated target carried out by employing a 'self' proton probing arrangement - i.e. by connecting the wire to the target generating the probe protons. The experimental data shows that an electromagnetic pulse carrying a significant amount of charge is launched along the wire, which travels as a unified pulse of 10s of ps duration with a velocity close to speed of light. The experimental capabilities and the analysis procedure of this specific type of proton probing technique are discussed.

Alkaline phosphatase activity of rumen bacteria.

PubMed Central

Cheng, K J; Costerton, J W

1977-01-01

Of the 54 strains of rumen bacteria examined for alkaline phosphatase (APase) production, 9 of 33 gram-negative strains and none of 21 gram-positive strains produced the enzyme. The APase of the cells of the three strains of Bacteroides ruminicola that produced significant amounts of the enzyme was located in the periplasmic area of the cell envelope, whereas the enzyme was located in the strains of Selenomonas ruminantium and Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens was associated with the outer membrane. The localization of APase production in the cells of natural populations of rumen bacteria from hay-fed sheep was accomplished by reaction product deposition, and both the proportion of APase-producing bacteria and the location of the enzyme in the cell envelope of the producing cells could be determined. We suggest that this procedure is useful in detecting shifts in the bacterial population and the release of cell-bound APase that accompany feedlot bloat and other sequelae of dietary manipulation in ruminants. Images PMID:563216

Catalytic hydrothermal upgrading of crude bio-oils produced from different thermo-chemical conversion routes of microalgae.

PubMed

Duan, Peigao; Wang, Bing; Xu, Yuping

2015-06-01

This study presents experimental results that compare the use of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), alcoholysis (Al), pyrolysis (Py) and hydropyrolysis (HPy) for the production of bio-oil from a microalga (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) and the catalytic hydrothermal upgrading of crude bio-oils produced by these four conversion routes. The yields and compositions of bio-oil, solid residue, and gases were evaluated and compared. HTL resulted in a bio-oil that has a higher energy density and superior fuel properties, such as thermal and storage stabilities, compared with the other three conversion routes. The N in crude bio-oils produced from Py and HPy is more easily removed than that in the bio-oils produced from HTL and Al. The upgraded bio-oils contain reduced amounts of certain O-containing and N-containing compounds and significantly increased saturated hydrocarbon contents. All of the upgraded bio-oils have a larger fraction boiling below 350°C than their corresponding crude bio-oils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Cassini UVIS Data to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, Terry A.; Helfenstein, P.; Hansen, C.

2010-01-01

Given the non-spherical shape of Enceladus, the satellite may experience gravitational torques that will cause it to physically librate as it orbits Saturn. Physical libration would produce a diurnal oscillation in the longitude of Enceladus' tidal bulge, which could have a profound effect on the diurnal stresses experienced by the surface of the satellite. Although Cassini ISS has placed an observational upper limit on Enceladus' libration amplitude, stall amplitude librations may have geologically significant consequences. For example, a physical libration will affect heat production along the tiger stripes as produced by tidal shear heating and a previous study has explored possible libration states that provided better matches to Cassini CIRS observations of heat along the tiger stripes. Cassini UVIS stellar occultations provided measurements of the column density of the Enceladus plume at two different points in Enceladus' orbit and find comparable column density values. This column density may be a reflection of the amount of the tiger stripe rifts in tension and able to vent volatiles and a physical libration will also affect the fraction of tiger stripe in tension at different points in the orbit. We have modeled the expected fraction of tiger stripes in tension under different libration conditions. Without libration the amount of tiger stripe rifts in tension at both paints in the orbit would not be comparable and therefore may not allow comparable amounts of volatiles to escape. However, we identify libration conditions that do allow comparable amounts of the tiger stripes to be in tension at each point in the orbit, which might lead to comparable column densities. The librations identified coincide with possible librations states identified in the earlier study, which used Cassini CIRS observations.

Evaluation of various cheese whey treatment scenarios in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells for improved biohydrogen production.

PubMed

Rivera, Isaac; Bakonyi, Péter; Cuautle-Marín, Manuel Alejandro; Buitrón, Germán

2017-05-01

In this study single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) were applied to treat cheese whey (CW), an industrial by-product, and recover H 2 gas. Firstly, this substrate was fed directly to the MEC to get the initial feedback about its H 2 generation potential. The results indicated that the direct application of CW requires an adequate pH control to realize bioelectrohydrogenesis and avoid operational failure due to the loss of bioanode activity. In the second part of the study, the effluents of anaerobic (methanogenic) digester and hydrogenogenic (dark fermentative H 2 -producing) reactor utilizing the CW were tested in the MEC process (representing the concept of a two-stage technology). It turned out that the residue of the methanogenic reactor - with its relatively lower carbohydrate- and higher volatile fatty acid contents - was more suitable to produce hydrogen bioelectrochemically. The MEC operated with the dark fermentation effluent, containing a high portion of carbohydrates and low amount of organic acids, produced significant amount of undesired methane simultaneously with H 2 . Overall, the best MEC behavior was attained using the effluent of the methanogenic reactor and therefore, considering a two-stage system, methanogenesis is an advisable pretreatment step for the acidic CW to enhance the H 2 formation in complementary microbial electrohydrogenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seed-specific overexpression of an endogenous Arabidopsis phytoene synthase gene results in delayed germination and increased levels of carotenoids, chlorophyll, and abscisic acid.

PubMed

Lindgren, L Ove; Stålberg, Kjell G; Höglund, Anna-Stina

2003-06-01

Phytoene synthase catalyzes the dimerization of two molecules of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to phytoene and has been shown to be rate limiting for the synthesis of carotenoids. To elucidate if the capacity to produce phytoene is limiting also in the seed of Arabidopsis (Wassilewskija), a gene coding for an endogenous phytoene synthase was cloned and coupled to a seed-specific promoter, and the effects of the overexpression were examined. The resulting transgenic plants produced darker seeds, and extracts from the seed of five overexpressing plants had a 43-fold average increase of beta-carotene and a total average amount of beta-carotene of approximately 260 microg g-1 fresh weight. Lutein, violaxanthin, and chlorophyll were significantly increased, whereas the levels of zeaxanthin only increased by a factor 1.1. In addition, substantial levels of lycopene and alpha-carotene were produced in the seeds, whereas only trace amounts were found in the control plants. Seeds from the transgenic plants exhibited delayed germination, and the degree of delay was positively correlated with the increased levels of carotenoids. The abscisic acid levels followed the increase of the carotenoids, and plants having the highest carotenoid levels also had the highest abscisic acid content. Addition of gibberellic acid to the growth medium only partly restored germination of the transgenic seeds.

Ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Nathan A. S.; Pownceby, Mark I.; Madsen, Ian C.; Studer, Andrew J.; Manuel, James R.; Kimpton, Justin A.

2014-12-01

Effects of basicity, B (CaO:SiO2 ratio) on the thermal range, concentration, and formation mechanisms of silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) and SFCA-I iron ore sinter bonding phases have been investigated using an in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction-based methodology with subsequent Rietveld refinement-based quantitative phase analysis. SFCA and SFCA-I phases are the key bonding materials in iron ore sinter, and improved understanding of the effects of processing parameters such as basicity on their formation and decomposition may assist in improving efficiency of industrial iron ore sintering operations. Increasing basicity significantly increased the thermal range of SFCA-I, from 1363 K to 1533 K (1090 °C to 1260 °C) for a mixture with B = 2.48, to ~1339 K to 1535 K (1066 °C to 1262 °C) for a mixture with B = 3.96, and to ~1323 K to 1593 K (1050 °C to 1320 °C) at B = 4.94. Increasing basicity also increased the amount of SFCA-I formed, from 18 wt pct for the mixture with B = 2.48 to 25 wt pct for the B = 4.94 mixture. Higher basicity of the starting sinter mixture will, therefore, increase the amount of SFCA-I, considered to be more desirable of the two phases. Basicity did not appear to significantly influence the formation mechanism of SFCA-I. It did, however, affect the formation mechanism of SFCA, with the decomposition of SFCA-I coinciding with the formation of a significant amount of additional SFCA in the B = 2.48 and 3.96 mixtures but only a minor amount in the highest basicity mixture. In situ neutron diffraction enabled characterization of the behavior of magnetite after melting of SFCA produced a magnetite plus melt phase assemblage.

Treatment effects produced by the Twin-block appliance vs the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device in growing Class II patients.

PubMed

Giuntini, Veronica; Vangelisti, Andrea; Masucci, Caterina; Defraia, Efisio; McNamara, James A; Franchi, Lorenzo

2015-09-01

To compare the dentoskeletal changes produced by the Twin-block appliance (TB) followed by fixed appliances vs the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FRD) in combination with fixed appliances in growing patients having Class II division 1 malocclusion. Twenty-eight Class II patients (19 females and 9 males; mean age, 12.4 years) treated consecutively with the TB followed by fixed appliances were compared with a group of 36 patients (16 females and 20 males; mean age, 12.3 years) treated consecutively with the FRD in combination with fixed appliances and with a sample of 27 subjects having untreated Class II malocclusion (13 females and 14 males; mean age, 12.2 years). Mean observation interval was 2.3 years in all groups. Cephalometric changes were compared among the three groups by means of ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests. The FRD produced a significant restraint of the maxilla compared with the TB and control samples (SNA, -1.1° and -1.8°, respectively). The TB sample exhibited significantly greater mandibular advancement and greater increments in total mandibular length than either the FRD or control groups (SNB, 1.9° and 1.5°, respectively; and Co-Gn, 2.0 mm and 3.4 mm, respectively). The FRD produced a significantly greater amount of proclination of the mandibular incisors than what occurred with the TB or the control samples (2.9° and 5.6°, respectively). The TB appliance produced greater skeletal effects in terms of mandibular advancement and growth stimulation while the Forsus caused significant proclination of the mandibular incisors.

Effect of amino acids and frequency of reuse frying oils at different temperature on acrylamide formation in palm olein and soy bean oils via modeling system.

PubMed

Daniali, G; Jinap, S; Sanny, M; Tan, C P

2018-04-15

This work investigated the underlying formation of acrylamide from amino acids in frying oils during high temperatures and at different times via modeling systems. Eighteen amino acids were used in order to determine which one was more effective on acrylamide production. Significantly the highest amount of acrylamide was produced from asparagine (5987.5µg/kg) and the lowest from phenylalanine (9.25µg/kg). A constant amount of asparagine and glutamine in palm olein and soy bean oils was heated up in modelling system at different temperatures (160, 180 and 200°C) and times (1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5min). The highest amount of acrylamide was found at 200°C for 7.5min (9317 and 8511µg/kg) and lowest at 160°C for 1.5min (156 and 254µg/kg) in both frying oils and both amino acids. Direct correlations have been found between time (R 2 =0.884), temperature (R 2 =0.951) and amount of acrylamide formation, both at p<0.05. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bovine Colostral Antibody Against Verotoxin 2 Derived from Escherichia coli O157:H7: Resistance to Proteases and Effects in Beagle Dogs

PubMed Central

Kuribayashi, Takashi; Seita, Tetsuro; Matsumoto, Mariko; Furuhata, Katsunori; Tagata, Kazutoshi; Yamamoto, Shizuo

2009-01-01

A bovine colostral antibody against verotoxin (VT) 2 of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was administered orally to beagle dogs. The antibody remained in the dogs’ small intestine for at least 2 h, whereas little serum antibody remained 1.5 h after administration. Furthermore, the antibody activity of secretory IgA did not change until 2 h after administration; however, the activity of IgG and IgM antibodies decreased by approximately 60% and 40% at 2 h after administration, respectively. Seven beagle dogs inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 producing VT2 were administered bovine colostral antibody or bovine colostral whey without antibody. With administration of bovine colostral whey without antibody, the amount of VT2 in feces decreased gradually after administration and increased again at 5 d after inoculation, whereas bovine colostral antibody significantly reduced the amount of VT2 in feces on the day after administration. In addition, 9 beagle dogs were given bovine colostral antibody, bovine plasma antibody, or saline. The amount of VT2 in feces again decreased significantly more rapidly after administration of bovine colostral antibody than after administration of bovine plasma antibody or saline. PMID:19389308

Pregalactic black holes - A new constraint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrow, J. D.; Silk, J.

1979-01-01

Pregalactic black holes accrete matter in the early universe and produce copious amounts of X radiation. By using observations of the background radiation in the X and gamma wavebands, a strong constraint is imposed upon their possible abundance. If pregalactic black holes are actually present, several outstanding problems of cosmogony can be resolved with typical pregalactic black hole masses of 100 solar masses. Significantly more massive holes cannot constitute an appreciable mass fraction of the universe and are limited by a specific mass-density bound.

Laser beam interactions with vapor plumes during Nd:YAG laser welding on aluminum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peebles, H. C.; Russo, A. J.; Hadley, G. R.; Akau, R. L.

Welds produced on pure aluminum targets using pulsed Nd:YAG lasers can be accurately described using a relatively simple conduction mode heat transfer model provided that the fraction of laser energy absorbed is known and the amount of metal vaporized is smalled however at laser fluences commonly used in many production welding schedules significant aluminum vaporization does occur. The possible mechanisms have been identified which could result in laser beam attenuation by the vapor plume.

F-22 Pilot Heart Rate Response to +Gz and Relationship to Pilot Fitness Using U.S. Air Force Fitness Test Scores

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-19

finger-mounted units that produced a significant amount of artifact. The collection method matured to a helmet-mounted pulse oximeter (HMPO) unit...2015-5343. Helmet-mounted pulse oximeter data exist for 5847 sorties. Each sortie contains multiple +Gz exposures and each +Gz exposure is of...AGSM anti-G straining maneuver BMI body mass index CO cardiac output HMPO helmet-mounted pulse oximeter HR heart rate ID identification

Multispectral computational ghost imaging with multiplexed illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jian; Shi, Dongfeng

2017-07-01

Computational ghost imaging has attracted wide attention from researchers in many fields over the last two decades. Multispectral imaging as one application of computational ghost imaging possesses spatial and spectral resolving abilities, and is very useful for surveying scenes and extracting detailed information. Existing multispectral imagers mostly utilize narrow band filters or dispersive optical devices to separate light of different wavelengths, and then use multiple bucket detectors or an array detector to record them separately. Here, we propose a novel multispectral ghost imaging method that uses one single bucket detector with multiplexed illumination to produce a colored image. The multiplexed illumination patterns are produced by three binary encoded matrices (corresponding to the red, green and blue colored information, respectively) and random patterns. The results of the simulation and experiment have verified that our method can be effective in recovering the colored object. Multispectral images are produced simultaneously by one single-pixel detector, which significantly reduces the amount of data acquisition.

Kinetics of tumor necrosis factor production by photodynamic-therapy-activated macrophages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pass, Harvey I.; Evans, Steven; Perry, Roger; Matthews, Wilbert

1990-07-01

The ability of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to activate macrophages and produce cytokines, specifically tumor necrosis factor (TNF), is unknown. Three day thioglycolate elicited macrophages were incubated with 25 ug/mi Photofrin II (P11) for 2 hour, after which they were subjected to 630 nm light with fluences of 0-1800 J/m. The amount of TNF produced in the system as well as macrophage viability was measured 1, 3, 6, and 18 hours after POT. The level of TNF produced by the macrophages was significantly elevated over control levels 6 hours after POT and the absolute level of tumor necrosis factor production was influenced by the treatment energy and the resulting macrophage cytotoxicity. These data suggest that POT therapy induced cytotoxicity in vivo may be amplified by macrophage stimulation to secrete cytokines and these cytokines may also participate in other direct/indirect photodynamic therapy effects, i.e. immunosuppression, vascular effects.

Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for biofuels production: from bugs to synthetic biology to fuels

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

Kuk Lee, Sung; Chou, Howard; Ham, Timothy S.

2009-12-02

The ability to generate microorganisms that can produce biofuels similar to petroleum-based transportation fuels would allow the use of existing engines and infrastructure and would save an enormous amount of capital required for replacing the current infrastructure to accommodate biofuels that have properties significantly different from petroleum-based fuels. Several groups have demonstrated the feasibility of manipulating microbes to produce molecules similar to petroleum-derived products, albeit at relatively low productivity (e.g. maximum butanol production is around 20 g/L). For cost-effective production of biofuels, the fuel-producing hosts and pathways must be engineered and optimized. Advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology willmore » provide new tools for metabolic engineers to better understand how to rewire the cell in order to create the desired phenotypes for the production of economically viable biofuels.« less

Direct ethanol production from starch using a natural isolate, Scheffersomyces shehatae: Toward consolidated bioprocessing.

PubMed

Tanimura, Ayumi; Kikukawa, Minako; Yamaguchi, Shino; Kishino, Shigenobu; Ogawa, Jun; Shima, Jun

2015-04-22

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), which integrates enzyme production, saccharification and fermentation into a one-step process, is a promising strategy for cost-effective ethanol production from starchy biomass. To gain insights into starch-based ethanol production using CBP, an extensive screening was undertaken to identify naturally occurring yeasts that produce ethanol without the addition of any amylases. Three yeast strains were capable of producing a significant amount of ethanol. Quantitative assays revealed that Scheffersomyces shehatae JCM 18690 was the strain showing the highest ethanol production ability. This strain was able to utilize starch directly, and the ethanol concentration reached 9.21 g/L. We attribute the ethanol-producing ability of this strain to the high levels of glucoamylase activity, fermentation potential and ethanol stress tolerance. This study strongly suggests the possibility of starch-based ethanol production by consolidated bioprocessing using natural yeasts such as S. shehatae JCM 18690.

Purification and characterization of a bioactive alpha-fetoprotein produced by HEK-293 cells.

PubMed

Lin, Bo; Peng, Guoqing; Feng, Haipeng; Li, Wei; Dong, Xu; Chen, Yi; Lu, Yan; Wang, Qiaoyun; Xie, Xieju; Zhu, Mingyue; Li, Mengsen

2017-08-01

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a biomarker that is used to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and can promote malignancy in HCC. AFP is an important target in the treatment of liver cancer. To obtain enough AFP to screen for AFP inhibitors, we expressed and purified AFP in HEK-293 cells. In the present study, we produced AFP in the cells and harvested highly pure rAFP (or recombinant expression AFP in HEK-293 cells). We also analysed the bioactivity of rAFP and found that rAFP promoted growth of the human HCC cells, antagonize paclitaxel inhibition of HCC cell proliferation, suppress expression of active caspase-3, and promote expression of Ras and survivin. This study provides a method to produce significant amounts of AFP for use in biochemical assays and functional studies and to screen AFP inhibitors for use in HCC therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct ethanol production from starch using a natural isolate, Scheffersomyces shehatae: Toward consolidated bioprocessing

PubMed Central

Tanimura, Ayumi; Kikukawa, Minako; Yamaguchi, Shino; Kishino, Shigenobu; Ogawa, Jun; Shima, Jun

2015-01-01

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), which integrates enzyme production, saccharification and fermentation into a one-step process, is a promising strategy for cost-effective ethanol production from starchy biomass. To gain insights into starch-based ethanol production using CBP, an extensive screening was undertaken to identify naturally occurring yeasts that produce ethanol without the addition of any amylases. Three yeast strains were capable of producing a significant amount of ethanol. Quantitative assays revealed that Scheffersomyces shehatae JCM 18690 was the strain showing the highest ethanol production ability. This strain was able to utilize starch directly, and the ethanol concentration reached 9.21 g/L. We attribute the ethanol-producing ability of this strain to the high levels of glucoamylase activity, fermentation potential and ethanol stress tolerance. This study strongly suggests the possibility of starch-based ethanol production by consolidated bioprocessing using natural yeasts such as S. shehatae JCM 18690. PMID:25901788

Effectiveness of the Solar Panels in the Castro Valley Unified School District Based on Projected Amount of Energy to be Produced

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, J. R.; Palmer, T. C.; Siegel, A. P.

2014-12-01

In recent years Americans have warmed to the idea of installing solar panels to their homes and businesses. These panels help reduce the cost of receiving energy from power plants that lose a lot of energy in transportation. These power plants provide energy by burning gas or coal producing emissions that add to the growing problem of pollution and global warming. In 2010 the Castro Valley Unified School District decided to add solar panels to Canyon Middle School, Castro Valley High School, and Castro Valley Adult School. We researched whether the solar panels reached their projected amount of energy (74%) for the sites where the panels were placed. The solar panels at all three sites were found to exceed these projected amounts. The solar panels at each site produce a little over 74% for the each school.

Fuel from Tobacco and Arundo Donax: Synthetic Crop for Direct Drop-in Biofuel Production through Re-routing the Photorespiration Intermediates and Engineering Terpenoid Pathways

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

None

PETRO Project: Biofuels offer renewable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels that reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to nearly zero. However, traditional biofuels production is limited not only by the small amount of solar energy that plants convert through photosynthesis into biological materials, but also by inefficient processes for converting these biological materials into fuels. Farm-ready, non-food crops are needed that produce fuels or fuel-like precursors at significantly lower costs with significantly higher productivity. To make biofuels cost-competitive with petroleum-based fuels, biofuels production costs must be cut in half.

Prolactin, thyrotropin, and growth hormone release during stress associated with parachute jumping.

PubMed

Noel, G L; Dimond, R C; Earll, J M; Frantz, A G

1976-05-01

Prolactin, growth hormone, and thyrotropin (TSH) release during the stress of parachute jumping has been evaluated in 14 male subjects. Subjects were studied at several times before and immediately after their first military parachute jump. All three hormones had risen significantly 1 to 14 min after the jump, compared to mean levels measured immediately beforehand. Earlier studies of physical exercise by ourselves and others would suggest that emotional stress played a role in producing changes of this magnitude. We conclude that prolactin, TSH, and growth hormone are released in physiologically significant amounts in association with the stress of parachute jumping.

76 FR 53818 - Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-30

... Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit; Correction AGENCY: Internal... determination of the amount of taxes paid for purposes of the foreign tax credit. These regulations address certain highly structured transactions that produce inappropriate foreign tax credit results. The...

HIGH-SHEAR GRANULATION PROCESS: INFLUENCE OF PROCESSING PARAMETERS ON CRITICAL QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF ACETAMINOPHEN GRANULES AND TABLETS USING DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT APPROACH.

PubMed

Fayed, Mohamed H; Abdel-Rahman, Sayed I; Alanazi, Fars K; Ahmed, Mahrous O; Tawfeek, Hesham M; Al-Shedfat, Ramadan I

2017-01-01

Application of quality by design (QbD) in high shear granulation process is critical and need to recognize the correlation between the granulation process parameters and the properties of intermediate (granules) and corresponding final product (tablets). The present work examined the influence of water amount (X,) and wet massing time (X2) as independent process variables on the critical quality attributes of granules and corresponding tablets using design of experiment (DoE) technique. A two factor, three level (32) full factorial design was performed; each of these variables was investigated at three levels to characterize their strength and interaction. The dried granules have been analyzed for their size distribution, density and flow pattern. Additionally, the produced tablets have been investigated for weight uniformity, crushing strength, friability and percent capping, disintegration time and drug dissolution. Statistically significant impact (p < 0.05) of water amount was identified for granule growth, percent fines and distribution width and flow behavior. Granule density and compressibility were found to be significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by the two operating conditions. Also, water amount has significant effect (p < 0.05) on tablet weight unifornity, friability and percent capping. Moreover, tablet disintegration time and drug dissolution appears to be significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by the two process variables. On the other hand, the relationship of process parameters with critical quality attributes of granule and final product tablet was identified and correlated. Ultimately, a judicious selection of process parameters in high shear granulation process will allow providing product of desirable quality.

Electricity generation in microbial fuel cells using neutral red as an electronophore

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

Park, D.H.; Zeikus, J.G.

2000-04-01

Neutral red (NR) was utilized as an electron mediator in microbial fuel cells consuming glucose to study both its efficiency during electricity generation and its role in altering anaerobic growth and metabolism of Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus succinogenes. A study of chemical fuel cells in which NADH, NR, and ferricyanide were the electron donor, the electronophore, and the electron acceptor, respectively, showed that electrical current produced from NADH was proportional to the concentration of NADH. Fourfold more current was produced from NADH in chemical fuel cells when NR was the electron mediator than when thionin was the electron mediator. Inmore » microbial fuel cells in which E. coli resting cells were used the amount of current produced from glucose when NR was the electron mediator was 10-fold more than the amount produced when thionin was the electron mediator. The amount of electrical energy generated and the amount of current produced from glucose in NR-mediated microbial fuel cells containing either E. coli or A. succinogenes were about 10- and 2-fold greater, respectively, when resting cells were used than when growing cells were used. Cell growth was inhibited substantially when these microbial fuel cells were making current, and more oxidized end products were formed under these conditions. When sewage sludge was used in the fuel cell, stable and equivalent levels of current were obtained with glucose, as observed in the pure-culture experiments. These results suggest that NR is better than other electron mediators used in microbial fuel cells and that sludge production can be decreased while electricity is produced in fuel cells. Their results are discussed in relation to factors that may improve the relatively low electrical efficiencies obtained with microbial fuel cells.« less

Heterosis Increases Fertility, Fecundity, and Survival of Laboratory-Produced F1 Hybrid Males of the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles coluzzii

PubMed Central

Ekechukwu, Nkiru E.; Baeshen, Rowida; Traorè, Sékou F.; Coulibaly, Mamadou; Diabate, Abdoulaye; Catteruccia, Flaminia; Tripet, Frédéric

2015-01-01

The success of vector control strategies aiming to decrease disease transmission via the release of sterile or genetically-modified male mosquitoes critically depends on mating between laboratory-reared males and wild females. Unfortunately, mosquito colonization, laboratory rearing, and genetic manipulations can all negatively affect male competitiveness. Heterosis is commonly used to produce domestic animals with enhanced vigor and homogenous genetic background and could therefore potentially improve the mating performance of mass-reared male mosquitoes. Here, we produced enhanced hybrid males of the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii by crossing two strains colonized >35 and 8 years ago. We compared the amount of sperm and mating plug proteins they transferred to females, as well as their insemination rate, reproductive success and longevity under various experimental conditions. Across experiments, widespread adaptations to laboratory mating were detected in the older strain. In large-group mating experiments, no overall hybrid advantage in insemination rates and the amount of sperm and accessory gland proteins transferred to females was detected. Despite higher sperm activity, hybrid males did not appear more fecund. However, individual-male mating and laboratory-swarm experiments revealed that hybrid males, while inseminating fewer females than older inbred males, were significantly more fertile, producing larger mating plugs and drastically increasing female fecundity. Heterotic males also showed increased longevity. These results validate the use of heterosis for creating hybrid males with improved fitness from long-established inbred laboratory strains. Therefore, this simple approach could facilitate disease control strategies based on male mosquito releases with important ultimate benefits to human health. PMID:26497140

Cornmeal and starch influence the dynamic of fumonisin B, A and C production and masking in Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum.

PubMed

Lazzaro, Irene; Falavigna, Claudia; Galaverna, Gianni; Dall'Asta, Chiara; Battilani, Paola

2013-08-16

Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum can infect maize ears and produce fumonisins. The fumonisin B (FB) series is the most prolifically produced, followed by fumonisin C (FC), A (FA) and P (FP); moreover hidden forms of fumonisins have been detected in maize and derivatives. There is a lack of information about which maize component may affect fumonisin pattern production. Therefore, in this work we studied the role of cornmeal and corn starch, as the sole source of nutrition, in the production dynamic of all fumonisin series, hidden forms included, in different strains of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum incubated at 25°C for 7-45days. Both Fusarium species produced high amounts of FB, following the chemotype FB1>FB2>FB3; FC and FA were produced in lesser amounts, showing the chemotypes: FA2+FA3>FA1 and FC1>FC2+FC3>FC4, respectively; while no FP were detected. F. verticillioides was more prolific than F. proliferatum in fumonisin production (ten times more on average) in all the tested conditions. Fumonisin production was higher in cornmeal than in starch based medium in both Fusarium species; FA and FC were detected only in the former medium. An important role of amylopectin as an inducing factor for fumonisin biosynthesis was suggested, as were acid pH conditions. Fumonisin hidden forms may occur in cornmeal medium, whereas they were never found at significant levels in corn starch medium. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms for naphthalene removal during electrolytic aeration.

PubMed

Goel, Ramesh K; Flora, Joseph R V; Ferry, John

2003-02-01

Batch tests were performed to investigate chemical and physical processes that may result during electrolytic aeration of a contaminated aquifer using naphthalene as a model contaminant. Naphthalene degradation of 58-66% took place electrolytically and occurred at the same rates at a pH of 4 and 7. 1,4-naphthoquinone was identified as a product of the electrolysis. Stripping due to gases produced at the electrodes did not result in any naphthalene loss. Hydrogen peroxide (which may be produced at the cathode) did not have any effect on naphthalene, but the addition of ferrous iron (which may be present in aquifers) resulted in 67-99% disappearance of naphthalene. Chlorine (which may be produced from the anodic oxidation of chloride) can effectively degrade naphthalene at pH of 4, but not at a pH of 7. Mono-, di- and poly chloronaphthalenes were identified as oxidation products. Ferric iron coagulation (due to the oxidation of ferrous iron) did not significantly contribute to naphthalene loss. Overall, electrolytic oxidation and chemical oxidation due to the electrolytic by-products formed are significant abiotic processes that could occur and should be accounted for if bioremediation of PAH-contaminated sites via electrolytic aeration is considered. Possible undesirable products such as chlorinated compounds may be formed when significant amounts of chlorides are present.

The biological and electrical trade-offs related to the thickness of conducting polymers for neural applications.

