Effect of the amount of yeast on fermentation in mixtures of molasses and grains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poluyanova, M T

1960-01-01

In the mixing of grains with molasses for ethanol fermentation, the amount of ethanol produced, the acidity, the amount of unfermented sugar, and other values change greatly with the amount of yeast cells present; for each mixture there exists not only the optimum temperature and the optimum concentration of the liquor, but there is also an optimum cell count.

A simple biosynthetic pathway for large product generation from small substrate amounts

Science.gov (United States)

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.

A simple biosynthetic pathway for large product generation from small substrate amounts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Djordjevic, Marko [Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade (Serbia); Djordjevic, Magdalena [Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade (Serbia)

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. (paper)

A simple biosynthetic pathway for large product generation from small substrate amounts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djordjevic, Marko; Djordjevic, Magdalena

2012-01-01

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. (paper)

Method for producing redox shuttles

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Gas revenue increasingly significant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Megill, R.E.

1991-01-01

This paper briefly describes the wellhead prices of natural gas compared to crude oil over the past 70 years. Although natural gas prices have never reached price parity with crude oil, the relative value of a gas BTU has been increasing. It is one of the reasons that the total amount of money coming from natural gas wells is becoming more significant. From 1920 to 1955 the revenue at the wellhead for natural gas was only about 10% of the money received by producers. Most of the money needed for exploration, development, and production came from crude oil. At present, however, over 40% of the money from the upstream portion of the petroleum industry is from natural gas. As a result, in a few short years natural gas may become 50% of the money revenues generated from wellhead production facilities

ANAEROBIC BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF PRODUCED WATER; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John R. Gallagher

2001-01-01

During the production of oil and gas, large amounts of water are brought to the surface and must be disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner. This is an especially difficult problem in offshore production facilities where space is a major constraint. The chief regulatory criterion for produced water is oil and grease. Most facilities have little trouble meeting this criterion using conventional oil-water separation technologies. However, some operations have significant amounts of naphthenic acids in the water that behave as oil and grease but are not well removed by conventional technologies. Aerobic biological treatment of naphthenic acids in simulated-produced water has been demonstrated by others; however, the system was easily overloaded by the large amounts of low-molecular-weight organic acids often found in produced waters. The objective of this research was to determine the ability of an anaerobic biological system to treat these organic acids in a simulated produced water and to examine the potential for biodegradation of the naphthenic acids in the anaerobic environment. A small fixed-film anaerobic biological reactor was constructed and adapted to treat a simulated produced water. The bioreactor was tubular, with a low-density porous glass packing material. The inocula to the reactor was sediment from a produced-water holding pond from a municipal anaerobic digester and two salt-loving methanogenic bacteria. During start-up, the feed to the reactor contained glucose as well as typical produced-water components. When glucose was used, rapid gas production was observed. However, when glucose was eliminated and the major organic component was acetate, little gas was generated. Methane production from acetate may have been inhibited by the high salt concentrations, by sulfide, or because of the lack, despite seeding, of microbes capable of converting acetate to methane. Toluene, a minor component of the produced water (0.1 g/L) was removed in the

Large amounts of antiproton production by heavy ion collision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Hiroshi; Powell, J.

1987-01-01

To produce large amounts of antiprotons, on the order of several grams/year, use of machines to produce nuclear collisions are studied. These can be of either proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus in nature. To achieve high luminosity colliding beams, on the order of 10 41 m/cm 2 , a self-colliding machine is required, rather than a conventional circular colliding type. The self-colliding machine can produce additional antiprotons through successive collisions of secondary particles, such as spectator nucleons. A key problem is how to collect the produced antiprotons without capture by beam nuclei in the collision zone. Production costs for anti-matter are projected for various energy source options and technology levels. Dedicated facilities using heavy ion collisions could produce antiproton at substantially less than 1 million $/milligram. With co-production of other valuable products, e.g., nuclear fuel for power reactors, antiproton costs could be reduced to even lower values

Large amounts of antiproton production by heavy ion collision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, Hiroshi; Powell, J.

1987-01-01

To produce large amounts of antiprotons, on the order of several grams/year, use of machines to produce nuclear collisions are studied. These can be of either proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus in nature. To achieve high luminosity colliding beams, on the order of 10/sup 41/ m/cm/sup 2/, a self-colliding machine is required, rather than a conventional circular colliding type. The self-colliding machine can produce additional antiprotons through successive collisions of secondary particles, such as spectator nucleons. A key problem is how to collect the produced antiprotons without capture by beam nuclei in the collision zone. Production costs for anti-matter are projected for various energy source options and technology levels. Dedicated facilities using heavy ion collisions could produce antiproton at substantially less than 1 million $/milligram. With co-production of other valuable products, e.g., nuclear fuel for power reactors, antiproton costs could be reduced to even lower values.

Comparison of the amount of apically extruded debris produced by four retreatment techniques: an ex vivo study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane Ferreira Alfenas

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: the aim of this study was to compare the amount of apically extruded debris during the removal of root canal filling material using nickel-titanium rotary retreatment instruments and Hedström files. Material and Methods: sixty mandibular incisors with a single canal were instrumented and obturated by cold lateral compaction. For retreatment, specimens were randomly divided into four groups (n = 15: Hedström files with or without solvent; D-RaCe system and Mtwo retreatment system. Debris extruded apically during the removal of canal filling material was collected into preweighed Eppendorf tubes. The tubes were then stored in an incubator at 70°C for 5 days. The weight of the dry extruded debris was established by subtracting the preretreatment and postretreatment weight of the Eppendorf tubes for each group. The mean weights of extruded material were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: the results showed that all retreatment techniques caused apical extrusion of debris, but no statistically significant difference was observed between groups (p>0.05. Conclusion: under the conditions of this study, all retreatment techniques caused apical debris extrusion.

Sodium-Reduced Meat and Poultry Products Contain a Significant Amount of Potassium from Food Additives.

Science.gov (United States)

Parpia, Arti Sharma; Goldstein, Marc B; Arcand, JoAnne; Cho, France; L'Abbé, Mary R; Darling, Pauline B

2018-05-01

-sodium-reduced counterparts (mean difference [95% CI]: 486 [334-638]; Padditives appearing on the product label ingredient list, did not significantly differ between the two groups. Potassium additives are frequently added to sodium-reduced MPPs in amounts that significantly contribute to the potassium load for patients with impaired renal handling of potassium caused by chronic kidney disease and certain medications. Patients requiring potassium restriction should be counseled to be cautious regarding the potassium content of sodium-reduced MPPs and encouraged to make food choices accordingly. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bacteriocin-producing Enterococci from Rabbit Meat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szabóová, R.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: Enterococci are lactic acid bacteria belonging to the division Firmicutes. They occur in different ecosystems, rabbits including. Enterococci can possess probiotic properties and produce antimicrobial substances-bacteriocins. Rabbit meat as nutritionally healthy food offers novel source to study bacteriocin-producing and/or probiotic enterococci. Methodology and results: Enterococci were detected from rabbit meat samples (42. Most of the isolates were allotted to the species Enterococcus faecium by PCR method. The isolates have possessed the structural genes for enterocins A, P, B production. The inhibitory substances produced by the isolated enterococci inhibited the growth of 12 indicators. Of 34 isolates, 15 strains have shown the antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes CCM 4699, 12 strains against S. aureus 3A3, 10 strains against S. aureus 5A2 as well as Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis PT4. Moreover, enterococci have tolerated 5 % bile, low pH; they have produced lactid acid in the amount from 0.740 ± 0.091 to 1.720 ± 0.095 mmol/l. The isolates were mostly sensitive to antibiotics. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Bacteriocin-producing strain E. faecium M3a has been selected for more detail characterization of its bacteriocin and probiotic properties with the aim for its further application as an additive.

Isolating behavioral mechanisms of intertemporal choice: nicotine effects on delay discounting and amount sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Integration of large amounts of wind power. Markets for trading imbalances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neimane, Viktoria; Axelsson, Urban [Vattenfall Research and Development AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Gustafsson, Johan; Gustafsson, Kristian [Vattenfall Nordic Generation Management, Stockholm (Sweden); Murray, Robin [Vattenfall Vindkraft AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2008-07-01

The well-known concerns about wind power are related to its intermittent nature and difficulty to make exact forecasts. The expected increase in balancing and reserve requirements due to wind power has been investigated in several studies. This paper takes the next step in studying integration of large amounts of wind power in Sweden. Several wind power producers' and corresponding balance providers' perspective is taken and their imbalance costs modeled. Larger producers having wind power spread over larger geographical areas will have lower relative costs than producers having their units concentrated within limited geographical area. Possibilities of the wind power producers to reduce the imbalance costs by acting on after sales market are exposed and compared. (orig.)

Yogurt produced with cajuí (Anacardium othonianum Rizz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila Martins Fonseca

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Yogurt added with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of cajuí pulp (Anacardium othonianum Rizz were characterized. Acidity, pH, protein, dry matter, firmness, consistency, cohesiveness and quantification of lactic acid bacteria were conducted at 0, 10, 20 and 30 days. Identification of volatiles compounds and sensory tests of preference, acceptance and consumption intention were performed on the first day of shelf-life. Preferred formulations are those that contain smaller proportions of pulp (5% which coincide with lower acidity. There was no significant effect (P>0.05 of the amount of pulp added and storage time on dry matter, lactic acid bacteria count, firmness, consistency and cohesiveness. Acidity and pH were significantly influenced (P <0.05 by the amount of pulp added and storage time. Protein levels were significantly lower (P <0.05 with the increase in the quantity of pulp added. Volatiles compounds in cajuí yogurt include ethyl butanoate, methyl butanoate, ethanol, hexanal, benzaldehyde and 3-methyl butanoate. There are technological potential in the production of yoghurt with cajuí with addition of 5% in proportion to the total volume of yogurt produced.

Financial performance of a mobile pyrolysis system used to produce biochar from sawmill residues

Science.gov (United States)

Dongyeob Kim; Nathaniel McLean Anderson; Woodam Chung

2015-01-01

Primary wood products manufacturers generate significant amounts of woody biomass residues that can be used as feedstocks for distributed-scale thermochemical conversion systems that produce valuable bioenergy and bioproducts. However, private investment in these technologies is driven primarily by financial performance, which is often unknown for new technologies with...

Physician Fee Schedule National Payment Amount File

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The significant size of the Physician Fee Schedule Payment Amount File-National requires that database programs (e.g., Access, dBase, FoxPro, etc.) be used to read...

7 CFR 1033.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

....44(c) by the producer price differential as adjusted pursuant to § 1033.75; (2) An amount obtained by..., other solids, and butterfat prices, respectively; (3) The total value of the somatic cell adjustment to producer milk; and (4) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of skim milk and butterfat for which a...

7 CFR 1126.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

....44(c) by the producer price differential as adjusted pursuant to § 1126.75; (2) An amount obtained by..., other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; (3) The total value of the somatic cell adjustment to producer milk; and (4) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of skim milk and butterfat for which a...

7 CFR 1124.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; and (3) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of skim milk and butterfat for which a value was computed pursuant to § 1124.60(h) by the producer price....44(c) by the producer price differential as adjusted pursuant to § 1124.75; (2) An amount obtained by...

7 CFR 1032.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

....44(c) by the producer price differential as adjusted pursuant to § 1032.75; (2) An amount obtained by..., other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; (3) The total value of the somatic cell adjustment to producer milk; and (4) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of skim milk and butterfat for which a...

7 CFR 1030.71 - Payments to the producer-settlement fund.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

....44(c) by the producer price differential as adjusted pursuant to § 1030.75; (2) An amount obtained by..., other solids, and butterfat prices respectively; (3) The total value of the somatic cell adjustment to producer milk; and (4) An amount obtained by multiplying the pounds of skim milk and butterfat for which a...

Adaptive responses to cefotaxime treatment in ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and the possible use of significantly regulated pathways as novel secondary targets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Thea S. B.; Rau, Martin Holm; Bonde, Charlotte S

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine how ESBL-producing Escherichia coli change the expression of metabolic and biosynthesis genes when adapting to inhibitory concentrations of cefotaxime. Secondly, it was investigated whether significantly regulated pathways constitute putative secondary targets......-fold). Inhibition and/or mutations in other genes that were significantly regulated, belonging to energy synthesis, purine synthesis, proline uptake or potassium uptake, also rendered the resistant bacteria more susceptible to cefotaxime. The results show that ESBL-producing E. coli adapt to treatment...

The mineralogy of bauxite for producing smelter-grade alumina

Science.gov (United States)

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.

DOES ELECTRIC CAR PRODUCE EMISSIONS?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimír RIEVAJ

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on the comparison of the amount of emissions produced by vehicles with a combustion engine and electric cars. The comparison, which is based on the LCA factor results, indicates that an electric car produces more emissions than a vehicle with combustion engine. The implementation of electric cars will lead to an increase in the production of greenhouse gases.

29 CFR 4219.14 - Amount of liability for 20-year-limitation amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... amount equal to the present value of all initial withdrawal liability payments for which the employer was not liable pursuant to section 4219(c)(1)(B) of ERISA. The present value of such payments shall be... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amount of liability for 20-year-limitation amounts. 4219.14...

The influences of consumer characteristics on the amount of rice consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Supriana, T.; Pane, TC

2018-02-01

This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of rice consumers and the influences of consumer characteristics on the amount of rice consumption. The research areas were determined purposively in the sub-districts with the most significant population in Medan City. The analytical methods used were descriptive and multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that consumers in the study areas have various characteristics, concerning age, income, family size, health, and education. Simultaneously, characteristics of rice consumers have the significant effect on the amount of rice consumed. Partially, age and the number of family members have the significant effect on the amount of rice consumed. The implications of this research are, need different policies toward consumers of rice based on their income strata. Rice policies cannot be generalized.

Cellulase producing microorganism ATCC 55702

Science.gov (United States)

Dees, H. Craig

1997-01-01

Bacteria which produce large amounts of 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 producing bacterium (ATCC 55702), which was identified through replicate plating. ATCC 55702 has improved characteristics and qualifies for the degradation of cellulosic waste materials for fuel production, food processing, textile processing, and other industrial applications. ATCC 55702 is an improved bacterial host for genetic manipulations using recombinant DNA techniques, and is less likely to destroy genetic manipulations using standard mutagenesis techniques.

Imbalance costs in the Swedish system with large amounts of wind power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlsson, Fredrik; Neimane, Viktoria [Vattenfall Research and Development AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2009-07-01

The well-known concerns about wind power are related to its intermittent nature and difficulty to make exact forecasts. The expected increase in balancing and reserve requirements due to wind power has been investigated in several studies. This paper takes the next step in studying integration of large amounts of wind power in Sweden. Several wind power producers' and corresponding balance providers' perspective is taken and their imbalance costs modeled. Larger producers having wind power spread over larger geographical areas will have lower relative costs than producers having their units concentrated within limited geographical area. Possibilities of the wind power producers to reduce the imbalance costs by acting on after sales market are exposed and compared. (orig.)

Modelling rainfall amounts using mixed-gamma model for Kuantan district

Science.gov (United States)

Zakaria, Roslinazairimah; Moslim, Nor Hafizah

2017-05-01

An efficient design of flood mitigation and construction of crop growth models depend upon good understanding of the rainfall process and characteristics. Gamma distribution is usually used to model nonzero rainfall amounts. In this study, the mixed-gamma model is applied to accommodate both zero and nonzero rainfall amounts. The mixed-gamma model presented is for the independent case. The formulae of mean and variance are derived for the sum of two and three independent mixed-gamma variables, respectively. Firstly, the gamma distribution is used to model the nonzero rainfall amounts and the parameters of the distribution (shape and scale) are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Then, the mixed-gamma model is defined for both zero and nonzero rainfall amounts simultaneously. The formulae of mean and variance for the sum of two and three independent mixed-gamma variables derived are tested using the monthly rainfall amounts from rainfall stations within Kuantan district in Pahang Malaysia. Based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness of fit test, the results demonstrate that the descriptive statistics of the observed sum of rainfall amounts is not significantly different at 5% significance level from the generated sum of independent mixed-gamma variables. The methodology and formulae demonstrated can be applied to find the sum of more than three independent mixed-gamma variables.

N-glycan engineering of a plant-produced anti-CD20-hIL-2 immunocytokine significantly enhances its effector functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Marusic, Carla; Pioli, Claudio; Stelter, Szymon; Novelli, Flavia; Lonoce, Chiara; Morrocchi, Elena; Benvenuto, Eugenio; Salzano, Anna Maria; Scaloni, Andrea; Donini, Marcello

2018-03-01

Anti-CD20 recombinant antibodies are among the most promising therapeutics for the treatment of B-cell malignancies such as non-Hodgkin lymphomas. We recently demonstrated that an immunocytokine (2B8-Fc-hIL2), obtained by fusing an anti-CD20 scFv-Fc antibody derived from C2B8 mAb (rituximab) to the human interleukin 2 (hIL-2), can be efficiently produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The purified immunocytokine (IC) bearing a typical plant protein N-glycosylation profile showed a CD20 binding activity comparable to that of rituximab and was efficient in eliciting antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of human PBMC against Daudi cells, indicating its fuctional integrity. In this work, the immunocytokine devoid of the typical xylose/fucose N-glycosylation plant signature (IC-ΔXF) and the corresponding scFv-Fc-ΔXF antibody not fused to the cytokine, were obtained in a glyco-engineered ΔXylT/FucT N. benthamiana line. Purification yields from agroinfiltrated plants amounted to 20-35 mg/kg of leaf fresh weight. When assayed for interaction with FcγRI and FcγRIIIa, IC-ΔXF exhibited significantly enhanced binding affinities if compared to the counterpart bearing the typical plant protein N-glycosylation profile (IC) and to rituximab. The glyco-engineered recombinant molecules also exhibited a strongly improved ADCC and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Notably, our results demonstrate a reduced C1q binding of xylose/fucose carrying IC and scFv-Fc compared to versions that lack these sugar moieties. These results demonstrate that specific N-glycosylation alterations in recombinant products can dramatically affect the effector functions of the immunocytokine, resulting in an overall improvement of the biological functions and consequently of the therapeutic potential. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Amount of platelet-bound IgG in chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP): absence of significant influence on platelet survival and destruction-site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leners, N.; Ferrant, A.; Beckers, C.

1982-01-01

The amount of platelet-bound IgG, as measured with a direct Coombs radioactive antiglobulin test, could not be correlated with either platelet survival or the site of platelet destruction in 22 patients with chronic ITP. The amount of platelet-bound IgG may not be an index of severity in this disease, nor does it offer an indication on the site of destruction of platelets

Comparative genomics of citric-acid-producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikael Rørdam; Salazar, Margarita Pena; Schaap, Peter J.

2011-01-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme......-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compel additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole-genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild-type strain (ATCC 1015) and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15...

Hyper-saline produced water treatment for beneficial use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Furaiji, Mustafa

2016-01-01

Producing oil and gas is always accompanied with large amounts of effluent water, called “produced water” (PW). These huge quantities of water can be used (if treated efficiently and economically) for many useful purposes like industrial applications, irrigation, cattle and animal consumption, and

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Reading motivation, reading amount, and text comprehension in deaf and hearing adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Parault, Susan J; Williams, Heather M

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the variables of reading motivation, reading amount, and text comprehension in deaf and hearing adults. Research has shown that less than 50% of deaf students leave high school reading at or above a fourth-grade level (Allen, 1994). Our question is, how does this affect the levels of reading motivation and amount of reading in which deaf adults engage? Assessments of 30 hearing and 24 deaf adults showed that deaf participants reported significantly higher levels of reading motivation despite having been found to read at less than a sixth-grade level. No significant difference in the amount of reading between hearing and deaf adults was found. Amount of reading for personal reasons was found to be the best predictor of text comprehension in the deaf participants, and intrinsic motivation was found to be the best predictor of amount of reading in the deaf participants.

Irrigation Is Significantly Associated with an Increased Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in Produce Production Environments in New York State.

Science.gov (United States)

Weller, Daniel; Wiedmann, Martin; Strawn, Laura K

2015-06-01

Environmental (i.e., meteorological and landscape) factors and management practices can affect the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in produce production environments. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria species (including L. monocytogenes), Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in produce production environments and to identify environmental factors and management practices associated with their isolation. Ten produce farms in New York State were sampled during a 6-week period in 2010, and 124 georeferenced samples (80 terrestrial, 33 water, and 11 fecal) were collected. L. monocytogenes, Listeria spp., Salmonella, and STEC were detected in 16, 44, 4, and 5% of terrestrial samples, 30, 58, 12, and 3% of water samples, and 45, 45, 27, and 9% of fecal samples, respectively. Environmental factors and management practices were evaluated for their association with terrestrial samples positive for L. monocytogenes or other Listeria species by univariate logistic regression; analysis was not conducted for Salmonella or STEC because the number of samples positive for these pathogens was low. Although univariate analysis identified associations between isolation of L. monocytogenes or Listeria spp. from terrestrial samples and various water-related factors (e.g., proximity to wetlands and precipitation), multivariate analysis revealed that only irrigation within 3 days of sample collection was significantly associated with isolation of L. monocytogenes (odds ratio = 39) and Listeria spp. (odds ratio = 5) from terrestrial samples. These findings suggest that intervention at the irrigation level may reduce the risk of produce contamination.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Measuring the Amount of Eroded Soil and Surface Runoff Water in the Field

OpenAIRE

Abdulfatah Faraj Aboufayed

2013-01-01

Water erosion is the most important problems of the soil in the Jabel Nefusa area located in northwest of Libya; therefore, erosion station had been established in the Faculty of Veterinary and dryfarming research Station, University of the Al-japel Al-gharbi in Zentan. The length of the station is 72.6 feet, 6 feet width and the percentage of its slope is 3%. The station were established to measure the amount of soil eroded and amount of surface water produced during the seasons 95/96 and 96...

How can we constrain the amount of heat producing elements in the interior of Mars?

Science.gov (United States)

Grott, M.; Plesa, A.; Breuer, D.

2013-12-01

The InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) mission to be launched in 2016 will study Mars' deep interior and help improving our knowledge about the interior structure and the thermal evolution of the planet - the latter is also directly linked to its volcanic history and atmospheric evolution. Measurements planned with the two main instruments, SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure) and HP3 (Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package) aim to constrain the main structure of the planet, i.e. core, mantle and crust as well as the rate at which the planet loses the interior heat over its surface. Since the surface heat flow depends on the amount of radiogenic heat elements (HPE) present in the interior, it offers a measurable quantity which could constrain the heat budget. Being the principal agent regulating the heat budget which in turn influences partial melting in the interior, crustal and atmospheric evolution, the heat producing elements have a major impact on the entire the present temperature thermal history of the planet. To constrain the radiogenic heat elements of the planet from the surface heat flow is possible assuming that the urey number of the planet, which describes the contribution of internal heat production to the surface heat loss, is known. We have tested this assumption by calculating the thermal evolution of the planet with fully dynamical numerical simulations and by comparing the obtained present-day urey number for a set of different models/parameters (Fig. 1). For one-plate planets like Mars, numerical models show - in contrast to models for the Earth, where plate tectonics play a major role adding more complexity to the system - that the urey ratio is mainly sensitive to two effects: the efficiency of cooling due to the temperature-dependence of the viscosity and the mean half-life time of the long lived radiogenic isotopes. The temperature-dependence of the viscosity results in the

Permafrost Stores a Globally Significant Amount of Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Paul F.; Schaefer, Kevin M.; Aiken, George R.; Antweiler, Ronald C.; Dewild, John F.; Gryziec, Joshua D.; Gusmeroli, Alessio; Hugelius, Gustaf; Jafarov, Elchin; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Liu, Lin; Herman-Mercer, Nicole; Mu, Cuicui; Roth, David A.; Schaefer, Tim; Striegl, Robert G.; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Zhang, Tingjun

2018-02-01

Changing climate in northern regions is causing permafrost to thaw with major implications for the global mercury (Hg) cycle. We estimated Hg in permafrost regions based on in situ measurements of sediment total mercury (STHg), soil organic carbon (SOC), and the Hg to carbon ratio (RHgC) combined with maps of soil carbon. We measured a median STHg of 43 ± 30 ng Hg g soil-1 and a median RHgC of 1.6 ± 0.9 μg Hg g C-1, consistent with published results of STHg for tundra soils and 11,000 measurements from 4,926 temperate, nonpermafrost sites in North America and Eurasia. We estimate that the Northern Hemisphere permafrost regions contain 1,656 ± 962 Gg Hg, of which 793 ± 461 Gg Hg is frozen in permafrost. Permafrost soils store nearly twice as much Hg as all other soils, the ocean, and the atmosphere combined, and this Hg is vulnerable to release as permafrost thaws over the next century. Existing estimates greatly underestimate Hg in permafrost soils, indicating a need to reevaluate the role of the Arctic regions in the global Hg cycle.

Permafrost stores a globally significant amount of mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, K. M.; Schuster, P. F.; Antweiler, R.; Aiken, G.; DeWild, J.; Gryziec, J. D.; Gusmeroli, A.; Hugelius, G.; Jafarov, E.; Krabbenhoft, D. P.; Liu, L.; Herman-Mercer, N. M.; Mu, C.; Roth, D. A.; Schaefer, T.; Striegl, R. G.; Wickland, K.; Zhang, T.

2017-12-01

Changing climate in northern regions is causing permafrost to thaw with major implications for the cycling of mercury in arctic and subarctic ecosystems. Permafrost occurs in nearly one quarter of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere. We measured total soil mercury concentration in 588 samples from 13 soil permafrost cores from the interior and the North Slope of Alaska. The median concentration was 47.7±23.4 ng Hg g soil-1 and the median ratio of Hg to carbon was 1.56±0.86 µg Hg g C-1. We estimate Alaskan permafrost stores 56±32 kilotons of mercury and the entire northern hemisphere permafrost land mass stores 773±441 kilotons of mercury. This increases estimates of mercury stored in soils by 60%, making permafrost the second largest reservoir of mercury on the planet. Climate projections indicate extensive permafrost thawing, releasing mercury into the environment through a variety of mechanisms, for example, terrestrial transport via dissolved organic carbon (DOC), gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) evasion, forest fires, atmospheric mixing processes with ozone, and Springtime atmospheric Hg depletion after the polar sunrise. These findings have major implications for terrestrial and aquatic life, the world's fisheries, and ultimately human health.

Permafrost stores a globally significant amount of mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Paul F.; Schaefer, Kevin; Aiken, George R.; Antweiler, Ronald C.; DeWild, John F.; Gryziec, Joshua D.; Gusmeroli, Alessio; Hugelius, Gustaf; Jafarov, Elchin E.; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Liu, Lin; Herman-Mercer, Nicole M.; Mu, Cuicui; Roth, David A.; Schaefer, Tim; Striegl, Robert G.; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Zhang, Tingjun

2018-01-01

Changing climate in northern regions is causing permafrost to thaw with major implications for the global mercury (Hg) cycle. We estimated Hg in permafrost regions based on in situ measurements of sediment total mercury (STHg), soil organic carbon (SOC), and the Hg to carbon ratio (RHgC) combined with maps of soil carbon. We measured a median STHg of 43 ± 30 ng Hg g soil−1 and a median RHgC of 1.6 ± 0.9 μg Hg g C−1, consistent with published results of STHg for tundra soils and 11,000 measurements from 4,926 temperate, nonpermafrost sites in North America and Eurasia. We estimate that the Northern Hemisphere permafrost regions contain 1,656 ± 962 Gg Hg, of which 793 ± 461 Gg Hg is frozen in permafrost. Permafrost soils store nearly twice as much Hg as all other soils, the ocean, and the atmosphere combined, and this Hg is vulnerable to release as permafrost thaws over the next century. Existing estimates greatly underestimate Hg in permafrost soils, indicating a need to reevaluate the role of the Arctic regions in the global Hg cycle.

An estimation of the capacity to produce hydrogen by wasted hydroelectric energy for the three largest Brazilian hydroelectric

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padilha, Janine C.; Trindade, Leticia G. da; Souza, Roberto F. de [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Inst. of Chemistry], Email: janine@iq.ufrgs.br; Miguel, Marcelo [Itaipu Binacional, Foz do Iguacu, PR (Brazil)

2010-07-01

The use of water wasted in hydroelectric plants as normalization dam excess, which constitute a hydrodynamic potential useful to generate electric energy which can be subsequently used to produce hydrogen and its subsequent consumption in fuel cells has been considered as an alternative for hydraulic energy-rich countries like Brazil. The case is examined in which all the water wasted in the hydroelectric plants, spilled by dam gates to maintain acceptable water levels, from the 3 largest Brazilian hydroelectric plants was used to produce hydrogen. During the year of 2008, the electric energy produced from this utilization would have been equivalent to 52.8 TWh, an amount that corresponds to an increase of ca. 15% of the total electric energy produced in the country. Furthermore, if this amount of hydrogen was used in the replacement of internal combustion vehicles by fuel cells, this would have prevented the production of 2.26 x 10{sup 7} ton of Co{sub 2} per year. This plan would also significantly decrease production and release of greenhouse gases. (author)

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

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... skim milk and butterfat for which a value was computed pursuant to § 1001.60(h) by the producer price... producer price differential and the statistical uniform price pursuant to § 1001.62 (except as provided for... the producer price differential as adjusted pursuant to § 1001.75; (2) An amount obtained by...

Prevalence and concentration of bacterial pathogens in raw produce and minimally processed packaged salads produced in and for the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijnands, Lucas M; Delfgou-van Asch, Ellen H M; Beerepoot-Mensink, Marieke E; van der Meij-Florijn, Alice; Fitz-James, Ife; van Leusden, Frans M; Pielaat, Annemarie

2014-03-01

Recent outbreaks with vegetable or fruits as vehicles have raised interest in the characterization of the public health risk due to microbial contamination of these commodities. Because qualitative and quantitative data regarding prevalence and concentration of various microbes are lacking, we conducted a survey to estimate the prevalence and contamination level of raw produce and the resulting minimally processed packaged salads as sold in The Netherlands. A dedicated sampling plan accounted for the amount of processed produce in relation to the amount of products, laboratory capacity, and seasonal influences. Over 1,800 samples of produce and over 1,900 samples of ready-to-eat mixed salads were investigated for Salmonella enterica serovars, Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157, and Listeria monocytogenes. The overall prevalence in raw produce varied between 0.11% for E. coli O157 and L. monocytogenes and 0.38% for Salmonella. Prevalence point estimates for specific produce/pathogen combinations ranged for Salmonella from 0.53% in iceberg lettuce to 5.1% in cucumber. For Campylobacter, this ranged from 0.83% in endive to 2.7% in oak tree lettuce. These data will be used to determine the public health risk posed by the consumption of ready-to-eat mixed salads in The Netherlands.

Must producers earn a resource rent?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austvik, Ole Gunnar

2003-01-01

In petroleum producing countries it has been a prevailing opinion that a resource rent should be earned by petroleum producers due to the commodities' non-renewable nature. An important element in this logic is that the supply of oil and natural gas is limited to relatively few places in the world. As the resources are exploited, the remaining reserves are reduced. What is extracted today cannot be extracted tomorrow. Rationing of the scarce resource takes place through pricing mechanisms. Due to the scarcity the consumers must pay a higher price than the marginal production costs, so that the amounts supplied and demanded become equal. Most producers of oil and gas and not just the ones that produce the cheapest, have therefore until now earned an economic rent

Method of producing thermally stable uranium carbonitrides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ugajin, M.; Takahashi, I.

1975-01-01

A thermally stable uranium carbonitride can be produced by adding tungsten and/or molybdenum in the amount of 0.2 wt percent or more, preferably 0.5 wt percent or more, to a pure uranium carbonitride. (U.S.)

IL-9-Producing Mast Cell Precursors and Food Allergy

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0517 TITLE: IL-9-Producing Mast Cell Precursors and Food Allergy PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Simon P. Hogan PhD...IL-9-Producing Mast Cell Precursors and Food Allergy 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Yui Hsi Wang, Sunil...threatening anaphylaxis. We have identified a novel multi-functional IL-9-producing mucosal mast cells (MMC9s) that produce large amounts of IL-9, IL

Cosmic-ray-produced stable nuclides: various production rates and their implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reedy, R.C.

1981-01-01

The rates for a number of reactions producing certain stable nuclides, such as 3 He and 4 He, and fission in the moon are calculated for galactic-cosmic-ray particles and for solar protons. Solar-proton-induced reactions with bromine usually are not an important source of cosmogenic Kr isotopes. The 130 Ba(n,p) reaction cannot account for the undercalculation of 130 Xe production rates. Calculated production rates of 15 N, 13 C, and 2 H agree fairly well with rates inferred from measured excesses of these isotopes in samples with long exposure ages. Cosmic-ray-induced fission of U and Th can produce significant amounts of fission tracks and of 86 Kr, 134 Xe, and 136 Xe, especially in samples with long exposures to cosmic-ray particles

Volatile compounds and some physico-chemical properties of pastırma produced with different nitrate levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Akköse

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of different nitrate levels (150, 300, 450, and 600 ppm KNO3 on the volatile compounds and some other properties of pastırma. Methods Pastırma samples were produced under the controlled condition and analyses of volatile compounds, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS as an indicator of lipid oxidation, non-protein nitrogenous matter content as an indicator of proteolysis, color and residual nitrite were carried out on the final product. The profile of volatile compounds of pastırma samples was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using a solid phase microextraction. Results Nitrate level had a significant effect on pH value (p<0.05 and a very significant effect on TBARS value (p<0.01. No significant differences were determined in terms of aw value, non-protein nitrogenous substance content, color and residual nitrite between pastırma groups produced by using different nitrate levels. Nitrate level had a significant (p<0.05 or a very significant (p<0.01 effect on some volatile compounds. It was determined that the amounts and counts of volatile compounds were lower in the 450 and especially 600 ppm nitrate levels than 150 and 300 ppm nitrate levels (p<0.05. While the use of 600 ppm nitrate did not cause an increase in residual nitrite levels, the use of 150 ppm nitrate did not negatively affect the color of pastırma. However, the levels of volatile compounds decreased with an increasing level of nitrate. Conclusion The use of 600 ppm nitrate is not a risk in terms of residual nitrite in pastırma produced under controlled condition, however, this level is not suitable due to decrease in the amount of volatile compounds.

Serious fighting-related injuries produce a significant reduction in intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Joseph A; Beaver, Kevin M

2013-10-01

Fighting-related injuries are common among adolescents within the United States, but how such injuries relate to subsequent cognitive functioning remains unclear. In particular, the long-term effect of fighting-related injuries suffered during important developmental periods, such as adolescence, on subsequent cognitive functioning has been overlooked by previous studies. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between sustaining serious fighting-related injuries and changes in verbal intelligence (IQ) over a 5- to 6-year time period. Longitudinal multivariate statistical models were used to analyze data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health collected between 1994 and 2002 and analyzed in 2013. Even a single fighting-related injury resulted in a significant reduction in IQ over time even after controlling for age, race, sex, and changes in socioeconomic status (SES) over the study period. Additionally, females experienced a significantly greater reduction in IQ from each fighting-related injury than males. Fighting-related injuries have a significant impact on subsequent cognitive functioning and intelligence. The implications for future policies and research are discussed in more detail. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ingenol mebutate in low amounts for the treatment of actinic keratosis in Korean patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joe HJ

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Hyun Jae Joe, Byung Ho Oh Department of Dermatology, Keimyung University, College of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea Background: Ingenol mebutate (IM, a novel agent for field therapy of actinic keratosis (AK, has a drawback of inducing local skin reactions (LSRs, which may cause discomfort in patients. To reduce the LSRs, we tried the application of IM in low amounts.Objective: The purpose of this study was to review Korean patients with AK being treated with IM and evaluate the LSRs and therapeutic outcomes of low amounts of IM.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients with AK on the face. A total of 20 and 27 patients were treated by applying recommended amount of 18.8 mg/cm2 and the lower amount of 10 mg/cm2, respectively.Results: The mean composite LSR score for the low amount group (LAG; 12.18±3.29 was significantly lower than that for the recommended amount group (RAG; 15.45±2.70 (P<0.01, independent sample t-test. The 2-month clearance rate calculated by the number of AKs before and after treatment in each patient was significantly higher for RAG (88.16%, compared with 75.56% for LAG (P<0.001.Conclusion: Low amount of IM for the treatment of facial AK significantly reduced LSRs in Korean patients. Minimizing LSRs may allow for a secondary targeting treatment of IM for the residual lesions, depending on initial treatment outcomes. Keywords: actinic keratosis, field therapy, ingenol mebutate 

Diagnostic value of determination of amount of urinary excretion of proteins for early diabetic nephropathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhuocheng; Chen Jianxiong; Yan Dewen

2007-01-01

Objective: To investigate the value of detection of changes of the amount of usinary excretion of albumin, β 2 -m, Tamm- Horsfall protein and α 1 -m for diagnosis of early diabetic nephropathy. Methods: The amounts of 24h urinary excretion of albumin, β 2 -m, Tamm-Horsfall protein and α 1 -m were determined with RIA in 78 patients with diabetes mellitus and 40 controls. Results: The amounts of 24h urinary excretion of albumin, β 2 -m, α 1 -m in patients with diabetes mellitus were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01 ), while the amount of Tamm-Horsfall protein was significantly lower (P<0.01). Among the diabetic patients, the changes of the amount of protein excretion were more pronounced in those with advanced impairment of renal function. Conclusion: Determination of amount of urinary excretion of proteins was helpful for diagnosis and assessment of early diabetic nephropathy. (authors)

46 CFR 308.403 - Insured amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... total amount of war risk insurance obtainable from companies authorized to do an insurance business in a... MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Builder's Risk Insurance § 308.403 Insured amounts. (a) Prelaunching period. The amount insured during...

[Influence of mastication on the amount of hemoglobin in human brain tissue].

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, A

2001-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of mastication on the amount of hemoglobin in human brain tissue. Nine healthy volunteers (6 males and 3 females) participated in this study. They underwent two tasks: 1) at rest, 2) gum-chewing. In seven of the nine (4 males and 3 females), experimental occlusal interference was applied to the first molar of the mandibule on the habitual masticatory side. They underwent the gum-chewing task. To evaluate the amount of hemoglobin, both the hemoglobin oxygenation state and blood volume during gum-chewing were measured in the frontal region, using near-infrared spectroscopy. The amount of total-hemoglobin (blood volume) and oxyhemoglobin of subjects significantly increased during gum-chewing (p experimental occlusal interference was imposed on the subject, the amount of them significantly decreased compared with subjects without experimental occlusal interference (p < 0.05). The results suggested that increases of cerebral blood flow in the frontal region were not due to the mandibular movement, and that human brain activity caused by mastication was not only in the cortical masticatory area but also in the frontal region.

31 CFR 235.5 - Reclamation amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reclamation amounts. 235.5 Section 235.5 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE... ON DESIGNATED DEPOSITARIES § 235.5 Reclamation amounts. Amounts received by way of reclamation on...

An introduction to in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, K.P.

2012-01-01

Cosmogenic nuclides are produced through interactions between cosmic rays and target nuclei in Earth's atmosphere and surface materials. Those which are produced in Earth's atmosphere are termed 'meteoric' while the nuclides produced in surface material are known as in-situ cosmogenic nuclides. The past two decades have seen a proliferation of applications for cosmogenic nuclides. This is primarily due to a revolution in accelerator mass spectrometry, AMS, measurement techniques which has allowed the measurement of very small amounts of nuclides. The following is a brief introduction to the theory and application of in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclide methods. (author). 17 refs., figs., 1 tab.

Heavy metal accumulation by carrageenan and agar producing algae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burdin, K.S. [Moscow State Univ. (Russian Federation). Faculty of Biology; Bird, K.T. [North Carolina Univ., Wilmington, NC (United States). Center for Marine Science Research

1994-09-01

The accumulation of six heavy metals Cu, Cd, Ni, Zn, Mn and Pb was measured in living and lzophilized algal thalli. The agar producing algae were Gracilaria tikvahiae and Gelidium pusillum. The carrageenan producing macroalgae were Agardhiella subulata and the gametophyte and tetrasporophyte phases of Chondrus crispus. These produce primarily iota, kappa and lambda carrageenans, respectively. At heavy metal concentrations of 0.5 mg L{sup -1}, living thalli of Gracilaria tikvahiae generally showed the greatest amount of accumulation of the 6 heavy metals tested. The accumulation of Pb was greater in the living thalli of all four species than in the lyophilized thalli. Except for Agardhiella subulata, lyophilized thalli showed greater accumulation of Ni, Cu and Zn. There was no difference in heavy metal accumulation between living and lyophilized thalli in the accumulation of Cd. Manganese showed no accumulation at the tested concentration. There did not appear to be a relationship between algal hydrocolloid characteristics and the amounts of heavy metals accumulated. (orig.)

Effect of Guava Extract Administration on Megakaryocytes Amount in Mice Femur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nur Atik

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Dengue fever is a disease spread by mosquito’s bite. Dengue fever is marked by the presence of thrombocytopenia. Traditional crops such as guava are commonly used to treat dengue fever. This research aims to know the effect of guava extract administration towards megakaryocytes amount in mice femur. The study was conducted at the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Therapy, Histology Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Padjadjaran, Eijkman, Bandung from September until November 2016 using laboratory experimental study design. 20 Swiss webster mice strains were divided randomly into 4 groups. Group I and II were administered quinine 2.8 mg/20 grBW/day for 14 days to decrease amount of trombocytes. Group II and III were administered guava extract 0.785 mg/20 grBW/day for 5 days. Group IV was administered aquadest for 19 days. In the 27th day, the mice left femurs were collected and made into paraffin section preparations with hematoxylin-eosin staining and then observed under microscope. Group IV had the most megakaryocytes followed by Group II, III, and I. Based on Kruskal-Wallis test, a significant difference was shown (p<0.05. Mann-Whitney test showed that there were significant differences between Group I and Group II, III, and IV. Meanwhile there was no significant difference between normal mice and extract-given mice. Guava extract is proven statistically significant to increase the megakaryocytes amount in thrombocytopenic mice without increasing number of megakaryocytes in normal mice.

13 CFR 400.202 - Loan amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loan amount. 400.202 Section 400.202 Business Credit and Assistance EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN BOARD EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN PROGRAM Steel Guarantee Loans § 400.202 Loan amount. (a) The aggregate amount of loan principal guaranteed...

13 CFR 500.202 - Loan amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loan amount. 500.202 Section 500.202 Business Credit and Assistance EMERGENCY OIL AND GAS GUARANTEED LOAN BOARD EMERGENCY OIL AND GAS GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAM Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loans § 500.202 Loan amount. The aggregate amount of loan...

Comparative genomics of citric-acid producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita; Schaap, Peter; van de Vondervoort, Peter; Culley, David E.; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristian F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy; Braus, Gerhard; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis; Dai, Ziyu; van Dijck, Piet; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnuson, Jon K.; Menke, Hildegard; Meijer, Martin; Meijer, Susan; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; van Ooyen, Albert; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob; Stam, Hein; Tsang, Adrian; van den Brink, Johannes M.; ATkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; van Peij, Noel; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens B.; Baker, Scott E.

2011-06-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of the electron transport chain, specifically the alternative oxidative pathway in ATCC 1015, while CBS 513.88 showed significant up regulation of genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids that are abundant in glucoamylase A, tRNA-synthases and protein transporters.

45 CFR 32.8 - Amounts withheld.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) of this section, or (ii) An amount equal to 25% of the debtor's disposable pay less the amount(s... first pay day after the employer receives the order. However, if the first pay day is within 10 days after receipt of the order, the employer may begin deductions on the second pay day. (k) An employer may...

Reduction of aerosols produced by ultrasonic scalers.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrel, S K; Barnes, J B; Rivera-Hidalgo, F

1996-01-01

There is concern with decreased air quality and potential aerosol contamination in the dental operatory. This problem has been addressed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends that all sources of blood-contaminated splatter and aerosols be minimized. One of the major sources of potential aerosol contamination in the dental setting is the ultrasonic scaler. This study looks at the use of a high volume evacuator attachment for the ultrasonic scaler handpiece. Artificial teeth were mock-scaled for 1 minute with and without the evacuator attachment. The mock scaling was performed within a plastic enclosure that had a 1 cm grid laid out on 4 sides. Scaling was performed 10 times each by 2 operators. An erythrosin solution was used for the ultrasonic scaler coolant with a coolant volume of 17.5 ml/min. The number of squares containing a red erythrosin spot were counted and considered to represent aerosol contamination. The high volume evacuator attachment produced a 93% reduction in the number of contaminated squares (chi squared significant at P < 0.05). There was no increase in heat transfer to a tooth analogue when the high volume evacuator attachment was used with the ultrasonic scaler as compared to the scaler without the evacuator attachment. It is felt that the high volume evacuator attachment is capable of significantly reducing the amount of aerosol contamination produced within the test system without increased heat transfer to the tooth.

Enhancement of crystallinity of cellulose produced by Escherichia coli through heterologous expression of bcsD gene from Gluconacetobacter xylinus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajadi, Elaheh; Babaipour, Valiollah; Deldar, Ali Asghar; Yakhchali, Bagher; Fatemi, Seyed Safa-Ali

2017-09-01

To evaluate the crystallinity index of the cellulose produced by Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 after heterologous expression of the cellulose synthase subunit D (bcsD) gene of Gluconacetobacter xylinus BPR2001. The bcsD gene of G. xylinus BPR2001 was expressed in E. coli and its protein product was visualized using SDS-PAGE. FTIR analysis showed that the crystallinity index of the cellulose produced by the recombinants was 0.84, which is 17% more than that of the wild type strain. The increased crystallinity index was also confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The cellulose content was not changed significantly after over-expressing the bcsD. The bcsD gene can improve the crystalline structure of the bacterial cellulose but there is not any significant difference between the amounts of cellulose produced by the recombinant and wild type E. coli Nissle 1917.

78 FR 54391 - Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-04

... Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... purposes of the foreign tax credit. These regulations address certain highly structured arrangements that produce inappropriate foreign tax credit results. The regulations affect individuals and corporations that...

76 FR 42076 - Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-18

... Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... purposes of the foreign tax credit. These regulations address certain highly structured arrangements that produce inappropriate foreign tax credit results. The text of those temporary regulations published in...

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

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-30

... Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... of taxes paid for purposes of the foreign tax credit. These regulations address certain highly structured arrangements that produce inappropriate foreign tax credit results. The regulations affect...

76 FR 53819 - Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-30

... Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... purposes of the foreign tax credit. These regulations address certain highly structured arrangements that produce inappropriate foreign tax credit results. The regulations affect individuals and corporations that...

76 FR 42036 - Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-18

... Determining the Amount of Taxes Paid for Purposes of the Foreign Tax Credit AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... purposes of the foreign tax credit. These regulations address certain highly structured arrangements that produce inappropriate foreign tax credit results. The regulations affect individuals and corporations that...

Sodium and potassium content and their ratio in meatballs in tomato sauce produced with lower amounts of sodium

Science.gov (United States)

Lilić, S.; Nikolić, D.; Pejkovski, Z.; Velebit, B.; Lakićević, B.; Korićanac, V.; Vranić, D.

2017-09-01

The goal of this study was to examine the possibility of partial replacement of sodium chloride with potassium chloride and ammonium chloride, with the target of achieving less sodium content in meatballs and tomato sauce as well as achieving a better Na:K ratio. The trial consisted of five groups. In the control group of meatballs and sauce, only sodium chloride was added. In group 1, half of the sodium chloride was replaced with potassium chloride related to control group while in group 2 one third of the sodium chloride was replaced with potassium chloride. In group 3, one third of the sodium chloride was replaced with ammonium chloride, and in group 4, sodium chloride was reduced to half the amount in the control group, and 1 g (0.25%) of ammonium chloride was also added. All products were acceptable according to sensory analyses. The largest reductions of sodium content were 44.64%, achieved in meatballs from group 1 and 50.62% in tomato sauce from group 4 in relation to meatballs and tomato sauce from control group. The highest Na:K ratio was calculated in meatballs and tomato sauce from control group, 2.88 and 4.39, respectively. The best Na:K ratio was in meatballs and tomato sauce from group 1, 0.60 and 0.92, respectively, in which half of sodium chloride was replaced with potassium chloride. However, in meatballs and tomato sauce from group 4, with only half the amount of sodium chloride related to control group, the Na:K ratio was worse because in these products, potassium chloride was not added.

45 CFR 149.100 - Amount of reimbursement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amount of reimbursement. 149.100 Section 149.100... REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EARLY RETIREE REINSURANCE PROGRAM Reinsurance Amounts § 149.100 Amount of reimbursement... reimbursement in the amount of 80 percent of the costs for health benefits (net of negotiated price concessions...

Thermostability of xylanolytic enzymes produced by Lentinula edodes UFV70

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Liliane Fraga Costa; Vaz, Marcelo Gomes Marçal Vieira; Chaves-Alves, Virgínia Maria; Vanetti, Maria Cristina Dantas; Vanetti, Maria Cristina Dantas; Kasuya, Maria Catarina Megumi; Passos, Flávia Maria Lopes; do Nascimento, Antônio Galvão

2012-01-01

Xylanolytic enzymes produced by Lentinula edodes UFV70, cultivated in eucalyptus sawdust/rice bran medium, were stable at 50, 60 and 65°C for 21 hours, losing only 15–25% activity. Fungus incubation at 50°C for 12 hours and at 65°C for 24 hours increased the amount of xylose produced. PMID:24031818

Recycling of aluminum to produce green energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez, Susana Silva; Lopez Benites, Wendy; Alvarez Gallegos, Alberto A. [Centro de Investigacion en Ingenieria y Ciencias Aplicadas, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos C.P. 62210 (Mexico); Sebastian, P.J. [Centro de Investigacion en Energia-UNAM, 62580 Temixco, Morelos (Mexico)

2005-07-15

High-purity hydrogen gas was generated from the chemical reaction of aluminum with sodium hydroxide. Several molar relations of sodium hydroxide/aluminum were investigated in this study. The experimental results showed that hydrogen yields are acceptable and its purity was good enough to be used in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell to produce electricity. An estimation of the amount of energy produced from the reaction of 100 aluminum cans with caustic soda showed that the hydrogen production is feasible to be scaled up to reach up to 5kWh in a few hours. This study is environmentally friendly and also shows that green energy can be produced from aluminum waste at a low cost.

[Effects of irrigation amount on morphological characteristics and water use of Jatropha curcas].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qi-Liang; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Xiao-Gang; Liu, Yan-Wei; Yang, Ju-Rui

2014-05-01

Jatropha curcas is the most promising energy tree, and soil moisture is the key factor which affects the seedling quality and water use efficiency of J. curcas. With aims to evaluate the effect of different irrigation amount on growth, morphological characteristics and water use of J. curcas, a pot experiment was conducted with four irrigation amounts, i. e., W1:472.49 mm, W2: 228.79 mm, W3:154.18 mm and W4:106.93 mm, respectively. Compared with W1 treatment, the leaf area and stem cross-section area of base significantly decreased in W2, W3 and W4 treatments, but Huber value significantly increased, which could improve the efficiency of water transfer from root to shoot, thus enhance the capability of resistance to drought stress. Compared with W, treatment, the healthy index of J. curcas seedlings decreased slightly in W2 treatment but significantly decreased in W3 and W4 treatments. Hence, the irrigation amount from 228.79 to 472.49 mm was beneficial to increase the healthy index of J. curcas seedlings. Compared with W1 treatment, irrigation water was saved by 67.4% in W3 treatment, and the total dry mass and evapotranspiration significantly decreased by 17.4% and 68.6%, and the irrigation water use efficiency and total water use efficiency increased by 153.2% and 163.2%, respectively. In the condition of this study, the irrigation amount of 154.18 mm was beneficial to increase water use efficiency.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Determinants influencing the amount of asbestos-cement roofing in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilk Ewa

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Because of its harmfulness to human health, asbestos has been banned in 55 countries, including the EU. In Poland, the use and production of asbestos and asbestos-containing products has been forbidden since 1997. However, there is no precise data about the amount of asbestos-containing products to be eliminated from the territory of Poland. This survey aims to identify characteristics that have a significant impact on the estimation of asbestos-containing products used in Poland. Statistical correlation between the results of the physical inventory count done in 155 municipalities was examined. As a result of the survey it was found that the amount of asbestos-cement roofing depends on the following factors: the number of individual farms in the village, the distance from the asbestos manufacturing plants, the age of the buildings and the economic situation of municipality. The results obtained may contribute to the ability to predict the amount of asbestos-containing products used in other municipalities.

Very little in situ produced radiocarbon retained in accumulating Antarctic ice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kemp, W.J.M. van der; Alderliesten, C.; Borg, K. van der; Holmlund, P.; Jong, A.F.M. de; Karlöf, L.; Lamers, R.A.N.; Oerlemans, J.; Thomassen, M.; Wal, R.S.W. van de

2000-01-01

Ice samples from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, were analyzed for 14CO2 and 14CO by accelerator mass spectrometry. Only a small amount (~2%) of in situ produced radiocarbon was detected. The calibrated radiocarbon ages, corrected for in situ produced 14C, are in fair agreement with age estimates

Chemical milling solution produces smooth surface finish on aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Marine Vibrio Species Produce the Volatile Organic Compound Acetone

OpenAIRE

Nemecek-Marshall, M.; Wojciechowski, C.; Kuzma, J.; Silver, G. M.; Fall, R.

