Differential phenotyping of Brucella species using a newly developed semi-automated metabolic system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A commercial biotyping system (Taxa Profile™, Merlin Diagnostika) testing the metabolization of various substrates by bacteria was used to determine if a set of phenotypic features will allow the identification of members of the genus <it>Brucella </it>and their differentiation into species and biovars.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 191 different amines, amides, amino acids, other organic acids and heterocyclic and aromatic substrates (Taxa Profile™ A), 191 different mono-, di-, tri- and polysaccharides and sugar derivates (Taxa Profile™ C) and 95 amino peptidase- and protease-reactions, 76 glycosidase-, phosphatase- and other esterase-reactions, and 17 classic reactions (Taxa Profile™ E) were tested with the 23 reference strains representing the currently known species and biovars of <it>Brucella </it>and a collection of 60 field isolates. Based on specific and stable reactions a 96-well "<it>Brucella </it>identification and typing" plate (Micronaut™) was designed and re-tested in 113 <it>Brucella </it>isolates and a couple of closely related bacteria.</p> <p><it>Brucella </it>species and biovars revealed characteristic metabolic profiles and each strain showed an individual pattern. Due to their typical metabolic profiles a differentiation of <it>Brucella </it>isolates to the species level could be achieved. The separation of <it>B. canis </it>from <it>B. suis </it>bv 3, however, failed. At the biovar level, <it>B. abortus </it>bv 4, 5, 7 and <it>B. suis </it>bv 1-5 could be discriminated with a specificity of 100%. <it>B. melitensis </it>isolates clustered in a very homogenous group and could not be resolved according to their assigned biovars.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The comprehensive testing of metabolic activity allows cluster analysis within the genus <it>Brucella</it>. The biotyping system developed for the identification of <it>Brucella </it>and differentiation of its species and biovars may replace or at least complement time-consuming tube testing especially in case of atypical strains. An easy to handle identification software facilitates the applicability of the Micronaut™ system for microbiology laboratories.</p

Integrated water management concept for craft villages - example from the food processing craft village Dai Lam: Short communication

Craft villages played a significant role in the development of Vietnam’s rural economy for a long time. The range of products and production methods, including the processing of materials and chemicals, are now adapted to modern market requirements but environmental and labour protection issues are not adequately considered in the management of the craft villages. The reasons are various: poor education of responsible operators, deficient technical equipment or missing regulatory framework and implementation of existing regulations. The INHAND project (Integrated Water Management Concept for Craft Villages) started in 2011 and is studying the food processing village of Dai Lam located on the banks of the Cau River in the Bac Ninh province (about 40 km NE of the capital Hanoi). The household-scale business focus mainly on rice and cassava processing with 200 out of 1000 households producing alcohol from cassava and rice, 10 households producing tofu, and 30 households recycling aluminium. In addition, most households also raise pigs. The wastewater is released mostly untreated into the receiving stream. Within the framework of the INHAND project, four German und two Vietnamese partners will conduct a basic analysis inventory in the village with identification of suitable measure for an integrated, environmentally sound concept for the removal and reuse of all output streams. The second major task of the 3.5 years research project is the conceptualisation, development and implementation of pilot-scale treatment facilities in the village and the scientific monitoring of their planning and operation.Đã từ lâu, làng nghề đóng vai trò quan trọng trong quá trình phát triển kinh tế nông nghiệp tại Việt Nam. Các sản phẩm và phương thức sản xuất, bao gồm cả giai đoạn xử lý vật liệu và hóa chất, đã từng bước được cải tiến cho phù hợp với yêu cầu của thị trường hiện đại. Tuy nhiên, những yếu tố về môi trường và an toàn lao động vẫn chưa được quan tâm đúng mức tại các làng nghề do nhiều nguyên nhân như: trình độ của nhà sản xuất, vận hành còn hạn hẹp, thiếu trang thiết bị kỹ thuật, các quy chuẩn còn thiếu hoặc chưa được thi hành triệt để. Dự án INHAND (đề án xử lý nước tổng thể cho làng nghề) được khởi động từ năm 2011 và hiện đang tiến hành nghiên cứu làng nghề chế biến thực phẩm Đại Lâm ,nằm bên bờ song Cầu, thuộc tỉnh Bắc Ninh, cách Hà Nội 40 km. Mô hình kinh tế hộ gia đình tại làng chủ yếu tập trung vào chế biến gạo và sắn: 200 trong số 1000 hộ gia đình nấu rượu gạo và sắn, 10 hộ sản xuất đậu phụ, 30 hộ tái chế nhôm. Ngoài ra, gần như tất cả các hộ đều có nuôi lợn. Nước thải của làng được dẫn trực tiếp ra các khối nước mở, gần như không qua xử lý. Trong khuôn khổ dự án INHAND, bốn đối tác Đức và hai đối tác Việt Nam sẽ tiến hành phân tích hiện trạng môi trường của làng để tìm ra những biện pháp thích hợp nhằm xử lý và tái sử dụng các dòng thải. Nhiệm vụ thứ hai trong thời gian 3,5 năm của dự án là lập ra đề án, phát triển và triển khai các trạm xử lý ở quy mô thử nghiệm, đồng thời quan trắc khoa học các quá trình thiết kế và vận hành

