Langue anglaise

John Farhat Comptes rendus non communiqués

Langue anglaise

John Farhat Compte rendu non communiqué

A Hierarchy of Transport Approximations for High Energy Heavy (HZE) Ions

The transport of high energy heavy (HZE) ions through bulk materials is studied neglecting energy dependence of the nuclear cross sections. A three term perturbation expansion appears to be adequate for most practical applications for which penetration depths are less than 30 g per sq cm of material. The differential energy flux is found for monoenergetic beams and for realistic ion beam spectral distributions. An approximate formalism is given to estimate higher-order terms

Assessment of pesticide residues in tomatoes and watermelons (fruits) from markets in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This study investigated the levels of pesticide residues in selected fruits from major markets in Dar es Salaam city. Samples of tomatoes and watermelons were analysed for eighteen organochlorine, organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticide residues. Extraction was performed using acetone followed by dichloromethane: cyclohexane mixture and the extracts were cleanedup using florisil. The compounds were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Pesticides and metabolites were detected in 95.8% of the samples. The compounds detected included chlorpyrifos, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan and cypermethrin and their highest concentrations were 3810 ± 50, 370 ± 20, 120 ± 6 and 50 ± 4 ng/g, respectively. Others were p,p'- DDD, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE and α-HCH with highest concentrations varying from 1 ± 0.5 to 20 ± 1.2 ng/g. There were no significant variations in concentrations of the pesticide residues between the fruits and among the sampling sites, indicating similarities in contamination patterns. The concentrations of the contaminants were above the maximum residue limits (MRLs) in 41.7% to 50% of the tomatoes and watermelons indicating risks and concerns for public health. The Tanzanian agrochemicals and food regulatory agencies (e.g. TPRI, TFDA and TBS) and the government in general should ensure strict applications of laws that regulate pesticides in the country and develop effective educational programmes for farmers to apply good agricultural practices such as reducing the use of pesticides, applying appropriate pesticides and doses, and restrict the spray before harvesting. The consumers should thoroughly wash or process the fruits to reduce the levels.Keywords: Pesticides, Fruits, Food, Contamination, Tanzani

Determination of Levels of Organochlorine, Organophosphorus, and Pyrethroid Pesticide Residues in Vegetables from Markets in Dar es Salaam by GC-MS

This study investigated the levels of pesticides and metabolites in vegetables from major markets in Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania. Samples of fresh cabbage, spinach, and onions from the markets were analysed for pesticide residues. Extraction was performed using acetone followed by dichloromethane : cyclohexane mixture and the extracts were cleaned up using Florisil. The compounds were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Pesticides and metabolites were detected in 72.2% of the samples. The detected pesticide residues and their highest mean concentrations were p,p′-DDT 4.00 × 10−3 mg/kg, p,p′-DDD 6.40 × 10−1 mg/kg, o,p′-DDD 1.00 × 10−2 mg/kg, α-endosulfan 6.00 × 10−1 mg/kg, β-endosulfan 2.10 × 10−1 mg/kg, chlorpyrifos 3.00 mg/kg, and cypermethrin 4.00 × 10−2 mg/kg. The most frequently detected compounds were p,p′-DDD and chlorpyrifos. The order of contamination was spinach > cabbage > onions. Generally, there were no significant variations in concentrations of pesticide residues among samples and sampling sites, which indicated similarities in contamination patterns. The concentrations of contaminants were above the maximum residue limits (MRLs) in 33.3–50% of the samples. The findings indicated risks and concerns for public health

Confined Shocks inside Isolated Liquid Volumes -- A New Path of Erosion?