1995-01-01

While screening aerobic, heterotrophic marine bacteria for production of volatile organic compounds, we found that a group of isolates produced substantial amounts of acetone. Acetone production was confirmed by gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The major acetone producers were identified as nonclinical Vibrio species. Acetone production was maximal in the stationary phase of growth and was stimulated by addition of l-leucine...

Effects of coral reef benthic primary producers on dissolved organic carbon and microbial activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas F Haas

Full Text Available 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

Effects of Different Addition Amounts of Superphosphate on Vegetable Waste Compost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YANG Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of different addition amounts of superphosphate on vegetable waste compost were studied. Results showed that, addition of superphosphate improved the temperature during the compost. It had the highest temperature of 64.33℃, when the addition quantity of superphosphate was 10.26% of dry matter weight. At the end of the composting, adding superphosphate had no significant effect on C/N, however, it decreased pH and improved the EC of the compost. The EC values were significantly higher than CK, when the addition amount was be tween 4.10%and 10.26%of dry matter weight. When the addition below 10.26%, the GI values were significantly higher than CK(P<0.01, and the highest value was 105.61%, when the addition was 2.05%(S5. Adding superphosphate significantly reduced the nitrogen loss rate of composting(P<0.05, and the lowest was 23.94%，when the addition was 2.05%, meanwhile, the input-output ratio was 3.93, which was the highest value. Under this experimental condition, adding superphosphate promoted the compost maturity significantly, reduced the nitrogen loss rate, and the optimal addition of superphosphate was 2.05%of dry matter weight.

Correlation between image quality of CT scan and amount of intravenous contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Dae Young; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Seung Hyup; Han, Joon Koo; Choi, Byung Ihn; Im, Jung Gi; Han, Moon Hee; Chang, Kee Hyun; Kim, Jong Hyo; Han, Man Chung

1993-01-01

A blind, comparative clinical study was performed prospectively to examine the correlation between image quality of CT scan in terms of contrast enhancement effect and amount of intravenous contrast media. A total of 357 patients were randomized into two groups. Ionic high-osmolality contrast media (68% meglumine ioglicate) was administered intravenously as 100 ml bolus in one group and as 50 ml bolus in the other group. Statistically significant differences of image quality were found in CT scans of the brain, head and neck, chest and abdomen (p 0.05). We suggest that amount of contrast media may be reduced in pelvis CT without significant degradation of image quality

Effects of produced water on gametogenesis and gamete performance in the purple sea urchin (Stronglyocentrotus purpuratus)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, P.R.

1993-01-01

The author examined the effects of a chronic exposure to produced water (an oil production effluent) discharge on the gametogenesis and gamete performance of the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) using an in situ caging experiment. Adult purple urchins were kept in benthic cages arrayed down-field from a discharging diffuser at 13 sites with distances ranging from 5m to 1,000m. Cage exposures were maintained in the field for eight weeks and each cage held 25 urchins. Gametogenesis was examined for each sex by comparing a size-independent measure of gonad mass as determined by analysis of covariance. The author found that there was a significant negative relationship between gonad mass and cage distance for both sexes, indicating that urchins living closer to the outfall produced significantly larger gonads. Gamete performance was measured through a fertilization kinetic bioassay that holds the concentration of eggs constant and varies the amount of sperm added. The proportion of eggs fertilized under each sperm concentration was determined and the response fit to a kinetics model. Significant differences were found in the fertilizability of eggs between cages. This showed a positive relationship with distance away from the outfall. The findings indicate that while adult urchins exposed to a produced water outfall produced larger gonads, they suffered a marked decreases in gamete performance

Cosmic-ray produced nuclides in ground level air and in precipitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schumann, G.; Roedel, W.; Stoeppler, M.

1963-11-15

There are mainly three kinds of radioactive substances in the atmosphere: emanations from the ground and their daughters, nuclides produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays, and artificial products originating from nuclear weapon tests (and in a very small amount from other nuclear technical applications). This paper deals in particular with some of the cosmic-ray produced nuclides.

Effects of Different Amounts of Nitrogen and Azotobarvar on Growth Characteristics and Yield of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ghobad mohammadpoor

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction One of the most important agricultural efforts is to minimize the use of chemicals nitrogen fertilizers and to replace it with biological nitrogen fertilizers to produce healthy productions. In dry conditions the use of industrial nitrogen fertilizers depends on the amount of rainfall and consumed cautiously. Low consumption of nitrogen sources reduce crop growth and yield and higher than optimum applications of chemical Nitrogen sources can cause many environmental disorders. This is while Azotobacter as a soil bacteria also fixes nitrogen, produce vitamins, growth hormones and antibiotics and also increases the photosynthesis, plant growth and grain yield and reduces the need to application of chemical Nitrogen. Materials and Methods In order to study the effect of biological and industrial nitrogen fertilizers on growth, yield and yield components of chickpea (Bivanij variety, an experiment was conducted with split plot arrangement based on randomized complete block design (RCBD with four replications under rainfed conditions in the Telesm village, Dalahoo, Kermanshah, during 2013 agricultural season. Climate of the region is temperate and semi-arid with 535.6 mm of rainfall. Soil texture is clay - loam with 0.02 percent of nitrogen. Basic amount of Nitrogen fertilizer was considered 30 Kg.ha-1 Urea and four levels of chemical nitrogen fertilizers including: %50 of base fertilizer, %100 of base fertilizer, %150 of base fertilizer and no fertilizer (control were assumed as main plot factors. Similarly, the basic amount of Azotobarvar bio-fertilizer was considered as 100 g.ha-1 and four levels of it including %50 of base fertilizer, %100 of base fertilizer, %150 of base fertilizer and no bio-fertilizer (control were assumed as sub plot factors. Bio-fertilizers are inoculated to seeds and planting was done manually on 19 March 2013. Density was considered 40 plants per square meter with 25 cm intervals between rows and 10 cm on the

Characterization of toxic waste produced in PYMES manufacturing detergents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campuzano, Silvia; Camacho, Judith Elena; Alvarez, Alicia

2006-01-01

From the protection of the environment, the problem of the residuals squatter a main place in the environmental administration; presently study a test pilot was standardized, to characterize the toxic waste generated in the production of detergents, to standardize methods of chemical valuation and microbiological of polluted waters that allow later on to apply methods of biological purification and processes of bio-treatment of residuals, the project macro of handling of toxic waste it was addressed this way in small and medium companies producers of detergents. The presence settled down of toxic in the studied waste, represented in surfactants significant amounts, phenols, hydrocarbons, fat and phosphates and the decrease of its quantity in front of the action of bacteria, situation that allowed concluding that the approach to the biotransformation process could be carried out

7 CFR 1427.175 - Liability of the producer.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., maintaining a loan, or settling a loan or if the producer disposes of or moves the loan collateral without the... disposition or movement of the loan collateral; (iv) Applicable interest on such amounts; and (v) Liquidated... moved, the loan collateral without prior written approval from CCC, the value of such collateral...

Decarbonization process for carbothermically produced aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, Marshall J.; Carkin, Gerald E.; DeYoung, David H.; Dunlap, Sr., Ronald M.

2015-06-30

A method of recovering aluminum is provided. An alloy melt having Al.sub.4C.sub.3 and aluminum is provided. This mixture is cooled and then a sufficient amount of a finely dispersed gas is added to the alloy melt at a temperature of about 700.degree. C. to about 900.degree. C. The aluminum recovered is a decarbonized carbothermically produced aluminum where the step of adding a sufficient amount of the finely dispersed gas effects separation of the aluminum from the Al.sub.4C.sub.3 precipitates by flotation, resulting in two phases with the Al.sub.4C.sub.3 precipitates being the upper layer and the decarbonized aluminum being the lower layer. The aluminum is then recovered from the Al.sub.4C.sub.3 precipitates through decanting.

Bioavailability of isoflavones from soy products in equol producers and non-producers in Japanese women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayako Miura

2016-12-01

Conclusions: The results in this study suggest that bioavailability of isoflavones are different between equol producers and non-producers, because the 24 h urinary excretion of equol in the equol producers were significantly lower than those in the equol non-producers.

Influence of decrease of the amount of starting salary of radiological technologists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibuya, Koichi; Kato, Hirokazu

2010-01-01

This paper analyzes differences and changes within and between the occupation of nurses, radiological technologists, and medical technologists concerning starting salary from April 2005 to March 2009. This paper also investigates the percentage of difference in the amount of starting salary of nurses, radiological technologists, and medical technologists according to their educational attainments. The research-target used was the full-time-job-opening data provided to Okayama University within the given period of time, which specifies the amount of starting salary. The result shows that one's educational background has a crucial influence on the amount of one's starting salary. In fact, the percentage of the amount of starting salary base on one's educational attainment all increased in nurses, radiological technologists, and medical technologists from April 2007 to March 2009. However, this percentage for radiological technologists remains only 50% of increase, which was less significant than other two professional occupations. Moreover, the result indicates a crucial change in the amount of basic starting salary: while the amount of basic starting salary of nurses in 2008 has increased since 2005, that of radiological technologists has dropped remarkably. If this situation is not improved in the near future, the health-service sector may experience a decrease in the number of skilled practitioners which, in turn, will result in a decline in quality of medical care. (author)

Experimental investigation of solid oxide fuel cells using biomass gasification producer gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norheim, Arnstein

2005-07-01

The main objective of this thesis is theoretical and experimental investigations related to utilisation of biomass gasification producer gases as fuel for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). Initial fundamental steps towards a future system of combined heat and power production based on biomass gasification and SOFC are performed and include: 1) Theoretical modeling of the composition of biomass gasification producer gases. 2) Experimental investigation of SOFC performance using biomass gasification producer gas as fuel. 3) Experimental investigation of SOFC performance using biomass gasification producer gas containing high sulphur concentration. The modeling of the composition of gasifier producer gas was performed using the program FactSage. The main objective was to investigate the amount and speciation of trace species in the producer gases as several parameters were varied. Thus, the composition at thermodynamic equilibrium of sulphur, chlorine, potassium, sodium and compounds of these were established. This was done for varying content of the trace species in the biomass material at different temperatures and fuel utilisation i.e. varying oxygen content in the producer gas. The temperature interval investigated was in the range of normal SOFC operation. It was found that sulphur is expected to be found as H2S irrespective of temperature and amount of sulphur. Only at very high fuel utilisation some S02 is formed. Important potassium containing compounds in the gas are gaseous KOH and K. When chlorine is present, the amount of KOH and K will decrease due to the formation of KCI. The level of sodium investigated here was low, but some Na, NaOH and NaCl is expected to be formed. Below a certain temperature, condensation of alkali rich carbonates may occur. The temperature at which condensation begins is mainly depending on the amount of potassium present; the condensation temperature increases with increasing potassium content. In the first experimental work

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

Science.gov (United States)

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 system produced significantly more debris compared with the SAF system (P 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.

Characteristics of aggregation of daily rainfall in a middle-latitudes region during a climate variability in annual rainfall amount

Science.gov (United States)

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

The occurrence and significance of fibronectin in livers from chronic alcoholics. An immunohistochemical study of early alcoholic liver injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Junge, Jette; Horn, T; Christoffersen, P

1988-01-01

The occurrence and distribution of fibronectin (FN) was assessed by an immunoperoxidase technique in liver biopsies from alcoholics without and with acinar zone 3 fibrosis of varying degrees. Increased amounts of FN was found diffusely in zone 3 areas with a perisinusoidal and pericellular...... localization. FN was closely correlating to the pattern of fibrosis but increased amounts of FN could also be seen in biopsies without fibrosis as visualized in Picro-Sirius stained sections. There was no topographical relationship to liver cells with fatty changes, Mallory bodies or to alcoholic hepatitis....... It is made probable that FN is of significance in the development of early liver fibrosis in alcoholics and that FN may act as a chemotactic factor for collagen producing cells and as a skeleton for the new collagen formation....

24 CFR 201.10 - Loan amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Loan amounts. 201.10 Section 201.10... MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES TITLE I PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT AND MANUFACTURED HOME LOANS Loan and Note Provisions § 201.10 Loan amounts. (a) Property...

Toxins Produced by Valsa mali var. mali and Their Relationship with Pathogenicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caixia Wang

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Valsa mali var. mali (Vmm, the causal agent of apple tree canker disease, produces various toxic compounds, including protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxyacetophenone, 3-(p-hydroxyphenylpropanoic acid and phloroglucinol. Here, we examined the relationship between toxin production and the pathogenicity of Vmm strains and determined their bioactivities in several assays, for further elucidating the pathogenesis mechanisms of Vmm and for developing new procedures to control this disease. The toxins were quantified with the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC method, and the results showed that the strain with attenuated virulence produced low levels of toxins with only three to four kinds of compounds being detectable. In contrast, higher amounts of toxins were produced by the more aggressive strain, and all five compounds were detected. This indicated a significant correlation between the pathogenicity of Vmm strains and their ability to produce toxins. However, this correlation only existed in planta, but not in vitro. During the infection of Vmm, protocatechuic acid was first detected at three days post inoculation (dpi, and the others at seven or 11 dpi. In addition, all compounds produced noticeable symptoms on host plants at concentrations of 2.5 to 40 mmol/L, with protocatechuic acid being the most effective compound, whereas 3-(p-hydroxyphenylpropanoic acid or p-hydroxybenzoic acid were the most active compounds on non-host plants.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Fe-28Al-5Cr/TiC composites produced by hot-pressing sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xinghua; Yang Jun; Ma Jiqiang; Bi Qinling; Cheng Jun; Liang Yongmin; Liu Weimin

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The near fully dense Fe-28Al-5Cr/TiC composites are produced by hot-pressing sintering. → All the materials exhibit high compressive and bending strength. → Compressive strength increases but bending strength and ductility diminish with rising TiC amount in the composites. → Wear resistance significantly increases with rising TiC amount. - Abstract: The mechanical properties and microstructures of Fe-28Al-5Cr based composites reinforced with 15, 25, 35, 50 wt.% TiC ceramic particle, produced by hot-pressing sintering method, were investigated. The relative density of all the composites was up to 99%. The distribution of TiC was uniform in the composites. Results of XRD analysis showed that the composites were composed of TiC and disorder Fe 3 Al phases. All the materials exhibited very high strength of 1200-2000 MPa. The hardness and compressive strength of the composites increased obviously but compressive strain decreased gradually except 50% composite with increasing TiC content. The bending strength and deflection of the composites decreased significantly with increasing TiC content. The bending fracture surfaces of all the materials were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fracture mode transformed gradually from tough dimple fracture mode to brittle cleavage facets crack mode with the increase of TiC content. Wear resistance of the Fe-28Al-5Cr alloy was also significantly improved by addition of TiC.

A comparison of cold flow properties of biodiesel produced from virgin and used frying oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Shanableh, Filiz [Food Engineering Department, Near East University (Cyprus); Evcil, Ali; Govsa, Cemal [Mechanical Engineering Department, Near East University (Cyprus); Savasdylmac, Mahmut A. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Booazici University (Turkey)

2011-07-01

Bio-diesel can be produced from different kinds of feedstock. The purpose of this paper is to research and make the comparison of the cold flow properties of bio-diesel produced from refined-virgin frying vegetable oil (RVFVO) and waste frying vegetable oil (WFVO). As is known, bio-diesel fuel will have higher cloud points (CP), cold filter plugging points (CFPP) and pour points (PP) if it is derived from fat or oil which consists of significant amounts of saturated fatty compounds. Both RVFVO and WFVO were derived from the same cafeteria on a Near East University campus and converted to biodiesel fuel through base catalyzed transesterification reaction. As the current results show, there is no considerable difference in cold flow properties of the bio-diesel produced from RVFVO and WFVO. So WFVO seems be better positioned to serve as raw material in biodiesel production because of its lower cost and its environmental benefits.

The significance of cellulolytic enzymes produced by Trichoderma in opportunistic lifestyle of this fungus.

Science.gov (United States)

Strakowska, Judyta; Błaszczyk, Lidia; Chełkowski, Jerzy

2014-07-01

The degradation of native cellulose to glucose monomers is a complex process, which requires the synergistic action of the extracellular enzymes produced by cellulolytic microorganisms. Among fungi, the enzymatic systems that can degrade native cellulose have been extensively studied for species belonging to the genera of Trichoderma. The majority of the cellulolytic enzymes described so far have been examples of Trichoderma reesei, extremely specialized in the efficient degradation of plant cell wall cellulose. Other Trichoderma species, such as T. harzianum, T. koningii, T. longibrachiatum, and T. viride, known for their capacity to produce cellulolytic enzymes, have been isolated from various ecological niches, where they have proved successful in various heterotrophic interactions. As saprotrophs, these species are considered to make a contribution to the degradation of lignocellulosic plant material. Their cellulolytic potential is also used in interactions with plants, especially in plant root colonization. However, the role of cellulolytic enzymes in species forming endophytic associations with plants or in those existing in the substratum for mushroom cultivation remains unknown. The present review discusses the current state of knowledge about cellulolytic enzymes production by Trichoderma species and the encoding genes, as well as the involvement of these proteins in the lifestyle of Trichoderma. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Transmission-Cost-Based Model to Estimate the Amount of Market-Integrable Wind Resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morales González, Juan Miguel; Pinson, Pierre; Madsen, Henrik

2012-01-01

are made to share the expenses in transmission derived from their integration, they may see the doors of electricity markets closed for not being competitive enough. This paper presents a model to decide the amount of wind resources that are economically exploitable at a given location from a transmission......In the pursuit of the large-scale integration of wind power production, it is imperative to evaluate plausible frictions among the stochastic nature of wind generation, electricity markets, and the investments in transmission required to accommodate larger amounts of wind. If wind producers......-cost perspective. This model accounts for the uncertain character of wind by using a modeling framework based on stochastic optimization, simulates market barriers by means of a bi-level structure, and considers the financial risk of investments in transmission through the conditional value-at-risk. The major...

Producing glass-ceramics from waste materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boccaccini, A.R.; Rawlings, R.D. [Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)

2002-10-01

An overview is given of recent research at the Department of Materials of Imperial College, London, UK, concerning the production of useful glass-ceramic products from industrial waste materials. The new work, using controlled crystallisation to improve the properties of vitrified products, could help to solve the problem of what to do with increasing amounts of slag, fly ash and combustion dust. The results show, that it is possible to produce new materials with interesting magnetic and constructive properties.

Influence of polyvinyl alcohol amount on producing in situ photo-crosslinked thioamide functionalized nanofiber membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeytuncu Bihter

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Poly(vinyl alcohol/maleic anhydride/acryloyl thioamide monomer (PVA/MA/ATM photo-cured nanofiber membranes and pure PVA nanofiber membranes were produced by electrospinning technique. In situ UV radiation was applied during the electrospinning in order to provide polymerization during the jet flight and promote crosslinking of ATM and MA with PVA. The cross-linking was examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. The morphology and thermal behavior of electrospun nanofiber were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, respectively. The surface area of nanofiber membranes was measured by Brunauer-Emmert-Teller (BET analysis. Furthermore, water durability test was examined. Water durability test demonstrated that in situ photo-cured PVA/MA/ATM nanofiber membrane had the least average mass loss. The surface areas of PVA/MA/ATM nanofiber membranes were 160-280 m2/g. The surface area and diameter of PVA/MA/ATM nanofibers decreased as the PVA content increased. The diameter of nanofibers was obtained less than 100 nm. The results showed that the water-insoluble nanofiber membranes with better chemical and thermal resistance were obtained. These nanofiber membranes may be a promising candidate for the usage of water treatment.

Friction produced by types of elastomeric ligatures in treatment mechanics with the preadjusted appliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Baccetti, Tiziano; Franchi, Lorenzo

2006-03-01

The objective was to compare the frictional forces generated by new nonconventional passive elastomeric ligatures (NCL) and conventional elastomeric ligatures (CL) under dry conditions. An experimental model reproducing the right buccal segment of the upper arch and consisting of five stainless steel 0.022-inch preadjusted brackets (from the second premolar through the central incisor) was used to assess both static and kinetic frictional forces produced by NCL and CL. The frictional forces generated by the 0.019 x 0.025-inch stainless steel wire with the two types of elastomeric ligatures were recorded by sliding the wire into the aligned brackets. The friction produced by the 0.014-inch superelastic nickel titanium wire was evaluated both in the presence of aligned brackets and of three-mm misaligned canine bracket. The amount of both static and kinetic frictions were minimal (<10 g) in the NCL group in the presence of aligned brackets with both types of wires, whereas it ranged from a minimum of 95.6 g for the 0.014-inch superelastic nickel titanium wire to a maximum of 590.7 g for the 0.019 x 0.025-inch stainless steel wire when using CL. The amount of both static and kinetic frictions in the presence of a misaligned canine bracket in the NCL group were less than half of that shown by the CL group. A recently developed passive ligature system is able to produce significantly lower levels of frictional forces in vitro when compared with conventional elastomeric modules.

26 CFR 1.465-20 - Treatment of amounts borrowed from certain persons and amounts protected against loss.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... not increase the taxpayer's amount at risk because they are borrowed from a person who has an interest in the activity other than that of a creditor or from a person who is related to a person (other than the taxpayer) who has an interest in the activity other than that of a creditor; and (2) Amounts...

Modest Amounts of Voluntary Exercise Reduce Pain- and Stress-Related Outcomes in a Rat Model of Persistent Hind Limb Inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, Mark H; Tarum, Farid; Rauf, Imran Z; Low, Lucie A; Bushnell, Catherine

2017-06-01

Aerobic exercise improves outcomes in a variety of chronic health conditions, yet the support for exercise-induced effects on chronic pain in humans is mixed. Although many rodent studies have examined the effects of exercise on persistent hypersensitivity, the most used forced exercise paradigms that are known to be highly stressful. Because stress can also produce analgesic effects, we studied how voluntary exercise, known to reduce stress in healthy subjects, alters hypersensitivity, stress, and swelling in a rat model of persistent hind paw inflammation. Our data indicate that voluntary exercise rapidly and effectively reduces hypersensitivity as well as stress-related outcomes without altering swelling. Moreover, the level of exercise is unrelated to the analgesic and stress-reducing effects, suggesting that even modest amounts of exercise may impart significant benefit in persistent inflammatory pain states. Modest levels of voluntary exercise reduce pain- and stress-related outcomes in a rat model of persistent inflammatory pain, independently of the amount of exercise. As such, consistent, self-regulated activity levels may be more relevant to health improvement in persistent pain states than standardized exercise goals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Some conditions for significant contribution from photovoltaics to sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coiante, D.

1994-03-01

In medium-long term perspective, the anthropogenic atmospheric pollution, due to fossil fuel burning, could be contained by massively using of renewable energy. Significant improvements are expected to arise from diffusion into use of large scale PV power systems. Considering the situation in Italy as a typical study case, a limit can be individuated, which makes that PV contribution to annual electric energy balance can reach a maximum of about 7%. Such a figure corresponds to about 2% in terms of contribution to total energy balance. Thus, the intermittent energy sources are destined, in Italy, to be confined to a role, just significant (7%) in the electric energy sector, but quite marginal (2%) with reference to expected environmental massive benefits. Apart from numerical results, this disappointing concept can be applied in general to all OCSE countries, wich globally produce the largest amount of world pollutant energy. Consequently, if photovoltaics wants to acquire a real environmental consistence, the limit of PV system diffusion has to be overcome. This can be attained by implementing the present grid-tied reference model for PV system diffusion by including an hydrogen production and storage system

Produced water treatment and discharge solutions in TRANSPETRO maritime terminals; Solucoes de tratamento e descarte de agua produzida nos terminais aquaviarios da TRANSPETRO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mansor, Leonardo Mitidiero; Burburan, Alexandre; Rodrigues, Fernanda Fonseca; Cerqueira, Ana Claudia F.P. de [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Padilha, Carlos Frederico [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The PETROBRAS produced water programme, conducted by PETROBRAS S.A. is the response to the challenge faced in handling, treating and discharging produced water associated to oil production that comes from Campos Basin mainly. After run modeling studies in oil and produced water associated through 2015 scenario, it was identified the total amount of produced water that will be handle monthly, increasing from 215.000 m{sup 3} up to 420.000 m{sup 3}. To achieve the goals of treating e discharging that huge amount of water, the program understood the following main actions: built 5 produced water plants (Sao Sebastiao, Macae-Cabiunas, Angra dos Reis, Sao Francisco do Sul and Osorio) and 2 reinjection sites (Cabiunas and Lagoa Parda). These plants and sites will be able to treat monthly the total produced water amount of 677.000 m{sup 3}. (author)

Volatile compounds of Aspergillus strains with different abilities to produce ochratoxin A.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeleń, Henryk H; Grabarkiewicz-Szczesna, Jadwiga

2005-03-09

Volatile compounds emitted by Aspergillus strains having different abilities to produce ochratoxin A were investigated. Thirteen strains of Aspergillus ochraceus, three belonging to the A. ochraceus group, and eight other species of Aspergillus were examined for their abilities to produce volatile compounds and ochratoxin A on a wheat grain medium. The profiles of volatile compounds, analyzed using SPME, in all A. ochraceus strains, regardless of their toxeginicity, were similar and comprised mainly of 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone, 3-octanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octene, and limonene. The prevailing compound was always 1-octen-3-ol. Mellein, which forms part of the ochratoxin A molecule, was found in both toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains. Volatile compounds produced by other Aspergillus strains were similar to those of A. ochraceus. Incubation temperatures (20, 24, and 27 degrees C) and water content in the medium (20, 30, and 40%) influenced both volatile compounds formation and ochratoxin A biosynthesis efficiency, although conditions providing the maximum amount of volatiles were different from those providing the maximum amount of ochratoxin A. The pattern of volatiles produced by toxigenic A. ochraceus strains does not facilitate their differentiation from nontoxigenic strains.

12 CFR 347.120 - Computation of investment amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Computation of investment amounts. 347.120... GENERAL POLICY INTERNATIONAL BANKING § 347.120 Computation of investment amounts. In computing the amount that may be invested in any foreign organization under §§ 347.117 through 347.119, any investments held...

Blue lighting decreases the amount of food consumed in men, but not in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sungeun; Han, Ashley; Taylor, Michael H; Huck, Alexandria C; Mishler, Amanda M; Mattal, Kyle L; Barker, Caleb A; Seo, Han-Seok

2015-02-01

Previous research has demonstrated that colors of lighting can modulate participants' motivation to consume the food placed under the lighting. This study was designed to determine whether the colors of lighting can affect the amount of food consumed, in addition to sensory perception of the food. The influence of lighting color was also compared between men and women. One-hundred twelve participants (62 men and 50 women) were asked to consume a breakfast meal (omelets and mini-pancakes) under one of three different lighting colors: white, yellow, and blue. During the test, hedonic impression of the food's appearance, willingness to eat, overall flavor intensity and overall impression of the food, and meal size (i.e., the amount of food consumed) were measured. Blue lighting decreased the hedonic impression of the food's appearance, but not the willingness to eat, compared to yellow and white lighting conditions. The blue lighting significantly decreased the amount consumed in men, but not in women, compared to yellow and white lighting conditions. Overall flavor intensity and overall impression of the food were not significantly different among the three lighting colors. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence that the color of lighting can modulate the meal size. In particular, blue lighting can decrease the amount of food eaten in men without reducing their acceptability of the food. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Very little in situ produced radiocarbon retained in accumulating Antarctic ice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemp, W.J.M. van der; Alderliesten, C.; Borg, K. van der; Holmlund, P.; Jong, A.F.M. de; Karloef, L.; Lamers, R.A.N.; Oerlemans, J.; Thomassen, M.; Wal, R.S.W. van de

2000-01-01

Ice samples from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, were analyzed for 14 CO 2 and 14 CO by accelerator mass spectrometry. Only a small amount (∼2%) of in situ produced radiocarbon was detected. The calibrated radiocarbon ages, corrected for in situ produced 14 C, are in fair agreement with age estimates obtained from stratigraphical methods added to a gas inclusion model. The ages of the entrapped air range from recent to ca. 1200 AD

The estimation of the amount of radioactive waste from decommissioning of the nuclear facilities in Oarai Engineering Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanimoto, Kenichi; Aihara, Nagafumi; Imai, Katutomo; Tobita, Kazunori; Nemoto, Masaaki; Imahori, Shinji; Noguchi, Kouichi; Hasegawa, Makoto

1998-11-01

The estimation of the amount of radioactive waste produced from nuclear facilities in Oarai Engineering Center was performed for the purpose of using it for countermeasure of decommissioning planning. The conditions and the result of the estimation are as follows; (1) The total amount of occurrence of radioactive waste is 18,820 tons. As the items of the amount in radioactive level, the amount of 1 GBq/t and over is 820 tons and that of under 1 GBq/t is 18,000 tons. (2) The amount of metal waste is 5,820 tons and the amount of concrete is 13,000 tons. (3) Above calculation was based on related specifications, complete drawings, and visual observation. (4) To dismantle facilities, if must exfoliate the surface of wall. As for the polluted zone and the zone with possibility of pollution, it decided to exfoliate 5 cm in thickness from the surface of the wall. And, as for the zone that fundamentally pollution was not there, it decided to exfoliate surface 1 cm in thickness from the surface of the wall. (5) Using the suitable decontamination technology and exfoliation technology can reduce the amount of radioactive waste. (6) In the facilities dealing with sealed source judging from the past record of operation, there is no contact with the radioactive material, etc. Therefore, it can be disposed of all the waste that comes out from the facilities as non-radioactive waste. (author)

7 CFR 1710.107 - Amount lent for acquisitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amount lent for acquisitions. 1710.107 Section 1710... GUARANTEES Loan Purposes and Basic Policies § 1710.107 Amount lent for acquisitions. The maximum amount that will be lent for an acquisition is limited to the value of the property, as determined by RUS. If the...

24 CFR 232.565 - Maximum loan amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES MORTGAGE INSURANCE FOR NURSING HOMES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, BOARD AND CARE HOMES, AND ASSISTED... Fire Safety Equipment Eligible Security Instruments § 232.565 Maximum loan amount. The principal amount...

The economics of producing energy crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapouri, H.; Duffield, J.

1993-01-01

The US agricultural sector has an immense supply of natural resources which can be used to product energy. Production of energy from these resources could stimulate economic growth, improve environmental quality, and enhance energy security. However, producing feedstocks and converting biomass to energy require large amounts of capital, equipment, labor, and processing facilities. This paper looks at the costs and benefits of producing energy crops for fuel conversion. A review of studies and crop data show that the cost of growing and converting various feedstocks with current technology is greater than the cost of producing conventional fuels. Conventional motor fuels have a price advantage over biofuels, but market prices don't always reflect the cost of negative externalities imposed on society. Government decisions to invest in alternative energy sources should be based on research that includes the environmental costs and benefits of energy production. The future of biofuels will depend on the continuation of government research and incentive programs. As new technologies advance, the costs of processing energy crops and residues will fall, making biofuels more competitive in energy markets

Development of device producing electrolyzed water for home care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umimoto, K; Nagata, S; Yanagida, J

2013-01-01

When water containing ionic substances is electrolyzed, electrolyzed water with strong bactericidal ability due to the available chlorine(AC) is generated on the anode side. Slightly acidic to neutral electrolyzed water (pH 6.5 to 7.5) is physiological pH and is suitable for biological applications. For producing slightly acidic to neutral electrolyzed water simply, a vertical-type electrolytic tank with an asymmetric structure was made. As a result, a small amount of strongly alkaline water was generated in the upper cathodic small chamber, and a large amount of weakly acidic water generated in the lower anodic large chamber. The pH and AC concentration in solutin mixed with both electrolyzed water were 6.3 and 39.5 ppm, respectively, This solution was slightly acidic to neutral electrolyzed water and had strong bactericidal activity. This device is useful for producing slightly acidic to neutral electrolyzed water as a disinfectant to employ at home care, when considering economic and environmental factors, since it returns to ordinary water after use.

24 CFR 891.525 - Amount and terms of financing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Amount and terms of financing. 891... Handicapped-Section 8 Assistance § 891.525 Amount and terms of financing. (a) The amount of financing approved... financing provided shall not exceed the lesser of: (1) The dollar amounts stated in paragraphs (b) through...

The FCC process as a producer of light olefins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yung, K.Y.; Yanik, S.; O'Connor, P.; Pouwels, C.

1992-01-01

To reduce emissions from the gasoline engine, aromatics content and vapor pressure of the motor gasoline pool will be reduced and a minimum amount of oxygen will be mandated. This reformulation will limit the application of high octane components like benzene, toluene and butanes and will require the use of oxygenates. To compensate for the loss in octane, the use of alkylate and, of course also oxygenates will grow. The Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit is, as producer of (olefinic) propanes, butanes and pentanes, an important feedstock producer for alkylate and oxygenate producing process. Hence, process adjustments and FCC catalyst formations to increase the yield of above desirable light products are of prime importance and will be dealt with in this paper

An Analysis of the Number of Medical Malpractice Claims and Their Amounts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Bonetti

Full Text Available Starting from an extensive database, pooling 9 years of data from the top three insurance brokers in Italy, and containing 38125 reported claims due to alleged cases of medical malpractice, we use an inhomogeneous Poisson process to model the number of medical malpractice claims in Italy. The intensity of the process is allowed to vary over time, and it depends on a set of covariates, like the size of the hospital, the medical department and the complexity of the medical operations performed. We choose the combination medical department by hospital as the unit of analysis. Together with the number of claims, we also model the associated amounts paid by insurance companies, using a two-stage regression model. In particular, we use logistic regression for the probability that a claim is closed with a zero payment, whereas, conditionally on the fact that an amount is strictly positive, we make use of lognormal regression to model it as a function of several covariates. The model produces estimates and forecasts that are relevant to both insurance companies and hospitals, for quality assurance, service improvement and cost reduction.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Effects of chronic produced water exposure on the expression of some immune-related genes of juvenile Atlantic cod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez Casanova, J.; Hamoutene, D.; Samuelson, S.; Burt, K.; King, T.; Lee, K.

2010-01-01

This study assessed the impacts of exposure to processed water produced by offshore oil operators on immune-related genes of juvenile Atlantic cod exposed to processed water for a period of 22 weeks. The study investigated the influence of processed water concentrations on growth parameters; food consumption; plasma cortisol; respiratory burst activity (RB); and mRNA expression. The study showed that the RB of circulating leukocytes was significantly elevated. Significant up-regulation of the mRNA expression of microglobulin, immunoglobulin light chain, and interleukins was observed in some fish. The down-regulation of the interferon stimulated gene was also observed. The study indicated that chronic exposure to significant amounts of processed water causes modulations of the immune system of juvenile Atlantic cod.

Effects of chronic produced water exposure on the expression of some immune-related genes of juvenile Atlantic cod

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez Casanova, J.; Hamoutene, D.; Samuelson, S.; Burt, K.; King, T. [Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John' s, NL (Canada); Lee, K. [Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, NS (Canada)

2010-07-01

This study assessed the impacts of exposure to processed water produced by offshore oil operators on immune-related genes of juvenile Atlantic cod exposed to processed water for a period of 22 weeks. The study investigated the influence of processed water concentrations on growth parameters; food consumption; plasma cortisol; respiratory burst activity (RB); and mRNA expression. The study showed that the RB of circulating leukocytes was significantly elevated. Significant up-regulation of the mRNA expression of microglobulin, immunoglobulin light chain, and interleukins was observed in some fish. The down-regulation of the interferon stimulated gene was also observed. The study indicated that chronic exposure to significant amounts of processed water causes modulations of the immune system of juvenile Atlantic cod.

Evaluation of library preparation methods for Illumina next generation sequencing of small amounts of DNA from foodborne parasites.

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Fernanda S; Wei-Pridgeon, Yuping; Arrowood, Michael J; Moss, Delynn; da Silva, Alexandre J; Talundzic, Eldin; Qvarnstrom, Yvonne

2016-11-01

Illumina library preparation methods for ultra-low input amounts were compared using genomic DNA from two foodborne parasites (Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Cyclospora cayetanensis) as examples. The Ovation Ultralow method resulted in libraries with the highest concentration and produced quality sequencing data, even when the input DNA was in the picogram range. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Return period curves for extreme 5-min rainfall amounts at the Barcelona urban network

Science.gov (United States)

Lana, X.; Casas-Castillo, M. C.; Serra, C.; Rodríguez-Solà, R.; Redaño, A.; Burgueño, A.; Martínez, M. D.

2018-03-01

Heavy rainfall episodes are relatively common in the conurbation of Barcelona and neighbouring cities (NE Spain), usually due to storms generated by convective phenomena in summer and eastern and south-eastern advections in autumn. Prevention of local flood episodes and right design of urban drainage have to take into account the rainfall intensity spread instead of a simple evaluation of daily rainfall amounts. The database comes from 5-min rain amounts recorded by tipping buckets in the Barcelona urban network along the years 1994-2009. From these data, extreme 5-min rain amounts are selected applying the peaks-over-threshold method for thresholds derived from both 95% percentile and the mean excess plot. The return period curves are derived from their statistical distribution for every gauge, describing with detail expected extreme 5-min rain amounts across the urban network. These curves are compared with those derived from annual extreme time series. In this way, areas in Barcelona submitted to different levels of flood risk from the point of view of rainfall intensity are detected. Additionally, global time trends on extreme 5-min rain amounts are quantified for the whole network and found as not statistically significant.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis : Clinical significance and pathogenesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Knegt, RJ

2001-01-01

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a form of liver disease resembling alcoholic liver disease in a patient who does not consume significant amounts of alcohol. Since its first description in 1980 it has been recognized with increasing frequency. The natural course is relatively benign, but

Significance of blood examination in radiation workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Hirofumi; Nakamura, Shinobu; Ando, Atsushi; Kojima, Kazuhiko; Kikuta, Yoko.

1978-01-01

Blood examination made for the past 3 years revealed that the influences of chronic exposure of extremely small amounts of radiation (an average of 5 mrem/day) on peripheral blood are not detected. However, the blood examination, which is prescribed at least twice a year by law, is for determining whether or not the results of blood examination are within a normal range. Therefore, even though influences of a large amount of radiation are detected, it has little significance as a monitoring of chronic exposure of extremely small amounts of radiation. If the blood examination is used as a monitoring method for detecting exposure, it is important to compare the results with the previous ones in the same individuals. It is also necessary to increase the number of examinations and to study the blood more in detail. However, before that, the standard of the evaluation should be more defined because of its obscurity. The present blood examination is useful in managing the health generally. However, it is not good as a monitoring for chronic exposure of the extremely small amounts of radiation. Therefore, a routine biological method to be able to monitor radiation more precisely, is required. (Namekawa, K.)

ICU Acquisition Rate, Risk Factors, and Clinical Significance of Digestive Tract Colonization With Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Detsis, Marios; Karanika, Styliani; Mylonakis, Eleftherios

2017-04-01

Enterobacteriaceae ranged from 5% to 10%. Previous use of beta-lactam/beta-lactamase or carbapenems and recent hospitalization were independent risk factors for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization, and colonization was associated with significantly higher frequency of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae subsequent infection and increased mortality.

Fate and groundwater impacts of produced water releases at OSPER "B" site, Osage County, Oklahoma

Science.gov (United States)

Kharaka, Y.K.; Kakouros, E.; Thordsen, J.J.; Ambats, G.; Abbott, M.M.

2007-01-01

For the last 5 a, the authors have been investigating the transport, fate, natural attenuation and ecosystem impacts of inorganic and organic compounds in releases of produced water and associated hydrocarbons at the Osage-Skiatook Petroleum Environmental Research (OSPER) "A" and "B" sites, located in NE Oklahoma. Approximately 1.0 ha of land at OSPER "B", located within the active Branstetter lease, is visibly affected by salt scarring, tree kills, soil salinization, and brine and petroleum contamination. Site "B" includes an active production tank battery and adjacent large brine pit, two injection well sites, one with an adjacent small pit, and an abandoned brine pit and tank battery site. Oil production in this lease started in 1938, and currently there are 10 wells that produce 0.2-0.5 m3/d (1-3 bbl/d) oil, and 8-16 m3/d (50-100 bbl/d) brine. Geochemical data from nearby oil wells show that the produced water source is a Na-Ca-Cl brine (???150,000 mg/L TDS), with high Mg, but low SO4 and dissolved organic concentrations. Groundwater impacts are being investigated by detailed chemical analyses of water from repeated sampling of 41 boreholes, 1-71 m deep. The most important results at OSPER "B" are: (1) significant amounts of produced water from the two active brine pits percolate into the surficial rocks and flow towards the adjacent Skiatook reservoir, but only minor amounts of liquid petroleum leave the brine pits; (2) produced-water brine and minor dissolved organics have penetrated the thick (3-7 m) shale and siltstone units resulting in the formation of three interconnected plumes of high-salinity water (5000-30,000 mg/L TDS) that extend towards the Skiatook reservoir from the two active and one abandoned brine pits; and (3) groundwater from the deep section of only one well, BR-01 located 330 m upslope and west of the site, appear not to be impacted by petroleum operations. ?? 2007.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Ingesting a small amount of beer reduces arterial stiffness in healthy humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishiwaki, Masato; Kora, Naoki; Matsumoto, Naoyuki

2017-08-01

Epidemiological studies reveal a J-shaped association between alcohol consumption and arterial stiffness, with arterial stiffening lower among mild-to-moderate drinkers than heavy drinkers or nondrinkers. This study aimed to examine the effects of ingesting a small amount of beer, corresponding to the amount consumed per day by a mild drinker, on arterial stiffness. Eleven men (20-22 years) participated, in random order and on different days, in four separate trials. The participants each drank 200 or 350 mL of alcohol-free beer (AFB200 and AFB350) or beer (B200 and B350), and were monitored for 90 min postingestion. There were no significant changes in arterial stiffness among trials that ingested AF200 or AF350. However, among trials ingesting B200 and B350, breath alcohol concentrations increased significantly, while indexes of arterial stiffness decreased significantly for approximately 60 min: carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (B200: -0.6 ± 0.2 m/sec; B350: -0.6 ± 0.2 m/sec); brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (B200: -53 ± 18 cm/sec; B350: -57 ± 19 cm/sec); and cardio-ankle vascular index (B200: -0.4 ± 0.1 unit; B350: -0.3 ± 0.1 unit). Furthermore, AFB showed no effect on arterial stiffness, regardless of whether or not it contained sugar, and no significant difference in antioxidant capacity was found between AFB and B. This is the first study to demonstrate that acute ingestion of relatively small amounts of beer reduces arterial stiffness (for approximately 60 min). Our data also suggest that the reduction in arterial stiffness induced by ingestion of beer is largely attributable to the effects of alcohol. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Reference amounts utilised in front of package nutrition labelling; impact on product healthfulness evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Raats, M M; Hieke, S; Jola, C; Hodgkins, C; Kennedy, J; Wills, J

2015-05-01

The research question addressed in this paper is how different reference amounts utilised in front of package nutrition labelling influence evaluation of product healthfulness. A total of 13,117 participants from six European countries (Germany, UK, Spain, France, Poland and Sweden) were recruited via online panels. A mixed between/within-subject factorial design was employed with food (biscuits, sandwiches, yogurts), healthfulness and presence of Guideline Daily Amounts as within-subjects factors and reference amount ('per 100 g', 'typical portion', 'half portion') and country as between-subjects factors. Overall, people correctly ranked foods according to their objective healthfulness as defined by risk nutrients alone, and could distinguish between more and less healthful variants of foods. General healthfulness associations with the three product categories do not appear to have had a strong influence on product ratings. This study shows that where the reference amount of 'per 100 g' is very different from the 'typical' portion size, as was the case for biscuits, products with a 'per 100 g' label are rated significantly less healthful than the 'typical' or 'half typical' portions. The results indicate that across the three food categories, consumers do factor the reference amount, that is, the quantity of food for which the nutritional information is being presented, into their judgements of healthfulness. Therefore, appropriate reference amounts are also of importance for the effective presentation of nutritional information.

12 CFR 209.4 - Amounts and payments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... CANCELLATION OF FEDERAL RESERVE BANK CAPITAL STOCK (REGULATION I) § 209.4 Amounts and payments. (a) Amount of... lesser of 15 percent or 100 shares of its Reserve Bank capital stock, it shall file with the appropriate Reserve Bank an application for issue or cancellation of Reserve Bank capital stock in order to adjust its...

Effect of Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Producing Bacteria on Phytoremediation of Soil Contaminated with Phenanthrene and Anthracene by Mungbean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waraporn Chouychai

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The use of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA-producing bacteria isolated from non-contaminated weed rhizosphere to enhance plant growth and PAH phytoremediation capacity was investigated. IAA-producing bacterial isolates, designated NSRU1, NSRU2, and NSRU3, were isolated from the rhizosphere of Eleusine indica (Poaceae and Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae. The isolates were able to produce IAA in nutrient broth. However, when grown in the presence of 100 mg/l of either phenanthrene or anthracene, the amount of IAA produced by each isolate was reduced significantly. Mungbean seedlings were planted in 100 mg/kg phenanthrene- or anthracene-contaminated soil without or with inoculation of ≈106 CFU/g dry soil with one of the bacterial isolates. Inoculation with either NSRU1 or NSRU2 was effective at enhancing shoot length of mungbean in phenanthrene-contaminated soil on day 16. Also, inoculation with isolate NSRU1 led to increased root dry weight of mungbean in phenanthrene-contaminated soil on day 30. Phenanthrene and anthracene degradation on day 16 and 30 in planted and inoculated soil ranged between 92 - 93.8% and 92.2 - 94.1%, respectively, which were not significantly different from planted and uninoculated soil (93.9 and 94.9%. These data showed that IAA-producing bacteria could enhance plant growth, but was unable to increase PAH biodegradation under the conditions tested.

AIDS Kaposi sarcoma-derived cells produce and respond to interleukin 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miles, S.A.; Rezai, A.R.; Salazar-Gonzalez, J.F.; Meyden, M.V.; Stevens, R.H.; Mitsuyasu, R.T.; Martinez-Maza, O.; Logan, D.M.; Taga, Tetsuya; Hirano, Toshio; Kishimoto, Tadamitsu

1990-01-01

Cell lines derived from Kaposi sarcoma lesions of patients with AIDS (AIDS-KS cells) produce several cytokines, including an endothelial cell growth factor, interleukin 1β, and basic fibroblast growth factor. Since exposure to human immunodeficiency virus increases interleukin 6 (IL-6) production in monocytes and endothelial cells produce IL-6, the authors examined IL-6 expression and response in AIDS-KS cell lines and IL-6 expression in AIDS Kaposi sarcoma tissue. The AIDS-KS cell lines (N521J and EKS3) secreted large amounts of immunoreactive and biologically active IL-6. The authors found both IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6-R) RNA by slot blot hybridization analysis of AIDS-KS cells. The IL-6-R was functional, as [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation by AIDS-KS cells increased significantly after exposure to human recombinant IL-6 (hrIL-6) at >10 units/ml. When AIDS-KS cells (EKS3) were exposed to IL-6 antisense oligonucleotide, cellular proliferation decreased by nearly two-thirds, with a corresponding decrease in the production of IL-6. These results show that both IL-6 and IL-6-R are produced by AIDS-KS cells and that IL-6 is required for optimal AIDS-KS cell proliferation, and they suggest that IL-6 is an autocrine growth factor for AIDS-KS cells

PARTICLEBOARDS PRODUCED WITH Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden POLYSTYRENE AND POLYETHYLENE THEREPHTHALATE PARTICLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antônio da Silva Maciel

2004-06-01

Full Text Available This research investigated the properties of wood particleboards, containing particles of polystyrene (PS and polyethylene therephthalate (PET. Particleboards were produced with 0%, 25% or 50% of polystyrene and 100%, 75% or 50% of Eucalyptus grandis particles. Additional boards were produced with two amounts of PET/PS (5/20% or 10/40% and 75% or 50% wood particles. As binding agents three amounts (0%, 4% or 6% of urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde adhesive and three amounts of polystyrene in toluene solution (0%, 4% or 6% were used. One-layer boards, measuring approximately 400,0 x 400,0 x 10,0 mm with density approximately equal to 0,60 g/cm3, were produced. Internal bond, modulus of rupture and elasticity, screw withdrawal, as well water absorption and thickness swelling, after 24 hours of immersion were determined. All mechanical boards’ properties were superior to the established by ANSI/A 208.1-1993 standards. All wood/plastic particleboards absorbed more water then those observed in commercial boards. However the observed thickness swelling was quite similar to the values of commercial wood particleboards. Boards in which the solution of polystyrene was applied were, in general, presented the best values for all properties.

Determining the amount of waste plastics in the feed of Austrian waste-to-energy facilities

OpenAIRE

Schwarzb?ck, Therese; Van Eygen, Emile; Rechberger, Helmut; Fellner, Johann

2016-01-01

Although thermal recovery of waste plastics is widely practiced in many European countries, reliable information on the amount of waste plastics in the feed of waste-to-energy plants is rare. In most cases the amount of plastics present in commingled waste, such as municipal solid waste, commercial, or industrial waste, is estimated based on a few waste sorting campaigns, which are of limited significance with regard to the characterisation of plastic flows. In the present study, an alternati...

An empirical method to measure the relative efficiency of dairy producers using deterministic frontier analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahram RostamPour

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to measure the relative efficiencies of various cow husbandries. The proposed model of this paper uses distribution free analysis to measure the performance of different units responsible for taking care of cows. We gather the necessary information of all units including number of cows, amount of internet usage, number of subunits for taking care of cows, amount of forage produced in each province for grazing livestock and average hour per person training courses as independent variables and consider the amount of produced milk as dependent variable. The necessary information are collected from all available units located in different provinces of Iran and the production function is estimated using a linear programming model. The results indicate that the capital city of Iran, Tehran, holds the highest technical efficiency, the lowest efficiency belongs to province of Ilam and other provinces mostly performs poorly.

Mining Significant Semantic Locations from GPS Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cao, Xin; Cong, Gao; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard

2010-01-01

With the increasing deployment and use of GPS-enabled devices, massive amounts of GPS data are becoming available. We propose a general framework for the mining of semantically meaningful, significant locations, e.g., shopping malls and restaurants, from such data. We present techniques capable...... of extracting semantic locations from GPS data. We capture the relationships between locations and between locations and users with a graph. Significance is then assigned to locations using random walks over the graph that propagates significance among the locations. In doing so, mutual reinforcement between...

Mining significant semantic locations from GPS data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cao, Xin; Cong, Gao; Jensen, Christian S.

2010-01-01

With the increasing deployment and use of GPS-enabled devices, massive amounts of GPS data are becoming available. We propose a general framework for the mining of semantically meaningful, significant locations, e.g., shopping malls and restaurants, from such data. We present techniques capable...... of extracting semantic locations from GPS data. We capture the relationships between locations and between locations and users with a graph. Significance is then assigned to locations using random walks over the graph that propagates significance among the locations. In doing so, mutual reinforcement between...

Simplified assessment of segmental gastrointestinal transit time with orally small amount of barium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Weitang; Zhang, Zhiyong; Liu, Jinbo; Li, Zhen; Song, Junmin; Wu, Changcai [Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Zhengzhou University, 450052 Zhengzhou (China); Wang, Guixian, E-mail: guixianwang@hotmail.com [Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Zhengzhou University, 450052 Zhengzhou (China)

2012-09-15

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and advantage of small amount of barium in the measurement of gastrointestinal transmission function in comparison with radio-opaque pallets. Methods: Protocal 1: 8 healthy volunteers (male 6, female 2) with average age 40 ± 6.1 were subjected to the examination of radio-opaque pellets and small amount of barium with the interval of 1 week. Protocol 2: 30 healthy volunteers in group 1 (male 8, female 22) with average age 42.5 ± 8.1 and 50 patients with chronic functional constipation in group 2 (male 11, female 39) with average age 45.7 ± 7.8 were subjected to the small amount of barium examination. The small amount of barium was made by 30 g barium dissolved in 200 ml breakfast. After taking breakfast which contains barium, objectives were followed with abdominal X-ray at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 h until the barium was evacuated totally. Results: Small amount of barium presented actual chyme or stool transit. The transit time of radio-opaque pallets through the whole gastrointestinal tract was significantly shorter than that of barium (37 ± 8 h vs. 47 ± 10 h, P < 0.05) in healthy people. The transit times of barium in constipation patients were markedly prolonged in colon (61.1 ± 22 vs. 37.3 ± 11, P < 0.01) and rectum (10.8 ± 3.7 vs. 2.3 ± 0.8 h, P < 0.01) compared with unconstipated volunteers. Transit times in individual gastrointestinal segments were also recorded by using small amount of barium, which allowed identifying the subtypes of constipation. Conclusion: The small amount barium examination is a convenient and low cost method to provide the most useful and reliable information on the transmission function of different gastrointestinal segments and able to classify the subtypes of slow transit constipation.