PubMed

Baek, Sungchul; Green, Rylie A; Poole-Warren, Laura A

2014-07-01

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films have attracted substantial interest as coatings for platinum neuroprosthetic electrodes due to their excellent chemical stability and electrical properties. This study systematically examined PEDOT coatings formed with different amounts of charge and dopant ions, and investigated the combination of surface characteristics that were optimal for neural cell interactions. PEDOT samples were fabricated by varying the electrodeposition charge from 0.05 to 1 C cm(-2). Samples were doped with either poly(styrenesulfonate), tosylate (pTS) or perchlorate. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that both thickness and nodularity increased as the charge used to produce the sample was increased, and larger dopants produced smoother films across all thicknesses. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the amount of charge directly corresponded to the thickness and amount of dopant in the samples. Additionally, with increased thickness and nodularity, the electrochemical properties of all PEDOT coatings improved. However, neural cell adhesion and outgrowth assays revealed that there is a direct biological tradeoff related to the thickness and nodularity. Cell attachment, growth and differentiation was poorer on the thicker, rougher samples, but thin, less nodular PEDOT films exhibited significant improvements over bare platinum. PEDOT/pTS fabricated with a charge density of <0.1Ccm(-2) provided superior electrochemical and biological properties over conventional platinum electrodes and would be the most suitable conducting polymer for neural interface applications. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decision Support Model for Selection Technologies in Processing of Palm Oil Industrial Liquid Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishak, Aulia; Ali, Amir Yazid bin

2017-12-01

The palm oil industry continues to grow from year to year. Processing of the palm oil industry into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO). The ratio of the amount of oil produced by both products is 30% of the raw material. This means that 70% is palm oil waste. The amount of palm oil waste will increase in line with the development of the palm oil industry. The amount of waste generated by the palm oil industry if it is not handled properly and effectively will contribute significantly to environmental damage. Industrial activities ranging from raw materials to produce products will disrupt the lives of people around the factory. There are many alternative technologies available to process other industries, but problems that often occur are difficult to implement the most appropriate technology. The purpose of this research is to develop a database of waste processing technology, looking for qualitative and quantitative criteria to select technology and develop Decision Support System (DSS) that can help make decisions. The method used to achieve the objective of this research is to develop a questionnaire to identify waste processing technology and develop the questionnaire to find appropriate database technology. Methods of data analysis performed on the system by using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and to build the model by using the MySQL Software that can be used as a tool in the evaluation and selection of palm oil mill processing technology.

Assimilation of granite by basaltic magma at Burnt Lava flow, Medicine Lake volcano, northern California: Decoupling of heat and mass transfer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grove, T.L.; Kinzler, R.J.; Baker, M.B.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Lesher, C.E.

1988-01-01

At Medicine Lake volcano, California, andesite of the Holocene Burnt Lava flow has been produced by fractional crystallization of parental high alumina basalt (HAB) accompanied by assimilation of granitic crustal material. Burnt Lava contains inclusions of quenched HAB liquid, a potential parent magma of the andesite, highly melted granitic crustal xenoliths, and xenocryst assemblages which provide a record of the fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation process. Samples of granitic crustal material occur as xenoliths in other Holocene and Pleistocene lavas, and these xenoliths are used to constrain geochemical models of the assimilation process. A large amount of assimilation accompanied fractional crystallization to produce the contaminated Burnt lava andesites. Models which assume that assimilation and fractionation occurred simultaneously estimate the ratio of assimilation to fractional crystallization (R) to be >1 and best fits to all geochemical data are at an R value of 1.35 at F=0.68. Petrologic evidence, however, indicates that the assimilation process did not involve continuous addition of granitic crust as fractionation occurred. Instead, heat and mass transfer were separated in space and time. During the assimilation process, HAB magma underwent large amounts of fractional crystallization which was not accompanied by significant amounts of assimilation. This fractionation process supplied heat to melt granitic crust. The models proposed to explain the contamination process involve fractionation, replenishment by parental HAB, and mixing of evolved and parental magmas with melted granitic crust. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

The use of ZFP lossy floating point data compression in tornado-resolving thunderstorm simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orf, L.

2017-12-01

In the field of atmospheric science, numerical models are used to produce forecasts of weather and climate and serve as virtual laboratories for scientists studying atmospheric phenomena. In both operational and research arenas, atmospheric simulations exploiting modern supercomputing hardware can produce a tremendous amount of data. During model execution, the transfer of floating point data from memory to the file system is often a significant bottleneck where I/O can dominate wallclock time. One way to reduce the I/O footprint is to compress the floating point data, which reduces amount of data saved to the file system. In this presentation we introduce LOFS, a file system developed specifically for use in three-dimensional numerical weather models that are run on massively parallel supercomputers. LOFS utilizes the core (in-memory buffered) HDF5 driver and includes compression options including ZFP, a lossy floating point data compression algorithm. ZFP offers several mechanisms for specifying the amount of lossy compression to be applied to floating point data, including the ability to specify the maximum absolute error allowed in each compressed 3D array. We explore different maximum error tolerances in a tornado-resolving supercell thunderstorm simulation for model variables including cloud and precipitation, temperature, wind velocity and vorticity magnitude. We find that average compression ratios exceeding 20:1 in scientifically interesting regions of the simulation domain produce visually identical results to uncompressed data in visualizations and plots. Since LOFS splits the model domain across many files, compression ratios for a given error tolerance can be compared across different locations within the model domain. We find that regions of high spatial variability (which tend to be where scientifically interesting things are occurring) show the lowest compression ratios, whereas regions of the domain with little spatial variability compress extremely well. We observe that the overhead for compressing data with ZFP is low, and that compressing data in memory reduces the amount of memory overhead needed to store the virtual files before they are flushed to disk.

Properties of Residue from Olive Oil Extraction as a Raw Material for Sustainable Construction Materials. Part I: Physical Properties

PubMed Central

Díaz-García, Almudena; Martínez-García, Carmen; Cotes-Palomino, Teresa

2017-01-01

Action on climate, the environment, and the efficient use of raw materials and resources are important challenges facing our society. Against this backdrop, the construction industry must adapt to new trends and environmentally sustainable construction systems, thus requiring lines of research aimed at keeping energy consumption in new buildings as low as possible. One of the main goals of this research is to efficiently contribute to reducing the amount of residue from olive oil extraction using a two-phase method. This can be achieved by producing alternative structural materials to be used in the construction industry by means of a circular economy. The technical feasibility of adding said residue to ceramic paste was proven by analyzing the changes produced in the physical properties of the paste, which were then compared to the properties of the reference materials manufactured with clay without residue. Results obtained show that the heating value of wet pomace can contribute to the thermal needs of the sintering process, contributing 30% of energy in pieces containing 3% of said material. Likewise, adding larger amounts of wet pomace to the clay body causes a significant decrease in bulk density values. PMID:28772461

Thermal and catalytic degradation of high and low density polyethylene into fuel oil

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

Uddin, Azhar; Koizumi, Kazuo; Sakata, Yusaku

1996-12-31

The degradation of four different types of polyethylene (PE) namely high density PE (HDPE), low density PE (LDPE), linear low density PE (LLDPE), and cross-linked PE (XLPE) was carried out at 430 {degrees}C by batch operation using silica-alumina as a solid acid catalyst and thermally without any catalyst. For thermal degradation, both HDPE and XLPE produced significant amount of wax-like compounds and the yield of liquid products were lower than that of LDPE and LLDPE. LDPE and LLDPE also produced small amount of wax-like compounds. Thus the structure of the degrading polymers influenced the product yields. The liquid products frommore » thermal degradation were broadly distributed in the carbon fraction of n-C{sub 5} to n-C{sub 25} (boiling point range, 36-405 C). With silica-alumina, the polyethylenes were converted to liquid products with high yields (77-83 wt%) and without any wax production. The liquid products were distributed in the range of n-C{sub 5} to n-C{sub 20} (Mostly C{sub 5}-C{sub 12}). Solid acid catalyst indiscriminately degraded the various types of polyethylene into light fuel oil. 5 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

Investigation of the role of the micro-porous layer in polymer electrolyte fuel cells with hydrogen deuterium contrast neutron radiography.

PubMed

Cho, Kyu Taek; Mench, Matthew M

2012-03-28

In this study, the high resolution hydrogen-deuterium contrast radiography method was applied to elucidate the impact of the micro-porous layer (MPL) on water distribution in the porous fuel cell media. At the steady state, deuterium replaced hydrogen in the anode stream, and the large difference in neutron attenuation of the D(2)O produced at the cathode was used to track the produced water. It was found that the water content peaked in the cathode-side diffusion media (DM) for the cell without MPL, but with an MPL on the anode and cathode DM, the peak water amount was pushed toward the anode, resulting in a relatively flattened water profile through components and demonstrating a liquid barrier effect. Additionally, the dynamic water behavior in diffusion media was analyzed to understand the effect of a MPL and operating conditions. The water content in the DM changed with applied current, although there is a significant amount of residual liquid content that does not appear to be part of capillary channels. The effect of the MPL on irreducible saturation in DM and cell performance was also investigated.

Apical Extrusion of Intracanal Debris Using Two Engine Driven and Step-Back Instrumentation Techniques: An In-Vitro Study

PubMed Central

Kustarci, Alper; Akdemir, Neslihan; Siso, Seyda Herguner; Altunbas, Demet

2008-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare in-vitro the amount of debris extruded apically from extracted teeth, using K3, Protaper rotary instruments and manual step-back technique. Methods Forty five human single-rooted mandibular premolar teeth were randomly divided into 3 groups. The teeth in 3 groups were instrumented until reaching the working length with K3, Protaper rotary instruments and K-type stainless steel instruments with manual step-back technique, respectively. Debris extruded from the apical foramen was collected into centrifuge tubes and the amount was determined. The data obtained were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney U tests, with P=.05 as the level for statistical significance. Results Statistically significant difference was observed between K3, Protaper and step-back groups in terms of debris extrusion (P<.05). Step-back group had the highest mean debris weight, which was significantly different from the K3 and Protaper groups (P<.05). The lowest mean debris weight was related to K3 group, which was significantly different from the Protaper group (P<.05). Conclusions: Based on the results, all instrumentation techniques produced debris extrusion. The engine-driven Ni-Ti systems extruded significantly less apical debris than step-back technique. However, Protaper rotary instruments extruded significantly more debris than K3 rotary instruments. PMID:19212528

Apical extrusion of intracanal debris using two engine driven and step-back instrumentation techniques: an in-vitro study.

PubMed

Kustarci, Alper; Akdemir, Neslihan; Siso, Seyda Herguner; Altunbas, Demet

2008-10-01

The purpose of this study was to compare in-vitro the amount of debris extruded apically from extracted teeth, using K3, Protaper rotary instruments and manual step-back technique. Forty five human single-rooted mandibular premolar teeth were randomly divided into 3 groups. The teeth in 3 groups were instrumented until reaching the working length with K3, Protaper rotary instruments and K-type stainless steel instruments with manual step-back technique, respectively. Debris extruded from the apical foramen was collected into centrifuge tubes and the amount was determined. The data obtained were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney U tests, with P=.05 as the level for statistical significance. Statistically significant difference was observed between K3, Protaper and step-back groups in terms of debris extrusion (P<.05). Step-back group had the highest mean debris weight, which was significantly different from the K3 and Protaper groups (P<.05). The lowest mean debris weight was related to K3 group, which was significantly different from the Protaper group (P<.05). Based on the results, all instrumentation techniques produced debris extrusion. The engine-driven Ni-Ti systems extruded significantly less apical debris than step-back technique. However, Protaper rotary instruments extruded significantly more debris than K3 rotary instruments.

Liver cholesterol concentrations in mice fed diets containing various sources of fat, carbohydrates or fiber.

PubMed

Beynen, A C; Klaasen, H L; Koopman, J P; Fielmich-Bouman, A M; Lemmens, A G

1989-01-01

Liver cholesterol concentrations were measured in mice after feeding for 30 days cholesterol-free, semipurified diets containing various sources of fat, carbohydrates or fiber. Olive oil produced significantly higher liver cholesterol concentrations than tallow, sunflowerseed oil and cocoa fat. In mice fed either fructose or sucrose liver cholesterol was significantly increased when compared with mice fed galactose or lactose. Dietary cellulose, when compared with pectin, did not influence liver cholesterol. The amount of fat in the diet, in the form of either corn oil or coconut fat, had no significant effect on liver cholesterol. It is concluded that the type of carbohydrate and fat in the diet are major determinants of liver cholesterol in mice.

Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori in Gastric Fluid in the Surgical Patient

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

of five percent. This percentage closely matches the oxygen level found in the stomach’s mucous layer . It has an electropositive internal milieu which...amounts of urease which cleaves urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. The presence of urease is one of the biochemical markers used to help identify...in acidic gastric juice where small amounts of urea are present. Helicobacter pylorl produces urease which breaks down the urea and produces ammonia

Effects of Coral Reef Benthic Primary Producers on Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Activity

PubMed Central

Haas, Andreas F.; Nelson, Craig E.; Wegley Kelly, Linda; Carlson, Craig A.; Rohwer, Forest; Leichter, James J.; Wyatt, Alex; Smith, Jennifer E.

2011-01-01

Benthic primary producers in marine ecosystems may significantly alter biogeochemical cycling and microbial processes in their surrounding environment. To examine these interactions, we studied dissolved organic matter release by dominant benthic taxa and subsequent microbial remineralization in the lagoonal reefs of Moorea, French Polynesia. Rates of photosynthesis, respiration, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release were assessed for several common benthic reef organisms from the backreef habitat. We assessed microbial community response to dissolved exudates of each benthic producer by measuring bacterioplankton growth, respiration, and DOC drawdown in two-day dark dilution culture incubations. Experiments were conducted for six benthic producers: three species of macroalgae (each representing a different algal phylum: Turbinaria ornata – Ochrophyta; Amansia rhodantha – Rhodophyta; Halimeda opuntia – Chlorophyta), a mixed assemblage of turf algae, a species of crustose coralline algae (Hydrolithon reinboldii) and a dominant hermatypic coral (Porites lobata). Our results show that all five types of algae, but not the coral, exuded significant amounts of labile DOC into their surrounding environment. In general, primary producers with the highest rates of photosynthesis released the most DOC and yielded the greatest bacterioplankton growth; turf algae produced nearly twice as much DOC per unit surface area than the other benthic producers (14.0±2.8 µmol h−1 dm−2), stimulating rapid bacterioplankton growth (0.044±0.002 log10 cells h−1) and concomitant oxygen drawdown (0.16±0.05 µmol L−1 h−1 dm−2). Our results demonstrate that benthic reef algae can release a significant fraction of their photosynthetically-fixed carbon as DOC, these release rates vary by species, and this DOC is available to and consumed by reef associated microbes. These data provide compelling evidence that benthic primary producers differentially influence reef microbial dynamics and biogeochemical parameters (i.e., DOC and oxygen availability, bacterial abundance and metabolism) in coral reef communities. PMID:22125645

Recent trends in the nonfuel minerals industry of Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hastorun, Sinan; Renaud, Karine M.; Lederer, Graham W.

2016-07-11

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that Iran held globally significant reserves of feldspar (2d largest in the world), barite (5th largest), gypsum (5th largest), fluorspar (8th largest), and iron ore (10th largest). The Government of Iran claimed to also have significant reserves of chromium, copper, gold, manganese, phosphate rock, and zinc. In 2014, Iran was the second-leading producer of gypsum and the sixth-leading producer of barite, with 6.1 percent and 3.6 percent of world output, respectively. Iran was also the world’s 7th-leading producer of cement, feldspar, and fluorspar; 8th-leading producer of bentonite; 9th-leading producer of molybdenum; 11th-leading producer of iron ore; and 14th-leading producer of crude steel. The Government of Iran plans to quadruple the output of aluminum, copper cathode, direct-reduced iron, and iron ore pellets; triple that of crude steel and gold; and double that of cement, pig iron, and zinc by 2025. It also plans to double the contribution of mining and to quadruple that of mineral processing to the national economy in the next decade. In order to achieve these major goals, the construction and expansion of several mines and mineral facilities are planned or under development. Whether Iran’s annual mineral production increases as rapidly as envisioned by the Government will depend largely on the amount of foreign investment into the minerals industry; integration of modern technology into mineral facilities; and availability of energy to aluminum, copper, and steel plants at competitive prices to international investors.

7 CFR 4288.132 - Payment adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PAYMENT PROGRAMS Advanced Biofuel Payment Program... to the advanced biofuel producer if there is a difference between the amount actually produced and...

7 CFR 4288.132 - Payment adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PAYMENT PROGRAMS Advanced Biofuel Payment Program... to the advanced biofuel producer if there is a difference between the amount actually produced and...

Formation of melatonin and its isomer during bread dough fermentation and effect of baking.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Cemile; Kocadağlı, Tolgahan; Gökmen, Vural

2014-04-02

Melatonin is produced mainly by the pineal gland in vertebrates. Also, melatonin and its isomer are found in foods. Investigating the formation of melatonin and its isomer is of importance during bread dough fermentation and its degradation during baking since bread is widely consumed in high amounts. Formation of melatonin was not significant during dough fermentation. The melatonin isomer content of nonfermented dough was found to be 4.02 ng/g and increased up to 16.71 ng/g during fermentation. Lower amounts of isomer in crumb and crust than dough showed that the thermal process caused a remarkable degree of degradation in melatonin isomer. At the end of the 180 min fermentation Trp decreased by 58%. The results revealed for the first time the formation of a melatonin isomer in bread dough during yeast fermentation.

The etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy: Still more questions than answers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tatu, C.A.; Orem, W.H.; Finkelman, R.B.; Feder, G.L.

1998-01-01

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) has attracted increasing attention as a possible environmental disease, and a significant amount of research from complementary scientific fields has been dedicated to its etiology. There are two actual competing theories attempting to explain the cause of this kidney disease: 1) the mycotoxin hypothesis, which considers that BEN is produced by ochratoxin A ingested intermittently in small amounts by the individuals in the endemic regions, and 2) the Pliocene lignite hypothesis, which proposes that the disease is caused by long-term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic organic compounds leaching into the well drinking water from low rank coals underlying or proximal to the endemic settlements. We outline the current developments and future prospects in the study of BEN and differentiate possible factors and cofactors in disease etiology.

30 CFR 260.102 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... amount or value of the production saved, removed, or sold. Lease period means the time from lease... rate payable to the United States, as specified in the lease, in the amount or value of the production... title.) Production period means the period during which the amount of oil and gas produced from a tract...

Esterification free fatty acid in sludge palm oil using ZrO2/SO42- - rice husk ash catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, Arif; Sutrisno, Bachrun

2017-05-01

Indonesia, as one of the biggest palm oil producers and exporters in the world, is producing large amounts of low-grade oil such as sludge palm oil (SPO) from palm oil industries. The use of SPO can lower the cost of biodiesel production significantly, which makes SPO a highly potential alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. In this paper, the esterification of free fatty acid on sludge palm oil was studied using rice husk ash as heterogeneous solid catalysts. Heterogeneous solid catalysts offer significant advantages of eliminating separation, corrosion, toxicity and environmental problems. In this paper the esterification of SPO, a by-product from palm oil industry, in the presence of modified rice husk ash catalysts was studied. The rice husk ash catalysts were synthesized by impregnating of Zirconia (Zr) on rice husk ash followed by sulfonation. The rice husk ash catalysts were characterized by using different techniques, such as FT-IR, XRD, and porous analysis. The effects of the mass ratio of catalyst to oil (1 - 10%), the molar ratio of methanol to oil (4:1 - 10:1), and the reaction temperature (40 - 60°C) were studied for the conversion of free fatty acids (FFAs) to optimize the reaction conditions. The results showed that the optimal conditions were an methanol to oil molar ratio of 10:1, the amount of catalyst of 10%w, and reaction temperature of 60°C.

Linagliptin

MedlinePlus

... because the body does not produce or use insulin normally). Linagliptin is in a class of medications ... condition in which the body does not produce insulin and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar ...

Potential chemical markers for the identification of irradiated sausages.

PubMed

Kwon, Joong Ho; Akram, Kashif; Nam, Ki Chang; Min, Byungrok; Lee, Eun Joo; Ahn, Dong U

2012-09-01

Hydrocarbons, gas compounds, and off-odor volatiles were determined for irradiated (0 or 5 kGy) commercial sausages with different fat contents (16% and 29%) during a 60-d storage period at 4 °C. Total of 4 hydrocarbons (C14:1, C15:0, C16:2, and C17:1) were detected only in irradiated sausages: the amount of C16:2 was the highest, followed by C17:1, C14:1, and C15:0. The concentrations of hydrocarbons decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with storage, but were still detectable at the end of 60-d storage. Irradiated sausages produced significantly higher amounts of CO than the nonirradiated ones. CH(4) was detected only in irradiated sausages. Dimethyl disulfide was detected only in irradiated sausages and its concentration decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with storage. Fat content of sausages showed a significant effect on the production and retention of hydrocarbons, gas compounds, and sulfur volatiles in irradiated sausages during storage. Some hydrocarbons (C16:2, C17:1, C14:1, and C15:0), CH(4) , and dimethyl disulfide were only found in irradiated sausages indicating that these compounds can be used as potential markers for irradiated sausages. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Influence of process changes on PCDD/Fs produced in an iron ore sintering plant

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

Guerriero, E.; Bianchini, M.; Gigliucci, P.F.

2009-01-15

This study investigated the influence of different charge typologies and additives on the PCDD/Fs amount produced and on the congener profiles in an iron ore sintering plant. Many tests were carried out combining different typologies of charge (iron materials) and solid fuel ('coke breeze' or 'anthracite') with or without the use of urea. The PCDD/Fs produced ranged from 1.2 to 22.7 {mu} g I-TEQ/ton of agglomerate, whereas the PCDD/Fs released to the ambient air ranged from 0.10 to 1.92 ng I-TEQ/Nm{sup 3} because of cleaning in an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and a Wetfine scrubber (WS). A more homogeneous charge withmore » a higher amount of fine particles charge appeared to produce a lower PCDD/Fs concentration due to a better combustion but this hypothesis needs further investigations on charges having different dimension particles. Only a synergitic action of urea and anthracite was able to reduce the high PCDD/Fs content due to the bad combustion of the more inhomogeneous charge with a lower amount of fine particles. The congener profile was a typical combustion process fingerprint because the PCDFs predominated, the highly chlorinated congeners (HeptaCDD and OctaCDD) prevailed in PCDDs, whereas in PCDFs the profile was more varied; 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HeptaCDF was the main contributor to the total concentration while 2,3,4,7,8-PentaCDF was the main contributor to the I-TEQ concentration. Whereas all the parameters under scrutiny influenced strongly the amount of PCDD/Fs produced, they affected only slightly the fingerprint of PCDD/Fs. In all cases studied, the reduction obtained using urea, anthracite, or the more homogeneous charge with a higher amount of fine particles was slightly greater on the higher chlorinated congeners in respect to the lower ones.« less

Potential for green microalgae to produce hydrogen, pharmaceuticals and other high value products in a combined process.

PubMed

Skjånes, Kari; Rebours, Céline; Lindblad, Peter

2013-06-01

Green microalgae for several decades have been produced for commercial exploitation, with applications ranging from health food for human consumption, aquaculture and animal feed, to coloring agents, cosmetics and others. Several products from green algae which are used today consist of secondary metabolites that can be extracted from the algal biomass. The best known examples are the carotenoids astaxanthin and β-carotene, which are used as coloring agents and for health-promoting purposes. Many species of green algae are able to produce valuable metabolites for different uses; examples are antioxidants, several different carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, anticancer and antiviral drugs. In many cases, these substances are secondary metabolites that are produced when the algae are exposed to stress conditions linked to nutrient deprivation, light intensity, temperature, salinity and pH. In other cases, the metabolites have been detected in algae grown under optimal conditions, and little is known about optimization of the production of each product, or the effects of stress conditions on their production. Some green algae have shown the ability to produce significant amounts of hydrogen gas during sulfur deprivation, a process which is currently studied extensively worldwide. At the moment, the majority of research in this field has focused on the model organism, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, but other species of green algae also have this ability. Currently there is little information available regarding the possibility for producing hydrogen and other valuable metabolites in the same process. This study aims to explore which stress conditions are known to induce the production of different valuable products in comparison to stress reactions leading to hydrogen production. Wild type species of green microalgae with known ability to produce high amounts of certain valuable metabolites are listed and linked to species with ability to produce hydrogen during general anaerobic conditions, and during sulfur deprivation. Species used today for commercial purposes are also described. This information is analyzed in order to form a basis for selection of wild type species for a future multi-step process, where hydrogen production from solar energy is combined with the production of valuable metabolites and other commercial uses of the algal biomass.

Potential for green microalgae to produce hydrogen, pharmaceuticals and other high value products in a combined process

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Green microalgae for several decades have been produced for commercial exploitation, with applications ranging from health food for human consumption, aquaculture and animal feed, to coloring agents, cosmetics and others. Several products from green algae which are used today consist of secondary metabolites that can be extracted from the algal biomass. The best known examples are the carotenoids astaxanthin and β-carotene, which are used as coloring agents and for health-promoting purposes. Many species of green algae are able to produce valuable metabolites for different uses; examples are antioxidants, several different carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, anticancer and antiviral drugs. In many cases, these substances are secondary metabolites that are produced when the algae are exposed to stress conditions linked to nutrient deprivation, light intensity, temperature, salinity and pH. In other cases, the metabolites have been detected in algae grown under optimal conditions, and little is known about optimization of the production of each product, or the effects of stress conditions on their production. Some green algae have shown the ability to produce significant amounts of hydrogen gas during sulfur deprivation, a process which is currently studied extensively worldwide. At the moment, the majority of research in this field has focused on the model organism, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, but other species of green algae also have this ability. Currently there is little information available regarding the possibility for producing hydrogen and other valuable metabolites in the same process. This study aims to explore which stress conditions are known to induce the production of different valuable products in comparison to stress reactions leading to hydrogen production. Wild type species of green microalgae with known ability to produce high amounts of certain valuable metabolites are listed and linked to species with ability to produce hydrogen during general anaerobic conditions, and during sulfur deprivation. Species used today for commercial purposes are also described. This information is analyzed in order to form a basis for selection of wild type species for a future multi-step process, where hydrogen production from solar energy is combined with the production of valuable metabolites and other commercial uses of the algal biomass. PMID:22765907

The effect of material productivity on scrap reduction on aluminum reduction pot process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huda, L. N.

2018-02-01

Scrap in the production process is defined as part of production that can not be accepted as the final product due to production failure. The amount of scarp occurring in the reduction pot production process of one of the aluminum smelting furnaces exceeds the acceptance standard of 5 to 10%. This affects the amount of production produced. The purpose of this study is to reduce the amount of scrap produced to increase the productivity of the materials used. The solution is carried-out by making improvements using Lean Six Sigma method. In the initial calculation, material productivity ranged from 0.88. Based on the study, the factors that cause the high amount of scrap produced is the use of Na2O which is inserted into the alumina is different in size and the influence of noise that occurs in pots that are difficult to control. The analysis base on Lean Six Sigma obtained process cycle efficiency (PCE) equal to 86,92% for actual condition. Process improvement is carried-out through define, measure, analyze, improve and control procedure on Na2O feeding process and PCE value decrease 6,05%. This indicates that increased process capability will reduce scrap. A decrease in scrap amount of about 6% will be able to increase material productivity by 0.05%. This indicates that continuous process control is needed to decrease the number of scraps and increase productivity.

Lightning and Life on Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimmer, Paul; Ardaseva, Aleksandra; Hodosan, Gabriella; Helling, Christiane

2016-07-01

Miller and Urey performed a ground-breaking experiment, in which they discovered that electric discharges through a low redox ratio gas of methane, ammonia, water vapor and hydrogen produced a variety of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Since this experiment, there has been significant interest on the connection between lightning chemistry and the origin of life. Investigation into the atmosphere of the Early Earth has generated a serious challenge for this project, as it has been determined both that Earth's early atmosphere was likely dominated by carbon dioxide and molecular nitrogen with only small amounts of hydrogen, having a very high redox ratio, and that discharges in gases with high redox ratios fail to yield more than trace amounts of biologically relevant products. This challenge has motivated several origin of life researchers to abandon lightning chemistry, and to concentrate on other pathways for prebiotic synthesis. The discovery of over 2000 exoplanets includes a handful of rocky planets within the habitable zones around their host stars. These planets can be viewed as remote laboratories in which efficient lightning driven prebiotic synthesis may take place. This is because many of these rocky exoplanets, called super-Earths, have masses significantly greater than that of Earth. This higher mass would allow them to more retain greater amounts hydrogen within their atmosphere, reducing the redox ratio. Discharges in super-Earth atmospheres can therefore result in a significant yield of amino acids. In this talk, I will discuss new work on what lightning might look like on exoplanets, and on lightning driven chemistry on super-Earths. Using a chemical kinetics model for a super-Earth atmosphere with smaller redox ratios, I will show that in the presence of lightning, the production of the amino acid glycine is enhanced up to a certain point, but with very low redox ratios, the production of glycine is again inhibited. I will conclude with a discussion on a promising alternative to lightning driven prebiotic chemistry, ultraviolet light (UV) driven chemistry, and will discuss why a UV source breaking bonds seems more effective than lightning shocks at producing a variety of prebiotic species.

Device for quickly sensing the amount of O2 in a combustion product gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Jag J. (Inventor); Davis, William T. (Inventor); Puster, Richard L. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A sensing device comprising an O2 sensor, a pump, a compressor, and a heater is provided to quickly sense the amount of O2 in a combustion product gas. A sample of the combustion product gas is compressed to a pressure slightly above one atmosphere by the compressor. Next, the heater heats the sample between 800 C and 900 C. Next, the pump causes the sample to be flushed against the electrode located in O2 sensor 6000 to 10,000 times per second. Reference air at approximately one atmosphere is provided to the electrode of O2 sensor. Accordingly, the O2 sensor produces a voltage which is proportional to the amount of oxygen in the combustion product gas. This voltage may be used to control the amount of O2 entering into the combustion chamber which produces the combustion product gas.

Association between Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Methane and Hydrogen on Lactulose Breath Test

PubMed Central

Lee, Kang Nyeong; Koh, Dong Hee; Sohn, Won; Lee, Sang Pyo; Jun, Dae Won; Lee, Hang Lak; Yoon, Byung Chul; Choi, Ho Soon; Hahm, Joon Soo

2013-01-01

Whether hydrogen and methane gas produced during lactulose breath test (LBT) are associated with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not determined. We aimed to investigate whether hydrogen and methane on LBT are associated with IBS symptoms. Sixty-eight IBS patients meeting the Rome III criteria for IBS, and 55 healthy controls, underwent LBT. The IBS subjects recorded their customary gastrointestinal symptoms on a questionnaire using visual analogue scales. LBT positivity was defined to be above 20 ppm rise of hydrogen or 10 ppm rise of methane within 90 min. Gas amounts produced during LBT were determined by calculating area under the curve of hydrogen and methane excretion. Symptom severity scores were not different between the LBT (+) IBS and LBT (-) IBS subjects and also between methane producers and non-methane producers. Gas amounts produced during LBT were not associated with IBS symptoms, except a weak correlation between total gas amounts and a few IBS symptoms such as bloating (r = 0.324, P = 0.039), flatulence (r = 0.314, P = 0.046) and abdominal pain (r = 0.364, P = 0.018) only in LBT (+) IBS. In conclusion, hydrogen and methane gas on LBT are not useful for predicting the customary symptoms and subtypes of IBS. PMID:23772156

Investigating combustion as a method of processing inedible biomass produced in NASA's biomass production chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dreschel, T. W.; Wheeler, R. M.; Hinkle, C. R.; Sager, J. C.; Knott, W. M.

