Nitrogen removal and ammonia-oxidising bacteria in a vertical flow constructed wetland treating inorganic wastewater

Nitrogen removal performance and the ammonia-oxidising bacterial (AOB) community were assessed in the batch loaded 1.3ha saturated surface vertical flow wetland at CSBP Ltd, a fertiliser and chemical manufacturer located in Kwinana, Western Australia. From September 2008 to October 2009 water quality was monitored and sediment samples collected for bacterial analyses. During the period of study the wetland received an average inflow of 1109m3/day with NH3-N = 40mg/L and NO3-N=23mg/L. Effluent NH3-N and NO3-N were on average 31mg/L and 25mg/L respectively. The overall NH3-N removal rate for the period was 1.2g/m2/d indicating the nitrifying capacity of the wetland. The structure of the AOB community was analysed using group specific primers for the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and by clone libraries to identify key members. The majority of sequences obtained were most similar to Nitrosomonas sp. while Nitrosospira sp. was less frequent. Another two vertical flow wetlands, 0.8ha each, were commissioned at CSBP in July 2009, since then the wetland in this study has received nitrified effluent from these two new cells

Multi-criteria material selection for buildings in challenging environments

Climate change and future weather conditions are likely to challenge the way buildings are designed because there will be an increase in extreme climatic conditions. What should architects change in their design process to produce human habitats able to withstand those extreme conditions to ensure adequate comfort conditions? This paper presents preliminary results within the scope of an on-going research that addresses one single key issue: what materials will be most suitable in extreme temperature conditions. A set of 52 materials is analysed through a multi-criteria decision process that includes thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity, linear thermal expansion, service temperature, fracture toughness, recycle potential and embodied carbon as criteria. The goals are to find the best-fit materials for each climate scenario within the scope of contradictory objectives and to develop a methodology for the selection of construction materials for buildings in challenging environments. Results show that the best possible material for extreme temperatures, whether it would be a very cold or a very hot environment, is one that could combine the properties of polymers with a very low environmental impact (at the level of the impact from materials such as natural fibres, wood or wood derivatives). The results thus suggest that further research may be directed at biomaterials development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cattle Specific Immune Mechanisms used against the Protozoan Theileria annulata

Theileria annulata, the causative agent of tropical theileriosis, is an intracellular protozoan parasite transmitted by ticks of the genus Hyalomma. This tick-borne disease (TBD) exerts a high impact on livestock production in many developing tropical and subtropical countries. With an intricate life cycle and wide distribution around the world, many advances were made to restrict the impact and to control this TBD through the use of acaricides, chemotherapy and attenuated vaccines. However, an overreliance on these chemicals has meant new approaches for developing more effective vaccines are needed. Decades of studies support the idea that the humoral immune response elicited against the sporozoite stage of the tick life cycle may protect the host from infection. Further protective responses provided by cytotoxic T-cells, macrophages, and Natural Killer cells have also been identified as critically important during T. annulata infection. Here our focus will be the bovine immune response upon T. annulata infection, particularly the differential humoral and cellular immune responses. Our aim is to highlight the importance of the mechanisms potentially involved in protective immunity as well as significant findings, which may be incorporated into novel strategies for tropical theileriosis control.publishersversionpublishe