Simplified assessment of segmental gastrointestinal transit time with orally small amount of barium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Weitang; Zhang, Zhiyong; Liu, Jinbo; Li, Zhen; Song, Junmin; Wu, Changcai; Wang, Guixian

2012-01-01

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and advantage of small amount of barium in the measurement of gastrointestinal transmission function in comparison with radio-opaque pallets. Methods: Protocal 1: 8 healthy volunteers (male 6, female 2) with average age 40 ± 6.1 were subjected to the examination of radio-opaque pellets and small amount of barium with the interval of 1 week. Protocol 2: 30 healthy volunteers in group 1 (male 8, female 22) with average age 42.5 ± 8.1 and 50 patients with chronic functional constipation in group 2 (male 11, female 39) with average age 45.7 ± 7.8 were subjected to the small amount of barium examination. The small amount of barium was made by 30 g barium dissolved in 200 ml breakfast. After taking breakfast which contains barium, objectives were followed with abdominal X-ray at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 h until the barium was evacuated totally. Results: Small amount of barium presented actual chyme or stool transit. The transit time of radio-opaque pallets through the whole gastrointestinal tract was significantly shorter than that of barium (37 ± 8 h vs. 47 ± 10 h, P < 0.05) in healthy people. The transit times of barium in constipation patients were markedly prolonged in colon (61.1 ± 22 vs. 37.3 ± 11, P < 0.01) and rectum (10.8 ± 3.7 vs. 2.3 ± 0.8 h, P < 0.01) compared with unconstipated volunteers. Transit times in individual gastrointestinal segments were also recorded by using small amount of barium, which allowed identifying the subtypes of constipation. Conclusion: The small amount barium examination is a convenient and low cost method to provide the most useful and reliable information on the transmission function of different gastrointestinal segments and able to classify the subtypes of slow transit constipation

Four novel FBN1 mutations: Significance for mutant transcript level and EGF-like domain calcium binding in the pathogenesis of Marfan syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietz, H.C.; McIntosh, I.; Pyeritz, R.E.; Francomano, C.A. (Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)); Sakai, L.Y.; Corson, G.M.; Chalberg, S.C. (Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland (United States))

1993-08-01

Defects of fibrillin (FBN1), a glycoprotein component of the extracellular microfibril, cause Marfan syndrome. This disorder is characterized by marked inter- and intrafamilial variation in phenotypic severity. To understand the molecular basis for this clinical observation, the authors have screened the fibrillin gene (FBN1) on chromosome 15, including the newly cloned 5[prime] coding sequence, for disease-producing alterations in a panel of patients with a wide range of manifestations and clinical severity. All the missense mutations identified to date, including two novel mutations discussed here, are associated with classic and moderate to severe disease and occur at residues with putative significance for calcium binding to epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains. In contrast, two new mutations that create premature signals for termination of translation of mRNA and are associated with reduction in the amount of mutant allele transcript produce a range of phenotypic severity. The patient with the lowest amount of mutant transcript has the mildest disease. These data support a role for altered calcium binding to EGF-like domains in the pathogenesis of Marfan syndrome and suggest a dominant negative mechanism for the pathogenesis of this disorder. 26 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

DEFERRED TAXES GENERATED BY THE CAPITALIZED INTERESTS IN THE AMOUNT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PALIU – POPA LUCIA

2015-08-01

Full Text Available According to the General Framework for preparing and presenting the financial statements elaborated by IASB, the utility of information is provided by attributes (qualitative features, such as: intelligibility, relevance, credibility and comparability. For being credible, the financial information shall be erroneous, shall not be biased or deforming the patrimony, and one of the elements representing and defining the information credibility is the prudency. Thus, the prudential accounting treatments affect, on the one hand, the accounting information relevance and credibility, and on the other hand, equally, both the producers as well as the users of the financial information, due to the economic consequences which are generated. From this perspective and considering that the implied economic agents are not neutral in terms of their option concerning the neutral accounting practices, prudent or aggressive, we opined that it is useful to conduct a study aiming the relevance of the accounting information related to the deferred taxes generated by the capitalized interests in the amount of the fix assets, recognizing the value of these taxes having as result the compliance with the principle of prudency within the accountancy. In this context, compared to the dominant accounting systems, respectively the continental system and the Anglo- Saxon system, within which the accounting information is characterized as legal, respectively addressed to the external users, especially to the investors, the conducted study aimed the following directions: the main differences between the provisions of the national, European, Anglo-Saxon accounting regulations and those of the international referential related to the prudency; the occurrence and evolution of the deferred taxes generated by the capitalized interests in the amount of the fix assets; informational benefits of the accounting prudency concerning the reflection of the deferred taxes established by the

Nuclear operator. Liability amounts and financial security limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-07-01

This paper gives, for numerous countries involved (or would be involved) in nuclear activities, financial information on the liability amount imposed on the operator, the amounts provided from public funds beyond the Operator's Liability Amount, to be made available by the State in whose territory the nuclear installation of the liable operator is situated, and the public funds contributed jointly by all the States parties to the BSC or CSC according to a pre-determined formula

[Morphological characteristics and physiological properties of aflatoxin B1 producing and non-producing Aspergillus flavus strains].

Science.gov (United States)

Kogbo, W; Lemarinier, S; Boutibonnes, P

1985-09-01

Comparison between about 80 strains of Aspergillus flavus, belonging to the series flavus and oryzae, obtained from international collections but also isolated from French or African substrates revealed the following observations: 1. Cultural and morphological characteristics of toxicogenic and atoxicogenic strains of A. flavus are similar. However, the former produce a diffusible yellow pigment in 83% of isolates. 2. The two groups of conidiospores have the same resistance to UV irradiation (254 nm, 5 and 10 min). All the strains are equally sensitive to 4 antifungal antibiotics: nystatine, ketoconazole, clotrimazole and amphotericine. 3. A difference was seen in the capacity to produce enzymes as alpha-galactosidase, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucosidase, implicated in the glucid metabolism. The specific hydrolytic activity has been confirmed by the characterization of a large amount of beta-galactosidase and by a diauxic growth on glucose medium supplemented by lactose. Possible relationship between these characters and aflatoxin B1 production by A. flavus strains is discussed.

Silencing onion lachrymatory factor synthase causes a significant change in the sulfur secondary metabolite profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Eady, Colin C; Kamoi, Takahiro; Kato, Masahiro; Porter, Noel G; Davis, Sheree; Shaw, Martin; Kamoi, Akiko; Imai, Shinsuke

2008-08-01

Through a single genetic transformation in onion (Allium cepa), a crop recalcitrant to genetic transformation, we suppressed the lachrymatory factor synthase gene using RNA interference silencing in six plants. This reduced lachrymatory synthase activity by up to 1,544-fold, so that when wounded the onions produced significantly reduced levels of tear-inducing lachrymatory factor. We then confirmed, through a novel colorimetric assay, that this silencing had shifted the trans-S-1-propenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide breakdown pathway so that more 1-propenyl sulfenic acid was converted into di-1-propenyl thiosulfinate. A consequence of this raised thiosulfinate level was a marked increase in the downstream production of a nonenzymatically produced zwiebelane isomer and other volatile sulfur compounds, di-1-propenyl disulfide and 2-mercapto-3,4-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrothiophene, which had previously been reported in trace amounts or had not been detected in onion. The consequences of this dramatic simultaneous down- and up-regulation of secondary sulfur products on the health and flavor attributes of the onion are discussed.

How restrained eaters perceive the amount they eat.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, A

1996-09-01

The cognitive model of binge eating states that it is the awareness of a broken diet that disinhibits the restrained eater. It is, according to that model, the perception of having overeaten that triggers disinhibited eating. However, although the perception of the amount eaten plays a central role in cognitive restraint theory, it has never directly been tested how restrained subjects perceive the amount of food they eat. In the present studies, participants were given ad libitum access to large amounts of palatable food and both their perception of the amount eaten and their estimated caloric intake were compared with the amount they actually ate. The restrained participants in these studies ate more than the unrestrained participants. In the first and second studies, the restrained participants consumed 571 and 372 'forbidden' calories respectively, without having the feeling that they had eaten very much, let alone too much. Moreover in both studies, the restrained eaters underestimated their caloric intake, whereas unrestrained eaters estimated their caloric intake quite well. The potential implications of the present findings for the cognitive restraint model are discussed.

Effects of picture amount on preference, balance, and dynamic feel of Web pages.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Shu-Ying; Chen, Chien-Hsiung

2012-04-01

This study investigates the effects of picture amount on subjective evaluation. The experiment herein adopted two variables to define picture amount: column ratio and picture size. Six column ratios were employed: 7:93,15:85, 24:76, 33:67, 41:59, and 50:50. Five picture sizes were examined: 140 x 81, 220 x 127, 300 x 173, 380 x 219, and 460 x 266 pixels. The experiment implemented a within-subject design; 104 participants were asked to evaluate 30 web page layouts. Repeated measurements revealed that the column ratio and picture size have significant effects on preference, balance, and dynamic feel. The results indicated the most appropriate picture amount for display: column ratios of 15:85 and 24:76, and picture sizes of 220 x 127, 300 x 173, and 380 x 219. The research findings can serve as the basis for the application of design guidelines for future web page interface design.

Increase in the amount of erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in workers with moderate lead exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, H.; Sano, S.

1982-01-01

The amount of ALA-D in human erythrocytes was determined directly by radioimmunoassay or calculated from the restored activity assayed in the presence of zinc and dithiothreitol, and a good correlation was observed between the RIA-based and the restored activity-based amounts. The RIA-based amount of ALA-D in the blood of 10 normal individuals (blood lead levels of 5.6 +- 2.3 μg/100 ml: mean +- SD) and 19 lead-exposed workers (blood lead levels of 41.2 +- 10.2 μg/100 ml) was 54.1 +- 11.8 μg/ml blood and 92.3 +- 20.6 μg/ml blood, respectively, indicating an apparent increase of the enzyme amount in lead-exposed workers. A significant increase in the amount of erythrocyte ALA-D calculated from the restored activity in lead-exposed workers was observed even in the low blood lead level of 10-20 μg/100 ml, resulting in the range of blood lead level 20-40 μg/100 ml. No significant difference was observed in hematocrit and hemoglobin content between lead-exposed and non-exposed groups. These observations suggested that the increase of erythrocyte ALA-D in lead exposure was not due to anemia, which might result in the increase of young erythrocytes in peripheral blood. This increase in the amount of ALA-D in human erythrocytes might be a result of the function to overcome the inhibition of the enzyme in bone marrow cells during lead exposure, and these findings may throw light on the danger to human health of low-level lead toxicity. (orig.)

A randomized clinical trial comparing mandibular incisor proclination produced by fixed labial appliances and clear aligners.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessy, Joe; Garvey, Thérèse; Al-Awadhi, Ebrahim A

2016-09-01

To compare the mandibular incisor proclination produced by fixed labial appliances and third generation clear aligners. Patients underwent a course of orthodontic treatment using either fixed labial appliances or clear aligners (Invisalign). Mandibular incisor proclination was measured by comparing pretreatment and near-end treatment lateral cephalograms. Eligibility criteria included adult patients with mild mandibular incisor crowding (clear aligner group. Baseline characteristics were similar for both groups: Fixed appliance mean crowding was 2.1 ± 1.3 mm vs clear aligner mean crowding, 2.5 ± 1.3 mm; pretreatment mean mandibular incisor inclination for the fixed appliance group was 90.8 ± 5.4° vs 91.6 ± 6.4° for the clear aligner group. Fixed appliances produced 5.3 ± 4.3° of mandibular incisor proclination. Clear aligners proclined the mandibular incisors by 3.4 ± 3.2°. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P > .05). There was no difference in the amount of mandibular incisor proclination produced by clear aligners and fixed labial appliances in mild crowding cases.

Hydrogen evolution in enzymatic photoelectrochemical cell using modified seawater electrolytes produced by membrane desalination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joo, Hyunku; Yoon, Jaekyung [Hydrogen Energy Research Center, New and Renewable Energy Research Division, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 71-2 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea); Bae, Sanghyun [Department of Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, 234 Maeji-ri, Hungub-myun, Wonju, Gangwon-do 220-710 (Korea); Kim, Chunghwan; Kim, Suhan [Korea Institute of Water and Environment, K-Water, 462-1 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-730 (Korea)

2009-09-15

In the near future, potential water shortages are expected to occur all over the world and this problem will have a significant influence on the availability of water for water-splitting processes, such as photocatalysis and electrolysis, as well as for drinking water. For this reason, it has been suggested that seawater could be used as an alternative for the various water industries including hydrogen production. Seawater contains a large amount of dissolved ion components, thus allowing it to be used as an electrolyte in photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems for producing hydrogen. Especially, the concentrate (retentate) stream shows higher salinity than the seawater fed to the membrane desalination process, because purified water (fresh water) is produced as the permeate stream and the waste brine is more concentrated than the original seawater. In this study, we investigated the hydrogen evolution rate in a photoelectrochemical system, including the preparation and characterization of an anodized tubular TiO{sub 2} electrode (ATTE) as both the photoanode and the cathode with the assistance of an immobilized hydrogenase enzyme and an external bias (solar cell), and the use of various qualities of seawater produced by membrane desalination processes as the electrolyte. The results showed that the rate of hydrogen evolution obtained using the nanofiltration (NF) retentate in the PEC system is ca. 105 {mu}mol/cm{sup 2} h, showing that this is an effective seawater electrolyte for hydrogen production, the optimum amount of enzyme immobilized on the cathode is ca. 3.66 units per geometrical unit area (1 cm x 1 cm), and the optimum external external bias supplied by the solar cell is 2.0 V. (author)

Strenuous running exacerbates knee cartilage erosion induced by low amount of mono-iodoacetate in rats

OpenAIRE

Saito, Ryusuke; Muneta, Takeshi; Ozeki, Nobutake; Nakagawa, Yusuke; Udo, Mio; Yanagisawa, Katsuaki; Tsuji, Kunikazu; Tomita, Makoto; Koga, Hideyuki; Sekiya, Ichiro

2017-01-01

Background It is still debated whether strenuous running in the inflammatory phase produces beneficial or harmful effect in rat knees. We examined (1) the dropout rate of rats during a 30-km running protocol, (2) influences of strenuous running and/or low amounts of mono-iodoacetate injection on cartilage, and (3) the effect of strenuous running on synovitis. Methods Rats were forced to run 30?km over 6?weeks and the dropout rate was examined. One week after 0.1?mg mono-iodoacetate was inject...

46 CFR 308.303 - Amounts insured under interim binder.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 308.303 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE Second Seamen's War Risk Insurance § 308.303 Amounts insured under interim binder. The amounts insured are the amounts specified in the Second Seamen's War Risk Policy (1955) or as modified by shipping...

Titania may produce abiotic oxygen atmospheres on habitable exoplanets.

Science.gov (United States)

Narita, Norio; Enomoto, Takafumi; Masaoka, Shigeyuki; Kusakabe, Nobuhiko

2015-09-10

The search for habitable exoplanets in the Universe is actively ongoing in the field of astronomy. The biggest future milestone is to determine whether life exists on such habitable exoplanets. In that context, oxygen in the atmosphere has been considered strong evidence for the presence of photosynthetic organisms. In this paper, we show that a previously unconsidered photochemical mechanism by titanium (IV) oxide (titania) can produce abiotic oxygen from liquid water under near ultraviolet (NUV) lights on the surface of exoplanets. Titania works as a photocatalyst to dissociate liquid water in this process. This mechanism offers a different source of a possibility of abiotic oxygen in atmospheres of exoplanets from previously considered photodissociation of water vapor in upper atmospheres by extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light. Our order-of-magnitude estimation shows that possible amounts of oxygen produced by this abiotic mechanism can be comparable with or even more than that in the atmosphere of the current Earth, depending on the amount of active surface area for this mechanism. We conclude that titania may act as a potential source of false signs of life on habitable exoplanets.

A search for quarks produced in heavy-ion interactions

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

We propose to search for free fractional charges produced in 225~GeV/A heavy-ion collisions at the SPS. A tank of mercury placed in the NA38 beam stop will serve both as a production target and as an absorber to stop reaction products. Mercury from the tank will subsequently be distilled.\\\\ \\\\ This process will decrease the amount of mercury that has to be processed by a factor of about $10^{5}$. The concentrate will be searched for quarks using the proven SFSU automated Millikan apparatus.\\\\ \\\\ This experiment will be sensitive to about one quark produced per $2 \\times 10^{8}$ beam particles.

Variations of measured and simulated soil-loss amounts in a semiarid area in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacisalihoğlu, Sezgin

2010-06-01

The main goal of this research was soil-loss determination and comparison of the plot measurement results with simulation model (universal soil loss equation (USLE)) results in different land use and slope classes. The research took place in three different land-use types (Scotch pine forest, pasture land, and agricultural land) and in two different slope classes (15-20%, 35-40%). Within six measurement stations (for each land-use type and slope class-one station), totally 18 measurement plots have been constituted, and soil-loss amount measurements have been investigated during the research period (3 years along). USLE simulation model is used in these measurement plots for calculation the soil-loss amounts. The results pointed out that measured (in plots) and simulated (with USLE) soil-loss amounts differ significantly in each land-use type and slope class.

Effects of the amount of soy milk on thermorheological, thermal and textural properties of chocolate with soy milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zarić Danica B.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Chocolate is a two-phase rheological system. The solid phase, consisting of non-fat cocoa particles, sugar and soy milk is wrapped in a fat phase - cocoa butter. Physical, thermal, textural and organoleptic properties of chocolate depend on the composition of the ingredients, manufacturing process and a properly conducted pre-crystallization phase. For this study, two chocolate masses were produced in a ball mill: one with 15% of soy milk powder (R1 and the other with 20% of soy milk powder (R2. The chocolate mass was produced at different milling times (30, 60 and 90 min, and pre-crystallization temperature (26, 28 and 30oC. The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes caused by different amounts of soy milk powder on the quality of the chocolate. The quality of chocolate was evaluated by comparing the nutritional composition, hardness, thermorheological and thermal properties of the chocolate mass. The results show that chocolate mass R2, due to the presence of higher amounts of soy milk proteins, should be milled longer, and also needs lower temperatures for pre-crystallization. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31014

Mesenchymal stromal cells derived from cervical cancer produce high amounts of adenosine to suppress cytotoxic T lymphocyte functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María de Lourdes Mora-García

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In recent years, immunomodulatory mechanisms of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs from bone marrow and other “classic” sources have been described. However, the phenotypic and functional properties of tumor MSCs are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the immunosuppressive capacity of cervical cancer-derived MSCs (CeCa-MSCs on effector T lymphocytes through the purinergic pathway. Methods We determined the expression and functional activity of the membrane-associated ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 on CeCa-MSCs and normal cervical tissue-derived MSCs (NCx-MSCs. We also analyzed their immunosuppressive capacity to decrease proliferation, activation and effector cytotoxic T (CD8+ lymphocyte function through the generation of adenosine (Ado. Results We detected that CeCa-MSCs express higher levels of CD39 and CD73 ectonucleotidases in cell membranes compared to NCx-MSCs, and that this feature was associated with the ability to strongly suppress the proliferation, activation and effector functions of cytotoxic T-cells through the generation of large amounts of Ado from the hydrolysis of ATP, ADP and AMP nucleotides. Conclusions This study suggests that CeCa-MSCs play an important role in the suppression of the anti-tumor immune response in CeCa through the purinergic pathway.

Mesenchymal stromal cells derived from cervical cancer produce high amounts of adenosine to suppress cytotoxic T lymphocyte functions.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lourdes Mora-García, María; García-Rocha, Rosario; Morales-Ramírez, Omar; Montesinos, Juan José; Weiss-Steider, Benny; Hernández-Montes, Jorge; Ávila-Ibarra, Luis Roberto; Don-López, Christian Azucena; Velasco-Velázquez, Marco Antonio; Gutiérrez-Serrano, Vianey; Monroy-García, Alberto

2016-10-26

In recent years, immunomodulatory mechanisms of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) from bone marrow and other "classic" sources have been described. However, the phenotypic and functional properties of tumor MSCs are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the immunosuppressive capacity of cervical cancer-derived MSCs (CeCa-MSCs) on effector T lymphocytes through the purinergic pathway. We determined the expression and functional activity of the membrane-associated ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 on CeCa-MSCs and normal cervical tissue-derived MSCs (NCx-MSCs). We also analyzed their immunosuppressive capacity to decrease proliferation, activation and effector cytotoxic T (CD8+) lymphocyte function through the generation of adenosine (Ado). We detected that CeCa-MSCs express higher levels of CD39 and CD73 ectonucleotidases in cell membranes compared to NCx-MSCs, and that this feature was associated with the ability to strongly suppress the proliferation, activation and effector functions of cytotoxic T-cells through the generation of large amounts of Ado from the hydrolysis of ATP, ADP and AMP nucleotides. This study suggests that CeCa-MSCs play an important role in the suppression of the anti-tumor immune response in CeCa through the purinergic pathway.

THE RESEARCH OF THE AMOUNT OF HEAVY METALS AND NITROSO COMPOUNDS IN CONCENTRATED TOMATO PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.V. Shutyuk

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The constant selling race results in need for improving the quality of nutrition products among in-house food and pharmaceutical processing industries, which is an all-important key to success on the consumer market. This requires constant improvement of the product producing technologies. The topical problem of quality is the presence of heavy metals and nitroso compounds in the products. The research aimed at studying the changes in the heavy metal concentration levels (including Zn, Cu, Pb in tomato products at their thickening has been conducted at the national University of Food Technologies. On the basis of the received results the relationship between the lead, copper, zinc, nitrosocompounds and the solid substances’ amount has been established. The conducted research allowed us to ascertain the fact that the amount of heavy metals and nitroso compounds in raw materials for the concentrated tomato products to be ofhigh quality must not exceed the values of 18…35 % of the limiting concentration.

Method of producing buried porous silicon-geramanium layers in monocrystalline silicon lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); George, Thomas (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si--Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are stain etched resulting in porosification of the Si--Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si--Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.

Comparison of the amount of apical debris extrusion associated with different retreatment systems and supplementary file application during retreatment process.

Science.gov (United States)

Çiçek, Ersan; Koçak, Mustafa Murat; Koçak, Sibel; Sağlam, Baran Can

2016-01-01

The type of instrument affects the amount of debris extruded. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of retreatment systems and supplementary file application on the amount of apical debris extrusion. Forty-eight extracted mandibular premolars with a single canal and similar length were selected. The root canals were prepared with the ProTaper Universal system with a torque-controlled engine. The root canals were dried and were obturated using Gutta-percha and sealer. The specimens were randomly divided into four equal groups according to the retreatment procedures (Group 1, Mtwo retreatment files; Group 2, Mtwo retreatment files + Mtwo rotary file #30 supplementary file; Group 3, ProTaper Universal retreatment (PTUR) files; and Group 4, PTUR files + ProTaper F3 supplementary file). The extruded debris during instrumentation were collected into preweighed Eppendorf tubes. The amount of apically extruded debris was calculated by subtracting the initial weight of the tube from the final weight. Three consecutive weights were obtained for each tube. No statistically significant difference was found in the amount of apically extruded debris between Groups 1 and 3 (P = 0.590). A significant difference was observed between Groups 1 and 2 (P file significantly increased the amount of apically extruded debris.

Modeling metabolic response to changes of enzyme amount in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Based on the work of Hynne et al. (2001), in an in silico model of glycolysis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is established by introducing an enzyme amount multiple factor (.) into the kinetic equations. The model is aimed to predict the metabolic response to the change of enzyme amount. With the help of .α, the amounts of ...

29 CFR 4.142 - Contracts in an indefinite amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act Determining Amount of Contract § 4.142 Contracts in an indefinite amount. (a) Every contract subject to this Act which is indefinite in amount is required to contain the....), a case arising under the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act. Such a contract, which may be in the...

Talaromyces atroroseus, a new species efficiently producing industrially relevant red pigments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frisvad, Jens Christian; Yilmaz, Neriman; Thrane, Ulf

2013-01-01

., described in this study, produces the azaphilone biosynthetic families mitorubrins and Monascus pigments without any production of mycotoxins. Within the red pigment producing clade, T. atroroseus resolved in a distinct clade separate from all the other species in multigene phylogenies (ITS, β......Some species of Talaromyces secrete large amounts of red pigments. Literature has linked this character to species such as Talaromyces purpurogenus, T. albobiverticillius, T. marneffei, and T. minioluteus often under earlier Penicillium names. Isolates identified as T. purpurogenus have been...... reported to be interesting industrially and they can produce extracellular enzymes and red pigments, but they can also produce mycotoxins such as rubratoxin A and B and luteoskyrin. Production of mycotoxins limits the use of isolates of a particular species in biotechnology. Talaromyces atroroseus sp. nov...

Metal-chelating compounds produced by ectomycorrhizal fungi collected from pine plantations.

Science.gov (United States)

Machuca, A; Pereira, G; Aguiar, A; Milagres, A M F

2007-01-01

To investigate the in vitro production of metal-chelating compounds by ectomycorrhizal fungi collected from pine plantations in southern Chile. Scleroderma verrucosum, Suillus luteus and two isolates of Rhizopogon luteolus were grown in solid and liquid modified Melin-Norkans (MMN) media with and without iron addition and the production of iron-chelating compounds was determined by Chrome Azurol S (CAS) assay. The presence of hydroxamate and catecholate-type compounds and organic acids was also investigated in liquid medium. All isolates produced iron-chelating compounds as detected by CAS assay, and catecholates, hydroxamates as well as oxalic, citric and succinic acids were also detected in all fungal cultures. Scleroderma verrucosum produced the greatest amounts of catecholates and hydroxamates whereas the highest amounts of organic acids were detected in S. luteus. Nevertheless, the highest catecholate, hydroxamate and organic acid concentrations did not correlate with the highest CAS reaction which was observed in R. luteolus (Yum isolate). Ectomycorrhizal fungi produced a variety of metal-chelating compounds when grown in liquid MMN medium. However, the addition of iron to all fungi cultures reduced the CAS reaction, hydroxamate and organic acid concentrations. Catecholate production was affected differently by iron, depending on the fungal isolate. The ectomycorrhizal fungi described in this study have never been reported to produce metal-chelating compound production. Moreover, apart from some wood-rotting fungi, this is the first evidence of the presence of catecholates in R. luteolus, S. luteus and S. verrucosum cultures.

Efficiency of producing anion and relative humidity of the indigenous woody plants in Jeju islands

Science.gov (United States)

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

Incidence and significance of pleural effusion after hepatoma surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Jae Uoo; Im, Jung Gi; Ahn, Joong Mo; Kim, Seung Cheol; Kim, Sam Soo; Kim, Seung Hoon; Yeon, Kyung Mo

1994-01-01

We performed this study to evaluate the clinical significance and temporal changes of pleural effusion developed after the resection of hepatoma. We reviewed retrospectively follow-up chest radiographs of 97 patients who had undergone operation for hepatoma and had no radiologically demonstrable postoperative complications. The duration of pleural effusion was classified into five groups and the amount of pleural effusion at one week after operation was graded into four groups. Statistical significance of the relationship between the duration, amount of pleural effusion and five factors, which are location and size of tumor, age of the patients, methods of operation, and preoperative liver function, was studied respectively. Pleural effusion was developed in 63.9% (62/97) and the mean duration was 2.5 weeks. In 92% (52/56), pleural effusion disappeared spontaneously within four weeks. Patients who had hepatoma in upper portion of the right lobe developed more frequent pleural effusion which persisted longer, and was larger in amount at one week after operation(p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between pleural effusion and the other four factors. Pleural effusion following hepatoma surgery should not be regarded as a sign of post-operative complication, as it invariably disappears spontaneously within four weeks. Development of pleural effusion is considered to be caused by local irritation and disturbance of lymphatic flow at the diaphragm

Comparison of chemical, rheological and sensory properties of kefir produced by kefir grains and commercial kefir starter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irena Barukčić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to compare chemical, rheological and sensory characteristics of kefir produced by using kefir grains and kefir starter. The intent was also to investigate whether it is plausible to use a combined inoculum (kefir grains and starter in order to obtain a kefir with improved characteristics in terms of sensory and rheological characteristics. Kefir samples were produced at 25 °C and 35 °C by using starter culture XPL-1, kefir grains and their combinations. All of the produced kefir samples were analysed for acidity, total dry matter, ethanol content, syneresis, viscosity and were sensory evaluated by a specially trained panel. There were no significant differences considering the total dry matter, syneresis, ethanol content and acidity. Excess viscosity was observed in samples produced by starter culture at 35 °C, which was described as untypical, yoghurt like and unsatisfactory by a sensory panel. The sample produced at 25 °C by equal amounts of kefir grains and starter culture received the highest scores at sensory evaluation and showed the best potential for optimizing the further use. Further investigations need to focus on examining kefir properties during the storage period, especially regarding microbiological and sensory properties, ethanol content and texture profile.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Polymerizations of beta-substituted allylic arsonium ylides with catalytic amounts of organoboron compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondiere, R.

2004-01-01

My Ph.D. work consisted in the generalization and optimization of a new polymerization reaction involving allylic arsonium ylides and catalytic amounts of various boron compounds. Thus, various β-substituted allylic arsonium salts were produced according to synthetic strategies that depended on the nature of the functional group born by the salt. These salts were converted in situ to the corresponding arsonium ylides which were then treated with boron compounds to yield polymers. Our new method of polymerization afforded either non conjugated polyenes that are functionalized every three atoms of carbon, or statistic copolymers, depending on the nature of the group R born on the β position of the ylide. These new polymers cannot be synthesized by usual methods of polymerization. Initial molar ratios of reactants were found to give molar mass control of the synthesized polymers. This controlled polymerization allowed us to produce several bloc copolymers. All the polymers were characterized by NMR techniques, by size exclusion chromatography and, for some of them, by mass spectrometry. Investigation of their physicochemical properties will need additional experiments. (author)

Trace amount analysis using spark mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefani, Rene

1975-01-01

Characteristics of spark mass spectrometers (ion source, properties of the ion beam, ion optics, and performance) and their use in qualitative and quantitative analysis are described. This technique is very interesting for the semi-quantitative analysis of trace amounts, down to 10 -8 atoms. Examples of applications such as the analysis of high purity materials and non-conducting mineral samples, and determination of carbon and gas trace amounts are presented. (50 references) [fr

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

Science.gov (United States)

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®.

High ethanol producing derivatives of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus

Science.gov (United States)

Ljungdahl, L.G.; Carriera, L.H.

1983-05-24

Derivatives of the newly discovered microorganism Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus which under anaerobic and thermophilic conditions continuously ferment substrates such as starch, cellobiose, glucose, xylose and other sugars to produce recoverable amounts of ethanol solving the problem of fermentations yielding low concentrations of ethanol using the parent strain of the microorganism Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus are disclosed. These new derivatives are ethanol tolerant up to 10% (v/v) ethanol during fermentation. The process includes the use of an aqueous fermentation medium, containing the substrate at a substrate concentration greater than 1% (w/v).

Estimation of Potential Shale Gas Yield Amount and Land Degradation in China by Landcover Distribution regarding Water-Food-Energy and Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, N.; Heo, S.; Lim, C. H.; Lee, W. K.

2017-12-01

Shale gas is gain attention due to the tremendous reserves beneath the earth. The two known high reservoirs are located in United States and China. According to U.S Energy Information Administration China have estimated 7,299 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale gas and placed as world first reservoir. United States had 665 trillion cubic feet for the shale gas reservoir and placed fourth. Unlike the traditional fossil fuel, spatial distribution of shale gas is considered to be widely spread and the reserved amount and location make the resource as energy source for the next generation. United States dramatically increased the shale gas production. For instance, shale gas production composes more than 50% of total natural gas production whereas China and Canada shale gas produce very small amount of the shale gas. According to U.S Energy Information Administration's report, in 2014 United States produced shale gas almost 40 billion cubic feet per day but China only produced 0.25 billion cubic feet per day. Recently, China's policy had changed to decrease the coal powerplants to reduce the air pollution and the energy stress in China is keep increasing. Shale gas produce less air pollution while producing energy and considered to be clean energy source. Considering the situation of China and characteristics of shale gas, soon the demand of shale gas will increase in China. United States invested 71.7 billion dollars in 2013 but it Chinese government is only proceeding fundamental investment due to land degradation, limited water resources, geological location of the reservoirs.In this study, firstly we reviewed the current system and technology of shale gas extraction such as hydraulic Fracturing. Secondly, listed the possible environmental damages, land degradations, and resource demands for the shale gas extraction. Thirdly, invested the potential shale gas extraction amount in China based on the location of shale gas reservoirs and limited resources for the

28 CFR 70.73 - Collection of amounts due.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Collection of amounts due. 70.73 Section 70.73 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS... OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS After-the-Award Requirements § 70.73 Collection of amounts due. (a) Any...

EXAMINATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THE VARIABILITY OF YEAST AMOUNT IN THE CONTEXT OF PH CHANGES IN BOTTLED WINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladislav Mura

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Aim of this paper was to examine of factors (manufacturer, temperature and storage time influencing the variability of yeast amount and pH changes in bottled white wines. It was confirmed that wine coming from the business network was better quality in contract to domestic wine. We have assumed that domestic wine was contaminated during the manufacturing process, while the most probable reason was imperfect filtration of wine, or its contamination during the bottling. The results showed that the way of storage wine in the room, resp. cooler temperature did not significant effect on changes in the amount of yeast (p-hodnota=0.2080. Regarding the period of storage of wine, the conclusions are identical to the previous factor, ie. storage time not significantly impacted amount of yeast in wine (p-value=0.5507. doi:10.5219/151 

13 CFR 120.930 - Amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... percent of total Project cost plus 100 percent of eligible administrative costs. For good cause shown, SBA... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amount. 120.930 Section 120.930 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Development Company Loan...

One billion cubic meters of gas produced in Kikinda area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vicicevic, M; Duric, N

1969-10-01

The Kikinda gas reservoir has just passed a milestone in producing one billion cubic meters of natural gas. The reservoir was discovered in 1962, and its present production amounts to 26 million cu m. One of the biggest problems was formation of hydrates, which has successfully been solved by using methanol. Four tables show production statistics by years and productive formations.

Produced water radionuclide hazard/risk assessment, Phase 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamilton, L.D.; Meinhold, A.F.; Nagy, J.

1991-06-01

Petroleum production may be accompanied by the production of saline water, called produced water.'' Produced water discharged into freshwater streams, estuaries, coastal and outer continental shelf waters can contained enhanced levels of radium isotopes. This document reports on the first phase of a study to estimate the risk to human health and the environment from radium discharged in produced water. The study involved five major steps: (1) evaluate the usefulness of available produced water outfall data for developing estimates of radium environmental concentrations; (2) review the literature on the bioaccumulation of radium by aquatic organism; (3) review the literature on the effects of radiation on aquatic organisms; (4) review the information available concerning the human health risks associated with exposure to Ra-226 and Ra-228 and (5) perform a conservative, screening-level assessment of the health and environmental risks posed by Ra-226 and Ra-228 discharged in produced waters. A screening-level analysis was performed to determine whether radium discharged to coastal Louisiana in produced waters presents potential health or environmental risks requiring further study. This conservative assessment suggested that no detectable impact on populations of fish, molluscs or crustaceans from radium discharged in produced waters is likely. The analysis also suggested that there is a potential for risk were an individual to ingest a large amount of seafood harvested near a produced water discharge point over a lifetime. The number of excess cancers predicted per year under a conservative scenario is comparable to those expected to result from background concentrations of radium.

Produced water radionuclide hazard/risk assessment, Phase 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamilton, L.D.; Meinhold, A.F.; Nagy, J.

1991-06-01

Petroleum production may be accompanied by the production of saline water, called ``produced water.`` Produced water discharged into freshwater streams, estuaries, coastal and outer continental shelf waters can contained enhanced levels of radium isotopes. This document reports on the first phase of a study to estimate the risk to human health and the environment from radium discharged in produced water. The study involved five major steps: (1) evaluate the usefulness of available produced water outfall data for developing estimates of radium environmental concentrations; (2) review the literature on the bioaccumulation of radium by aquatic organism; (3) review the literature on the effects of radiation on aquatic organisms; (4) review the information available concerning the human health risks associated with exposure to Ra-226 and Ra-228 and (5) perform a conservative, screening-level assessment of the health and environmental risks posed by Ra-226 and Ra-228 discharged in produced waters. A screening-level analysis was performed to determine whether radium discharged to coastal Louisiana in produced waters presents potential health or environmental risks requiring further study. This conservative assessment suggested that no detectable impact on populations of fish, molluscs or crustaceans from radium discharged in produced waters is likely. The analysis also suggested that there is a potential for risk were an individual to ingest a large amount of seafood harvested near a produced water discharge point over a lifetime. The number of excess cancers predicted per year under a conservative scenario is comparable to those expected to result from background concentrations of radium.

Produced water radionuclide hazard/risk assessment, Phase 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, L.D.; Meinhold, A.F.; Nagy, J.

1991-06-01

Petroleum production may be accompanied by the production of saline water, called ''produced water.'' Produced water discharged into freshwater streams, estuaries, coastal and outer continental shelf waters can contained enhanced levels of radium isotopes. This document reports on the first phase of a study to estimate the risk to human health and the environment from radium discharged in produced water. The study involved five major steps: (1) evaluate the usefulness of available produced water outfall data for developing estimates of radium environmental concentrations; (2) review the literature on the bioaccumulation of radium by aquatic organism; (3) review the literature on the effects of radiation on aquatic organisms; (4) review the information available concerning the human health risks associated with exposure to Ra-226 and Ra-228 and (5) perform a conservative, screening-level assessment of the health and environmental risks posed by Ra-226 and Ra-228 discharged in produced waters. A screening-level analysis was performed to determine whether radium discharged to coastal Louisiana in produced waters presents potential health or environmental risks requiring further study. This conservative assessment suggested that no detectable impact on populations of fish, molluscs or crustaceans from radium discharged in produced waters is likely. The analysis also suggested that there is a potential for risk were an individual to ingest a large amount of seafood harvested near a produced water discharge point over a lifetime. The number of excess cancers predicted per year under a conservative scenario is comparable to those expected to result from background concentrations of radium

Durum Wheat in Conventional and Organic Farming: Yield Amount and Pasta Quality in Southern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Fagnano

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Five durum wheat cultivars were grown in a Mediterranean area (Southern Italy under conventional and organic farming with the aim to evaluate agronomic, technological, sensory, and sanitary quality of grains and pasta. The cultivar Matt produced the best pasta quality under conventional cropping system, while the quality parameters evaluated were unsatisfactory under organic farming. The cultivar Saragolla showed the best yield amount and pasta quality in all the experimental conditions, thus proving to be the cultivar more adapt to organic farming. In all the tested experimental conditions, nivalenol (NIV and deoxynivalenol (DON occurrence was very low and the other mycotoxins evaluated were completely absent. These data confirm the low risk of mycotoxin contamination in the Mediterranean climate conditions. Finally, it has been possible to produce high-quality pasta in Southern Italy from durum wheat grown both in conventional and organic farming.

22 CFR 226.73 - Collection of amounts due.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Collection of amounts due. 226.73 Section 226.73 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS After-the-Award Requirements § 226.73 Collection of amounts due. (a...

Crystal Analysis of Multi Phase Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles Containing Different amount of Magnesium

Science.gov (United States)

Gozalian, Afsaneh; Behnamghader, Ali Asghar; Moshkforoush, Arash

In this study, Mg doped hydroxyapatite [(Ca, Mg)10(PO4)6(OH)2] and β-tricalcium phosphate nanoparticles were synthesized via sol gel method. Triethyl phosphite, calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and magnesium nitrate hexahydrate were used as P, Ca and Mg precursors. The ratio of (Ca+Mg)/P and the amount of magnesium (x) were kept constant at 1.67 and ranging x = 0 up to 3 in molecular formula of Ca10-xMgx (PO4)6(OH)2, respectively. Phase composition and chemical structure were performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Phase percentages, crystallite size, degree of crystallinity and lattice parameters were investigated. The presence of magnesium led to form the Mg doped tricalcium phosphate (β-TCMP) and Mg doped hydroxyapatite (Mg-HA). Based on the results of this study, lattice parameters, degree of crystallinity and crystallite size decreased with magnesium content. In addition, with increasing magnesium content, the amount of CaO phase decreased whereas the amount of MgO phase increased significantly. Obtained results can be used for new biomaterials design.

Potency of Amylase-producing Bacteria and Optimization Amylase Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Indriati, G.; Megahati, R. R. P.; Rosba, E.

2018-04-01

Enzymes are capable to act as biocatalyst for a wide variety of chemical reactions. Amylase have potential biotechnological applications in a wide range of industrial processes and account for nearly 30% of the world’s enzyme market. Amylase are extracellular enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of internal α-1,4-glycosidic linkages in starch to dextrin, and other small carbohydrate molecules constituted of glucose units. Although enzymes are produced from animal and plant sources, the microbial sources are generally the most suitable for commercial applications. Bacteria from hot springs is widely used as a source of various enzymes, such as amylase. But the amount of amylase-producing bacteria is still very limited. Therefore it is necessary to search sources of amylase-producing bacteria new, such as from hot springs Pariangan. The purpose of this study was to isolation of amylase-producing bacteria from Pariangan hot spring, West Sumatera and amylase activity optimization. The results were obtained 12 isolates of thermophilic bacteria and 5 isolates of amyalse-producing bacteria with the largest amylolytic index of 3.38 mm. The highest amylase activity was obtained at 50°C and pH 7.5.

Texture and organic carbon contents do not impact amount of carbon protected in Malagasy soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tantely Razafimbelo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Soil organic carbon (SOC is usually said to be well correlated with soil texture and soil aggregation. These relations generally suggest a physical and physicochemical protection of SOC within soil aggregates and on soil fine particles, respectively. Because there are few experimental evidences of these relations on tropical soils, we tested the relations of soil variables (SOC and soil aggregate contents, and soil texture with the amount of SOC physically protected in aggregates on a set of 15 Malagasy soils. The soil texture, the SOC and water stable macroaggregate (MA contents and the amount of SOC physically protected inside aggregates, calculated as the difference of C mineralized by crushed and intact aggregates, were characterized. The relation between these variables was established. SOC content was significantly correlated with soil texture (clay+fine silt fraction and with soil MA amount while protected SOC content was not correlated with soil MA amount. This lack of correlation might be attributed to the highest importance of physicochemical protection of SOC which is demonstrated by the positive relation between SOC and clay+fine silt fraction.

Productive performance of cowpea-radish intercropping under different amounts of rooster tree biomass incorporated into the soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria F. S. Pereira

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Intercropping systems of cowpea with radish are beginning to be deployed in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte state. The great challenge is to know whether or not there is productive efficiency in these systems when fertilized with organic matter produced by spontaneous species from the ‘Caatinga’ biome. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of cowpea-radish intercropping systems under different amounts of rooster tree biomass incorporated into the soil. The study was conducted at the experimental farm Rafael Fernandes, rural zone of Mossoró, RN, in the period from June to September 2013, in an experimental design of randomized blocks with four treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of the following amounts of rooster tree biomass incorporated into the soil (10, 25, 40 and 55 t ha-1 on a dry weight basis. The best productive performance of the cowpea-radish intercrop was obtained when the rooster tree biomass amount of 50.01 t ha-1 was incorporated to the soil. The use of rooster tree biomass as green manure is agronomically viable in intercropped systems of cowpea-radish.

Screening concepts for the isolation of biosurfactant producing microorganisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Vanessa; Syldatk, Christoph; Hausmann, Rudolf

2010-01-01

This chapter gives an overview of current methods for the isolation of biosurfactant producing microbes. The common screening methods for biosurfactants are presented. Sampling and isolation of bacteria are the basis for screening of biosurfactant producing microbes. Hydrocarbon-contaminated sites are the most promising for the isolation of biosurfactant producing microbes, but many strains have also been isolated from undisturbed sites. In subsequent steps the isolates have to be characterized in order to identify the strains which are interesting for a further investigation. Several techniques have been developed for identifying biosurfactant producing strains. Most of them are directly based on the surface or interfacial activity of the culture supernatant. Apart from that, some screening methods explore the hydrophobicity of the cell surface. This trait also gives an indication on biosurfactant production. In recent years automation and miniaturization have led to the development of high throughput methods for screening. High throughput screening (HTS) for analyzing large amounts of potential candidates or whole culture collections is reflected in the end. However, no new principals have been introduced by HTS methods.

5 CFR 870.704 - Amount of Option A.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amount of Option A. 870.704 Section 870... of Option A. (a) The amount of Option A coverage an annuitant or compensationer can continue is $10,000. (b) An annuitant's or compensationer's Option A coverage reduces by 2 percent of the original...

46 CFR 282.20 - Amount of subsidy payable.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Rates. Daily ODS rates shall be used to quantify the amount of ODS payable. The daily ODS rate... items is the daily amount of ODS payable for approved vessel operating days, excluding reduced crew... the daily wage ODS rate to conform to the complement remaining on the vessel. The man-day reduction...

Laser-produced plasma EUV source using a colloidal microjet target containing tin dioxide nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Higashiguchi, Takeshi; Dojyo, Naoto; Sasaki, Wataru; Kubodera, Shoichi

2006-10-01

We realized a low-debris laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source by use of a colloidal microjet target, which contained low-concentration (6 wt%) tin-dioxide nanoparticles. An Nd:YAG laser was used to produce a plasma at the intensity on the order of 10^11 W/cm^2. The use of low concentration nanoparticles in a microjet target with a diameter of 50 μm regulated the neutral debris emission from a target, which was monitored by a silicon witness plate placed 30 cm apart from the source in a vacuum chamber. No XPS signals of tin and/or oxygen atoms were observed on the plate after ten thousand laser exposures. The low concentration nature of the target was compensated and the conversion efficiency (CE) was improved by introducing double pulses of two Nd:YAG lasers operated at 532 and 1064 nm as a result of controlling the micro-plasma characteristics. The EUV CE reached its maximum of 1.2% at the delay time of approximately 100 ns with the main laser intensiy of 2 x10^11 W/cm^2. The CE value was comparable to that of a tin bulk target, which, however, produced a significant amount of neutral debris.

A Method for Decreasing the Amount of the Drug Remaining on the Surfaces of the Mortar and Pestle after Grinding Small Amount of Tablets.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakami, Miki; Kitada, Rika; Kurita, Takuro; Tokumura, Tadakazu

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to develop a method for grinding tablets with a mortar and pestle while reducing drug loss because grinding tablets is known to be associated with reductions in tablet weight and loss of the active drug. Seven kinds of tablets were subjected to grinding. The proportion (%) of the amount of the active drug in the powder remaining on the surfaces of the mortar and pestle relative to the total amount of the drug recovered (the recovery percent) was calculated. The recovery percent of the 7 kinds of tablets ranged from 17.2-35.9%, and the tablets' recovery percent decreased as the tablet weight increased. When the grinding was performed with 1 g of lactose monohydrate or 1 g of D-mannitol moistened with water, the recovery percent of the tablets decreased to 2.6-9.9% and 3.8-9.9%, respectively. The effects of the weight of lactose monohydrate on the recovery percent of Allegra ® 60 mg tablets were examined. It was found that at least 0.6 g of lactose monohydrate was required to have a sufficient effect on drug recovery. Therefore, additives that have stronger effects at lower amounts were sought. As a result, calcium monohydrogen phosphate was found to have the strongest effect on drug recovery. The addition of 0.4 g calcium monohydrogen phosphate resulted in the recovery percent of 5.1%, which was significantly lower than that of 15.0% observed after the addition of 0.4 g lactose monohydrate, and lower than the 6.8% of 1 g lactose monohydrate.

Radiation-produced electron migration along 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA in cells and in solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beach, C.M.

1981-01-01

Results of work by other investigators support the theory of charge migration in DNA. Charge transfer between nucleotides and electron and energy migration in solid state DNA have been detected, but no previous experiments have demonstrated charge migration in aqueous solutions of DNA or in DNA inside an E. coli cell. Such experiments were performed by substituting different amounts of 5-bromouracil (BU) for thymine in E. coli DNA and assaying for the amount of bromide given off from the reaction of bromouracil with hydrated electrons produced by ionizing radiation to form uracil-5-yl radicals and free bromide. By varying the amount of BU incorporated in the DNA, the average distance between the BU bases was varied, and because the number of BU/electron reactions was monitored by the amount of bromide released, the maximum average electron migration distance along the BU-DNA was estimated. Charge migration was demonstrated, and the maximum average electron migration distance in aqueous solutions of BU-DNA was measured to be 8 to 10 base distances (assuming only intrastrand migration). Only 11 to 16% of the electrons produced attacked BU-DNA in aqueous solution, and only 1% resulted in bromide release from BU-DNA inside E. coli. Charge migration was demonstrated in BU-DNA inside E. coli, and the maximum average migration distance was measured to be 5 to 6 base distances

Properties of residual marine fuel produced by thermolysis from polypropylene waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linas Miknius

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Thermal degradation of waste plastics with the aim of producing liquid fuel is one of the alternative solutions to landfill disposal or incineration. The paper describes thermal conversion of polypropylene waste and analysis of produced liquid fuel that would satisfy ISO 8217-2012 requirements for a residual marine fuel. Single pass batch thermolysis processes were conducted at different own vapour pressures (20-80 barg that determined process temperature, residence time of intermediates what resulted in different yields of the liquid product. Obtained products were stabilized by rectification to achieve required standard flash point. Gas chromatography and 1H NMR spectrometry show aliphatic nature of the liquid product where majority of the compounds are isoalkanes and isoalkenes. Only lightest fractions boiling up to a temperature of 72 oC have significant amount of n-pentane. Distribution of aromatic hydrocarbons is not even along the boiling range. The fractions boiling at a temperature of 128 oC and 160 oC have the highest content of monocyclic arenes – 3.16 % and 4.09 % respectively. The obtained final liquid residual product meets all but one requirements of ISO 8217-2012 for residual marine fuels.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.21.2.6105

The amount and integrity of mtDNA in maize decline with development.

Science.gov (United States)

Oldenburg, Delene J; Kumar, Rachana A; Bendich, Arnold J

2013-02-01

In maize and other grasses there is a developmental gradient from the meristematic cells at the base of the stalk to the differentiated cells at the leaf tip. This gradient presents an opportunity to investigate changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that accompany growth under light and dark conditions, as done previously for plastid DNA. Maize mtDNA was analyzed by DAPI-DNA staining of individual mitochondria, gel electrophoresis/blot hybridization, and real-time qPCR. Both the amount and integrity of the mtDNA were found to decline with development. There was a 20-fold decline in mtDNA copy number per cell from the embryo to the light-grown leaf blade. The amount of DNA per mitochondrial particle was greater in dark-grown leaf blade (24 copies, on average) than in the light (2 copies), with some mitochondria lacking any detectable DNA. Three factors that influence the demise of mtDNA during development are considered: (1) the decision to either repair or degrade mtDNA molecules that are damaged by the reactive oxygen species produced as byproducts of respiration; (2) the generation of ATP by photophosphorylation in chloroplasts, reducing the need for respiratory-competent mitochondria; and (3) the shift in mitochondrial function from energy-generating respiration to photorespiration during the transition from non-green to green tissue.

45 CFR 1225.11 - Amount of attorney fees.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amount of attorney fees. 1225.11 Section 1225.11... § 1225.11 Amount of attorney fees. (a) When a decision of the agency provides for an award of attorney's fees or costs, the complainant's attorney shall submit a verified statement of costs and attorney's...

Determining the amount of waste plastics in the feed of Austrian waste-to-energy facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarzböck, Therese; Van Eygen, Emile; Rechberger, Helmut; Fellner, Johann

2017-02-01

Although thermal recovery of waste plastics is widely practiced in many European countries, reliable information on the amount of waste plastics in the feed of waste-to-energy plants is rare. In most cases the amount of plastics present in commingled waste, such as municipal solid waste, commercial, or industrial waste, is estimated based on a few waste sorting campaigns, which are of limited significance with regard to the characterisation of plastic flows. In the present study, an alternative approach, the so-called Balance Method, is used to determine the total amount of plastics thermally recovered in Austria's waste incineration facilities in 2014. The results indicate that the plastics content in the waste feed may vary considerably among different plants but also over time. Monthly averages determined range between 8 and 26 wt% of waste plastics. The study reveals an average waste plastics content in the feed of Austria's waste-to-energy plants of 16.5 wt%, which is considerably above findings from sorting campaigns conducted in Austria. In total, about 385 kt of waste plastics were thermally recovered in all Austrian waste-to-energy plants in 2014, which equals to 45 kg plastics cap -1 . In addition, the amount of plastics co-combusted in industrial plants yields a total thermal utilisation rate of 70 kg cap -1  a -1 for Austria. This is significantly above published rates, for example, in Germany reported rates for 2013 are in the range of only 40 kg of waste plastics combusted per capita.

Functional analysis of truncated and site-directed mutagenesis dextransucrases to produce different type dextrans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao; Zhang, Hong-Bin; Li, Meng-Qi; Hu, Xue-Qin; Li, Yao

2017-07-01

Dextrans with distinct molecular size and structure are increasingly being used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Dextran is produced by dextransucrase (DSR, EC2.4.5.1), which is produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. DSR belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family (GH70) and synthesizes branched α-glucan (dextran) with both 5% α(1-3) and 95% α(1-6) glycosidic linkages. The DSR gene dex-YG (Genebank, Accession No. DQ345760) was cloned from the wild strain Leuconostoc mesenteroides 0326. This study generated a series of C-terminally truncated variants of dextransucrase and substituting the amino-acid residues in the active site of DSR. With shorter length of DSR, its polysaccharide-synthesizing capability was impaired heavily, whereas oligosaccharide (acting as prebiotics)-synthesizing capability increased significantly, efficiently producing special sizes of dextran. All truncated mutant enzymes were active. Results demonstrated that the catalytic domain dextransucrase was likely in 800 aa or less. Based on the three-dimensional structure model of dextransucrase built through homology modeling methods, the DSR and its mutants with the acceptor substrate of maltose and donor substrate of sucrose were studied by molecular-docking method. Substituting these amino-acid residues significantly affected enzyme activities. Compared with the wild-type dextran, mutant enzymes catalyzed the synthesis of a-glucan with 1-9% α(1-3) and 90-98% α(1-6) branching linkages. Some mutants introduced a small amount of α(1-4) linkages and α(1-2) linkages. This strategy can be effectively used for the rational protein design of dextransucrase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

39 CFR 601.111 - Interest on claim amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... that date is later, until the date of payment. Simple interest will be paid at the rate established by... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Interest on claim amounts. 601.111 Section 601.111... PROPERTY RIGHTS OTHER THAN PATENTS PURCHASING OF PROPERTY AND SERVICES § 601.111 Interest on claim amounts...