1991-01-01

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Breadboard Project at the John F. Kennedy Space Center is a research program to integrate and evaluate biological processes to provide air, water, and food for humans in closed environments for space habitation. This project focuses on the use of conventional crop plants as grown in the Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) for the production and recycling of oxygen, food, and water. The inedible portion of these crops has the potential to be converted to edible biomass or directly to the elemental constituents for direct recycling. Converting inedible biomass directly, by combustion, to carbon dioxide, water, and minerals could provide a baseline for estimating partitioning of the mass balance during recycling in a CELSS. Converting the inedible biomass to carbon dioxide and water requires the same amount of oxygen that was produced by photosynthesis. The oxygen produced during crop growth is just equal to the oxygen required to oxidize all the biomass produced during growth. Thus, the amount of oxygen produced that is available for human consumption is in proportion to the amount of biomass actually utilized by humans. The remaining oxygen must be available to oxidize the rest of the biomass back to carbon dioxide and water or the system will not be a regenerative one.

Model business intelligence system design of quality products by using data mining in R Bakery Company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriana, R.; Saragih, J.; Luthfiana, N.

2017-12-01

R Bakery company is a company that produces bread every day. Products that produced in that company have many different types of bread. Products are made in the form of sweet bread and wheat bread which have different tastes for every types of bread. During the making process, there were defects in the products which the defective product turns into reject product. Types of defects that are produced include burnt, sodden bread and shapeless bread. To find out the information about the defects that have been produced then by applying a designed model business intelligence system to create database and data warehouse. By using model business Intelligence system, it will generate useful information such as how many defect that produced by each of the bakery products. To make it easier to obtain such information, it can be done by using data mining method which data that we get is deep explored. The method of data mining is using k-means clustering method. The results of this intelligence business model system are cluster 1 with little amount of defect, cluster 2 with medium amount of defect and cluster 3 with high amount of defect. From OLAP Cube method can be seen that the defect generated during the 7 months period of 96,744 pieces.

Cloning and expression of the gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase

DOEpatents

Studier, F.W.; Davanloo, P.; Rosenberg, A.H.

1984-03-30

This application describes a means to clone a functional gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Active T7 RNA polymerase is produced from the cloned gene, and a plasmid has been constructed that can produce the active enzyme in large amounts. T7 RNA polymerase transcribes DNA very efficiently and is highly selective for a relatively long promoter sequence. This enzyme is useful for synthesizing large amounts of RNA in vivo or in vitro, and is capable of producing a single RNA selectively from a complex mixture of DNAs. The procedure used to obtain a clone of the T7 RNA polymerase gene can be applied to other T7-like phages to obtain clones that produce RNA polymerases having different promoter specificities, different bacterial hosts, or other desirable properties.

Writing Process Products in Intermediate-Grade Children With and Without Language-Based Learning Disabilities.

PubMed

Koutsoftas, Anthony D

2016-12-01

Difficulties with written expression are an important consideration in the assessment and treatment of school-age children. This study evaluated how intermediate-grade children with and without written language difficulties fared on a writing task housed within the Hayes and Berninger (2014) writing process framework. Sixty-four children completed a writing task whereby they planned, wrote, and revised a narrative story across 3 days. Children had extended time to produce an outline, first draft, and final copy of their story. Language transcription approaches were used to obtain measures reflecting writing productivity, complexity, accuracy, and mechanics, in addition to measures of planning and revision. Results indicated that children with writing difficulties produced poorer quality stories compared with their peers yet were not significantly different across all measures. Children with typical development produced longer stories with better spelling accuracy. Writing process measures predicted significant amounts of variance in writing quality across the sample. Writing should be considered as part of language assessment and intervention, whether as the sole language difficulty or alongside difficulties with speaking, listening, or reading in children with language-based learning difficulties. Implications for translation of research to practice and service delivery are provided.

Biodegradability of algal-derived organic matter in a large artificial lake by using stable isotope tracers.

PubMed

Lee, Yeonjung; Lee, Bomi; Hur, Jin; Min, Jun-Oh; Ha, Sun-Yong; Ra, Kongtae; Kim, Kyung-Tae; Shin, Kyung-Hoon

2016-05-01

In order to understand the biodegradability of algal-derived organic matter, biodegradation experiments were conducted with (13)C and (15)N-labeled natural phytoplankton and periphytic algal populations in experimental conditions for 60 days. Qualitative changes in the dissolved organic matter were also determined using parallel factor analysis and the stable carbon isotopic composition of the hydrophobic dissolved organic matter through the experimental period. Although algal-derived organic matter is considered to be easily biodegradable, the initial amounts of total organic carbon newly produced by phytoplankton and periphytic algae remained approximately 16 and 44 % after 60 days, respectively, and about 22 and 43 % of newly produced particulate nitrogen remained. Further, the dissolved organic carbon derived from both algal populations increased significantly after 60 days. Although the dissolved organic matter gradually became refractory, the contributions of the algal-derived organic matter to the dissolved organic matter and hydrophobic dissolved organic matter increased. Our laboratory experimental results suggest that algal-derived organic matter produced by phytoplankton and periphytic algae could contribute significantly to the non-biodegradable organic matter through microbial transformations.

Apical extrusion of debris using two hand and two rotary instrumentation techniques.

PubMed

Reddy, S A; Hicks, M L

1998-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quantity of apical debris produced in vitro using two hand and two rotary instrumentation techniques. Sixty minimally curved, mature human mandibular premolars with single canals were divided into 4 groups of 15 teeth each and prepared using step-back instrumentation with K-files, balanced force with Flex-R files, Lightspeed nickel-titanium instruments, or .04 taper ProFile Series 29 rotary nickel-titanium files. Debris extruded through the apical foramen during instrumentation was collected on preweighed filters. The mean weight of extruded debris for each group was statistically analyzed using a Kruskal Wallis one-way analysis of variance and a Mann-Whitney U rank sum tested. Although all instrumentation techniques produced apically extruded debris, step-back instrumentation produced significantly more debris than the other methods (p < 0.0001). There was no difference between balanced force hand instrumentation and the two rotary nickel-titanium instrumentation methods (p > 0.05). Hand or engine-driven instrumentation that uses rotation seems to reduce significantly the amount of debris extruded apically when compared with a push-pull (filing) technique. Decreased apical extrusion of debris has strong implications for a decreased incidence of postoperative inflammation and pain.

Assessment of apically extruded debris produced by the self-adjusting file system.

PubMed

De-Deus, Gustavo André; Nogueira Leal Silva, Emmanuel João; Moreira, Edson Jorge; de Almeida Neves, Aline; Belladonna, Felipe Gonçalves; Tameirão, Michele

2014-04-01

This study was designed to quantitatively evaluate the amount of apically extruded debris by the Self-Adjusting-File system (SAF; ReDent-Nova, Ra'anana, Israel). Hand and rotary instruments were used as references for comparison. Sixty mesial roots of mandibular molars were randomly assigned to 3 groups (n = 20). The root canals were instrumented with hand files using a crown-down technique. The ProTaper (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and SAF systems were used according to the manufacturers' instructions. Sodium hypochlorite was used as an irrigant, and the apically extruded debris was collected in preweighted glass vials and dried afterward. The mean weight of debris was assessed with a microbalance and statistically analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and the post hoc Tukey multiple comparison test. Hand file instrumentation produced significantly more debris compared with the ProTaper and SAF systems (P < .05). The ProTaper system produced significantly more debris compared with the SAF system (P < .05). Under the conditions of this study, all systems caused apical debris extrusion. SAF instrumentation was associated with less debris extrusion compared with the use of hand and rotary files. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of ionizing radiation on properties of monolayer and multilayer flexible food packaging materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riganakos, K. A.; Koller, W. D.; Ehlermann, D. A. E.; Bauer, B.; Kontominas, M. G.

1999-05-01

Volatile compounds produced in flexible food packaging materials (LDPE, EVAc, PET/PE/EVOH/PE) during electron beam irradiation were isolated by purge and trap technique and identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), after thermal desorption and concentration. For comparison purposes non-irradiated films were also studied. Film samples were irradiated at low (5 kGy, corresponding to cold pasteurization), intermediate (20 kGy, corresponding to cold sterilization) and high (100 kGy) doses. It was observed that a number of volatile compounds are produced after irradiation in all cases. Furthermore the amounts of all volatile compounds increase with increasing irradiation dose. Both primary (methyl-derivatives etc.) as well as secondary i.e. oxidation products (ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, carboxylic acids etc.) are produced upon irradiation. These products may affect organoleptic properties and thus shelf-life of prepackaged irradiated foods. No significant changes were observed in the structure of polymer matrices as exhibited by IR spectra after irradiation of the materials at doses tested. Likewise, no significant changes were observed in O 2, H 2O and CO 2 permeability values of plastic packaging materials after irradiation.

Necessary and sufficient conditions for the successful three-phase photocatalytic reduction of CO2 by H2O over heterogeneous photocatalysts.

PubMed

Teramura, Kentaro; Tanaka, Tsunehiro

2018-03-28

Artificial photosynthesis has recently drawn an increasing amount of attention due to the fact that it allows for direct solar-to-chemical energy conversion. However, one of the basic steps of this process, namely the reduction of CO2 by H2O to afford O2 and CO2 reduction products (CO2RPs) such as HCOOH, CO, HCHO, CH3OH, and CH4, is very difficult to achieve. In contrast to the CO2 reduction in plants and homogenous systems, the reduction of CO2 to CO2RPs over heterogeneous photocatalysts was challenged by the competing reduction of H+ to H2. Unfortunately, most of the research performed so far has focused only on the reduction of CO2, rather than the characterization of the H2O oxidation and H2 production. Moreover, the fact that the heterogeneous photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into CO2RPs by H2O should satisfy several selectivity criteria has often been ignored. Herein, we propose three such evaluation criteria, namely (1) the origin of carbon in CO2RPs (determined using isotopically labeled CO2 (13CO2)), (2) the relative amount of H2 and CO2RPs produced, and (3) the amount of O2 produced by the oxidation of H2O. If all these criteria are satisfied, i.e., the carbons of CO2RPs originate from CO2, the amount of H2 produced is negligible, and a stoichiometric amount of O2 is produced by the oxidation of H2O, then CO2 introduced into the gas phase is believed to be reduced by H2O to CO2RPs in the aqueous phase.

Large differences in regional precipitation change between a first and second 2 K of global warming

DOE PAGES

Good, Peter; Booth, Ben B. B.; Chadwick, Robin; ...

2016-12-06

For adaptation and mitigation planning, stakeholders need reliable information about regional precipitation changes under different emissions scenarios and for different time periods. A significant amount of current planning effort assumes that each K of global warming produces roughly the same regional climate change. By using 25 climate models, we compare precipitation responses with three 2 K intervals of global ensemble mean warming: a fast and a slower route to a first 2 K above pre-industrial levels, and the end-of-century difference between high-emission and mitigation scenarios. Here, we show that, although the two routes to a first 2 K give verymore » similar precipitation changes, a second 2 K produces quite a different response. In particular, the balance of physical mechanisms responsible for climate model uncertainty is different for a first and a second 2 K of warming. Our results are consistent with a significant influence from nonlinear physical mechanisms, but aerosol and land-use effects may be important regionally.« less

Large differences in regional precipitation change between a first and second 2 K of global warming.

PubMed

Good, Peter; Booth, Ben B B; Chadwick, Robin; Hawkins, Ed; Jonko, Alexandra; Lowe, Jason A

2016-12-06

For adaptation and mitigation planning, stakeholders need reliable information about regional precipitation changes under different emissions scenarios and for different time periods. A significant amount of current planning effort assumes that each K of global warming produces roughly the same regional climate change. Here using 25 climate models, we compare precipitation responses with three 2 K intervals of global ensemble mean warming: a fast and a slower route to a first 2 K above pre-industrial levels, and the end-of-century difference between high-emission and mitigation scenarios. We show that, although the two routes to a first 2 K give very similar precipitation changes, a second 2 K produces quite a different response. In particular, the balance of physical mechanisms responsible for climate model uncertainty is different for a first and a second 2 K of warming. The results are consistent with a significant influence from nonlinear physical mechanisms, but aerosol and land-use effects may be important regionally.

Formulation of glutaraldehyde disinfectant for alginate impressions.

PubMed

Unemori, M; Matsuya, Y; Matsuya, S; Akashi, A; Mizuno, K; Akamine, A

1999-12-01

The effect of buffer agents incorporated in glutaraldehyde disinfectants on the surface quality of dental models was examined by the measurement of surface roughness, X-ray diffraction analysis and SEM observation. Seven experimental glutaraldehyde disinfectants were prepared using two buffer agents, potassium acetate alone or potassium acetate and sodium hydrogen carbonate in combination. Four kinds of sulfate--zinc, calcium, potassium and magnesium sulfate--were added to these disinfectants in order to accelerate the hydration of calcium sulfate hemihydrate. The impressions treated with the experimental disinfectants for 1 h produced stone surfaces which had significantly lower surface roughness values than those treated with the commercial disinfectants (p < 0.05). The X-ray diffraction analysis and SEM observation showed that these superior surfaces were produced as a result of significant reductions in the amount of residual calcium sulfate hemihydrate. Replacement of buffer agents in commercial glutaraldehyde disinfectants with chemicals such as those studied in the present study will improve the surface quality of dental stone.

Large differences in regional precipitation change between a first and second 2 K of global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Good, Peter; Booth, Ben B. B.; Chadwick, Robin; Hawkins, Ed; Jonko, Alexandra; Lowe, Jason A.

2016-12-01

For adaptation and mitigation planning, stakeholders need reliable information about regional precipitation changes under different emissions scenarios and for different time periods. A significant amount of current planning effort assumes that each K of global warming produces roughly the same regional climate change. Here using 25 climate models, we compare precipitation responses with three 2 K intervals of global ensemble mean warming: a fast and a slower route to a first 2 K above pre-industrial levels, and the end-of-century difference between high-emission and mitigation scenarios. We show that, although the two routes to a first 2 K give very similar precipitation changes, a second 2 K produces quite a different response. In particular, the balance of physical mechanisms responsible for climate model uncertainty is different for a first and a second 2 K of warming. The results are consistent with a significant influence from nonlinear physical mechanisms, but aerosol and land-use effects may be important regionally.

Large differences in regional precipitation change between a first and second 2 K of global warming

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

Good, Peter; Booth, Ben B. B.; Chadwick, Robin

For adaptation and mitigation planning, stakeholders need reliable information about regional precipitation changes under different emissions scenarios and for different time periods. A significant amount of current planning effort assumes that each K of global warming produces roughly the same regional climate change. By using 25 climate models, we compare precipitation responses with three 2 K intervals of global ensemble mean warming: a fast and a slower route to a first 2 K above pre-industrial levels, and the end-of-century difference between high-emission and mitigation scenarios. Here, we show that, although the two routes to a first 2 K give verymore » similar precipitation changes, a second 2 K produces quite a different response. In particular, the balance of physical mechanisms responsible for climate model uncertainty is different for a first and a second 2 K of warming. Our results are consistent with a significant influence from nonlinear physical mechanisms, but aerosol and land-use effects may be important regionally.« less

Isolating behavioral mechanisms of intertemporal choice: nicotine effects on delay discounting and amount sensitivity.

PubMed

Locey, Matthew L; Dallery, Jesse

2009-03-01

Many drugs of abuse produce changes in impulsive choice, that is, choice for a smaller-sooner reinforcer over a larger-later reinforcer. Because the alternatives differ in both delay and amount, it is not clear whether these drug effects are due to the differences in reinforcer delay or amount. To isolate the effects of delay, we used a titrating delay procedure. In phase 1, 9 rats made discrete choices between variable delays (1 or 19 s, equal probability of each) and a delay to a single food pellet. The computer titrated the delay to a single food pellet until the rats were indifferent between the two options. This indifference delay was used as the starting value for the titrating delay for all future sessions. We next evaluated the acute effects of nicotine (subcutaneous 1.0, 0.3, 0.1, and 0.03 mg/kg) on choice. If nicotine increases delay discounting, it should have increased preference for the variable delay. Instead, nicotine had very little effect on choice. In a second phase, the titrated delay alternative produced three food pellets instead of one, which was again produced by the variable delay (1 s or 19 s) alternative. Under this procedure, nicotine increased preference for the one pellet alternative. Nicotine-induced changes in impulsive choice are therefore likely due to differences in reinforcer amount rather than differences in reinforcer delay. In addition, it may be necessary to include an amount sensitivity parameter in any mathematical model of choice when the alternatives differ in reinforcer amount.

Internal acid buffering in San Joaquin Valley fog drops and its influence on aerosol processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collett, Jeffrey L.; Hoag, Katherine J.; Rao, Xin; Pandis, Spyros N.

Although several chemical pathways exist for S(IV) oxidation in fogs and clouds, many are self-limiting: as sulfuric acid is produced and the drop pH declines, the rates of these pathways also decline. Some of the acid that is produced can be buffered by uptake of gaseous ammonia. Additional internal buffering can result from protonation of weak and strong bases present in solution. Acid titrations of high pH fog samples (median pH=6.49) collected in California's San Joaquin Valley reveal the presence of considerable internal acid buffering. In samples collected at a rural location, the observed internal buffering could be nearly accounted for based on concentrations of ammonia and bicarbonate present in solution. In samples collected in the cities of Fresno and Bakersfield, however, significant additional, unexplained buffering was present over a pH range extending from approximately four to seven. The additional buffering was found to be associated with dissolved compounds in the fogwater. It could not be accounted for by measured concentrations of low molecular weight ( C1- C3) carboxylic acids, S(IV), phosphate, or nitrophenols. The amount of unexplained buffering in individual fog samples was found to correlate strongly with the sum of sample acetate and formate concentrations, suggesting that unmeasured organic species may be important contributors. Simulation of a Bakersfield fog episode with and without the additional, unexplained buffering revealed a significant impact on the fog chemistry. When the additional buffering was included, the simulated fog pH remained 0.3-0.7 pH units higher and the amount of sulfate present after the fog evaporated was increased by 50%. Including the additional buffering in the model simulation did not affect fogwater nitrate concentrations and was found to slightly decrease ammonium concentrations. The magnitude of the buffering effect on aqueous sulfate production is sensitive to the amount of ozone present to oxidize S(IV) in these high pH fogs.

Assessing Quantitative Resistance against Leptosphaeria maculans (Phoma Stem Canker) in Brassica napus (Oilseed Rape) in Young Plants

PubMed Central

Huang, Yong-Ju; Qi, Aiming; King, Graham J.; Fitt, Bruce D. L.

2014-01-01

Quantitative resistance against Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus is difficult to assess in young plants due to the long period of symptomless growth of the pathogen from the appearance of leaf lesions to the appearance of canker symptoms on the stem. By using doubled haploid (DH) lines A30 (susceptible) and C119 (with quantitative resistance), quantitative resistance against L. maculans was assessed in young plants in controlled environments at two stages: stage 1, growth of the pathogen along leaf veins/petioles towards the stem by leaf lamina inoculation; stage 2, growth in stem tissues to produce stem canker symptoms by leaf petiole inoculation. Two types of inoculum (ascospores; conidia) and three assessment methods (extent of visible necrosis; symptomless pathogen growth visualised using the GFP reporter gene; amount of pathogen DNA quantified by PCR) were used. In stage 1 assessments, significant differences were observed between lines A30 and C119 in area of leaf lesions, distance grown along veins/petioles assessed by visible necrosis or by viewing GFP and amount of L. maculans DNA in leaf petioles. In stage 2 assessments, significant differences were observed between lines A30 and C119 in severity of stem canker and amount of L. maculans DNA in stem tissues. GFP-labelled L. maculans spread more quickly from the stem cortex to the stem pith in A30 than in C119. Stem canker symptoms were produced more rapidly by using ascospore inoculum than by using conidial inoculum. These results suggest that quantitative resistance against L. maculans in B. napus can be assessed in young plants in controlled conditions. Development of methods to phenotype quantitative resistance against plant pathogens in young plants in controlled environments will help identification of stable quantitative resistance for control of crop diseases. PMID:24454767

75 FR 21241 - Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate from the People's Republic of China: Initiation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

... steel plate from PRC producers containing small amounts of boron resulting in the classification of the... Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. and/ or imported by Toyota Tsusho America with small amounts of boron added... to add insignificant amounts of boron to their steel products for the purpose of securing a higher...

Apically-extruded debris using the ProTaper system.

PubMed

Azar, Nasim Gheshlaghi; Ebrahimi, Gholamreza

2005-04-01

The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the quantity of debris and irrigant extruded apically using the ProTaper system compared to ProFiles and K-Flexofiles. Thirty-six mesio-buccal root canals of human mandibular molars were selected and divided into three groups of twelve canals. Two groups were instrumented with ProFiles and ProTapers according to the manufacturer's instructions. The other group was instrumented with K-Flexofiles using the step-back technique. A standard amount of irrigant was used for each canal. Apically-extruded debris and irrigant was collected in pre-weighed vials. The mean weight of extruded debris and irrigant for each group was statistically analysed using Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA. All instrumentation techniques produced extruded debris and irrigant. Although the mean amount of extrusion with the step-back technique was higher than the two rotary systems, there was no significant difference between the three groups (p > 0.05). NiTi rotary systems were associated with less apical extrusion, but were not significantly better than hand file instrumentation. All techniques extruded debris.

Perceptions of laypersons and dentists regarding the effect of tooth and gingival display on smile attractiveness in long- and short-face individuals.

PubMed

Oshagh, Morteza; Moghadam, Tahere Baheri; Dashlibrun, Yunes Nazari

2013-01-01

To our knowledge, there is no study regarding the effects of facial type (short face or long face) on the esthetic perception of smiles as related to the amount of tooth and gingival display. Four photographs from two long- and two shortfaced females with posed smiles were prepared and, with altering the amount of tooth display, 5 photos for each of them were produced. These photos were given to 62 dentists and 69 laypersons to rate the images. There were significant differences between short and long-face patterns in low and high smile lines; also there were significant differences between dentists and laypersons about some images. Smile lines consistent with gingival margin were the best for both short and long-face patterns; also 1.5 mm incisor coverage in short-face and 1.5 mm gingival display in long-face received as high scores. In short-face patterns, lower smile lines, and in long-face patterns, higher smile lines are more acceptable by both dentists and laypersons, which can help in designing orthodontic treatment goals.

Total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of pomegranate juice and whey based novel beverage fermented by kefir grains.

PubMed

Sabokbar, Nayereh; Khodaiyan, Faramarz

2016-01-01

Mixture of pomegranate juice and whey was evaluated as a potential substrate for production of a novel beverage by kefir grains. The effects of two different variables, fermentation, temperature (19 and 25 °C) and kefir grain amount (5 %w/v and 8 %w/v), on total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of beverage were examined during a fermentation time of 32 h. TPC and antioxidant activities including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, reducing power, inhibition effect upon linoleic acid autoxidation and inhibition effect upon ascorbate autoxidation increased significantly (p < 0.05) during fermentation, but metal chelating effect showed no significant difference. The highest increases were observed when the temperature of 25 °C and kefir grain amount of 8 %w/v were applied. Results proved antioxidant activities of beverages were desirable and fermentation by kefir grains has the ability to enhance these antioxidant activities, as compared with unfermented beverage. Also pomegranate juice and whey were suitable media for producing a novel dairy-juice beverage.

Site alteration effects from rocket exhaust impingment during a simulated Viking Mars landing. Part 1: Nozzle development and physical site alternation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Romine, G. L.; Reisert, T. D.; Gliozzi, J.

1973-01-01

A potential interference problem for the Viking '75 scientific investigation of the Martian surface resulting from retrorocket exhaust plume impingement of the surface was investigated experimentally and analytically. It was discovered that the conventional bell nozzle originally planned for the Viking Lander retrorockets would produce an unacceptably large amount of physical disturbance to the landing site. An experimental program was subsequently undertaken to find and/or develop a nozzle configuration which would significantly reduce the site alteration. A multiple nozzle configuration, consisting of 18 small bell nozzles, was shown to produce a level of disturbance that was considered by the Viking Lander Science Teams to be acceptable on the basis of results from full-scale tests on simulated Martian soils.

Effect of water addition in a microwave assisted thermal cracking of biomass tar gasification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warsita, A.; Surya, I.

2018-02-01

Producer gas from biomass gasification is plagued by the presence of tar which causes pipe blockages. Thermal and catalytic treatments in a microwave reactor have been shown to be effective methods for removing tar from producer gas. A question arises as to the possibility of enhancing the removal mechanism by adding water into the reactor. Thermal treatment with a various amount of water was added at temperatures in the range of 800-1200°C. The tar removal efficiency obtained 96.32% at the optimum temperature of 1200°C at the water to tar ratio (W/T) of 0.3. This study shows that the removal of tar by microwave irradiation with water addition is a significant and effective method in tar cracking.

Antennally mediated negative feedback regulation of pheromone production in the pine engraver beetle, Ips pini

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginzel, Matthew D.; Bearfield, Jeremy C.; Keeling, Christopher I.; McCormack, Colin C.; Blomquist, Gary J.; Tittiger, Claus

2007-01-01

Bark beetles use monoterpenoid aggregation pheromones to coordinate host colonization and mating. These chemical signals are produced de novo in midgut cells via the mevalonate pathway, and pheromone production may be regulated by a negative feedback system mediated through the antennae. In this study, we explored the effect of antennectomy on pheromone production and transcript levels of key mevalonate pathway genes in juvenile hormone III-treated male pine engraver beetles, Ips pini (Say). Antennectomized males produced significantly greater amounts of pheromone than podectomized males and those with intact antennae. Likewise, mRNA levels of three mevalonate pathway genes important in pheromone biosynthesis were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and found to be induced to a greater extent with antennectomy, suggesting a transcriptional regulation of pheromone production.

Demonstration of organic volatile decomposition and bacterial sterilization by miniature dielectric barrier discharges on low-temperature cofired ceramic electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Duk-jae; Shim, Yeun-keun; Park, Jeongwon; Kim, Hyung-jun; Han, Jeon-geon

2016-04-01

Nonthermal atmospheric-pressure plasma discharge is designed with low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) electrodes to achieve dielectric barrier surface discharge (DBSD). The environmental requirement (below 0.05 ppm) of the amount of byproducts (ozone and NO x ) produced during the process was met by optimizing the electrode design to produce a high dielectric barrier discharge for low-voltage (∼700 V) operation and minimizing the distance between electrodes to improve the plasma discharging efficiency. The concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within interior cabins of commercial vehicles were significantly reduced after 1-h treatment to improve air quality cost-effectively. This atmospheric-pressure plasma process was demonstrated for the sterilization of Escherichia coli to prevent food poisoning during the preservation of food in refrigerators.

[A study of recombinant human sestrin 1 and sestrin 2 proteins produced in a prokaryotic system].

PubMed

Rai, N; Kumar, R; Haque, Md A; Hassan, Md I; Dey, S

2017-01-01

Sestrins are highly conserved stress-inducible proteins capable of suppressing the production of ROS and signalling through mTORC1. Here we report a study of human sestrin1 (sesn1) and sestrin2 (sesn2) proteins produced in a pET28^(+) vector based prokaryotic system. Mass spectrometry analysis, western blot and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of affinity purified sesn1 and sesn2 proteins confirmed their identity; biophysical characteristics were observed using circular dichroism (CD) showing that sesn1 and sesn2 have a predominant α-helical structure. Here we describe a simple, one step purification process to purify a large amount of sestrin proteins with significant yield. Further study of recombinant human sestrins may further facilitate the understanding of their roles in eukaryotic cells.

Toxigenic Potential of Aspergillus Species Occurring on Maize Kernels from Two Agro-Ecological Zones in Kenya

PubMed Central

Okoth, Sheila; Nyongesa, Beatrice; Ayugi, Vincent; Kang’ethe, Erastus; Korhonen, Hannu; Joutsjoki, Vesa

2012-01-01

Two agro-ecological zones in Kenya were selected to compare the distribution in maize of Aspergillus spp. and their toxigenicity. These were Nandi County, which is the main maize growing region in the country but where no human aflatoxicoses have been reported, and Makueni County where most of the aflatoxicosis cases have occurred. Two hundred and fifty-five households were sampled in Nandi and 258 in Makueni, and Aspergillus was isolated from maize. Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus isolates were tested for the presence of aflD and aflQ genes. Positive strains were induced to produce aflatoxins on yeast extract sucrose and quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS). Aspergillus flavus was the most common contaminant, and the incidence of occurrence in Nandi and Makueni was not significantly different (82.33% and 73.26%, respectively). Toxigenic strains were more prevalent than non-toxigenic strains. All the toxigenic strains from Makueni were of the S-type while those from Nandi belonged to the L-type. Quantitative differences in aflatoxin production in vitro between isolates and between strains were detected with S strains producing relatively larger amounts of total aflatoxins, B toxins and lower values for G toxins. This was in accord with the frequent aflatoxicosis outbreaks in Makueni. However some L strains produced considerable amounts of B toxins. Given the widespread distribution of toxigenic strains in both regions, the risk of aflatoxin poisoning is high when favorable conditions for toxin production occur. PMID:23202303

In vitro and in vivo response after exposure to man-made mineral and asbestos insulation fibers.

PubMed

Pickrell, J A; Hill, J O; Carpenter, R L; Hahn, F F; Rebar, A H

1983-08-01

The relative in vitro and in vivo toxicity of several types of manufactured fibrous glass insulation and crocidolite asbestos was investigated to aid in selection of a suitable glass fiber for subsequent use in inhalation exposures. The in vitro cytotoxicity to pulmonary alveolar macrophages of small glass fibers from microfiber insulation (count median diameter (CMD) approximately 0.1-0.2 micrometer) was greater than that of the larger fibers from household insulation (CMD approximately 2.4 micrometers). To screen for in vivo pulmonary toxicity, 2-21 mg of glass or asbestos fibers were administered in divided doses to male Syrian hamsters by intratracheal instillation. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 3.5 and 11 months following initial administration of material. One type of glass microfiber [count median diameter (CMD) approximately 0.1 micrometer] caused deaths from pulmonary edema at early times after instillation. High levels of asbestos, a second glass microfiber (CMD approximately 0.2 micrometer) and one type of household insulation fiber (CMD 2.3 micrometers) all resulted in increase in total collagen and mild pulmonary fibrosis at later times after instillation, although microfiber insulation produced a greater response than household insulation. Asbestos insulation produced the greatest response. A five-day inhalation exposure to a high level of glass microfibers deposited in lung less than 10 percent of the lowest instilled amount which elicited indications of lung injury. This amount did not produce significant biological changes at 1 to 12 months after exposure.

