Biodegradability of diesel and biodiesel blends

The biodegradability of pure diesel and biodiesel and blends with different proportions of biodiesel (2%(commercial); 5% and 20%) was evaluated employing the respirometric method and the redox indicator2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP) test. In the former, experiments simulating the contamination of natural environments (soil from a petrol station or water from a river) were carried out in Bartha biometer flasks (250 ml), and used to measure the microbial CO2 production. With the DCPIP test, the capability of three inocula to biodegrade the blends was tested. Results show that although biodiesel is more easily and faster biodegraded than diesel oil, among the blends evaluated (2%, 5% and 20%), only the blend with higher concentration of biodiesel presented biodegradability significantly different from diesel and it was not verified an improvement on the biodegradation of the diesel by means of  cometabolism

Aerobic biodegradation of butanol and diesel oil blends

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)This work aimed to evaluate the aerobic biodegradation of butanol/diesel oil blends (5, 10, 15, 20%, v/v) in comparison to the biodiesel/diesel oil blend (20%, v/v). Respirometric experiments simulating the contamination of natural environments (soil and water from a river) were carried out in biometer flasks (250 mL) used to measure microbial carbon dioxide (CO(2)) production. The automated turbidimeter Bioscreen C was used to follow the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBI on butanol/diesel oil blends. A redox indicator (2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol - DCPIP) test was used to evaluate the capability of four inocula to biodegrade the blends with 20% (v/v). The experiment which simulated the soil contamination demonstrated that butanol is less biodegradable than diesel oil, and for this reason the increase in the portion of butanol in the butanol/diesel blend from 5 to 20% had negative effects on biodegradation. While in soil the biodiesel/diesel blend was more easily biodegraded than the butanol/diesel blend, in water this order was the inverse. The insoluble fuels (diesel and biodiesel) were poorly biodegraded in water and the biodegradation of the butanol/diesel blend was favored by the water solubilization of the butanol, which enhances the bioavailability of this compound. On the other hand, initial concentrations of butanol in the water higher than 10 mL L(-1) inhibited the cell growth of the tested microorganisms. Thus, butanol toxicity presumably had a significant effect on the degree of biodegradation of the fuel blends.94270947101Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis (ANP) [PRH-05]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [2007/00341-1, 2007/07049-4]Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis (ANP) [PRH-05

The global seismographic network reveals atmospherically coupled normal modes excited by the 2022 Hunga Tonga Eruption

Summary The eruption of the submarine Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai (Hunga Tonga) volcano on January 15, 2022, was one of the largest volcanic explosions recorded by modern geophysical instrumentation. The eruption was notable for the broad range of atmospheric wave phenomena it generated and for their unusual coupling with the oceans and solid Earth. The event was recorded worldwide across the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) by seismometers, microbarographs, and infrasound sensors. The broadband instrumentation in the GSN allows us to make high fidelity observations of spheroidal solid Earth normal modes from this event at frequencies near 3.7 and 4.4 mHz. Similar normal modes reported following the 1991 Pinatubo (Volcanic Explosivity Index of 6) eruption and were predicted, by theory, to arise from the excitation of mesosphere-scale acoustic modes of the atmosphere coupling with the solid Earth. Here, we compare observations for the Hunga Tonga and Pinatubo eruptions and find that both strongly excited the Earth normal mode 0S29 (3.72 mHz) and that the modal amplitude was roughly 11 times larger for the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption. Estimates of attenuation (Q) for 0S29 across the GSN from temporal modal decay give Q = 332 ± 101, which is higher than estimates of Q for this mode using earthquake data (Q = 186.9 ± 5; Dziewonski &amp; Anderson 1981). Two microbarographs located at regional distances (&amp;lt; 1000 km) to the volcano provide direct observations of the fundamental acoustic mode of the atmosphere. These pressure oscillations, first observed approximately 40 minutes after the onset of the eruption, are in phase with the seismic Rayleigh wave excitation and are recorded only by microbarographs in proximity (&amp;lt; 1500 km) to the eruption. We infer that excitation of fundamental atmospheric modes occurs within a limited area close to the site of the eruption, where they excite select solid Earth fundamental spheroidal modes of similar frequencies that are globally recorded and have a higher apparent Q due to the extended duration of atmospheric oscillations.</jats:p

Mechanisms controlling anaemia in Trypanosoma congolense infected mice.

