Seeking to enhance the bioenergy of municipal sludge: Effect of alkali pre-treatment and soluble organic matter supplementation

The aim of this research is to enhance the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal sludge from Cadiz-San Fernando (Spain) wastewater treatment plant at 20 days hydraulic retention time (HRT). Two different strategies were tested to improve the process: co-digestion with the addition of soluble organic matter (1% v/v); and alkali sludge pre-treatment (NaOH) prior to co-digestion with glycerine (1% v/v). Methane production (MP) was substantially enhanced (from 0.36 ± 0.09 L CH4 l/d to 0.85 ± 0.16 L CH4 l/d), as was specific methane production (SMP) (from 0.20 ± 0.05 L CH4/g VS to 0.49 ± 0.09 L CH4/g VS) when glycerine was added. The addition of glycerine does not seem to affect sludge stability, the quality of the effluent in terms of pH and organic matter content, i.e. volatile fatty acids (VFA), soluble organic matter and total volatile solid, or process stability (VFA/Alkalinity ratio < 0.4). Alkali pre-treatment prior to co-digestion resulted in a high increase in soluble organic loading rates (more than 20%) and acidification yield (more than 50%). At 20 days HRT, however, it led to overload of the system and total destabilization of the mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and glycerine

Mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge with glycerine: Effect of solids retention time

The main objective of this paper is to examine the effect of the increase in organic loading rates (OLRs), by reducing the solids retention time (SRT) from 20 d to 5 d, in single-phase mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge with glycerine (1% v/v). It was experimentally confirmed that anaerobic co-digestion of these biowastes under steady-state conditions can achieve an 85 ± 5% reduction in volatile fatty acids (VFA) at SRTs of between 20 and 9 d, with a methane production yield of around 0.8 l CH4/l/d. Decreases in the SRT not only allow the sludge stability and biogas production to be maintained, but also lead to an increase in the waste that could be treated and lower operating costs. Therefore, mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and glycerin at a SRT lower than 20 d is possible and preferable due to being more economical and environmentally friendl

Synaptic connections of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons in the human neocortex

Previous immunocytochemical studies in the cerebral cortex of various species have shown that the calcium-binding protein calretinin (CR) labels specific subpopulations of nonspiny non-pyramidal cells (interneurons). The present study attempts to characterize morphologically and chemically the microcircuitry of CR-immunoreactive (CR-ir) neurons in the human temporal neocortex. Postembedding immunocytochemistry for CR and GABA and combination immunocytochemistry for OR and non-phosphorylated neurofilament protein (NPNFP) or for CR and the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin (PV) and calbindin (CB) showed CR multiterminal endings frequently innervating the distal apical dendrite or the cell body and proximal dendrites of NPNFP-ir or CB-ir pyramidal cells, respectively. Cell bodies of interneurons immunoreactive for CB or PV were innervated only occasionally by CR multiterminal endings, whereas certain GABA neurons were surrounded by them. Furthermore, CR-ir axon terminals formed either symmetrical (the majority) or asymmetrical synapses with a variety of postsynaptic elements. These results indicate that different subpopulations of CR interneurons exist that are specialized for selective innervation of somatic or dendritic regions of certain pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons.Peer Reviewe

On the Propertization of Data and the Harmonization Imperative

The digital age has paved the way for unforeseen and unconscionable harms. Recent experiences with security breaches, surveillance programs, and mass disinformation campaigns have taught us that unchecked data collection, use, retention, and transfer have the potential to affect everything from health-care access to national security. And they have shown the growing need for a solution that addresses this proliferation of intangible collective harms. This Note champions data propertization—the process of establishing a bundle of rights in data comparable to those that comprise property interests—as the proper method for preventing and redressing data harms. More specifically, this Note analyzes Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act, California’s Consumer Privacy Act, Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act, and Colorado’s Privacy Act to show that data propertization is already underway under the banner of data protection and privacy. In each case, state law advances data propertization by empowering individuals with a bundle of rights that mirror emblematic property rights to possess, exclude, and alienate, while establishing a framework for enforcement of those rights. Notwithstanding this development, this Note also illustrates that differences between the four laws have exposed gaps in rights and enforcement, which only fragment and jeopardize data propertization. To address this issue, this Note prescribes a harmonized bundle of rights best suited to developing property interests in data and argues that those rights should be codified in federal law, dually enforced through agency enforcement and a private right of action. By eliminating gaps between existing data propertization laws and preventing the proliferation of others, such an approach would spur the development of a more cohesive and more significant property interest in data that is more capable of withstanding a new age of digital harms

Immunoprophylaxis of Influenza using AAV Vector Delivery of Cross-Subtype Neutralizing Nanobodies