Theoretical considerations for Reaction-Formed Silicon Carbide (RFSC) formation by molten silicon infiltration into slurry-derived preforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behrendt, D. R.; Singh, M.

1993-01-01

For reaction-formed silicon carbide (RFSC) ceramics produced by silicon melt infiltration of porous carbon preforms, equations are developed to relate the amount of residual silicon to the initial carbon density. Also, for a slurry derived preform containing both carbon and silicon powder, equations are derived which relate the amount of residual silicon in the RFSC to the relative density of the carbon in the preform and to the amount of silicon powder added to the slurry. For a porous carbon preform that does not have enough porosity to prevent choking-off of the silicon infiltration, these results show that complete silicon infiltration can occur by adding silicon powder to the slurry mixture used to produce these preforms.

“Triple M” Effect: A Proposed Mechanism to Explain Increased Dental Amalgam Microleakage after Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation

PubMed Central

Mortazavi, Gh.; Mortazavi, S.A.R.; Mehdizadeh, A.R.

2018-01-01

A large body of evidence now indicates that the amount of mercury released from dental amalgam fillings can be significantly accelerated by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) such as common mobile phones and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Studies performed on the increased microleakage of dental amalgam restorations after exposure to RF-EMFs have further supported these findings. Although the accelerated microleakage induced by RF-EMFs is clinically significant, the entire mechanisms of this phenomenon are not clearly understood. In this paper, we introduce “Triple M” effect, a new evidence-based theory which can explain the accelerated microleakage of dental amalgam fillings after exposure to different sources of electromagnetic radiation. Based on this theory, there are saliva-filled tiny spaces between amalgam and the tooth. Exposure of the oral cavity to RF-EMFs increases the energy of these small amounts of saliva. Due to the small mass of saliva in these tiny spaces, a small amount of energy will be required for heating. Moreover, reflection of the radiofrequency radiation on the inner walls of the tiny spaces causes interference which in turn produces some “hot spots” in these spaces. Finally, formation of gas bubbles in response to increased temperature and very rapid expansion of these bubbles will accelerate the microleakage of amalgam. Experiments that confirm the validity of this theory are discussed. PMID:29732349

"Triple M" Effect: A Proposed Mechanism to Explain Increased Dental Amalgam Microleakage after Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation.

PubMed

Mortazavi, Gh; Mortazavi, S A R; Mehdizadeh, A R

2018-03-01

A large body of evidence now indicates that the amount of mercury released from dental amalgam fillings can be significantly accelerated by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) such as common mobile phones and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Studies performed on the increased microleakage of dental amalgam restorations after exposure to RF-EMFs have further supported these findings. Although the accelerated microleakage induced by RF-EMFs is clinically significant, the entire mechanisms of this phenomenon are not clearly understood. In this paper, we introduce "Triple M" effect, a new evidence-based theory which can explain the accelerated microleakage of dental amalgam fillings after exposure to different sources of electromagnetic radiation. Based on this theory, there are saliva-filled tiny spaces between amalgam and the tooth. Exposure of the oral cavity to RF-EMFs increases the energy of these small amounts of saliva. Due to the small mass of saliva in these tiny spaces, a small amount of energy will be required for heating. Moreover, reflection of the radiofrequency radiation on the inner walls of the tiny spaces causes interference which in turn produces some "hot spots" in these spaces. Finally, formation of gas bubbles in response to increased temperature and very rapid expansion of these bubbles will accelerate the microleakage of amalgam. Experiments that confirm the validity of this theory are discussed.

Economic Impact of Water Allocation on Agriculture in the Lower Chattahoochee River Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Limaye, Ashutosh S.; Paudel, Krishna P.; Musleh, Fuad; Cruise, James F.; Hatch, L. Upton

2004-01-01

The relative value of irrigation water was assessed for three important crops (corn, cotton, and peanuts) grown in the southeastern United States. A decision tool was developed with the objective of allocating limited available water among competing crops in a manner that would maximize the economic returns to the producers. The methodology was developed and tested for a hypothetical farm located in Henry County, Alabama in the Chattahoochee river basin. Crop yield - soil moisture response functions were developed using Monte Carlo simulated data for cotton, corn, and peanuts. A hydrologic model was employed to simulate runoff over the period of observed rainfall the county to provide inflows to storage facilities that could be used as constraints for the optimal allocation of the available water in the face of the uncertainty of future rainfall and runoff. Irrigation decisions were made on a weekly basis during the critical water deficit period in the region. An economic optimization model was employed with the crop responses, and soil moisture functions to determine the optimum amount of water place on each crop subject to the amount of irrigation water availability and climatic uncertainty. The results indicated even small amounts of irrigation could significantly benefit farmers in the region if applied judiciously. A weekly irrigation sequence was developed that maintained the available water on the crops that exhibited the most significant combination of water sensitivity and cash value.

Primary fatty acid amide metabolism: conversion of fatty acids and an ethanolamine in N18TG2 and SCP cells.

PubMed

Farrell, Emma K; Chen, Yuden; Barazanji, Muna; Jeffries, Kristen A; Cameroamortegui, Felipe; Merkler, David J

2012-02-01

Primary fatty acid amides (PFAM) are important signaling molecules in the mammalian nervous system, binding to many drug receptors and demonstrating control over sleep, locomotion, angiogenesis, and many other processes. Oleamide is the best-studied of the primary fatty acid amides, whereas the other known PFAMs are significantly less studied. Herein, quantitative assays were used to examine the endogenous amounts of a panel of PFAMs, as well as the amounts produced after incubation of mouse neuroblastoma N(18)TG(2) and sheep choroid plexus (SCP) cells with the corresponding fatty acids or N-tridecanoylethanolamine. Although five endogenous primary amides were discovered in the N(18)TG(2) and SCP cells, a different pattern of relative amounts were found between the two cell lines. Higher amounts of primary amides were found in SCP cells, and the conversion of N-tridecanoylethanolamine to tridecanamide was observed in the two cell lines. The data reported here show that the N(18)TG(2) and SCP cells are excellent model systems for the study of PFAM metabolism. Furthermore, the data support a role for the N-acylethanolamines as precursors for the PFAMs and provide valuable new kinetic results useful in modeling the metabolic flux through the pathways for PFAM biosynthesis and degradation.

Primary fatty acid amide metabolism: conversion of fatty acids and an ethanolamine in N18TG2 and SCP cells1[S

PubMed Central

Farrell, Emma K.; Chen, Yuden; Barazanji, Muna; Jeffries, Kristen A.; Cameroamortegui, Felipe; Merkler, David J.

2012-01-01

Primary fatty acid amides (PFAM) are important signaling molecules in the mammalian nervous system, binding to many drug receptors and demonstrating control over sleep, locomotion, angiogenesis, and many other processes. Oleamide is the best-studied of the primary fatty acid amides, whereas the other known PFAMs are significantly less studied. Herein, quantitative assays were used to examine the endogenous amounts of a panel of PFAMs, as well as the amounts produced after incubation of mouse neuroblastoma N18TG2 and sheep choroid plexus (SCP) cells with the corresponding fatty acids or N-tridecanoylethanolamine. Although five endogenous primary amides were discovered in the N18TG2 and SCP cells, a different pattern of relative amounts were found between the two cell lines. Higher amounts of primary amides were found in SCP cells, and the conversion of N-tridecanoylethanolamine to tridecanamide was observed in the two cell lines. The data reported here show that the N18TG2 and SCP cells are excellent model systems for the study of PFAM metabolism. Furthermore, the data support a role for the N-acylethanolamines as precursors for the PFAMs and provide valuable new kinetic results useful in modeling the metabolic flux through the pathways for PFAM biosynthesis and degradation. PMID:22095832

Analysis of population structures of the microalga Acutodesmus obliquus during lipid production using multi-dimensional single-cell analysis.

PubMed

Sandmann, Michael; Schafberg, Michaela; Lippold, Martin; Rohn, Sascha

2018-04-19

Microalgae bear a great potential to produce lipids for biodiesel, feed, or even food applications. To understand the still not well-known single-cell dynamics during lipid production in microalgae, a novel single-cell analytical technology was applied to study a well-established model experiment. Multidimensional single-cell dynamics were investigated with a non-supervised image analysis technique that utilizes data from epi-fluorescence microscopy. Reliability of this technique was successfully proven via reference analysis. The technique developed was used to determine cell size, chlorophyll amount, neutral lipid amount, and deriving properties on a single-cellular level in cultures of the biotechnologically promising alga Acutodesmus obliquus. The results illustrated a high correlation between cell size and chlorophyll amount, but a very low and dynamic correlation between cell size, lipid amount, and lipid density. During growth conditions under nitrogen starvation, cells with low chlorophyll content tend to start the lipid production first and the cell suspension differentiated in two subpopulations with significantly different lipid contents. Such quantitative characterization of single-cell dynamics of lipid synthesizing algae was done for the first time and the potential of such simple technology is highly relevant to other biotechnological applications and to deeper investigate the process of microalgal lipid accumulation.

Genetics Home Reference: Cushing disease

MedlinePlus

... unclear, Cushing disease affects females more often than males. Related Information What information about a genetic condition ... produce cortisol may also produce increased amounts of male sex hormones (androgens), leading to hirsutism in females. ...

Structure formation and properties of a copper-aluminum joint produced by ultrasound-assisted explosive welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuz'min, E. V.; Peev, A. P.; Kuz'min, S. V.; Lysak, V. I.

2017-08-01

The effect of ultrasound-assisted explosive welding on the structure formation and the properties of copper-aluminum joints is studied. Ultrasound-assisted explosive welding improves the quality of formed copper-aluminum joints, i.e., enhances their strength and significantly reduces the amount of fused metal over the entire weldability range. It is shown that ultrasound-assisted explosive welding can noticeably extend the weldability range of the copper-aluminum pair to obtain equal-in-strength joints with minimum structural heterogeneity in the wide welding range.

A comparison of microwave versus direct solar heating for lunar brick production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yankee, S. J.; Strenski, D. G.; Pletka, B. J.; Patil, D. S.; Mutsuddy, B. C.

1990-01-01

Two processing techniques considered suitable for producing bricks from lunar regolith are examined: direct solar heating and microwave heating. An analysis was performed to compare the two processes in terms of the amount of power and time required to fabricate bricks of various sizes. Microwave heating was shown to be significantly faster than solar heating for rapid production of realistic-size bricks. However, the relative simplicity of the solar collector(s) used for the solar furnace compared to the equipment necessary for microwave generation may present an economic tradeoff.

Water Resistant Container Technical Basis Document for the TA-55 Criticality Safety Program

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

Smith, Paul Herrick; Teague, Jonathan Gayle

Criticality safety at TA-55 relies on nuclear material containers that are water resistant to prevent significant amounts of water from coming into contact with fissile material in the event of a fire that causes a breach of glovevbox confinement and subsequent fire water ingress. A “water tight container” is a container that will not allow more than 50ml of water ingress when fully submerged, except when under sufficient pressure to produce structural discontinuity. There are many types of containers, welded containers, hermetically sealed containers, filtered containers, etc.

Distilling quantum entanglement via mode-matched filtering

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

Huang Yuping; Kumar, Prem

We propose an avenue toward distillation of quantum entanglement that is implemented by directly passing the entangled qubits through a mode-matched filter. This approach can be applied to a common class of entanglement impurities appearing in photonic systems, where the impurities inherently occupy different spatiotemporal modes than the entangled qubits. As a specific application, we show that our method can be used to significantly purify the telecom-band entanglement generated via the Kerr nonlinearity in single-mode fibers where a substantial amount of Raman-scattering noise is concomitantly produced.

Sun Tracking Systems: A Review

PubMed Central

Lee, Chia-Yen; Chou, Po-Cheng; Chiang, Che-Ming; Lin, Chiu-Feng

2009-01-01

The output power produced by high-concentration solar thermal and photovoltaic systems is directly related to the amount of solar energy acquired by the system, and it is therefore necessary to track the sun's position with a high degree of accuracy. Many systems have been proposed to facilitate this task over the past 20 years. Accordingly, this paper commences by providing a high level overview of the sun tracking system field and then describes some of the more significant proposals for closed-loop and open-loop types of sun tracking systems. PMID:22412341

Land use and pollution patterns on the Great Lakes. [eastern wisconsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haugen, R. K. (Principal Investigator); Mckim, H. L.; Marlar, T. L.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The final mapping of the large watersheds of the Manitowoc and the Oconto was done using the 25% sampling approach. Comparisons were made with earlier strip mapping efforts of the Oconto and Manitowoc watersheds. Regional differences were noted. Strip mapping of the Oconto resulted in overestimation of the amount of agricultural land compared to the random sampling method. For the Manitowoc, the strip mapping approach produced a slight underestimate of agricultural land, and an overestimate of the forest category.

Multi-Disciplinary Research for High Energy Chemical Lasers, Closed-Cycle ElectricOIL Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-31

flow iodine from one reservoir and trap it in another. The principal advantage of the hybrid EOIL system is trading a small fixed mass in electrical...rapidly modulate the production of the 02(a) which have motivated investigations into methods to produce significant amounts of 02(a) using flowing...RF power is used for the production of ChC’Ag) in a cylindrical tube (R=2.54 cm and length of 10 cm) with a volume of 200 cm3 at 4.2 torr of pure O2

Evaluation of Space Plasma Data: Effects upon Spacecraft Materials and Predictions of Hazardous Conditions; Polar ARCS

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-28

or a significant amount of solar -produced ionization is convecting into the region from sunlit areas. The weak nature of the precipitation events and...8 spacecraft was located in the downstream solar wind (SM coordinates: -2 6 RE x, 2 7 RE y, -1.2 RE z). The vector components and total field stength...of the IMF for the 2 hours before and 1 hour after launch are shown in Figure 6. Assuming an average solar wind speed of 400 km/sec, IMF conditions

America`s water: Federal roles and responsibilities

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

Rogers, P.

1993-12-31

The author has developed a history and source book of federal water policies. Only a small amount of guidance is given for evaluating these policies. For example. all federal acts, authorizations, and court decisions since 1776 are given by year. Fifteen significant policy studies in the 20th century are cited. A basic summary of water hydrology is provided. The author`s discussion of political imperatives describes the interactions of interest groups, politicians, voters, and the relevant agencies in producing water legislation and case studies to illustrate the processes.

Disorganized Steroidogenesis in Adrenocortical Carcinoma, a Case Study.

PubMed

Uchida, Toyoyoshi; Nishimoto, Koshiro; Fukumura, Yuki; Asahina, Miki; Goto, Hiromasa; Kawano, Yui; Shimizu, Fumitaka; Tsujimura, Akira; Seki, Tsugio; Mukai, Kuniaki; Kabe, Yasuaki; Suematsu, Makoto; Gomez-Sanchez, Celso E; Yao, Takashi; Horie, Shigeo; Watada, Hirotaka

2017-03-01

Most adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs) produce excessive amounts of steroid hormones including aldosterone, cortisol, and steroid precursors. However, aldosterone- and cortisol-producing cells in ACCs have not yet been immunohistochemically described. We present a case of ACC causing mild primary aldosteronism and subclinical Cushing's syndrome. Removal of the tumor cured both conditions. In order to examine the expression patterns of the steroidogenic enzymes responsible for adrenocortical hormone production, 10 tumor portions were immunohistochemically analyzed for aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2), 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1, cortisol-synthesizing enzyme), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD, upstream enzyme for both CYP11B2 and CYP11B1), and 17α-hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase (CYP17, upstream enzyme for CYP11B1, but not for CYP11B1). CYP11B2, CYP11B1, and 3βHSD were expressed sporadically, and their expression patterns varied significantly among the different tumor portions examined. The expression of these enzymes was random and not associated with each other. CYP17 was expressed throughout the tumor, even in CYP11B2-positive cells. Small tumor cell populations were aldosterone- or cortisol-producing cells, as judged by 3βHSD coinciding with either CYP11B2 or CYP11B1, respectively. These results suggest that the tumor produced limited amounts of aldosterone and cortisol due to the lack of the coordinated expression of steroidogenic enzymes, which led to mild clinical expression in this case. We delineated the expression patterns of steroidogenic enzymes in ACC. The coordinated expression of steroidogenic enzymes in normal and adenoma cells was disturbed in ACC cells, resulting in the inefficient production of steroid hormones in relation to the large tumor volume.

Characterization of aromatic properties of old-style cheese starters.

PubMed

Lacroix, N; St-Gelais, D; Champagne, C P; Fortin, J; Vuillemard, J-C

2010-08-01

Old-style cheese starters were evaluated to determine their ability to produce cheese aroma compounds. Detailed analyses of the aroma-producing potential of 13 old-style starter cultures were undertaken. The proteolytic profile of the starters was established by an accelerated ripening study using a model cheese slurry and compared with those of a commercial aromatic starter and commercial Cheddar cheeses. To evaluate the aromatic potential of the starter cultures, quantification of free amino acids liberated and volatile compounds after 15 d of ripening at 30 degrees C as well as sensory analysis were carried out. Results showed that proteolysis patterns of all 13 starter cultures in the curd model were comparable to those of commercial Cheddar cheeses. All tested cultures demonstrated the ability to produce high amounts of amino acids recognized as precursors of aroma compounds. Several differences were observed between the starters and commercial Cheddar cheeses regarding some amino acids such as glutamate, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, and ornithine, reflecting the various enzymatic systems present in the starters. Starters Bt (control) and ULAAC-E exhibited various significant differences regarding their free amino acid profiles, as confirmed by sensory analysis. In addition, identification of volatile compounds confirmed the presence of several key molecules related to aroma, such as 3-methylbutanal and diacetyl. Besides the aroma-producing aspect, 2 starters (ULAAC-A and ULAAC-H) seem to possess an important ability to generate large amounts of gamma-aminobutyric acid, which contributed up to 15% of the total amino acids present in the model curd after 15 d ripening. gamma-Aminobutyric acid is an amine well-known for its antihypertensive and calming effects. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From waste water treatment to land management: Conversion of aquatic biomass to biochar for soil amelioration and the fortification of crops with essential trace elements.

PubMed

Roberts, David A; Paul, Nicholas A; Cole, Andrew J; de Nys, Rocky

2015-07-01

Macroalgae can be grown in industrial waste water to sequester metals and the resulting biomass used for biotechnological applications. We have previously cultivated the freshwater macroalga Oedogonium at a coal-fired power station to treat a metal-contaminated effluent from that facility. We then produced biochar from this biomass and determined the suitability of both the biomass and the biochar for soil amelioration. The dried biomass of Oedogonium cultivated in the waste water contained several elements for which there are terrestrial biosolids criteria (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Se and Zn) and leached significant amounts of these elements into solution. Here, we demonstrate that these biomass leachates impair the germination and growth of radishes as a model crop. However, the biochar produced from this same biomass leaches negligible amounts of metal into solution and the leachates support high germination and growth of radishes. Biochar produced at 750 °C leaches the least metal and has the highest recalcitrant C content. When this biochar is added to a low-quality soil it improves the retention of nutrients (N, P, Ca, Mg, K and Mo) from fertilizer in the soil and the growth of radishes by 35-40%. Radishes grown in the soils amended with the biochar have equal or lower metal contents than radishes grown in soil without biochar, but much higher concentrations of essential trace elements (Mo) and macro nutrients (P, K, Ca and Mg). The cultivation of macroalgae is an effective waste water bioremediation technology that also produces biomass that can be used as a feedstock for conversion to biochar for soil amelioration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioengineered Renal Cell Therapy Device for Clinical Translation

PubMed Central

Pino, Christopher J.; Westover, Angela J.; Buffington, Deborah A.; Humes, H. David

2016-01-01

The Bioartificial Renal Epithelial Cell System (BRECS), is a cell-based device to treat acute kidney injury through renal cell therapy from an extracorporeal circuit. To enable widespread implementation of cell therapy, the BRECS was designed to be cryopreserved as a complete device, cryostored, cryoshipped to an end-use site, thawed as a complete device, and employed in a therapeutic extracorporeal hemofiltration circuit. This strategy overcomes storage and distribution issues that have been previous barriers to cell therapy. Previous BRECS housings produced by Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining, a slow process taking hours to produce one bioreactor, was also prohibitively expensive (>$600/CNC-BRECS); major obstacles to mass production. The goal of this study was to produce a BRECS to be mass produced by injection molding (IM-BRECS), decreasing cost (<$20/unit) and improving manufacturing speed (hundreds of units/hr), while maintaining the same cell therapy function as the previous CNC-BRECS, first evaluated through prototypes produced by stereolithography (SLA-BRECS). The finalized IM-BRECS design had a significantly lower fill volume (10 mL), mass (49 g) and footprint (8.5 cm×8.5 cm×1.5 cm), and was demonstrated to outperform the previous BRECS designs with respect to heat transfer, significantly improving control of cooling during cryopreservation and reducing thaw times during warming. During in vitro culture, IM-BRECS performed similarly to previous CNC-BRECS with respect to cell metabolic activity (lactate production, oxygen consumption and glutathione metabolism) and amount of cells supported. PMID:27922886

Above- and belowground fluxes of CH4 from boreal shrubs and Scots pine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halmeenmäki, Elisa; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Santalahti, Minna; Putkinen, Anuliina; Fritze, Hannu; Pihlatie, Mari

2016-04-01

Boreal upland forests are considered as an important sink for the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) due to CH4 oxidizing microbes in the soil. However, recent evidence suggests that vegetation can act as a significant source of CH4. Also, preliminary measurements indicate occasional emissions of CH4 above the tree canopies of a boreal forest. Nevertheless, the sources and the mechanisms of the observed CH4 emissions are still mostly unknown. Furthermore, the majority of CH4 flux studies have been conducted with the soil chamber method, thus not considering the role of the vegetation itself. We conducted a laboratory experiment to study separately the above- and belowground CH4 fluxes of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), heather (Calluna vulgaris), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), which were grown in microcosms. The above- and belowground fluxes of the plants were measured separately, and these fluxes were compared to fluxes of microcosms containing only humus soil. In addition to the flux measurements, we analysed the CH4 producing archaea (methanogens) and the CH4 consuming bacteria (methanotrophs) with the qPCR method to discover whether these microbes contribute to the CH4 exchange from the plant material and the soil. The results of the flux measurements indicate that the humus soil with roots of lingonberry, heather, and Scots pine consume CH4 compared to bare humus soil. Simultaneously, the shoots of heather and Scots pine emit small amounts of CH4. We did not find detectable amounts of methanogens from any of the samples, suggesting the produced CH4 could be of non-microbial origin, or produced by very small population of methanogens. Based on the first preliminary results, methanotrophs were present in all the studied plant species, and especially in high amounts in the rooted soils, thus implying that the methanotrophs could be responsible of the CH4 uptake in the root-soil systems.

Investigation of the performance of articular cartilage and synthetic biomaterials in multi-directional sliding motion as in orthopedic implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Christian John

The performance of several synthetic biomaterials and bovine articular cartilage were investigated in terms of their suitability for use as articulating surfaces in artificial joints. The Dual-Axis Wear Simulator (DAWS), a wear testing machine that simulates conditions in a synovial joint, was designed and fabricated to enable investigators to measure the wear of such materials in multi-directional sliding while immersed in a bovine serum lubricant solution. This machine was used initially to determine the wear mechanisms and wear amounts of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyoxymethylene (POM), and the compliant elastomer Pellethane(TM) 2363-80A. It was found that the compliant material produced lower wear. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to determine that bovine articular cartilage had a very significant amount of viscoelasticity to support static loads and damp impact loads. Furthermore, the use of a compliant counterface led to lower wear in the cartilage as compared to a rigid counterface. Pt-Zr quasicrystals were used as fillers in UHMWPE, and the wear, stiffness, and impact toughness of the filled polymer were shown to be comparable or better than those of UHMWPE that had been irradiation crosslinked. Crosslinked UHMWPE was investigated for its susceptibility to oxidative degradation and increased wear. It was found that thermal stabilization of the polymer could be eliminated if a mild amount crosslinking was used. Furthermore, there was no degradation in wear resistance of mildly crosslinked and non-stabilized UHMWPE even after accelerated aging. Based on the results of this work and lessons learned about compliance and wear resistance, blends were produced by using surface-activated UHMWPE particles as fillers in elastomeric PUR. The blends showed better wear resistance than UHMWPE, as well as increased stiffness and damping over PUR. The results of this work indicated that there is great potential for the development of new biomaterials and materials treatment methods to produce more durable articulating components in artificial joints.

Relationships between water and gas chemistry in mature coalbed methane reservoirs of the Black Warrior Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pashin, Jack C.; McIntyre-Redden, Marcella R.; Mann, Steven D.; Kopaska-Merkel, David C.; Varonka, Matthew S.; Orem, William H.

2014-01-01

Water and gas chemistry in coalbed methane reservoirs of the Black Warrior Basin reflects a complex interplay among burial processes, basin hydrodynamics, thermogenesis, and late-stage microbial methanogenesis. These factors are all important considerations for developing production and water management strategies. Produced water ranges from nearly potable sodium-bicarbonate water to hypersaline sodium-chloride brine. The hydrodynamic framework of the basin is dominated by structurally controlled fresh-water plumes that formed by meteoric recharge along the southeastern margin of the basin. The produced water contains significant quantities of hydrocarbons and nitrogen compounds, and the produced gas appears to be of mixed thermogenic-biogenic origin.Late-stage microbial methanogenesis began following unroofing of the basin, and stable isotopes in the produced gas and in mineral cements indicate that late-stage methanogenesis occurred along a CO2-reduction metabolic pathway. Hydrocarbons, as well as small amounts of nitrate in the formation water, probably helped nourish the microbial consortia, which were apparently active in fresh to hypersaline water. The produced water contains NH4+ and NH3, which correlate strongly with brine concentration and are interpreted to be derived from silicate minerals. Denitrification reactions may have generated some N2, which is the only major impurity in the coalbed gas. Carbon dioxide is a minor component of the produced gas, but significant quantities are dissolved in the formation water. Degradation of organic compounds, augmented by deionization of NH4+, may have been the principal sources of hydrogen facilitating late-stage CO2 reduction.

Antigen-specific IL-23/17 pathway activation by murine semi-mature DC-like cells

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

Nagasaka, Shinya; Iwasaki, Takumi; Okano, Tomoko

We analyzed the phenotype and function of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) induced in vitro without using any serum during the late stage of cultivation. These 'serum-free' DCs (SF-DCs) possessed the ability to induce T cell proliferation as well as antibody responses, indicating that they were functional DCs. Surprisingly, the SF-DCs akin to semi-mature DCs in terms of both phenotypic and functional characteristics. The SF-DCs did not produce IL-12 but produced large amounts of IL-23 following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. The antigen-specific production of IL-17 by CD4{sup +} T cells co-cultured with OVA-loaded SF-DCs was significantly higher than that with OVA-loaded conventionalmore » DCs. These results suggest that SF-DCs tend to produce IL-23 and can consequently induce the IL-17 producing CD4{sup +} T cells. The semi-mature DC-like cells reported here will be useful vehicles for DC immunization and might contribute to studies on the possible involvement of semi-mature DCs in Th17 cell differentiation.« less

Determination of shielding requirements for mammography.

PubMed

Okunade, Akintunde Akangbe; Ademoroti, Olalekan Albert

2004-05-01

Shielding requirements for mammography when considerations are to be given to attenuation by compression paddle, breast tissue, grid and image receptor (intervening materials) has been investigated. By matching of the attenuation and hardening properties, comparisons are made between shielding afforded by breast tissue materials (water, Lucite and 50%-50% adipose-glandular tissue) and some materials considered for shielding diagnostic x-ray beams, namely lead, steel and gypsum wallboard. Results show that significant differences exist between the thickness required to produce equal attenuation and that required to produce equal hardening of a given incident beam. While attenuation equivalent thickness produces equal exposure, it does not produce equal hardening. For shielding purposes, equivalence in exposure reduction without equivalence in penetrating power of an emerging beam does not amount to equivalence in shielding affordable by two different materials. Presented are models and results of sample calculations of additional shielding requirements apart from that provided by intervening materials. The shielding requirements for the integrated beam emerging from intervening materials are different from those for the integrated beam emerging from materials (lead/steel/gypsum wallboard) with attenuation equivalent thicknesses of these intervening materials.

Evaluation of the nutritional value of locally produced forage in Korea using chemical analysis and in vitro ruminal fermentation.

PubMed

Ki, Kwang Seok; Park, Su Bum; Lim, Dong Hyun; Seo, Seongwon

2017-03-01

The use of locally produced forage (LPF) in cattle production has economic and environmental advantages over imported forage. The objective of this study was to characterize the nutritional value of LPF commonly used in Korea. Differences in ruminal fermentation characteristics were also examined for the LPF species commonly produced from two major production regions: Chungcheong and Jeolla. Ten LPF (five from each of the two regions) and six of the most widely used imported forages originating from North America were obtained at least three times throughout a year. Each forage species was pooled and analyzed for nutrient content using detailed chemical analysis. Ruminal fermentation characteristics were also determined by in vitro anaerobic incubations using strained rumen fluid for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. At each incubation time, total gas, pH, ammonia, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility were measured. By fitting an exponential model, gas production kinetics were obtained. Significant differences were found in the non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) content among the forage species and the regions (p<0.01). No nutrient, other than NFC, showed significant differences among the regions. Crude protein, NFC, and acid detergent lignin significantly differed by forage species. The amount of acid detergent insoluble protein tended to differ among the forages. The forages produced in Chungcheong had a higher amount of NFC than that in Jeolla (p<0.05). There were differences in ruminal fermentation of LPF between the two regions and interactions between regions and forage species were also significant (p<0.05). The pH following a 48-h ruminal fermentation was lower in the forages from Chungcheong than from Jeolla (p<0.01), and total VFA concentration was higher in Chungcheong than in Jeolla (p = 0.05). This implies that fermentation was more active with the forages from Chungcheong than from Jeolla. Analysis of gas production profiles showed the rate of fermentation differed among forage species (p<0.05). The results of the present study showed that the nutritional values of some LPF (i.e., corn silage and Italian ryegrass) are comparable to those of imported forages widely used in Korea. This study also indicated that the nutritional value of LPF differs by origin, as well as by forage species. Detailed analyses of nutrient composition and digestion kinetics of LPF should be routinely employed to evaluate the correct nutritional value of LPF and to increase their use in the field.

