Maceral and biomarker composition of lignite lithotypes - Implications on palaeoenvironment and grindability properties

Maceral and biomarker composition of different lignite lithotypes: matrix-coal, pale yellow xylite-rich coal, dark yellow xylite-rich coal, brown xylite-rich coal, mineral-rich coal and dopplerite originating from the Upper Miocene (“Pontian”) Kostolac Basin, Serbia was studied in detail. The objective was to establish the sources of organic matter and to determine palaeoenvironmental conditions which resulted in formation of different lignite lithotypes. Moreover, the influence of lignite lithotypes on grindability properties has also been assessed. Mineral-rich coal was formed in topogenous fresh water peat mire with open water areas. Formation of matrix coal was performed in reed march. The peatification of pale yellow- and dark yellow xylite proceeded in dry forest swamp. Brown xylite was formed in wet forest swamp, whereas dopplerite could have formed during transition of wet forest swamp into bush mire. Contents of liptinites, inertinites, gelinite, mineral matter, sesquiterpenoids, hopanoids and n-alkanes have positive impact on Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI), whereas total huminites, telohuminite and total organic carbon content, as well as retene/2-methyl, 1-(4’-methylpentyl), 6-isopropylnaphthalene ratio exhibited negative influence on HGI

Hospitality - Operating in accordance with the principles of good practice and hazard analysis and critical control points

Sektor ugostiteljstva predstavlja značajno mesto kada je u pitanju pojava bolesti prenosivih hranom u svetu. Restorani u okviru ugostiteljstva predstavljaju poslednja liniju odbrane hrane pre nego što ona dođe do potrošača. Ugostiteljski objekti koji pružaju usluge hrane i pića, su u obavezi da uspostave sistem za osiguranje bezbednosti hrane u skladu sa principima dobre proizvođačke i higijenske prakse i analize opasnosti i kritičnih kontrolnih tačaka (HACCP). Međutim, specifičnosti ugostiteljstva često predstavljaju barijere za uspešnu implementaciju HACCP sistema. U velikoj meri, na uspešnu primenu sistema upravljanja bezbednošću hrane, može uticati menadžment ugostiteljskih objekata. Pravilno rukovođenje ljudskim resursima, odnosno menadžment ljudskih resursa, mogao bi imati najvažniju ulogu u prevenciji bolesti prenosivih hranom u ugostiteljstvu. Dodatno, veoma je važno na pravilan način, sagledati čitav proizvodni proces i njegove specifičnosti što treba da rezultira primenom odgovarajućih kontrolnih mera kojim će se potencijalne opasnosti eliminisati ili svesti na prihvatljiv nivo. Bezbednost hrane je imperativ kada je u pitanju zdravlje potrošača, pa i efektivnost HACCP sistema, “alata” za postizanje bezbedne hrane, zavisi, između ostalog i od toga koliko je određeni subjekat u poslovanju sa hranom uspeo da prevaziđe sve barijere koje nosi specifičnost ugostiteljskog poslovanja da motiviše svoje zaposlene.A hospitality sector is an important place when it comes to the occurrence of foodborne diseases in the world. Restaurants within hospitality represent the last line of defense of food before it reaches the consumer. Hospitality facilities are obliged to establish a system for ensuring food safety in accordance with the principles of good manufacturing and hygiene practice and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP). However, the specifics of the hospitality sector often represent barriers to the successful implementation of the HACCP system. To a large extent, the successful implementation of the food safety management system can be influenced by the management of hospitality facilities. Proper management of human resources could play the most important role in the prevention of foodborne diseases in the hospitality industry. In addition, it is especially important to carefully consider the entire production process and its specifics, which should result in the application of appropriate control measures that will eliminate potential hazards or reduce them to an acceptable level. Food safety is imperative when it comes to consumer health, but also the effectiveness of the HACCP system will depend on how much a certain entity in the food business has managed to overcome all barriers that carry the specifics of the hospitality business and also motivate its employees

Petrographical and organic geochemical study of the lignite from the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia)