Cross-subtype neutralizing single domain antibodies against influenza present new opportunities for immunoprophylaxis and pandemic preparedness. Their simple modular structure and single open reading frame format are highly amenable to gene therapy-mediated delivery. R1a-B6, an alpaca-derived single domain antibody (nanobody), that is capable of potent cross-subtype neutralization in vitro of H1N1, H5N1, H2N2, and H9N2 influenza viruses, through binding to a highly conserved epitope in the influenza hemagglutinin stem region, was previously described. To evaluate the potential of R1a-B6 for immunoprophylaxis via adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector delivery, it was reformatted as Fc fusions of mouse IgG1 (ADCC-) and IgG2a (ADCC+) isotypes. This is also to extend R1a-B6’s half-life and to assess the requirement for ADCC for efficacy of R1a-B6 in vitro and in vivo. It was found that reformatted R1a-B6 of either mouse IgG isotype retained its potent binding and neutralization activity against different Group I influenza A subtypes in vitro. The findings in this study also demonstrate that a single intramuscular injection in mice of AAV encoding R1a-B6-Fc was able to drive sustained high-level expression (0.5–1.1 mg/mL) of the nanobody-Fc in sera with no evidence of reduction for up to 6 months. R1a-B6-Fc fusions of both isotypes gave complete protection against lethal challenge with both pandemic A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)pdm09 and mouse-adapted avian influenza A/Vietnam/1194/2004 (H5N1). These data suggest that R1a-B6-Fc delivered via AAV is capable of cross-subtype protection and ADCC was not essential for protection. These findings reveal that AAV delivery of cross-subtype neutralizing nanobodies may be an effective strategy to prevent influenza infection and provide long-term protection independent of a host induced immune response

Fuzzy Inference System for VOLT/VAR control in distribution substations in isolated power systems

This paper presents a fuzzy inference system for voltage/reactive power control in distribution substations. The purpose is go forward to automation distribution and its implementation in isolated power systems where control capabilities are limited and it is common using the same applications as in continental power systems. This means that lot of functionalities do not apply and computational burden generates high response times. A fuzzy controller, with logic guidelines embedded based upon heuristic rules resulting from operators at dispatch control center past experience, has been designed. Working as an on-line tool, it has been tested under real conditions and it has managed the operation during a whole day in a distribution substation. Within the limits of control capabilities of the system, the controller maintained successfully an acceptable voltage profile, power factor values over 0,98 and it has ostensibly improved the performance given by an optimal power flow based automation system

Relationship between sensory analysis and Near Infrared Spectroscopy in common beans

Postprint (published version

Reestimation of shadow prices for the Philippines

context of project evaluation. Early contributions to the literature formulated methodologies and framework for estimating social opportunity costs of goods and resources, with an underlying objective of maximizing income, regardless of its distributional impact. These earlier contributions constitute what is now referred to as the "traditional approach." Well-known proponents of this approach include Arnold Harberger and Edward Mishan. Since then, a lot of contributions have been added to the literature. New approaches were developed, which, in contrast with the traditional view, sought to value differentially a project's distributional impact and its impact between saving and consumption. The most widely cited contributions to the new approach include Dasgupta, Marglin and Sen (1972), Little and Mirrlees (1968 and 1974) and Squire and van der Tak (1975).1 There are also studies on shadow prices in the Philippine context. The first and most complete set of estimates of shadow prices for the Philippines based on empirical data and analytically deduced formulas, can be found in Bautista, Power and Associates (1979). It provides estimates of shadow prices of foreign exchange ( using 1974 data), labor (using 1977 data), and capital (based on 1974 data). The estimates were updated and methodologies were improved in Medalla and Power (1984). After years of debate, the subject of cost-benefit analysis, particularly the concept of using distribution weights, remains controversial. This study would not attempt to end the debate. It does not intend to resolve all the controversial issues in cost-benefit analysis. Rather, its objectives are much more modest. It is primarily addressed to actual practitioners of project evaluation and is thus designed to be practical. The main objectives of the study are : 1. to provide the most recent estimates of the basic parameters in shadow pricing, namely, the shadow exchange rate, the marginal productivity of capital, and the opportunity cost of labor; 2. to spell out procedures for estimating these parameters to enable convenient and consistent reestimation in the future; and 3. to clarify the differences between approaches and trace their impact on the parameters used in order to easily shift from one approach to another. The study is divided into six parts. Part 1 gives a brief background on the topic while part II provides an overview of the concept of shadow pricing and the basic approaches to cost- benefit analysis. The succeeding parts discuss how to estimate shadow prices. In particular, part in shows how to estimate the shadow exchange rate, part IV the marginal productivity of capital and part V, the shadow wage rate. Finally, part VI discusses how to estimate accounting price ratios for frequently used (nontraded) inputs such as electricity and transportation services