The Effect of Starter Culture Producing Exopolysaccharide on Physicochemical Properties of Yoghurt

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Anatoli Cartasev

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of indigenous starter culture capable to synthesize exopolysaccharides (EPSs on physicochemical properties of yoghurt. Two starter cultures, EPS-producing and non-EPS-producing, were developed from the autochthonous lactic acid bacteria strains by pairwise combining Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus strains. In the present study the ropy strain of Streptococcus thermophilus CNMN LB-50 was incorporated in EPS-producing starter culture. The microstructure, viscosity, EPS amount, structural properties and syneresis of yoghurt samples were assessed. It has been established that the EPS-producing starter culture provided a reduction of structural degradation and increased degree of structural recovery after deformation. Besides, it was observed that the use of EPS synthesized starter culture in yoghurt production restrains the syneresis of the gel.

1000 tones of heavy water produced at ROMAG PROD, Drobeta-Turnu Severin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

On May 25, 2001 the heavy water plant ROMAG PROD at Drobeta-Turnu Severin recorded the production of the 1000-th tone of nuclear purity heavy water. The heavy water plant ROMAG PROD makes use of a technology based on the results of isotopic deuterium separation research carried out at the Research and Design Institutes of Cluj, Craiova, Pitesti and Ploiesti during 1957-1970 and the separation technology tested at Ramnicu-Valcea pilot plant (at present the Cryogenics and Isotope Separation Institute). The first investments at ROMAG PROD were made in 1979 and on July 17, 1988 was produced the first amount of heavy water at the required parameters for CANDU type nuclear reactors. The period between 1990-1992 was dedicated to the project completion, upgrading the technological facilities and retrofitting the environmental protection and monitoring systems. Production was resumed in 1992. The first 500 t of heavy water required for the Cernavoda NPP first reactor operation were produced by summer 1997. The additional amount of 500 t of heavy water was produced between 1997-2001. ROMAG PROD obtained the ISO 9001/2001 certificate for the quality management system, the ISO 14001/1997 certificate for the environmental management system and the new environmental permit

Centralized treatment facility for L/ILW produced in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ettehadian, M.; Momenzadeh, S.; Ansar, M.; Burcl, R.

2001-01-01

Full text: Normal operation of 5 MW research reactor, and radioisotope application in medicine, industry and research institutes generate a significant amount of low level radioactive waste. The volume is expected to increase with the expansion of nuclear application. This paper describes the establishing of centralized waste treatment facility developed by Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) using IAEA technical assistance and recommendation. The new treatment facility will enable the currently produced RW to be treated conditioned and stored until a national repository becomes available. The centralized facility consists of a waste processing and storage buildings, which will be used to store conditioned waste drums. The treatment methods used for liquid wastes are precipitation, ion exchange and ultra filtration followed by In-drum cementation of residues. An In-drum compactor will be used for compaction of solid wastes. Safe management of low and intermediate radioactive waste, better protection of environment and population and applying suitable and economical processes for treatment of L/ILW are the other objectives of this activity. (author)

Impurities in chromium deposits produced by electroplating and physical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dini, J.W.

1994-05-01

Impurity contents in electrodeposited (hexavalent and trivalent) chromium deposits and physically vapor deposited (thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation and rf-sputtering) were compared. Oxygen is the key impurity obtained in electrodeposited films but it can be minimized in hexavalent plating solutions by operating at high temperature, e. g., 85 C. Electrodeposits produced in trivalent chromium plating solutions and physically vapor deposited films have much higher oxygen contents than electrodeposits produced in hexavalent chromium solutions operated at temperatures around 85 C. Depending on the target material used for physically vapor deposited films, these films can also have high amounts of other impurities.

Isolation and screening of strains producing high amounts of rutin degrading enzymes from Fagopyrum tataricum seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Ya-Di; Luo, Qing-Lin; Zhou, Mei-Liang; Wang, De-Zhou; Zhang, Ye-Dong; Shao, Ji-Rong; Zhu, Xue-Mei; Tang, Yu

2013-02-01

The rutin degrading enzyme (RDE) was isolated and purified from tartary buckwheat seeds. The RDE was purified about 11.34-fold and its final yield was 3.5%, which was very low, due to our purification strategy of giving priority to purity over yield. The RDE molecular weight was estimated to be about 60 kDa. When rutin was used as substrate, an optimal enzyme activity was seen at around pH 5.0 and 40 °C. Strains isolation strategy characterized by the use of rutin as sole carbon source in enrichment cultures was used to isolate RDE-producing strains. Then the active strains were identified by morphology characterization and 18s rDNA-ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) gene sequencing. Three isolates coded as B3, W2, Y2 were successfully isolated from fusty Fagopyrum tataricum flour cultures. Strain B3 possessed the highest unit activity among these three strains, and its total activity reached up to 171.0 Unit. The active isolate (B3) could be assigned to Penicillium farinosum. When the Penicillium farinosum strains were added to tartary buckwheat flour cultures at pH 5.0, 30 °C after 5 days fermentation, the quercetin production raised up to 1.78 mg/l, almost 5.1 times higher than the fermentation without the above active strains. Hence, a new approach was available to utilize microorganism-aided fermentation for effective quercetin extraction from Fagopyrum tataricum seeds. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Properties of concretes produced with waste concrete aggregate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topcu, Ilker Bekir; Sengel, Selim

2004-01-01

An environmentally friendly approach to the disposal of waste materials, a difficult issue to cope with in today's world, would only be possible through a useful recycling process. For this reason, we suggest that clearing the debris from destroyed buildings in such a way as to obtain waste concrete aggregates (WCA) to be reused in concrete production could well be a partial solution to environmental pollution. For this study, the physical and mechanical properties along with their freeze-thaw durability of concrete produced with WCAs were investigated and test results presented. While experimenting with fresh and hardened concrete, mixtures containing recycled concrete aggregates in amounts of 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% were prepared. Afterward, these mixtures underwent freeze-thaw cycles. As a result, we found out that C16-quality concrete could be produced using less then 30% C14-quality WCA. Moreover, it was observed that the unit weight, workability, and durability of the concretes produced through WCA decreased in inverse proportion to their endurance for freeze-thaw cycle

Nuclear liability amounts on the rise for nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasquez-Maignan, Ximena; Schwartz, Julia; Kuzeyli, Kaan

2015-01-01

The NEA Table on Nuclear Operator Liability Amounts and Financial Security Limits (NEA 'Liability Table'), which covers 71 countries, aims to provide one of the most comprehensive listings of nuclear liability amounts and financial security limits. The current and revised Paris and Brussels Supplementary Conventions ('Paris-Brussels regime'), the original and revised Vienna Conventions ('Vienna regime') and the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, newly entered into force in April 2015, provide for the minimum amounts to be transposed in the national legislation of states parties to the conventions, and have served as guidelines for non-convention states. This article examine in more detail increases in the liability amounts provided for under these conventions, as well as examples of non-convention states (China, India and Korea)

Centralized treatment facility for low level radioactive waste produced in Belgium. The CILVA project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renard, Cl.; Detilleux, M.; Debieve, P.

1993-01-01

Due to rather limited amount of waste produced and the small size of the Belgian territory (30 x 10 3 km 2 ), ONDRAF/NIRAS strategy aims at centralizing treatment conditioning and storage of radioactive waste. ONDRAF/NTRAS has decided to set up a new infrastructure: the CILVA unit. The CILVA facility is focused on the supercompaction and the incineration treatment, so that ONDRAF/NIRAS can safely manage all radioactive wastes produced in Belgium. (2 figs.)

Very large amounts of radiation are needed to change cancer frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, A.; Couch, L.

2006-01-01

Full text: A marked radio-phobia or excessive fear of radiation exposure is shared by the general public. A major factor in this fear is that the perception that each and every radiation-induced ionization increases the risk for cancer, thus even the smallest radiation exposure needs to be avoided. It is important to realize that this is not the case. It requires very large amounts of radiation delivered to large populations to produce an increase in cancer frequency. This has been demonstrated in many in experimental systems, animal studies and in human populations. If either the population size or the dose is reduced it is not possible to detect an increase in cancer frequency. This paper deals with real radiation-induced increases in cancer frequency that are statistically significant, rather than in extrapolated or calculated small increases in radiation-induced risks using linear models. Further, it demonstrates that there are barriers below which increases in cancer cannot be detected. Finally, the manuscript helps explain that there are transitions in the mechanisms of biological action as a function of radiation dose with very different mechanisms being triggered at high and at low doses. These transitions suggest the need for paradigm shifts. Concepts such as hit theory, independence in individual cellular responses and single mutations being responsible for cancer need to be re-evaluated. New paradigms such as b ystander effects , showing that the size of the responding target is much larger than the hit target, adaptive response demonstrating that cell/cell communication modifies individual cellular responses and genomic instability that is not dependent on radiation induced mutations in individual cells

Amount of trace elements in marine cephalopods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, Taiji; Nakahara, Motokazu; Ishii, Toshiaki; Suzuki, Yuzuru; Suzuki, Hamaji.

1979-01-01

For the estimation of internal radiation to human beings, the amounts of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Co and Cs in 5 species of marine cephalopods were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and neutron activation analysis, and then the concentration factors were calculated. The average amount and the concentration factor of the elements in the edible parts (mantle, arms and tentacles) of cephalopods are as follows: 0.14 mg, 2 x 10 2 for Mn, 1.8 mg, 2 x 10 2 for Fe, 2.0 mg, 7 x 10 2 for Cu, 12.2 mg, 1 x 10 3 for Zn, 5.3 μg, 6 x 10 1 for Co and 3.4 μg, 7 for Cs. The amounts of Fe, Co, Cu and Zn in the liver and the branchial heart were much higher than those in the edible parts, although those of Cs and Mn were almost the same. The Co content in the visceral organs of O. Vulgaris showed extremely high value, particularly in the branchial heart. (author)

Method of producing pitch (distillation residue)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stepanenko, M.A.; Belkina, T.V.; Krysin, V.P.

1979-08-15

A method is proposed for producing pitch by mixing hard coal pitch with anthracene fraction and thermal treatment of the mixture. The method is distinguished in that in order to increase the quality of the pitch, the anthracene fraction is subjected to thermal treatment at 250-300/sup 0/ for 10-13 hours in the presence of air. This duration of heat treatment allows one to build up in the anthracene fraction up to 20-24% of material which is not soluble and toluene, without the formation of products which are not soluble in quinoline. The fraction prepared in this manner is inserted into the initial pitch in the ratio 1:2 up to 1:9, the mixture is subject to heat treatment at temperature 360-380/sup 0/ and air consumption 7-91/kgX hours until the production of pitch with softening temperature of 85-90/sup 0/. As the initial raw material we used pitch with softening temperature of 60/sup 0/, content of substances which are not soluble in quinoline, 2.0% which are not soluble and toluene 20.6% and coking residue of 49.2%. Example. 80 grams of anthracene fraction is added to 320 grams of pitch. The anthracene fraction is subjected previously to heat treatment at 300/sup 0/ for 13 hours in the presence of air, supplied in the amount of 9 liters per hour. As a result of the heat treatment of the content of materials which are not soluble in toluence in the anthracene fraction is 24.0%, in quinoline it is 0.1%. The ratio of a pitch and thermally treated anthracene fraction in the mixture was 4:l. The produced mixture was subjected to heat treatment at 360/sup 0/ for 1.5 hours with air supply in the amount of 7 liters/ kilograms/hours. Pitch is produced with the following characteristics: softening temperature 88/sup 0/, content of substances which are not soluble in toluene 32.5%, in quinilone, 6.0%, coking residue, 56.7%. The invention can be used in the chemical coking and petrochemical industry.

Biological significance of soluble IL-2 receptor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calogero Caruso

1993-01-01

Full Text Available A NUMBER of receptors for growth factors and differentiation antigens have been found to be secreted or released by cells. Following mononuclear cell (MNC activation and interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R expression, a soluble form of the Alpha;-chain of IL-2R (sIL-2R is released. The sIL-2R has been shown to be present in the culture supernatants of activated MNCs as well as in normal sera and, in higher amounts, in sera from subjects affected by several diseases including neoplastic, infectious and autoimmune ones, and in sera from transplanted patients suffering allograft rejection. The blood sIL-2R levels depend on the number of producing cells and the number of molecules per cell, so that sIL-2R blood values may represent an index of the number and the functional state of producing cells, both normal and neoplastic. Thus, monitoring of the immune system, mostly T-cells and haematological malignancies might be targets for the measurement of sIL-2R. Since many conditions may influence sIL-2R production, little diagnostic use may result from these measurements. However, since blood sIL-2R levels may correlate with disease progression and/or response to therapy, their measurement may be a useful index of activity and extent of disease. The precise biological role of the soluble form of the IL-2R is still a matter of debate. However, we know that increased sIL-2R levels may be observed in association with several immunological abnormalities and that sIL-2R is able to bind IL-2. It is conceivable then that in these conditions the excess sIL-2R released in vivo by activated lymphoid cells or by neoplastic cells may somehow regulate IL-2-dependent processes. On the other hand, it cannot exclude that sIL-2R is a by-product without biological significance. Finally, it is puzzling that in many conditions in which an increase of blood sIL-2R values has been observed, MNCs display a decreased in vitro capacity to produce sIL-2R. These seemingly contrasting

[New antibiotics produced by Bacillus subtilis strains].

Science.gov (United States)

Malanicheva, I A; Kozlov, D G; Efimenko, T A; Zenkova, V A; Kastrukha, G S; Reznikova, M I; Korolev, A M; Borshchevskaia, L N; Tarasova, O D; Sineokiĭ, S P; Efremenkova, O V

2014-01-01

Two Bacillus subtilis strains isolated from the fruiting body of a basidiomycete fungus Pholiota squarrosa exhibited a broad range of antibacterial activity, including those against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus INA 00761 (MRSA) and Leuconostoc mes6nteroides VKPM B-4177 resistant to glycopep-> tide antibiotics, as well as antifungal activity. The strains were identified as belonging to the "B. subtilis" com- plex based on their morphological and physiological characteristics, as well as by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene fragments. Both strains (INA 01085 and INA 01086) produced insignificant amounts of polyene antibiotics (hexaen and pentaen, respectively). Strain INA 01086 produced also a cyclic polypeptide antibiotic containing Asp, Gly, Leu, Pro, Tyr, Thr, Trp, and Phe, while the antibiotic of strain INA 01085 contained, apart from these, two unidentified nonproteinaceous amino acids. Both polypeptide antibiotics were new compounds efficient against gram-positive bacteria and able to override the natural bacterial antibiotic resistance.

45 CFR 160.404 - Amount of a civil money penalty.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amount of a civil money penalty. 160.404 Section... RELATED REQUIREMENTS GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Imposition of Civil Money Penalties § 160.404 Amount of a civil money penalty. (a) The amount of a civil money penalty will be determined in accordance...

Dominance of IMP-4-Producing Enterobacter cloacae among Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Townell, Nicola; Nimmo, Graeme R.; George, Narelle M.; Robson, Jennifer; Vohra, Renu; Davis, Louise; Heney, Claire; Paterson, David L.

2015-01-01

The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has been increasing worldwide. blaIMP has been reported to be the predominant carbapenemase-encoding gene within Enterobacteriaceae in Australia. However, there are limited data currently available on CPE from Queensland, Australia. A total of 58 CPE isolates were isolated between July 2009 and March 2014 from Queensland hospitals. The clonality of isolates was determined by Diversilab repetitive sequence-based PCR. The isolates were investigated for the resistance mechanisms carbapenemase, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, and AmpC β-lactamase and for aminoglycoside resistance and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes by PCR. The plasmid types associated with carbapenemase-encoding genes were characterized. The majority of the CPE were Enterobacter cloacae (n = 29). The majority of Queensland CPE isolates were IMP producers and comprised 11 species (n = 48). Nine NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified. One NDM-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate coproduced OXA-48. One K. pneumoniae isolate was an OXA-181 producer. The incidence of IMP producers increased significantly in 2013. blaIMP-4 was found in all IMP-producing isolates. blaTEM, qnrB, and aacA4 were common among IMP-4 producers. The HI2 (67%) and L/M (21%) replicons were associated with blaIMP-4. All HI2 plasmids were of sequence type 1 (ST1). All but one of the NDM producers possessed blaCTX-M-15. The 16S rRNA methylase genes found among NDM producers were armA, rmtB, rmtC, and rmtF. The substantial increase in the prevalence of CPE in Queensland has been associated mainly with the emergence E. cloacae strains possessing HI2 plasmids carrying blaIMP-4 over the past 2 years. The importation of NDM producers and/or OXA-48-like producers in patients also contributed to the increased emergence of CPE. PMID:25918153

26 CFR 25.2701-3 - Determination of amount of gift.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Determination of amount of gift. 25.2701-3... AND GIFT TAXES GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954 Special Valuation Rules § 25.2701-3 Determination of amount of gift. (a) Overview—(1) In general. The amount of the gift resulting from any transfer...

75 FR 58407 - Medicare Program; Medicare Appeals; Adjustment to the Amount in Controversy Threshold Amounts for...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-24

... Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings and judicial review under the Medicare appeals process. The adjustment to the AIC threshold amounts will be effective for requests for ALJ hearings and judicial review filed on... judicial review. DATES: Effective Date: This notice is effective on January 1, 2011. FOR FURTHER...

Comparative genomics of citric-acid-producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita P.; Schaap, Peter J.; van de Vondervoort, Peter J.I.; Culley, David; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristian F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy M.; Braus, Gerhard H.; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis M.; Dai, Ziyu; van Dijck, Piet W.M.; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnuson, Jon K.; Menke, Hildegard; Meijer, Martin; Meijer, Susan L.; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; van Ooyen, Albert J.J.; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob A.; Stam, Hein; Tsang, Adrian; van den Brink, Johannes M.; Atkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; van Peij, Noël N.M.E.; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens; Baker, Scott E.

2011-01-01

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compel additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole-genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild-type strain (ATCC 1015) and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence, and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was used to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 Mb of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis supported up-regulation of genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids that are abundant in glucoamylase A, tRNA-synthases, and protein transporters in the protein producing CBS 513.88 strain. Our results and data sets from this integrative systems biology analysis resulted in a snapshot of fungal evolution and will support further optimization of cell factories based on filamentous fungi. PMID:21543515

Carbon monoxide production from five volatile anesthetics in dry sodalime in a patient model: halothane and sevoflurane do produce carbon monoxide; temperature is a poor predictor of carbon monoxide production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perez Roberto SGM

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Desflurane and enflurane have been reported to produce substantial amounts of carbon monoxide (CO in desiccated sodalime. Isoflurane is said to produce less CO and sevoflurane and halothane should produce no CO at all. The purpose of this study is to measure the maximum amounts of CO production for all modern volatile anesthetics, with completely dry sodalime. We also tried to establish a relationship between CO production and temperature increase inside the sodalime. Methods A patient model was simulated using a circle anesthesia system connected to an artificial lung. Completely desiccated sodalime (950 grams was used in this system. A low flow anesthesia (500 ml/min was maintained using nitrous oxide with desflurane, enflurane, isoflurane, halothane or sevoflurane. For immediate quantification of CO production a portable gas chromatograph was used. Temperature was measured within the sodalime container. Results Peak concentrations of CO were very high with desflurane and enflurane (14262 and 10654 ppm respectively. It was lower with isoflurane (2512 ppm. We also measured small concentrations of CO for sevoflurane and halothane. No significant temperature increases were detected with high CO productions. Conclusion All modern volatile anesthetics produce CO in desiccated sodalime. Sodalime temperature increase is a poor predictor of CO production.

Knowledge discovery: Extracting usable information from large amounts of data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whiteson, R.

1998-01-01

The threat of nuclear weapons proliferation is a problem of world wide concern. Safeguards are the key to nuclear nonproliferation and data is the key to safeguards. The safeguards community has access to a huge and steadily growing volume of data. The advantages of this data rich environment are obvious, there is a great deal of information which can be utilized. The challenge is to effectively apply proven and developing technologies to find and extract usable information from that data. That information must then be assessed and evaluated to produce the knowledge needed for crucial decision making. Efficient and effective analysis of safeguards data will depend on utilizing technologies to interpret the large, heterogeneous data sets that are available from diverse sources. With an order-of-magnitude increase in the amount of data from a wide variety of technical, textual, and historical sources there is a vital need to apply advanced computer technologies to support all-source analysis. There are techniques of data warehousing, data mining, and data analysis that can provide analysts with tools that will expedite their extracting useable information from the huge amounts of data to which they have access. Computerized tools can aid analysts by integrating heterogeneous data, evaluating diverse data streams, automating retrieval of database information, prioritizing inputs, reconciling conflicting data, doing preliminary interpretations, discovering patterns or trends in data, and automating some of the simpler prescreening tasks that are time consuming and tedious. Thus knowledge discovery technologies can provide a foundation of support for the analyst. Rather than spending time sifting through often irrelevant information, analysts could use their specialized skills in a focused, productive fashion. This would allow them to make their analytical judgments with more confidence and spend more of their time doing what they do best

Aspergillus species as mycotoxin producers in agricultural products in central Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kočube Šandor

2013-01-01

producing abilities of A. niger / A. awamori isolates col­lected from the variety of substrates including raisins, figs, dates, maize and onions. The isolates, which came from dried vine fruits, produced several fumonisin isomers also pre­sent in the raisin samples, indicating that fumonisin contamination of these products was probably caused by black Aspergilli. Besides, strains collected from figs, dates and onions were also able to produce fumonisins, and preliminary data indicated that figs and onions were also contaminated with low but significant amount of fumonisins. Potential fumonisin producing A. awamori isolates were also identified on maize samples. Further studies on the examination of the occurrence of fumonisins and their potential producers in other agricultural products are in progress. Regarding patulin, contamination of apple based products is a serious problem in the region, mainly caused by Penicillium species. Although patulin producing Aspergilli have also been identified in cereals, patulin contamination of cereals and cereal based products is usually low in Central Europe.

Technology for producing synthetic cast iron for nuclear power station parts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blozhko, N.K.; Kurochkin, V.S.; Narkevich, E.A.; Nikitin, L.A.; Petrov, L.A.

1984-01-01

A technology was developed and implemented for producing grades SCh-30 through SCh-40 synthetic cast iron in industrial-frequency induction melting furnaces. Alternative innoculations with ferrosilicon and silicocalcium and alloying with chrome and nickel were studied. The mechanical properties and structure of cast irons produced by various technological methods were studied. The research showed that the sector's plants, equipped with industrial-frequency induction furnaces, can produce high-quality synthetic cast irons containing flake graphite for nuclear-power-station casting, without the use of expensive innoculants. Careful observance of the melting and innoculating technologies makes it possible to produce SCh 40 cast iron, without cementite inclusions, by innoculating with FS 75 ferrosilicon in the amount of 0.7% of the total melt weight. Using an innoculant mixture of 0.2% FS 75 and 0.5% SK 30 and low alloying with nickel and chromium, the cast-iron strength can be increased to 440-450 MPa, although the danger of cementite inclusions increase

76 FR 59138 - Medicare Program; Medicare Appeals; Adjustment to the Amount in Controversy Threshold Amounts for...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-23

... Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings and judicial review under the Medicare appeals process. The adjustment to the AIC threshold amounts will be effective for requests for ALJ hearings and judicial review filed on... $1,350 for judicial review. DATES: Effective Date: This notice is effective on January 1, 2012. FOR...

78 FR 59702 - Medicare Program; Medicare Appeals: Adjustment to the Amount in Controversy Threshold Amounts for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-27

... Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings and judicial review under the Medicare appeals process. The adjustment to the AIC threshold amounts will be effective for requests for ALJ hearings and judicial review filed on... ALJ hearings and $1,430 for judicial review. DATES: This notice is effective on January 1, 2014. FOR...

77 FR 59618 - Medicare Program; Medicare Appeals; Adjustment to the Amount in Controversy Threshold Amounts for...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-28

... Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings and judicial review under the Medicare appeals process. The adjustment to the AIC threshold amounts will be effective for requests for ALJ hearings and judicial review filed on... $1,400 for judicial review. Effective Date: This notice is effective on January 1, 2013. FOR FURTHER...

Comparison of Nitrogen Incorporation in Tholins Produced by FUV Irradiation and Spark Discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Horst, S. M.; DeWitt, H. L.; Trainer, M. G.; Tolbert, M. A.

2012-01-01

The discovery of very heavy ions (Coates et al., 2007) in Titan's thermosphere has dramatically altered our understanding of the processes involved in the formation of the complex organic aerosols that comprise Titan's characteristic haze. Before Cassini's arrival, it was believed that aerosol production began in the stratosphere where the chemical processes were predominantly initiated by FUV radiation. This understanding guided the design of Titan atmosphere simulation experiments. However, the energy environment of the thermosphere is significantly different than the stratosphere; in particular there is a greater flux of EUV photons and energetic particles available to initiate chemical reactions, including the destruction of N2. in the upper atmosphere. Using a High Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), we have obtained in situ composition measurements of aerosol particles (so'called "tholins") produced in CH4/N2 gas mixtures subjected to either FUV radiation (deuterium lamp, 115-400 nm) (Trainer et al., 2012) or a spark discharge. A comparison of the composition of tholins produced using the two different energy sources will be presented, in particular with regard to the variation in nitrogen content of the two types of tholin. Titan's aerosols are known to contain significant amounts of nitrogen (Israel et al., 2005) and therefore understanding the role of nitrogen in the aerosol chemistry is important to further our knowledge of the formation and evolution of aerosols in Titan's atmosphere.

Effect of Producing Different Phenazines on Bacterial Fitness and Biological Control in Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Myoung Yu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84 is a biological control agent selected for its ability to suppress diseases caused by fungal pathogens. P. chlororaphis 30-84 produces three phenazines: phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA, 2-hydroxy-phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (2OHPCA and a small amount of 2-hydroxy-phenazine (2OHPHZ, and these are required for fungal pathogen inhibition and wheat rhizosphere competence. The two, 2-hydroxy derivatives are produced from PCA via the activity of a phenazine-modifying enzyme encoded by phzO. In addition to the seven biosynthetic genes responsible for the production of PCA, many other Pseudomonas strains possess one or more modifying genes, which encode enzymes that act independently or together to convert PCA into other phenazine derivatives. In order to understand the fitness effects of producing different phenazines, we constructed isogenic derivatives of P. chlororaphis 30-84 that differed only in the type of phenazines produced. Altering the type of phenazines produced by P. chlororaphis 30-84 enhanced the spectrum of fungal pathogens inhibited and altered the degree of take-all disease suppression. These strains also differed in their ability to promote extracellular DNA release, which may contribute to the observed differences in the amount of biofilm produced. All derivatives were equally important for survival over repeated plant/harvest cycles, indicating that the type of phenazines produced is less important for persistence in the wheat rhizosphere than whether or not cells produce phenazines. These findings provide a better understanding of the effects of different phenazines on functions important for biological control activity with implications for applications that rely on introduced or native phenazine producing populations.

THE IMPACT OF GENDER, LEVEL DEGREE OF EDUCATION AND THE AMOUNT OF SALARY ON THE SATISFACTION WITH LIFE AND POLITICAL CULTURE- AN EXAMPLE OF SLOVENIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Vorina

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper we analyzed the impact of gender, degree of education and the amount of salary in the satisfaction with life and political culture on example in Slovenia. The main goal of the research is to determine whether (and how the impact of gender, level of education and the amount of salary on the satisfaction with life and political culture. A written “online” survey (with Google-drive was conducted from 25/4/2013 to 7/5/2013. We observe that there are statistically significant differences among the respondents with different degree of education (p-value = 0.003 and amount of salary (p-value = 0.002 regarding the satisfaction with life. We found out that there isn’t statistically significantly different between satisfaction with life and gender. We also found out that there are statistically significant differences among the gender (p-value = 0.007 and respondents with different amount of salary (p-value = 0.002 regarding the satisfaction with political culture. The respondents with highest amount of salary are more satisfied with life than the respondents with the lowest amount of salary.

33 CFR 135.203 - Amount required.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amount required. 135.203 Section 135.203 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) MARINE POLLUTION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION OFFSHORE OIL POLLUTION COMPENSATION FUND...

Talaromyces atroroseus, a new species efficiently producing industrially relevant red pigments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jens C Frisvad

Full Text Available Some species of Talaromyces secrete large amounts of red pigments. Literature has linked this character to species such as Talaromyces purpurogenus, T. albobiverticillius, T. marneffei, and T. minioluteus often under earlier Penicillium names. Isolates identified as T. purpurogenus have been reported to be interesting industrially and they can produce extracellular enzymes and red pigments, but they can also produce mycotoxins such as rubratoxin A and B and luteoskyrin. Production of mycotoxins limits the use of isolates of a particular species in biotechnology. Talaromyces atroroseus sp. nov., described in this study, produces the azaphilone biosynthetic families mitorubrins and Monascus pigments without any production of mycotoxins. Within the red pigment producing clade, T. atroroseus resolved in a distinct clade separate from all the other species in multigene phylogenies (ITS, β-tubulin and RPB1, which confirm its unique nature. Talaromyces atroroseus resembles T. purpurogenus and T. albobiverticillius in producing red diffusible pigments, but differs from the latter two species by the production of glauconic acid, purpuride and ZG-1494α and by the dull to dark green, thick walled ellipsoidal conidia produced. The type strain of Talaromyces atroroseus is CBS 133442.

Significant skin-tightening by closure of fractional ablative laser holes.

Science.gov (United States)

Russe, Elisabeth; Purschke, Martin; Limpiangkanan, Wikunda; Farinelli, William A; Wang, Ying; Doukas, Apostolos G; Sakamoto, Fernanda H; Wechselberger, Gottfried; Anderson, Richard Rox

2018-01-01

Ablative fractional laser treatment uses thousands of very small laser beam wounds to damage a fraction of the skin, which stimulates tissue remodeling. Each open micro-wound heals without scarring, but the amount of skin tightening achieved is limited. This animal study was performed to test the hypothesis that immediate temporary closure of fractional laser wounds could increase skin tightening after fractional ablative laser treatment. Four adult swine were used for the study; 98 square test sites (3 × 3 cm) were tattooed on the abdomen and flanks of each pig. An ablative fractional Erbium:YAG laser (Sciton Profile, Sciton Inc, Palo Alto, CA) was used to treat the test areas. A laser micro-spot fluence of 375 J/cm 2 was delivered in 150-250 microseconds pulses, resulting in an array of ablation channels extending 1.5 mm deep into the skin, with a spot size of 250 µm, with 10% treatment density. Immediately following laser exposure the resulting holes were closed using a stretched elastic adhesive dressing, which, when applied, recoiled and compressed the diameter of the ablation holes. The compressive dressings were removed after 7 days. This procedure was compared to removing the same amount of skin (10%) mechanically by specially designed 19 gauge coring needles, as well as to the same laser and coring methods without compression closure. Area and shape of test sites were measured by digital photography before and 28 days after treatment. Data analysis included compensation for animal growth, as measured by increase in the area of the untreated control sites. All treated and control sites healed within a week, without scarring evident at 28 days. Laser treatment combined with compressive wound closure caused significant shrinkage at 28 days compared with untreated control sites. The treated skin area was reduced by 11.5% (P = 0.0001). Needle coring with wound closure produced similar, significant shrinkage (8%, P < 0.0021), whereas laser

Producing energy from cardboard factory waste, Finding sustainable solutions for handling non-recyclable waste

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, Thijs

2008-01-01

Eska Graphic Board is a cardboard factory which requires large amounts of energy in the form of heat for the production of graphical cardboard. Currently, Eska has on-site gas powered boilers to produce heat and a combined-heat-and-power (CHP) system to p

41 CFR 301-71.307 - How do we collect the amount of a travel advance in excess of the amount of travel expenses...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... amount of a travel advance in excess of the amount of travel expenses substantiated by the employee? 301-71.307 Section 301-71.307 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ALLOWANCES AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES 71-AGENCY TRAVEL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS...

Stable producer cell lines for adeno-associated virus (AAV) assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadeuf, Gilliane; Salvetti, Anna

2010-10-01

Stable producer cell lines containing both the rep and cap genes and recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors can be infected with a helper virus to provide reliable and efficient production of rAAV stocks. However, the development of these cell lines is time-consuming. The procedure described here is therefore recommended only for studies requiring the production of high amounts of rAAV, such as preclinical studies performed in large animals.

An experimental test of the habitat-amount hypothesis for saproxylic beetles in a forested region.

Science.gov (United States)

Seibold, Sebastian; Bässler, Claus; Brandl, Roland; Fahrig, Lenore; Förster, Bernhard; Heurich, Marco; Hothorn, Torsten; Scheipl, Fabian; Thorn, Simon; Müller, Jörg

2017-06-01

The habitat-amount hypothesis challenges traditional concepts that explain species richness within habitats, such as the habitat-patch hypothesis, where species number is a function of patch size and patch isolation. It posits that effects of patch size and patch isolation are driven by effects of sample area, and thus that the number of species at a site is basically a function of the total habitat amount surrounding this site. We tested the habitat-amount hypothesis for saproxylic beetles and their habitat of dead wood by using an experiment comprising 190 plots with manipulated patch sizes situated in a forested region with a high variation in habitat amount (i.e., density of dead trees in the surrounding landscape). Although dead wood is a spatio-temporally dynamic habitat, saproxylic insects have life cycles shorter than the time needed for habitat turnover and they closely track their resource. Patch size was manipulated by adding various amounts of downed dead wood to the plots (~800 m³ in total); dead trees in the surrounding landscape (~240 km 2 ) were identified using airborne laser scanning (light detection and ranging). Over 3 yr, 477 saproxylic species (101,416 individuals) were recorded. Considering 20-1,000 m radii around the patches, local landscapes were identified as having a radius of 40-120 m. Both patch size and habitat amount in the local landscapes independently affected species numbers without a significant interaction effect, hence refuting the island effect. Species accumulation curves relative to cumulative patch size were not consistent with either the habitat-patch hypothesis or the habitat-amount hypothesis: several small dead-wood patches held more species than a single large patch with an amount of dead wood equal to the sum of that of the small patches. Our results indicate that conservation of saproxylic beetles in forested regions should primarily focus on increasing the overall amount of dead wood without considering its

20 CFR 362.12 - Computation of amount of reimbursement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Computation of amount of reimbursement. 362.12 Section 362.12 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION, POLICY AND... the cost of repair is the amount payable. (b) Depreciation in value of an item of personal property is...

Socioeconomic Status Moderates Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Amount of Alcohol Use

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, Nayla R; Krueger, Robert F.; South, Susan C.

2015-01-01

Background Much is unknown about the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol use, including the means by which SES may influence risk for alcohol use. Methods Using a sample of 672 twin pairs (aged 25–74) derived from the MacArthur Foundation Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), the present study examined whether SES, measured by household income and educational attainment, moderates genetic and environmental influences on three indices of alcohol use: amount used, frequency of use, and problem use. Results We found significant moderation for amount of alcohol used. Specifically, genetic effects were greater in low-SES conditions, shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that enhance the similarity of twins from the same families) tended to increase in high-SES conditions, and non-shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that distinguish twins) tended to decrease with SES. This pattern of results was found for both income and education, and it largely replicated at a second wave of assessment spaced nine years after the first. There was virtually no evidence of moderation for either frequency of alcohol use or alcohol problems. Conclusions Our findings indicate that genetic and environmental influences on drinking amount vary as a function of the broader SES context, whereas the etiologies of other drinking phenomena are less affected by this context. Efforts to find the causes underlying the amount of alcohol used are likely to be more successful if such contextual information is taken into account. PMID:25778493

Socioeconomic status moderates genetic and environmental effects on the amount of alcohol use.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, Nayla R; Krueger, Robert F; South, Susan C

2015-04-01

Much is unknown about the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol use, including the means by which SES may influence risk for alcohol use. Using a sample of 672 twin pairs (aged 25 to 74) derived from the MacArthur Foundation Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, this study examined whether SES, measured by household income and educational attainment, moderates genetic and environmental influences on 3 indices of alcohol use: amount used, frequency of use, and problem use. We found significant moderation for amount of alcohol used. Specifically, genetic effects were greater in low-SES conditions, shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that enhance the similarity of twins from the same families) tended to increase in high-SES conditions, and nonshared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that distinguish twins) tended to decrease with SES. This pattern of results was found for both income and education, and it largely replicated at a second wave of assessment spaced 9 years after the first. There was virtually no evidence of moderation for either frequency of alcohol use or alcohol problems. Our findings indicate that genetic and environmental influences on drinking amount vary as a function of the broader SES context, whereas the etiologies of other drinking phenomena are less affected by this context. Efforts to find the causes underlying the amount of alcohol used are likely to be more successful if such contextual information is taken into account. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Increasing the amount of payment to research subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Resnick, DB

2014-01-01

This article discusses some ethical issues that can arise when researchers decide to increase the amount of payment offered to research subjects to boost enrollment. Would increasing the amount of payment be unfair to subjects who have already consented to participate in the study? This article considers how five different models of payment—the free market model, the wage payment model, the reimbursement model, the appreciation model, and the fair benefits model—would approach this issue. The article also considers several practical problems related to changing the amount of payment, including determining whether there is enough money in the budget to offer additional payments to subjects who have already enrolled, ascertaining how difficult it will be to re-contact subjects, and developing a plan of action for responding to subjects who find out they are receiving less money and demand an explanation. PMID:18757614

Comparative genomics of citric-acid producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grigoriev, Igor V.; Baker, Scott E.; Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita P.; Schaap, Peter J.; Vondervoot, Peter J.I. van de; Culley, David; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristen F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy M.; Braus, Gerhard H.; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis M.; Dai, Ziyu; Dijck, Piet W.M. van; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnusson, Jon K.; Meijer, Susan L.; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; Ooyen, Albert J.J. van; Panther, Kathyrn S.; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob A.; Stam, Hen; Tsang, Adrian; Brink, Johannes M. van den; Atkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; Peij, Noel N.M.E. van; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens

2011-04-28

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of the electron transport chain, specifically the alternative oxidative pathway in ATCC 1015, while CBS 513.88 showed significant up-regulation of genes relevant to glucoamylase A production, such as tRNA-synthases and protein transporters. Our results and datasets from this integrative systems biology analysis resulted in a snapshot of fungal evolution and will support further optimization of cell factories based on filamentous fungi.[Supplemental materials (10 figures, three text documents and 16 tables) have been made available

Volatile fatty acids influence on the structure of microbial communities producing PHAs

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Slawomir Ciesielski

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs can be produced by microorganisms and are a biodegradable alternative to fossil-fuel based plastics. Currently, the focus is on reducing production costs by exploring alternative substrates for PHAs production, and on producing copolymers which are less brittle than monomers. Accordingly, this study used a substrate consisting of wastewater from waste-glycerol fermentation, supplemented with different amounts of acetic and propionic acids. These substrates were used to feed mixed microbial communities enriched from activated sludge in a sequencing batch reactor. A reactor supplemented with 2 mL of acetic acid produced 227.8 mg/L of a homopolymer of hydroxybutyrate (3HB; 4 mL of acetic acid produced 279.8 mg/L 3HB; whereas 4 mL of propionic acid produced 673.0 mg/L of a copolymer of 3HB and 3HV (hydroxyvalerate. Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (RISA was used to show the differences between the communities created in the reactors. Thauera species predominated in biomass that produced 3HB; Paracoccus denitrificans in the biomass that produced 3HB-co-3HV. Because P. denitrificans produced the more desirable copolymer, it may be advantageous to promote its growth in PHAs-producing reactors by adding propionate.

A novel method to calculate the extent and amount of drug transported into CSF after intranasal administration.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Zhenqi; Zhang, Qizhi; Jiang, Xinguo

2005-01-31

The aim of this paper is to establish a novel method to calculate the extent and amount of drug transported to brain after administration. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was chosen as the target region. The intranasal administration of meptazinol hydrochloride (MEP) was chosen as the model administration and intravenous administration was selected as reference. According to formula transform, the extent was measured by the equation of X(A)CSF, infinity/X0 = Cl(CSF) AUC(0-->infinity)CSF/X0 and the drug amount was calculated by multiplying the dose with the extent. The drug clearance in CSF (Cl(CSF)) was calculated by a method, in which a certain volume of MEP solution was injected directly into rat cistern magna and then clearance was assessed as the reciprocal of the zeroth moment of a CSF level-time curve normalized for dose. In order to testify the accurateness of the method, 14C-sucrose was chosen as reference because of its impermeable characteristic across blood-brain barrier (BBB). It was found out that the MEP concentrations in plasma and CSF after intranasal administration did not show significant difference with those after intravenous administration. However, the extent and amount of MEP transported to CSF was significantly lower compared with those to plasma after these two administrations. In conclusion, the method can be applied to measure the extent and amount of drug transported to CSF, which would be useful to evaluate brain-targeting drug delivery.

Sequencing historical specimens: successful preparation of small specimens with low amounts of degraded DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sproul, John S; Maddison, David R

2017-11-01

Despite advances that allow DNA sequencing of old museum specimens, sequencing small-bodied, historical specimens can be challenging and unreliable as many contain only small amounts of fragmented DNA. Dependable methods to sequence such specimens are especially critical if the specimens are unique. We attempt to sequence small-bodied (3-6 mm) historical specimens (including nomenclatural types) of beetles that have been housed, dried, in museums for 58-159 years, and for which few or no suitable replacement specimens exist. To better understand ideal approaches of sample preparation and produce preparation guidelines, we compared different library preparation protocols using low amounts of input DNA (1-10 ng). We also explored low-cost optimizations designed to improve library preparation efficiency and sequencing success of historical specimens with minimal DNA, such as enzymatic repair of DNA. We report successful sample preparation and sequencing for all historical specimens despite our low-input DNA approach. We provide a list of guidelines related to DNA repair, bead handling, reducing adapter dimers and library amplification. We present these guidelines to facilitate more economical use of valuable DNA and enable more consistent results in projects that aim to sequence challenging, irreplaceable historical specimens. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impacts from oil and gas produced water discharges on the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, M.E.; Satterlee, K.; Veil, J.A.

2006-01-01

Shallow water areas of the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf experience low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) each summer. The hypoxic zone is primarily caused by input of nutrients from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. The nutrients stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, which leads to reduction of the oxygen concentration near the sea floor. During the renewal of an offshore discharge permit used by the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified the need to assess the potential contribution from produced water discharges to the occurrence of hypoxia. The EPA permit required either that all platforms in the hypoxic zone submit produced water samples, or that industry perform a coordinated sampling program. This paper, based on a report submitted to EPA in August 2005 (1), describes the results of the joint industry sampling program and the use of those results to quantify the relative significance of produced water discharges in the context of other sources on the occurrence of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. In the sampling program, 16 facilities were selected for multiple sampling - three times each at one month intervals-- and another 34 sites for onetime sampling. The goal of the sampling program was to quantify the sources and amount of oxygen demand associated with a variety of Gulf of Mexico produced waters. Data collected included direct oxygen demand measured by BOD5 (5-day biochemical oxygen demand) and TOC (total organic carbon) and indirect oxygen demand measured by nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrate, nitrate, and TKN (total Kjeldahl nitrogen)) and phosphorus (total phosphorus and orthophosphate). These data will serve as inputs to several available computer models currently in use for forecasting the occurrence of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The output of each model will be compared for consistency in their predictions and then a semi-quantitative estimate of the relative significance of

Endophytic Fungi from Frankincense Tree Improves Host Growth and Produces Extracellular Enzymes and Indole Acetic Acid.

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Abdul Latif Khan

Full Text Available Boswellia sacra, an economically important frankincense-producing tree found in the desert woodlands of Oman, is least known for its endophytic fungal diversity and the potential of these fungi to produce extracellular enzymes and auxins. We isolated various fungal endophytes belonging to Eurotiales (11.8%, Chaetomiaceae (17.6%, Incertae sadis (29.5%, Aureobasidiaceae (17.6%, Nectriaceae (5.9% and Sporomiaceae (17.6% from the phylloplane (leaf and caulosphere (stem of the tree. Endophytes were identified using genomic DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer regions, whereas a detailed phylogenetic analysis of the same gene fragment was made with homologous sequences. The endophytic colonization rate was significantly higher in the leaf (5.33% than the stem (0.262%. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index was H' 0.8729, while Simpson index was higher in the leaf (0.583 than in the stem (0.416. Regarding the endophytic fungi's potential for extracellular enzyme production, fluorogenic 4-methylumbelliferone standards and substrates were used to determine the presence of cellulases, phosphatases and glucosidases in the pure culture. Among fungal strains, Penicillum citrinum BSL17 showed significantly higher amounts of glucosidases (62.15±1.8 μM-1min-1mL and cellulases (62.11±1.6 μM-1min-1mL, whereas Preussia sp. BSL10 showed significantly higher secretion of glucosidases (69.4±0.79 μM-1min-1mL and phosphatases (3.46±0.31μM-1min-1mL compared to other strains. Aureobasidium sp. BSS6 and Preussia sp. BSL10 showed significantly higher potential for indole acetic acid production (tryptophan-dependent and independent pathways. Preussia sp. BSL10 was applied to the host B. sacra tree saplings, which exhibited significant improvements in plant growth parameters and accumulation of photosynthetic pigments. The current study concluded that endophytic microbial resources producing extracellular enzymes and auxin

Endophytic Fungi from Frankincense Tree Improves Host Growth and Produces Extracellular Enzymes and Indole Acetic Acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Abdul Latif; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed; Al-Rawahi, Ahmed; Al-Farsi, Zainab; Al-Mamari, Aza; Waqas, Muhammad; Asaf, Sajjad; Elyassi, Ali; Mabood, Fazal; Shin, Jae-Ho; Lee, In-Jung

2016-01-01

Boswellia sacra, an economically important frankincense-producing tree found in the desert woodlands of Oman, is least known for its endophytic fungal diversity and the potential of these fungi to produce extracellular enzymes and auxins. We isolated various fungal endophytes belonging to Eurotiales (11.8%), Chaetomiaceae (17.6%), Incertae sadis (29.5%), Aureobasidiaceae (17.6%), Nectriaceae (5.9%) and Sporomiaceae (17.6%) from the phylloplane (leaf) and caulosphere (stem) of the tree. Endophytes were identified using genomic DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer regions, whereas a detailed phylogenetic analysis of the same gene fragment was made with homologous sequences. The endophytic colonization rate was significantly higher in the leaf (5.33%) than the stem (0.262%). The Shannon-Weiner diversity index was H' 0.8729, while Simpson index was higher in the leaf (0.583) than in the stem (0.416). Regarding the endophytic fungi's potential for extracellular enzyme production, fluorogenic 4-methylumbelliferone standards and substrates were used to determine the presence of cellulases, phosphatases and glucosidases in the pure culture. Among fungal strains, Penicillum citrinum BSL17 showed significantly higher amounts of glucosidases (62.15±1.8 μM-1min-1mL) and cellulases (62.11±1.6 μM-1min-1mL), whereas Preussia sp. BSL10 showed significantly higher secretion of glucosidases (69.4±0.79 μM-1min-1mL) and phosphatases (3.46±0.31μM-1min-1mL) compared to other strains. Aureobasidium sp. BSS6 and Preussia sp. BSL10 showed significantly higher potential for indole acetic acid production (tryptophan-dependent and independent pathways). Preussia sp. BSL10 was applied to the host B. sacra tree saplings, which exhibited significant improvements in plant growth parameters and accumulation of photosynthetic pigments. The current study concluded that endophytic microbial resources producing extracellular enzymes and auxin could

[A study of recombinant human sestrin 1 and sestrin 2 proteins produced in a prokaryotic system].

Science.gov (United States)

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.

42 CFR 438.704 - Amounts of civil money penalties.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amounts of civil money penalties. 438.704 Section... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS MANAGED CARE Sanctions § 438.704 Amounts of civil money penalties. (a) General rule. The limit on, or the maximum civil money penalty the State may impose varies...

The changes in amount and activity of matrix metalloproteinases in rat's serum irradiated by γ-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Chen; Li Haijun; Cheng Ying; Min Rui

2009-01-01

Rats were whole body irradiated by γ-rays with different doses. A commercial ELISA kit was used to analyze the concentration of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in rat's serum. And Gelatin zymography electrophoresis was used to test the activity of serum MMPs at 24 h after irradiation. The results show that the amount and the activity of MMP-2 in rat's serum increase with increment of irradiation doses. Compared with 1∼4 Gy exposed groups a significant rising of MMP-2 has been found in 5 Gy and 6 Gy exposed groups (p<0.01). On the contrast, the amount and activity of MMP-9 in rat's serum have a little change at 24 hours after irradiation in all of exposed groups. It can be deduced that the changes with amount and activity of MMP-2 may be used as a potential indicator of exposed dose in organisms. (authors)

Radioactive ion beams produced by neutron-induced fission at ISOLDE

CERN Document Server

Catherall, R; Gilardoni, S S; Köster, U

2003-01-01

The production rates of neutron-rich fission products for the next-generation radioactive beam facility EURISOL are mainly limited by the maximum amount of power deposited by protons in the target. An alternative approach is to use neutron beams to induce fission in actinide targets. This has the advantage of reducing: the energy deposited by the proton beam in the target; contamination from neutron-deficient isobars that would be produced by spallation; and mechanical stress on the target. At ISOLDE CERN, tests have been made on standard ISOLDE actinide targets using fast neutron bunches produced by bombarding thick, high-Z metal converters with 1 and 1.4 GeV proton pulses. This paper reviews the first applications of converters used at ISOLDE. It highlights the different geometries and the techniques used to compare fission yields produced by the proton beam directly on the target with neutron-induced fission. Results from the six targets already tested, namely UC2/graphite and ThO2 targets with tungsten an...

EXTRACELLULAR PROTEINS PRODUCED BY DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THE FUNGUS TRICHODERMA ON SECONDARY PAPER MILL SLUDGE SUBSTRATE

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Ida Vaskova,

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Kraft pulping is the most commonly used pulping process in the pulp and paper industry. In this process wood chips are chemically delignified using sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide. Delignification is usually followed by mechanical fiberization and a bleaching process of the resulting wood pulp. In addition to lignin-free wood pulp, this process also produces waste that contains residues of used chemicals, lignin, cellulose, hemicelluloses, and small amounts of other wood components. Because of the worldwide large-scale production of paper, the sludge from paper mills contributes significantly to environmental pollution. Although there have been great efforts being made to utilize this lignin-rich material, sludge is mostly disposed in landfills or incinerated in a boiler. This research project used secondary sludge as a substrate for 7 wood-decay fungi taxonomically belonging to the genus Trichoderma. The examined fungi expressed the capability of consuming sludge components as a carbon source to produce extracellular proteins. The proteins were separated by gel electrophoresis. Before and after fungi cultivation, the sludge was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR.

Plasma treatment for producing electron emitters

Science.gov (United States)

Coates, Don Mayo; Walter, Kevin Carl

2001-01-01

Plasma treatment for producing carbonaceous field emission electron emitters is disclosed. A plasma of ions is generated in a closed chamber and used to surround the exposed surface of a carbonaceous material. A voltage is applied to an electrode that is in contact with the carbonaceous material. This voltage has a negative potential relative to a second electrode in the chamber and serves to accelerate the ions toward the carbonaceous material and provide an ion energy sufficient to etch the exposed surface of the carbonaceous material but not sufficient to result in the implantation of the ions within the carbonaceous material. Preferably, the ions used are those of an inert gas or an inert gas with a small amount of added nitrogen.

Extracellular proteolytic enzymes produced by human pathogenic Vibrio species

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Shin-Ichi eMiyoshi

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Bacteria in the genus Vibrio produce extracellular proteolytic enzymes to obtain nutrients via digestion of various protein substrates. However, the enzymes secreted by human pathogenic species have been documented to modulate the bacterial virulence. Several species including Vibrio cholerae and V. vulnificus are known to produce thermolysin-like metalloproteases termed vibriolysin. The vibriolysin from V. vulnificus, a causative agent of serious systemic infection, is a major toxic factor eliciting the secondary skin damage characterized by formation of the hemorrhagic brae. The vibriolysin from intestinal pathogens may play indirect roles in pathogenicity because it can activate protein toxins and hemagglutinin by the limited proteolysis and can affect the bacterial attachment to or detachment from the intestinal surface by degradation of the mucus layer. Two species causing wound infections, V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus, produce another metalloproteases so-called collagenases. Although the detailed pathological roles have not been studied, the collagenase is potent to accelerate the bacterial dissemination through digestion of the protein components of the extracellular matrix. Some species produce cymotrypsin-like serine proteases, which may also affect the bacterial virulence potential. The intestinal pathogens produce sufficient amounts of the metalloprotease at the small intestinal temperature; however, the metalloprotease production by extra-intestinal pathogens is much higher around the body surface temperature. On the other hand, the serine protease is expressed only in the absence of the metalloprotease.