Trypanosoma congolense are extracellular protozoan parasites of the blood stream of artiodactyls and are one of the main constraints on cattle production in Africa. In cattle, anaemia is the key feature of disease and persists after parasitaemia has declined to low or undetectable levels, but treatment to clear the parasites usually resolves the anaemia. The progress of anaemia after Trypanosoma congolense infection was followed in three mouse strains. Anaemia developed rapidly in all three strains until the peak of the first wave of parasitaemia. This was followed by a second phase, characterized by slower progress to severe anaemia in C57BL/6, by slow recovery in surviving A/J and a rapid recovery in BALB/c. There was no association between parasitaemia and severity of anaemia. Furthermore, functional T lymphocytes are not required for the induction of anaemia, since suppression of T cell activity with Cyclosporin A had neither an effect on the course of infection nor on anaemia. Expression of genes involved in erythropoiesis and iron metabolism was followed in spleen, liver and kidney tissues in the three strains of mice using microarrays. There was no evidence for a response to erythropoietin, consistent with anaemia of chronic disease, which is erythropoietin insensitive. However, the expression of transcription factors and genes involved in erythropoiesis and haemolysis did correlate with the expression of the inflammatory cytokines Il6 and Ifng. The innate immune response appears to be the major contributor to the inflammation associated with anaemia since suppression of T cells with CsA had no observable effect. Several transcription factors regulating haematopoiesis, Tal1, Gata1, Zfpm1 and Klf1 were expressed at consistently lower levels in C57BL/6 mice suggesting that these mice have a lower haematopoietic capacity and therefore less ability to recover from haemolysis induced anaemia after infection

Second order nonlinear frequency generation at the nanoscale in dielectric platforms

Nonlinear frequency generation at the nanoscale is a hot research topic which is gaining increasing attention in nanophotonics. The generation of harmonics in subwavelength volumes is historically associated with the enhancement of electric fields in the interface of plasmonic structures. Recently, new platforms based on high-index dielectric nanoparticles have emerged as promising alternatives to plasmonic structures for many applications. By exploiting optically induced electric and magnetic response via multipolar Mie resonances, dielectric nanoelements may lead to innovative opportunities in nanoscale nonlinear optics. Dielectric optical nanoantennas enlarge the volume of light–matter interaction with respect to their plasmonic counterpart, since the electromagnetic field can penetrate such materials, and therefore producing a high throughput of the generated harmonics. In this review, we first recap recent developments obtained in high refractive index structures, which mainly concern nonlinear second order effects. Moreover, we discuss configurations of dielectric nano-devices where reconfigurable nonlinear behavior is achieved. The main focus of this work concerns efficient Sum Frequency Generation in dielectric nano-platforms. The reported results may serve as a reference for the development of new nonlinear devices for nanophotonic applications

A Myo6 Mutation Destroys Coordination between the Myosin Heads, Revealing New Functions of Myosin VI in the Stereocilia of Mammalian Inner Ear Hair Cells

