Characterization of metal binding sites onto biochar using rare earth elements as a fingerprint

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Résultats préliminaires sur l'immobilisation chimique de rongeurs africains : l'athérure (Atherurus africanus, Gray 1842) et le cricétome (Cricetomys emini, Waterhouse 1840). Etude portant sur quatre protocoles

Le projet Développement au Gabon de l'élevage de gibier travaille sur la mise au point de référentiels techniques sur l'élevage de plusieurs espèces sauvages parmi lesquelles se trouvent l'athérure africain (Atherurus africanus) et le cricétome (Cricetomys emini). Dans le cadre de leur pratique courante, les auteurs ont été amenés à effectuer sur ces animaux des soins qui ont parfois nécessité une anesthésie. Les effets de quatre protocoles ont été testés à différentes posologies : l'acépromazine, la xylazine, une combinaison de xylazine et de kétamine et une combinaison de zolazépam et de tilétamine. Chez l'athérure, la xylazine seule a entraîné des durées d'induction, d'état et de réveil très variables. L'association de la xylazine à 1 mg/kg et de la kétamine à 5 mg/kg s'est avérée très efficace pour l'obtention d'une anesthésie chirurgicale. Chez le cricétome, l'acépromazine à 5 mg/kg a fourni un état de tranquillisation satisfaisant. Pour obtenir une anesthésie chirurgicale, l'association xylazine à 10 mg/kg et kétamine à 50 mg/kg s'est avérée efficace. L'utilisation de xylazine seule ne semble pas indiquée chez cette espèce. (Résumé d'auteur

Feasibility of the Simultaneous Determination of Monomer Concentrations and Particle Size in Emulsion Polymerization Using in Situ Raman Spectroscopy.

An immersion Raman probe was used in emulsion copolymerization reactions to measure monomer concentrations and particle sizes. Quantitative determination of monomer concentrations is feasible in two-monomer copolymerizations, but only the overall conversion could be measured by Raman spectroscopy in a four-monomer copolymerization. The feasibility of measuring monomer conversion and particle size was established using partial least-squares (PLS) calibration models. A simplified theoretical framework for the measurement of particle sizes based on photon scattering is presented, based on the elastic-sphere-vibration and surface-tension models.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (EC FP7) Grant Agreement n. [NMP2-SL-2012-280827] and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council under grant EP/L003309/1.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the American Chemical Society via http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5b0275

Leaching and phytoavailability of zinc and cadmium in a contaminated soil treated with zero-valent iron

Immobilization of heavy metals by stabilization amendments is a promising method to restore contaminated soils. In our study, we investigated the efficiency of zero-valent iron (Fe0) added to the soil in the form of iron grit to reduce leaching and uptake of Zn and Cd by Lupinus albus L. Results of column leaching experiments show that metal leaching decreased proportionally to the rate of amendment application (1%, 2% or 5%: w/w) and that the reduction reached up to 98% and 83% for Zn and Cd respectively. An increase in pH and in the number of sorption sites which bind ionic free metals and organometal complexes are possible mechanisms for this attenuation. Moreover, a rhizobox experiment has demonstrated that phytoavailability of Zn and Cd was reduced by 63% and 45% respectively when soil was treated with 5% (w/w) iron grit, and that L. albus did not develop strategies to reduce Zn and Cd uptake in untreated soil. We conclude that covering contaminated soil with L. albus could be used in association with immobilization techniques for soil remediation. However, it is crucial that the amendment and the soil be thoroughly homogenized in order to ensure the maximum reduction of metal uptake

Participatory Design for Whom? Designing Conversational User Interfaces for Sensitive Settings and Vulnerable Populations

Conversational User Interfaces (CUIs) are becoming increasingly applied in a broad range of sensitive settings to address the needs and struggles of vulnerable or marginalized users. Sensitive settings include, for instance, CUIs mediating the communication difficulties of people with dementia or supporting refugees to cope with new cultural practices as a chatbot on a government website. While researchers are increasingly designing CUIs for such sensitive set tings, methods and participatory design approaches to address vulnerable user groups’ highly sensitive needs and struggles are sparse in research thus far. This workshop aims to explore how we can design CUIs for and in sensitive settings with vulnerable users in mind through the participatory design process. We aim to establish a working definition of vulnerability, sensitive settings, and how practice-oriented design of CUIs can be inclusive of diverse users

Modeling of Novel Diagnostic Strategies for Active Tuberculosis – A Systematic Review: Current Practices and Recommendations

Introduction: The field of diagnostics for active tuberculosis (TB) is rapidly developing. TB diagnostic modeling can help to inform policy makers and support complicated decisions on diagnostic strategy, with important budgetary implications. Demand for TB diagnostic modeling is likely to increase, and an evaluation of current practice is important. We aimed to systematically review all studies employing mathematical modeling to evaluate cost-effectiveness or epidemiological impact of novel diagnostic strategies for active TB. Methods: Pubmed, personal libraries and reference lists were searched to identify eligible papers. We extracted data on a wide variety of model structure, parameter choices, sensitivity analyses and study conclusions, which were discussed during a meeting of content experts. Results & Discussion From 5619 records a total of 36 papers were included in the analysis. Sixteen papers included population impact/transmission modeling, 5 were health systems models, and 24 included estimates of cost-effectiveness. Transmission and health systems models included specific structure to explore the importance of the diagnostic pathway (n = 4), key determinants of diagnostic delay (n = 5), operational context (n = 5), and the pre-diagnostic infectious period (n = 1). The majority of models implemented sensitivity analysis, although only 18 studies described multi-way sensitivity analysis of more than 2 parameters simultaneously. Among the models used to make cost-effectiveness estimates, most frequent diagnostic assays studied included Xpert MTB/RIF (n = 7), and alternative nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) (n = 4). Most (n = 16) of the cost-effectiveness models compared new assays to an existing baseline and generated an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Conclusion: Although models have addressed a small number of important issues, many decisions regarding implementation of TB diagnostics are being made without the full benefits of insight from mathematical models. Further models are needed that address a wider array of diagnostic and epidemiological settings, that explore the inherent uncertainty of models and that include additional epidemiological data on transmission implications of false-negative diagnosis and the pre-diagnostic period