Influence of subinhibitory-concentration (sub-MIC Cefetoxime on biofilm formation. SEM study of ESBL-producing Salmonella typhi

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Rahul Narasanna, Manjunath Chavadi, Ajaykumar Oli

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: In the present study, we have analyzed ESBL-producing S. typhi’s capability in forming a significant amount of biofilm on plastic and glass surface, and the influence of cefetoxime on biofilm development at subinhibitory (Sub-MIC concentration. Methods: Nine strains of cefetoxime-mediated ESBL-producing S. typhi were used in the study. S. typhi formed biofilm on plastic and glass materials; it was demonstrated using micro titre plate (MTP and standard test tube methods. Comparative study of the influence of cefetoxime on biofilm formation in its MIC (128 µg/ml and at sub-MIC (64 µg/ml was demonstrated by microtitre plate method. The biofilm production was observed in SEM images, statistical analysis (ANOVA showed significant increase in cell surface and volume due to the influence of Cefetoxime. Results: Of the nine selected isolates, two S. typhi strains, namely BST 51 and BST 130, produced relatively strong biofilm in the presence of cefetoxime at sub-MIC level (64 µg/ml, comparatively weak biofilm formation at MIC level (128 µg/ml. Typical morphological changes were observed in cefetoxime-resistant strains, S. typhi BST 51 and BST 130, in comparison to cefetoxime-sensitive strain S. typhi BST 63 used as a control. We found an increase in surface and volume of a cell in response to cefetoxime and statistical data (ANOVA proved that resistant strains were significantly different from control strains. Conclusion: The above study clearly shows that cefetoxime at sub-MIC level efficiently induces biofilm formation and promotes changes in morphology of the cell. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 7(2: 67-75

Radiation-produced electron migration along 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA in cells and in solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beach, C.M.

1981-01-01

Results of work by other investigators support the theory of charge migration in DNA. Charge transfer between nucleotides and electron and energy migration in solid state DNA have been detected, but no previous experiments have demonstrated charge migration in aqueous solutions of DNA or in DNA inside an E. coli cell. Such experiments were performed by substituting different amounts of 5-bromouracil (BU) for thymine in E. coli DNA and assaying for the amount of bromide given off from the reaction of bromouracil with hydrated electrons produced by ionizing radiation to form uracil-5-yl radicals and free bromide. By varying the amount of BU incorporated in the DNA, the average distance between the BU bases was varied, and because the number of BU/electron reactions was monitored by the amount of bromide released, the maximum average electron migration distance along the BU-DNA was estimated. Hydrated electrons, e/sub aq/, were shown to react with BU in BU-DNA with the resultant release of bromide with G(-BR - ) = 0.519 +- 0.062. OH radicals were half as reactive as e/sub aq/ toward producing bromide from BU-DNA. O 2 , which has been shown to transfer charge to BU in aqueous solution, did not transfer charge to BU-DNA. The CO 2 radical was shown to cause the release of bromide from BU-DNA at least as effectively as e/sub aq/. Charge migration was demonstrated, and the maximum average electron migration distance in aqueous solutions of BU-DNA was measured to be 8 to 10 base distances (assuming only intrastrand migration). Only 11% to 16% of the electrons produced attacked BU-DNA in aqueous solution, and only 1% resulted in bromide release from BU-DNA inside E. coli. Charge migration was demonstrated in BU-DNA inside E. coli., and the maximum average migration distance was measured to be 5 to 6 base distances

29 CFR 530.302 - Amounts of civil money penalties.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amounts of civil money penalties. 530.302 Section 530.302... EMPLOYMENT OF HOMEWORKERS IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIES Civil Money Penalties § 530.302 Amounts of civil money penalties. (a) A civil money penalty, not to exceed $500 per affected homeworker for any one violation, may...

Neonatal infection produces significant changes in immune function with no associated learning deficits in juvenile rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Osborne, Brittany F; Caulfield, Jasmine I; Solomotis, Samantha A; Schwarz, Jaclyn M

2017-10-01

The current experiments examined the impact of early-life immune activation and a subsequent mild immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 25µg/kg) on hippocampal-dependent learning, proinflammatory cytokine expression in the brain, and peripheral immune function in juvenile male and female rats at P24, an age when hippocampal-dependent learning and memory first emerges. Our results indicate that neonatal infection did not produce learning deficits in the hippocampal-dependent context pre-exposure facilitation effect paradigm in juvenile males and females, contrary to what has been observed in adults. Neonatal infection produced an increase in baseline IL-1β expression in the hippocampus (HP) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of juvenile rats. Furthermore, neonatally infected rats showed exaggerated IL-1β expression in the HP following LPS treatment as juveniles; and juvenile females, but not males, showed exaggerated IL-1β expression in the mPFC following LPS treatment. Neonatal infection attenuated the production of IL-6 expression following LPS treatment in both the brain and the spleen, and neonatal infection decreased the numbers of circulating white blood cells in juvenile males and females, an effect that was further exacerbated by subsequent LPS treatment. Together, our data indicate that the consequences of neonatal infection are detectable even early in juvenile development, though we found no concomitant hippocampal-dependent learning deficits at this young age. These findings underscore the need to consider age and associated on-going neurodevelopmental processes as important factors contributing to the emergence of cognitive and behavioral disorders linked to early-life immune activation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1221-1236, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Coercivity of Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnets produced by the spark plasma sintering method

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Tetsuji Saito

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The effects of Nd-Cu alloy powder addition on the microstructures and magnetic properties of Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnets produced by the spark plasma sintering (SPS method were investigated. The addition of a small amount of Nd-Cu alloy powder, up to 2%, significantly increased the coercivity of the Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnets without deteriorating the crystallographic alignment of the Nd2Fe14B phase. The Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnet with 2% Nd-Cu alloy powder had the same remanence value as the Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnet without Nd-Cu alloy powder addition, but the magnet with 2% Nd-Cu alloy powder exhibited higher coercivity and a higher maximum energy product than the magnet without Nd-Cu alloy powder addition.

Shadow Education in Malaysia: Identifying the Determinants of Spending and Amount of Time Attending Private Supplementary Tutoring of Upper Secondary School Students

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Chang Da Wan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the determinants of spending and the amount of time attending private supplementary tutoring, or commonly known as private tuition, in Malaysia. Based on 343 self-reported questionnaires with upper secondary students across three states in Malaysia and using multiple regression analysis, we identified ethnicity, father’s level of education and past academic performance as significant determinants of spending and amount of time attending private tuition. However, interestingly, we found that while geographical location and participation in internal tuition in schools were also determinants of spending, these two were not significant in determining the amount of time attending private supplementary tutoring. The identification of determinants of spending and amount of time, and in addition, the differences between these two illustrates the economic and educational dimensions of shadow education. More importantly, the insight also contributes to the formulation of possible interventions that can improve quality and reduce inequality in the mainstream education system.

Staphylococcus aureus in locally produced white cheese in Tirana market

OpenAIRE

ELVIRA BELI; RENIS MAÇI; SONILA ÇOÇOLI; HALIT MEMOÇI

2014-01-01

Cheese has nutritional value, its consumption is very common in Albania, but is also excellent medium for bacterial growth, source of bacterial infection, particularly when it is produced from raw poor quality or unpasteurized milk. Microbial safety of cheeses may be enhanced by usage good quality raw milk, pasteurized milk, following GMP in aim to prevent cross-contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and amount of Staphylococcus aureus in white cheeses, as an Albani...

Significant Tsunami Events

Science.gov (United States)

Dunbar, P. K.; Furtney, M.; McLean, S. J.; Sweeney, A. D.

2014-12-01

Tsunamis have inflicted death and destruction on the coastlines of the world throughout history. The occurrence of tsunamis and the resulting effects have been collected and studied as far back as the second millennium B.C. The knowledge gained from cataloging and examining these events has led to significant changes in our understanding of tsunamis, tsunami sources, and methods to mitigate the effects of tsunamis. The most significant, not surprisingly, are often the most devastating, such as the 2011 Tohoku, Japan earthquake and tsunami. The goal of this poster is to give a brief overview of the occurrence of tsunamis and then focus specifically on several significant tsunamis. There are various criteria to determine the most significant tsunamis: the number of deaths, amount of damage, maximum runup height, had a major impact on tsunami science or policy, etc. As a result, descriptions will include some of the most costly (2011 Tohoku, Japan), the most deadly (2004 Sumatra, 1883 Krakatau), and the highest runup ever observed (1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska). The discovery of the Cascadia subduction zone as the source of the 1700 Japanese "Orphan" tsunami and a future tsunami threat to the U.S. northwest coast, contributed to the decision to form the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. The great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 marked the beginning of the modern era of seismology. Knowledge gained from the 1964 Alaska earthquake and tsunami helped confirm the theory of plate tectonics. The 1946 Alaska, 1952 Kuril Islands, 1960 Chile, 1964 Alaska, and the 2004 Banda Aceh, tsunamis all resulted in warning centers or systems being established.The data descriptions on this poster were extracted from NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) global historical tsunami database. Additional information about these tsunamis, as well as water level data can be found by accessing the NGDC website www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/

24 CFR 206.105 - Amount of MIP.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE AND LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES HOME EQUITY CONVERSION MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 206.105 Amount of...

Significant thermal energy reduction in lactic acid production process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujtaba, Iqbal M.; Edreder, Elmahboub A.; Emtir, Mansour

2012-01-01

Lactic acid is widely used as a raw material for the production of biodegradable polymers and in food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The global market for lactic acid is expected to reach 259 thousand metric tons by the year 2012. For batch production of lactic acid, the traditional process includes the following steps: (i) esterification of impure lactic acid with methanol in a batch reactor to obtain methyl lactate (ester), (ii) separation of the ester in a batch distillation, (iii) hydrolysis of the ester with water in a batch reactor to produce lactic acid and (iv) separation of lactic acid (in high purity) in a batch distillation. Batch reactive distillation combines the benefit of both batch reactor and batch distillation and enhances conversion and productivity (Taylor and Krishna, 2000 ; Mujtaba and Macchietto, 1997 ). Therefore, the first and the last two steps of the lactic acid production process can be combined together in batch reactive distillation () processes. However, distillation (batch or continuous) is an energy intensive process and consumes large amount of thermal energy (via steam). This paper highlights how significant (over 50%) reduction in thermal energy consumption can be achieved for lactic acid production process by carefully controlling the reflux ratio but without compromising the product specification. In this paper, only the simultaneous hydrolysis of methyl lactate ester and the separation of lactic acid using batch reactive distillation is considered.

Ultrafast gated imaging of laser produced plasmas using the optical Kerr effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Symes, D. R.; Wegner, U.; Ahlswede, H.-C.; Streeter, M. J. V.; Gallegos, P. L.; Divall, E. J.; Rajeev, P. P.; Neely, D.; Smith, R. A.

2010-01-01

Optical imaging is a versatile diagnostic for investigations of plasmas generated under intense laser irradiation. Electro-optic gating techniques operating on the >100 ps timescale are commonly used to reduce the amount of light detected from self-emission of hot plasma or improve the temporal resolution of the detector. The use of an optical Kerr gate enables a superior dynamic range and temporal resolution compared to electronically gated devices. The application of this method for enhanced imaging of laser produced plasmas with gate time ∼100 fs is demonstrated, and the possibility to produce a sub-10 fs, high dynamic range 'all optical' streak camera is discussed.

Worldwide dispersion and deposition of radionuclides produced in atmospheric tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Burton G

2002-05-01

Radionuclides produced in atmospheric nuclear tests were widely dispersed in the global environment. From the many measurements of the concentrations in air and the deposition amounts, much was learned of atmospheric circulation and environmental processes. Based on these results and the reported fission and total yields of individual tests, it has been possible to devise an empirical model of the movement and residence times of particles in the various atmospheric regions. This model, applied to all atmospheric weapons tests, allows extensive calculations of air concentrations and deposition amounts for the entire range of radionuclides produced throughout the testing period. Especially for the shorter-lived fission radionuclides, for which measurement results at the time of the tests are less extensive, a more complete picture of levels and isotope ratios can be obtained, forming a basis for improved dose estimations. The contributions to worldwide fallout can be inferred from individual tests, from tests at specific sites, or by specific countries. Progress was also made in understanding the global hydrological and carbon cycles from the tritium and 14C measurements. A review of the global measurements and modeling results is presented in this paper. In the future, if injections of materials into the atmosphere occur, their anticipated motions and fates can be predicted from the knowledge gained from the fallout experience.

Microbiota-Produced Succinate Improves Glucose Homeostasis via Intestinal Gluconeogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Vadder, Filipe; Kovatcheva-Datchary, Petia; Zitoun, Carine

2016-01-01

Beneficial effects of dietary fiber on glucose and energy homeostasis have long been described, focusing mostly on the production of short-chain fatty acids by the gut commensal bacteria. However, bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber also produces large amounts of succinate and, to date......, no study has focused on the role of succinate on host metabolism. Here, we fed mice a fiber-rich diet and found that succinate was the most abundant carboxylic acid in the cecum. Dietary succinate was identified as a substrate for intestinal gluconeogenesis (IGN), a process that improves glucose...

Choosing the right amount of healthcare information technologies investments.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Rodolphe; Degoulet, Patrice

2010-04-01

Choosing and justifying the right amount of investment in healthcare information technologies (HITECH or HIT) in hospitals is an ever increasing challenge. Our objectives are to assess the financial impact of HIT on hospital outcome, and propose decision-helping tools that could be used to rationalize the distribution of hospital finances. We used a production function and microeconomic tools on data of 21 Paris university hospitals recorded from 1998 to 2006 to compute the elasticity coefficients of HIT versus non-HIT capital and labor as regards to hospital financial outcome and optimize the distribution of investments according to the productivity associated with each input. HIT inputs and non-HIT inputs both have a positive and significant impact on hospital production (elasticity coefficients respectively of 0.106 and 0.893; R(2) of 0.92). We forecast 2006 results from the 1998 to 2005 dataset with an accuracy of +0.61%. With the model used, the best proportion of HIT investments was estimated to be 10.6% of total input and this was predicted to lead to a total saving of 388 million Euros for the 2006 dataset. Considering HIT investment from the point of view of a global portfolio and applying econometric and microeconomic tools allow the required confidence level to be attained for choosing the right amount of HIT investments. It could also allow hospitals using these tools to make substantial savings, and help them forecast their choices for the following year for better HITECH governance in the current stimulation context. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Manufacturing Amorphous Solid Dispersions with a Tailored Amount of Crystallized API for Biopharmaceutical Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Theil, Frank; Milsmann, Johanna; Anantharaman, Sankaran; van Lishaut, Holger

2018-05-07

The preparation of an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) by dissolving a poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in a polymer matrix can improve the bioavailability by orders of magnitude. Crystallization of the API in the ASD, though, is an inherent threat for bioavailability. Commonly, the impact of crystalline API on the drug release of the dosage form is studied with samples containing spiked crystallinity. These spiked samples possess implicit differences compared to native crystalline samples, regarding size and spatial distribution of the crystals as well as their molecular environment. In this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to grow defined amounts of crystalline API in solid dosage forms, which enables us to study the biopharmaceutical impact of actual crystallization. For this purpose, we studied the crystal growth in fenofibrate tablets over time under an elevated moisture using transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS). As a nondestructive method to assess API crystallinity in ASD formulations, TRS enables the monitoring of crystal growth in individual dosage forms. Once the kinetic trace of the crystal growth for a certain environmental condition is determined, this method can be used to produce samples with defined amounts of crystallized API. To investigate the biopharmaceutical impact of crystallized API, non-QC dissolution methods were used, designed to identify differences between the various amounts of crystalline materials present. The drug release in the samples manufactured in this fashion was compared to that of samples with spiked crystallinity. In this study, we present for the first time a method for targeted crystallization of amorphous tablets to simulate crystallized ASDs. This methodology is a valuable tool to generate model systems for biopharmaceutical studies on the impact of crystallinity on the bioavailability.

Mineralogical, Microstructural and Thermal Characterization of Coal Fly Ash Produced from Kazakhstani Power Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Tauanov, Z.; Abylgazina, L.; Spitas, C.; Itskos, G.; Inglezakis, V.

2017-09-01

Coal fly ash (CFA) is a waste by-product of coal combustion. Kazakhstan has vast coal deposits and is major consumer of coal and hence produces huge amounts of CFA annually. The government aims to recycle and effectively utilize this waste by-product. Thus, a detailed study of the physical and chemical properties of material is required as the data available in literature is either outdated or not applicable for recently produced CFA samples. The full mineralogical, microstructural and thermal characterization of three types of coal fly ash (CFA) produced in two large Kazakhstani power plants is reported in this work. The properties of CFAs were compared between samples as well as with published values.

Developing an energy efficient steam reforming process to produce hydrogen from sulfur-containing fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Simson, Amanda

Hydrogen powered fuel cells have the potential to produce electricity with higher efficiency and lower emissions than conventional combustion technology. In order to realize the benefits of a hydrogen fuel cell an efficient method to produce hydrogen is needed. Currently, over 90% of hydrogen is produced from the steam reforming of natural gas. However, for many applications including fuel cell vehicles, the use of a liquid fuel rather than natural gas is desirable. This work investigates the feasibility of producing hydrogen efficiently by steam reforming E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline), a commercially available sulfur-containing transportation fuel. A Rh-Pt/SiO2-ZrO2 catalyst has demonstrated good activity for the E85 steam reforming reaction. An industrial steam reforming process is often run less efficiently, with more water and at higher temperatures, in order to prevent catalyst deactivation. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a process that can operate without catalyst deactivation at more energy efficient conditions. In this study, the steam reforming of a sulfur-containing fuel (E85) was studied at near stoichiometric steam/carbon ratios and at 650C, conditions at which catalyst deactivation is normally measured. At these conditions the catalyst was found to be stable steam reforming a sulfur-free E85. However, the addition of low concentrations of sulfur significantly deactivated the catalyst. The presence of sulfur in the fuel caused catalyst deactivation by promoting ethylene which generates surface carbon species (coke) that mask catalytic sites. The amount of coke increased during time on stream and became increasingly graphitic. However, the deactivation due to both sulfur adsorption and coke formation was reversible with air treatment at 650°C. However, regenerations were found to reduce the catalyst life. Air regenerations produce exotherms on the catalyst surface that cause structural changes to the catalyst. During regenerations the

A Systematic Review of Associations between Amount of Meditation Practice and Outcomes in Interventions Using the Four Immeasurables Meditations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Xianglong; Chio, Floria H N; Oei, Tian P S; Leung, Freedom Y K; Liu, Xiangping

2017-01-01

Interventions using the "Four Immeasurables Meditations" (FIM) are effective for various outcomes; however, whether increased meditation practice in these interventions leads to better results has not been well investigated. This systematic review included 22 FIM interventions that reported associations between the amount of meditation practice and its outcomes. Despite the heterogeneity in intervention components and outcome variables, there were generally few significant associations between amount of meditation practice and its outcomes. Specifically, only five studies reported that more than half of the calculated results were significant. In comparison with correlations between total amount of practice and overall outcomes, the short-term influence of meditation practice was evaluated in fewer studies; however, it had a better association with outcomes. More studies are required that address the underlying mechanisms that elucidate how meditation practice leads to outcome changes in daily life. In this study, two promising mechanisms with initial evidence were discussed. This review also summarized common methodological issues including a lack of experimental manipulation and inaccurate measuring of meditation practice.

On numerical simulation of the global distribution of sulfate aerosol produced by a large volcanic eruption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pudykiewicz, J.A.; Dastoor, A.P. [Atmospheric Environment Service, Quebec (Canada)

1994-12-31

Volcanic eruptions play an important role in the global sulfur cycle of the Earth`s atmosphere and can significantly perturb the global atmospheric chemistry. The large amount of sulfate aerosol produced by the oxidation of SO{sub 2} injected into the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions also has a relatively big influence on the radiative equilibrium of the Earth`s climatic system. The submicron particles of the sulfate aerosol reflect solar radiation more effectively than they trap radiation in the infrared range. The effect of this is observed as cooling of the Earth`s surface. The modification of the global radiation budget following volcanic eruption can subsequently cause significant fluctuations of atmospheric variables on a subclimatic scale. The resulting perturbation of weather patterns has been observed and well documented since the eruptions of Mt. Krakatau and Mt. Tambora. The impact of the sulfate aerosol from volcanic eruptions on the radiative equilibrium of the Earth`s atmosphere was also confirmed by the studies done with Global Circulation Models designed to simulate climate. The objective of the present paper is to present a simple and effective method to estimate the global distribution of the sulfate aerosol produced as a consequence of volcanic eruptions. In this study we will present results of the simulation of global distribution of sulfate aerosol from the eruption of Mt Pinatubo.

Periodontal disease level-butyric acid amounts locally administered in the rat gingival mucosa induce ER stress in the systemic blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Cueno, Marni E; Saito, Yuko; Ochiai, Kuniyasu

2016-05-01

Periodontal diseases have long been postulated to contribute to systemic diseases and, likewise, it has been proposed that periodontal disease treatment may ameliorate certain systemic diseases. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are major secondary metabolites produced by oral anaerobic bacteria and, among the SCFAs, butyric acid (BA) in high amounts contribute to periodontal disease development. Periodontal disease level-butyric acid (PDL-BA) is found among patients suffering from periodontal disease and has previously shown to induce oxidative stress, whereas, oxidative stress is correlated to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This would imply that PDL-BA may likewise stimulate ER stress, however, this was never elucidated. A better understanding of the correlation between PDL-BA and systemic ER stress stimulation could shed light on the possible systemic effects of PDL-BA-related periodontal diseases. Here, PDL-BA was injected into the gingival mucosa and the systemic blood obtained from the rat jugular was collected at 0, 15, 60, and 180 min post-injection. Collected blood samples were purified and only the blood cytosol was used throughout this study. Subsequently, we measured blood cytosolic GADD153, Ca(2+), representative apoptotic and inflammatory caspases, and NF-κB amounts. We found that PDL-BA presence increased blood cytosolic GADD153 and Ca(2+) amounts. Moreover, we observed that blood cytosolic caspases and NF-κB were activated only at 60 and 180 min post-injection in the rat gingival mucosa. This suggests that PDL-BA administered through the gingival mucosa may influence the systemic blood via ER stress stimulation and, moreover, prolonged PDL-BA retention in the gingival mucosa may play a significant role in ER stress-related caspase and NF-κB activation. In a periodontal disease scenario, we propose that PDL-BA-related ER stress stimulation leading to the simultaneous activation of apoptosis and inflammation may contribute to periodontal disease

A Survey on Lead and Cadmium Content in Bread Produced in Yazd

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B Hajimohammadi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Due to such complications of absorbing lead and cadmium heavy metals as kidney and liver dysfunction, vascular and heart diseases, anemia, digestive complications, nervous and skeletal problems and due to importance of bread as one of the most important food diets in Iran, especially in Yazd, the amount of lead and cadmium was evaluated in a variety of breads in Yazd. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2013. Out of 69 bakeries, random probability proportionate sampling was applied in order to measure the heavy metals (lead and cadmium content in samples by ash and atomic absorption equipped with grafiti furnace(ETAAS with correction of background time. The study data were analyzed using SPSS (v.17 considering p-value of less than 0.05 as significant. Results: The average amounts of lead and cadmium were 99.05 and 7.49 mg/kg respectively. The amount of lead in Sangak bread was higher than that of other types of breads, whereas lead amounts of fantasy bread was reported less than those of other breads. Cadmium content demonstrated no significant differences among breads. Lead amount was higher in direct heat breads. Whereas, cadmium amount showed no significant differences between direct and indirect heat breads. It is worth mentioning that lead and cadmium content were reported lower than allowable levels in all samples. Conclusions: As the study results revealed and considering per capita consumption of bread in Iran (about 160 kg, it seems that weekly intake of lead and cadmium in Yazd is at an acceptable level, though possible risk of heavy metals(lead and cadmium need to decrease in order to prevent the probable risks of lead and cadmium heavy metals.

Assessment of the significance of direct and indirect pollution inputs to a major salmon-producing river using polyethylene membrane devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Moles, Adam; Holland, Larry; Andersson, Ole

2006-08-01

Conventional passive sampling devices for monitoring pollution input often prove to be cost-prohibitive when assessing large spatial and temporal scales. The Kenai River, a major salmon-producing river in Alaska (USA), served as the perfect laboratory to test the utility of polyethylene membrane devices for assessing chronic nonpoint-source inputs to a large riverine watershed. Comparison of the relative levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at a large number of locations over time allowed us to assess the significance and potential source of these compounds in the river. Concentrations of PAH were greatest near urban areas and peaked during the late winter, when streams flows and dilution were low. Vessel activity and PAH levels peaked in July and were heaviest in the lower 16 km of the river, where fishing activity was concentrated. Nearly one-third of the vessels observed on the river were powered by two-stroke engines, which release a higher proportion of unburned fuel into the water than the cleaner burning four-stroke engines. The low concentrations of hydrocarbons upriver of the boat traffic suggest very little remote delivery of these contaminants to the watershed. Polyethylene strips proved to be an excellent, low-cost tool for determining the PAH patterns in a large watershed.

How Reservoirs Alter DOM Amount and Composition: Sources, Sinks, and Transformations

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, T. E.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Hernes, P. J.; Doctor, D. H.; Kendall, C.; Losee, R. F.; Downing, B. D.

2011-12-01

Reservoirs are critical components of many water supply systems as they allow the storage of water when supply exceeds demand. However, during water storage biogeochemical processes can alter both the amount and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM), which can in turn affect water quality. While the balance between production and loss determines whether a reservoir is a net sink or source of DOM, changes in chemical composition are also relevant as they affect DOM reactivity (e.g. persistence in the environment, removability during coagulation treatment, and potential to form toxic compounds during drinking water treatment). The composition of the DOM pool also provides information about the DOM sources and processing, which can inform reservoir management. We examined the concentration and composition of DOM in San Luis Reservoir (SLR), a large off-stream impoundment of the California State Water Project. We used an array of DOM chemical tracers including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, optical properties, isotopic composition, lignin phenol content, and structural groupings determined by 13C NMR. There were periods when the reservoir was i) a net source of DOM due to the predominance of algal production (summer), ii) a net sink due to the predominance of degradation (fall/winter), and iii) balanced between production and consumption (spring). Despite only moderate variation in bulk DOC concentration (3.0-3.6 mg C/L), substantial changes in DOM composition indicated that terrestrial-derived material entering the reservoir was being degraded and replaced by aquatic-derived DOM produced within the reservoir. Results suggest reservoirs have the potential to reduce DOM amount and reactivity via degradative processes, however, these benefits can be decreased or even negated by the production of algal-derived DOM.

Evaluating the effect of Focus Farms on Ontario dairy producers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward control of Johne's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Roche, S M; Jones-Bitton, A; Meehan, M; Von Massow, M; Kelton, D F

2015-08-01

This study evaluated a participatory-based, experiential learning program, Ontario Focus Farms (FF), which aimed to change dairy producer behavior to control Johne's disease (JD) in Ontario, Canada. The goals were to (1) assess the effect of FF on participating dairy producers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with regard to JD control; (2) compare changes in these factors among FF participants to changes among a group of nonparticipating dairy producers; and (3) describe the characteristics of producers who made at least one on-farm management change. Pre- and post-FF intervention questionnaires collected data on respondents' knowledge, attitudes, behavior, herd production, and demographic information; before and after JD-risk assessments were used to assess respondents' on-farm risk of JD transmission. Overall, 176 dairy producers participated in the FF process; 39.8% (70/176) of FF and 14.6% (52/357) of control participants responded to both the pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Upon comparison, FF respondents were more likely to be younger, have larger herds, and have higher management scores. The proportion of FF participants who reported making at least one on-farm change (81%) was significantly higher than that of control respondents (38%). Overall, FF respondents significantly changed their risk score in 4 out of 5 risk areas and had an average reduction of 13 points in their overall risk score between before and after risk assessments. Control respondents' risk assessment scores did not significantly change during the study period. In a JD knowledge assessment, FF and control respondents exhibited a moderate knowledge score before the intervention period, with median scores of 75.9% (22/29) in each group. The FF respondents significantly increased their score at the postintervention assessment, with a median of 82.8% (24/29); control-respondent scores did not significantly change. Both FF and control respondents held strong positive attitudes

Overcoming the Barriers to Organic Adoption in the United States: A Look at Pragmatic Conventional Producers in Texas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Young Choi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Organics is the one of the fastest growing segments in food sales. Though the amount of certified organic land is increasing, the supply of organic foods lags behind demand in the United States. The reasons for this gap include a lack of government support for organics, and the peculiarities of organics as an innovation. In an attempt to close this gap, and increase the environmental sustainability of U.S. agriculture, this paper has two objectives. The first is to document the structural and institutional constraints to organic adoption. This is accomplished through a review of organic programs and policies in the U.S., in particular the National Organic Program. The second objective is to investigate the predictors of interest and the perceived barriers to organic adoption among pragmatic conventional producers in Texas, compared to organic and conventional producers. This is accomplished through a survey of a representative sample of producers in Texas. The results indicate that more than forty percent of producers who currently have conventional operations have at least some interest in organic production (pragmatic conventional producers. There are significant differences among the three groups in their structural and attitudinal characteristics related to organic adoption. For the pragmatic conventional producers, an increase in revenue would be a major facilitator of organic adoption. Their high levels of uncertainty regarding organic production and marketing, and especially organic certification constrain organic adoption. The results also reveal that the institutional setting in the U.S. hindered adoption. The paper concludes that increased institutional support would facilitate organic adoption.

Ambulatory fall-risk assessment: amount and quality of daily-life gait predict falls in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

van Schooten, Kimberley S; Pijnappels, Mirjam; Rispens, Sietse M; Elders, Petra J M; Lips, Paul; van Dieën, Jaap H

2015-05-01

Ambulatory measurements of trunk accelerations can provide valuable information on the amount and quality of daily-life activities and contribute to the identification of individuals at risk of falls. We compared associations between retrospective and prospective falls with potential risk factors as measured by daily-life accelerometry. In addition, we investigated predictive value of these parameters for 6-month prospective falls. One week of trunk accelerometry (DynaPort MoveMonitor) was obtained in 169 older adults (mean age 75). The amount of daily activity and quality of gait were determined and validated questionnaires on fall-risk factors, grip strength, and trail making test were obtained. Six-month fall incidence was obtained retrospectively by recall and prospectively by fall diaries and monthly telephone contact. Among all participants, 35.5% had a history of ≥1 falls and 34.9% experienced ≥1 falls during 6-month follow-up. Logistic regressions showed that questionnaires, grip strength, and trail making test, as well as the amount and quality of gait, were significantly associated with falls. Significant associations differed between retrospective and prospective analyses although odds ratios indicated similar patterns. Predictive ability based on questionnaires, grip strength, and trail making test (area under the curve .68) improved substantially by accelerometry-derived parameters of the amount of gait (number of strides), gait quality (complexity, intensity, and smoothness), and their interactions (area under the curve .82). Daily-life accelerometry contributes substantially to the identification of individuals at risk of falls, and can predict falls in 6 months with good accuracy. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparison of friction produced by two types of orthodontic bracket protectors.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lima Mendonça, Steyner; Praxedes Neto, Otávio José; de Oliveira, Patricia Teixeira; dos Santos, Patricia Bittencourt Dutra; de Sá Leitão Pinheiro, Fábio Henrique

2014-01-01

Fixed orthodontic appliances have been regarded as a common causative factor of oral lesions. To manage soft tissue discomfort, most orthodontists recommend using a small amount of utility wax over the brackets in order to alleviate trauma. This in vitro study aimed at evaluating friction generated by two types of bracket protectors (customized acetate protector [CAP] and temporary resin protector [TRP]) during the initial stages of orthodontic treatment. An experimental model (test unit) was used to assess friction. In order to measure the friction produced in each test, the model was attached to a mechanical testing machine which simulated maxillary canines alignment. Intergroup comparison was carried out by one-way ANOVA with level of significance set at 5%. The friction presented by the TRP group was statistically higher than that of the control group at 6 mm. It was also higher than in the control and CAP groups in terms of maximum friction. The customized acetate protector (CAP) demonstrated not to interfere in friction between the wire and the orthodontic bracket slot.

Microfluidics for producing poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-based pharmaceutical nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xuanyu; Jiang, Xingyu

2017-12-24

Microfluidic chips allow the rapid production of a library of nanoparticles (NPs) with distinct properties by changing the precursors and the flow rates, significantly decreasing the time for screening optimal formulation as carriers for drug delivery compared to conventional methods. The batch-to-batch reproducibility which is essential for clinical translation is achieved by precisely controlling the precursors and the flow rate, regardless of operators. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is the most widely used Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biodegradable polymers. Researchers often combine PLGA with lipids or amphiphilic molecules to assemble into a core/shell structure to exploit the potential of PLGA-based NPs as powerful carriers for cancer-related drug delivery. In this review, we discuss the advantages associated with microfluidic chips for producing PLGA-based functional nanocomplexes for drug delivery. These laboratory-based methods can readily scale up to provide sufficient amount of PLGA-based NPs in microfluidic chips for clinical studies and industrial-scale production. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characteristic and Quality and Food Safety of Regional Cheese Produced from Mixed Milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Vyletělová-Klimešová

2014-01-01

Full Text Available There were cheeses produced from raw cow’s milk and from mixed milk compared. Mixed milk contained small ruminants’ milk (goat’s and ewe’s milk and cow’s milk in different proportions. There were technological, physical and health parameters, mineral composition, microbiological indicators and sensory quality evaluated. Cow’s milk, compared to mixed milk, contained markedly lower amounts of fat, protein, casein, total solids, solids non fat, urea and acetone and higher values of lactose, citric acid and free fatty acids and showed significantly lower values of somatic cell count. Mixed milk showed lower (better results for freezing point depression, markedly higher titration acidity and higher values ​​for Ca, Mg, K, P, Cu, Mn and Zn. The results of microbiological analyses confirmed good hygienic quality in terms of total count of mesophlic, psychrotrophic and thermoresistant bacteria and coliforms. Negative incidence of L. monocytogenes and mostly negative incidence of S. aureus are important results and confirmed high quality of raw material for cheese production. None of S. aureus strains were confirmed as MRSA. The results of sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between cheeses originated from cow’s milk and cheeses from mixed milk.

LYOPHILIZATION EFFECT ON PRODUCTIVITY OF BUTANOL-PRODUCING STRAINS

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O. O. Tigunova

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Investigation of lyophilization effect on the productivity of butanol-producing strains was the aim of our research. For this purpose we used butanol-producing strains; technical glycerol; biomass of switchgrass Panicum virgatum L. Lyophilization was performed using a lyophilization-drying. The effect of the protective medium on residual moisture of freezedrying cultures suspensions depending on the concentration of glucose and sucrose was studed. It was shown that the lowest residual moisture was attained by using glucose and sucrose in amount of 10% and if the samples of freeze-drying bacteria had been saved for one month at 4 οC the productivity did not decrease. As temperature preservation was increased the productivity of the cultures was gradually decreased and it was greatly reduced at 30 οC. So the protective medium composition was optimized for lyophilization of butanol-producing strains as follows: sucrose 10.0%; gelatin 10.0%; agar 0.02%. It was shown that the preservation of samples of freeze-drying bacteria for six months at a temperature of 4 οC did not affect the productivity of strains. It was found that cultures could use glycerol as a carbon source for butanol accumulation before lyophilization.

Interfacial reaction in cast WC particulate reinforced titanium metal matrix composites coating produced by laser processing

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dejian; Hu, Peipei; Min, Guoqing

2015-06-01

Laser injection of ceramic particle was conducted to produce particulate reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) coating on Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Cast WC particle (WCp) was used as injection reinforcement to avoid excessive release of carbon atoms into the melt pool. The interfaces and boundaries between WC and Ti matrix were investigated by electron microscopy study. Compared with single crystal WCp, cast WCp was an appropriate solution to control the reaction products (TiC) in the matrix and the total amount of reaction products was significantly reduced. Irregular-shape reaction layers were formed around cast WCp. The reaction layers consist of a W2C layer and a mixed layer of W and TiC. Such reaction layers are effective in load transfer under an external load.

40 CFR 1065.645 - Amount of water in an ideal gas.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amount of water in an ideal gas. 1065... in an ideal gas. This section describes how to determine the amount of water in an ideal gas, which... of water in an ideal gas, x H20, as follows: ER30AP10.034 Where: x H20 = amount of water in an ideal...

Amounts of mercury in soil of some golf course sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacLean, A J; Stone, B; Cordukes, W E

1973-01-01

Mercurial compounds are widely used for controlling diseases of turfgrass of golf courses, but the fungicides are usually confined to the greens. Composite soil samples were obtained from three golf courses in the Ottawa and Ontario region of Canada. Samples from the turf and surface layer of soil were analyzed and high amounts of mercury were found. The soil of No.I course was a sand; No.II was a sandy loam in the surface and a loam below; and No. III was a loam in the surface layer and a clay loam below. The pH of the surface layer was 6.4 in No. I, 7.5 in No. II, and 6.0 in No. III. The amounts of Hg in the turf were high near the green but they decreased with distance. Fairway III contained the highest amounts of Hg and there was evidence of it leaching to a depth of 90 cm at the edge of the green. The particularly high amounts of Hg in no III were in accord with the liberal use of mercurial fungicides on this course in the period 1912-64. The leaching of Hg depends on amounts of organic matter and the clay in the soil.

Glass produced by underground nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, L.; Piwinskii, A.; Ryerson, F.; Tewes, H.; Beiriger, W.

1983-01-01

Detonation of an underground nuclear explosive produces a strong shock wave which propagates spherically outward, vaporizing the explosive and nearby rock and melting, the surrounding rock. The vaporized material expands adiabatically, forming a cavity. As the energy is dissipated during the cavity formation process, the explosive and rock debris condense and mix with the melted rock. The melt flows to the bottom of the cavity where it is quenched by fractured rock fragments falling from above as the cavity collapses. Measurements indicate that about 740 tonnes of rock and/or soil are melted for every kiloton (10 12 calories) of explosive energy, or about 25% of the explosive energy goes to melting rock. The resulting glass composition reflects the composition of the unaltered rock with explosive debris. The appearance ranges from white pumice to dense, dark lava. The bulk composition and color vary with the amount of explosive iron incorporated into the glass. The refractory explosion products are mixed with the solidified melt, although the degree of mixing is variable. Electron microprobe studies of glasses produced by Rainier in welded tuff have produced the following results: glasses are dehydrated relative to the host media, glasses are extremely heterogeneous on a 20 μm scale, a ubiquitous feature is the presence of dark marble-cake regions in the glass, which were locally enriched in iron and may be related to the debris, optically amorphous regions provide evidence of shock melting, only limited major element redistribution and homogenization occur within the cavity

Roostertree (Calotropis procera under different amounts and periods of incorporation on yield of coriander

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Paulo César Ferreira Linhares

2014-07-01

Full Text Available 800x600 The goal of this paper was to evaluate the roostertree under different amounts and periods of incorporation on yield of coriander. This paper was conducted at the experimental farm Rafael Fernandes of, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA, Mossoró-RN, in the period October-December 2009. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with treatments arranged in a factorial 4 x 4, with three replications, with 144 plants per plot, with the first factor consists of the amounts of roostertree (5.4, 8.8, 12.2 and 15.6 t ha-1 on a dry basis, the second by periods of soil incorporation (0, 10, 20, and 30 days before sowing - DAS. The cultivar was planted cilantro palmtrees. The characteristics evaluated were such: plant height, number of stems plant-1, yield and dry matter weight of shoots. Significant interaction between treatments was observed for the characteristic coriander yield with better agronomic performance observed in the amount of 15.6 t ha-1 roostertree applied between incorporation 30 days before sowing coriander, with an average yield of 4404 kg ha-1. Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE

USA coal producer perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porco, J. [Alpha Natural Resources, Latrobe, PA (US). Alpha Energy Global Marketing

2004-07-01

The focus is on the Central Appalachian coal industry. Alpha Natural Resources was formed in 2002 from Pittston Coal's Virginia and Coastal operations. AMCI's U.S. operations and Mears Enterprises in Pennsylvania were acquired later. The company produces 20-21 million tonnes per year and sells 20 million tonnes of steam coal and 10 million tonnes of exports, including some coal that is brokered. Foundry coke is a major product. Capital investment has resulted in increased productivity. Central Appalachia is expected to continue as a significant coal-producing region for supplying metallurgical coke. Production is expected to stabilize, but not increase; so the mines will have a longer life. 31 slides/overheads are included.

Overexpression of the NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (icdA) in citric acid-producing Aspergillus niger WU-2223L.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Keiichi; Hattori, Takasumi; Hayashi, Rie; Kirimura, Kohtaro

2014-01-01

In the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, NADP(+)-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP(+)-ICDH) catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of isocitric acid to form α-ketoglutaric acid with NADP(+) as a cofactor. We constructed an NADP(+)-ICDH gene (icdA)-overexpressing strain (OPI-1) using Aspergillus niger WU-2223L as a host and examined the effects of increase in NADP(+)-ICDH activity on citric acid production. Under citric acid-producing conditions with glucose as the carbon source, the amounts of citric acid produced and glucose consumed by OPI-1 for the 12-d cultivation period decreased by 18.7 and 10.5%, respectively, compared with those by WU-2223L. These results indicate that the amount of citric acid produced by A. niger can be altered with the NADP(+)-ICDH activity. Therefore, NADP(+)-ICDH is an important regulator of citric acid production in the TCA cycle of A. niger. Thus, we propose that the icdA gene is a potentially valuable tool for modulating citric acid production by metabolic engineering.

Potentiometric determination of milligram amounts of uranium by semiautomatic titrator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryzhinskij, M.V.; Stepanov, A.V.; Preobrazhenskaya, L.D.; Solntseva, L.F.; Gromova, E.A.

1978-01-01

A semiautomatic titrator is described which allows gravimetriotentiometricc-p titrat mg amounts of substances. Milligram amounts of uranium (absolute contents and oxygen/uranium ratio) in U 3 O 8 were determined as an example of the titrator action. The relative standard deviation was less than 0.001

41 CFR 105-56.019 - Offset amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Administration 56-SALARY OFFSET FOR INDEBTEDNESS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO THE UNITED STATES Centralized Salary... referred for offset under this subpart is $100. (b) The amount offset from a salary payment under this... resolved to the satisfaction of GSA. ...

Sugar amount analysis in food from Lithuanian food market

OpenAIRE

Gudauskaitė, Milda

2015-01-01

When taking too much simple sugar, especially sucrose, harmful health effects occur: more tooth decay occurs, the excess sugar coverts into fat, digestive system gets irritated, increase of weight, possibility in increasing of developing cancer cells, pancreatic and other misbalances in the endocrine organs. Thesis goal: to perform sugar amount analysis in Lithuanian food market Analysis methodology. Assessing the amount of sugar (g/100g) there was analyzed 147 major food la...

Potential ecological roles of artemisinin produced by Artemisia annua L.

Science.gov (United States)

Knudsmark Jessing, Karina; Duke, Stephen O; Cedergreeen, Nina

2014-02-01

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 has a complex structure that requires a significant amount of energy for the plant to synthesize. So, what are the benefits to A. annua of producing this unique compound, and what is the ecological role of artemisinin? This review addresses these questions, discussing evidence of the potential utility of artemisinin in protecting the plant from insects and other herbivores, as well as pathogens and competing plant species. Abiotic factors affecting the artemisinin production, as well as mechanisms of artemisinin release to the surroundings also are discussed, and new data are provided on the toxicity of artemisinin towards soil and aquatic organisms. The antifungal and antibacterial effects reported are not very pronounced. Several studies have reported that extracts of A. annua have insecticidal effects, though few studies have proven that artemisinin could be the single compound responsible for the observed effects. However, the pathogen(s) or insect(s) that may have provided the selection pressure for the evolution of artemisinin synthesis may not have been represented in the research thus far conducted. The relatively high level of phytotoxicity of artemisinin in soil indicates that plant/plant allelopathy could be a beneficial function of artemisinin to the producing plant. The release routes of artemisinin (movement from roots and wash off from leaf surfaces) from A. annua to the soil support the rationale for allelopathy.

A sorites paradox in the conventional definition of amount of substance

OpenAIRE

Nigel Wheatley

2011-01-01

The conventional definition of amount of substance _n_ is as a quantity proportional to number of entities _N_. This implies that n is discrete for small _N_ while _n_ is considered to be continuous at the macroscopic scale, leading to a sorites paradox. A practical criterion is proposed for distinguishing between amount of substance and number of entities, and the implications for the conventional definition of amount of substance are discussed.

The challenges of biofuels from the perspective of small-scale producers in Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrone, Michele; Stuart, Ben J.; McHenry, Izaak; Buckley, Geoffrey L.

2009-01-01

Increased interest in renewable fuels in the United States, such as biodiesel and ethanol, is mainly the result of higher cost for traditional fuels after years of low prices. A growing concern over oil imports from politically unstable parts of the world has also led people to seriously consider alternatives to gasoline. Despite this attention, there are issues that challenge the widespread acceptance of biofuels, including the availability of raw materials and food security concerns. Ohio is one of the most productive agricultural states in the country, able to contribute significant amounts of corn and soybeans, the main feedstock for biofuels. Even though Ohio is rich in the raw materials needed for biofuel production, it is still an endeavor that mainly involves small businesses that face numerous challenges. Some of these challenges are national in scope, while others are localized. Interviews with small-scale biofuels producers in Ohio identify some of the major political, economic, and perceptual hurdles confronting this fledgling industry

42 CFR 405.817 - Principles for determining amount in controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Principles for determining amount in controversy... the Medicare Part B Program § 405.817 Principles for determining amount in controversy. (a) Individual... may assert that the aggregation principles contained in this subpart may be applied to determine the...

Study on Ablation Behavior of Phenolic Composites Prepared with Different Amounts of Zirconia and Asbestos Fiber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mir Asad Mirzapour

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Ablative materials play a strategic role in aerospace industry. These materialsproduce a thermal protection system which protects the structure, theaerodynamic surfaces and the payload of vehicles and probes duringhypersonic flight through a planetary atmosphere. In this work, we investigated the effect of refractory zirconium oxide on mechanical, heat stability and ablation properties of asbestos/phenolic/zirconia composites. The asbestos/phenolic/zirconia composites were produced with different percentages of zirconia filler from 7 to 21% with average size of 7 μm and different number of layers of asbestos, say 3 to 6 layers. These ablative composites were made by an autoclave curing cycle process.The densities of the composites were in the range of 1.68 to 1.88 g/cm3. Ablation properties of composites were determined by oxy-acetylene torch environment and burn-through time, erosion rates and back surface temperature in the first required 20 seconds. Thermal stability of the produced materials was estimated by means of thermal gravimetric analysis, in both air and nitrogen which consisted of dynamic scans at a heating rate of 10°C/min from 30 to 1000°C with bulk samples of about 20±1 mg. The results showed that when the amount of zirconia was raised from 7% to 21%, the erosion rate and the back surface temperature of composites increased byabout 24% and 26% respectively, and the heat capacity of the composites increased by about 85%. Also, the result showed that when the thickness of composites of 4.2 mm was increased to 10.1mm the burn-through time raised by about 226% and erosion rate dropped by about 41%. These composites displayed the maximum flexural strength when the amount of zirconia was about 14%.

Muscle glycogen storage after different amounts of carbohydrate ingestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivy, J L; Lee, M C; Brozinick, J T; Reed, M J

1988-11-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the rate of muscle glycogen storage could be enhanced during the initial 4-h period postexercise by substantially increasing the amount of the carbohydrate consumed. Eight subjects cycled for 2 h on three separate occasions to deplete their muscle glycogen stores. Immediately and 2 h after exercise they consumed either 0 (P), 1.5 (L), or 3.0 g glucose/kg body wt (H) from a 50% glucose polymer solution. Blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein before exercise, during exercise, and throughout recovery. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis immediately, 2 h, and 4 h after exercise. Blood glucose and insulin declined significantly during exercise in each of the three treatments. They remained below the preexercise concentrations during recovery in the P treatment but increased significantly above the preexercise concentrations during the L and H treatments. By the end of the 4 h-recovery period, blood glucose and insulin were still significantly above the preexercise concentrations in both treatments. Muscle glycogen storage was significantly increased above the basal rate (P, 0.5 mumol.g wet wt-1.h-1) after ingestion of either glucose polymer supplement. The rates of muscle glycogen storage, however, were not different between the L and H treatments during the first 2 h (L, 5.2 +/- 0.9 vs. H, 5.8 +/- 0.7 mumol.g wet wt-1.h-1) or the second 2 h of recovery (L, 4.0 +/- 0.9 vs. H, 4.5 +/- 0.6 mumol.g wet wt-1. h-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Use of alternative waste materials in producing ultra-high performance concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Shamsad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In a corrosive environment similar to that of the Arabian Gulf, use of high-performance concrete is one of the options to ensure a target service life of concrete structures. However, in absence of good quality coarse aggregates, it is a challenging task to produce high-performance concrete. Recently, the possibility of producing ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC has been widely reported in the literature. UHPC is produced without coarse aggregates at very low water to cementitious materials ratio, high amounts of cement, mineral admixtures, and superplasticizer along with fine quartz sand as aggregate, quartz powder as micro-filler, a nd steel fibres for fracture toughness. In the present work, an effort was made to utilize local waste materials as alternative mineral admixtures and local dune sand as aggregate in producing different UHPC mixtures without addition of quartz powder. The mechanical properties, shrinkage, and durability characteristics of the UHPC mixtures were studied. Test results indicate that it is possible to produce UHPC mixtures using alternative waste materials, which would have targeted flow, strength, toughness, and resistance against reinforcement corrosion. The information presented in the paper would help in optimum selection of a mixture of UHPC considering the availability of local materials, exposure conditions and structural requirements.

Study of the proper contribution of independent power producing business in the long-range power supply and demand plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jo, S.B. [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-01

The independent power producing business has expanded its size and process through the Long-range Power Supply and Demand Plan of 1993, 1995, and it is high time that full-scale competition in the power generation market began to emerge. This report assesses the marginal costs of independent and general power producing businesses on a theoretical basis on the proper size of independent power producing business, and presents the methods to compare these. But, since there follows several problems in applying this theoretical model, a practical standard to decide the proper level of independent power production amount is presented. That is, while not much burdening the existing industrial structure, I search for ways to present the amount of independent power production and the methods of power generation to make sure that the competition effect is maximized when full-scale competition started. However, in the long-term, the allotment of independent power production itself could be a violation to the basic spirit of competition. A more desirable way is to allow independent power producers and the Korea Power Corp. to freely compete on all types of power generation and facilities. The supply plan should be also operated smoothly and flexibly since the types of power generation and the amounts reflect the result of competition not the predetermined ones. Therefore, a long-range power supply and demand plan should be converted from a planning-oriented concept to a market-oriented base with the structural overhaul of the power generation industry for the effective resources distribution of power supply facilities. 18 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs.

41 CFR 105-56.029 - Offset amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Administration 56-SALARY OFFSET FOR INDEBTEDNESS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO THE UNITED STATES Centralized Salary... salary offset under this subpart is $100. (b) The amount offset from a salary payment under this subpart... otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the creditor agency. ...

Safe handling of kilogram amounts of fuel-grade plutonium and of gram amounts of plutonium-238, americium-241 and curium-244

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louwrier, K.P.; Richter, K.

1976-01-01

During the past 10 years about 600 glove-boxes have been installed at the Institute for Transuranium Elements at Karlsruhe. About 80% of these glove-boxes have been designed and equipped for handling 100-g to 1-kg amounts of 239 Pu containing 8-12% 240 Pu (low-exposure plutonium). A small proportion of the glove-boxes is equipped with additional shielding in the form of lead sheet or lead glass for work with recycled plutonium. In these glove-boxes gram-amounts of 241 Am have also been handled for preparation of Al-Am targets using tongs and additional shielding inside the glove-boxes themselves. Water- and lead-shielded glove-boxes equipped with telemanipulators have been installed for routine work with gram-amounts of 241 Am, 243 Am and 244 Cm. A prediction of the expected radiation dose for the personnel is difficult and only valid for a preparation procedure with well-defined preparation steps, owing to the fact that gamma dose-rates depend strongly upon proximity and source seize. Gamma radiation dose measurements during non-routine work for 241 Am target preparation showed that handling of gram amounts leads to a rather high irradiation dose for the personnel, despite lead or steel glove-box shielding and shielding within the glove-boxes. A direct glove-hand to americium contact must be avoided. For all glove-handling of materials with gamma radiation an irradiation control of the forearms of the personnel by, for example, thermoluminescence dosimeters is necessary. Routine handling of americium and curium should be executed with master-slave equipment behind neutron and gamma shielding. (author)

9 CFR 381.412 - Reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Amount Ready-to-serve Reference Amount Ready-to-cook Egg mixtures, (western style omelet, souffle, egg... cook poultry cuts, including marinated, tenderized, injected cuts of poultry, poultry corn dogs...