The unique confinement of shock waves inside isolated liquid volumes amplifies the density of shock-liquid interactions. We investigate this universal principle through an interdisciplinary study of shock-induced cavitation inside liquid volumes, isolated in 2 and 3 dimensions. By combining high-speed visualizations of ideal water drops realized in microgravity with smoothed particle simulations we evidence strong shock-induced cavitation at the focus of the confined shocks. We extend this analysis to ground-observations of jets and drops using an analytic model, and argue that cavitation caused by trapped shocks offers a distinct mechanism of erosion in high-speed impacts (>100 m/s).Comment: 4 page letter, 4 figure

Luminescence from hydrodynamic cavitation

The majority of the research on cavitation luminescence has focused on the sonoluminescence or chemiluminescence generated by cavitation induced through ultrasound, with a lesser body of work on the luminescence induced by laser- or spark induced cavitation. In such circumstances, the cavitation is generated in liquids where, on the broad scale, there is usually assumed to be no net liquid flow (although of course there are small-scale flows as a result of the cavitation itself, through radiation forces, streaming, microstreaming and turbulence). Little attention has been paid to the luminescence that accompanies (undesirable) cavitation in pumps and turbines or in marine propellers. In the present study, the sonoluminescence specific to air/water vapour bubbles, collapsing within a cavitation tunnel, is addressed. The particular case of leading edge cavitation over a two-dimensional hydrofoil is considered in detail. Hence, strong instabilities develop, causing the attached cavity to shed large clouds of micro bubbles. The spatial and temporal properties of the emitted luminescence were studied using an intensified charge coupled device video camera and a photomultiplier (PM). The light emission was found to extend downstream from the region of cavity closure, to the region where the travelling vortices collapse. Examination of the PM signal on short time scales showed that the emitted luminescence consisted of relatively intense flashes of short duration (as with other forms of luminescence). Individual flashes were often found to be clustered in time. Over longer time scales, clear evidence of periodicity was found in the PM signals. Further analysis showed that bursts of light were being emitted at the Strouhal frequency (for the shedding of transcient cavities)

Scalable Environment for Quantification of Uncertainty and Optimization in Industrial Applications (SEQUOIA)

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143027/1/6.2017-1327.pd

Detection of mutations in gyrB using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) among Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Paratyphi A

Background:- Fluoroquinolone resistance is mediated by mutations in the quinolone-resistance determining region (QRDR) of the topoisomerase genes. Denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) was evaluated for detection of clinically important mutations in gyrB among Salmonella. Method:- S. Typhi and S. ParatyphiA characterised for mutation in QRDR of gyrA, parC and parE were studied for mutation in gyrB by DHPLC and validated by sequencing. Result:- The DHPLC analysis was able to resolve the test mutant from isolates with wild type gyrB and distinguished mutants from other mutant by peak profile and shift in retention time. Three sequence variants were detected at codon 464, and a novel mutation Ser→Thr was also detected. gyrB mutation was associated with non classical quinolone resistance (NALS-CIPDS) in 34 isolates of S. Typhi only and was distinct from classical quinolone resistance associated with gyrA mutations (NALR-CIPDS). Conclusion: DHPLC is effective for the detection of mutation and can reduce the need forsequencing to detect clinically significant gyrB mutations.

Radial Shock Wave Devices Generate Cavitation

Background Conflicting reports in the literature have raised the question whether radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) devices and vibrating massage devices have similar energy signatures and, hence, cause similar bioeffects in treated tissues. Methods and Findings We used laser fiber optic probe hydrophone (FOPH) measurements, high-speed imaging and x-ray film analysis to compare fundamental elements of the energy signatures of two rESWT devices (Swiss DolorClast;Electro Medical Systems, Nyon, Switzerland;D-Actor 200;Storz Medical, Tagerwillen, Switzerland) and a vibrating massage device (Vibracare;G5/General Physiotherapy, Inc.,Earth City, MO, USA). To assert potential bioeffects of these treatment modalities we investigated the influence of rESWT and vibrating massage devices on locomotion ability of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worms. Results FOPH measurements demonstrated that both rESWT devices generated acoustic waves with comparable pressure and energy flux density. Furthermore, both rESWT devices generated cavitation as evidenced by high-speed imaging and caused mechanical damage on the surface of x-ray film. The vibrating massage device did not show any of these characteristics. Moreover, locomotion ability of C. elegans was statistically significantly impaired after exposure to radial extracorporeal shock waves but was unaffected after exposure of worms to the vibrating massage device. Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that both energy signature and bioeffects of rESWT devices are fundamentally different from those of vibrating massage devices