Myosin VI, found in organisms from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans, is essential for auditory and vestibular function in mammals, since genetic mutations lead to hearing impairment and vestibular dysfunction in both humans and mice. Here, we show that a missense mutation in this molecular motor in an ENU-generated mouse model, Tailchaser, disrupts myosin VI function. Structural changes in the Tailchaser hair bundles include mislocalization of the kinocilia and branching of stereocilia. Transfection of GFP-labeled myosin VI into epithelial cells and delivery of endocytic vesicles to the early endosome revealed that the mutant phenotype displays disrupted motor function. The actin-activated ATPase rates measured for the D179Y mutation are decreased, and indicate loss of coordination of the myosin VI heads or ‘gating’ in the dimer form. Proper coordination is required for walking processively along, or anchoring to, actin filaments, and is apparently destroyed by the proximity of the mutation to the nucleotide-binding pocket. This loss of myosin VI function may not allow myosin VI to transport its cargoes appropriately at the base and within the stereocilia, or to anchor the membrane of stereocilia to actin filaments via its cargos, both of which lead to structural changes in the stereocilia of myosin VI–impaired hair cells, and ultimately leading to deafness

Search for supersymmetric particles in scenarios with a gravitino LSP and stau NLSP

Sleptons, neutralinos and charginos were searched for in the context of scenarios where the lightest supersymmetric particle is the gravitino. It was assumed that the stau is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Data collected with the DELPHI detector at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV were analysed combining the methods developed in previous searches at lower energies. No evidence for the production of these supersymmetric particles was found. Hence, limits were derived at 95% confidence level.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure

Estimating and comparing incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases by combining GP registry data: the role of uncertainty

Background: Estimates of disease incidence and prevalence are core indicators of public health. The manner in which these indicators stand out against each other provide guidance as to which diseases are most common and what health problems deserve priority. Our aim was to investigate how routinely collected data from different general practitioner registration networks (GPRNs) can be combined to estimate incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases and to explore the role of uncertainty when comparing diseases. Methods. Incidence and prevalence counts, specified by gender and age, of 18 chronic diseases from 5 GPRNs in the Netherlands from the year 2007 were used as input. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted with the GPRN identifier acting as random intercept, and age and gender as explanatory variables. Using predictions of the regression models we estimated the incidence and prevalence for 18 chronic diseases and calculated a stochastic ranking of diseases in terms of incidence and prevalence per 1,000. Results: Incidence was highest for coronary heart disease and prevalence was highest for diabetes if we looked at the point estimates. The between GPRN variance in general was higher for incidence than for prevalence. Since uncertainty intervals were wide for some diseases and overlapped, the ranking of diseases was subject to uncertainty. For incidence shifts in rank of up to twelve positions were observed. For prevalence, most diseases shifted maximally three or four places in rank. Conclusion: Estimates of incidence and prevalence can be obtained by combining data from GPRNs. Uncertainty in the estimates of absolute figures may lead to different rankings of diseases and, hence, should be taken into consideration when comparing disease incidences and prevalences

Haplotype differences for copy number variants in the 22q11.23 region among human populations: a pigmentation-based model for selective pressure.

Two gene clusters are tightly linked in a narrow region of chromosome 22q11.23: the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene family and the glutathione S-transferase theta class. Within 120 kb in this region, two 30-kb deletions reach high frequencies in human populations. This gives rise to four haplotypic arrangements, which modulate the number of genes in both families. The variable patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between these copy number variants (CNVs) in diverse human populations remain poorly understood. We analyzed 2469 individuals belonging to 27 human populations with different ethnic origins. Then we correlated the genetic variability of 22q11.23 CNVs with environmental variables. We confirmed an increasing strength of LD from Africa to Asia and to Europe. Further, we highlighted strongly significant correlations between the frequency of one of the haplotypes and pigmentation-related variables: skin color (R2=0.675, P<0.001), distance from the equator (R2=0.454, P<0.001), UVA radiation (R2=0.439, P<0.001), and UVB radiation (R2=0.313, P=0.002). The fact that all MIF-related genes are retained on this haplotype and the evidences gleaned from experimental systems seem to agree with the role of MIF-related genes in melanogenesis. As such, we propose a model that explains the geographic and ethnic distribution of 22q11.23 CNVs among human populations, assuming that MIF-related gene dosage could be associated with adaptation to low UV radiatio