Stable carbon isotopic compositions of individual aromatic hydrocarbons as source and age indicators in oils from western Australian basins

The present study aims to establish the factors controlling the stable carbon isotopic compositions (d13C) of individual aromatic hydrocarbons analysed by compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) in crude oils from western Australian petroleum basins of varying age and facies type. This paper reports d13C values of individual aromatic hydrocarbons, like alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, alkylphenanthrenes and methylated biphenyls. The main aims are to confirm the origin (source) and age of these oils based on CSIA of selected aromatic compounds and to understand why the Sofer plot is ineffective in establishing the source of western Australian petroleum systems. The bulk d13C of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions of crude oils have been previously used to differentiate sources, however, many Australian crude oils are not classified correctly using this method. The oils were classified as marine by the d13C values of individual aromatic compounds and as terrigenous based on the bulk d13C data (Sofer plot). The oils where the d13C values of 1,6-DMN and 1,2,5-TMN isomers are most negative are indicative of a marine source, whereas oils with a less negative values for the 1,6-DMN and 1,2,5-TMN isomers are derived from marine source rocks that contain a significant terrigenous component. Similarly, oils with the least negative d13C values for the 1-MP and 1,9-DMP isomers reflect varying inputs of terrigenous organic matter to the their marine source rocks. Plots of P/DBT and Pr/Ph concentration ratios versus d13C values of DMP, 1,6-DMN, 1,2,5-TMN, 1-MP and 1,9-MP are constructed to establish the relative amount of terrigenous organic matter contributing to the source rock of a series of marine oils. The ratios of P/DBT and Pr/Ph plotted against the d13C values of the aromatic isomers (such as 1,6-DMN, 1,2,5-TMN, 1-MP and 1,9-MP) provide a novel and convenient way to discriminate crude oils derived from different source rocks that contain varying amounts of marine and terrigenous organic matter

User-definable resource bounds analysis for logic programs

We present a static analysis that infers both upper and lower bounds on the usage that a logic program makes of a set of user-definable resources. The inferred bounds will in general be functions of input data sizes. A resource in our approach is a quite general, user-defined notion which associates a basic cost function with elementary operations. The analysis then derives the related (upper- and lower-bound) resource usage functions for all predicates in the program. We also present an assertion language which is used to define both such resources and resourcerelated properties that the system can then check based on the results of the analysis. We have performed some preliminary experiments with some concrete resources such as execution steps, bytes sent or received by an application, number of files left open, number of accesses to a datábase, number of calis to a procedure, number of asserts/retracts, etc. Applications of our analysis include resource consumption verification and debugging (including for mobile code), resource control in parallel/distributed computing, and resource-oriented specialization

Run Time Models in Adaptive Service Infrastructure

Software in the near ubiquitous future will need to cope with vari- ability, as software systems get deployed on an increasingly large diversity of computing platforms and operates in different execution environments. Heterogeneity of the underlying communication and computing infrastruc- ture, mobility inducing changes to the execution environments and therefore changes to the availability of resources and continuously evolving requirements require software systems to be adaptable according to the context changes. Software systems should also be reliable and meet the user's requirements and needs. Moreover, due to its pervasiveness, software systems must be de- pendable. Supporting the validation of these self-adaptive systems to ensure dependability requires a complete rethinking of the software life cycle. The traditional division among static analysis and dynamic analysis is blurred by the need to validate dynamic systems adaptation. Models play a key role in the validation of dependable systems, dynamic adaptation calls for the use of such models at run time. In this paper we describe the approach we have un- dertaken in recent projects to address the challenge of assessing dependability for adaptive software systems

Two terpene synthases are responsible for the major sesquiterpenes emitted from the flowers of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

Kiwifruit vines rely on bees for pollen transfer between spatially separated male and female individuals and require synchronized flowering to ensure pollination. Volatile terpene compounds, which are important cues for insect pollinator attraction, were studied by dynamic headspace sampling in the major green-fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) cultivar ‘Hayward’ and its male pollinator ‘Chieftain’. Terpene volatile levels showed a profile dominated by the sesquiterpenes α-farnesene and germacrene D. These two compounds were emitted by all floral tissues and could be observed throughout the day, with lower levels at night. The monoterpene (E)-β-ocimene was also detected in flowers but was emitted predominantly during the day and only from petal tissue. Using a functional genomics approach, two terpene synthase (TPS) genes were isolated from a ‘Hayward’ petal EST library. Bacterial expression and transient in planta data combined with analysis by enantioselective gas chromatography revealed that one TPS produced primarily (E,E)-α-farnesene and small amounts of (E)-β-ocimene, whereas the second TPS produced primarily (+)-germacrene D. Subcellular localization using GFP fusions showed that both enzymes were localized in the cytoplasm, the site for sesquiterpene production. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that both TPS genes were expressed in the same tissues and at the same times as the corresponding floral volatiles. The results indicate that two genes can account for the major floral sesquiterpene volatiles observed in both male and female A. deliciosa flowers

Fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 in Muscle and Liver of Broiler Chickens and Turkey Poults Fed with Diets Containing Fusariotoxins at the EU Maximum Tolerable Level

International audienceAlthough provisional maximum tolerable daily intake and recommended guidelines have been established for fumonisins (FB) in food, few data are available concerning levels of FB inedible animal tissues. Such data are of particular interest in avian species that can tolerate relativelyhigh levels of fumonisins in their feed. Also, even if multiple contamination of animal feed bytoxins produced by Fusarium is very frequent, little is known about the consequences of multiplecontamination for FB levels in tissues. The aim of this study was to analyze the concentrationsof FB in the muscle and liver of chickens and turkeys fed with FB alone and with FB combinedwith deoxynivalenol (DON), and with zearalenone (ZEN). Experimental diets were formulated byincorporating ground cultured toxigenic Fusarium strains in corn-soybean based feeds. Control dietswere free of mycotoxins, FB diets contained 20 mg FB1+FB2/kg, and FBDONZEN diets contained20, 5, and 0.5 mg/kg of FB1+FB2, DON, and ZEN, respectively. Animals were reared in individualcages with free access to water and feed. The feed was distributed to male Ross chickens from the1st to the 35th day of age and to male Grade Maker turkeys from the 55th to the 70th day of age.On the last day of the study, the birds were starved for eight hours, killed, and autopsied for tissuessampling. No sign of toxicity was observed. A UHPLC-MS/MS method with isotopic dilution andimmunoaffinity clean-up of samples has been developed for analysis of FB in muscle (n = 8 per diet)and liver (n = 8 per diet). Only traces of FB that were below the LOQ of 0.25 µg/kg were found inmost of the samples of animals fed with the control diets. Mean concentrations of FB1, FB2, and FB3in muscle were 17.5, 3.39, and 1.26 µg/kg, respectively, in chickens, and 5.77, 1.52, and 0.54 µg/kg inturkeys, respectively. In the liver, the respective FB1, FB2, and FB3 concentrations were 44.7, 2.61, and0.79 µg/kg in chickens, and 41.47, 4.23, and 1.41 µg/kg, in turkeys. Cumulated level of FB1+FB2+FB3in the highly contaminated samples were above 60 and 100 µg/kg in muscle and liver, respectively.The concentrations of FB in the tissues of animals fed the FBDONZEN diet did not greatly differ fromthe concentrations measured in animals fed the diet containing only FB