THE EFFECT OF AMOUNT OF NATURAL ZEOLIT CATALYST IN PRODUCT OF POLYPROPILENE (PP PLASTIC WASTE PYROLYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

khalimatus sa'diyah

2015-12-01

Full Text Available To overcome the waste problem, especially plastic waste , environmental concerned scientists from various disciplines have conducted various research and actions. Catalytic pyrolysis processes was chosen as an alternative method to recycle plastic waste. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of natural zeolit catalyst on the pyrolysis process with oxygen-free conditions to obtain maximum hydrocarbon compounds (gasoline fraction in C5-C9. The process of pyrolysis was conducted in 3.5 dm3 unstirred stainless steel semi-batch reactor. This process operated at atmospheric pressure with nitrogen injection. Plastic waste that used in this particular paper was 50 grams of polypropylene (PP. In pyrolysis process, natural zeolite catalysts was added 2,5 gram (5% weight of natural zeolite per weight of plastic waste samples, 5 gram (10% , and 10 gram (20%. Temperature of pyrolysis was 450°C and were maintained until 30 minutes. Steam that produced from pyrolisis was condensed and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS to determine yield of hydrocarbons produced. From the analysis of GC-MS, liquid products of pyrolysis contained lots of aromatic hydrocarbons. The optimal amount of catalyst that produce liquid with hydrocarbon compound that has the quality of gasoline was 10 gram (20% with ≤C9 composition as 29,16% n-paraffin, 9,22% cycloparaffin, and 61,64% aromatics.

Offshore oil production not significant polluter, says government report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danenberger, E.P.

1977-11-01

Only 0.0028% of the oil produced in the Gulf of Mexico from 1971 through 1975 was spilled. World-wide, natural seeps introduce nearly 7 times more oil into the sea than offshore activity, while transportation, the worst offender, puts in 25 times more than offshore oil. The report includes data for spills of 50 bbl or less; about 85.5% of the total spill volume was from 5 of the 5857 incidents. In only one case was environmental damage reported, when minor amounts of oil reached 1000 ft of beach on the Chandeleur Islands after the 9/9/74 Cobia pipeline break. The report states that 50 ppm discharges cause no adverse effect, and that hydrocarbons in this concentration may even benefit microbial sea life.

Radionuclides in produced water from Norwegian oil and gas installations - concentrations and bioavailability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksen, D.Oe.; Sidhu, R.; Stralberg, E.; Iden, K.I.; Hylland, K.; Ruus, A.; Roeyset, O.; Berntssen, M.H.G.; Rye, H.

2006-01-01

Substantial amounts of produced water, containing elevated levels of radionuclides (mainly 226 Ra and 228 Ra) are discharged to the sea as a result of oil and gas production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. So far no study has assessed the potential radiological effects on marine biota in connection with radionuclide discharges to the North Sea. The main objective of the project is to establish radiological safe discharge limits for radium, lead and polonium associated with other components in produced water from oil and gas installations on the Norwegian continental shelf. This study reports results indicating that the presence of added chemicals such as scale inhibitors in produced water has a marked influence on the formation of radium and barium sulphates when produced water is mixed with sea water. Thus, the mobility and bioavailability of radium (and barium) will be larger than anticipated. Also, the bioavailability of food-borne radium is shown to increase due to presence of such chemicals. (author)

A Greenhouse Assay on the Effect of Applied Urea Amount on the Rhizospheric Soil Bacterial Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Shuanghua; Yi, Yanli

2015-12-01

The rhizospheric bacteria play key role in plant nutrition and growth promotion. The effects of increased nitrogen inputs on plant rhizospheric soils also have impacted on whole soil microbial communities. In this study, we analyzed the effects of applied nitrogen (urea) on rhizospheric bacterial composition and diversity in a greenhouse assay using the high-throughput sequencing technique. To explore the environmental factors driving the abundance, diversity and composition of soil bacterial communities, the relationship between soil variables and the bacterial communities were also analyzed using the mantel test as well as the redundancy analysis. The results revealed significant bacterial diversity changes at different amounts of applied urea, especially between the control treatment and the N fertilized treatments. Mantel tests showed that the bacterial communities were significantly correlated with the soil nitrate nitrogen, available nitrogen, soil pH, ammonium nitrogen and total organic carbon. The present study deepened the understanding about the rhizospheric soil microbial communities under different amounts of applied urea in greenhouse conditions, and our work revealed the environmental factors affecting the abundance, diversity and composition of rhizospheric bacterial communities.

Feasibility of Technologies to Produce Coal-Based Fuels with Equal or Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions than Petroleum Fuels

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-22

in operating pipeline compressors), and a negligible amount from coal; just under five percent was produced from biomass—mostly in the form of corn ...as is commonly reported for soy- and corn -based biofuels), and/or if biofuel production results in land use change causing deforestation (as has...produced via F-T synthesis are already approved for incorporation into commercial and military fuels, but other pathways (e.g., pyrolysis ) would

46 CFR 308.300 - Insured amount-application.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE Second Seamen's War Risk Insurance § 308.300 Insured amount—application. An applicant for Second Seamen's war risk insurance shall not state the amount of insurance desired, which shall be as provided in...

Significant exposures to isoeugenol derivaties in perfumes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rastogi, Suresh Chandra; Johansen, Jeanne Duus

2008-01-01

in perfumes/aftershaves. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 29 international brand perfumes/aftershaves were analysed for the target fragrance ingredient by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. All samples were analysed in duplicate at detection levels of 1-5 p.p.m. RESULTS: 16 products (55%) contained isoeugenol...... was not detected in any of the investigated products. CONCLUSIONS: Isoeugenyl acetate is present in perfumes/aftershaves, in some products in significant amounts. This may lead to elicitation of contact allergy in isoeugenol-sensitized individuals and may contribute to unchanged levels of isoeugenol sensitization....

The disulfide-rich Metridia luciferase refolded from E. coli inclusion bodies reveals the properties of a native folded enzyme produced in insect cells.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

42 CFR 3.404 - Amount of a civil money penalty.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amount of a civil money penalty. 3.404 Section 3... money penalty. (a) The amount of a civil money penalty will be determined in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section and § 3.408 of this subpart. (b) The Secretary may impose a civil money penalty...

47 CFR 54.403 - Lifeline support amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... local exchange carrier serving the area in which the qualifying low-income consumer receives service, as... a qualifying low-income consumer's intrastate rate, if the carrier has received the non-federal... SERVICE Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers § 54.403 Lifeline support amount. (a) The...

Recovery Act – Integrated Pilot-Scale Biorefinery for Producing Ethanol from Hybrid Algae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legere, Ed [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Roessler, Paul [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Miller, Harlan [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Belicka, Laura [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Yuan, Yanhui [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Chance, Ron [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Dalrymple, Kofi [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Porubsky, William [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Coleman, John [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Sweeney, Kevin [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Ahlm, Pat [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States); Ha, Quang [Algenol Biotech LLC, Ft. Myers, FL (United States)

2017-05-26

As a scientific and engineering endeavor, the Algenol IBR Biorefinery project has been a success by almost any measure. The vision for the system evolved significantly over the course of the project, always due to recognized opportunities for improved performance, lower energy consumption, and reduced costs. Our commitment to thorough, realistic, techno-economic and life cycle assessments has been an essential element for system innovation, technology guidance, and change management of the overall facility. The biological tools developed during this program for cyanobacteria are second to none, and are the primary reason for the remarkable improvements in organism performance. The breakthrough was the successful transformation of our most robust wild type organism (AB1) early in 2012. That was followed by a series of improvements over the next several years that produced strains wherein over 80% of the fixed carbon was converted into ethanol. At the same time, our expertise in cultivation, physiology, process engineering, CO2 management, and photobioreactor design and manufacturing grew at a comparable pace. We learned enormous amounts from the various upsets, weather variations, contamination events, and new technology related disappointments. We overcame those challenges to produce fuel grade ethanol with a low carbon footprint, and are within striking distance of economic viability even with the challenges of low fossil fuel prices.

Proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xing [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Xu, Yanli [Fuyang People’s Hospital (China); Meng, Qian [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Zheng, Qingqing [Digestive Endoscopic Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital (China); Wu, Jianhong [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Wang, Chen; Jia, Weiping [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital (China); Figeys, Daniel [Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, and Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa (Canada); Chang, Ying, E-mail: emulan@163.com [Digestive Endoscopic Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital (China); Zhou, Hu, E-mail: zhouhu@simm.ac.cn [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

2016-08-05

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of malignant tumor worldwide. Currently, although many researchers have been devoting themselves in CRC studies, the process of locating biomarkers for CRC early diagnosis and prognostic is still very slow. Using a centrifugal proteomic reactor-based proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling, 2620 protein groups were quantified between cancer mucosa and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa. Of which, 403 protein groups were differentially expressed with statistic significance between cancer and normal tissues, including 195 up-regulated and 208 down-regulated proteins in cancer tissues. Three proteins (SOD3, PRELP and NGAL) were selected for further Western blot validation. And the resulting Western blot experimental results were consistent with the quantitative proteomic data. SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC mucosa comparing to adjacent normal tissue, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC mucosa. In conclusion, the centrifugal proteomic reactor-based label-free quantitative proteomic approach provides a highly sensitive and powerful tool for analyzing minute protein sample from tiny colorectal biopsies, which may facilitate CRC biomarkers discovery for diagnoses and prognoses. -- Highlights: •Minute amount of colonic biopsies by endoscopy is suitable for proteomic analysis. •Centrifugal proteomic reactor can be used for processing tiny clinic biopsy sample. •SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC.

Proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xing; Xu, Yanli; Meng, Qian; Zheng, Qingqing; Wu, Jianhong; Wang, Chen; Jia, Weiping; Figeys, Daniel; Chang, Ying; Zhou, Hu

2016-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of malignant tumor worldwide. Currently, although many researchers have been devoting themselves in CRC studies, the process of locating biomarkers for CRC early diagnosis and prognostic is still very slow. Using a centrifugal proteomic reactor-based proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling, 2620 protein groups were quantified between cancer mucosa and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa. Of which, 403 protein groups were differentially expressed with statistic significance between cancer and normal tissues, including 195 up-regulated and 208 down-regulated proteins in cancer tissues. Three proteins (SOD3, PRELP and NGAL) were selected for further Western blot validation. And the resulting Western blot experimental results were consistent with the quantitative proteomic data. SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC mucosa comparing to adjacent normal tissue, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC mucosa. In conclusion, the centrifugal proteomic reactor-based label-free quantitative proteomic approach provides a highly sensitive and powerful tool for analyzing minute protein sample from tiny colorectal biopsies, which may facilitate CRC biomarkers discovery for diagnoses and prognoses. -- Highlights: •Minute amount of colonic biopsies by endoscopy is suitable for proteomic analysis. •Centrifugal proteomic reactor can be used for processing tiny clinic biopsy sample. •SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC.

9 CFR 89.1 - Amount of feed.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amount of feed. 89.1 Section 89.1 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS STATEMENT OF POLICY UNDER THE...

Characterization of Five Fungal Endophytes Producing Cajaninstilbene Acid Isolated from Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.

OpenAIRE

Gao, Yuan; Zhao, Jin Tong; Zu, Yuan Gang; Fu, Yu Jie; Wang, Wei; Luo, Meng; Efferth, Thomas

2011-01-01

Five fungal endophytes (K4, K5, K6, K9, K14) producing Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA, 3-hydroxy-4-prenyl-5-methoxystilbene-2-carboxylic acid) were isolated from the roots of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. CSA is responsible for the prominent pharmacological activities in pigeon pea. The amount of CSA in culture solution varied among the five fungal endophytes. K4 produced the highest levels of CSA (1037.13 µg/L) among the endophytes tested after incubation for five days. Both morphologi...

Phytoplankton aggregate formation: observations of patterns and mechanisms of cell sticking and the significance of exopolymeric material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Hansen, Jorgen L. S.

1993-01-01

are sticky in themselves, and coagulation depends on cell-cell sticking and does not involve mucus. Aggregates are composed solely of cells. Cells of the diatom Chaetoceros affinis, on the other hand, are not in themselves sticky. Transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), produced by the diatom, cause...... the cells to aggregate and coagulation depends on TEP-cell rather than cell-cell sticking. Aggregates are formed of a mixture of mucus and cells. We found several species of diatoms and one flagellate species to produce copious amounts of TEP. TEP from some species (e.g. Coscinodiscus sp.) is sticky and may...

A statistical evaluation of formation disturbance produced by well- casing installation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, R.H.; LeBlanc, D.R.; Teasdale, W.E.

1988-01-01

Water-resources investigations concerned with contaminant transport through aquifers comprised of very loose, unconsolidated sediments have shown that small-scale variations in aquifer characteristics can significantly affect solute transport and dispersion. Commonly, measurement accuracy and resolution have been limited by a borehole environment consisting of an annulus of disturbed sediments produced by the casing-installation method. In an attempt to quantify this disturbance and recognize its impact on the characterization of unconsolidated deposits, three installation methods were examined and compared in a sand-and-gravel outwash at a test site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. These installation methods were: 1) casing installed in a mud-rotary hole; 2) casing installed in an augered hole; and 3) flush-joint steel casing hammer-driven from land surface. Fifteen wells were logged with epithermal neutron and natural gamma tools. Concludes that augering is the most disruptive of the three casing-installation methods and that driving casing directly, though typically a more time-consuming operation, transmits the least amount of disturbance into the surrounding formation. -from Authors

Mycotoxins: significance to global economics and health

Science.gov (United States)

Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites produced my micro-fungi (molds and mildews) that have significant impacts on global economics and health. Some of these metabolites are beneficial, but most are harmful and have been associated with well-known epidemics dating back to medieval times. The terms ‘myco...

Detection of counterfeit antiviral drug Heptodin and classification of counterfeits using isotope amount ratio measurements by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).

Science.gov (United States)

Santamaria-Fernandez, Rebeca; Hearn, Ruth; Wolff, Jean-Claude

2009-06-01

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) are highly important techniques that can provide forensic evidence that otherwise would not be available. MC-ICP-MS has proved to be a very powerful tool for measuring high precision and accuracy isotope amount ratios. In this work, the potential of combining isotope amount ratio measurements performed by MC-ICP-MS and IRMS for the detection of counterfeit pharmaceutical tablets has been investigated. An extensive study for the antiviral drug Heptodin has been performed for several isotopic ratios combining MC-ICP-MS and an elemental analyser EA-IRMS for stable isotope amount ratio measurements. The study has been carried out for 139 batches of the antiviral drug and analyses have been performed for C, S, N and Mg isotope ratios. Authenticity ranges have been obtained for each isotopic system and combined to generate a unique multi-isotopic pattern only present in the genuine tablets. Counterfeit tablets have then been identified as those tablets with an isotopic fingerprint outside the genuine isotopic range. The combination of those two techniques has therefore great potential for pharmaceutical counterfeit detection. A much greater power of discrimination is obtained when at least three isotopic systems are combined. The data from these studies could be presented as evidence in court and therefore methods need to be validated to support their credibility. It is also crucial to be able to produce uncertainty values associated to the isotope amount ratio measurements so that significant differences can be identified and the genuineness of a sample can be assessed.

Process for producing vegetative and tuber growth regulator

Science.gov (United States)

Stutte, Gary W. (Inventor); Yorio, Neil C. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

A process of making a vegetative and tuber growth regulator. The vegetative and tuber growth regulator is made by growing potato plants in a recirculating hydroponic system for a sufficient time to produce the growth regulator. Also, the use of the vegetative and growth regulator on solanaceous plants, tuber forming plants and ornamental seedlings by contacting the roots or shoots of the plant with a sufficient amount of the growth regulator to regulate the growth of the plant and one more of canopy size, plant height, stem length, internode number and presence of tubers in fresh mass. Finally, a method for regulating the growth of potato plants using a recirculating hydroponic system is described.

Effect of bedding control on amount of house dust mite allergens, asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Inn-Sook

2003-04-30

This quasi-experimental study was designed to investigate the effect of bedding control on the amount of house dust mite (HDM) allergens, asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in asthmatics sensitive to HDMs. The subjects in the study were drawn from patients receiving treatment at the allergy clinics of three university-affiliated hospitals in Seoul. Forty-two patients without prior practice of the bedding control used in this study were selected. They commonly showed bronchial asthma caused by HDMs, and exhibited strong positive points (more than 3 points) in skin prick test (D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus), and positive response in both fluoro-allergosorbent test (FAST), and PC20 methacholine test. Of the subjects, alternatively, 22 were assigned to the experimental group and 20 to control group. Bedding control consisted of the use of outer cotton covers, boiling them for 10 minutes fortnightly, and disinfecting bedding by sunlight fortnightly. The experimental group was under bedding control for 4 weeks. The data were collected from October 2000 to January 2001. The results were as follows: 1. After bedding control, the total amount of HDM allergens decreased significantly in the experimental group. However there was no significant difference in the decrease of the amount of HDM allergens between the two groups. 2. Of the asthma symptoms, there was significant difference only in the decrease of the frequency of dyspnea, and in the increase of sleeping disturbance between the two groups after bedding control. 3. After bedding control, PEFR increased in the experimental group whereas it decreased in the control group. However, neither change was significant. The above findings indicate that bedding control improved several asthma symptoms in asthmatics sensitive to HDMs. Accordingly, we suggest that bedding control is adopted as a useful nursing intervention in the field.

Estimating the subjective value of future rewards: comparison of adjusting-amount and adjusting-delay procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Daniel D; Green, Leonard; Myerson, Joel

2012-07-01

The present study examined whether equivalent discounting of delayed rewards is observed with different experimental procedures. If the underlying decision-making process is the same, then similar patterns of results should be observed regardless of procedure, and similar estimates of the subjective value of future rewards (i.e., indifference points) should be obtained. Two experiments compared discounting on three types of procedure: adjusting-delay (AD), adjusting-immediate-amount (AIA), and adjusting-delayed-amount (ADA). For the two procedures for which discounting functions can be established (i.e., AD and AIA), a hyperboloid provided good fits to the data at both the group and individual levels, and individuals' discounting on one procedure tended to be correlated with their discounting on the other. Notably, the AIA procedure produced the more consistent estimates of the degree of discounting, and in particular, discounting on the AIA procedure was unaffected by the order in which choices were presented. Regardless of which of the three procedures was used, however, similar patterns of results were obtained: Participants systematically discounted the value of delayed rewards, and robust magnitude effects were observed. Although each procedure may have its own advantages and disadvantages, use of all three types of procedure in the present study provided converging evidence for common decision-making processes underlying the discounting of delayed rewards. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 3565.204 - Maximum loan amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... project. The lender shall recommend to the Agency an adjustment in the loan amount if appropriate as a result of this review. (2) Where the project financing combines a guaranteed loan with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits or other Federal assistance, the project must conform to the policies regarding necessary...

7 CFR 3550.63 - Maximum loan amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... self-help housing will be calculated by adding the total of the market value of the lot (including... amount. Total secured indebtedness must not exceed the area loan limit or market value limitations... appraisal, tax monitoring fee, and the charge to establish an escrow account for taxes and insurance will...

Mass-produced multi-walled carbon nanotubes as catalyst supports for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, In Young; Park, Ki Chul; Jung, Yong Chae; Lee, Sun Hyung; Song, Sung Moo; Muramatsu, Hiroyuki; Kim, Yong Jung; Endo, Morinobu

2011-01-01

Commercially mass-produced multi-walled carbon nanotubes, i.e., VGNF (Showa Denko Co.), were applied to support materials for platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) nanoparticles as anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells. The original VGNFs are composed of high-crystalline graphitic shells, which hinder the favorable surface deposition of the PtRu nanoparticles that are formed via borohydride reduction. The chemical treatment of VGNFs with potassium hydroxide (KOH), however, enables highly dispersed and dense deposition of PtRu nanoparticles on the VGNF surface. This capability becomes more remarkable depending on the KOH amount. The electrochemical evaluation of the PtRu-deposited VGNF catalysts showed enhanced active surface areas and methanol oxidation, due to the high dispersion and dense deposition of the PtRu nanoparticles. The improvement of the surface deposition states of the PtRu nanoparticles was significantly due to the high surface area and mesorporous surface structure of the KOH-activated VGNFs.

Nanodiamond infiltration into porous silicon through etching of solid carbon produced at different graphitization temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, C. R. B., E-mail: claudia_rbm@yahoo.com.br [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais-INPE, Centro de Ciencias do Sistema Terrestre-CCST, Centro de Ciencias do Sistema Terrestre-CCST (Brazil); Baldan, M. R.; Beloto, A. F.; Ferreira, N. G. [CTE/INPE, Centro de Tecnologias Espaciais (Brazil)

2011-09-15

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) was grown on the porous silicon (PS) substrate using Reticulated Vitreous Carbon (RVC) as an additional solid carbon source. RVC was produced at different heat treatment temperatures of 1300, 1500, and 2000 Degree-Sign C, resulting in samples with different turbostratic carbon organizations. The PS substrate was produced by an electrochemical method. NCD film was obtained by the chemical vapor infiltration/deposition process where a RVC piece was positioned just below the PS substrate. The PS and NCD samples were characterized by Field Emission Gun-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG-SEM). NCD films presented faceted nanograins with uniform surface texture covering all the pores resulting in an apparent micro honeycomb structure. Raman's spectra showed the D and G bands, as well as, the typical two shoulders at 1,150 and 1,490 cm{sup -1} attributed to NCD. X-ray diffraction analyses showed the predominant (111) diamond orientation as well as the (220) and (311) peaks. The structural organization and the heteroatom presence on the RVC surface, analyzed from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, showed their significant influence on the NCD growth process. The hydrogen etching released, from RVC surface, associated to carbon and/or oxygen/nitrogen amounts led to different contributions for NCD growth.

Efficacy of ethanol-based hand foams using clinically relevant amounts: a cross-over controlled study among healthy volunteers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marschall Sigunde

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Foams containing 62% ethanol are used for hand decontamination in many countries. A long drying time may reduce the compliance of healthcare workers in applying the recommended amount of foam. Therefore, we have investigated the correlation between the applied amount and drying time, and the bactericidal efficacy of ethanol foams. Methods In a first part of tests, four foams (Alcare plus, Avagard Foam, Bode test foam, Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer containing 62% ethanol, which is commonly used in U.S. hospitals, were applied to 14 volunteers in a total of seven variations, to measure drying times. In a second part of tests, the efficacy of the established amount of foam for a 30 s application time of two foams (Alcare plus, Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer and water was compared to the EN 1500 standard of 2 × 3 mL applications of 2-propanol 60% (v/v, on hands artificially contaminated with Escherichia coli. Each application used a cross-over design against the reference alcohol with 15 volunteers. Results The mean weight of the applied foam varied between 1.78 and 3.09 g, and the mean duration to dryness was between 37 s and 103 s. The correlation between the amount of foam applied and time until hands felt dry was highly significant (p 10-reduction: 3.05 ± 0.45 and Alcare plus (3.58 ± 0.71 was significantly less effective than the reference disinfection (4.83 ± 0.89 and 4.60 ± 0.59, respectively; p 10-reduction of 2.39 ± 0.57. Conclusions When using 62% ethanol foams, the time required for dryness often exceeds the recommended 30 s. Therefore, only a small volume is likely to be applied in clinical practice. Small amounts, however, failed to meet the efficacy requirements of EN 1500 and were only somewhat more effective than water.

Fire activity and severity in the western US vary along proxy gradients representing fuel amount and fuel moisture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean A Parks

Full Text Available Numerous theoretical and empirical studies have shown that wildfire activity (e.g., area burned at regional to global scales may be limited at the extremes of environmental gradients such as productivity or moisture. Fire activity, however, represents only one component of the fire regime, and no studies to date have characterized fire severity along such gradients. Given the importance of fire severity in dictating ecological response to fire, this is a considerable knowledge gap. For the western US, we quantify relationships between climate and the fire regime by empirically describing both fire activity and severity along two climatic water balance gradients, actual evapotranspiration (AET and water deficit (WD, that can be considered proxies for fuel amount and fuel moisture, respectively. We also concurrently summarize fire activity and severity among ecoregions, providing an empirically based description of the geographic distribution of fire regimes. Our results show that fire activity in the western US increases with fuel amount (represented by AET but has a unimodal (i.e., humped relationship with fuel moisture (represented by WD; fire severity increases with fuel amount and fuel moisture. The explicit links between fire regime components and physical environmental gradients suggest that multivariable statistical models can be generated to produce an empirically based fire regime map for the western US. Such models will potentially enable researchers to anticipate climate-mediated changes in fire recurrence and its impacts based on gridded spatial data representing future climate scenarios.

Seasonal variations of microbial community in a full scale oil field produced water treatment plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Xie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the microbial community in a full scale anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor system for oil-produced water treatment in summer and winter. The community structures of fungi and bacteria were analyzed through polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and Illumina high-throughput sequencing, respectively. Chemical oxygen demand effluent concentration achieved lower than 50 mg/L level after the system in both summer and winter, however, chemical oxygen demand removal rates after anaerobic baffled reactor treatment system were significant higher in summer than that in winter, which conformed to the microbial community diversity. Saccharomycotina, Fusarium, and Aspergillus were detected in both anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor during summer and winter. The fungal communities in anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor were shaped by seasons and treatment units, while there was no correlation between abundance of fungi and chemical oxygen demand removal rates. Compared to summer, the total amount of the dominant hydrocarbon degrading bacteria decreased by 10.2% in anaerobic baffled reactor, resulting in only around 23% of chemical oxygen demand was removed in winter. Although microbial community significantly varied in the three parallel sulfide reducing bacteria, the performance of these bioreactors had no significant difference between summer and winter.

Seasonal variations of microbial community in a full scale oil field produced water treatment plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Q.; Bai, S.; Li, Y.; Liu, L.; Wang, S.; Xi, J.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the microbial community in a full scale anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor system for oil-produced water treatment in summer and winter. The community structures of fungi and bacteria were analyzed through polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and Illumina high throughput sequencing, respectively. Chemical oxygen demand effluent concentration achieved lower than 50 mg/L level after the system in both summer and winter, however, chemical oxygen demand removal rates after anaerobic baffled reactor treatment system were significant higher in summer than that in winter, which conformed to the microbial community diversity. Saccharomycotina, Fusarium, and Aspergillus were detected in both anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor during summer and winter. The fungal communities in anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor were shaped by seasons and treatment units, while there was no correlation between abundance of fungi and chemical oxygen demand removal rates. Compared to summer, the total amount of the dominant hydrocarbon degrading bacteria decreased by 10.2% in anaerobic baffled reactor, resulting in only around 23% of chemical oxygen demand was removed in winter. Although microbial community significantly varied in the three parallel sulfide reducing bacteria, the performance of these bioreactors had no significant difference between summer and winter.

Power mixture and green body for producing silicon nitride base articles of high fracture toughness and strength

Science.gov (United States)

Huckabee, M.L.; Buljan, S.T.; Neil, J.T.

1991-09-17

A powder mixture and a green body for producing a silicon nitride-based article of improved fracture toughness and strength are disclosed. The powder mixture includes (a) a bimodal silicon nitride powder blend consisting essentially of about 10-30% by weight of a first silicon nitride powder of an average particle size of about 0.2 [mu]m and a surface area of about 8-12m[sup 2]g, and about 70-90% by weight of a second silicon nitride powder of an average particle size of about 0.4-0.6 [mu]m and a surface area of about 2-4 m[sup 2]/g, (b) about 10-50 percent by volume, based on the volume of the densified article, of refractory whiskers or fibers having an aspect ratio of about 3-150 and having an equivalent diameter selected to produce in the densified article an equivalent diameter ratio of the whiskers or fibers to grains of silicon nitride of greater than 1.0, and (c) an effective amount of a suitable oxide densification aid. The green body is formed from the powder mixture, an effective amount of a suitable oxide densification aid, and an effective amount of a suitable organic binder. No Drawings

The glycolipid sulfatide protects insulin-producing cells against cytokine-induced apoptosis, a possible role in diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roeske-Nielsen, A; Dalgaard, L T; Månsson, Sven-Erik

2010-01-01

these is NO production. The glycosphingolipid sulfatide is present in ß-cells in the secretory granules in varying amounts and is secreted together with insulin. We now investigate whether sulfatide is able to protect insulin-producing cells against the pro-apoptotic effect of interleukin-1ß, interferon-¿ and tumour...

Outer retinal tubulation as a predictor of the enlargement amount of geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hariri, Amirhossein; Nittala, Muneeswar G; Sadda, SriniVas R

2015-02-01

To determine the prognostic value of outer retinal tubulation (ORT) in the enlargement amount of geographic atrophy (GA) in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Cohort study. One hundred eight fellow untreated eyes of 143 patients with GA resulting from AMD enrolled in the MAHALO study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01229215) who completely satisfied the study term and had gradable spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) images obtained at both baseline and month 18 visits. The MAHALO study enrolled 143 subjects into a phase 1b/2 multicenter, randomized, single-masked, sham-injection controlled clinical trial of the safety, tolerability, and evidence of activity of lampalizumab in patients with GA associated with AMD. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were obtained at multiple time points in both eyes, although only the baseline and month 18 data of the fellow (nonstudy) eyes were considered in this exploratory analysis. The Cirrus HD-OCT review software was used for automatic segmentation and measurement of GA areas, with manual correction of segmentation errors by certified OCT graders. Baseline OCT images also were assessed for the presence of ORT. The enlargement amount of GA in eyes with ORT was compared with that of eyes without ORT. Comparison of the enlargement amount of GA in eyes with and without ORT. Twenty-four of these 108 eyes demonstrated evidence of ORT. The amount of enlargement of GA in eyes with ORT was significantly slower than that of eyes without ORT (1.85±0.78 vs. 2.67±1.61; P = 0.001). This difference remained significant when considering subgroups with unifocal or multifocal GA lesions, because eyes with ORT in both subgroups had a slower enlargement amount of GA than eyes without ORT (2.91±1.70 vs. 2.08±0.88 [P = 0.01], in eyes with multifocal GA lesions; and 2.24±1.40 vs. 1.63±0.57 [P = 0.02], in eyes with unifocal GA lesions). In eyes with ORT, GA lesions seem to enlarge at a

Limits to preference and the sensitivity of choice to rate and amount of food.

Science.gov (United States)

Aparicio, Carlos F; Baum, William M; Hughes, Christine E; Pitts, Raymond C

2016-03-01

Studies of choice holding food-amount ratio constant while varying food-rate ratio within sessions showed that local changes in preference depend on relative amount of food. The present study investigated whether sensitivity of choice to food-rate ratio and sensitivity to food-amount ratio are independent of one another when food-rate ratios are varied across sessions and food-amount ratios are varied within sessions. Food deliveries for rats' presses on the left and right levers were scheduled according to three different food-rate ratios of 1:1, 9:1, and 1:9; each food-rate ratio lasted for 106 sessions and was arranged independently of seven food-amount ratios (7:1, 6:2, 5:3, 4:4, 3:5, 2:6, and 1:7 food pellets) occurring within sessions in random sequence. Each amount ratio lasted for 10 food deliveries and was separated from another by a 60-s blackout. Sensitivity to rate ratio was high (1.0) across food deliveries. Sensitivity to amount ratio was low when food rates were equal across alternatives, but was high when rate ratio and amount ratio opposed one another. When rate ratio and amount ratio went in the same direction, choice ratio reached an elevenfold limit which reduced sensitivity to approximately zero. We conclude that three factors affect sensitivity to amount: (1) the limit to preference, (2) the equal effect on preference of amounts greater than four pellets, and (3) the absence of differential effects of switches in amount in the equal-rates (1:1) condition. Taken together, these findings indicate that rate and amount only sometimes combine independently as additive variables to determine preference when amount ratios vary frequently within sessions. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Polymer fluidity influenced by type and amount of filler

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanek Michal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available stage of the injection molding process. This paper shows the influence of cavity surface roughness and technological parameters on the flow length of polymers into mold cavity. Application of the measurement results may have significant influence on the production of shaping parts of the injection molds especially in changing the so far used processes and substituting them by less costly production processes which might increase the competitiveness of the tool producers and shorten the time between product plan and its implementation. This research focused into the influence of technological parameters on filling of the injection mold cavity and the flow length respectively.

Increasing the amount of usual rehabilitation improves activity after stroke: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma J Schneider

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Questions: In people receiving rehabilitation aimed at reducing activity limitations of the lower and/or upper limb after stroke, does adding extra rehabilitation (of the same content as the usual rehabilitation improve activity? What is the amount of extra rehabilitation that needs to be provided to achieve a beneficial effect? Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised trials. Participants: Adults aged 18 years or older that had a diagnosis of stroke. Intervention: Extra rehabilitation with the same content as usual rehabilitation aimed at reducing activity limitations of the lower and/or upper limb. Outcome measures: Activity measured as lower or upper limb ability. Results: A total of 14 studies, comprising 15 comparisons, met the inclusion criteria. Pooling data from all the included studies showed that extra rehabilitation improved activity immediately after the intervention period (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.71, I2 = 66%. When only studies with a large increase in rehabilitation (> 100% were included, the effect was greater (SMD 0.59, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.94, I2 = 44%. There was a trend towards a positive relationship (r = 0.53, p = 0.09 between extra rehabilitation and improved activity. The turning point on the ROC curve of false versus true benefit (AUC = 0.88, p = 0.04 indicated that at least an extra 240% of rehabilitation was needed for significant likelihood that extra rehabilitation would improve activity. Conclusion: Increasing the amount of usual rehabilitation aimed at reducing activity limitations improves activity in people after stroke. The amount of extra rehabilitation that needs to be provided to achieve a beneficial effect is large. Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42012003221. [Schneider EJ, Lannin NA, Ada L, Schmidt J (2016 Increasing the amount of usual rehabilitation improves activity after stroke: a systematic review. Journal of Physiotherapy 62: 182–187

Characterization of biomass producer gas as fuel for stationary gas engines in combined heat and power production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper

2008-01-01

The aim of this project has been the characterization of biomass producer gas as a fuel for stationary gas engines in heat and power production. More than 3200 hours of gas engine operation, with producer gas as fuel, has been conducted at the biomass gasification combined heat and power (CHP...... different measuring methods. Likewise, no particles were detected in the gas. Considerable amounts of NH3 were measured in the produced gas.An analysis of engine operation at varying load has been carried out. Standard emissions, load and efficiency have been measured at varying operating conditions ranging...... from 50% to 90% load. Biomass producer gas is an excellent lean burn engine fuel: Operation of a natural aspirated engine has been achieved for 1.2...

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) Profile of Modified Sba-15 at Different Amount of Alkoxy silane Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norhasyimi Rahmat; Nur Fathilah Mohd Yusof; Ezani Hafiza

2014-01-01

This study focused on meso porous silica SBA-15 modified with alkoxy silane functional group; phenyltriethoxysilane (PTES) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) using direct synthesis and post-grafting methods. By direct synthesis method, SBA-15 template by triblock copolymer (P123) and functionalized with alkoxy silane groups at different amount of loadings were co-condensed with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) under acidic conditions. As for post-grafting method, different loadings of alkoxy silane groups were added after co-condensation of TEOS with P123 template. Both synthesis methods used calcination process to remove surfactant template at 550 degree Celsius for 5 hours. The derivatized SBA-15 was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis to evaluate the profile at different loadings of alkoxy silane groups with different synthesis method. At temperature range of 300-800 degree Celsius, post-grafting method displayed the highest weight loss of phenyl and vinyl groups. However, there was no significant difference of weight loss for different amount of organo silane groups. In this study, TGA has shown to be significant characterization means to determine the effects of different method used in synthesizing modified SBA-15. It was shown that different loading of phenyl and vinyl groups did not affect the efficiency of surfactant removal. (author)

Interaction between the effects of evaporation rate and amount of simulated rainfall on development of the free-living stages of Haemonchus contortus.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Lauren J; Kahn, Lewis P; Walkden-Brown, Stephen W

2008-08-17

A factorial experiment (3 x 4 x 2 x 3) was conducted in programmable incubators to investigate interaction between the effects of rainfall amount, rainfall distribution and evaporation rate on development of Haemonchus contortus to L3. Sheep faeces containing H. contortus eggs were incubated on sterilised soil under variable temperatures typical of summer in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Australia. Simulated rainfall was applied in 1 of 3 amounts (12, 24 or 32 mm) and 4 distributions (a single event on the day after deposition, or the same total amount split in 2, 3 or 4 equal events over 2, 3 or 4 days, respectively). Samples were incubated at either a Low or High rate of evaporation (Low: 2.1-3.4 mm/day and High: 3.8-6.1 mm/day), and faeces and soil were destructively sampled at 4, 7 and 14 days post-deposition. Recovery of L3 from the soil (extra-pellet L3) increased over time (up to 0.52% at day 14) and with each increment of rainfall (12 mm: evaporation rate (0.01%) compared with the Low evaporation rate (0.31%). All rainfall amounts yielded significantly different recoveries of L3 under Low evaporation rates but there was no difference between the 12 and 24 mm treatments under the High evaporation rate. The distribution of simulated rainfall did not significantly affect recovery of infective larvae. Faecal moisture content was positively associated with L3 recovery, as was the ratio of cumulative precipitation and cumulative evaporation (P/E), particularly when measured in the first 4 days post-deposition. The results show that evaporation rate plays a significant role in regulating the influence of rainfall amount on the success of L3 transmission.

Radionuclides in produced water from Norwegian oil and gas installations — Concentrations and bioavailability

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, D. Ø.; Sidhu, R.; Strålberg, E.; Iden, K. I.; Hylland, K.; Ruus, A.; Røyset, O.; Berntssen, M. H. G.; Rye, H.

2006-01-01

Substantial amounts of produced water, containing elevated levels of radionuclides (mainly 226Ra and 228Ra) are discharged to the sea as a result of oil and gas production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. So far no study has assessed the potential radiological effects on marine biota in connection with radionuclide discharges to the North Sea. The main objective of the project is to establish radiological safe discharge limits for radium, lead and polonium associated with other components in produced water from oil and gas installations on the Norwegian continental shelf. This study reports results indicating that the presence of added chemicals such as scale inhibitors in produced water has a marked influence on the formation of radium and barium sulphates when produced water is mixed with sea water. Thus, the mobility and bioavailability of radium (and barium) will be larger than anticipated. Also, the bioavailability of food-borne radium is shown to increase due to presence of such chemicals.

Agrochemical characterization of vermicomposts produced from residues of Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) essential oil extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carrión-Paladines, Vinicio; Fries, Andreas; Gomez Muñoz, Beatriz

2016-01-01

Fruits of Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) are used for essential oil extraction. The extraction process is very efficient, because up to 3% of the fresh fruits can be transformed into essential oil; however, a considerable amount of waste is concurrently produced (>97% of the fresh biomass). Rece...

Multiscale Aspects of the Storm Producing the June 2013 Flooding in Uttarakhand, India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houze, R. A. [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; McMurdie, L. A. [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Rasmussen, K. L. [Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; Kumar, A. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland; Chaplin, M. M. [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

2017-11-01

Conditions producing disastrous flooding in Uttarakhand, India, in June 2013 differed from conditions that produced other notorious floods in the Himalayan region in recent years. During the week preceding the Uttarakhand flood, deep convection moistened the mountainsides, making them vulnerable to flooding. However, the precipitation producing the flood was not associated with a deep convective event. Rather, an eastward-propagating upper-level trough in the westerlies extended abnormally far southward, with the jet reaching the Himalayas. The south end of the trough merged with a monsoon low moving westward across India. The merged system produced persistent moist low-level flow oriented normal to the Himalayas that advected large amounts of water vapor into the Uttarakhand region. The flow was moist neutral when it passed over the Himalayan barrier, and orographic lifting produced heavy continuous rain over the region for 2–3 days. The precipitation was largely stratiform in nature although embedded convection of moderate depth occurred along the foothills, where some mild instability was being released. The Uttarakhand flood had characteristics in common with major 2013 floods in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Alberta, Canada.

Tetrodotoxin-Producing Bacteria: Detection, Distribution and Migration of the Toxin in Aquatic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timur Yu. Magarlamov

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This review is devoted to the marine bacterial producers of tetrodotoxin (TTX, a potent non-protein neuroparalytic toxin. In addition to the issues of the ecology and distribution of TTX-producing bacteria, this review examines issues relating to toxin migration from bacteria to TTX-bearing animals. It is shown that the mechanism of TTX extraction from toxin-producing bacteria to the environment occur through cell death, passive/active toxin excretion, or spore germination of spore-forming bacteria. Data on TTX microdistribution in toxic organs of TTX-bearing animals indicate toxin migration from the digestive system to target organs through the transport system of the organism. The role of symbiotic microflora in animal toxicity is also discussed: despite low toxin production by bacterial strains in laboratory conditions, even minimal amounts of TTX produced by intestinal microflora of an animal can contribute to its toxicity. Special attention is paid to methods of TTX detection applicable to bacteria. Due to the complexity of toxin detection in TTX-producing bacteria, it is necessary to use several methods based on different methodological approaches. Issues crucial for further progress in detecting natural sources of TTX investigation are also considered.

Shadow Education in Malaysia: Identifying the Determinants of Spending and Amount of Time Attending Private Supplementary Tutoring of Upper Secondary School Students

OpenAIRE

Chang Da Wan; Benedict Weerasena

2017-01-01

This paper examines the determinants of spending and the amount of time attending private supplementary tutoring, or commonly known as private tuition, in Malaysia. Based on 343 self-reported questionnaires with upper secondary students across three states in Malaysia and using multiple regression analysis, we identified ethnicity, father’s level of education and past academic performance as significant determinants of spending and amount of time attending private tuition. However, interestin...

Fuel characteristics and trace gases produced through biomass burning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BAMBANG HERO SAHARJO

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Saharjo BH, Sudo S, Yonemura S, Tsuruta H (2010 Fuel characteristics and trace gases produced through biomass burning. Biodiversitas 11: 40-45. Indonesian 1997/1998 forest fires resulted in forest destruction totally 10 million ha with cost damaged about US$ 10 billion, where more than 1 Gt CO2 has been released during the fire episode and elevating Indonesia to one of the largest polluters of carbon in the world where 22% of world’s carbon dioxide produced. It has been found that 80-90% of the fire comes from estate crops and industrial forest plantation area belongs to the companies which using fire illegally for the land preparation. Because using fire is cheap, easy and quick and also support the companies purpose in achieving yearly planted area target. Forest management and land use practices in Sumatra and Kalimantan have evolved very rapidly over the past three decades. Poor logging practices resulted in large amounts of waste will left in the forest, greatly elevating fire hazard. Failure by the government and concessionaires to protect logged forests and close old logging roads led to and invasion of the forest by agricultural settlers whose land clearances practices increased the risk of fire. Several field experiments had been done in order to know the quality and the quantity of trace produced during biomass burning in peat grass, peat soil and alang-alang grassland located in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Result of research show that different characteristics of fuel burned will have the different level also in trace gasses produced. Peat grass with higher fuel load burned produce more trace gasses compared to alang-alang grassland and peat soil.

Lithium recovery from shale gas produced water using solvent extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Eunyoung; Jang, Yunjai; Chung, Eunhyea

2017-01-01

Shale gas produced water is hypersaline wastewater generated after hydraulic fracturing. Since the produced water is a mixture of shale formation water and fracturing fluid, it contains various organic and inorganic components, including lithium, a useful resource for such industries as automobile and electronics. The produced water in the Marcellus shale area contains about 95 mg/L lithium on average. This study suggests a two-stage solvent extraction technique for lithium recovery from shale gas produced water, and determines the extraction mechanism of ions in each stage. All experiments were conducted using synthetic shale gas produced water. In the first-stage, which was designed for the removal of divalent cations, more than 94.4% of Ca"2"+, Mg"2"+, Sr"2"+, and Ba"2"+ ions were removed by using 1.0 M di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as an extractant. In the second-stage, for lithium recovery, we could obtain a lithium extraction efficiency of 41.2% by using 1.5 M D2EHPA and 0.3 M tributyl phosphate (TBP). Lithium loss in the first-stage was 25.1%, and therefore, the total amount of lithium recovered at the end of the two-step extraction procedure was 30.8%. Through this study, lithium, one of the useful mineral resources, could be selectively recovered from the shale gas produced water and it would also reduce the wastewater treatment cost during the development of shale gas. - Highlights: • Lithium was extracted from shale gas produced water using an organic solvent. • Two-stage solvent extraction technique was applied. • Divalent cations were removed in the first stage by D2EHPA. • Lithium was selectively recovered in the second stage by using TBP with D2EHPA.

24 CFR 203.260 - Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Mortgage Insurance Premiums-Periodic Payment § 203.260 Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Amount of mortgage insurance premium (periodic MIP). 203.260 Section 203.260 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to...

Measuring method for amount of fissionable gas in spent fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashibe, Shinji.

1992-01-01

The method of the present invention separately measures the amount of both of a fission product (FP) gas accumulated in bubbles at the crystal grain boundary of spent fuel pellets and an FP gas accumulated in the crystal grains. That is, in a radial position of the spent fuel pellet, a microfine region is mechanically destroyed. The amount of the FP gas released by the destruction from the crystal grains is measured by using a mass analyzer. Then, when the destroyed pieces formed by the destruction are recovered and dissolved, FP gas accumulated in the crystal grains of the pellet is released. The amount released is measured by the mass analyzer. With such procedures, the amount of FP gas accumulated in the bubbles at the crystal grain boundary and in the crystal grains at the radial position of the spent fuel pellet can be measured discriminately. Accordingly, the integrity of the fuel pellet can be recognized appropriately. (I.S.)

Polonium 210 content in foodstuffs produced in Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keslev, D.; Novakova, E.; Boyadzhiev, A.; Kerteva, A.

1975-01-01

A study of the content of polonium-210 in a variety of foodstuffs produced in Bulgaria in 1970 revealed peak radionuclide concentration in wheat - 6.7 pCi/kg, followed by prunes - 2.2 pCi/kg, cabbage - 1.86 pCi/kg, peppers - 1.64 pCi/kg. The content of polonium-210 in onions, meat and potatoes was low (0.5, 0.8 and 0.9 pCi/kg accordingly). All other food products studied - milk, bread, beans, eggs, tomatoes, apples, pears, grapes and drinking water - appeared to have approximately equal polonium-210 concentration - from 1.21 to 1.35 pCi/kg. The daily intake of polonium-210 with food and water amounted accordingly to 1.61, 1.79 and 2.08 pCi/kg in preschool children, in school children and in senile individuals. The major part (68 - 82 per cent) of incorporated polonium-210 was eliminated with the stools. In all age groups the amount of polonium-210 removed daily from the body with the excreta corresponded to the intake, i.e. the balance of polonium-210 was in a state of equilibrium. The age factor in all three groups exerted no effect on the radionuclide intake and elimination from the body. (Ch.K.)

A cost-benefit analysis of produced water management opportunities in selected unconventional oil and gas plays

Science.gov (United States)

Marsters, P.; Macknick, J.; Bazilian, M.; Newmark, R. L.

2013-12-01

Unconventional oil and gas production in North America has grown enormously over the past decade. The combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has made production from shale and other unconventional resources economically attractive for oil and gas operators, but has also resulted in concerns over potential water use and pollution issues. Hydraulic fracturing operations must manage large volumes of water on both the front end as well as the back end of operations, as significant amounts of water are coproduced with hydrocarbons. This water--often called flowback or produced water--can contain chemicals from the hydraulic fracturing fluid, salts dissolved from the source rock, various minerals, volatile organic chemicals, and radioactive constituents, all of which pose potential management, safety, and public health issues. While the long-term effects of hydraulic fracturing on aquifers, drinking water supplies, and surface water resources are still being assessed, the immediate impacts of produced water on local infrastructure and water supplies are readily evident. Produced water management options are often limited to underground injection, disposal at centralized treatment facilities, or recycling for future hydraulic fracturing operations. The costs of treatment, transport, and recycling are heavily dependent on local regulations, existing infrastructure, and technologies utilized. Produced water treatment costs also change over time during energy production as the quality of the produced water often changes. To date there is no publicly available model that evaluates the cost tradeoffs associated with different produced water management techniques in different regions. This study addresses that gap by characterizing the volume, qualities, and temporal dynamics of produced water in several unconventional oil and gas plays; evaluating potential produced water management options, including reuse and recycling; and assessing how hydraulic

42 CFR 402.105 - Amount of penalty.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... insurance benefit plans (§ 402.1(c)(21)). (b) $1,000. CMS or OIG may impose a penalty of not more than $1... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amount of penalty. 402.105 Section 402.105 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL...

Irradiation of spices produced in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kairiyama, E.; Narvaiz, P.; Lescano, G.; Kaupert, N.L.

1988-01-01

Some spices produced in Argentina ground red pepper, anise, fennel, laurel, paprika, Cayenne pepper, cumin (seed), and mayoram (leaves and flowers), were irradiated to inactivate microbial lead, without causing significant chemical or sensory alterations. They were packed in polyethylene bags of 100 m thickness, and irradiated at the 60 Co semi-industrial facility of the Ezeiza Atomic Center, with doses of 7 and 10 kGy, and dose rate of 93.87 Gy/min. Dosimetric data were evaluated with potassium nitrate. Control and irradiated samples were stored at room temperature. Chemical analysis were performed to verify the Argentine Alimentary Codex specifications: water content; essence; total ash; ash insoluble in acid; alcoholic, volatile ether and non-volatile ether extracts; starch; and crude fiber. Besides, colour and volatile substances were analyzed. No differences were found between control and irradiated samples, with the exception of an increase in the total amount of volatiles released by irradiated spices, and a slight colour loss in mayoram. Microbiological determinations consisted of aerobic plate count, yeasts and moulds, coliform bacteria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, mesophilic and thermophilic sporeformers, enterococci and Clostridium perfringens. Microbial load in control samples oscillated between 10 3 and 10 6 microorganisms per gram, and was inhibited with 10 kGy to undetectable level. With 7 kGy, survivors were still detected in: cumin, anise, laurel, red pepper, fennel and paprika. So, the purpose of this work was accomplished with the dose of 10 kGy. Great improvement on the quality of those products which being stored at room temperature are consumed in the raw state, would be attained. (Author) [es

Decomposition analysis of CO2 emission intensity between oil-producing and non-oil-producing sub-Saharan African countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebohon, Obas John; Ikeme, Anthony Jekwu

2006-01-01

The need to decompose CO 2 emission intensity is predicated upon the need for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. Such analysis enables key variables that instigate CO 2 emission intensity to be identified while at the same time providing opportunities to verify the mitigation and adaptation capacities of countries. However, most CO 2 decomposition analysis has been conducted for the developed economies and little attention has been paid to sub-Saharan Africa. The need for such an analysis for SSA is overwhelming for several reasons. Firstly, the region is amongst the most vulnerable to climate change. Secondly, there are disparities in the amount and composition of energy consumption and the levels of economic growth and development in the region. Thus, a decomposition analysis of CO 2 emission intensity for SSA affords the opportunity to identify key influencing variables and to see how they compare among countries in the region. Also, attempts have been made to distinguish between oil and non-oil-producing SSA countries. To this effect a comparative static analysis of CO 2 emission intensity for oil-producing and non oil-producing SSA countries for the periods 1971-1998 has been undertaken, using the refined Laspeyres decomposition model. Our analysis confirms the findings for other regions that CO 2 emission intensity is attributable to energy consumption intensity, CO 2 emission coefficient of energy types and economic structure. Particularly, CO 2 emission coefficient of energy use was found to exercise the most influence on CO 2 emission intensity for both oil and non-oil-producing sub-Saharan African countries in the first sub-interval period of our investigation from 1971-1981. In the second subinterval of 1981-1991, energy intensity and structural effect were the two major influencing factors on emission intensity for the two groups of countries. However, energy intensity effect had the most pronounced impact on CO 2 emission

Measurements of Nitrogen Dioxide Total Column Amounts using a Brewer Double Spectrophotometer in Direct Sun Mode

Science.gov (United States)

Cede, Alexander; Herman, Jay; Richter, Andreas; Krotkov, Nickolay; Burrows, John

2006-01-01

NO2 column amounts were measured for the past 2 years at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, using a Brewer spectrometer in direct Sun mode. A new bootstrap method to calibrate the instrument is introduced and described. This technique selects the cleanest days from the database to obtain the solar reference spectrum. The main advantage for direct Sun measurements is that the conversion uncertainty from slant column to vertical column is negligible compared to the standard scattered light observations where it is typically on the order of 100% (2sigma) at polluted sites. The total 2sigma errors of the direct Sun retrieved column amounts decrease with solar zenith angle and are estimated at 0.2 to 0.6 Dobson units (DU, 1 DU approx. equal to 2.7 10(exp 16) molecules cm(exp -2)), which is more accurate than scattered light measurements for high NO2 amounts. Measured NO2 column amounts, ranging from 0 to 3 DU with a mean of 0.7 DU, show a pronounced daily course and a strong variability from day to day. The NO2 concentration typically increases from sunrise to noon. In the afternoon it decreases in summer and stays constant in winter. As expected from the anthropogenic nature of its source, NO2 amounts on weekends are significantly reduced. The measurements were compared to satellite retrievals from Scanning Image Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY). Satellite data give the same average NO2 column and show a seasonal cycle that is similar to the ground data in the afternoon. We show that NO2 must be considered when retrieving aerosol absorption properties, especially for situations with low aerosol optical depth.

Bullying in Academe: Prevalent, Significant, and Incessant

Science.gov (United States)

Cassell, Macgorine A.