Evaluation of the nutritional value of locally produced forage in Korea using chemical analysis and in vitro ruminal fermentation

PubMed Central

Ki, Kwang Seok; Park, Su Bum; Lim, Dong Hyun; Seo, Seongwon

2017-01-01

Objective The use of locally produced forage (LPF) in cattle production has economic and environmental advantages over imported forage. The objective of this study was to characterize the nutritional value of LPF commonly used in Korea. Differences in ruminal fermentation characteristics were also examined for the LPF species commonly produced from two major production regions: Chungcheong and Jeolla. Methods Ten LPF (five from each of the two regions) and six of the most widely used imported forages originating from North America were obtained at least three times throughout a year. Each forage species was pooled and analyzed for nutrient content using detailed chemical analysis. Ruminal fermentation characteristics were also determined by in vitro anaerobic incubations using strained rumen fluid for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. At each incubation time, total gas, pH, ammonia, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility were measured. By fitting an exponential model, gas production kinetics were obtained. Results Significant differences were found in the non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) content among the forage species and the regions (p<0.01). No nutrient, other than NFC, showed significant differences among the regions. Crude protein, NFC, and acid detergent lignin significantly differed by forage species. The amount of acid detergent insoluble protein tended to differ among the forages. The forages produced in Chungcheong had a higher amount of NFC than that in Jeolla (p<0.05). There were differences in ruminal fermentation of LPF between the two regions and interactions between regions and forage species were also significant (p<0.05). The pH following a 48-h ruminal fermentation was lower in the forages from Chungcheong than from Jeolla (p<0.01), and total VFA concentration was higher in Chungcheong than in Jeolla (p = 0.05). This implies that fermentation was more active with the forages from Chungcheong than from Jeolla. Analysis of gas production profiles showed the rate of fermentation differed among forage species (p<0.05). Conclusion The results of the present study showed that the nutritional values of some LPF (i.e., corn silage and Italian ryegrass) are comparable to those of imported forages widely used in Korea. This study also indicated that the nutritional value of LPF differs by origin, as well as by forage species. Detailed analyses of nutrient composition and digestion kinetics of LPF should be routinely employed to evaluate the correct nutritional value of LPF and to increase their use in the field. PMID:28002936

Growth responses in a mutant dwarf rat to human growth hormone and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I.

PubMed

Skottner, A; Clark, R G; Fryklund, L; Robinson, I C

1989-05-01

A new mutant GH-deficient dwarf rat has been used to study the effects of iv infusions of human GH (hGH) and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (hIGF-I). This animal has only about 5% of normal pituitary GH content, low circulating GH levels, and no regular GH surges. The defect seems to be specific for GH. Infusions of hIGF-I at 180 micrograms/day for 9 days elevated serum IGF-I concentrations significantly over those in the saline-infused controls (713 +/- 20 ng/ml vs. 395 +/- 31 ng/ml); hGH infusions did not raise IGF-I levels significantly (435 +/- 20 ng/ml). Gel filtration of serum samples showed that the high-dose hIGF-I infusions increased free IGF concentrations, without apparently altering the pattern of IGF-I binding whereas hGH infusions increased the amount of high mol wt IGF-I binding protein. Neither IGF-I nor hGH infusions affected the small amounts of rat GH present in the dwarf rat pituitary glands. Continuous iv infusions of hGH (200 mU/day for 9 days) stimulated body wt gain (2.1 +/- 0.2 g/day) and bone growth (96 +/- 9 microns/day) significantly compared to saline-infused dwarf rats (1.2 +/- 0.3 g/day and 43 +/- 3 microns/day). Infusions of hIGF-I at 180 micrograms/day produced a body wt gain (2.1 +/- 0.5 g/day) similar to that seen in the hGH-infused group but a significantly smaller stimulation of bone growth (63 +/- 3 microns/day). Infusion of a 5-fold lower dose of hIGF-I (36 micrograms/day for 9 days) had no effect on body wt or bone growth. Food intake was unaffected by either hGH or hIGF-I infusions. The pattern of tissue growth was affected differentially by hGH and IGF-I infusions that produced the same overall body wt gain. hGH induced a relatively proportional growth in most of the organs studied, whereas hIGF-I infusion at 180 micrograms/day stimulated a disproportionately greater growth of the kidney, adrenals, and spleen. In some of the animals, tissues were extracted for RIA of IGF-I; the amounts of IGF-I in the liver were similar in control, hGH, or IGF-I-infused animals, whereas kidney and adrenals from IGF-I infused animals contained larger amounts of immunoreactive IGF-I than did those tissues from hGH-treated rats. Thus, both hGH and hIGF-I can promote growth in the mutant dwarf rat, but they differ both quantitatively and qualitatively in their pattern of actions.

Energy content, sensory properties, and microbiological shelf life of German bologna-type sausages produced with citrate or phosphate and with inulin as fat replacer.

PubMed

Nowak, B; von Mueffling, T; Grotheer, J; Klein, G; Watkinson, B-M

2007-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of reducing energy content (9% to 48%) in bologna-type sausages by replacing fat with inulin and to study the effects of substituting citrate for phosphate in the traditional sausage formula. German-type mortadella was produced, and fat was replaced with increasing amounts of inulin as a frozen gel to yield 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% inulin in the final product. In another part of the study, citrate was substituted for the phosphate in the recipe. All sausages produced were sliced, packaged under a modified atmosphere (70% N(2), 30% CO(2)), and stored for 23 d at +7 degrees C. Sausage quality was determined by chemical and instrumental texture profile analyses, color measurement, sensory evaluation, and microbiological testing. Replacing fat with inulin led to significant energy content reductions of up to 47.5% (with 12% inulin). However, the sensory properties of these sausages were also different from those of the control mortadella: fracturability fell, hardness and adhesiveness rose, and color became darker. In general, the substitution of citrate for phosphate significantly reduced the negative effects of inulin. There were no significant differences in microbiological stability between different inulin batches but there were significant differences between phosphate and citrate batches. Overall, the energy content of bologna-type sausages produced with citrate and with up to 6% inulin as a fat replacer was 22% lower than that of the control sausages. Furthermore, the sensory attributes (texture, color) of these 6% inulin-citrate sausages were comparable to the control sausages, and the sausages were microbiologically stable for 23 d of storage.

High-speed cell recognition algorithm for ultrafast flow cytometer imaging system.

PubMed

Zhao, Wanyue; Wang, Chao; Chen, Hongwei; Chen, Minghua; Yang, Sigang

2018-04-01

An optical time-stretch flow imaging system enables high-throughput examination of cells/particles with unprecedented high speed and resolution. A significant amount of raw image data is produced. A high-speed cell recognition algorithm is, therefore, highly demanded to analyze large amounts of data efficiently. A high-speed cell recognition algorithm consisting of two-stage cascaded detection and Gaussian mixture model (GMM) classification is proposed. The first stage of detection extracts cell regions. The second stage integrates distance transform and the watershed algorithm to separate clustered cells. Finally, the cells detected are classified by GMM. We compared the performance of our algorithm with support vector machine. Results show that our algorithm increases the running speed by over 150% without sacrificing the recognition accuracy. This algorithm provides a promising solution for high-throughput and automated cell imaging and classification in the ultrafast flow cytometer imaging platform. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

High-speed cell recognition algorithm for ultrafast flow cytometer imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wanyue; Wang, Chao; Chen, Hongwei; Chen, Minghua; Yang, Sigang

2018-04-01

An optical time-stretch flow imaging system enables high-throughput examination of cells/particles with unprecedented high speed and resolution. A significant amount of raw image data is produced. A high-speed cell recognition algorithm is, therefore, highly demanded to analyze large amounts of data efficiently. A high-speed cell recognition algorithm consisting of two-stage cascaded detection and Gaussian mixture model (GMM) classification is proposed. The first stage of detection extracts cell regions. The second stage integrates distance transform and the watershed algorithm to separate clustered cells. Finally, the cells detected are classified by GMM. We compared the performance of our algorithm with support vector machine. Results show that our algorithm increases the running speed by over 150% without sacrificing the recognition accuracy. This algorithm provides a promising solution for high-throughput and automated cell imaging and classification in the ultrafast flow cytometer imaging platform.

Banana peel reductant for leaching medium grade manganese ore in sulfuric acid solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aripin, H.; Joni, I. Made; Busaeri, Nundang; Usrah, Ifkar; Sudiana, I. Nyoman; Sabchevski, Svilen

2017-03-01

In this investigation, manganese has been produced from medium grade manganese ore from Karangnunggal mine (West Java, Indonesia). The effects of weighed amount of banana peels on the structural and leaching properties have been studied. The material's properties have been characterized on the basis of the experimental data obtained using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It has been found that an increase of the weighed amount of banana peels up to 4 g leads to an increase of the leaching efficiency of manganese from manganese ore. Above 4 g, however, the leaching efficiency does not change significantly. The analysis based on the interpretation of both XRD patterns and FTIR spectrum allows one to explain the increase in the leaching efficiencies of manganese by the reduction of MnO2 minerals and by the removal of hemicelluloses groups of banana peel in the samples.

The etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy: still more questions than answers.

PubMed Central

Tatu, C A; Orem, W H; Finkelman, R B; Feder, G L

1998-01-01

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) has attracted increasing attention as a possible environmental disease, and a significant amount of research from complementary scientific fields has been dedicated to its etiology. There are two actual competing theories attempting to explain the cause of this kidney disease: 1) the mycotoxin hypothesis, which considers that BEN is produced by ochratoxin A ingested intermittently in small amounts by the individuals in the endemic regions, and 2) the Pliocene lignite hypothesis, which proposes that the disease is caused by long-term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic organic compounds leaching into the well drinking water from low rank coals underlying or proximal to the endemic settlements. We outline the current developments and future prospects in the study of BEN and differentiate possible factors and cofactors in disease etiology. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 PMID:9799184

The preparation and structure of salty ice VII under pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klotz, Stefan; Bove, Livia E.; Strässle, Thierry; Hansen, Thomas C.; Saitta, Antonino M.

2009-05-01

It is widely accepted that ice, no matter what phase, is unable to incorporate large amounts of salt into its structure. This conclusion is based on the observation that on freezing of salt water, ice expels the salt almost entirely as brine. Here, we show that this behaviour is not an intrinsic physico-chemical property of ice phases. We demonstrate by neutron diffraction that substantial amounts of dissolved LiCl can be built homogeneously into the ice VII structure if it is produced by recrystallization of its glassy (amorphous) state under pressure. Such `alloyed' ice VII has significantly different structural properties compared with pure ice VII, such as an 8% larger unit cell volume, 5 times larger displacement factors, an absence of a transition to an ordered ice VIII structure and plasticity. Our study suggests that there could be a whole new class of `salty' high-pressure ice forms.

The preparation and structure of salty ice VII under pressure.

PubMed

Klotz, Stefan; Bove, Livia E; Strässle, Thierry; Hansen, Thomas C; Saitta, Antonino M

2009-05-01

It is widely accepted that ice, no matter what phase, is unable to incorporate large amounts of salt into its structure. This conclusion is based on the observation that on freezing of salt water, ice expels the salt almost entirely as brine. Here, we show that this behaviour is not an intrinsic physico-chemical property of ice phases. We demonstrate by neutron diffraction that substantial amounts of dissolved LiCl can be built homogeneously into the ice VII structure if it is produced by recrystallization of its glassy (amorphous) state under pressure. Such 'alloyed' ice VII has significantly different structural properties compared with pure ice VII, such as an 8% larger unit cell volume, 5 times larger displacement factors, an absence of a transition to an ordered ice VIII structure and plasticity. Our study suggests that there could be a whole new class of 'salty' high-pressure ice forms.

Expansion of chromospheric matter in the gradual phase of solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ohki, K.

1975-01-01

Interferometric observations at 17 GHz of several small X-ray flares are presented along with soft X-ray observations of preflare active regions to show that a large mass increase accompanies the formation of an X-ray hot region in the corona. The total amount of energy contained in a hot coronal region is estimated, and a model is proposed in which a significant amount of the hot matter is supplied to the corona from the chromosphere during each flare. According to this model, energy produced by some coronal instability is transported by thermal conduction to the chromosphere, where dense gas is heated and subsequently expands into the corona. It is shown that impulsive heating of the chromosphere by nonthermal electrons cannot be the energy source of this model because the total energy supplied to the hot region during the gradual phase must be much greater than that supplied during the impulsive phase.

Isolating Behavioral Mechanisms of Inter-Temporal Choice: Nicotine Effects on Delay Discounting and Amount Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Locey, Matthew L.; Dallery, Jesse

2009-01-01

Many drugs of abuse produce changes in impulsive choice, that is, choice for a smaller-sooner reinforcer over a larger-later reinforcer. Because the alternatives differ in both delay and amount, it is not clear whether these drug effects are due to the differences in reinforcer delay or amount. To isolate the effects of delay, we used a titrating…

Variations in Stratospheric Inorganic Chlorine Between 1991 and 2006

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lary, D. J.; Waugh, D. W.; Douglass, A. R.; Stolarski, R. S.; Newman, P. A.; Mussa, H.

2007-01-01

So how quickly will the ozone hole recover? This depends on how quickly the chlorine content (Cl2) of the atmosphere will decline. The ozone hole forms over the Antarctic each southern spring (September and October). The extremely small ozone amounts in the ozone hole are there because of chemical reactions of ozone with chlorine. This chlorine originates largely from industrially produced chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds. An international agreement, the Montreal Protocol, is drastically reducing the amount of chlorine-containing compounds that we are releasing into the atmosphere. To be able to attribute changes in stratospheric ozone to changes in chlorine we need to know the distribution of atmospheric chlorine. However, due to a lack of continuous observations of all the key chlorine gases, producing a continuous time series of stratospheric chlorine has not been achieved to date. We have for the first time devised a technique to make a 17-year time series for stratospheric chlorine that uses the long time series of HCl observations made from several space borne instruments and a neural network. The neural networks allow us to both inter-calibrate the various HCl instruments and to infer the total amount of atmospheric chlorine from HCl. These new estimates of Cl, provide a much needed critical test for current global models that currently predict significant differences in both Cl(sub y) and ozone recovery. These models exhibit differences in their projection of the recovery time and our chlorine content time series will help separate the good from the bad in these projections.

Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for Akutan Volcano east-central Aleutian Islands, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waythomas, Christopher F.; Power, John A.; Richter, Donlad H.; McGimsey, Robert G.

1998-01-01

Akutan Volcano is a 1100-meter-high stratovolcano on Akutan Island in the east-central Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska. The volcano is located about 1238 kilometers southwest of Anchorage and about 56 kilometers east of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska. Eruptive activity has occurred at least 27 times since historical observations were recorded beginning in the late 1700?s. Recent eruptions produced only small amounts of fine volcanic ash that fell primarily on the upper flanks of the volcano. Small amounts of ash fell on the Akutan Harbor area during eruptions in 1911, 1948, 1987, and 1989. Plumes of volcanic ash are the primary hazard associated with eruptions of Akutan Volcano and are a major hazard to all aircraft using the airfield at Dutch Harbor or approaching Akutan Island. Eruptions similar to historical Akutan eruptions should be anticipated in the future. Although unlikely, eruptions larger than those of historical time could generate significant amounts of volcanic ash, fallout, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that would be hazardous to life and property on all sectors of the volcano and other parts of the island, but especially in the major valleys that head on the volcano flanks. During a large eruption an ash cloud could be produced that may be hazardous to aircraft using the airfield at Cold Bay and the airspace downwind from the volcano. In the event of a large eruption, volcanic ash fallout could be relatively thick over parts of Akutan Island and volcanic bombs could strike areas more than 10 kilometers from the volcano.

Effects of produced water on soil characteristics, plant biomass, and secondary metabolites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana contains the United States’ largest coal reserve. The area produces large amounts of natural gas through extraction from water-saturated coalbeds. Determining the impacts of coalbed natural gas-produced efflux water on crops is important when considering...

21 CFR 610.15 - Constituent materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... evidence that it does not affect adversely the safety or potency of the product. The amount of aluminum in... culture produced vaccines. Extraneous protein known to be capable of producing allergenic effects in human subjects shall not be added to a final virus medium of cell culture produced vaccines intended for...

21 CFR 610.15 - Constituent materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... evidence that it does not affect adversely the safety or potency of the product. The amount of aluminum in... culture produced vaccines. Extraneous protein known to be capable of producing allergenic effects in human subjects shall not be added to a final virus medium of cell culture produced vaccines intended for...

21 CFR 610.15 - Constituent materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... evidence that it does not affect adversely the safety or potency of the product. The amount of aluminum in... culture produced vaccines. Extraneous protein known to be capable of producing allergenic effects in human subjects shall not be added to a final virus medium of cell culture produced vaccines intended for...

The production of glucans via glucansucrases from Lactobacillus satsumensis isolated from a fermented beverage starter culture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several starter cultures used in the production of fermented beverages were screened for lactic acid bacteria that produced water-insoluble polysaccharides from sucrose. The strain producing the greatest amount was identified as Lactobacillus satsumensis by its 16S RNA sequence. This strain produc...

Evaluation of the effect of ammonia on nicotine pharmacokinetics using rapid arterial sampling.

PubMed

McKinney, Diana L; Gogova, Maria; Davies, Bruce D; Ramakrishnan, Viswanathan; Fisher, Kelly; Carter, W Hans; Karnes, H Thomas; Garnett, William R; Iyer, Sunil S; Somani, Amit A; Kobal, Gerd; Barr, William H

2012-05-01

The nicotine bolus theory states that the dependence-producing potential of cigarettes relates to a rapid increase in nicotine at brain receptor sites. It has been suggested that ammonia, a compound typically found in tobacco products, further increases the amount of nicotine absorbed and its absorption rate. The aim of this study was to determine whether different ammonia yields in cigarettes affected the rate or amount of nicotine absorption from the lungs to arterial circulation. 34 adult smokers received 3 separate puffs from each of 2 test cigarettes with different ammonia yields (ammonia in smoke: 10.1 μg per cigarette vs. 18.9 μg per cigarette), followed by rapid radial arterial blood sampling (maximum one sample per second) with 30 min between puffs. Arterial blood samples were assayed for nicotine by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic modeling was performed and the two test cigarettes were assessed for bioequivalence. No significant differences were found in area under the curve, C(max), or T((max)) and the 2 test cigarettes were found to be bioequivalent based on 2 one-sided tests at a significance level of 5%. In addition, the zero-order rate constant (k(0)) obtained from the initial slope of the curves and the model-dependent first-order rate constant (k(a)) were not significantly different. This study provides strong evidence that the different ammonia yields of the test cigarettes had no impact on nicotine pharmacokinetics; thus, the ammonia did not increase the rate or amount of nicotine absorption from a puff of cigarette smoke.

Crushing of Subglacial Lake Sediment as a Source of Bio-utilisable Gases.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill Olivas, B.; Telling, J.; Michaud, A. B.; Skidmore, M. L.; Priscu, J. C.; Tranter, M.

2017-12-01

Recent research has shown microbial ecosystems exist under glaciers and ice sheets. The sources of energy to support these ecosystems are still not fully understood, particularly beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet, where direct access to the atmosphere and in-washed organic matter and oxidising agents does not occur. Hence, sub-ice sheet energy sources are restricted to those in subglacial environments, except for ice-margin environments. This study focuses on sediments from Subglacial Lake Whillans (SLW), the first subglacial lake to be directly and cleanly sampled. Sediment from three depths in a shallow core extracted from SLW were used to assess the possible energy contributions from mechanochemical reactions to this subglacial ecosystem. To do this, the samples were crushed under an anoxic atmosphere using a ball mill. The sediments were then transferred into serum bottles under anoxic conditions. They were wetted and the headspace gas was subsequently sampled and analysed during a 40 day incubation. Results show the release of substantial amounts of hydrogen, which could potentially serve as an abiotic source of energy to microbes, in particular, methanogenic archaea. Significant amounts of short chain hydrocarbons (including methane and ethylene), possibly from the reactivation of ancient organic carbon, were also observed. Crushed samples showed a significant concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced on contact with water, as well as significant amounts of Si radicals, showing comminution of these sediments unlocks the potential for a wide range of redox conditions and reactions to develop within glacially eroded sediment under ice. This in turn provides a previously overlooked source of nutrients and energy for microbes to utilise.

Correlation of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis colonization and ex vivo hydrogen peroxide production in carious lesion-free and high caries adults.

PubMed

Giacaman, Rodrigo A; Torres, Sebastián; Gómez, Yenifer; Muñoz-Sandoval, Cecilia; Kreth, Jens

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to estimate oral colonization by Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis in adults with high and without any caries experience. Furthermore, differences in the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced by S. sanguinis isolated from both groups were assessed. Forty adults were divided into: (i) carious lesion-free, without any carious lesion, assessed by the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), or restoration, (CF) and (ii) high caries experience (HC). Saliva samples were collected and seeded on respective agar-plates for enumeration of total streptococci, S. mutans and S. sanguinis (CFU/mL) and compared between groups. Additionally, S. sanguinis colonies obtained from both groups were inoculated on Prussian blue agar for H2O2 detection. Production of H2O2 was quantified and compared between the two groups. S. sanguinis counts were significantly higher in CF than HC individuals (p<0.05). Conversely, S. mutans showed significantly higher levels in HC than CF subjects (p<0.001). S. sanguinis colonies from CF individuals produced significantly larger H2O2 halos compared with HC subjects. S. sanguinis predominates over S. mutans in saliva of adults without caries experience. In those people, S. sanguinis produces more H2O2ex vivo. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Neutral Red as an Electronophore

PubMed Central

Park, Doo Hyun; Zeikus, J. Gregory

2000-01-01

Neutral red (NR) was utilized as an electron mediator in microbial fuel cells consuming glucose to study both its efficiency during electricity generation and its role in altering anaerobic growth and metabolism of Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus succinogenes. A study of chemical fuel cells in which NADH, NR, and ferricyanide were the electron donor, the electronophore, and the electron acceptor, respectively, showed that electrical current produced from NADH was proportional to the concentration of NADH. Fourfold more current was produced from NADH in chemical fuel cells when NR was the electron mediator than when thionin was the electron mediator. In microbial fuel cells in which E. coli resting cells were used the amount of current produced from glucose when NR was the electron mediator (3.5 mA) was 10-fold more than the amount produced when thionin was the electron mediator (0.4 mA). The amount of electrical energy generated (expressed in joules per mole of substrate) and the amount of current produced from glucose (expressed in milliamperes) in NR-mediated microbial fuel cells containing either E. coli or A. succinogenes were about 10- and 2-fold greater, respectively, when resting cells were used than when growing cells were used. Cell growth was inhibited substantially when these microbial fuel cells were making current, and more oxidized end products were formed under these conditions. When sewage sludge (i.e., a mixed culture of anaerobic bacteria) was used in the fuel cell, stable (for 120 h) and equivalent levels of current were obtained with glucose, as observed in the pure-culture experiments. These results suggest that NR is better than other electron mediators used in microbial fuel cells and that sludge production can be decreased while electricity is produced in fuel cells. Our results are discussed in relation to factors that may improve the relatively low electrical efficiencies (1.2 kJ/mol) obtained with microbial fuel cells. PMID:10742202

Determination of Mycotoxin Production of Fusarium Species in Genetically Modified Maize Varieties by Quantitative Flow Immunocytometry.

PubMed

Bánáti, Hajnalka; Darvas, Béla; Fehér-Tóth, Szilvia; Czéh, Árpád; Székács, András

2017-02-22

Levels of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species in genetically modified (GM) and near-isogenic maize, were determined using multi-analyte, microbead-based flow immunocytometry with fluorescence detection, for the parallel quantitative determination of fumonisin B1, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, T-2, ochratoxin A, and aflatoxin B1. Maize varieties included the genetic events MON 810 and DAS-59122-7 , and their isogenic counterparts. Cobs were artificially infested by F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum conidia, and contained F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides natural infestation. The production of fumonisin B1 and deoxynivalenol was substantially affected in GM maize lines: F. verticillioides , with the addition of F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides , produced significantly lower levels of fumonisin B1 (~300 mg·kg -1 ) in DAS-59122-7 than in its isogenic line (~580 mg·kg -1 ), while F. proliferatum , in addition to F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides , produced significantly higher levels of deoxynivalenol (~18 mg·kg -1 ) in MON 810 than in its isogenic line (~5 mg·kg -1 ). Fusarium verticillioides , with F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides , produced lower amounts of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone than F. proliferatum , with F. graminearum and F. sporotrichoides . T-2 toxin production remained unchanged when considering the maize variety. The results demonstrate the utility of the Fungi-Plex™ quantitative flow immunocytometry method, applied for the high throughput parallel determination of the target mycotoxins.

Physiological ecology of Clostridium glycolicum RD-1, an aerotolerant acetogen isolated from sea grass roots.

PubMed

Küsel, K; Karnholz, A; Trinkwalter, T; Devereux, R; Acker, G; Drake, H L

2001-10-01

An anaerobic, H(2)-utilizing bacterium, strain RD-1, was isolated from the highest growth-positive dilution series of a root homogenate prepared from the sea grass Halodule wrightii. Cells of RD-1 were gram-positive, spore-forming, motile rods that were linked by connecting filaments. Acetate was produced in stoichiometries indicative of an acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) pathway-dependent metabolism when RD-1 utilized H(2)-CO(2), formate, lactate, or pyruvate. Growth on sugars or ethylene glycol yielded acetate and ethanol as end products. RD-1 grew at the expense of glucose in the presence of low initial concentrations (up to 6% [vol/vol]) of O(2) in the headspace of static, horizontally incubated culture tubes; the concentration of O(2) decreased during growth in such cultures. Peroxidase, NADH oxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities were detected in the cytoplasmic fraction of cells grown in the presence of O(2). In comparison to cultures incubated under strictly anoxic conditions, acetate production decreased, higher amounts of ethanol were produced, and lactate and H(2) became significant end products when RD-1 was grown on glucose in the presence of O(2). Similarly, when RD-1 was grown on fructose in the presence of elevated salt concentrations, lower amounts of acetate and higher amounts of ethanol and H(2) were produced. When the concentration of O(2) in the headspace exceeded 1% (vol/vol), supplemental H(2) was not utilized. The 16S rRNA gene of RD-1 had a 99.7% sequence similarity to that of Clostridium glycolicum DSM 1288(T), an organism characterized as a fermentative anaerobe. Comparative experiments with C. glycolicum DSM 1288(T) demonstrated that it had negligible H(2)- and formate-utilizing capacities. However, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase was detected in both RD-1 and C. glycolicum DSM 1288(T). A 91.4% DNA-DNA hybridization between the genomic DNA of RD-1 and that of C. glycolicum DSM 1288(T) confirmed that RD-1 was a strain of C. glycolicum. These results indicate that (i) RD-1 metabolizes certain substrates via the acetyl-CoA pathway, (ii) RD-1 can tolerate and consume limited amounts of O(2), (iii) oxic conditions favor the production of ethanol, lactate, and H(2) by RD-1, and (iv) the ability of RD-1 to cope with limited amounts of O(2) might contribute to its survival in a habitat subject to daily gradients of photosynthesis-derived O(2).

15 CFR 715.2 - Amended declaration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UNSCHEDULED DISCRETE ORGANIC CHEMICALS (UDOCs) § 715.2 Amended declaration. In order for BIS to... plant site that produced any amount of UDOCs (including all PSF chemicals); (3) Aggregate amount of...

15 CFR 715.2 - Amended declaration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UNSCHEDULED DISCRETE ORGANIC CHEMICALS (UDOCs) § 715.2 Amended declaration. In order for BIS to... plant site that produced any amount of UDOCs (including all PSF chemicals); (3) Aggregate amount of...

15 CFR 715.2 - Amended declaration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UNSCHEDULED DISCRETE ORGANIC CHEMICALS (UDOCs) § 715.2 Amended declaration. In order for BIS to... plant site that produced any amount of UDOCs (including all PSF chemicals); (3) Aggregate amount of...

15 CFR 715.2 - Amended declaration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UNSCHEDULED DISCRETE ORGANIC CHEMICALS (UDOCs) § 715.2 Amended declaration. In order for BIS to... plant site that produced any amount of UDOCs (including all PSF chemicals); (3) Aggregate amount of...

Delta/mu opioid receptor interactions in operant conditioning assays of pain-depressed responding and drug-induced rate suppression: assessment of therapeutic index in male Sprague Dawley rats.

PubMed

Cone, Katherine; Lanpher, Janell; Kinens, Abigail; Richard, Philomena; Couture, Sarah; Brackin, Rebecca; Payne, Emily; Harrington, Kylee; Rice, Kenner C; Stevenson, Glenn W

2018-05-01

Although delta/mu receptor interactions vary as a function of behavioral endpoint, there have been no assessments of these interactions using assays of pain-depressed responding. This is the first report of delta/mu interactions using an assay of pain-depressed behavior. A mult-cycle FR10 operant schedule was utilized in the presence of (nociception) and in the absence of (rate suppression) a lactic acid inflammatory pain-like manipulation. SNC80 and methadone were used as selective/high efficacy delta and mu agonists, respectively. Both SNC80 and methadone alone produced a dose-dependent restoration of pain-depressed responding and dose-dependent response rate suppression. Three fixed ratio mixtures, based on the relative potencies of the drugs in the nociception assay, also produced dose-dependent antinociception and sedation. Isobolographic analysis indicated that all three mixtures produced supra-additive antinociceptive effects and simply additive sedation effects. The therapeutic index (TI) inversely varied as a function of amount of SNC80 in the mixture, such that lower amounts of SNC80 produced a higher TI, and larger amounts produced a lower TI. Compared to literature using standard pain-elicited assays, the orderly relationship between SNC80 and TI reported here may be a unique function of assessing pain-depressed behavior.

Genomic, proteomic and biochemical analysis of the chitinolytic machinery of Serratia marcescens BJL200.