Frontiers, Opportunities, and Challenges in Biochemical and Chemical Catalysis of CO_2 Fixation

Two major energy-related problems confront the world in the next 50 years. First, increased worldwide competition for gradually depleting fossil fuel reserves (derived from past photosynthesis) will lead to higher costs, both monetarily and politically. Second, atmospheric CO_2 levels are at their highest recorded level since records began. Further increases are predicted to produce large and uncontrollable impacts on the world climate. These projected impacts extend beyond climate to ocean acidification, because the ocean is a major sink for atmospheric CO2.1 Providing a future energy supply that is secure and CO_2-neutral will require switching to nonfossil energy sources such as wind, solar, nuclear, and geothermal energy and developing methods for transforming the energy produced by these new sources into forms that can be stored, transported, and used upon demand

Analyse der Verzögerungen beim Boarding von Flugzeugen und Untersuchung möglicher Optimierungsansätze

Due to rising aircraft movements worldwide and rising cost pressure for airlines, the aircraft turnaround process becomes more and more interesting concerning optimisation. Therefore this thesis focusses on possible optimisation approaches of the boarding process as part of the aircraft turnaround process in order to enhance the punctuality by increasing the predictability and decreasing the variance of the duration of the turnaround process. In order to reach that goal a breakdown of all boarding related processes and an analysis of the boarding process related delays are performed. Based on this analysis the bottlenecks are identified as starting point for the identification of possible optimisation approaches. In addition, previous investigations are reviewed in order to identify in which way process improvements should have been gained according to these investigations and why the investigation results are not put to use today. Furthermore, a reference system is defined and a simulation model is set up. A conclusion about the benefit of possible optimisation approaches in regard of the boarding time and the predictability of the duration thus became possible. The defined reference system is based on the state of the art and can be adjusted to various boarding scenarios concerning variable parameters like passenger mix, etc. The simulation model represents the aircraft cabin, so that passenger processes as well as interactions can be simulated and evaluated. Based on the process analysis possible optimisation approaches are developed, which show the ability of reducing the negative effect of the bottlenecks or in the best case eliminate those bottlenecks. Afterwards, the effect of these approaches are simulated and evaluated in regard of their duration and predictability. Finally, an effort-benefit-analysis is performed to be able to draw profound conclusions about the benefit as well as the implementation feasibility. To put it in a nutshell, this thesis investigates the generation of possible approaches to optimise the aircraft boarding process by including the reasons of disturbances concerning the boarding system. For that purpose two main questions are to be answered:• What are the bottlenecks in the aircraft boarding process, which decrease today’s process performance?• Which optimisation approaches can improve the process performance and simultaneously have a good implementation feasibility