Three Upper Miocene (Pontian) lignite seams are present in the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia). The origin of their organic matter (OM), the characteristics of the depositional environment and certain utilisation properties have been evaluated based on petrographic data, bulk organic geochemical parameters, biomarker patterns and their isotope signatures. Moreover, results of isotopic analysis were used for the investigation of the influence of diagenetic aromatisation on delta C-13 signatures of biomarkers. The studied lignites are typical humic coals. The OM of lignites is derived from woody vegetation and herbaceous peat-forming plants, with a strong prevalence of the former. The peat-forming vegetation is dominated by decay resistant conifers, including gymnosperm families Cupressaceae, Taxodiaceae, and Pinaceae. Angiosperms occurred in lower amounts. Minor contribution of ferns, fungi and emergent aquatic macrophyta to the biomass is also evident. Chemoautotrophic- and heterotrophic bacteria played an import role during diagenesis. Diagenetic alterations, associated with change in the number of carbon atoms, influence delta C-13 ratios. Diagenetic aromatisation of di- and non-hopanoid triterpenoids is accompanied with C-13 depletion, whereas aromatisation of hopanoids displays the opposite trend. Peatification proceeded in a fresh water environment under variable, anoxic to slightly oxic redox conditions. The lowermost coal seam III accumulated in a topogenous fresh water peat mire with open water areas, which changed occasionally into a wet forest swamp. This resulted in the deposition of mineral-rich coal. The characteristics of lignite in coal seam II are similar to those of coal seam III. This is supported also by generally similar delta C-13 values of individual biomarkers. Coal seam I is dominated by xylite-rich coal, formed under mesotrophic to ombrotrophic conditions. Rapid flooding of the bogs stopped peat growth in all three coal seams. The ratios of ring-A-degraded and non-degraded aromatic diterpenoids and non-hopanoid triterpenoids, proposed in this study, as well as degree of aromatisation of these biomarkers, reflect changes in the water table. Calorific values of the samples indicate that they meet basic requirements for utilisation in the thermal power plants. None of the lignite samples is suitable for coal briquetting, whereas, based on petrographic data, lignite from coal seam I possesses certain potential for fluidized bed gasification

Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Is a Marker of Endothelial Dysfunction in Thrombotic Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients

Objective: The potential contribution of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) to endothelial dysfunction in APS patients has not been studied in detail, until now. The study involved 105 APS patients (59 diagnosed with primary APS (PAPS) and 46 APS associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SAPS)) who were compared to 40 controls. Endothelial dysfunction was assessed by measurement of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and glyceryl trinitrate dilatation (NMD) of the brachial artery. ADMA (micromol/L) was analyzed by ELISA. Results: FMD in patients with APS was significantly lower than that of the controls (p < 0.001), with no difference between the PAPS and the SAPS groups. ADMA and hsCRP concentrations were significantly higher in the patient cohort than in the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.006, respectively), as was the case with the SAPS group as compared to the PAPS group (p < 0.001, p = 0.022, respectively). FMD impairment correlated to ADMA (ρ 0.472, p < 0.001) and to hsCRP (ρ 0.181, p = 0.033). In the regression model, the ADMA concentration confirmed the strength of its association (B 0.518, SE 0.183, Wald 8.041, p = 0.005, Exp(B) 1.679, 95% CI 1.174–2.402) to FMD impairment. The synergistic probability model of ADMA and hsCRP caused FMD impairment when the positivity of β2GPIIgG was added. ADMA may be used as a simple and low-cost tool for verifying the presence of endothelial dysfunction in APS patients. According to the results of the study, we could presume that hsCRP, together with aPL, has a preparatory effect on the endothelium in causing endothelial dysfunction

Characterisation of lignite lithotypes from the "Kovin" deposit (Serbia) - Implications from petrographic, biomarker and isotopic analysis

Four lignite lithotypes (matrix coal, xylite-rich coal, mixture of matrix and mineral-rich coal and mixture of matrix and xylite-rich coal), originating from the Kovin deposit, were investigated in detail. The paper was aimed to determine the main maceral, biomarker and isotopic (delta C-13) characteristics of investigated lithotypes. Based on these results the sources and depositional environment of organic matter in 4 lithotypes were established. These samples were also used as substrates for investigation of the influence of diagenetic alteration on delta C-13 signatures of biomarkers, as well as for assessment of the most convenient utilization for each lithotype. The investigated lithotypes differ in accordance with the composition of huminite macerals. Xylite-rich coal notably distinguishes from other lithotypes beacuse of the highest content of conifer resins vs. epicuticular waxes. The mixture of matrix and mineral-rich coal is characterised by the greatest contribution of algae and fungi and the most intense methanotrophic activity at the time of deposition. In all coal lithotypes diagenetic aromatisation influenced isotopic composition of individual biomarkers. Xylite-rich coal has the poorest grindability properties. However, this coal lithotype is the most suitable for fluidized bed gasification, whereas the mixture of matrix and mineral-rich coal has the lowest applicability for this process. The calorific value decreases in order: xylite-rich coal gt matrix coal gt mixture of matrix and xylite-rich coal gt mixture of matrix and mineral-rich coal. The increase of organic carbon content and calorific value is controlled by the increase of contribution of wood vegetation vs. herbaceous peat-forming plants, as well as by stability of water table during peatification