PubMed

Tuveng, Tina R; Hagen, Live Heldal; Mekasha, Sophanit; Frank, Jeremy; Arntzen, Magnus Øverlie; Vaaje-Kolstad, Gustav; Eijsink, Vincent G H

2017-04-01

The chitinolytic machinery of Serratia marcescens BJL200 has been studied in detail over the last couple of decades, however, the proteome secreted by this Gram-negative bacterium during growth on chitin has not been studied in depth. In addition, the genome of this most studied chitinolytic Serratia strain has until now, not been sequenced. We report a draft genome sequence for S. marcescens BJL200. Using label-free quantification (LFQ) proteomics and a recently developed plate-method for assessing secretomes during growth on solid substrates, we find that, as expected, the chitin-active enzymes (ChiA, B, C, and CBP21) are produced in high amounts when the bacterium grows on chitin. Other proteins produced in high amounts after bacterial growth on chitin provide interesting targets for further exploration of the proteins involved in degradation of chitin-rich biomasses. The genome encodes a fourth chitinase (ChiD), which is produced in low amounts during growth on chitin. Studies of chitin degradation with mixtures of recombinantly produced chitin-degrading enzymes showed that ChiD does not contribute to the overall efficiency of the process. ChiD is capable of converting N,N'-diacetyl chitobiose to N-acetyl glucosamine, but is less efficient than another enzyme produced for this purpose, the Chitobiase. Thus, the role of ChiD in chitin degradation, if any, remains unclear. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical Signature of Biomass Burning Emitted PM2.5 as Revealed by a C/N/S Multi- Elemental Scanning Thermal Analysis (MESTA) Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Y.; Bugna, G.

2006-12-01

Uncertainty of black carbon (BC) research is often plagued by the analytical difficulty associated with separating carbon components in solid samples. A rapid and sensitive multi-elemental scanning thermal analysis (MESTA), originally developed for organic matter analysis in solid samples, was applied to this study. The objective was to identify the chemical signature of biomass burning emitted PM2.5 (aerosols less than 2.5 micron) for tracing purposes. We collected PM2.5 from the burning of various biomass of a pine forest and from the ambient air of an urban campus using a PM sampler. The MESTA provides simultaneous C, N and S thermograms of the PM2.5 samples that can be used for characterization and identification purposes. This study showed that the PM2.5 samples produced from the burning of forest biomass can be characterized by a high temperature (greater than 350 oC) volatile organic component with high C/N ratio and no S content while those produced from the ambient air can be characterized by a low temperature (less than 350 oC) volatile organic component with low C/N ratio and high S content. Burning of the soaked woody debris, however, produced significant amount of the low-temperature volatile organic component similar to that of the ambient air in C/N ratio but different in S content. Most PM2.5 samples have a very low temperature (less than 110 oC) volatile N component that is identified as absorbed ammonia. The absorbed ammonia is most significant in the PM2.5 of the ambient air and the burning of soaked woody debris. All PM2.5 samples have significant amount of BC which volatilized above 500 oC with very high C/N ratio. This study also shows that MESTA can provide an objective means to present the chemical signature of the whole spectrum of OC/BC in the PM2.5 samples.

Iron active electrode and method of making same

DOEpatents

Jackovitz, John F.; Seidel, Joseph; Pantier, Earl A.

1982-10-26

An iron active electrode and method of preparing same in which iron sulfate is calcined in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 600.degree. C. to about 850.degree. C. for a time sufficient to produce an iron oxide with a trace amount of sulfate. The calcined material is loaded into an electrically conductive support and then heated in a reducing atmosphere at an elevated temperature to produce activated iron having a trace amount of sulfide which is formed into an electrode plate.

Rice hull energy uses in the Philippines

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

Waddle, D.B.

1985-01-01

As a rice producing country, the Philippines produces a tremendous amount of rice hulls which when converted to energy could displace a substantial amount of imported energy. Realizing this possibility needs a thorough evaluation of both resources and demand characteristics of particular industry where immediate applicability of technical option awaits. This document presents the Philippines' past activities in fuelizing rice hulls and future action plans where its economic relevance could be enhanced. Descriptions of four power plants are included with the author's analysis of their probable market impact and projections of future applications.

Portable method of measuring gaseous acetone concentrations.

PubMed

Worrall, Adam D; Bernstein, Jonathan A; Angelopoulos, Anastasios P

2013-08-15

Measurement of acetone in human breath samples has been previously shown to provide significant non-invasive diagnostic insight into the control of a patient's diabetic condition. In patients with diabetes mellitus, the body produces excess amounts of ketones such as acetone, which are then exhaled during respiration. Using various breath analysis methods has allowed for the accurate determination of acetone concentrations in exhaled breath. However, many of these methods require instrumentation and pre-concentration steps not suitable for point-of-care use. We have found that by immobilizing resorcinol reagent into a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer membrane, a controlled organic synthesis reaction occurs with acetone in a dry carrier gas. The immobilized, highly selective product of this reaction (a flavan) is found to produce a visible spectrum color change which could measure acetone concentrations to less than ppm. We here demonstrate how this approach can be used to produce a portable optical sensing device for real-time, non-invasive acetone analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silver bullet or trojan horse? The effects of inclusionary zoning on local housing markets in the United States.

PubMed

Schuetz, Jenny; Meltzer, Rachel; Been, Vicki

2011-01-01

Many local governments are adopting inclusionary zoning (IZ) as a means of producing affordable housing without direct public subsidies. In this paper, panel data on IZ in the San Francisco metropolitan area and suburban Boston are used to analyse how much affordable housing the programmes produce and how IZ affects the prices and production of market-rate housing. The amount of affordable housing produced under IZ has been modest and depends primarily on how long IZ has been in place. Results from suburban Boston suggest that IZ has contributed to increased housing prices and lower rates of production during periods of regional house price appreciation. In the San Francisco area, IZ also appears to increase housing prices in times of regional price appreciation, but to decrease prices during cooler regional markets. There is no evidence of a statistically significant effect of IZ on new housing development in the Bay Area.

Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to nitrate, nitrous oxide, and ammonium by Pseudomonas putrefaciens.

PubMed

Samuelsson, M O

1985-10-01

The influence of redox potential on dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium was investigated on a marine bacterium, Pseudomonas putrefaciens. Nitrate was consumed (3.1 mmol liter-1), and ammonium was produced in cultures with glucose and without sodium thioglycolate. When sodium thioglycolate was added, nitrate was consumed at a lower rate (1.1 mmol liter-1), and no significant amounts of nitrite or ammonium were produced. No growth was detected in glucose media either with or without sodium thioglycolate. When grown on tryptic soy broth, the production of nitrous oxide paralleled growth. In the same medium, but with sodium thioglycolate, nitrous oxide was first produced during growth and then consumed. Acetylene caused the nitrous oxide to accumulate. These results and the mass balance calculations for different nitrogen components indicate that P. putrefaciens has the capacity to dissimilate nitrate to ammonium as well as to dinitrogen gas and nitrous oxide (denitrification). The dissimilatory pathway to ammonium dominates except when sodium thioglycolate is added to the medium.

The Influence of Friction Between Football Helmet and Jersey Materials on Force: A Consideration for Sport Safety.

PubMed

Rossi, Anthony M; Claiborne, Tina L; Thompson, Gregory B; Todaro, Stacey

2016-09-01

The pocketing effect of helmet padding helps to dissipate forces experienced by the head, but if the player's helmet remains stationary in an opponent's shoulder pads, the compressive force on the cervical spine may increase. To (1) measure the coefficient of static friction between different football helmet finishes and football jersey fabrics and (2) calculate the potential amount of force on a player's helmet due to the amount of friction present. Cross-sectional study. Laboratory. Helmets with different finishes and different football jersey fabrics. The coefficient of friction was determined for 2 helmet samples (glossy and matte), 3 football jerseys (collegiate, high school, and youth), and 3 types of jersey numbers (silkscreened, sublimated, and stitched on) using the TAPPI T 815 standard method. These measurements determined which helmet-to-helmet, helmet-to-jersey number, and helmet-to-jersey material combination resulted in the least amount of static friction. The glossy helmet versus glossy helmet combination produced a greater amount of static friction than the other 2 helmet combinations (P = .013). The glossy helmet versus collegiate jersey combination produced a greater amount of static friction than the other helmet-to-jersey material combinations (P < .01). The glossy helmet versus silkscreened numbers combination produced a greater amount of static friction than the other helmet-to-jersey number combinations (P < .01). The force of static friction experienced during collisions can be clinically relevant. Conditions with higher coefficients of static friction result in greater forces. In this study, the highest coefficient of friction (glossy helmet versus silkscreened number) could increase the forces on the player's helmet by 3553.88 N when compared with other helmet-to-jersey combinations. Our results indicate that the makeup of helmet and uniform materials may affect sport safety.

[Formation process of nitrogenous disinfection byproduct trichloronitromethane in drinking water and its influencing factors].

PubMed

Ding, Chun-Sheng; Zou, Bang-Wen; Miao, Jia; Fu, Yang-Ping; Shen, Jia-Chen

2013-08-01

A novel method is described in this paper, which uses methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as extractant and 1,2-dibromopropane as internal standard for the determination of nitrogenous disinfection byproduct trichloronitromethane (TCNM) by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The formation process of TCNM and its influencing factors were evaluated with methylamine as the precursor during chlorination. The results indicated that the TCNM amount produced under alkaline condition was higher than those produced under the neutral and acidic conditions, and the TCNM amount increased with the increase of pH value. It was found that the TCNM amount increased with the increase of chlorine addition when the chlorine dosage was in the range of 2-8 mmol x L(-1). However, the TCNM amount was reduced when the chlorine dosage was enhanced from 8 mmol x L(-1) to 12 mmol x L(-1), under which conditions the concentration of free chlorine was higher and methylamine was turned into nitriles and aldehydes through other reactions. It was also found that the TCNM amount increased with the increase of methylamine addition when the methylamine dosage was in the range of 0.5-4 mmol x L(-1). Temperature was another important factor that affected the TCNM formation from methylamine especially in the range of 10-30 degrees C and the higher the temperature, the more the TCNM amount produced. The formation process of TCNM from methylamine by chlorination was in accordance with the mechanism of an electrophilic reaction, in which HClO and ClO(-) could be used as the electrophilic reagents to attack methylamine and then to form TCNM.

CUSTOM OPTIMIZATION OF INTRAOCULAR LENS ASPHERICITY

PubMed Central

Koch, Douglas D.; Wang, Li

2007-01-01

Purpose To investigate the optimal amount of ocular spherical aberration (SA) in an intraocular lens (IOL) to maximize optical quality. Methods In 154 eyes of 94 patients aged 40 to 80 years, implantation of aspheric IOLs was simulated with different amounts of SA to produce residual ocular SA from −0.30 μm to +0.30 μm. Using the VOL-CT program (Sarver & Associates, Carbondale, Illinois), corneal wavefront aberrations up to 6th order were computed from corneal topographic elevation data (Humphrey Atlas, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc, Dublin, California). Using the ZernikeTool program (Advanced Medical Optics, Inc, Santa Ana, California), the polychromatic point spread function with Stiles-Crawford effect was calculated for the residual ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs, 3rd to 6th order, 6-mm pupil), assuming fully corrected 2nd-order aberrations. Five parameters were used to quantify optical image quality, and we determined the residual ocular SA at which the maximal image quality was achieved for each eye. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the predictors for optimal SA of each eye. Results The optimal SA varied widely among eyes. Most eyes had best image quality with low amounts of negative SA. For modulation transfer function volume up to 15 cycles/degree, the amount of optimal SA could be predicted based on other HOAs of the cornea with coefficient of multiple determination (R2) of 79%. Eight Zernike terms significantly contributed to the optimal SA in this model; the order of importance to optimal SA from most to least was: Z60, Z62, Z42, Z53, Z64, Z3−1, Z33, and Z31. For the other 4 measures of visual quality, the coefficients of determination varied from 32% to 63%. Conclusion The amount of ocular SA producing best image quality varied widely among subjects and could be predicted based on corneal HOAs. Selection of an aspheric IOL should be customized according to the full spectrum of corneal HOAs and not 4th-order SA alone. PMID:18427592

Methane Emission by Camelids

PubMed Central

Dittmann, Marie T.; Runge, Ullrich; Lang, Richard A.; Moser, Dario; Galeffi, Cordula; Kreuzer, Michael; Clauss, Marcus

2014-01-01

Methane emissions from ruminant livestock have been intensively studied in order to reduce contribution to the greenhouse effect. Ruminants were found to produce more enteric methane than other mammalian herbivores. As camelids share some features of their digestive anatomy and physiology with ruminants, it has been proposed that they produce similar amounts of methane per unit of body mass. This is of special relevance for countrywide greenhouse gas budgets of countries that harbor large populations of camelids like Australia. However, hardly any quantitative methane emission measurements have been performed in camelids. In order to fill this gap, we carried out respiration chamber measurements with three camelid species (Vicugna pacos, Lama glama, Camelus bactrianus; n = 16 in total), all kept on a diet consisting of food produced from alfalfa only. The camelids produced less methane expressed on the basis of body mass (0.32±0.11 L kg−1 d−1) when compared to literature data on domestic ruminants fed on roughage diets (0.58±0.16 L kg−1 d−1). However, there was no significant difference between the two suborders when methane emission was expressed on the basis of digestible neutral detergent fiber intake (92.7±33.9 L kg−1 in camelids vs. 86.2±12.1 L kg−1 in ruminants). This implies that the pathways of methanogenesis forming part of the microbial digestion of fiber in the foregut are similar between the groups, and that the lower methane emission of camelids can be explained by their generally lower relative food intake. Our results suggest that the methane emission of Australia's feral camels corresponds only to 1 to 2% of the methane amount produced by the countries' domestic ruminants and that calculations of greenhouse gas budgets of countries with large camelid populations based on equations developed for ruminants are generally overestimating the actual levels. PMID:24718604

The disulfide-rich Metridia luciferase refolded from E. coli inclusion bodies reveals the properties of a native folded enzyme produced in insect cells.

PubMed

Markova, Svetlana V; Larionova, Marina D; Gorbunova, Darya A; Vysotski, Eugene S

2017-10-01

The bioluminescence of a marine copepod Metridia longa is determined by a small secreted coelenterazine-dependent luciferase that uses coelenterazine as a substrate of enzymatic reaction to generate light (λ max =480nm). To date, four different isoforms of the luciferase differing in size, sequences, and properties have been cloned by functional screening. All of them contain ten conserved Cys residues that suggests up to five SS intramolecular bonds per luciferase molecule. Whereas the use of copepod luciferases as bioluminescent reporters in biomedical research in vivo is growing from year to year, their application for in vitro assays is still limited by the difficulty in obtaining significant amounts of luciferase. The most cost-effective host for producing recombinant proteins is Escherichia coli. However, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells maintain the reductive environment in cytoplasm that hinders the disulfide bond formation and consequently the proper folding of luciferase. Here we report the expression of the MLuc7 isoform of M. longa luciferase in E. coli cells and the efficient procedure for refolding from inclusion bodies yielding a high-active monomeric protein. Furthermore, in a set of identical experiments we demonstrate that bioluminescent and structural features of MLuc7 produced in bacterial cells are identical to those of MLuc7 isoform produced from culture medium of insect cells. Although the yield of high-purity protein is only 6mg/L, the application of E. coli cells to produce the luciferase is simpler and more cost-effective than the use of insect cells. We expect that the suggested technology of Metridia luciferase production allows obtaining of sufficient amounts of protein both for the development of novel in vitro analytical assays with the use of MLuc7 as a label and for structural studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Absorption cooling sources atmospheric emissions decrease by implementation of simple algorithm for limiting temperature of cooling water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojdyga, Krzysztof; Malicki, Marcin

2017-11-01

Constant strive to improve the energy efficiency forces carrying out activities aimed at reduction of energy consumption hence decreasing amount of contamination emissions to atmosphere. Cooling demand, both for air-conditioning and process cooling, plays an increasingly important role in the balance of Polish electricity generation and distribution system in summer. During recent years' demand for electricity during summer months has been steadily and significantly increasing leading to deficits of energy availability during particularly hot periods. This causes growing importance and interest in trigeneration power generation sources and heat recovery systems producing chilled water. Key component of such system is thermally driven chiller, mostly absorption, based on lithium-bromide and water mixture. Absorption cooling systems also exist in Poland as stand-alone systems, supplied with heating from various sources, generated solely for them or recovered as waste or useless energy. The publication presents a simple algorithm, designed to reduce the amount of heat for the supply of absorption chillers producing chilled water for the purposes of air conditioning by reducing the temperature of the cooling water, and its impact on decreasing emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Scale of environmental advantages has been rated for specific sources what enabled evaluation and estimation of simple algorithm implementation to sources existing nationally.

Pre-attachment Striga hermonthica resistance of New Rice for Africa (NERICA) cultivars based on low strigolactone production.

PubMed

Jamil, Muhammad; Rodenburg, Jonne; Charnikhova, Tatsiana; Bouwmeester, Harro J

2011-12-01

Striga hermonthica (Striga) is an obligate hemiparasitic weed, causing severe yield losses in cereals, including rice, throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Striga germination depends on strigolactones (germination stimulants) exuded by the host roots. The interspecific New Rice for Africa (NERICA) cultivars offer a potentially interesting gene pool for a screen for low germination-inducing rice cultivars. Exudates were collected from all NERICA cultivars and their parents (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) for the analysis of strigolactones. In vitro and in situ Striga germination, attachment and emergence rates were recorded for each cultivar. NERICA 1 and CG14 produced significantly less strigolactones and showed less Striga infection than the other cultivars. NERICAs 7, 8, 11 and 14 produced the largest amounts of strigolactones and showed the most severe Striga infection. Across all the cultivars and parents, there was a positive relationship between the amount of strigolactones in the exudate and Striga germination, attachment and emergence rates. This study shows that there is genetic variation in Striga pre-attachment resistance in NERICA rice. Cultivars combining this pre-attachment resistance with post-attachment resistance (already identified) can provide a key component for durable integrated management of this noxious weed in cereal production systems in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.

A Factorial Analysis Study on Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Fiber Pressed Oil Palm Frond for Bioethanol Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, F. S.; Yussof, H. W.; Zahari, M. A. K. M.; Illias, R. M.; Rahman, R. A.

2016-03-01

Different technologies have been developed to for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to suitable fermentation substrates for bioethanol production. The enzymatic conversion of cellulose seems to be the most promising technology as it is highly specific and does not produce substantial amounts of unwanted byproducts. The effects of agitation speed, enzyme loading, temperature, pH and reaction time on the conversion of glucose from fiber pressed oil palm frond (FPOPF) for bioethanol production were screened by statistical analysis using response surface methodology (RSM). A half fraction two-level factorial analysis with five factors was selected for the experimental design to determine the best enzymatic conditions that produce maximum amount of glucose. FPOPF was pre-treated with alkaline prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. The enzymatic hydrolysis was performed using a commercial enzyme Cellic CTec2. From this study, the highest yield of glucose concentration was 9.736 g/L at 72 hours reaction time at 35 °C, pH 5.6, and 1.5% (w/v) of enzyme loading. The model obtained was significant with p-value <0.0001. It is suggested that this model had a maximum point which is likely to be the optimum point and possible for the optimization process.

Development of thermoacoustic engine operating by waste heat from cooking stove

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, B. M.; Abakr, Y. A.; Riley, P. H.; Hann, D. B.

2012-06-01

There are about 1.5 billion people worldwide use biomass as their primary form of energy in household cooking[1]. They do not have access to electricity, and are too remote to benefit from grid electrical supply. In many rural communities, stoves are made without technical advancements, mostly using open fires cooking stoves which have been proven to be extremely low efficiency, and about 93% of the energy generated is lost during cooking. The cooking is done inside a dwelling and creates significant health hazard to the family members and pollution to environment. SCORE (www.score.uk.com) is an international collaboration research project to design and build a low-cost, high efficiency woodstove that uses about half amount of the wood of an open wood fire, and uses the waste heat of the stove to power a thermoacoustic engine (TAE) to produce electricity for applications such as LED lighting, charging mobile phones or charging a 12V battery. This paper reviews on the development of two types of the thermoacoustic engine powered by waste heat from cooking stove which is either using Propane gas or burning of wood as a cooking energy to produce an acceptable amount of electricity for the use of rural communities.

Biodegradation of isoproturon using a novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain JS-11 as a multi-functional bioinoculant of environmental significance.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Sourabh; Singh, Braj Raj; Al-Khedhairy, Abdulaziz A; Musarrat, Javed

2011-01-30

Biodegradation of phenylurea herbicide isoproturon was studied in soil microcosm bioaugmented with a novel bacterial strain JS-11 isolated from wheat rhizosphere. The molecular characterization based on 16SrDNA sequence homology confirmed its identity as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain JS-11. The herbicide was completely degraded within 20 days at ambient temperature with the rate constant of 0.08 day(-1), following the first-order rate kinetics. In stationary phase, at a cell density of 6.5 × 10(9) CFU mL(-1), the bacteria produced substantially increased amounts of indole acetic acid (IAA) in the presence of tryptophan as compared with the control. Also, the bacteria exhibited a time-dependent increase in the amount of tri-calcium phosphate solubilization in Pikovskaya's medium. Further screening of the strain JS-11 for auxiliary activities revealed its remarkable capability of producing the siderophores and hydrogen cyanide (HCN), besides antifungal activity against a common phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Thus, the versatile P. aeruginosa strain JS-11 with innate potential for multifarious biological activities is envisaged as a super-bioinoculant for exploitation in the integrated bioremediation, plant growth and disease management (IBPDM) in contaminated agricultural soils. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Construction materials as a waste management solution for cellulose sludge

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

Modolo, R., E-mail: regina.modolo@ua.pt; Ferreira, V.M.; Machado, L.M.

2011-02-15

Sustainable waste management system for effluents treatment sludge has been a pressing issue for pulp and paper sector. Recycling is always recommended in terms of environmental sustainability. Following an approach of waste valorisation, this work aims to demonstrate the technical viability of producing fiber-cement roof sheets incorporating cellulose primary sludge generated on paper and pulp mills. From the results obtained with preliminary studies it was possible to verify the possibility of producing fiber-cement sheets by replacing 25% of the conventional used virgin long fiber by primary effluent treatment cellulose sludge. This amount of incorporation was tested on an industrial scale.more » Environmental parameters related to water and waste, as well as tests for checking the quality of the final product was performed. These control parameters involved total solids in suspension, dissolved salts, chlorides, sulphates, COD, metals content. In the product, parameters like moisture, density and strength were controlled. The results showed that it is possible to replace the virgin long fibers pulp by primary sludge without impacts in final product characteristics and on the environment. This work ensures the elimination of significant waste amounts, which are nowadays sent to landfill, as well as reduces costs associated with the standard raw materials use in the fiber-cement industrial sector.« less

Production of N2O5 and ClNO2 through Nocturnal Processing of Biomass-Burning Aerosol.

PubMed

Ahern, Adam T; Goldberger, Lexie; Jahl, Lydia; Thornton, Joel; Sullivan, Ryan C

2018-01-16

Biomass burning is a source of both particulate chloride and nitrogen oxides, two important precursors for the formation of nitryl chloride (ClNO 2 ), a source of atmospheric oxidants that is poorly prescribed in atmospheric models. We investigated the ability of biomass burning to produce N 2 O 5 (g) and ClNO 2 (g) through nocturnal chemistry using authentic biomass-burning emissions in a smog chamber. There was a positive relationship between the amount of ClNO 2 formed and the total amount of particulate chloride emitted and with the chloride fraction of nonrefractory particle mass. In every fuel tested, dinitrogen pentoxide (N 2 O 5 ) formed quickly, following the addition of ozone to the smoke aerosol, and ClNO 2 (g) production promptly followed. At atmospherically relevant relative humidities, the particulate chloride in the biomass-burning aerosol was rapidly but incompletely displaced, likely by the nitric acid produced largely by the heterogeneous uptake of N 2 O 5 (g). Despite this chloride acid displacement, the biomass-burning aerosol still converted on the order of 10% of reacted N 2 O 5 (g) into ClNO 2 (g). These experiments directly confirm that biomass burning is a potentially significant source of atmospheric N 2 O 5 and ClNO 2 to the atmosphere.

Effect of degree of esterification of pectin and calcium amount on drug release from pectin-based matrix tablets.

PubMed

Sungthongjeen, Srisagul; Sriamornsak, Pornsak; Pitaksuteepong, Tasana; Somsiri, Atawit; Puttipipatkhachorn, Satit

2004-02-12

The aim of this work was to assess the effect of 2 formulation variables, the pectin type (with different degrees of esterification [DEs]) and the amount of calcium, on drug release from pectin-based matrix tablets. Pectin matrix tablets were prepared by blending indomethacin (a model drug), pectin powder, and various amounts of calcium acetate and then tableting by automatic hydraulic press machine. Differential scanning calorimetry, powder x-ray diffraction, and Fourier transformed-infrared spectroscopy studies of the compressed tablets revealed no drug-polymer interaction and the existence of drug with low crystallinity. The in-vitro release studies in phosphate buffer (United States Pharmacopeia) and tris buffer indicated that the lower the DE, the greater the time for 50% of drug release (T50). This finding is probably because of the increased binding capacity of pectin to calcium. However, when the calcium was excluded, the pectins with different DEs showed similar release pattern with insignificant difference of T50. When the amount of calcium acetate was increased from 0 to 12 mg/tablet, the drug release was significantly slower. However, a large amount of added calcium (ie, 24 mg/tablet) produced greater drug release because of the partial disintegration of tablets. The results were more pronounced in phosphate buffer, where the phosphate ions induced the precipitation of calcium phosphate. In conclusion, both pectin type and added calcium affect the drug release from the pectin-based matrix tablets.

Functioning efficiency of intermediate coolers of multistage steam-jet ejectors of steam turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aronson, K. E.; Ryabchikov, A. Yu.; Brodov, Yu. M.; Zhelonkin, N. V.; Murmanskii, I. B.

2017-03-01

Designs of various types of intermediate coolers of multistage ejectors are analyzed and thermal effectiveness and gas-dynamic resistance of coolers are estimated. Data on quantity of steam condensed from steam-air mixture in stage I of an ejector cooler was obtained on the basis of experimental results. It is established that the amount of steam condensed in the cooler constitutes 0.6-0.7 and is almost independent of operating steam pressure (and, consequently, of steam flow) and air amount in steam-air mixture. It is suggested to estimate the amount of condensed steam in a cooler of stage I based on comparison of computed and experimental characteristics of stage II. Computation taking this hypothesis for main types of mass produced multistage ejectors into account shows that 0.60-0.85 of steam amount should be condensed in stage I of the cooler. For ejectors with "pipe-in-pipe" type coolers (EPO-3-200) and helical coolers (EO-30), amount of condensed steam may reach 0.93-0.98. Estimation of gas-dynamic resistance of coolers shows that resistance from steam side in coolers with built-in and remote pipe bundle constitutes 100-300 Pa. Gas-dynamic resistance of "pipein- pipe" and helical type coolers is significantly higher (3-6 times) compared with pipe bundle. However, performance by "dry" (atmospheric) air is higher for ejectors with relatively high gas-dynamic resistance of coolers than those with low resistance at approximately equal operating flow values of ejectors.

Overexpression of a C4-dicarboxylate transporter is the key for rerouting citric acid to C4-dicarboxylic acid production in Aspergillus carbonarius.

PubMed

Yang, Lei; Christakou, Eleni; Vang, Jesper; Lübeck, Mette; Lübeck, Peter Stephensen

2017-03-14

C 4 -dicarboxylic acids, including malic acid, fumaric acid and succinic acid, are valuable organic acids that can be produced and secreted by a number of microorganisms. Previous studies on organic acid production by Aspergillus carbonarius, which is capable of producing high amounts of citric acid from varieties carbon sources, have revealed its potential as a fungal cell factory. Earlier attempts to reroute citric acid production into C 4 -dicarboxylic acids have been with limited success. In this study, a glucose oxidase deficient strain of A. carbonarius was used as the parental strain to overexpress a native C 4 -dicarboxylate transporter and the gene frd encoding fumarate reductase from Trypanosoma brucei individually and in combination. Impacts of the introduced genetic modifications on organic acid production were investigated in a defined medium and in a hydrolysate of wheat straw containing high concentrations of glucose and xylose. In the defined medium, overexpression of the C 4 -dicarboxylate transporter alone and in combination with the frd gene significantly increased the production of C 4 -dicarboxylic acids and reduced the accumulation of citric acid, whereas expression of the frd gene alone did not result in any significant change of organic acid production profile. In the wheat straw hydrolysate after 9 days of cultivation, similar results were obtained as in the defined medium. High amounts of malic acid and succinic acid were produced by the same strains. This study demonstrates that the key to change the citric acid production into production of C 4 -dicarboxylic acids in A. carbonarius is the C 4 -dicarboxylate transporter. Furthermore it shows that the C 4 -dicarboxylic acid production by A. carbonarius can be further increased via metabolic engineering and also shows the potential of A. carbonarius to utilize lignocellulosic biomass as substrates for C 4 -dicarboxylic acid production.

Spatial and stratigraphic distribution of water in oil shale of the Green River Formation using Fischer Assay, Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.

2014-01-01

The spatial and stratigraphic distribution of water in oil shale of the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of northwestern Colorado was studied in detail using some 321,000 Fischer assay analyses in the U.S. Geological Survey oil-shale database. The oil-shale section was subdivided into 17 roughly time-stratigraphic intervals, and the distribution of water in each interval was assessed separately. This study was conducted in part to determine whether water produced during retorting of oil shale could provide a significant amount of the water needed for an oil-shale industry. Recent estimates of water requirements vary from 1 to 10 barrels of water per barrel of oil produced, depending on the type of retort process used. Sources of water in Green River oil shale include (1) free water within clay minerals; (2) water from the hydrated minerals nahcolite (NaHCO3), dawsonite (NaAl(OH)2CO3), and analcime (NaAlSi2O6.H20); and (3) minor water produced from the breakdown of organic matter in oil shale during retorting. The amounts represented by each of these sources vary both stratigraphically and areally within the basin. Clay is the most important source of water in the lower part of the oil-shale interval and in many basin-margin areas. Nahcolite and dawsonite are the dominant sources of water in the oil-shale and saline-mineral depocenter, and analcime is important in the upper part of the formation. Organic matter does not appear to be a major source of water. The ratio of water to oil generated with retorting is significantly less than 1:1 for most areas of the basin and for most stratigraphic intervals; thus water within oil shale can provide only a fraction of the water needed for an oil-shale industry.

Spatial and stratigraphic distribution of water in oil shale of the Green River Formation using Fischer assay, Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.