2011-01-01

This paper examines the top-down perspective of bullying and mobbing of professors by analyzing why it is prevalent, significant, and incessant and then proposes a framework to produce a caring, respectful, and safe environment for professors to engage in their teaching, scholarship, and service. The author suggests that the failure of…

SERS analysis of Ag nanostructures produced by ion-beam deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Atanasov, P. A.; Nedyalkov, N. N.; Nikov, Ru G.; Grüner, Ch; Rauschenbach, B.; Fukata, N.

2018-03-01

This study deals with the development of a novel technique for formation of advanced Ag nanostructures (NSs) to be applied to high-resolution analyses based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). It has direct bearing on human health and food quality, e.g., monitoring small amount or traces of pollutants or undesirable additives. Three types of nanostructured Ag samples were produced using ion-beam deposition at glancing angle (GLAD) on quartz. All fabricated structures were covered with BI-58 pesticide (dimethoate) or Rhodamine 6G (R6G) for testing their potential for use as substrates for (SERS).

[Environmental and health impacts of wood combustion to produce heat and power].

Science.gov (United States)

Valerio, Federico

2012-01-01

Toxic chemicals such as benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and ultra fine particles were found in the smoke produced by wood combustion. Emission factors confirm that, to produce the same energy amount, many more pollutants are emitted by wood than by natural gas. Biomass burning produces a relevant deterioration of air quality inside and outside houses, notably due to emissions of fine and ultra fine dust (PM10, PM2.5) according to reviewed studies. Important improvements in emission quality are obtained with the use of more efficient household heating systems, both in developed and in developing countries. Numerous studies have assessed the possible health effects produced by wood smoke, providing sufficient evidence that the indoor exposure to wood smoke, even in developed countries, can have adverse effects on human health. In 2010 IARC classified wood smoke as a possible human carcinogen. In Europe, electricity generation from biomass combustion is increasing (12% each year) thanks to incentives provided to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels.Today adequate studies to assess the environmental and health effects of emissions from power plants fuelled by solid biomasses are still needed.

6 CFR 13.31 - Determining the amount of penalties and assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Determining the amount of penalties and assessments. 13.31 Section 13.31 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.31 Determining the amount of penalties and assessments. (a) In...

42 CFR 405.740 - Principles for determining the amount in controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Principles for determining the amount in... Reconsiderations and Appeals Under Medicare Part A § 405.740 Principles for determining the amount in controversy... more appellants, the Secretary may assert that the aggregation principles contained in this subpart may...

Effect of γ-Aminobutyric Acid-producing Strain on Laying Performance, Egg Quality and Serum Enzyme Activity in Hy-Line Brown Hens under Heat Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Z. Zhu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Heat-stress remains a costly issue for animal production, especially for poultry as they lack sweat glands, and alleviating heat-stress is necessary for ensuring animal production in hot environment. A high γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA-producer Lactobacillus strain was used to investigate the effect of dietary GABA-producer on laying performance and egg quality in heat-stressed Hy-line brown hens. Hy-Line brown hens (n = 1,164 at 280 days of age were randomly divided into 4 groups based on the amount of freeze-dried GABA-producer added to the basal diet as follows: i 0 mg/kg, ii 25 mg/kg, iii 50 mg/kg, and iv 100 mg/kg. All hens were subjected to heat-stress treatment through maintaining the temperature and the relative humidity at 28.83±3.85°C and 37% to 53.9%, respectively. During the experiment, laying rate, egg weight and feed intake of hens were recorded daily. At the 30th and 60th day after the start of the experiment, biochemical parameters, enzyme activity and immune activity in serum were measured. Egg production, average egg weight, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and percentage of speckled egg, soft shell egg and misshaped egg were significantly improved (p<0.05 by the increasing supplementation of the dietary GABA-producer. Shape index, eggshell thickness, strength and weight were increased linearly with increasing GABA-producer supplementation. The level of calcium, phosphorus, glucose, total protein and albumin in serum of the hens fed GABA-producing strain supplemented diet was significantly higher (p<0.05 than that of the hens fed the basal diet, whereas cholesterol level was decreased. Compared with the basal diet, GABA-producer strain supplementation increased serum level of glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.009 and superoxide dismutase. In conclusion, GABA-producer played an important role in alleviating heat-stress, the isolated GABA-producer strain might be a potential natural and safe probiotic to use to

Don't Cry over Spilled Water: Identifying Risks and Solutions for Produced Water Spills

Science.gov (United States)

Shores, Amanda Rose

-water generation, no mitigation of spill volume would be obtained by utilizing larger producers. Regardless of which operator was responsible for the spill, the groundwater depth at a spill site significantly predicted when a spill would result in groundwater contamination. This result was also validated though modeling; shallow depths to groundwater as well as larger spill volumes and coarse soil textures contributed to higher concentrations of groundwater contamination. Previous research has shown that a large fraction of spills occur at well pads. Our results suggest that fracking-site selection should preclude areas where the groundwater is shallow and soil is coarsely textured. Additionally, precautions should be taken to reduce the volume of spilled produced water to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination. This research additionally sought to reduce contaminant migration in soils towards groundwater at produced-water spill sites. In a greenhouse study it was shown that foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), can tolerate high salt concentrations in produced water while taking up minute levels of BTEX. The presence of plants changed the concentration of BTEX and naphthalene in the soil, but the direction of the change depended upon the particular plant and varied across contaminants. Additionally, the roots of either species saw no decrease of biomass upon exposure to BTEX and salt but shoots biomass was significantly reduced for foxtail barley. These results suggest that these grasses would not be capable of addressing large concentrations of BTEX at spill sites; however, these plants would be useful near well pads that regularly experience smaller spills, thus being able to tolerate spills while continually removing small amounts of BTEX in the soil. In conclusion, this thesis sought to identify holistic tools for produced-water spill prevention, mitigation and remediation to lessen environmental and health concerns while creating

Physical protection of small amounts of nuclear material or contaminated parts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zipper, R.

2002-01-01

In July 2001 an incident was recognized where a worker occupied with decontamination of structures in a shut down reprocessing plant for spent fuel illegally removed a small amount of radioactive material from the facility site. The investigations exhibited that he brought this material to the apartment of his partner in life and she incorporated significantly α-activity in the form of plutonium. Immediately after the incident was discovered the supervisory authorities and the operating company of the facility took action to minimize the harms to third parties arising from the radioactive material released and to prevent a similar event to occur. As the overall inventory of radioactive material in the shut down facility at the time the theft occurred was below the limit where measures of physical protection are required by the German regulatory work discussions were raised on consequences to be drawn from this incident to close this obvious gap. The German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety (BMU) as the superior competent authority therefore ordered GRS to draft a set of fundamental requirements for future rules to make a repetition of the initiating incident unlikely. Further discussions of the authorities involved on supplementary rules and guidelines aiming to better protect small amounts of radioactive material from being illegally removed out of nuclear facilities and laboratories are based on these fundamentals defined by GRS but not yet finished. (orig.)

26 CFR 1.127-1 - Amounts received under a qualified educational assistance program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... employee under a qualified educational assistance program described in § 1.127-2, or (2) The value of... Income § 1.127-1 Amounts received under a qualified educational assistance program. (a) Exclusion from.... (c) Amounts received under a nonqualified program. Any amount received under an educational...

Factors Influencing Amount of Weekly Exercise Time in Colorectal Cancer Survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Yun-Jen; Lai, Yeur-Hur; Lin, Been-Ren; Liang, Jin-Tung; Shun, Shiow-Ching

Performing regular exercise of at least 150 minutes weekly has benefits for colorectal cancer survivors. However, barriers inhibit these survivors from performing regular exercise. The aim of this study was to explore exercise behaviors and significant factors influencing weekly exercise time of more than 150 minutes in colorectal cancer survivors. A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit participants in Taiwan. Guided by the ecological model of health behavior, exercise barriers were assessed including intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environment-related barriers. A multiple logistic regression was used to explore the factors associated with the amount of weekly exercise. Among 321 survivors, 57.0% of them had weekly exercise times of more than 150 minutes. The results identified multiple levels of significant factors related to weekly exercise times including intrapersonal factors (occupational status, functional status, pain, interest in exercise, and beliefs about the importance of exercise) and exercise barriers related to environmental factors (lack of time and bad weather). No interpersonal factors were found to be significant. Colorectal cancer survivors experienced low levels of physical and psychological distress. Multiple levels of significant factors related to exercise time including intrapersonal factors as well as exercise barriers related to environmental factors should be considered. Healthcare providers should discuss with their patients how to perform exercise programs; the discussion should address multiple levels of the ecological model such as any pain problems, functional status, employment status, and time limitations, as well as community environment.

Barium in produced water: Is it a toxicological hazard to the marine environment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neff, J.M.

1993-01-01

Produced water is a complex aqueous mixture of organic and inorganic chemicals that often is generated in large volumes as a by-product of production of oil and gas. Produced water from offshore oil production platforms sometimes is treated to remove particulate oil and then discharged to the ocean. Barium often is the most abundant inorganic chemical, other than the dominant sea salts, in produced water. Some concern has been expressed that the large amounts of barium discharged to the ocean in produced water may have adverse effects on marine biological communities. The ecological risks associated with discharge to the ocean in produced water may have adverse effects on marine biological communities. The ecological risks associated with discharge to the ocean of barium in produced water were evaluated. Concentrations of barium in produced water from different sources range from less than 1.0 to about 2,000 mg/L, and are inversely correlated with concentrations of sulfate. Concentrations of barium in the ocean usually are in the range of 10 to 20 μg/L; the ocean is undersaturated with respect to barite (BaSO 4 ). During mixing and dilution of a produced water plume in the ocean, barium reacts with the abundant sulfate in seawater and precipitates as barite. Barite is completely nontoxic to marine organisms. Because of the high concentration of sulfate in the ocean, ionic barium can not reach concentrations high enough to be toxic to marine organisms

Evaluation of the amount of excess cement around the margins of cement-retained dental implant restorations: the effect of the cement application method.

Science.gov (United States)

Chee, Winston W L; Duncan, Jesse; Afshar, Manijeh; Moshaverinia, Alireza

2013-04-01

Complete removal of excess cement from subgingival margins after cementation of implant-supported restorations has been shown to be unpredictable. Remaining cement has been shown to be associated with periimplant inflammation and bleeding. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the amount of excess cement after cementation with 4 different methods of cement application for cement-retained implant-supported restorations. Ten implant replicas/abutments (3i) were embedded in acrylic resin blocks. Forty complete veneer crowns (CVCs) were fabricated by waxing onto the corresponding plastic waxing sleeves. The wax patterns were cast and the crowns were cemented to the implant replicas with either an interim (Temp Bond) or a definitive luting agent (FujiCEM). Four methods of cement application were used for cementation: Group IM-Cement applied on the internal marginal area of the crown only; Group AH-Cement applied on the apical half of the axial walls of the crown; Group AA-Cement applied to all axial walls of the interior surface of the crown, excluding the occlusal surface; and Group PI-Crown filled with cement then seated on a putty index formed to the internal configuration of the restoration (cementation device) (n=10). Cement on the external surfaces was removed before seating the restoration. Cement layers were applied on each crown, after which the crown was seated under constant load (80 N) for 10 minutes. The excess cement from each specimen was collected and measured. One operator performed all the procedures. Results for the groups were compared, with 1 and 2-way ANOVA and the Tukey multiple range test (α=.05). No significant difference in the amount of excess/used cement was observed between the 2 different types of cements (P=.1). Group PI showed the least amount of excess cement in comparison to other test groups (P=.031). No significant difference was found in the amount of excess cement among groups MI, AH, and AA. Group AA showed the

Isolation and Characterization of Two Cellulose Morphology Mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC23769 Producing Cellulose with Lower Crystallinity

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Ying; Nagachar, Nivedita; Fang, Lin; Luan, Xin; Catchmark, Jeffrey M.; Tien, Ming; Kao, Teh-hui

2015-01-01

Gluconacetobacter hansenii, a Gram-negative bacterium, produces and secrets highly crystalline cellulose into growth medium, and has long been used as a model system for studying cellulose synthesis in higher plants. Cellulose synthesis involves the formation of β-1,4 glucan chains via the polymerization of glucose units by a multi-enzyme cellulose synthase complex (CSC). These glucan chains assemble into ordered structures including crystalline microfibrils. AcsA is the catalytic subunit of the cellulose synthase enzymes in the CSC, and AcsC is required for the secretion of cellulose. However, little is known about other proteins required for the assembly of crystalline cellulose. To address this question, we visually examined cellulose pellicles formed in growth media of 763 individual colonies of G. hansenii generated via Tn5 transposon insertion mutagenesis, and identified 85 that produced cellulose with altered morphologies. X-ray diffraction analysis of these 85 mutants identified two that produced cellulose with significantly lower crystallinity than wild type. The gene disrupted in one of these two mutants encoded a lysine decarboxylase and that in the other encoded an alanine racemase. Solid-state NMR analysis revealed that cellulose produced by these two mutants contained increased amounts of non-crystalline cellulose and monosaccharides associated with non-cellulosic polysaccharides as compared to the wild type. Monosaccharide analysis detected higher percentages of galactose and mannose in cellulose produced by both mutants. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that cellulose produced by the mutants was unevenly distributed, with some regions appearing to contain deposition of non-cellulosic polysaccharides; however, the width of the ribbon was comparable to that of normal cellulose. As both lysine decarboxylase and alanine racemase are required for the integrity of peptidoglycan, we propose a model for the role of peptidoglycan in the

Isolation and characterization of two cellulose morphology mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC23769 producing cellulose with lower crystallinity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Deng

Full Text Available Gluconacetobacter hansenii, a Gram-negative bacterium, produces and secrets highly crystalline cellulose into growth medium, and has long been used as a model system for studying cellulose synthesis in higher plants. Cellulose synthesis involves the formation of β-1,4 glucan chains via the polymerization of glucose units by a multi-enzyme cellulose synthase complex (CSC. These glucan chains assemble into ordered structures including crystalline microfibrils. AcsA is the catalytic subunit of the cellulose synthase enzymes in the CSC, and AcsC is required for the secretion of cellulose. However, little is known about other proteins required for the assembly of crystalline cellulose. To address this question, we visually examined cellulose pellicles formed in growth media of 763 individual colonies of G. hansenii generated via Tn5 transposon insertion mutagenesis, and identified 85 that produced cellulose with altered morphologies. X-ray diffraction analysis of these 85 mutants identified two that produced cellulose with significantly lower crystallinity than wild type. The gene disrupted in one of these two mutants encoded a lysine decarboxylase and that in the other encoded an alanine racemase. Solid-state NMR analysis revealed that cellulose produced by these two mutants contained increased amounts of non-crystalline cellulose and monosaccharides associated with non-cellulosic polysaccharides as compared to the wild type. Monosaccharide analysis detected higher percentages of galactose and mannose in cellulose produced by both mutants. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that cellulose produced by the mutants was unevenly distributed, with some regions appearing to contain deposition of non-cellulosic polysaccharides; however, the width of the ribbon was comparable to that of normal cellulose. As both lysine decarboxylase and alanine racemase are required for the integrity of peptidoglycan, we propose a model for the role of

Nuclear waste in a repository: amount as a factor in risk duration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zen, E.

1980-01-01

The relationship between the amount of nuclear waste in a nuclear repository and the safety of the repository is examined. It is shown that the amount of a given hazardous nuclide that is potentially leachable depends on the initial amount of waste in the repository and the time that has elapsed since the repository was put into operation. Nuclear repository safety can be enhanced if repositories are designed as modular units with leach-resistant watertight compartments

Microstructure Characterization and Corrosion Resistance Behavior of New Cobalt-Free Maraging Steel Produced Through ESR Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Seikh, Asiful H.; Halfa, Hossam; Baig, Muneer; Khan, Sohail M. A.

2017-04-01

In this study, two different grades (M23 and M29) of cobalt-free low nickel maraging steel have been produced through electroslag remelting (ESR) process. The corrosion resistance of these ESR steels was investigated in 1 M H2SO4 solution using linear potentiodynamic polarization (LPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The experiments were performed for different immersion time and solution temperature. To evaluate the corrosion resistance of the ESR steels, some significant characterization parameters from LPP and EIS curves were analyzed and compared with that of conventional C250 maraging steel. Irrespective of measurement techniques used, the results show that the corrosion resistance of the ESR steels was higher than the C250 steel. The microstructure of ESR steels was composed of uniform and well-distributed martensite accompanied with little amount of retained austenite in comparison with C250 steel.

Uniform background assumption produces misleading lung EIT images.

Science.gov (United States)

Grychtol, Bartłomiej; Adler, Andy

2013-06-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) estimates an image of conductivity change within a body from stimulation and measurement at body surface electrodes. There is significant interest in EIT for imaging the thorax, as a monitoring tool for lung ventilation. To be useful in this application, we require an understanding of if and when EIT images can produce inaccurate images. In this paper, we study the consequences of the homogeneous background assumption, frequently made in linear image reconstruction, which introduces a mismatch between the reference measurement and the linearization point. We show in simulation and experimental data that the resulting images may contain large and clinically significant errors. A 3D finite element model of thorax conductivity is used to simulate EIT measurements for different heart and lung conductivity, size and position, as well as different amounts of gravitational collapse and ventilation-associated conductivity change. Three common linear EIT reconstruction algorithms are studied. We find that the asymmetric position of the heart can cause EIT images of ventilation to show up to 60% undue bias towards the left lung and that the effect is particularly strong for a ventilation distribution typical of mechanically ventilated patients. The conductivity gradient associated with gravitational lung collapse causes conductivity changes in non-dependent lung to be overestimated by up to 100% with respect to the dependent lung. Eliminating the mismatch by using a realistic conductivity distribution in the forward model of the reconstruction algorithm strongly reduces these undesirable effects. We conclude that subject-specific anatomically accurate forward models should be used in lung EIT and extra care is required when analysing EIT images of subjects whose background conductivity distribution in the lungs is known to be heterogeneous or exhibiting large changes.

Uniform background assumption produces misleading lung EIT images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grychtol, Bartłomiej; Adler, Andy

2013-01-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) estimates an image of conductivity change within a body from stimulation and measurement at body surface electrodes. There is significant interest in EIT for imaging the thorax, as a monitoring tool for lung ventilation. To be useful in this application, we require an understanding of if and when EIT images can produce inaccurate images. In this paper, we study the consequences of the homogeneous background assumption, frequently made in linear image reconstruction, which introduces a mismatch between the reference measurement and the linearization point. We show in simulation and experimental data that the resulting images may contain large and clinically significant errors. A 3D finite element model of thorax conductivity is used to simulate EIT measurements for different heart and lung conductivity, size and position, as well as different amounts of gravitational collapse and ventilation-associated conductivity change. Three common linear EIT reconstruction algorithms are studied. We find that the asymmetric position of the heart can cause EIT images of ventilation to show up to 60% undue bias towards the left lung and that the effect is particularly strong for a ventilation distribution typical of mechanically ventilated patients. The conductivity gradient associated with gravitational lung collapse causes conductivity changes in non-dependent lung to be overestimated by up to 100% with respect to the dependent lung. Eliminating the mismatch by using a realistic conductivity distribution in the forward model of the reconstruction algorithm strongly reduces these undesirable effects. We conclude that subject-specific anatomically accurate forward models should be used in lung EIT and extra care is required when analysing EIT images of subjects whose background conductivity distribution in the lungs is known to be heterogeneous or exhibiting large changes. (paper)

34 CFR 75.232 - The cost analysis; basis for grant amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Secretary sets the amount of a new grant, the Secretary does a cost analysis of the project. The Secretary... objectives of the project with reasonable efficiency and economy under the budget in the application... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false The cost analysis; basis for grant amount. 75.232...

26 CFR 1.1441-3 - Determination of amounts to be withheld.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...: Example. (i) Facts. Corporation X, a publicly traded corporation with both U.S. and foreign shareholders... paragraph (f) of this section apply. (2) Payments in foreign currency. If the amount subject to withholding tax is paid in a currency other than the U.S. dollar, the amount of withholding under section 1441...

Apparatus and method of measuring fluctuations of excavated mud amount in a slurry line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, H.; Kubota, R.; Uchida, Y.; Kasuya, T.; Seki, N.

1976-01-01

An apparatus and method for measuring fluctuations in amount of soil in slurry or soil-containing fluid line is described. Each system of feeding the slurry typically to tunneling face and draining it therefrom in the slurry line is provided with gamma-ray densimeter and electromagnetic flow-meter to obtain respective amounts of soil only (dry-soil amounts) in the slurry flowing through each of said systems from respective outputs of these meters in each system, so that actually excavated amount through ground layer of a shielded excavator at the tunneling face can be measured by the difference between the respective dry-soil amounts. The excavator will be advanced depending on this measured amount

Purification and characterization of enterocin 62-6, a two-peptide bacteriocin produced by a vaginal strain of Enterococcus faecium: Potential significance in bacterial vaginosis

Science.gov (United States)

Dezwaan, Diane C.; Mequio, Michael J.; Littell, Julia S.; Allen, Jonathan P.; Rossbach, Silvia; Pybus, Vivien

2009-01-01

A bacteriocin produced by a vaginal isolate of Enterococcus faecium strain 62-6, designated enterocin 62-6, was characterized following purification and DNA sequence analysis and compared to previously described bacteriocins. Enterocin 62-6 was isolated from brain heart infusion (BHI) culture supernatants using ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by elution from a Sepharose cation exchange column using a continuous salt gradient (0.1–0.7 M NaCl). SDS-PAGE of an active column fraction resulted in an electrophoretically pure protein, which corresponded to the growth inhibition of the sensitive Lactobacillus indicator strain in the gel overlay assay. Purified enterocin 62-6 was shown to be heat- and pH-stable, and sensitive to the proteolytic enzymes α-chymotrypsin and pepsin. Results from mass spectrometry suggested that it comprised two peptides of 5206 and 5219±1 Da, which was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. The characteristics of enterocin 62-6 as a small, heat- and pH-stable, cationic, hydrophobic, two-peptide, plasmid-borne bacteriocin, with an inhibitory spectrum against a broad range of Gram-positive but not Gram-negative bacteria, were consistent with its classification as a class IIc bacteriocin. Furthermore, its wide spectrum of growth inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria of vaginal origin including lactobacilli, and stability under the acidic conditions of the vagina, are consistent with our hypothesis that it could have potential significance in disrupting the ecology of the vaginal tract and pave the way for the establishment of the abnormal microbiota associated with the vaginal syndrome bacterial vaginosis. This is the first class IIc bacteriocin produced by a strain of E. faecium of vaginal origin to be characterized. PMID:19578555

Specific inhibition of cytotoxic memory cells produced against uv-induced tumors in uv-irradiation mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorn, R.M.

1978-01-01

Cytotoxic responses of uv-irradiated mice against syngeneic uv-induced tumors were measured by using a 51 Cr-release assay to determine if uv treatment induced a specific reduction of cytotoxic activity. The in vivo and in vitro primary responses against syngeneic tumors and allogeneic cells were unaffected, as was the ''memory'' response (in vivo stimulation, in vitro restimulation) against alloantigens. In contrast, the memory response of uv-treated mice against syngeneic, uv-induced tumors was consistently and significantly depressed. The cytotoxicity generated by tumor cell stimulation in vivo or in vitro was tumor-specific and T cell-dependent. Since the primary response against syngeneic uv-induced tumors produces apparently normal amounts of tumor-specific cytotoxic activity, uv-treated mice may not reject transplanted syngeneic tumors because of too few T effector memory cells. These results imply that, at least in this system, tumor rejection depends mostly on the secondary responses against tumor antigens and that at least one carcinogen can, indirectly, specifically regulate immune responses

Homeopathic pathogenetic trials produce specific symptoms different from placebo.

Science.gov (United States)

Möllinger, Heribert; Schneider, Rainer; Walach, Harald

2009-04-01

Homeopathy uses information gathered from healthy volunteers taking homeopathic substances (pathogenetic trials) for clinical treatment. It is controversial whether such studies produce symptoms different from those produced by placebo. To test whether homeopathic preparations produce different symptoms than placebo in healthy volunteers. Three armed, double-blind, placebo controlled randomised experimental pathogenetic study in 25 healthy volunteers who took either one of two homeopathic remedies, Natrum muriaticum and Arsenicum album in 30CH or identical placebo. Main outcome parameter was the number of remedy-specific symptoms per group. On average, 6 symptoms typical for Arsenicum album were experienced by participants taking arsenicum album, 5 symptoms typical for Natrum muriaticum by those taking natrum muriaticum, and 11 non-specific symptoms by those in the placebo group. Differences were significant overall (Kruskall Wallis test, p = 0.0002,) and significantly different from placebo (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.001). Homeopathic remedies produce different symptoms than placebo. Copyright (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Fuel properties of biodiesel produced from the crude fish oil from the soapstock of marine fish

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Cherng-Yuan; Li, Rong-Ji [Department of Marine Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean, University, Keelung 20224 (China)

2009-01-15

The soapstock of a mixture of marine fish was used as the raw material to produce the biodiesel in this study. The soapstock was collected from discarded fish products. Crude fish oil was squeezed from the soapstock of the fish and refined by a series of processes. The refined fish oil was transesterified to produce biodiesel. The fuel properties of the biodiesel were analyzed. The experimental results showed that oleic acid (C18:1) and palmitic acid (C16:0) were the two major components of the marine fish-oil biodiesel. The biodiesel from the mixed marine fish oil contained a significantly greater amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids than did the biodiesel from waste cooking oil. In addition, the marine fish-oil biodiesel contained as high as 37.07 wt.% saturated fatty acids and 37.3 wt.% long chain fatty acids in the range between C20 and C22. Moreover, the marine fish-oil biodiesel appeared to have a larger acid number, a greater increase in the rate of peroxidization with the increase in the time that it was stored, greater kinematic viscosity, higher heating value, higher cetane index, more carbon residue, and a lower peroxide value, flash point, and distillation temperature than those of waste cooking-oil biodiesel. (author)

Partial characterization of an extracellular polysaccharide produced by the moderately halophilic bacterium Halomonas xianhensis SUR308.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Jhuma; Ganguly, J; Paul, A K

2015-01-01

A moderately halophilic bacterium, Halomonas xianhensis SUR308 (Genbank Accession No. KJ933394) was isolated from a multi-pond solar saltern at Surala, Ganjam district, Odisha, India. The isolate produced a significant amount (7.87 g l(-1)) of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) when grown in malt extract-yeast extract medium supplemented with 2.5% NaCl, 0.5% casein hydrolysate and 3% glucose. The EPS was isolated and purified following the conventional method of precipitation and dialysis. Chromatographic analysis (paper, GC and GC-MS) of the hydrolyzed EPS confirmed its heteropolymeric nature and showed that it is composed mainly of glucose (45.74 mol%), galactose (33.67 mol %) and mannose (17.83 mol%). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the presence of methylene and carboxyl groups as characteristic functional groups. In addition, its proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum revealed functional groups specific for extracellular polysaccharides. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the amorphous nature (CIxrd, 0.56) of the EPS. It was thermostable up to 250 °C and displayed pseudoplastic rheology and remarkable stability against pH and salts. These unique properties of the EPS produced by H. xianhensis indicate its potential to act as an agent for detoxification, emulsification and diverse biological activities.

Development of a Chlorine Dosing Strategy for Fresh Produce Washing Process to Maintain Microbial Food Safety and Minimize Residual Chlorine.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Hung, Yen-Con

2018-05-22

The residual free chlorine level in fresh produce wash solution is closely correlated to the chemical and microbial safety of produce. Excess amount of free chlorine can quickly react with organic matters to form hazardous disinfection by-products (DBPs) above EPA-permitted levels, whereas deficiency of residual chlorine in produce wash solution may result in incompletely removing pathogens on produce. The purpose of this study was to develop a chlorine dosing strategy to optimize the chlorine dosage during produce washing process without impacting the microbial safety of fresh produce. Prediction equations were developed to estimate free chlorine needed to reach targeted residual chlorine at various sanitizer pH and organic loads, and then validated using fresh-cut iceberg lettuce and whole strawberries in an automated produce washer. Validation results showed that equations successfully predicted the initial chlorine concentration needed to achieve residual chlorine at 10, 30, 60, and 90 mg/L for both lettuce and strawberry washing processes, with the root mean squared error at 4.45 mg/L. The Escherichia coli O157:H7 reductions only slightly increased on iceberg lettuce and strawberries with residual chlorine increasing from 10 to 90 mg/L, indicating that lowering residual chlorine to 10 mg/L would not compromise the antimicrobial efficacy of chlorine-based sanitizer. Based on the prediction equations and E. coli O157:H7 reduction results, a chlorine dosing strategy was developed to help the produce industry to maintain microbial inactivation efficacy without adding excess amount of free chlorine. The chlorine dosing strategy can be used for fresh produce washing process to enhance the microbial food safety and minimize the DBPs formation potential. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Habitat amount modulates the effect of patch isolation on host-parasitoid interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valérie eCoudrain

2014-06-01

Full Text Available 1.Habitat amount and patch isolation are important determinants of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We studied the separate and interactive effects of these two components of habitat fragmentation on host-parasitoid interactions in a replicated landscape-scale study. 2.We used trap-nesting solitary bees, wasps and their natural enemies as study system. We exposed trap nests in 30 tree patches in agricultural landscapes in northern Switzerland. Study sites were either (i adjacent to forest (adjacent, (ii distant from forest but connected through woody elements (connected or (iii distant from forest with no connecting woody elements (isolated. Independent of the three levels of isolation, the amount of woody habitat in the landscapes covered a gradient from 4 to 74%. 3.Host and parasitoid species richness increased with the amount of habitat in the landscape and was strongly reduced at isolated compared to adjacent and connected sites. Loss of host species richness was 21% at isolated compared to non-isolated sites, whereas parasitoid species richness decreased by 68%, indicating that the higher trophic level was more adversely affected by isolation. Most importantly, habitat amount and isolation had a pronounced interactive effect on parasitism: while isolation resulted in a strong decrease in parasitism in landscapes with low habitat amount, this effect was mitigated by high habitat amount. These interactive effects were consistent across the three years of the study. 4.The observed interplay between habitat amount and patch isolation may explain the often conflicting results in the habitat fragmentation literature and should be considered in future research on multitrophic communities and ecosystem functioning in fragmented landscapes.

The amount of viable and dyssynchronous myocardium is associated with response to cardiac resynchronization therapy: initial clinical results using multiparametric ECG-gated [{sup 18}F]FDG PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehner, Sebastian; Uebleis, Christopher; Haug, Alexander; Bartenstein, Peter [University of Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Schuessler, Franziska; Kaeaeb, Stefan; Estner, Heidi [University of Munich, Medical Department I, Munich (Germany); Van Kriekinge, Serge D.; Germano, Guido [UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles and David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Hacker, Marcus [Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Theraphy, Vienna (Austria)

2013-12-15

There is still a significant amount of patients who do not sufficiently respond to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Previous studies demonstrated that the amount of dyssynchronous myocardium was predictive of response to CRT. Otherwise, non-response is frequently associated with high amounts of scar tissue. The combination of these parameters might yield a more accurate prediction of response. We hypothesized that the probability of a CRT response increases with the presence of high amounts of ''viable and dyssynchronous'' myocardium. A total of 19 patients (17 male, 61 {+-} 10 years) underwent ECG-gated [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) myocardial positron emission tomography (PET) before CRT device implantation and were followed for 6 months. Response to CRT was defined as clinical improvement of at least one New York Heart Association (NYHA) class in combination with left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) improvement of >5 %. Twelve responders (71 %) and seven non-responders (29 %) were identified. For each patient bullseye maps of FDG uptake and phase analysis were calculated (QPS/QGS 2012, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA) and fused. Amounts of myocardium representing ''viable and synchronous'', ''scar and synchronous'', viable and dyssynchronous or ''scar and dyssynchronous'' myocardium were quantified by planimetric measurements of the fused bullseye maps. Responders by definition showed significant decrease in NYHA class and significant increase of LVEF. Furthermore, a significantly higher amount of viable and dyssynchronous myocardium was found as compared to non-responders (21 {+-} 13 % vs 6 {+-} 5 %; p < 0.05). Combined assessment of myocardial viability and LV dyssynchrony is feasible using multiparametric [{sup 18}F]FDG PET and could improve conventional response prediction criteria for CRT. (orig.)

Characterization Of A Novel Hydrolytic Enzyme Producing Thermophilic Bacterium Isolated From The Hot Spring Of Azad Kashmir-Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sana Zahoor

Full Text Available ABSTRACT A thermophilic bacterium (TP-2 was isolated from the Tatta Pani hot spring in Azad Kashmir and was characterized using phenotypic and genotypic characters. The strain developed cream colored, round, smooth, flat and slimy colonies while the cells were Gram positive rods that ranged in size from about 2.1-3.6 μm to 0.2-0.3 μm in width. Sequence analysis of its 16S rRNA gene showed that isolate TP-2 had 89% homology with Geobacillus debilis. It grew within pH range of 5.5 to 8.5 with optimum growth at pH 7.0. The isolate showed optimum growth at 65ºC and gave positive results for gelatin hydrolysis (GEL, ortho nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranosidase (ONPG, and nitrate production and produced acid from sucrose, glucose and maltose. It utilized glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, xylan, starch, filter paper and carboxymethylcellulose as sole carbon source. Isolate TP-2 produced significant amount of industrially important enzymes i.e. extracellular α-amylase, CMCase, FPase, Xylanase, Protease and Lipase and intracellular CMCase and FPase.

Amount of prenatal visual stimulation alters incubation times and postnatal preferences in leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius).

Science.gov (United States)

Sleigh, M J; Birchard, G F

2001-09-01

The authors exposed gecko (Eublepharis macularius) embryos to patterned visual stimulation beginning at either 1 week or 2 weeks prior to hatching. Embryos exposed to the substantially augmented amount of prenatal visual stimulation hatched significantly earlier than the embryos either exposed to the moderately augmented prenatal visual stimulation or not exposed to any prenatal visual stimulation (p geckos in all conditions failed to exhibit a preference for either stimulus.

Effects of the syntactic complexity on the amount of speech dysfluency of stuttering and nonstuttering Persian-speaker children in conversational speech

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Kamali

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Many researches have dealt with the relationship between stuttering and differentlinguistic factors. This study investigates the effect of syntactic complexity on the amount of speechdysfluency in stuttering Persian-speaking children, and comparing them with the non-stuttering ones. Theobtained results can pave the way to obtain a better knowledge of the nature of stuttering, as well asfinding more suitable ways in the process of its treatment.Materials and Methods: The participants were 10 stuttering and 10 non-stuttering Persian-speakingand monolingual children in the age range of 4-6 which were matched by age and gender. First 30minutes sample of child's spontaneous speech was provided and then utterances of each child studied forthe amount of dysfluency and syntactic complexity.Results: In both groups of stuttering and non-stuttering children, there was a significant difference forthe amount of dysfluency between simple and complex sentences.Conclusion: The results of this study show that by increase of syntactic complexity at the spontaneousspeech level, stuttering and non-stuttering children had more dysfluency amount. Also, by increase ofsyntactic complexity, stuttering children had more dysfluency amount than non-stuttering children.

Pre-crisis mouse cells show strain-specific covariation in the amount of 54-kilodalton phosphoprotein and in susceptibility to transformation by simian virus 40.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, S; Blanck, G; Pollack, R E

1983-09-01

We have used several inbred mouse strains to examine the role of the 54-kilodalton (kDa) cellular phosphoprotein in transformation by the papovavirus simian virus 40. We have measured the endogenous 54-kDa phosphoprotein in cells obtained from these inbred mouse strains. To study the effect of passage, cell cultures were measured for amount of the 54-kDa phosphoprotein at the 2nd and 12th passages. In the absence of any transforming agent, the amount of endogenous 54-kDa phosphoprotein in early pre-crisis mouse cells varied in a strain-specific way. Transformation frequency varied coordinately with endogenous 54-kDa expression. Mouse strains whose cells produced a high level of endogenous 54-kDa phosphoprotein on passage did not further increase its expression after simian virus 40 transformation.

Effect of γ-Aminobutyric Acid-producing Lactobacillus Strain on Laying Performance, Egg Quality and Serum Enzyme Activity in Hy-Line Brown Hens under Heat Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Y Z; Cheng, J L; Ren, M; Yin, L; Piao, X S

2015-07-01

Heat-stress remains a costly issue for animal production, especially for poultry as they lack sweat glands, and alleviating heat-stress is necessary for ensuring animal production in hot environment. A high γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producer Lactobacillus strain was used to investigate the effect of dietary GABA-producer on laying performance and egg quality in heat-stressed Hy-line brown hens. Hy-Line brown hens (n = 1,164) at 280 days of age were randomly divided into 4 groups based on the amount of freeze-dried GABA-producer added to the basal diet as follows: i) 0 mg/kg, ii) 25 mg/kg, iii) 50 mg/kg, and iv) 100 mg/kg. All hens were subjected to heat-stress treatment through maintaining the temperature and the relative humidity at 28.83±3.85°C and 37% to 53.9%, respectively. During the experiment, laying rate, egg weight and feed intake of hens were recorded daily. At the 30th and 60th day after the start of the experiment, biochemical parameters, enzyme activity and immune activity in serum were measured. Egg production, average egg weight, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and percentage of speckled egg, soft shell egg and misshaped egg were significantly improved (pGABA-producer. Shape index, eggshell thickness, strength and weight were increased linearly with increasing GABA-producer supplementation. The level of calcium, phosphorus, glucose, total protein and albumin in serum of the hens fed GABA-producing strain supplemented diet was significantly higher (plevel was decreased. Compared with the basal diet, GABA-producer strain supplementation increased serum level of glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.009) and superoxide dismutase. In conclusion, GABA-producer played an important role in alleviating heat-stress, the isolated GABA-producer strain might be a potential natural and safe probiotic to use to improve laying performance and egg quality in heat-stressed hens.

Co-production of bio-oil and propylene through the hydrothermal liquefaction of polyhydroxybutyrate producing cyanobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Jonathan; Bransgrove, Rachel; Beacham, Tracey A; Allen, Michael J; Meixner, Katharina; Drosg, Bernhard; Ting, Valeska P; Chuck, Christopher J

2016-05-01

A polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producing cyanobacteria was converted through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) into propylene and a bio-oil suitable for advanced biofuel production. HTL of model compounds demonstrated that in contrast to proteins and carbohydrates, no synergistic effects were detected when converting PHB in the presence of algae. Subsequently, Synechocystis cf. salina, which had accumulated 7.5wt% PHB was converted via HTL (15% dry weight loading, 340°C). The reaction gave an overall propylene yield of 2.6%, higher than that obtained from the model compounds, in addition to a bio-oil with a low nitrogen content of 4.6%. No propylene was recovered from the alternative non-PHB producing cyanobacterial strains screened, suggesting that PHB is the source of propylene. PHB producing microorganisms could therefore be used as a feedstock for a biorefinery to produce polypropylene and advanced biofuels, with the level of propylene being proportional to the accumulated amount of PHB. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 663.420 - Can the duration and amount of ITA's be limited?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Training Accounts § 663.420 Can the duration and amount of ITA's be limited? (a) Yes, the State or Local Board may impose limits on ITA's, such as limitations on the dollar amount and/or duration. (b) Limits... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Can the duration and amount of ITA's be...

Mapping the energy footprint of produced water management in New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Zemlick, Katie; Kalhor, Elmira; Thomson, Bruce M.; Chermak, Janie M.; Sullivan Graham, Enid J.; Tidwell, Vincent C.

2018-02-01

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) and horizontal drilling have revolutionized the fossil fuel industry by enabling production from unconventional oil and gas (UOG) reserves. However, UOG development requires large volumes of water, and subsequent oil and gas production from both conventional and unconventional wells generate large volumes of produced water (PW). While PW is usually considered a waste product, its reuse may lessen demand for freshwater supplies, reduce costs for transportation and disposal, and reduce the risks for injection-induced seismicity. Whether this water is disposed of or treated and reused, both methods require significant amounts of energy. The objective of this study was to identify the primary energy demands of alternative water management strategies, and to characterize and quantify their geographic variability in four oil and gas producing basins in New Mexico using a single year of production. Results illustrate the importance of each component of each produced water management strategy in determining its total energy footprint. Based on 2015 production and water use data, the energy to extract fresh groundwater for hydraulic fracturing (34 GWh-th yr-1.) exceeds the energy that would be required if the same volume of PW were treated chemically (19 GWh-th yr-1.). In addition, the energy required to transport fresh water and dispose of PW (167 GWh-th yr-1.) is far greater than that required to move treated PW (8 GWh-th yr-1.) to a point of reuse. Furthermore, transportation distances, which contribute significantly to the total energy footprint of a given management strategy, are underestimated by nearly 50% state-wide. This indicates that reuse may be an even more energy efficient way to manage PW, even with energy-intensive treatment strategies like electrocoagulation. Reuse of PW for HF is not only more energy efficient than conventional management techniques, it also reduces both demand for scarce fresh water resources and

ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Frederik Boetius

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one the most common bacterial infections and is regularly treated in primary health care. The most common cause of UTI is extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) already present in the intestinal microflora, often as the dominating strain. Resistance...... in E.coli is increasing and especially isolates producing Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) have been reported worldwide. Treatment of UTI is usually initiated by the general practitioners and a significant proportion of clinical isolates are now resistant to first line antibiotics. The global...... to investigate (i) antibiotics involved in selection of ESBL-producing E.coli, in an experimental mouse model in vivo, (ii) risk factors for UTI with ESBL-producing E.coli and (iii) to describe the phylogenetic composition of E.coli populations with different resistance patterns. We found that different...

Estimation of total amounts of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Japan Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Toshimichi; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Kawamura, Hideyuki

2007-01-01

We estimated the total amounts of anthropogenic radionuclides, consisting of 90 Sr, 137 Cs, and 239+240 Pu, in the Japan Sea for the first time based on experimental data on their concentrations in seawater and seabed sediment. The radionuclide inventories in seawater and seabed sediment at each sampling site varied depending on the water depth, with total inventories for 90 Sr, 137 Cs, and 239+240 Pu in the range of 0.52-2.8 kBq m -2 , 0.64-4.1 kBq m -2 , and 27-122 Bq m -2 , respectively. Based on the relationship between the inventories and the water depths, the total amounts in the Japan Sea were estimated to be about 1.2±0.4 PBq for 90 Sr, 1.8±0.7 PBq for 137 Cs, and 69±14 TBq for 239+240 Pu, respectively; the amount ratio, 90 Sr: 137 Cs: 239+240 Pu, was 1.0:1.6:0.059. The amounts of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in the Japan Sea were in balance with those supplied from global fallout, whereas the amount of 239+240 Pu exceeded that supplied by fallout by nearly 40%. These results suggest a preferential accumulation of the plutonium isotopes. The data used in this study were obtained through a wide-area research project, named the 'Japan Sea expeditions (phase I),' covering the Japanese and Russian exclusive economic zones. (author)

Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in garden produce at homes with a history of PFAS-contaminated drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Scher, Deanna P; Kelly, James E; Huset, Carin A; Barry, Kitrina M; Hoffbeck, Richard W; Yingling, Virginia L; Messing, Rita B

2018-04-01

The decades-long disposal of manufacturing waste containing perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in landfills resulted in contamination of groundwater serving as the drinking water supply for the eastern Twin Cities metropolitan region. While measures were taken to reduce the levels of PFAS in the drinking water, questions remained about possible non-drinking water pathways of exposure in these communities. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) investigated whether PFAS in water used for yard and garden irrigation results in elevated concentrations of PFAS in soil and home-grown produce. In 2010, samples of outdoor tap water, garden soil, and garden produce were collected at homes impacted by the contamination and analyzed for several PFAS. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) was the primary PFAS present in water, followed by perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA). Although PFBA, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were present in 100% of soil samples at higher concentrations compared to other PFAS, only PFBA was readily translocated to plants. Significant determinants of PFBA concentration in produce were the amount of PFBA applied to the garden via watering and the type of produce tested. Results from this real-world study are consistent with experimental findings that short-chain PFAS have the highest potential to translocate to and bioaccumulate in edible plants. These findings are globally relevant, as short-chain PFAS serve as commercial substitutes for longer-chain compounds and are increasingly detected in water due to their relatively high solubility and mobility. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Amount of Media and Information Literacy Among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' Students Using Iranian Media and Information Literacy Questionnaire (IMILQ).

Science.gov (United States)

Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Ramezani, Amir; Koupaei, Hamed Aghajani; Kazempour, Zahra

2014-12-01

Media and Information literacy (MIL) enables people to interpret and make informed judgments as users of information and media, as well as to become skillful creators and producers of information and media messages in their own right. The purpose of this research was to determine the amount of Media and Information Literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students using Iranian Media and Information Literacy Questionnaire (IMILQ). This is an applied analytical survey research in which the data were collected by a researcher made questionnaire, provided based on specialists' viewpoints and valid scientific works. Its validity and reliability were confirmed by Library and Information Sciences specialists and Cronbach's alpha (r=0.89) respectively. Statistical population consisted of all students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (6000 cases) and the samples were 361. Sampling method was random stratified sampling. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that the mean level of Media and Information Literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students was 3.34±0.444 (higher than average). The highest mean was promotion of scientific degree with 3.84±0.975 and the lowest mean was difficulties in starting research with 2.50±1.08. There was significant difference between educational degree, college type and family's income and amount of Media and Information Literacy. The results showed that the students didn't have enough skills in starting the research, defining the research subject as well as confining the research subject. In general, all students and education practitioners should pay special attention to factors affecting in improving Media and Information Literacy as a main capability in using printed and electronic media.

Antagonistic effect of Lactobacillus strains against gas-producing coliforms isolated from colicky infants

OpenAIRE

Savino, Francesco; Cordisco, Lisa; Tarasco, Valentina; Locatelli, Emanuela; Di Gioia, Diana; Oggero, Roberto; Matteuzzi, Diego

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Infantile colic is a common disturb within the first 3 months of life, nevertheless the pathogenesis is incompletely understood and treatment remains an open issue. Intestinal gas production is thought to be one of the causes of abdominal discomfort in infants suffering from colic. However, data about the role of the amount of gas produced by infants' colonic microbiota and the correlation with the onset of colic symptoms are scanty. The benefit of supplementation with lac...

Study of interactions between anionic exopolysaccharides produced by newly isolated probiotic bacteria and sodium caseinate.

Science.gov (United States)

Abid, Yousra; Joulak, Ichrak; Ben Amara, Chedia; Casillo, Angela; Attia, Hamadi; Gharsallaoui, Adem; Azabou, Samia

2018-07-01

The present study aims to evaluate the interactions between four exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by probiotic bacteria and sodium caseinate (Cas) in order to simulate their behavior in dairy products. Complexation between the produced EPS samples and Cas was investigated as a function of polysaccharide to protein ratio. The highest turbidity and average size of complexes were formed at an EPS/Cas ratio of 3 (corresponding to 1 g/L of EPS and 0.33 g/L of Cas) as a result of the combination of individual complexes to form aggregates. Zeta potential measurements and Cas surface hydrophobicity results suggested that complex formation occurred essentially through electrostatic attractions with a possible contribution of hydrophobic interaction for EPS-GM which was produced by Bacillus tequilensis-GM. Afterwards, the effect of pH on the complexation between biopolymers was studied when EPS and Cas concentrations were maintained constant at 1 and 0.33 g/L, respectively. pH was adjusted to 3.0 and 3.5, respectively. Results showed that the highest amount and sizes of EPS/Cas complexes were formed at pH 3.5 and that EPS-GM enabled to obtain the biggest and highest amount of aggregates. Therefore, the obtained results support the fact that the simultaneous presence of EPS and Cas in dairy products results in complexes formation via electrostatic interactions depending on EPS/Cas ratio and pH of the medium. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Starch conversion of ganyong (Canna edulis Ker. to bioethanol using acid hydrolysis and fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LILY SURAYYA EKA PUTRI

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Starch of ganyong is one of the sources of ethanol which is able to be produced by acid hydrolysis and fermentation process. It had high concentration of carbohydrate that is 80%, so it could produce glucose highly within acid hydrolysis process. The result showed that the optimal amount of reducing sugar had been produced by nitrate acid 7% (dextrose equivalent, DE = 28.4. Nevertheless, type and concentration of acid had no significantly correlation to reducing sugar yielded. The total amount of glucose had correlation to amount of ethanol, in fermentation process. The optimal amount of ethanol was yielded from 4.81% of glucose and it produced about 4.84% ethanol. The more amount of glucose was yielded the more ethanol was produced. Controlling pH every 12 hours did not affected to production of ethanol significantly.

Forest amount affects soybean productivity in Brazilian agricultural frontier

Science.gov (United States)

Rattis, L.; Brando, P. M.; Marques, E. Q.; Queiroz, N.; Silverio, D. V.; Macedo, M.; Coe, M. T.

2017-12-01

Over the past three decades, large tracts of tropical forests have been converted to crop and pasturelands across southern Amazonia, largely to meet the increasing worldwide demand for protein. As the world's population continue to grow and consume more protein per capita, forest conversion to grow more crops could be a potential solution to meet such demand. However, widespread deforestation is expected to negatively affect crop productivity via multiple pathways (e.g., thermal regulation, rainfall, local moisture, pest control, among others). To quantify how deforestation affects crop productivity, we modeled the relationship between forest amount and enhanced vegetation index (EVI—a proxy for crop productivity) during the soybean planting season across southern Amazonia. Our hypothesis that forest amount causes increased crop productivity received strong support. We found that the maximum MODIS-based EVI in soybean fields increased as a function of forest amount across three spatial-scales, 0.5 km, 1 km, 2 km, 5 km, 10 km, 15 km and 20 km. However, the strength of this relationship varied across years and with precipitation, but only at the local scale (e.g., 500 meters and 1 km radius). Our results highlight the importance of considering forests to design sustainable landscapes.

Seasonal variation in the environmental background level of cosmic ray produced 22Na

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokuyama, Hideki; Igarashi, Shuichi

1998-01-01

22 Na (half life 2.6 year) is produced by cosmic rays, nuclear test and reactor. 7 Be (half life 53.3 day) is produced in atmosphere by reaction. 7 Be/ 22 Na activity ratio is good factor to observe the mixing process between stratosphere and troposphere atmosphere. The seasonal variation of 7 Be and 22 Na deposition, the ratio and the background level of 22 Na deposition were observed in Fukui city and reported in this paper. Very large reasonable change of 22 Na deposition was observed, especially the largest peak in winter. Because the concentration of cosmic-ray-produced nuclear in precipitation and the amount of precipitation were large in winter. 22 Na produced by the previous nuclear test was attenuated. The present 22 Na is only produced by cosmic rays, indicating the background level. 22 Na deposition at Fukui was 0.42Bq m -2 y -1 , one ten-thousandth of 7 Be deposition. 7 Be/ 22 Na activity ratio was changed in season and the largest peak was shown in autumn. In this reason, atmosphere showed relatively short residence time in the lower part of stratosphere, Mixture and exchange of atmosphere between stratosphere and troposphere were the most active in autumn. (S.Y.)

The variation of cloud amount and light rainy days under heavy pollution over South China during 1960-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Chuanbo; Dan, Li

2018-01-01

The ground observation data was used to analyze the variation of cloud amount and light precipitation over South China during 1960-2009. The total cloud cover (TCC) decreases in this period, whereas the low cloud cover (LCC) shows the obvious opposite change with increasing trends. LCP defined as low cloud cover/total cloud cover has increased, and small rainy days (pollution in the form of anthropogenic aerosols. The horizontal visibility and sunshine duration are used to depict the anthropogenic aerosol loading. When horizontal visibility declines to 20 km or sunshine duration decreases to 5 h per day, LCC increases 52% or more and LCP increases significantly. The correlation coefficients between LCC and horizontal visibility or sunshine duration are - 0.533 and - 0.927, and the values between LCP and horizontal visibility or sunshine duration are - 0.849 and - 0.641, which pass 0.001 significance level. The results indicated that aerosols likely impacted the long-term trend of cloud amount and light precipitation over South China.

Forecasting of Information Security Related Incidents: Amount of Spam Messages as a Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Romanov, Anton; Okamoto, Eiji

With the increasing demand for services provided by communication networks, quality and reliability of such services as well as confidentiality of data transfer are becoming ones of the highest concerns. At the same time, because of growing hacker's activities, quality of provided content and reliability of its continuous delivery strongly depend on integrity of data transmission and availability of communication infrastructure, thus on information security of a given IT landscape. But, the amount of resources allocated to provide information security (like security staff, technical countermeasures and etc.) must be reasonable from the economic point of view. This fact, in turn, leads to the need to employ a forecasting technique in order to make planning of IT budget and short-term planning of potential bottlenecks. In this paper we present an approach to make such a forecasting for a wide class of information security related incidents (ISRI) — unambiguously detectable ISRI. This approach is based on different auto regression models which are widely used in financial time series analysis but can not be directly applied to ISRI time series due to specifics related to information security. We investigate and address this specifics by proposing rules (special conditions) of collection and storage of ISRI time series, adherence to which improves forecasting in this subject field. We present an application of our approach to one type of unambiguously detectable ISRI — amount of spam messages which, if not mitigated properly, could create additional load on communication infrastructure and consume significant amounts of network capacity. Finally we evaluate our approach by simulation and actual measurement.

Determination of trace amounts of cerium in silicate rocks based on its candoluminescence in a calcium oxide based matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belcher, R.; Nasser, T.A.K.; Polo-Diez, L.; Townshend, A.