Bioimaging of liver cancer cells incubated with partially reduced graphene oxide

Functional materials based on graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have a high potential for application in the fields of biophysics, material science, and biomedical engineering [1]. It is due to their tunable physical properties, high surface area, remarkable photoluminescence, as well as their controllable chemical functionalization [2]. Beyond their applications in nanomedicine for drug/gene delivery, phototherapy and bioimaging, they have shown significant interaction and adhesive properties with proteins, mammalian cells and microorganisms, which makes them potential candidates for multifunctional biological applications. In this lecture, we will present a study of the interaction of partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) with Huh7.5.1 liver cancer cells. The study was conducted by means of synchrotron excitation DUV fluorescence bioimaging (performed on DISCO beamline of synchrotron SOLEIL) [3]. The prGO sample was obtained by the reduction (to a certain extent) of the initially prepared GO nanosheets. The fluorescence of the GO nanosheets increases with time of the reduction due to a change in the ratio of the sp2 and sp3 carbon sites, and the prGO sample was extracted from the dispersion when the intensity of the fluorescence reached its maximum. After that, Huh7.5.1 cells were incubated with GO, prGO and rGO nanosheets and used in bioimaging studies. The presence of graphene materials influenced the fluorescence properties of the cells, and by analyzing fluorescence photobleaching dynamics, we were able to localize graphene nanosheets inside the liver cancer cells.VII International School and Conference on Photonics : PHOTONICA2019 : Abstracts of Tutorial, Keynote, Invited Lectures, Progress Reports and Contributed Papers; August 26-30; Belgrad

Petrographic and biomarker analysis of xylite-rich coal from the Kolubara and Kostolac lignite basins (Pannonian Basin, Serbia)

The maceral and biomarker characteristics of 4 sublithotypes of xylite-rich coal (SXCs), pale yellow, dark yellow, brown and black, originating from the Kolubara and Kostolac lignite basins were determined. Based on these results, differences in sources and changes of organic matter (OM) resulting in formation of 4 SXCs were established. Conifers (particularly Cupressaceae, Taxodiaceae and Pinacea) had a significant impact on the precursor OM of all SXCs. The contribution of gymnosperm vs. angiosperm vegetation decreased in order pale yellow SXC gt dark yellow SXC gt brown SXC gt black SXC. The distribution of non-hopanoid triterpenoids indicates that change of SXC colour from -yellow to black is associated with reduced input of angiosperm plants from the Betulacea family. Differences in hopane distribution, bitumen content, proportion of short-chain n-alkanes and degree of aromatization of di-and triterpenoids of pale yellow SXC are controlled by microbial communities which took part in the diagenetic alteration of OM. The content of total huminites increased from black to pale yellow SXC, whereas contents of total liptinite and inertinite macerals showed the opposite trend. SXCs differ according to textinite/ulminite ratio, which sharply decreased from pale yellow to black SXC, reflecting increase in gelification of woody tissue. Regarding the composition of liptinite macerals, the SXCs mostly differ according to resinite/liptodetrinite and resinite/suberinite ratios, which are higher in yellow than in brown and black SXC. This result along with values of TOC/N ratio and Carbon Preference Index indicate that the contribution of well preserved woody material, including lignin tissue vs. the impact of epicuticular waxes decreased from yellow to black SXC

Preliminary organic geochemical study of lignite from the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia) - Reconstruction of geological evolution and potential for rational utilization

The study was aimed at determining the origin and geological evolution of lignites from the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia). The possibility of a rational utilization of the coal was also considered. For this purpose, numerous organic geochemical analyses were applied to representative lignite samples. The obtained results showed that the coal from the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field is a typical humic coal. The peat-forming vegetation was dominated by gymnosperm plants. The coal-forming plants belonged to the gymnosperm families Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae, Phyllo-cladaceae and Pinaceae. Other precursors of organic matter (OM) were microbial biomass ferns and angiosperms. It was established that peatification occurred in a neutral to slightly acidic, fresh water environment Under anoxic to suboxic redox conditions. The maturity of the OM is low, in the phase of intense diagenetic processes. The biomarker compositions and values of the corresponding parameters revealed that the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field, the Drmno field (Kostolac Basin) and the "A" field (Kovin deposit) represent a part of a unique lignite basin. The results of this study suggest possible rational utilization of the Smederevsko Pomoravlje lignites in thermal power plants. This is particularly related to samples from coal seam I. A significant amount of gas could be generated from lignites at higher maturities. Eight samples met the basic assumptions for effective gasification