2014-01-01

The spatial and stratigraphic distribution of water in oil shale of the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of northwestern Colorado was studied in detail using some 321,000 Fischer assay analyses in the U.S. Geological Survey oil-shale database. The oil-shale section was subdivided into 17 roughly time-stratigraphic intervals, and the distribution of water in each interval was assessed separately. This study was conducted in part to determine whether water produced during retorting of oil shale could provide a significant amount of the water needed for an oil-shale industry. Recent estimates of water requirements vary from 1 to 10 barrels of water per barrel of oil produced, depending on the type of retort process used. Sources of water in Green River oil shale include (1) free water within clay minerals; (2) water from the hydrated minerals nahcolite (NaHCO3), dawsonite (NaAl(OH)2CO3), and analcime (NaAlSi2O6.H20); and (3) minor water produced from the breakdown of organic matter in oil shale during retorting. The amounts represented by each of these sources vary both stratigraphically and areally within the basin. Clay is the most important source of water in the lower part of the oil-shale interval and in many basin-margin areas. Nahcolite and dawsonite are the dominant sources of water in the oil-shale and saline-mineral depocenter, and analcime is important in the upper part of the formation. Organic matter does not appear to be a major source of water. The ratio of water to oil generated with retorting is significantly less than 1:1 for most areas of the basin and for most stratigraphic intervals; thus water within oil shale can provide only a fraction of the water needed for an oil-shale industry.

Photoacoustic Effect of Ethene: Sound Generation due to Plant Hormone Gases.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Han Jung; Ide, David; University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Team

2017-01-01

Ethene, which is produced in plants as they mature, was used to study its photoacoustic properties using photoacoustic spectroscopy. Detection of trace amounts, with N2 gas, of the ethylene gas were also applied. The gas was tested in various conditions: temperature, concentration of the gas, gas cell length, and power of the laser, were varied to determine their effect on the photoacoustic signal, the ideal conditions to detect trace gas amounts, and concentration of ethylene produced by an avocado and banana. A detection limit of 10 ppm was determined for pure C2H4. A detection of 5% and 13% (by volume) concentration of ethylene were produced for a ripening avocado and banana, respectively, in closed space.

Proton Irradiation as a Screen for Displacement-Damage Sensitivity in Bipolar Junction Transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arutt, Charles N.; Warren, Kevin M.; Schrimpf, Ronald D.; Weller, Robert A.; Kauppila, Jeffrey S.; Rowe, Jason D.; Sternberg, Andrew L.; Reed, Robert A.; Ball, Dennis R.; Fleetwood, Daniel M.

2015-12-01

NPN and PNP bipolar junction transistors of varying sizes are irradiated with 4-MeV protons and 10-keV X-rays to determine the amount of ionization-related degradation caused by protons and calculate an improved estimate of displacement-related degradation due to protons. While different ratios of degradation produced by displacement damage and ionization effects will occur for different device technologies, this general approach, with suitable margin, can be used as a screen for sensitivity to neutron-induced displacement damage. Further calculations are performed to estimate the amount of degradation produced by 1-MeV equivalent neutron displacement damage compared to that produced by the displacement damage due to protons. The results are compared to previous work.

Setting Tolerances for Pesticide Residues in Foods

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Pesticides are widely used in producing food and may remain in small amounts in or on fruits, vegetables, grains, and other foods. EPA ensures the safety of the food supply regulating the amount of pesticide that may remain on food. Learn how we do this.

Method of producing a diesel fuel blend having a pre-determined flash-point and pre-determined increase in cetane number

DOEpatents

Waller, Francis Joseph; Quinn, Robert

2004-07-06

The present invention relates to a method of producing a diesel fuel blend having a pre-determined flash-point and a pre-determined increase in cetane number over the stock diesel fuel. Upon establishing the desired flash-point and increase in cetane number, an amount of a first oxygenate with a flash-point less than the flash-point of the stock diesel fuel and a cetane number equal to or greater than the cetane number of the stock diesel fuel is added to the stock diesel fuel in an amount sufficient to achieve the pre-determined increase in cetane number. Thereafter, an amount of a second oxygenate with a flash-point equal to or greater than the flash-point of the stock diesel fuel and a cetane number greater than the cetane number of the stock diesel fuel is added to the stock diesel fuel in an amount sufficient to achieve the pre-determined increase in cetane number.

Conformal ALON® and spinel windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, Lee M.; Smith, Mark; Ramisetty, Mohan; Jha, Santosh; Sastri, Suri

2017-05-01

The requirements for modern aircraft based reconnaissance systems are driving the need for conformal windows for future sensor systems. However, limitations on optical systems and the ability to produce windows in complex geometries currently limit the geometry of existing windows and window assemblies to faceted assemblies of flat windows. ALON consists primarily of aluminum and oxygen, similar to that of alumina, with a small amount of nitrogen added to help stabilize the cubic gamma-AlON phase. ALON's chemical similarity to alumina, translates into a robust manufacturing process. This ease of processing has allowed Surmet to produce ALON windows and domes in a wide variety of geometries and sizes. Spinel (MgAl2O4) contains equal molar amounts of MgO and Al2O3, and is a cubic material, that transmits further into the Infrared than ALON. Spinel is produced via powder processing techniques similar to those used to produce ALON. Surmet is now applying the lessons learned with ALON to produce conformal spinel windows and domes as well.

Aspergillus flavus GPI-anchored protein-encoding ecm33 has a role in growth, development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and maize infection.

PubMed

Chang, Perng-Kuang; Zhang, Qi; Scharfenstein, Leslie; Mack, Brian; Yoshimi, Akira; Miyazawa, Ken; Abe, Keietsu

2018-06-01

Many glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) of fungi are membrane enzymes, organization components, and extracellular matrix adhesins. We analyzed eight Aspergillus flavus transcriptome sets for the GPI-AP gene family and identified AFLA_040110, AFLA_063860, and AFLA_113120 to be among the top 5 highly expressed genes of the 36 family genes analyzed. Disruption of the former two genes did not drastically affect A. flavus growth and development. In contrast, disruption of AFLA_113120, an orthologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ECM33, caused a significant decrease in vegetative growth and conidiation, promoted sclerotial production, and altered conidial pigmentation. The A. flavus ecm33 null mutant, compared with the wild type and the complemented strain, produced predominantly aflatoxin B 2 but accumulated comparable amounts of cyclopiazonic acid. It showed decreased sensitivity to Congo red at low concentrations (25-50 μg/mL) but had increased sensitivity to calcofluor white at high concentrations (250-500 μg/mL). Analyses of cell wall carbohydrates indicated that the α-glucan content was decreased significantly (p < 0.05), but the contents of chitin and ß-glucan were increased in the mutant strain. In a maize colonization study, the mutant was shown to be impaired in its infectivity and produced 3- to 4-fold lower amounts of conidia than the wild type and the complemented strain. A. flavus Ecm33 is required for proper cell wall composition and plays an important role in normal fungal growth and development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and seed colonization.

Reactions to framing of cessation messages: insights from dual-smoker couples.

PubMed

Lipkus, Isaac M; Ranby, Krista W; Lewis, Megan A; Toll, Benjamin

2013-12-01

Couples in which both members smoke (dual-smoker couples) have not been the explicit target of cessation interventions. Quit rates are lower and relapse rates are higher among individuals in dual-smoker couples. A potentially effective strategy to motivate dual-smoker couples to quit is to convey messages that highlight how the positive outcomes of quitting (gain frame) or the negative outcomes of continued smoking (loss frame) affect the couple rather than the individual smoker. We explored whether dual-smoker couples' smoking behaviors (e.g., amount smoked) and desire to quit would differ as a function of message frame (gain vs. loss) or outcome focus (individual vs. couple). Dual-smoker couples (N = 40) completed a baseline survey and were then randomized to review gain- or loss-framed messages that varied whether the outcomes influenced the individual or the couple. Main outcomes were desire to quit after reading messages and smoking behaviors at a 1-month follow-up. Couple-focused messages produced the strongest desire to quit and decreased amount of cigarettes smoked at follow-up. The latter effect was mediated by desire to quit. Loss-framed messages produced inconsistent effects on desire to quit. There were no significant interactions between outcome focus and message framing. Findings suggest that messages emphasizing how smoking affects both partners can motivate cessation among dual-smoker couples. Contrary to findings showing that gain-framed messages motivate cessation targeting individual smokers, results suggest that loss-framed messages may be more persuasive than gain-framed messages when the target of the outcome involves significant others.

Seabird guano fertilizes Baltic Sea littoral food webs.

PubMed

Gagnon, Karine; Rothäusler, Eva; Syrjänen, Anneli; Yli-Renko, Maria; Jormalainen, Veijo

2013-01-01

Nutrient enrichment in coastal marine systems can have profound impacts on trophic networks. In the Baltic Sea, the population of Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) has increased nearly exponentially since the mid-1990 s, and colonies of these seabirds can be important sources of nitrogen enrichment for nearby benthic communities due to guano runoff. In this study we used stable isotope analyses and diet mixing models to determine the extent of nitrogen enrichment from cormorant colonies, as well as to examine any possible changes in herbivore diet preferences due to enrichment. We found significantly higher levels of δ(15)N in samples from colony islands than control islands for producers (the dominant macroalga Fucus vesiculosus, filamentous algae, and periphyton) and herbivores, as well as a positive correlation between enrichment and nest density in colony sites. We also found that enrichment increased over the breeding season of the cormorants, with higher enrichment in late summer than early summer. While the amount of total nitrogen did not differ between colony and control sites, the amount of guano-based nitrogen in algae was >50% in most sites, indicating high nitrogen enrichment from colonies. Herbivores (the isopod Idotea balthica and the gastropod Theodoxus fluviatilis) preferred feeding upon the dominant macroalga Fucus vesiculosus rather than on filamentous algae or periphyton in both control and colony, and there was a significant increase in periphyton consumption near colony sites. Overall, guano from cormorant colonies seems to have effects on both producers and herbivores, as well as the potential to modify algae-herbivore interactions.

Seabird Guano Fertilizes Baltic Sea Littoral Food Webs

PubMed Central

Gagnon, Karine; Rothäusler, Eva; Syrjänen, Anneli; Yli-Renko, Maria; Jormalainen, Veijo

2013-01-01

Nutrient enrichment in coastal marine systems can have profound impacts on trophic networks. In the Baltic Sea, the population of Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) has increased nearly exponentially since the mid-1990s, and colonies of these seabirds can be important sources of nitrogen enrichment for nearby benthic communities due to guano runoff. In this study we used stable isotope analyses and diet mixing models to determine the extent of nitrogen enrichment from cormorant colonies, as well as to examine any possible changes in herbivore diet preferences due to enrichment. We found significantly higher levels of δ15N in samples from colony islands than control islands for producers (the dominant macroalga Fucus vesiculosus, filamentous algae, and periphyton) and herbivores, as well as a positive correlation between enrichment and nest density in colony sites. We also found that enrichment increased over the breeding season of the cormorants, with higher enrichment in late summer than early summer. While the amount of total nitrogen did not differ between colony and control sites, the amount of guano-based nitrogen in algae was >50% in most sites, indicating high nitrogen enrichment from colonies. Herbivores (the isopod Idotea balthica and the gastropod Theodoxus fluviatilis) preferred feeding upon the dominant macroalga Fucus vesiculosus rather than on filamentous algae or periphyton in both control and colony, and there was a significant increase in periphyton consumption near colony sites. Overall, guano from cormorant colonies seems to have effects on both producers and herbivores, as well as the potential to modify algae-herbivore interactions. PMID:23593452

A proteomic analysis of ferulic acid metabolism in Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116.

PubMed

Meyer, Florian; Netzer, Julius; Meinert, Christina; Voigt, Birgit; Riedel, Katharina; Steinbüchel, Alexander

2018-05-16

The pseudonocardiate Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 is used for the biotechnical production of natural vanillin from ferulic acid. Our laboratory has performed genetic modifications of this strain previously, but there are still many gaps in our knowledge regarding its vanillin tolerance and the general metabolism. We performed cultivations with this bacterium and compared the proteomes of stationary phase cells before ferulic acid feeding with those during ferulic acid feeding. Thereby, we identified 143 differently expressed proteins. Deletion mutants were constructed and characterized to analyze the function of nine corresponding genes. Using these mutants, we identified an active ferulic acid β-oxidation pathway and the enzymes which constitute this pathway. A combined deletion mutant in which the β-oxidation as well as non-β-oxidation pathways of ferulic acid degradation were deleted was unable to grow on ferulic acid as the sole source of carbon and energy. This mutant differs from the single deletion mutants and was unable to grow on ferulic acid. Furthermore, we showed that the non-β-oxidation pathway is involved in caffeic acid degradation; however, its deletion is complemented even in the double deletion mutant. This shows that both pathways can complement each other. The β-oxidation deletion mutant produced significantly reduced amounts of vanillic acid (0.12 instead of 0.35 g/l). Therefore, the resulting mutant could be used as an improved production strain. The quinone oxidoreductase deletion mutant (ΔytfG) degraded ferulic acid slower at first but produced comparable amounts of vanillin and significantly less vanillyl alcohol when compared to the parent strain.

A simple biosynthetic pathway for large product generation from small substrate amounts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djordjevic, Marko; Djordjevic, Magdalena

2012-10-01

A recently emerging discipline of synthetic biology has the aim of constructing new biosynthetic pathways with useful biological functions. A major application of these pathways is generating a large amount of the desired product. However, toxicity due to the possible presence of toxic precursors is one of the main problems for such production. We consider here the problem of generating a large amount of product from a potentially toxic substrate. To address this, we propose a simple biosynthetic pathway, which can be induced in order to produce a large number of the product molecules, by keeping the substrate amount at low levels. Surprisingly, we show that the large product generation crucially depends on fast non-specific degradation of the substrate molecules. We derive an optimal induction strategy, which allows as much as three orders of magnitude increase in the product amount through biologically realistic parameter values. We point to a recently discovered bacterial immune system (CRISPR/Cas in E. coli) as a putative example of the pathway analysed here. We also argue that the scheme proposed here can be used not only as a stand-alone pathway, but also as a strategy to produce a large amount of the desired molecules with small perturbations of endogenous biosynthetic pathways.

Interannual kinetics (2010-2013) of large wood in a river corridor exposed to a 50-year flood event and fluvial ice dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boivin, Maxime; Buffin-Bélanger, Thomas; Piégay, Hervé

2017-02-01

Semi-alluvial rivers of the Gaspé Peninsula, Québec, are prone to produce and transport vast quantities of large wood (LW). The high rate of lateral erosion owing to high energy flows and noncohesive banks is the main process leading to the recruitment of large wood, which in turn initiates complex patterns of wood accumulation and reentrainment within the active channel. The delta of the Saint-Jean River (SJR) has accumulated large annual wood fluxes since 1960 that culminated in a wood raft of > 3-km in length in 2014. To document the kinetics of large wood on the main channel of SJR, four annual surveys were carried out from 2010 to 2013 to locate and describe > 1000 large wood jams (LWJ) and 2000 large wood individuals (LWI) along a 60-km river section. Airborne and ground photo/video images were used to estimate the wood volume introduced by lateral erosion and to identify local geomorphic conditions that control wood mobility and deposits. Video camera analysis allowed the examination of transport rates from three hydrometeorological events for specific river sections. Results indicate that the volume of LW recruited between 2010 and 2013 represents 57% of the total LW production over the 2004-2013 period. Volumes of wood deposited along the 60-km section were four times higher in 2013 than in 2010. Increases in wood amount occurred mainly in upper alluvial sections of the river, whereas decreases were observed in the semi-alluvial middle sections. Observations suggest that the 50-year flood event of 2010 produced large amounts of LW that were only partly exported out of the basin so that a significant amount was still available for subsequent floods. Large wood storage continued after this flood until a similar flood or an ice-breakup event could remobilise these LW accumulations into the river corridor. Ice-jam floods transport large amounts of wood during events with fairly low flow but do not contribute significantly to recruitment rates (ca. 10 to 30% early). It is fairly probable that the wood export peak observed in 2012 at the river mouth, where no flood occurred and which is similar to the 1-in 10-year flood of 2010, is mainly linked to such ice-break events that occurred in March 2012.

Overlap Properties of Clouds Generated by a Cloud Resolving Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oreopoulos, L.; Khairoutdinov, M.

2002-01-01

In order for General Circulation Models (GCMs), one of our most important tools to predict future climate, to correctly describe the propagation of solar and thermal radiation through the cloudy atmosphere a realistic description of the vertical distribution of cloud amount is needed. Actually, one needs not only the cloud amounts at different levels of the atmosphere, but also how these cloud amounts are related, in other words, how they overlap. Currently GCMs make some idealized assumptions about cloud overlap, for example that contiguous cloud layers overlap maximally and non-contiguous cloud layers overlap in a random fashion. Since there are difficulties in obtaining the vertical profile of cloud amount from observations, the realism of the overlap assumptions made in GCMs has not been yet rigorously investigated. Recently however, cloud observations from a relatively new type of ground radar have been used to examine the vertical distribution of cloudiness. These observations suggest that the GCM overlap assumptions are dubious. Our study uses cloud fields from sophisticated models dedicated to simulate cloud formation, maintenance, and dissipation called Cloud Resolving Models . These models are generally considered capable of producing realistic three-dimensional representation of cloudiness. Using numerous cloud fields produced by such a CRM we show that the degree of overlap between cloud layers is a function of their separation distance, and is in general described by a combination of the maximum and random overlap assumption, with random overlap dominating as separation distances increase. We show that it is possible to parameterize this behavior in a way that can eventually be incorporated in GCMs. Our results seem to have a significant resemblance to the results from the radar observations despite the completely different nature of the datasets. This consistency is encouraging and will promote development of new radiative transfer codes that will estimate the radiation effects of multi-layer cloud fields more accurately.

Characteristics of aggregation of daily rainfall in a middle-latitudes region during a climate variability in annual rainfall amount

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucero, Omar A.; Rozas, Daniel

Climate variability in annual rainfall occurs because the aggregation of daily rainfall changes. A topic open to debate is whether that change takes place because rainfall becomes more intense, or because it rains more often, or a combination of both. The answer to this question is of interest for water resources planning, hydrometeorological design, and agricultural management. Change in the number of rainy days can cause major disruptions in hydrological and ecological systems, with important economic and social effects. Furthermore, the characteristics of daily rainfall aggregation in ongoing climate variability provide a reference to evaluate the capability of GCM to simulate changes in the hydrologic cycle. In this research, we analyze changes in the aggregation of daily rainfall producing a climate positive trend in annual rainfall in central Argentina, in the southern middle-latitudes. This state-of-the-art agricultural region has a semiarid climate with dry and wet seasons. Weather effects in the region influence world-market prices of several crops. Results indicate that the strong positive trend in seasonal and annual rainfall amount is produced by an increase in number of rainy days. This increase takes place in the 3-month periods January-March (summer) and April-June (autumn). These are also the 3-month periods showing a positive trend in the mean of annual rainfall. The mean of the distribution of annual number of rainy day (ANRD) increased in 50% in a 36-year span (starting at 44 days/year). No statistically significant indications on time changes in the probability distribution of daily rainfall amount were found. Non-periodic fluctuations in the time series of annual rainfall were analyzed using an integral wavelet transform. Fluctuations with a time scale of about 10 and 20 years construct the trend in annual rainfall amount. These types of non-periodic fluctuations have been observed in other regions of the world. This suggests that results of this research could have further geographical validity.

Quantitative evaluation of apically extruded debris with different single-file systems: Reciproc, F360 and OneShape versus Mtwo.

PubMed

Bürklein, S; Benten, S; Schäfer, E

2014-05-01

To assess in a laboratory setting the amount of apically extruded debris associated with different single-file nickel-titanium instrumentation systems compared to one multiple-file rotary system. Eighty human mandibular central incisors were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 20 teeth per group). The root canals were instrumented according to the manufacturers' instructions using the reciprocating single-file system Reciproc, the single-file rotary systems F360 and OneShape and the multiple-file rotary Mtwo instruments. The apically extruded debris was collected and dried in pre-weighed glass vials. The amount of debris was assessed with a micro balance and statistically analysed using anova and post hoc Student-Newman-Keuls test. The time required to prepare the canals with the different instruments was also recorded. Reciproc produced significantly more debris compared to all other systems (P < 0.05). No significant difference was noted between the two single-file rotary systems and the multiple-file rotary system (P > 0.05). Instrumentation with the three single-file systems was significantly faster than with Mtwo (P < 0.05). Under the condition of this study, all systems caused apical debris extrusion. Rotary instrumentation was associated with less debris extrusion compared to reciprocal instrumentation. © 2013 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sulfur Dioxide and the Production of Sulfuric Acid on Present-Day and Early Mars: Implications for the Lack of Detected Carbonates on the Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, Joel S.; Summers, Michael E.

2008-01-01

In the early history of Mars, volcanic activity associated with the formation of the Tharsis ridge produced a very large amount of atmospheric SO2--on the order of a bar of atmospheric SO2. In the present-day atmosphere of Mars, the lifetime of SO2 is relatively short with a lifetime of less than a day. The short lifetime of SO2 in the present Mars atmosphere makes the production of significant levels of H2SO4 very difficult since the SO2 may be destroyed by various chemical and photochemical processes before the SO2 can be converted to H2SO4. However, photochemical calculations performed and described here, indicate that enhanced atmospheric levels of CO2 in the early atmosphere of Mars resulted in a significantly enhanced atmospheric lifetime for SO2 up to several years. With a significantly enhanced atmospheric lifetime, SO2 could readily form large amounts of H2SO4, which precipitated out of the atmosphere in the form of droplets. The precipitated H2SO4 then reacted with potential surface carbonates, destroying the carbonates and resulting in the abundant and widespread distribution of sulfates on the surface of Mars as detected by recent Mars missions.

Chemical milling solution produces smooth surface finish on aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzen, H. C.

1966-01-01

Elementary sulfur mixed into a solution of caustic soda and salts produces an etchant which will chemically mill end-grain surfaces on aluminum plate. This composition results in the least amount of thickness variation and pitting.

Cloning and expression of the gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase

DOEpatents

Studier, F. William; Davanloo, Parichehre; Rosenberg, Alan H.; Moffatt, Barbara A.; Dunn, John J.

1999-02-09

This application describes a means to clone a functional gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Active T7 RNA polymerase is produced from the cloned gene, and a plasmid has been constructed that can produce the active enzyme in large amounts. T7 RNA polymerase transcribes DNA very efficiently and is highly selective for a relatively long promoter sequence. This enzyme is useful for synthesizing large amounts of RNA in vivo or in vitro, and is capable of producing a single RNA selectively from a complex mixture of DNAs. The procedure used to obtain a clone of the R7 RNA polymerase gene can be applied to other T7-like phages to obtain clones that produce RNA polymerases having different promoter specificities, different bacterial hosts, or other desirable properties. T7 RNA polymerase is also used in a system for selective, high-level synthesis of RNAs and proteins in suitable host cells.

Cloning and expression of the gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase

DOEpatents

Studier, F. William; Davanloo, Parichehre; Rosenberg, Alan H.; Moffatt, Barbara A.; Dunn, John J.

1997-12-02

This application describes a means to clone a functional gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Active T7 RNA polymerase is produced from the cloned gene, and a plasmid has been constructed that can produce the active enzyme in large amounts. T7 RNA polymerase transcribes DNA very efficiently and is highly selective for a relatively long promoter sequence. This enzyme is useful for synthesizing large amounts of RNA in vivo or in vitro, and is capable of producing a single RNA selectively from a complex mixture of DNAs. The procedure used to obtain a clone of the R7 RNA polymerase gene can be applied to other T7-like phages to obtain clones that produce RNA polymerases having different promoter specificities, different bacterial hosts, or other desirable properties. T7 RNA polymerase is also used in a system for selective, high-level synthesis of RNAs and proteins in suitable host cells.

Cloning and expression of the gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase

DOEpatents

Studier, F. William; Davanloo, Parichehre; Rosenberg, Alan H.; Moffatt, Barbara A.; Dunn, John J.

1990-01-01

This application describes a means to clone a functional gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. Active T7 RNA polymerase is produced from the cloned gene, and a plasmid has been constructed that can produce the active enzyme in large amounts. T7 RNA polymerase transcribes DNA very efficiently and is highly selective for a relatively long promoter sequence. This enzyme is useful for synthesizing large amounts of RNA in vivo or in vitro, and is capable of producing a single RNA selectively from a complex mixture of DNAs. The procedure used to obtain a clone of the T7 RNA polymerase gene can be applied to other T7-like phages to obtain clones that produce RNA polymerases having different promoter specificities, different bacterial hosts, or other desirable properties. T7 RNA polymerase is also used in a system for selective, high-level synthesis of RNAs and proteins in suitable host cells.

Lactate production as representative of the fermentation potential of Corynebacterium glutamicum 2262 in a one-step process.

PubMed

Khuat, Hoang Bao Truc; Kaboré, Abdoul Karim; Olmos, Eric; Fick, Michel; Boudrant, Joseph; Goergen, Jean-Louis; Delaunay, Stéphane; Guedon, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

The fermentative properties of thermo-sensitive strain Corynebacterium glutamicum 2262 were investigated in processes coupling aerobic cell growth and the anaerobic fermentation phase. In particular, the influence of two modes of fermentation on the production of lactate, the fermentation product model, was studied. In both processes, lactate was produced in significant amount, 27 g/L in batch culture, and up to 55.8 g/L in fed-batch culture, but the specific production rate in the fed-batch culture was four times lower than that in the batch culture. Compared to other investigated fermentation processes, our strategy resulted in the highest yield of lactic acid from biomass. Lactate production by C. glutamicum 2262 thus revealed the capability of the strain to produce various fermentation products from pyruvate.

Efficient production of membrane-integrated and detergent-soluble G protein-coupled receptors in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Link, A James; Skretas, Georgios; Strauch, Eva-Maria; Chari, Nandini S; Georgiou, George

2008-10-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are notoriously difficult to express, particularly in microbial systems. Using GPCR fusions with the green fluorescent protein (GFP), we conducted studies to identify bacterial host effector genes that result in a general and significant enhancement in the amount of membrane-integrated human GPCRs that can be produced in Escherichia coli. We show that coexpression of the membrane-bound AAA+ protease FtsH greatly enhances the expression yield of four different class I GPCRs, irrespective of the presence of GFP. Using this new expression system, we produced 0.5 and 2 mg/L of detergent-solubilized and purified full-length central cannabinoid receptor (CB1) and bradykinin receptor 2 (BR2) in shake flask cultures, respectively, two proteins that had previously eluded expression in microbial systems.

Sustainable production of green feed from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

PubMed

Landau, Miron V; Vidruk, Roxana; Herskowitz, Moti

2014-03-01

Carbon dioxide hydrogenation to form hydrocarbons was conducted on two iron-based catalysts, prepared according to procedures described in the literature, and on a new iron spinel catalyst. The CO2 conversion measured in a packed-bed reactor was limited to about 60% because of excessive amounts of water produced in this process. Switching to a system of three packed-bed reactors in series with interim removal of water and condensed hydrocarbons increased CO2 conversion to as much as 89%. The pure spinel catalyst displayed a significantly higher activity and selectivity than those of the other iron catalysts. This process produces a product called green feed, which is similar in composition to the product of a high-temperature, iron-based Fischer–Tropsch process from syngas. The green feed can be readily converted into renewable fuels by well-established technologies.

Cyanofuels: biofuels from cyanobacteria. Reality and perspectives.

PubMed

Sarsekeyeva, Fariza; Zayadan, Bolatkhan K; Usserbaeva, Aizhan; Bedbenov, Vladimir S; Sinetova, Maria A; Los, Dmitry A

2015-08-01

Cyanobacteria are represented by a diverse group of microorganisms that, by virtue of being a part of marine and freshwater phytoplankton, significantly contribute to the fixation of atmospheric carbon via photosynthesis. It is assumed that ancient cyanobacteria participated in the formation of earth's oil deposits. Biomass of modern cyanobacteria may be converted into bio-oil by pyrolysis. Modern cyanobacteria grow fast; they do not compete for agricultural lands and resources; they efficiently convert excessive amounts of CO2 into biomass, thus participating in both carbon fixation and organic chemical production. Many cyanobacterial species are easier to genetically manipulate than eukaryotic algae and other photosynthetic organisms. Thus, the cyanobacterial photosynthesis may be directed to produce carbohydrates, fatty acids, or alcohols as renewable sources of biofuels. Here we review the recent achievements in the developments and production of cyanofuels-biofuels produced from cyanobacterial biomass.

Synthesis, Consolidation and Characterization of Sol-gel Derived Tantalum-Tungsten Oxide Thermite Composites

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

Cervantes, O

2010-06-01

Energetic composite powders consisting of sol-gel (SG) derived nanostructured tungsten oxide were produced with various amounts of micrometer-scale tantalum fuel metal. Such energetic composite powders were ignition-tested and results show that the powders are not sensitive to friction, spark and/or impact ignition. Initial consolidation experiments, using the High Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (HPSPS) technique, on the SG derived nanostructured tungsten oxide produced samples with higher relative density than can be achieved with commercially available tungsten oxide. The SG derived nanostructured tungsten oxide with immobilized tantalum fuel metal (Ta - WO3) energetic composite was consolidated to a density of 9.17 g·cm-3more » or 93% relative density. In addition, those samples were consolidated without significant pre-reaction of the constituents, thus retaining their stored chemical energy.« less

Inhibitory effect of trichodermanone C, a sorbicillinoid produced by Trichoderma citrinoviride associated to the green alga Cladophora sp., on nitrite production in LPS-stimulated macrophages.

PubMed

Marra, Roberta; Nicoletti, Rosario; Pagano, Ester; DellaGreca, Marina; Salvatore, Maria Michela; Borrelli, Francesca; Lombardi, Nadia; Vinale, Francesco; Woo, Sheridan L; Andolfi, Anna

2018-05-31

From the green alga Cladophora sp. collected in Italy, the marine fungal strain A12 of Trichoderma citrinoviride was isolated, identified and characterized. LC-MS qTOF analysis was applied to perform a metabolic profile of the fungal culture. Chromatographic techniques and spectroscopic methods were used to isolate and characterize the major secondary metabolites produced by this strain in liquid culture. In particular, four known sorbicillinoids (trichodermanone C, spirosorbicillinol A, vertinolide and sorbicillin) were purified and identified, together with 2-phenylethanol and tyrosol. Moreover, metabolomic analysis allowed to detect small amounts of trichodimerol, rezishanone A, 2',3'-dihydrosorbicillin and bisvertinol. For the first time a significant inhibitory effect on nitrite levels has been shown for trichodermanone C in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated J774A.1 macrophages.

29 CFR 4.140 - Significance of contract amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Significance of contract amount. 4.140 Section 4.140 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor LABOR STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL SERVICE CONTRACTS Application of the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act Determining Amount of Contract § 4.140 Significance of contract amount...

