Biochemical characterization of a cyanobactin arginine-N-prenylase from the autumnalamide biosynthetic pathway

Cyanobactins are linear and cyclic post-translationally modified peptides. Here we show that the prenyl-D-Arg-containing autum-nalamide A is a member of the cyanobactin family. Biochemical assays demonstrate that the AutF prenyltransferase targets the guanidinium moiety in arginine and homoarginine and is a useful tool for biotechnological applications.Peer reviewe

Carbon Footprint of Brazilian Agriculture Based on Field Operations

Agriculture has historically relied on fossil fuels as the primary source of energy, leading to significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and exacerbating climate change. Brazil, as the third-largest producer and exporter of agricultural goods globally, plays a pivotal role in the transformation towards more sustainable practices. To this end, we propose a methodology to estimate CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq) emissions in agriculture, leveraging previous research on energy use in 23 crops in Brazil. The methodology aims to facilitate the comparison of emissions across different crops and production systems. Indirect emissions account for 36% of the total, while direct emissions account for 64%. Most direct emissions are due to the consumption of fertilizers and pesticides. The average emission per mass of product was 749.53 kg CO2-eq Mg−1, with cotton having the highest emissions and eucalyptus having the lowest emissions per product. The results highlight the importance of assessing GHG emissions from crops to identify emission reduction opportunities and promoting more sustainable agricultural practices. The study’s findings can inform policy recommendations and contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture practices globally, ultimately leading to a more environmentally friendly and economically viable agricultural sector

Burner air-fuel ratio monitoring in large pulverised-fuel boilers using advanced sensors: Case study of a 660 MWe coal-fired power plant

In this paper, a novel methodology is proposed for the online monitoring of the air-fuel ratio in large pulverised-fuel boilers at the burner level. Using standard measurements, this parameter can only be estimated, as the fuel distribution between burners is generally missing. The detailed air flow distribution to the burners can also be unknown depending on the available measurements. An accurate control of local and global air-fuel ratios is however crucial in terms of boiler efficiency and various pollutant emission reductions, leading to lower overall operational cost, improved performance and increased fuel and load flexibility. It is here proposed to combine two advanced techniques to quantify air and fuel flow rates per burner: microwave probes for fuel particles and smart soft sensors for air. When combined, those measurements allow for the calculation of the local air-fuel ratios. The proposed methodology was successfully applied to the boiler of a 660 MWe coal-fired power plant. While the burner equivalence ratios predicted by the standard equipments were in the range 0.9-1.05, it was shown that the actual range was significantly broader (0.65-1.25). Looking at the averaged ratios per burner level, it was concluded that the expected values were globally overestimated compared to the measured values (>+14%). The performed air flow measurements were also used to partially tune the combustion process by solving hardware and software issues. Oxygen, flue gas flow rate, temperature and NOx imbalances at the outlet of the furnace were significantly reduced.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Reported incidence of occupational asthma in France, 1996–99: the ONAP programme

Aims: To estimate the general and specific incidence of occupational asthma in France in 1996–99; and to describe the distribution of cases by age, sex, suspected causal agents, and occupation. Methods: New cases of occupational asthma were collected by a national surveillance programme, based on voluntary reporting, named Observatoire National des Asthmes Professionnels (ONAP), involving a network of occupational and chest physicians. For each case, the reporting form included information on age, sex, location of workplace, occupation, suspected causal agent, and methods of diagnosis. Estimates of the working population, used to calculate incidence rates by age, sex, region, and occupation, were obtained from the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE) and from the French Securite Sociale statistics. Results: In 1996–99, 2178 cases of occupational asthma were reported to the ONAP, giving a mean annual rate of 24/million. Rates in men were higher than rates in women (27/million versus 19/million). The highest rate was observed in the 15–29 years age group (30/million). The most frequently incriminated agents were flour (20.3%), isocyanates (14.1%), latex (7.2%), aldehyde (5.9%), persulphate salts (5.8%), and wood dusts (3.7%). The highest risks of occupational asthma were found in bakers and pastry makers (683/million), car painters (326/million), hairdressers (308/million), and wood workers (218/million). Conclusion: Despite likely underreporting, the number of cases of occupational asthma reported to the ONAP was approximately twice the number of compensated cases over the same period. The relevance of the programme is confirmed by the reproducibility of the results year after year, and its consistency with other surveillance programmes. The ONAP programme is useful for the identification of targets for primary prevention

Stress neuropeptide levels in adults with chest pain due to coronary artery disease: potential implications for clinical assessment

: Substance P (SP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are neuropeptides involved in nociception. The study of biochemical markers of pain in communicating critically ill coronary patients may provide insight for pain assessment and management in critical care. Purpose of the study was to to explore potential associations between plasma neuropeptide levels and reported pain intensity in coronary critical care adults, in order to test the reliability of SP measurements for objective pain assessment in critical care