1977-01-01

A very sensitive method for the determination of cerium (above 10 ng ml -1 ) has been developed (Belcher et al., Analyst;100:415(1975)), based on the measurement of the green candoluminescence produced by cerium in a calcium oxide-calcium sulphate matrix, with sulphuric acid as a coactivator, when the matrix is inserted into a hydrogen-nitrogen-air flame. This paper describes the application of this method to the determination of trace amounts of cerium in rocks. It involves the fusion of the sample with lithium metaborate, and does not require the isolation of cerium from other components of the rock, before measuring the candoluminescence intensity of the cerium. (author)

A comparison of three methods for determining the amount of nitric acid needed to treat HLW sludge at SRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegwald, S.F.; Ferrara, D.M.

1994-01-01

A comparison was made of three methods for determining the amount of nitric acid which will be needed to treat a sample of high-level waste (HLW) sludge from the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tank Farm. The treatment must ensure the resulting melter feed will have the necessary rheological and oxidation-reduction properties, reduce mercury and manganese in the sludge, and be performed in a fashion which does not produce a flammable gas mixture. The three methods examined where an empirical method based on pH measurements, a computational method based on known reactions of the species in the sludge and a titration based on neutralization of carbonate in the solution

Relationship between Amount of Exited Blood During Wet-cupping with Patient’s Individual Conditions and the Time of Doing it

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghazanfari M

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aims Wet-cupping as a therapeutic method has been recommended to be done on certain days based on authentic sources of traditional medicine in Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between amount of exited blood during wet-cupping with patient’s individual conditions and the time it was performed. Instruments & Methods In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 391 men who were referred to a cupping center in Saveh city in the spring of 2016, were selected by simple sampling and wet-cupping in the position between the two scapula was performed. The research instrument was a questionnaire including demographic characteristics, date of reference (day, month and year, age, height, weight and amount of exited blood during the wet-cupping in gram. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software and using chi-square test, paired t test and one-way analysis of variance. Findings The means of age, weight and body mass index were significantly related to the mean of amount of exited blood during wet-cupping (p0.05, but the amount of exited blood was higher in people with previous history of wet-cupping than those without previous history (p<0.001. Also, in people with hypertension, the amount of exited blood was higher than other treatment groups (p<0.05. Conclusion Individual characteristics such as age, weight, body mass index, cause of referral and previous history of wet-cupping affect the amount of exited blood during wet-cupping, but the time of wet-cupping (day and month does not affect the amount of exited blood.

Amount of Forest Edge at a 2 Hectare Scale

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Forests provide economic and ecological value. High amounts of forest edge indicates a highly fragmented forest, which generally diminishes those economic and...

Amount of Forest Edge at a 65 Hectare Scale

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Forests provide economic and ecological value. High amounts of forest edge indicates a highly fragmented forest, which generally diminishes those economic and...

Another way of managing large amounts of data

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

Jeff Hammerbacher is Vice President of Products and Chief Scientist at Cloudera, a US software company that provides solutions for managing and analysing very large data sets. His invited talk on 21 August was a good opportunity to exchange views with the CERN experts who face similar problems. Although still relatively young, Jeff has considerable experience in developing tools for storing and processing large amounts of data. Before Cloudera Jeff conceived, built and led the Data team at Facebook. He has also worked as a quantitative analyst on Wall Street. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics from Harvard University. At CERN, handling large amounts of data is the job of the Grid; Hadoop, the software Cloudera is developing, is intended for the same scope but has different technical features and implementations. "The Grid software products are designed for many organisations to collaborate on large-scale data analysis across many data centres. In contrast, Had...

Produced water reinjection in Campos Basin; Reinjecao de agua produzida na Bacia de Campos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendes, Roberta A.; Furtado, Claudio J.A.; Luz Junior, Euripedes B. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

To manage the increasing volume of produced water became one of the main challenges in the petroleum industry. PWRI (produced water re-injection) leads to a decrease operational cost in platforms, an increase in liquid flow rates on the topside facilities and a decrease in surface disposal of water. Nowadays in Brazilian fields for every barrel of produced oil three barrels of water need to be handled. PWRI is a process that has been widely diffused in many fields in the world. The main advantages of the PWRI are to reduce collected water, to decrease or eliminate surface disposal of produced water, and to help oil recovery. On the other hand, PWRI tends to increase corrosion when inappropriate materials in tubing and pipelines are used; increase souring potential due to the amount of nutrients for bacteria in the produced water; increase scale formation when sea-water and produced water are mixed and increase formation damage. Even in reservoirs with good qualities in terms of permeability and porosity, the poor quality of the reinjection water decreases injectivity. To minimize injectivity loss some requirements are important: to avoid solids in the produced water system, to inject above fracture propagation pressure to maintain injectivity whenever possible, to use compatible the chemical products for oil-water separation to avoid the formation solids-oil agglomerates. (author)

Sorption of trace amounts of gallium (III) on iron (III) oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Music, S.; Gessner, M.; Wolf, R.H.H.

1979-01-01

The sorption of trace amounts of gallium(III) on iron(III) oxide has been studied as a function of pH. Optimum conditions have been found for the preconcentration of traces of gallium(III) by iron(III) oxide. The influence of surface active substances and of complexing agents on the sorption of trace amounts of gallium(III) on iron(III) oxide has been also studied. (orig.) [de

Sorption of trace amounts of gallium (III) on iron (III) oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Music, S; Gessner, M; Wolf, R H.H. [Institut Rudjer Boskovic, Zagreb (Yugoslavia)

1979-01-01

The sorption of trace amounts of gallium(III) on iron(III) oxide has been studied as a function of pH. Optimum conditions have been found for the preconcentration of traces of gallium(III) by iron(III) oxide. The influence of surface active substances and of complexing agents on the sorption of trace amounts of gallium(III) on iron(III) oxide has been also studied.

13 CFR 143.52 - Collection of amounts due.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Collection of amounts due. 143.52 Section 143.52 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE... Government. If not paid within a reasonable period after demand, the Federal agency may reduce the debt by...

20 CFR 615.6 - Extended Benefits; weekly amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Extended Benefits; weekly amount. 615.6 Section 615.6 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR EXTENDED... compensation payable during such benefit year. (2) If the method in paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section is...

Increase of the contract amounts for LHC civil-engineering construction and civil-engineering consultancy contracts

CERN Document Server

2005-01-01

This document concerns the increase of the contract amounts for LHC civil-engineering construction and civil-engineering consultancy, Package 2. The Finance Committee is invited to take note of the increase of the contract amounts with: - the joint venture DRAGADOS (ES) and SELI (IT) for civil-engineering construction, LHC Package 2, for an amount of 28 087 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision, in the amount previously announced to Finance Committee (CERN/FC/4516) of 132 200 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision, bringing the total to a maximum amount of 160 287 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision. - the joint venture GIBB (GB), GEOCONSULT (AT) and SGI (CH) for the provision of civil-engineering consultancy services, LHC Package 2, for an amount of 900 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision, in the amount previously announced to Finance Committee of 13 800 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision, bringing the total to a maximum amount of 14 700 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision

Effect of various amounts of nanosilver incorporation on the mechanical properties of resin modified glass-ionomer cement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roza Haghgoo

2013-08-01

Full Text Available   Background and Aims: Metallic nano-particles show exclusive biological, chemical and physical characteristic. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of various amounts of nanosilver incorporation (0 (as control, 20, 40, 80, 120, 200 ppm on the mechanical Properties ( compressive and flexural strength of resin modified Glass ionomer Cement.   Materials and Methods: Based on ISO 4049 and ISO 9971 for polyalkenoid cements, 90 cases in each group were prepared for the flexural and compressive strength. Specimens in 6 groups with different amounts of nanosilver (20, 40, 80, 120 and 200 ppm and control (Fuji II LC improved, stored in distilled water at 37 ° C for 1 day and 30 days. Flexural strength, using a three-point bending method, Modulus of elasticity and the compressive strength were measured by universal testing machine (Zwick with crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey post HOC test.   Results: The flexural strength and modulus of various amounts of nanosilver incorporation of resin modified glass-ionomer cement were not significantly different (P>0.05. The compressive strength of incorporating of20 ppm compared with control (P=0.01, 40 ppm (P=0.02 and 80 ppm compared with control (P<0.001 were increased. The flexural strength and compressive strength of Fuji II LC, containing nanosilver particles were increased after 1 day and 1 month significantly (P<0.001.   Conclusion: Incorporation of 20 to 80 ppm nanosilver into Fuji II LC had increased mechanical properties compared to the original cement.

Estimation of the Required Amount of Superconductors for High-field Accelerator Dipole Magnets

CERN Document Server

Schwerg, N

2007-01-01

The coil size and the corresponding amount of superconducting material that is used during the design process of a magnet cross-section have direct impacts on the overall magnet cost. It is therefore of interest to estimate the minimum amount of conductors needed to reach the defined field strength before a detailed design process starts. Equally, it is useful to evaluate the efficiency of a given design by calculating the amount of superconducting cables that are used to reach the envisaged main field by simple rule. To this purpose, the minimum amount of conductors for the construction of a dipole of given main field strength and aperture size is estimated taking the actual critical current density of the used strands into account. Characteristic curves applicable for the NED Nb$_{3}$Sn strand specification are given and some of the recently studied different dipole configurations are compared. Based on these results, it is shown how the required amount of conductors changes due to the iron yoke contributio...

Corrosion of Pipeline and Wellbore Steel by Liquid CO2 Containing Trace Amounts of Water and SO2

Science.gov (United States)

McGrail, P.; Schaef, H. T.; Owen, A. T.

2009-12-01

Carbon dioxide capture and storage in deep saline formations is currently considered the most attractive option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with continued use of fossil fuels for energy production. Transporting captured CO2 and injection into suitable formations for storage will necessarily involve pipeline systems and wellbores constructed of carbon steels. Industry standards currently require nearly complete dehydration of liquid CO2 to reduce corrosion in the pipeline transport system. However, it may be possible to establish a corrosion threshold based on H2O content in the CO2 that could allow for minor amounts of H2O to remain in the liquid CO2 and thereby eliminate a costly dehydration step. Similarly, trace amounts of sulfur and nitrogen compounds common in flue gas streams are currently removed through expensive desulfurization and catalytic reduction processes. Provided these contaminants could be safely and permanently transported and stored in the geologic reservoir, retrofits of existing fossil-fuel plants could address comprehensive emissions reductions, including CO2 at perhaps nearly the same capital and operating cost. Because CO2-SO2 mixtures have never been commercially transported or injected, both experimental and theoretical work is needed to understand corrosion mechanisms of various steels in these gas mixtures containing varying amounts of water. Experiments were conducted with common tool steel (AISI-01) and pipeline steel (X65) immersed in liquid CO2 at room temperature containing ~1% SO2 and varying amounts of H2O (0 to 2500 ppmw). A threshold concentration of H2O in the liquid CO2-SO2 mixture was established based on the absence of visible surface corrosion. For example, experiments exposing steel to liquid CO2-SO2 containing ~300 ppmw H2O showed a delay in onset of visible corrosion products and minimal surface corrosion was visible after five days of testing. However increasing the water content to 760 ppmw produced extensive

A market for green certificates may cause less green electricity to be produced

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haugneland, Petter

2004-01-01

The Norwegian government wants to establish in 2006 a market for trading with green certificates which will be issued to producers of new renewable electricity. These certificates will be sold to the consumers, which will be instructed to by a certain amount of green electricity. In 2005 a market will be established for trading with emission quotas of greenhouse gases; in this market, power producers and other industry that emits greenhouse gases must buy emission permits. Some experts, however, say that a market for trading with green certificates may at worst give less production of green electricity, counter to the intention. But a quota system may indirectly increase the production of green electricity, and at the same time one avoids many of the inconveniences involved in a green certificate market

Microstructural characterization of low and high carbon CoCrMo alloy nanoparticles produced by mechanical milling

Science.gov (United States)

Simoes, T. A.; Goode, A. E.; Porter, A. E.; Ryan, M. P.; Milne, S. J.; Brown, A. P.; Brydson, R. M. D.

2014-06-01

CoCrMo alloys are utilised as the main material in hip prostheses. The link between this type of hip prosthesis and chronic pain remains unclear. Studies suggest that wear debris generated in-vivo may be related to post-operative complications such as inflammation. These alloys can contain different amounts of carbon, which improves the mechanical properties of the alloy. However, the formation of carbides could become sites that initiate corrosion, releasing ions and/or particles into the human body. This study analysed the mechanical milling of alloys containing both high and low carbon levels in relevant biological media, as an alternative route to generate wear debris. The results show that low carbon alloys produce significantly more nanoparticles than high carbon alloys. During the milling process, strain induces an fcc to hcp phase transformation. Evidence for cobalt and molybdenum dissolution in the presence of serum was confirmed by ICP-MS and TEM EDX techniques.

Radiculography with reduced amounts of contrast medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Signorini, E.; Caputo, N.; Chiurulla, C.; Ciorba, E.; Pelliccioli, G.P.; Cianciulli, E.

1984-01-01

Because of the frequency and seriousness of side effects observed after radiculography, due to, among the other things, the amount of contrast medium, the authors describe a method that gives diagnostically satisfactory results using a low dose of contrast and a tangent-beam technique. Among 106 patients undergoing radiculography with a tangent-beam technique and Iopamidol, only 4 developed mild side effects, namely headache in three cases and headache with nausea in one. (Author)

Amount of lifetime video gaming is positively associated with entorhinal, hippocampal and occipital volume.

Science.gov (United States)

Kühn, S; Gallinat, J

2014-07-01

Playing video games is a popular leisure activity among children and adults, and may therefore potentially influence brain structure. We have previously shown a positive association between probability of gray matter (GM) volume in the ventral striatum and frequent video gaming in adolescence. Here we set out to investigate structural correlates of video gaming in adulthood, as the effects observed in adolescents may reflect only a fraction of the potential neural long-term effects seen in adults. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 62 male adults, we computed voxel-based morphometry to explore the correlation of GM with the lifetime amount of video gaming (termed joystick years). We found a significant positive association between GM in bilateral parahippocamal region (entorhinal cortex) and left occipital cortex/inferior parietal lobe and joystick years (Pvideo game genres played, such as logic/puzzle games and platform games contributing positively, and action-based role-playing games contributing negatively. Furthermore, joystick years were positively correlated with hippocampus volume. The association of lifetime amount of video game playing with bilateral entorhinal cortex, hippocampal and occipital GM volume could reflect adaptive neural plasticity related to navigation and visual attention.

42 CFR 422.382 - Minimum net worth amount.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... that CMS considers appropriate to reduce, control or eliminate start-up administrative costs. (b) After... section. (c) Calculation of the minimum net worth amount—(1) Cash requirement. (i) At the time of application, the organization must maintain at least $750,000 of the minimum net worth amount in cash or cash...

29 CFR 530.303 - Considerations in determining amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Considerations in determining amounts. 530.303 Section 530... REGULATIONS EMPLOYMENT OF HOMEWORKERS IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIES Civil Money Penalties § 530.303 Considerations in... representations; and (5) Exercise of due care. (b) An employer's financial inability to meet obligations under the...

Effect of Modified Rubber Particles Mixing Amount on Properties of Cement Mortar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Xue

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The crumb rubber cement mortar is prepared by the crumb rubber aggregates in 60 mesh which are modified by 1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA solution. Some mechanical properties of cement mortar with different crumb rubber aggregate amounts are researched including compressive strength, flexural strength, the ratio of compressive strength to flexural strength, impact resistance, and dry contraction percentage. In our tests, we consider six kinds of the rubber contents, 0%, 7.5%, 15%, 19%, 22.5%, and 30%, respectively. The optimal mixing amount of crumb rubber is determined by measuring three indices, the ratio of compressive strength to flexural strength, impact resistance, and dry contraction percentage. It is shown by test that the ratio of compressive strength to flexural strength is the smallest when the mixing amount of rubber is 19%; meanwhile high impact resistance and rational drying shrinkage are observed. The optimal mixing amount of the rubber particles is 19% determined by this test.

Evaluating environmental consequences of producing herbaceous crops for bioenergy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, S.B.

1995-01-01

The environmental costs and benefits of producing bioenergy crops can be measured both in kterms of the relative effects on soil, water, and wildlife habitat quality of replacing alternate cropping systems with the designated bioenergy system, and in terms of the quality and amount of energy that is produced per unit of energy expended. While many forms of herbaceous and woody energy crops will likely contribute to future biofuels systems, The Dept. of Energy's Biofuels Feedstock Development Program (BFDP), has chosen to focus its primary herbaceous crops research emphasis on a perennial grass species, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), as a bioenergy candidate. This choice was based on its high yields, high nutrient use efficiency, and wide geographic distribution, and also on its poistive environmental attributes. The latter include its positive effects on soil quality and stabiity, its cover value for wildlife, and the lower inputs of enerty, water, and agrochemicals required per unit of energy produced. A comparison of the energy budgets for corn, which is the primary current source of bioethanol, and switchgrass reveals that the efficiency of energy production for a perennial grass system can exceed that for an energy intensive annual row crop by as much as 15 times. In additions reductions in CO 2 emission, tied to the energetic efficiency of producing transportation fuels, are very efficient with grasses. Calculated carbon sequestration rates may exceed those of annual crops by as much as 20--30 times, due in part to carbon storage in the soil. These differences have major implications for both the rate and efficiency with which fossil energy sources can be replaced with cleaner burning biofuels

Evaluating environmental consequences of producing herbaceous crops for bioenergy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McLaughlin, S.B.

1995-12-31

The environmental costs and benefits of producing bioenergy crops can be measured both in kterms of the relative effects on soil, water, and wildlife habitat quality of replacing alternate cropping systems with the designated bioenergy system, and in terms of the quality and amount of energy that is produced per unit of energy expended. While many forms of herbaceous and woody energy crops will likely contribute to future biofuels systems, The Dept. of Energy`s Biofuels Feedstock Development Program (BFDP), has chosen to focus its primary herbaceous crops research emphasis on a perennial grass species, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), as a bioenergy candidate. This choice was based on its high yields, high nutrient use efficiency, and wide geographic distribution, and also on its poistive environmental attributes. The latter include its positive effects on soil quality and stabiity, its cover value for wildlife, and the lower inputs of enerty, water, and agrochemicals required per unit of energy produced. A comparison of the energy budgets for corn, which is the primary current source of bioethanol, and switchgrass reveals that the efficiency of energy production for a perennial grass system can exceed that for an energy intensive annual row crop by as much as 15 times. In additions reductions in CO{sub 2} emission, tied to the energetic efficiency of producing transportation fuels, are very efficient with grasses. Calculated carbon sequestration rates may exceed those of annual crops by as much as 20--30 times, due in part to carbon storage in the soil. These differences have major implications for both the rate and efficiency with which fossil energy sources can be replaced with cleaner burning biofuels.

Prognostic Impact of Visceral Fat Amount and Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Takaaki; Hayashi, Hiromitsu; Kaida, Takayoshi; Arima, Kota; Takeyama, Hideaki; Taki, Katsunobu; Izumi, Daisuke; Tokunaga, Ryuma; Kosumi, Keisuke; Nakagawa, Shigeki; Okabe, Hirohisa; Imai, Katsunobu; Nitta, Hidetoshi; Hashimoto, Daisuke; Chikamoto, Akira; Beppu, Toru; Baba, Hideo

2015-12-01

Dysregulation of lipid and amino acid metabolism in patients with liver diseases results in obesity-related carcinogenesis and decreased levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), respectively. This study assessed the clinical and prognostic impact of visceral fat amount (VFA) and its association with amino acid metabolism in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, 215 patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCC were divided into two groups based on VFA criteria for metabolic abnormalities in Japan. Computed tomography was used to measure VFA at the third lumbar vertebra in the inferior direction. Of the 215 patients, 132 had high and 83 had low VFA. High VFA was significantly associated with older age and higher body mass index (BMI), subcutaneous fat amount, and BCAA, but not with liver function, nutrient status, or tumoral factors. VFA was positively correlated with BMI (P BCAA levels (P BCAA, serum albumin, and prognostic nutritional index were not. High VFA was associated with a high BCAA level, with high VFA prognostic of improved overall survival in Japanese patients with HCC.

The effect of social class on the amount of salt intake in patients with hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazloomy Mahmoodabad, Seyed Saeed; Tehrani, Hadi; Gholian-Aval, Mahdi; Gholami, Hasan; Nematy, Mohsen

2016-12-01

Reducing salt intake is a factor related to life style which can influence the prevention of blood pressure. This study was conducted to assess the impact of social class on the amount of salt intake in patients with hypertension in Iran. This was an observational on the intake of salt, as estimated by Kawasaki formula in a sample from Iranian population, stratified for social background characteristics. The finding in general was that the estimated salt intake was somewhat higher in subjects from a lower social background, while the opposite was true for lipid levels (LDL and HDL cholesterol). There was also a significant correlation between salt intake and the level of systolic blood pressure, but not the level of diastolic blood pressure. Considering high salt intake (almost double the standard amount in Iran), especially in patients with low-social class and the effects of salt on human health, it is suggested to design and perform suitable educational programs based on theories and models of health education in order to reduce salt intake.

Do bacteria, not fish, produce 'fish kairomone'?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ringelberg, J.; Van Gool, E.

1998-01-01

Fish-associated chemicals enhance phototactic downward swimming in Daphnia. If perch were treated with the antibiotic ampicillin, this enhancement was significantly decreased. Therefore, not fish, but bacteria associated with fish, seem to produce this kairomone. [KEYWORDS: Diel vertical migration;

Producing tantalum or columbium powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rerat, C.F.

1979-01-01

A process is described for the production of tantalum or columbium powder with a high yield within a desired range of particle sizes. A molten salt bath of a double salt comprising either an alkali metal tantalum fluoride or an alkali metal columbium fluoride and a relatively large amount of alkali metal halide diluent salt to act as a heat sink is initially maintained at a temperature a little above the liquidus temperature of the salt mixture. A liquid alkali metal at a comparatively low temperature is added to the continuously stirred bath at a high mass flow rate, and reduces the double salt, producing tantalum or columbium. The reaction is exothermic and causes the temperature to rise rapidly to a desired final reaction temperature within the range 760 to 1000 0 . The liquid alkali metal is thereafter fed at a high mass flow rate to complete the reaction quickly at the final reaction temperature. Forced cooling at a heat extraction rate not less than 42 kilojoules/min./kg. of double salt is used during at least a portion of the reaction cycle at a rate sufficient to maintain the final reaction temperature within a desired range. (author)

The Regulation of Expression of the Stx2d Toxins in Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli O91:H21 Strain B2F1

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

done by Edda Twiddy). The mutants were also transduced with bacteriophage 933W to assess cytotoxicity in the DH5α mutants of a related toxin gene in...amounts of toxin antigen produced by DH5α with the levels produced by the mutants (with the assistance of Edda Twiddy). Dot blots were 84

Unusual amount of (-)-mesquitol from the heartwood of Prosopis juliflora.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirmah, Peter; Dumarçay, Stéphane; Masson, Eric; Gérardin, Philippe

2009-01-01

A large amount of flavonoid has been extracted and isolated from the heartwood of Prosopis juliflora, an exogenous wood species of Kenya. Structural and physicochemical elucidation based on FTIR, (1)H and (13)C NMR, GC-MS and HPLC analysis clearly demonstrated the presence of (-)-mesquitol as the sole compound without any noticeable impurities. The product was able to slow down oxidation of methyl linoleate induced by AIBN. The important amount and high purity of (-)-mesquitol present in the acetonic extract of P. juliflora could therefore be of valuable interest as a potential source of antioxidants from a renewable origin.

34 CFR 34.20 - Amount to be withheld under multiple garnishment orders.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amount to be withheld under multiple garnishment orders. 34.20 Section 34.20 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education ADMINISTRATIVE WAGE... other Federal law requires a different priority, the employer must pay us the amount calculated under...

20 CFR 225.42 - Notice of the percentage amount of a cost-of-living increase.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT PRIMARY INSURANCE AMOUNT DETERMINATIONS Cost-of-Living Increases § 225.42 Notice of the percentage amount of a cost-of-living increase. The percentage amount of the cost-of-living... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notice of the percentage amount of a cost-of...

Formation of Highly Twisted Ribbons in a Carboxymethylcellulase Gene-Disrupted Strain of a Cellulose-Producing Bacterium

Science.gov (United States)

Sugano, Yasushi; Shoda, Makoto; Sakakibara, Hitoshi; Oiwa, Kazuhiro; Tuzi, Satoru; Imai, Tomoya; Sugiyama, Junji; Takeuchi, Miyuki; Yamauchi, Daisuke

2013-01-01

Cellulases are enzymes that normally digest cellulose; however, some are known to play essential roles in cellulose biosynthesis. Although some endogenous cellulases of plants and cellulose-producing bacteria are reportedly involved in cellulose production, their functions in cellulose production are unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that disruption of the cellulase (carboxymethylcellulase) gene causes irregular packing of de novo-synthesized fibrils in Gluconacetobacter xylinus, a cellulose-producing bacterium. Cellulose production was remarkably reduced and small amounts of particulate material were accumulated in the culture of a cmcax-disrupted G. xylinus strain (F2-2). The particulate material was shown to contain cellulose by both solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Electron microscopy revealed that the cellulose fibrils produced by the F2-2 cells were highly twisted compared with those produced by control cells. This hypertwisting of the fibrils may reduce cellulose synthesis in the F2-2 strains. PMID:23243308

24 CFR 17.48 - Computation of amount of award.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... be no allowance for replacement cost or for appreciation in the value of the property. Subject to... repairs does not exceed the amount allowable under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. (b) Depreciation in...

9 CFR 51.24 - Maximum per-head indemnity amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... indemnity for their animals. All animals must be individually appraised to determine their fair market value. The indemnity amount will be the appraised value minus the salvage value of the animal, up to a...

Learning the Structure of Bayesian Network from Small Amount of Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan COCU

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Many areas of artificial intelligence must handling with imperfection ofinformation. One of the ways to do this is using representation and reasoning withBayesian networks. Creation of a Bayesian network consists in two stages. First stage isto design the node structure and directed links between them. Choosing of a structurefor network can be done either through empirical developing by human experts orthrough machine learning algorithm. The second stage is completion of probabilitytables for each node. Using a machine learning method is useful, especially when wehave a big amount of leaning data. But in many fields the amount of data is small,incomplete and inconsistent. In this paper, we make a case study for choosing the bestlearning method for small amount of learning data. Means more experiments we dropconclusion of using existent methods for learning a network structure.

Forecasting the Amount of Waste-Sewage Water Discharged into the Yangtze River Basin Based on the Optimal Fractional Order Grey Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuliang; Meng, Wei; Xie, Yufeng

2017-12-23

With the rapid development of the Yangtze River economic belt, the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into the Yangtze River basin increases sharply year by year, which has impeded the sustainable development of the Yangtze River basin. The water security along the Yangtze River basin is very important for China, It is something aboutwater security of roughly one-third of China's population and the sustainable development of the 19 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions among the Yangtze River basin. Therefore, a scientific prediction of the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into Yangtze River basin has a positive significance on sustainable development of industry belt along with Yangtze River basin. This paper builds the fractional DWSGM(1,1)(DWSGM(1,1) model is short for Discharge amount of Waste Sewage Grey Model for one order equation and one variable) model based on the fractional accumulating generation operator and fractional reducing operator, and calculates the optimal order of "r" by using particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm for solving the minimum average relative simulation error. Meanwhile, the simulation performance of DWSGM(1,1)model with the optimal fractional order is tested by comparing the simulation results of grey prediction models with different orders. Finally, the optimal fractional order DWSGM(1,1)grey model is applied to predict the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into the Yangtze River basin, and corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward through analyzing and comparing the prediction results. This paper has positive significance on enriching the fractional order modeling method of the grey system.

Method and apparatus for producing food grade carbon dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nobles, J.E.; Swenson, L.K.

1984-01-01

A method is disclosed of producing food grade carbon dioxide from an impure carbon dioxide source stream containing contaminants which may include light and heavy hydrocarbons (at least C 1 to C 3 ) and light sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide as well as heavier sulfur constituents in the nature of mercaptans (RSH) and/or organic mono and disulfides (RSR and RSSR). Nitrogen, water and/or oxygen may also be present in varying amounts in the impure feed stream. The feed gas is first rectified with liquid carbon dioxide condensed from a part of the feed stream to remove heavy hydrocarbons and heavy sulfur compounds, then passed through an absorber to effect removal of the light sulfur compounds, next subjected to an oxidizing atmosphere capable of converting all of the C 2 hydrocarbons and optionally a part of the methane to carbon oxides and water, chilled to condense the water in the remaining gas stream without formation of hydrates, liquefied for ease of handling and storage and finally stripped to remove residual contaminants such as methane, carbon monoxide and nitrogen to produce the final food grade carbon dioxide product

Time, Temperature and Amount of Distilled Water Effects on the Purity and Yield of Bis(2-hydroxyethyl Terephthalate Purification System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.W. Goh

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottle is one of the common plastic wastes existed in the municipal solid waste in Malaysia. One alternative to solve the abundant of PET wastes is chemical recycling of the wastes to produce a value added product. This technology not only can decrease the PET wastes in landfill sites but also can produce many useful recycled PET products. Bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET obtained from glycolysis reaction of PET waste was purified using crystallization process. The hot distilled water was added to glycolysis product followed by cooling and filtration to extract BHET in white solid form from the product. The effect of three operating conditions namely crystallization time, crystallization temperatures and amount of distilled water used to the yield of crystallization process were investigated. The purity of crystallization products were analyzed using HPLC and DSC. The optimum conditions of 3 hours crystallization time, 2 °C crystallization temperature and 5:1 mass ratio of distilled water used to glycolize solid gave the highest yield and purity of the crystallization process. © 2015 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 12nd August 2014; Revised: 4th February 2015; Accepted: 5th February 2015How to Cite: Goh, H.W., Salmiaton, A., Abdullah, N., Idris, A. (2015. Time, Temperature and Amount of Distilled Water Effects on the Purity and Yield of Bis(2-hydroxyethyl Terephthalate Purification System. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 10 (2: 143-154. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.10.2.7195.143-154 Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.10.2.7195.143-154  

Mechanical Properties of a Bainitic Steel Producible by Hot Rolling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rana R.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A carbide-free bainitic microstructure is suitable for achieving a combination of ultra high strength and high ductility. In this work, a steel containing nominally 0.34C-2Mn-1.5Si-1Cr (wt.% was produced via industrial hot rolling and laboratory heat treatments. The austenitization (900°C, 30 min. and austempering (300-400°C, 3 h treatments were done in salt bath furnaces. The austempering treatments were designed to approximately simulate the coiling step, following hot rolling and run-out-table cooling, when the bainitic transformation would take place and certain amount of austenite would be stabilized due to suppression of carbide precipitation. The microstructures and various mechanical properties (tensile properties, bendability, flangeability, and room and subzero temperature impact toughness relevant for applications were characterized. It was found that the mechanical properties were highly dependent on the stability of the retained austenite, presence of martensite in the microstructure and the size of the microstructural constituents. The highest amount of retained austenite (~ 27 wt.% was obtained in the sample austempered at 375°C but due to lower austenite stability and coarser overall microstructure, the sample exhibited lower tensile ductility, bendability, flangeability and impact toughness. The sample austempered at 400°C also showed poor properties due to the presence of initial martensite and coarse microstructure. The best combination of mechanical properties was achieved for the samples austempered at 325-350°C with a lower amount of retained austenite but with the highest mechanical stability.

5 CFR 838.1111 - Amounts subject to child abuse judgment enforcement orders.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amounts subject to child abuse judgment... Under the Child Abuse Accountability Act Availability of Funds § 838.1111 Amounts subject to child abuse... child abuse enforcement orders only if all of the conditions necessary for payment of the employee...

On-line monitoring of water amount in fresh concrete by radioactive-wave method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemi, T.; Arai, M.; Enomoto, S.; Suzki, K.; Kumahara, Y.

2003-01-01

The committee on nondestructive inspection for steel reinforced concrete structures in the Federation of Construction Materials Industries, Japan has published a proposed standard for on-line monitoring of water amount in fresh concrete by the radioactive wave method. By applying a neutron technique, water amount in fresh concrete is estimated continuously from the energy consumption of neutron due to hydrogen. A standard is discussed along with results of verification tests. Thus, on-line monitoring for water amount is proposed

Amount and composition of rain failing at Rothamsted

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russell, E J; Richards, E H

1919-01-01

The monthly fluctuations in the ammoniacal concentration varies with rainfall, i.e., highest in spring; lowest in winter. The nitric nitrogen concentration fluctuated year by year and month by month in the same way as the ammoniacal nitrogen and the rainfall until 1910, since when there has been no simple relationship. The close relationship between the amounts of ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen suggests either a common origin or the production of nitric compounds from ammonia. Chlorine fluctuations closely follow the rainfall also. Since 1888, when the experiments began, to 1916, when they terminated, there has been a rise in the amounts of nitric nitrogen and of chlorine in the rain. In the case of chlorine a parallel series of determinations made at Cirencester over the same period shows a similar rise. There is no rise of ammonia but on the contrary a tendency to drop; the sum of ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen shows little change over the period. This seems to suggest that a former source of ammonia is now turning out nitric acid. It is possible that modern gas burners and grates tend to the formation of nitric oxides rather than of ammonia. Rain contains on an average 10 parts of dissolved oxygen per million, the amount being higher in winter than in summer: 66.4 lb per acre per annum was brought down during the two years over which the determinations extended. The marked difference in composition between summer and winter rainfall suggests that these may differ in their origin. The winter rain resembles Atlantic rain in its high chlorine and low ammonia and nitrate content; the summer rain is characterized by low chlorine but high ammonia and nitrate content, suggesting that it arises by evaporation of water from the soil and condensation at higher altitudes than in the case of winter rain.

Energy deposition and the formation of biologically significant lesions by accelerated ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiefer, J.

1985-01-01

The assumption that the number of biologically significant lesions depends only on the amount of of energy absorbed in a critical cellular site is not able to explain the increase of RBE with LET and leads to large discrepancies between predicted and measured inactivation cross sections in the LET range between 20 and 200 keV.μm -1 . It has, therefore, to be concluded that not only the amount of energy absorbed but also the spatial pattern of this deposition plays a decisive role. In the model presented it is postulated that two or more energy deposition events in nanometre sites are required for the formation of biologically significant lesions. This cooperative action has to take place in very short times so that only interactions within a single particle track contribute. The mathematical treatment will be outlined and qualitatively shown that the model is able to predict RBE-LET relationships. The calculations use a track structure model based on classical collision mechanics. It is compared with existing experimental results showing good agreement at least for higher particle energies. (author)

High value added lipids produced by microorganisms: a potential use of sugarcane vinasse.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Bruna Soares; Vieira, João Paulo Fernandes; Contesini, Fabiano Jares; Mantelatto, Paulo Eduardo; Zaiat, Marcelo; Pradella, José Geraldo da Cruz

2017-12-01

This review aims to present an innovative concept of high value added lipids produced by heterotrophic microorganisms, bacteria and fungi, using carbon sources, such as sugars, acids and alcohols that could come from sugarcane vinasse, which is the main byproduct from ethanol production that is released in the distillation step. Vinasse is a rich carbon source and low-cost feedstock produced in large amounts from ethanol production. In 2019, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply estimates that growth of ethanol domestic consumption will be 58.8 billion liters, more than double the amount in 2008. This represents the annual production of more than 588 billion liters of vinasse, which is currently used as a fertilizer in the sugarcane crop, due to its high concentration of minerals, mainly potassium. However, studies indicate some disadvantages such as the generation of Greenhouse Gas emission during vinasse distribution in the crop, as well as the possibility of contaminating the groundwater and soil. Therefore, the development of programs for sustainable use of vinasse is a priority. One profitable alternative is the fermentation of vinasse, followed by an anaerobic digester, in order to obtain biomaterials such as lipids, other byproducts, and methane. Promising high value added lipids, for instance carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS), with a predicted market of millions of US$, could be produced using vinasse as carbon source, to guide an innovative concept for sustainable production. Example of lipids obtained from the fermentation of compounds present in vinasse are vitamin D, which comes from yeast sucrose fermentation and Omega 3, which can be obtained by bacteria and fungi fermentation. Additionally, several other compounds present in vinasse can be used for this purpose, including sucrose, ethanol, lactate, pyruvate, acetate and other carbon sources. Finally, this paper illustrates the potential market and

Alternative method to detect compounds produced by Gambierdiscus spp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon Andoni Sánchez

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Ciguatoxins (CTXs and CTX precursors are produced by several Gambierdiscus spp. These polyether toxins are associated to ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP. In addition to CTX, maitotoxins (MTX and gambierol are also produced by these dinoflagellates. MTX mechanism of action is strictly Ca2+ dependent, since the toxin induces a massive cytoplasmatic Ca2+ entrance. However, CTX activates the voltage-dependent sodium channels and no relation with calcium fluxes has been showed. The aim of this work was to study the effect of both toxins in the cytoplasmic calcium levels in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line by using the fluorescent probe Fura-2 AM. Two completely different calcium profiles were obtained. While, MTX induces a sustained dose-dependent increase in Fura-2 ratio, CTX produces a light increase in dye ratio. From MTX results a calibration curve concentration versus Fura-2 ratio was obtained where the toxin concentration of an unknown sample can be calculated. Then, the effect of four samples from Gambierdiscus cultures was studied and different calcium profiles were obtained. A high increase in Fura-2 ratio was observed in two samples. The calcium profile was similar to MTX and by using the calibration curve the amount of toxin was calculated (4.9 and 1.8 nM of MTX. In the other samples, from the Fura-2 results the presence of CTX like compounds can be established.

Anodization Mechanism on SiC Nanoparticle Reinforced Al Matrix Composites Produced by Power Metallurgy

OpenAIRE

Ferreira, Sonia C.; Conde, Ana; Arenas, Mar?a A.; Rocha, Luis A.; Velhinho, Alexandre

2014-01-01

Specimens of aluminum-based composites reinforced by silicon carbide nanoparticles (Al/SiCnp) produced by powder metallurgy (PM) were anodized under voltage control in tartaric-sulfuric acid (TSA). In this work, the influence of the amount of SiCnp on the film growth during anodizing was investigated. The current density versus time response and the morphology of the porous alumina film formed at the composite surface are compared to those concerning a commercial aluminum alloy (AA1050) anodi...

Impacts of Large Amounts of Wind Power on Design and Operation of Power Systems; Results of IEA Collaboration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parsons, B. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ela, E. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Holttinen, H. [VTT (Finland); Meibom, P. [DTU Riso (Denmark); Orths, A. [Energinet.dk (Denmark); O' Malley, M. [Univ. College Dubline (Ireland); Ummels, B. C. [Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands); Tande, J. [SINTEF (Norway); Estanqueiro, A. [INETI (Portugal); Gomez, E. [Univ. Castilla la Mancha (Spain); Smith, J. C. [Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG), Reston, VA (United States)

2008-06-01

There are a multitude of studies completed and ongoing related to the cost of wind integration. However, the results are not easy to compare. An international forum for exchange of knowledge of power system impacts of wind power has been formed under the IEA Implementing Agreement on Wind Energy. IEA WIND R&D Task 25 on “Design and Operation of Power Systems with Large Amounts of Wind Power” produced a state-of-the-art report in October 2007, where the most relevant wind-power grid integration studies were analyzed, especially regarding methodologies and input data. This paper summarizes the results from 18 case studies, with discussion on differences in methodology as well as issues that have been identified to impact the cost of wind integration.

Tumour uptake of the radiolabelled somatostatin analogue [DOTA0,TYR3]octreotide is dependent on the peptide amount

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, M. de; Breeman, W.A.P.; Bernard, B.F.; Gameren, A. van; Bruin, E. de; Bakker, W.H.; Van der Pluijm, M.E.; Krenning, E.P.; Visser, T.J.; Maecke, H.R.

1999-01-01

Radiolabelled tumour receptor-binding peptides can be used for in vivo scintigraphic imaging. Recently, the somatostatin analogue [Tyr 3 ]octreotide (d-Phe-c(Cys-Tyr-d-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys)-Thr(ol)) was derivatized with the chelator DOTA (tetra-azacyclododecane-tetra-acetic acid), enabling stable radiolabelling with both the high-energy beta particle-emitter yttrium-90 and the Auger electron-emitter indium-111. The thus produced radiolabelled compounds are promising for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. Our previous in vitro and in vivo (rat) experiments with these radiolabelled compounds showed favourable binding and biodistribution characteristics with high uptake and retention in the target organs. We also demonstrated receptor-specific, time- and temperature-dependent internalization of radiolabelled [DOTA 0 ,Tyr 3 ]octreotide in somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sst 2 )-positive rat pancreatic tumour cell lines. In this study we have investigated the effects of differences in the amount of injected peptide on tissue distribution of 111 In-labelled [DOTA 0 ,Tyr 3 ]octreotide in normal, i.e. non-tumour-bearing, and CA20948 tumour-bearing rats. This was done in order to find the amount of peptide at which the highest uptake in target tissues is achieved, and thereby to increase the potential of radionuclide therapy while simultaneously ensuring the lowest possible radiotoxicity in normal organs. Uptake of radiolabelled [DOTA 0 ,Tyr 3 ]octreotide in sst 2 -positive organs showed different bell-shaped functions of the amount of injected peptide, being highest at 0.05 (adrenals), 0.05-0.1 (pituitary and stomach) and 0.25 (pancreas) μg. Uptake in the tumour was highest at 0.5 μg injected peptide. The highest uptake was found at peptide amounts that were lower than those reported for [ 111 In-DTPA 0 ]octreotide (d-Phe-c(Cys-Phe-d-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys)-Thr(ol), DTPA = diethylene-triamine-penta-acetic acid), consistent with the higher receptor affinity of the first compound

POLICY ANALYSIS OF PRODUCED WATER ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH IN-SITU THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert Keiter; John Ruple; Heather Tanana

2011-02-01

Commercial scale oil shale and oil sands development will require water, the amount of which will depend on the technologies adopted and the scale of development that occurs. Water in oil shale and oil sands country is already in scarce supply, and because of the arid nature of the region and limitations on water consumption imposed by interstate compacts and the Endangered Species Act, the State of Utah normally does not issue new water rights in oil shale or oil sands rich areas. Prospective oil shale and oil sands developers that do not already hold adequate water rights can acquire water rights from willing sellers, but large and secure water supplies may be difficult and expensive to acquire, driving oil shale and oil sands developers to seek alternative sources of supply. Produced water is one such potential source of supply. When oil and gas are developed, operators often encounter ground water that must be removed and disposed of to facilitate hydrocarbon extraction. Water produced through mineral extraction was traditionally poor in quality and treated as a waste product rather than a valuable resource. However, the increase in produced water volume and the often-higher quality water associated with coalbed methane development have drawn attention to potential uses of produced water and its treatment under appropriations law. This growing interest in produced water has led to litigation and statutory changes that must be understood and evaluated if produced water is to be harnessed in the oil shale and oil sands development process. Conversely, if water is generated as a byproduct of oil shale and oil sands production, consideration must be given to how this water will be disposed of or utilized in the shale oil production process. This report explores the role produced water could play in commercial oil shale and oil sands production, explaining the evolving regulatory framework associated with produced water, Utah water law and produced water regulation

Optimization of physico-chemical and nutritional parameters for a novel pullulan-producing fungus, Eurotium chevalieri.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaur, R; Singh, R; Tiwari, S; Yadav, S K; Daramwal, N S

2010-09-01

To isolate the novel nonmelanin pullulan-producing fungi from soil and to optimize the physico-chemical and nutritional parameters for pullulan production. A selective enrichment method was followed for the isolation, along with development of a suitable medium for pullulan production, using shake flask experiments. Pullulan content was confirmed using pure pullulan and pullulanase hydrolysate. Eurotium chevalieri was able to produce maximum pullulan (38 ± 1·0 g l(-1) ) at 35°C, pH 5·5, 2·5% sucrose, 0·3% ammonium sulfate and 0·2% yeast extract in a shake flash culture medium with an agitation rate of 30 rev min(-1) for 65 h. The novel pullulan-producing fungus was identified as E. chevalieri (MTCC no. 9614), which was able to produce nonmelanin pullulan at from poorer carbon and nitrogen sources than Aureobasidium pullulans and may therefore be useful for the commercial production of pullulan. Eurotium chevalieri could produce pullulan in similar amounts to A. pullulans. Therefore, in future, this fungus could also be used for commercial pullulan production, because it is neither polymorphic nor melanin producing, hence its handling during pullulan fermentation will be easier and more economical. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Molecules decreasing the amount of wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grumberg, P.

1993-01-01

This popularization paper reviews the separation of actinides from radioactive wastes by molecules such as crown ethers to reduce storage and the use of amides instead of TBP to reduce secondary wastes produced by combustion

Antimicrobial Activity of Bacteriophage Endolysin Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalskaya, Natalia; Foster-Frey, Juli; Donovan, David M; Bauchan, Gary; Hammond, Rosemarie W

2016-01-01

The increasing spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has raised the interest in alternative antimicrobial treatments. In our study, the functionally active gram-negative bacterium bacteriophage CP933 endolysin was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by a combination of transient expression and vacuole targeting strategies, and its antimicrobial activity was investigated. Expression of the cp933 gene in E. coli led to growth inhibition and lysis of the host cells or production of trace amounts of CP933. Cytoplasmic expression of the cp933 gene in plants using Potato virus X-based transient expression vectors (pP2C2S and pGR107) resulted in death of the apical portion of experimental plants. To protect plants against the toxic effects of the CP933 protein, the cp933 coding region was fused at its Nterminus to an N-terminal signal peptide from the potato proteinase inhibitor I to direct CP933 to the delta-type vacuoles. Plants producing the CP933 fusion protein did not exhibit the severe toxic effects seen with the unfused protein and the level of expression was 0.16 mg/g of plant tissue. Antimicrobial assays revealed that, in contrast to gram-negative bacterium E. coli (BL21(DE3)), the gram-positive plant pathogenic bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis was more susceptible to the plant-produced CP933, showing 18% growth inhibition. The results of our experiments demonstrate that the combination of transient expression and protein targeting to the delta vacuoles is a promising approach to produce functionally active proteins that exhibit toxicity when expressed in plant cells.

AL-PAM assisted filtration of mature fine tailings produced from oil sands development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alamgir, A.; Masliyah, J.; Xu, Z. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering

2010-07-01

The inventory of mature fine tailings (MFT) produced by the oil sands extraction process continues to grow, and is considered as a long-term environmental liability. Large amounts of water are trapped in the MFT, and the tailings ponds present a threat to local wildlife and ecosystems. This PowerPoint presentation discussed a research project that is being conducted to identify conditions for producing stackable MFT deposits. The study is investigating various types and dosages of polymers and evaluating the degrees of MFT dilution and process configurations needed to maximize re-usable water recovery. Polymeric flocculants include AL-PAM and Magnafloc 1011. Settling tests have demonstrated that 50 ppm is the optimum dosage for both polymers when MFT is diluted to 5 wt percent solids, while 75 ppm of AL-PAM and 100 ppm of MF1011 are optimum dosages for MFT diluted to 10 wt percent solids. A novel supernatant filtration method was then used to produce filtration cakes and water. The study showed that the supernatant can be used to further dilute the MFTs. tabs., figs.

Development of a Solid-State Fermentation System for Producing Bioethanol from Food Waste

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Hiroaki; Ohnishi, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Naoshi; Suzuki, Masaharu

Liquid fermentation is the a conventional method of producing bioethanol. However, this method results in the formation of high concentrations waste after distillation and futher treatment requires more energy and is costly(large amounts of costly energy).Saccharification of dried raw garbage was tested for 12 types of Koji starters under the following optimum culture conditions: temperature of 30°C and initial moisture content of 50%.Among all the types, Aspergillus oryzae KBN650 had the highest saccharifying power. The ethanol-producing ability of the raw garbage was investigated for 72 strains of yeast, of which Saccharomyces cerevisiae A30 had the highest ethanol production(yield)under the following optimum conditions: 1 :1 ratio of dried garbage and saccharified garbage by weight, and initial moisture content of 60%. Thus, the solid-state fermentation system consisted of the following 4 processes: moisture control, saccharification, ethanol production and distillation. This system produced 0.6kg of ethanol from 9.6kg of garbage. Moreover the ethanol yield from all sugars was calculated to be 0.37.

Process for producing a polymer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koshimura, M; Haruta, K; Matsuzaka, J; Terakado, H

1969-02-13

A novel polymer is produced by a novel polymerization or copolymerization process in the presence of a free radical-forming catalyst or radical-forming irradiation energy to provide a monomer of the general formula CH/sub 2/=C(R/sub 1/)(COO)-(R/sub 2/OOCR/sub 3/COO)sub(n)-R/sub 2/OH wherein R/sub 1/ is hydrogen, halogen or alkyl radical containing one or two atoms; R/sub 2/ is an epoxy compound residue; R/sub 3/ is a polybasic anhydride residue; and n is an integer. This polymer: (1) enables the cross-linking reaction, (2) improves the adhesiveness of adhesives, pigments, films and coatings; (3) is adjustable for mutual solubility and affinity when blending with other solvents and resins; (4) is resistant to yellowing and mechanically stronger than the benzene nucleus of styrene; (5) improves the textile dyeing affinity, adhesiveness and dispersion of pigments, and the dimensional stability of films and sheets; (6) is suitable as a molding material of synthetic resins, adhesives and coatings because of its three dimensional cross-linking construction; (7) can control the hardness, flexibility and rigidity of the molding materials; and (8) can lower the cost of production. In an example, 10 g of the monomer of the above mentioned formula wherein n=1, R/sub 1/=CH/sub 3/, R/sub 2/=-(CH/sub 2/)/sub 2/ and R/sub 3/ is ortho-substituted benzene, and 0.1 g of benzol peroxide, are added to ampoule, sealed and polymerized at 120/sup 0/C for 2 hours. Next the contents are precipitated in a large amount of benzene to produce a polymer having a molecular weight of 9,500. The products have good dimensional stability as molding materials.

Sorption of small amounts of europium(III) on iron(III) hydroxide and oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Music, S.; Gessner, M.; Wolf, R.H.H.

1979-01-01

The sorption of small amounts of europium(III) on iron(III) hydroxide and oxide has been studied as a function of pH. The mechanism of sorption is discussed. Optimum conditions have been found for the preconcentration of small or trace amounts of europium(III) by iron(III) hydroxide and oxide. The influence of complexing agents (EDTA, oxalate, tartrate and 5-sulfosalicylic acid) on the sorption of small amounts of europium(III) on iron(III) oxide has also been studied. (author)

Basic Performance of Fibre Reinforced Asphalt Concrete with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Produced In Low Temperatures with Foamed Bitumen

Science.gov (United States)

Chomicz-Kowalska, Anna; Iwański, Mateusz M.; Mrugała, Justyna

2017-10-01

During the reconstruction of road pavements, the reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), which is obtained through milling of the worn out existing asphalt, is commonly used for producing new base courses in cold recycling processes. Two of these techniques are most popular: one using mineral-cement-emulsion mixes and one utilizing mineral cement mixes with foamed bitumen. Additionally, some amounts of RAP can be incorporated into traditional hot mix asphalt. The demand for energy efficient and environmentally friendly solutions however, results in a need for development of new techniques that would result in cheaper and more reliable solutions with smaller carbon footprint. The reduction of processing temperatures with simultaneous incorporation of reclaimed material is the most efficient way of obtaining these objectives, but it often results in the overall decrease of bituminous mix quality. The paper presents the possibility of using RAP for producing asphalt concrete in warm mix asphalt (WMA) production process by the use of foamed bitumen modified with Fischer-Tropsch synthetic wax and polymer-basalt fibers. Additionally, a series of reference mixtures were produced to investigate the effects of the additives and of the warm process. The carried out analyses and tests shown that the experimental warm mix asphalt produced with RAP and foamed bitumen returned satisfactory performance. The introduction of synthetic F-T wax in the warm foam bitumen mixes resulted in a significantly improved compaction levels and moisture and frost resistance and the addition of polymer-basalt fibers has further improved the permanent deformation resistance of the mixes. All of the designed and tested mixes have fulfilled the requirements for binding course asphalt concrete with medium traffic loads.

Effect of increased exposure times on amount of residual monomer released from single-step self-etch adhesives.

Science.gov (United States)

Altunsoy, Mustafa; Botsali, Murat Selim; Tosun, Gonca; Yasar, Ahmet

2015-10-16

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased exposure times on the amount of residual Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, HEMA and UDMA released from single-step self-etch adhesive systems. Two adhesive systems were used. The adhesives were applied to bovine dentin surface according to the manufacturer's instructions and were polymerized using an LED curing unit for 10, 20 and 40 seconds (n = 5). After polymerization, the specimens were stored in 75% ethanol-water solution (6 mL). Residual monomers (Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, UDMA and HEMA) that were eluted from the adhesives (after 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days and 30 days) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD tests. Among the time periods, the highest amount of released residual monomers from adhesives was observed in the 10th minute. There were statistically significant differences regarding released Bis-GMA, UDMA, HEMA and TEGDMA between the adhesive systems (p<0.05). There were no significant differences among the 10, 20 and 40 second polymerization times according to their effect on residual monomer release from adhesives (p>0.05). Increasing the polymerization time did not have an effect on residual monomer release from single-step self-etch adhesives.

Mass spectrometry identification of alkyl-substituted pyrazines produced by Pseudomonas spp. isolates obtained from wine corks.