3D numerical modelling of the thermal state of deep geological nuclear waste repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butov, R. A.; Drobyshevsky, N. I.; Moiseenko, E. V.; Tokarev, Yu. N.

2017-09-01

One of the important aspects of the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal in deep geological repositories is ensuring the integrity of the engineered barriers which is, among other phenomena, considerably influenced by the thermal loads. As the HLW produce significant amount of heat, the design of the repository should maintain the balance between the cost-effectiveness of the construction and the sufficiency of the safety margins, including those imposed on the thermal conditions of the barriers. The 3D finite-element computer code FENIA was developed as a tool for simulation of thermal processes in deep geological repositories. Further the models for mechanical phenomena and groundwater hydraulics will be added resulting in a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) solution. The long-term simulations of the thermal state were performed for two possible layouts of the repository. One was based on the proposed project of Russian repository, and another features larger HLW amount within the same space. The obtained results describe the spatial and temporal evolution of the temperature filed inside the repository and in the surrounding rock for 3500 years. These results show that practically all generated heat was ultimately absorbed by the host rock without any significant temperature increase. Still in the short time span even in case of smaller amount of the HLW the temperature maximum exceeds 100 °C, and for larger amount of the HLW the local temperature remains above 100 °C for considerable time. Thus, the substantiation of the long-term stability of the repository would require an extensive study of the materials properties and behaviour in order to remove the excessive conservatism from the simulations and to reduce the uncertainty of the input data.

Monitoring impacts of air pollution: PIXE analysis and histopathological modalities in evaluating relative risks of elemental contamination.

PubMed

Ejaz, Sohail; Camer, Gerry Amor; Anwar, Khaleeq; Ashraf, Muhammad

2014-04-01

Environmental toxicants invariably affect all biological organisms resulting to sufferings ranging from subclinical to debilitating clinical conditions. This novel research aimed to determine the toxic burdens of increased environmental elements in some vital organs/tissues of the wild animals (starling, owl, crow and pigeon), exposed to air polluted environment were assessed using particle induced X-ray emission and histopathological approaches. The presence of significantly elevated amounts of elemental toxicants namely: Aluminum (Al), Chlorine (Cl), Iron (Fe), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn), Silicon (Si) and Vanadium (V) from the skin, muscle, lungs, liver and kidney of sampled animals were in concurrence with the observed histopathological changes. The skin of sampled starling, owl, pigeon and crow spotlighted highly significant increase (P < 0.001) in Al, Cl, Mg and Si. Muscle samples with myodegenerative lesions and mineral depositions highlighted substantial augmentation (P < 0.001) in the amount of Al, Fe, Mn, Si and V. The lungs of starling, owl, and pigeon were severely intoxicated (P < 0.001) with increased amount of Al, Fe, K, Mn and Si producing pulmonary lesions of congestion, edema, pneumonitis and mineral debris depositions. Liver samples revealed that the sampled animals were laden with Cl, Fe, Mg, Mn and V with histopathological profound degenerative changes and hepatic necrosis. Kidney sections presented severe tubular degenerative and necrotic changes that may be attributed to increased amounts of Cl and Fe. These current findings implied that the environmental/elemental toxicants and the accompanying lesions that were discerned in the organs/tissues of sampled birds may as well be afflicting people living within the polluted area. Further assessment to more conclusively demonstrate correlations of current findings to those of the populace within the area is encouraged.

Effectiveness of en masse versus two-step retraction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Rizk, Mumen Z; Mohammed, Hisham; Ismael, Omar; Bearn, David R

2018-01-05

This review aims to compare the effectiveness of en masse and two-step retraction methods during orthodontic space closure regarding anchorage preservation and anterior segment retraction and to assess their effect on the duration of treatment and root resorption. An electronic search for potentially eligible randomized controlled trials and prospective controlled trials was performed in five electronic databases up to July 2017. The process of study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment was performed by two reviewers independently. A narrative review is presented in addition to a quantitative synthesis of the pooled results where possible. The Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used for the methodological quality assessment of the included studies. Eight studies were included in the qualitative synthesis in this review. Four studies were included in the quantitative synthesis. En masse/miniscrew combination showed a statistically significant standard mean difference regarding anchorage preservation - 2.55 mm (95% CI - 2.99 to - 2.11) and the amount of upper incisor retraction - 0.38 mm (95% CI - 0.70 to - 0.06) when compared to a two-step/conventional anchorage combination. Qualitative synthesis suggested that en masse retraction requires less time than two-step retraction with no difference in the amount of root resorption. Both en masse and two-step retraction methods are effective during the space closure phase. The en masse/miniscrew combination is superior to the two-step/conventional anchorage combination with regard to anchorage preservation and amount of retraction. Limited evidence suggests that anchorage reinforcement with a headgear produces similar results with both retraction methods. Limited evidence also suggests that en masse retraction may require less time and that no significant differences exist in the amount of root resorption between the two methods.

Processing of cellulosic material by a cellulase-containing cell-free fermentate produced from cellulase-producing bacteria, ATCC 55702

DOEpatents

Dees, H.C.

1998-08-04

Bacteria which produce large amounts of a cellulase-containing cell-free fermentate, have been identified. The original bacterium (ATCC 55703) was genetically altered using nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment to produce the enhanced cellulase degrading bacterium ATCC 55702, which was identified through replicate plating. ATCC 55702 has improved characteristics and qualities for the degradation of cellulosic materials. 5 figs.

Processing of cellulosic material by a cellulase-containing cell-free fermentate produced from cellulase-producing bacteria, ATCC 55702

DOEpatents

Dees, H. Craig

1998-01-01

Bacteria which produce large amounts of a cellulase-containing cell-free fermentate, have been identified. The original bacterium (ATCC 55703) was genetically altered using nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment to produce the enhanced cellulase degrading bacterium ATCC 55702, which was identified through replicate plating. ATCC 55702 has improved characteristics and qualities for the degradation of cellulosic materials.

Broadband High Efficiency Fractal-Like and Diverse Geometry Silicon Nanowire Arrays for Photovoltaic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AL-Zoubi, Omar H.

Solar energy has many advantages over conventional sources of energy. It is abundant, clean and sustainable. One way to convert solar energy directly into electrical energy is by using the photovoltaic solar cells (PVSC). Despite PVSC are becoming economically competitive, they still have high cost and low light to electricity conversion efficiency. Therefore, increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost are key elements for producing economically more competitive PVSC that would have significant impact on energy market and saving environment. A significant percentage of the PVSC cost is due to the materials cost. For that, thin films PVSC have been proposed which offer the benefits of the low amount of material and fabrication costs. Regrettably, thin film PVSC show poor light to electricity conversion efficiency because of many factors especially the high optical losses. To enhance conversion efficiency, numerous techniques have been proposed to reduce the optical losses and to enhance the absorption of light in thin film PVSC. One promising technique is the nanowire (NW) arrays in general and the silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays in particular. The purpose of this research is to introduce vertically aligned SiNW arrays with enhanced and broadband absorption covering the entire solar spectrum while simultaneously reducing the amount of material used. To this end, we apply new concept for designing SiNW arrays based on employing diversity of physical dimensions, especially radial diversity within certain lattice configurations. In order to study the interaction of light with SiNW arrays and compute their optical properties, electromagnetic numerical modeling is used. A commercial numerical electromagnetic solver software package, high frequency structure simulation (HFSS), is utilized to model the SiNW arrays and to study their optical properties. We studied different geometries factors that affect the optical properties of SiNW arrays. Based on this study, we found that the optical properties of SiNW arrays are strongly affected by the radial diversity, the arrangement of SiNW in a lattice, and the configuration of such lattice. The proper selection of these parameters leads to broaden and enhance the light absorption of the SiNW arrays. Inspired by natural configurations, fractal geometry and diamond lattice structures, we introduced two lattice configurations: fractal-like array (FLA) that is inspired by fractal geometry, and diamond-like array (DLA) that is inspired by diamond crystal lattice structure. Optimization, using parametric analysis, of the introduced arrays parameters for the light absorption level and the amount of used material has been performed. Both of the introduced SiNW arrays show broadband, strong light absorption coupled with reduction of the amount of the used material. DLA in specific showed significantly enhanced absorption covering the entire solar spectrum of interest, where near-unity absorption spectrum could be achieved. We studied the optical properties of complete PVSC devices that are based on SiNW array. Moreover, the performance of PVSC device that is based on SiNW has been investigated by using numerical modeling. SILVACO software package is used for performing the numerical simulation of the PVSC device performance, which can simultaneously handle the different coupled physical mechanisms contributing to the photovoltaic effect. The effect of the geometry of PVSC device that is based on SiNW is investigated, which shows that the geometry of such PVSC has a role in enhancing its electrical properties. The outcome of this study introduces new SiNW array configurations that have enhanced optical properties using a low amount of material that can be utilized for producing higher efficiency thin film PVCS. The overall conclusion of this work is that a weak absorption indirect band gap material, silicon, in the form of properly designed SiNW and SiNC arrays has the potentials to achieve near-unity ideal absorption spectrum using reduced amount of material, which can lead to produce new generation of lower cost and enhanced efficiency thin film PVSC.

Depletion by styrene of glutathione in plasma and bronchioalveolar lavage fluid of non-Swiss albino (NSA) mice.

PubMed

Carlson, Gary P

2010-01-01

Styrene is a widely used chemical, but it is known to produce lung and liver damage in mice. This may be related to oxidative stress associated with the decrease in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the target tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of styrene and its primary metabolites R-styrene oxide (R-SO) and S-styrene oxide (S-SO) on GSH levels in the lung lumen, as determined by amounts of GSH in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and in plasma. When non-Swiss albino (NSA) mice were administered styrene (600 mg/kg, ip), there was a significant fall in GSH levels in both BALF and plasma within 3 h. These returned to control levels by 12 h. The active metabolite R-SO (300 mg/kg, ip) also produced significant decreases in GSH in both BALF and plasma, but S-SO was without marked effect. Since GSH is a principal antioxidant in the lung epithelial lining fluid, this fall due to styrene may exert a significant influence on the ability of the lung to buffer oxidative damage.

Effects of amendment of different biochars on soil physical and biological properties related to carbon mineralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Renduo; Zhu, Shuzhi; Ouyang, Lei

2014-05-01

Biochar addition to soils potentially affects various soil properties, and these effects are dependent on biochars derived from different feedstock materials and pyrolysis processes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of amendment of different biochars on soil physical and biological properties. Biochars were produced with dairy manure and woodchip at temperatures of 300, 500, and 700°C, respectively. Each biochar was mixed at 5% (w/w) with a forest soil and the mixture was incubated for 180 days, during which soil physical and biological properties, and soil respiration rates were measured. Results showed that the biochar addition significantly enhanced the formation of soil macroaggregates at the early incubation time. The biochar application significantly reduced soil bulk density, increased the amount of soil organic matter, and stimulated microbial activity and soil respiration rates at the early incubation stage. Biochar applications improved water retention capacity, with stronger effects by biochars produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures. At the same suction, the soil with woodchip biochars possessed higher water content than with the dairy manure biochars. Biochar addition significantly affected the soil physical and biological properties, which resulted in different soil carbon mineralization rates.

The Utilization of Bark to Make Rigid Polyurethane Foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Souza, Jason

This work focused on the characterization of polyols derived from the liquefaction or alkoxylation of bark. Regarding liquefaction, it was found that both temperature and solvent structure played a significant role in polyol properties. High temperature liquefaction resulted in the degradation of sugars, while liquefaction at mild temperatures preserved sugar structures as shown by 31P-NMR. It was also shown that liquefaction at 130°C was ideal in terms of producing a polyol with a relatively at, broad, plateau of molecular weight distribution, whereas liquefaction at 90 and 160°C produced polyols with a large amount of low molecular weight compounds. Regarding solvent structure, it was found that polyhydric alcohols with short chain primary hydroxyls resulted in less sugar degradation products and less formation of condensation side-products. It is proposed that the highly polar environment promoted grafting and prevented condensation onto other biopolymers. Using organic solvents it was found that ketonic solvents like acetyl acetone and cyclohexanone, through their highly polar carbonyl group could engage in hydrogen bonding through electron donation/proton accepting interactions. These enabled the solvent to reduce the amount of condensation reactions and improve liquefaction yield. The liquefied bark-based polyols were then used to make polyurethane foams. It was found that when a diversity of hydroxyl groups were present the foaming rate was reduced and this may react a slower rate of curing and explain why the bark foams had a greater amount of cells that underwent coalescence. It was also observed that the bark foams had a low amount of closed-cell content. Since closed-cell content plays a role in dictating elastic compression, this may explain why the bark foams exhibited a lower elastic modulus. Finally, as a contrast to liquefaction, bark was alkoxylated. It was observed that the conversion yield was higher than liquefaction. The polyols had a high average molecular weight with a broad distribution and far greater solubility. It is proposed that alkoxylation is far less degradative than liquefaction. This may explain why the foams showed improved compressive behaviour compared to the foams made from liqueed bark-based polyols. Through greater characterization of the structure of polyols produced via liquefaction and alkoxylation the relationships between reaction parameters, polyol structure, and foam properties can be better understood. This is an important step towards the utilization of bark to make polyurethane foams.

Changes in Trace Gas Nitrogen Emissions as a Response to Ecosystem Type Conversion in a Semi-Arid Climate.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, H.; Eberwein, J. R.; Jenerette, D.

2016-12-01

As humans continue to introduce exotic plants and to alter climate and fire regimes in semi-arid ecosystems, many plant communities have begun to shift from perennial forbs and shrubs to annual grasses with different functional traits. Shifts in plant types are also associated with shifts in microclimate, microbial activity, and litter inputs, all of which contribute to the efficiency of nitrogen processing and the magnitude of trace gas emissions (NOx and N2O), which are increasingly important fluxes in water-limited systems. Here, we explored how changes in plant litter impact trace gas emissions, asking the question: How does conversion from a native shrubland to exotic grassland ecosystem alter NOx and N2O fluxes in a semi-arid climate? We posed two hypotheses to explain the impacts of different types of litter on soils disturbed by exotic grasses and those that were still considered shrublands: 1.) Soils that have undergone conversion by exotic grasses release higher amounts of NOx and N2O than do those of unconverted shrublands, due to disruptions of native plant and soil processes by exotic grasses, and 2.) Because litter of exotic grasses has lower C:N than that of shrubs, litter inputs from exotic grasses will increase NOx and N2O emissions from soils more than will litter inputs from shrubs. As a preliminary study, we experimentally wetted mesocosms in a laboratory incubation containing converted and unconverted soils that had been mixed with no litter or either exotic grass or coastal sage scrub (CSS) litter. We measured N2O fluxes from mesocosms over a 48-hour period. 24 hours after wetting, samples with grass litter produced higher amounts of N2O than those with CSS litter; similarly, converted soils produced higher amounts of N2O than unconverted soils. These two effects combined resulted in exotic grassland conditions (converted soils with exotic grass litter) producing 10 times the amount of N2O as those containing native shrubland conditions (unconverted soils with CSS litter). Additionally, soils with no litter peaked in N2O emissions earlier than those with litter (12 hours after wetting compared to 24 hours after wetting). Following preliminary results, we suggest that differences in plant traits, such as litter, play a significant role in the magnitude and timing of trace gas nitrogen emissions.

Use of tropical maize for bioethanol production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tropical maize is an alternative energy crop being considered as a feedstock for bioethanol production in the North Central and Midwest United States. Tropical maize is advantageous because it produces large amounts of soluble sugars in its stalks, creates a large amount of biomass, and requires lo...

Role of IL-22– and TNF-α–Producing Th22 Cells in Uveitis Patients with Behçet’s Disease

PubMed Central

Kawazoe, Yuko; Imai, Ayano; Kawaguchi, Tatsushi; Horie, Shintaro; Keino, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Masayo; Mochizuki, Manabu

2013-01-01

Behçet’s disease is a systemic inflammatory disorder with recurrent episodes of oral ulceration, skin lesions, genital ulceration, and intraocular inflammation (uveitis). The intraocular inflammation is strictly associated with Th effector cells. IL-22 is a member of the IL-10 cytokine family that is involved in inflammatory processes. Recently, Th22 cells were identified as a Th cell population that produces IL-22 and TNF-α and are distinct from Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells. In this study, we established Th22-type T cell clones from ocular samples taken from Behçet’s disease patients with active uveitis. These clones produced large amounts of IL-22 and TNF-α but not the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and the Th17 cytokine IL-17. CD4+ T cells from the peripheral blood of Behçet’s disease patients differentiated into Th22 cells in the presence of IL-6 and TNF-α in vitro. The polarized Th22 cell lines produced large amounts of IL-22, and the polarized Th1 and Th17 cells also produced IL-22. In the presence of anti–TNF-α– and anti–IL-6–blocking Abs, Behçet’s disease Th22-type T cells failed to produce IL-22. In addition, infliximab-pretreated Th22 cells and Th22-type ocular T cells produced less IL-22 and TNF-α. Moreover, IL-22–producing T cells were isolated from mice with experimental autoimmune uveitis, an animal model of Behçet’s disease, and the intraocular T cells from uveitis models produced large amounts of IL-22 in the presence of retinal Ags. Our results suggest that inflammatory cytokines IL-22 and TNF-α may play a key role in the ocular immune response in Behçet’s disease. PMID:23630362

Shielding materials for highly penetrating space radiations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiefer, Richard L.; Orwoll, Robert A.

1995-01-01

Interplanetary travel involves the transfer from an Earth orbit to a solar orbit. Once outside the Earth's magnetosphere, the major sources of particulate radiation are solar cosmic rays (SCR's) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR's). Intense fluxes of SCR's come from solar flares and consist primarily of protons with energies up to 1 GeV. The GCR consists of a low flux of nuclei with energies up to 10(exp 10) GeV. About 70 percent of the GCR are protons, but a small amount (0.6 percent) are nuclei with atomic numbers greater than 10. High energy charged particles (HZE) interact with matter by transferring energy to atomic electrons in a Coulomb process and by reacting with an atomic nucleus. Energy transferred in the first process increases with the square of the atomic number, so particles with high atomic numbers would be expected to lose large amounts of energy by this process. Nuclear reactions produced by (HZE) particles produce high-energy secondary particles which in turn lose energy to the material. The HZE nuclei are a major concern for radiation protection of humans during interplanetary missions because of the very high specific ionization of both primary and secondary particles. Computer codes have been developed to calculate the deposition of energy by very energetic charged particles in various materials. Calculations show that there is a significant buildup of secondary particles from nuclear fragmentation and Coulomb dissociation processes. A large portion of these particles are neutrons. Since neutrons carry no charge, they only lose energy by collision or reaction with a nucleus. Neutrons with high energies transfer large amounts of energy by inelastic collisions with nuclei. However, as the neutron energy decreases, elastic collisions become much more effective for energy loss. The lighter the nucleus, the greater the fraction of the neutron's kinetic energy that can be lost in an elastic collision. Thus, hydrogen-containing materials such as polymers are most effective in reducing the energy of neutrons. Once neutrons are reduced to very low energies, the probability for undergoing a reaction with a nucleus (the cross section) becomes very high. The product of such a reaction is often radioactive and can involve the release of a significant amount of energy. Thus, it is important to provide protection from low energy neutrons during a long duration space flight. Among the light elements, lithium and boron each have an isotope with a large thermal neutron capture cross section, Li-6 and B-10. However, B-10 is more abundant in the naturally-occurring element than Li-6, has a thermal neutron capture cross section four times that of Li-6, and produces the stable products, He-4 and Li-7 in the interaction while Li-6 produces radioactive tritium (H-3). Thus, boron is the best light-weight material for thermal neutron absorption in spacecraft. The work on this project was focused in two areas: computer design where existing computer codes were used, and in some cases modified, to calculate the propagation and interactions of high energy charged particles through various media, and materials development where boron was incorporated into high performance materials.

Efficiency of producing anion and relative humidity of the indigenous woody plants in Jeju islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, S.-G.; Kim, K.-J.; Kim, H.-J.; Kim, C.-M.; Byun, K.-O.

2009-04-01

This study is to evaluate the ability of interior plants to produce anion and relative humidity that can purify polluted indoor air. Four indigenous woody plants in Jeju islands such as Sarcandra glaber (Thunb.) Nakai, Illicium anisatum L, Cleyera japonica Thunb. and Ilex rotunda Thunb. were used. Sansevieria trifasciata cv. Laurentii was also used as a comparative plant. The amount of anion and increment of relative humidity produced by five species of indoor plants was assessed by anion measurement (ITC-201A)in a sealed acryl chamber (118Ã-118Ã-119.5cm). The highest amount of anion was 515 ea/cm3produced by I. rotunda. The amounts of anion were 293 ea/cm3, 273 ea/cm3, and 211 ea/cm3 in S. glaber, I. anisatum and C. japonica, respecively while it was 220 ea/cm3 in S. trifasciata. The increment of relative humidity was highest in I. anisatum as 27.4% while it was lowest in S. trifasciata as 14.0%. This result suggested that all four indigenous plants tested were more effective to purify the indoor polluted air than S. trifasciata. Key words: interior plant, S. glaber, I. anisatum, C. japonica, I. rotunda, indoor polluted air

Factors that may impede the weight loss response to exercise-based interventions.

PubMed

Boutcher, S H; Dunn, S L

2009-11-01

The results of exercise programmes designed to reduce body fat are disappointing. However, the reporting of weight loss as mean values disguises those individuals who do lose significant amounts of fat. Why some participants produce significant exercise-induced fat loss whereas others lose little or increase fat stores is likely to be an outcome of a range of behavioural (e.g. sleep deprivation, caloric intake), inherited (e.g. muscle fibre type, gender) and physiological (e.g. hyperinsulinaemia, hypothyroidism) factors. The following review highlights possible factors involved in weight loss and discusses how individual differences may determine the extent of weight loss after an exercise intervention. Finally, implications for the treatment and prevention of obesity are discussed.

Atmospheric Pseudohalogen Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lary, David John

2004-01-01

Hydrogen cyanide is not usually considered in atmospheric chemical models. The paper presents three reasons why hydrogen cyanide is likely to be significant for atmospheric chemistry. Firstly, HCN is a product and marker of biomass burning. Secondly, it is also likely that lightning is producing HCN, and as HCN is sparingly soluble it could be a useful long-lived "smoking gun" marker of lightning activity. Thirdly, the chemical decomposition of HCN leads to the production of small amounts of the cyanide (CN) and NCO radicals. The NCO radical can be photolyzed in the visible portion of the spectrum yielding nitrogen atoms (N). The production of nitrogen atoms is significant as it leads to the titration of total nitrogen from the atmosphere via N+N->N2, where N2 is molecular nitrogen.

How did life survive Earth's great oxygenation?

PubMed

Fischer, Woodward W; Hemp, James; Valentine, Joan Selverstone

2016-04-01

Life on Earth originated and evolved in anoxic environments. Around 2.4 billion-years-ago, ancestors of Cyanobacteria invented oxygenic photosynthesis, producing substantial amounts of O2 as a byproduct of phototrophic water oxidation. The sudden appearance of O2 would have led to significant oxidative stress due to incompatibilities with core cellular biochemical processes. Here we examine this problem through the lens of Cyanobacteria-the first taxa to observe significant fluxes of intracellular dioxygen. These early oxygenic organisms likely adapted to the oxidative stress by co-opting preexisting systems (exaptation) with fortuitous antioxidant properties. Over time more advanced antioxidant systems evolved, allowing Cyanobacteria to adapt to an aerobic lifestyle and become the most important environmental engineers in Earth history. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of contralateral white noise stimulation on distortion product otoacoustic emissions in myasthenic patients.

PubMed

Di Girolamo, S; d'Ecclesia, A; Quaranta, N; Garozzo, A; Evoli, A; Paludetti, G

2001-12-01

Myasthenia gravis (MG) induces a reduction of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) that reverses partially after administration of an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor. In normal subjects a contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) produces an amplitude reduction of TEOAEs and DPOAEs. This effect, called contralateral suppression (CS), is mediated by the efferent auditory system. Twenty subjects affected by MG underwent DPOAE recording with and without contralateral white noise in a drug-free baseline period ('basal') and 1 h ('post') after administration of a reversible AChE inhibitor. In 'basal' condition CAS did not induce significant DPOAE amplitude changes but a paradoxical slight increase was observed. After drug administration, CAS produced a significant decrease of DPOAE amplitudes for middle frequencies (f(2) between 1306 and 2600 Hz). In normal controls CAS caused a significant decrease (P<0.001) for all frequencies. The amount of CS in controls and in the MG 'post' condition was not significantly different. The increased acetylcholine (ACh) availability following drug consumption seems to partially restore outer hair cell function and enhances their electromotility; a further influx of ACh due to CAS yields to restoration of the CS. These findings also suggest that DPOAEs may be useful in the diagnosis of MG and for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment.

Hazardous waste management and weight-based indicators--the case of Haifa Metropolis.

PubMed

Elimelech, E; Ayalon, O; Flicstein, B

2011-01-30

The quantity control of hazardous waste in Israel relies primarily on the Environmental Services Company (ESC) reports. With limited management tools, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP) has no applicable methodology to confirm or monitor the actual amounts of hazardous waste produced by various industrial sectors. The main goal of this research was to develop a method for estimating the amounts of hazardous waste produced by various sectors. In order to achieve this goal, sector-specific indicators were tested on three hazardous waste producing sectors in the Haifa Metropolis: petroleum refineries, dry cleaners, and public hospitals. The findings reveal poor practice of hazardous waste management in the dry cleaning sector and in the public hospitals sector. Large discrepancies were found in the dry cleaning sector, between the quantities of hazardous waste reported and the corresponding indicator estimates. Furthermore, a lack of documentation on hospitals' pharmaceutical and chemical waste production volume was observed. Only in the case of petroleum refineries, the reported amount was consistent with the estimate. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method of treating alkali metal sulfide and carbonate mixtures

DOEpatents

Kohl, Arthur L.; Rennick, Robert D.; Savinsky, Martin W.

1978-01-01

A method of removing and preferably recovering sulfur values from an alkali metal sulfide and carbonate mixture comprising the steps of (1) introducing the mixture in an aqueous medium into a first carbonation zone and reacting the mixture with a gas containing a major amount of CO.sub.2 and a minor amount of H.sub.2 S; (2) introducing the resultant product from step 1 into a stripping zone maintained at subatmospheric pressure, and contacting this product with steam to produce a gaseous mixture, comprising H.sub.2 S and water vapor, and a liquor of reduced sulfide content; (3) introducing the liquor of reduced sulfide content into a second carbonation zone, and reacting the liquor with substantially pure gaseous CO.sub.2 in an amount sufficient to precipitate bicarbonate crystals and produce an offgas containing CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S for use in step 1; (4) recovering the bicarbonate crystals from step 3, and thermally decomposing the crystals to produce an alkaline metal carbonate product and a substantially pure CO.sub.2 offgas for use in step 3.

Precursor effects on the morphology and crystallinity of manganese oxides and their catalytic application for methylene blue degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awaluddin, Amir; Agustina, Mutia; Aulia, Rizki Rilda; Muhdarina

2017-03-01

The cryptomelane-type manganese oxide catalysts have been prepared by sol-gel method based on the redox reaction between potassium permanganate and glucose or oxalic acid. These catalysts belong to a class of porous manganese oxides known as octahedral molecular sieves (OMS). The SEM results indicated that the marked difference between the morphology of the cyptomelanes produced from glucose and oxalic acid. The glucose precursor produces cotton-shaped morphology, whereas the oxalic acid precursor leads to the formation of the disk-like appearances. The XRD results indicated that the glucose precursor produces more crystalline cryptomelane than that of oxalic acid. The effect of catalyst dosage on methyelene blue degradation was evaluated. Dye-decomposing activity was proportional to the amount of catalyst used, increasing of the catalyst amount leads to higher degradation of methyelene blue at short period of reaction. With different crystalline structures and morphology appearances of the cyptomelanes, however, the total degradation of methylene blue is relatively the same at 120 minute of reaction time with catalyst amount of 100 mg.

Exopolysaccharide-forming Weissella strains as starter cultures for sorghum and wheat sourdoughs.

PubMed

Galle, Sandra; Schwab, Clarissa; Arendt, Elke; Gänzle, Michael

2010-05-12

The addition of sourdough fermented with lactic acid bacteria synthesizing organic acids and oligo- and exopolysaccharides (EPS) from sucrose enhances texture, nutritional value, shelf life, and machinability of wheat, rye, and gluten-free bread. This study compared acetate, mannitol, and oligosaccharide formation of EPS-producing strains of Weissella and Leuconostoc spp. to the traditional sourdough starter Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. In broth, Leuconostoc strains generally formed acetate and mannitol, whereas Weissella produced only small amounts of acetate and no mannitol in the presence of sucrose. In the presence of sucrose and maltose, Weissella and Leuconostoc strains synthesized glucooligosaccharides and EPS. Strains of Weissella were employed as starter cultures for wheat and sorghum sourdough and formed 0.8-8 g kg(-1) EPS and gluco-oligosaccharides but only low amounts of acetate and mannitol. In contrast, the formation of EPS from sucrose led to the production of high amounts of acetate and mannitol by L. sanfranciscensis LTH 2950 in wheat sourdough. This study indicates that Weissella strains are suitable starter cultures for wheat and sorghum sourdoughs and efficiently produce gluco-oligosaccharides and EPS.

Geoneutrinos and Heat Production in the Earth: Constraints and Implications

ScienceCinema

McDonough, Bill

2017-12-29

Recent results from antineutrino (geoneutrino) studies at KamLAND are coincident with geochemical models of Th and U in the Earth.  KamLAND and Borexino detectors are on line, thus uncertainties in counting statistics will be reduced as data are accumulated.  The SNO+ detector, situated in the middle of the North American plate will come on line in ~3 yrs and will be best suited to yield a precise estimate of the continental contribution to the Earth’s Th & U budget.  The distribution of heat producing elements in the Earth drives convection and plate tectonics.  Geochemical models posit that ~40% of the heat producing elements are in the continental crust, with the remainder in the mantle.  Although models of core formation allow for the incorporation of heat producing elements, the core contribution of radiogenic heating is considered to be negligible.  Most parameterized convection models for the Earth require significant amounts of radiogenic heating of the Earth, a factor of two greater than geochemical models predict.  The initial KamLAND results challenge these geophysical models and support geochemical models calling for a significant contribution from secular cooling of the mantle.