560 research outputs found
Schmallenberg virus detection in Culicoides biting midges in Spain: First laboratory evidence for highly efficient infection of Culicoides of the Obsoletus complex and Culicoides imicola
Get PDFSince Schmallenberg disease was discovered in 2011, the disease rapidly spread across Europe. Culicoides biting midges have been implicated as putative Schmallenberg vectors in Europe. The detection of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in field collected Culicoides was evaluated through retrospective (2011–2012) collections and captures performed in 2013. This study represents the first detection of SBV in field collected Culicoides in Spain. Infectious midges were detected at the foothills of Pyrenees, Aramunt, in the summer 2012. All the specimens infected with Schmallenberg were of the species Culicoides obsoletus s.s. confirming its putative vector status in Spain. Experimental infection on field collected Culicoides provided evidence of atypical high efficiency for SBV vector infection and transmission potential in local populations of Culicoides imicola and in Culicoides of the Obsoletus complex. However, captured individuals of C. imicola were more susceptible to SBV infection than C. obsoletus s.l. (p < .001), with an infection ratio of 0.94 and 0.63, respectively. In contrast, a Culicoides nubeculosus colony appeared to be refractory to SBV infection.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Catalytic Oxidation of Soot and Volatile Organic Compounds over Cu and Fe Doped Manganese Oxides Prepared via Sol-Gel Synthesis
Get PDFA set of manganese oxide catalysts was synthesized and doped with Cu and/or Fe by means of the citric acid sol-gel preparation method. The samples were studied by means of several characterization techniques: field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2-physisorption at -196 °C, H2 and soot temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR, soot-TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts was investigated in the oxidation of a probe VOC molecule (propylene) and carbon soot singularly and simultaneously. The catalytic performances were studied as well assuring a content of 5 vol.% of water in the gaseous reactive mix. The investigations evidenced that the best soot catalytic oxidation rates occurred over the Mn2O3 sample, while the copper-doped manganese oxide (i.e. the MnCu15) showed the best performance in the decomposition of propylene. The soot conversion rates of the samples were positively correlated to the Mn3+/Mn2+ ratio of the samples, while the activity in the oxidation of propylene could be attributed to the reducibility enhancement caused by the insertion of Cu species in the structure of Mn2O3. The most active samples in soot oxidation demonstrated only a slight catalytic activity deactivation after thermal aging and practically no deactivation during the tests with humidity. Interestingly, the simultaneous soot-propylene oxidation tests evidenced an enhancement of the oxidation of soot particles in "tight"contact with the catalyst, likely due to a cooperative effect between soot and propylene oxidation
Catalytic Abatement of Volatile Organic Compounds and Soot over Manganese Oxide Catalysts
Get PDFA set of manganese oxide catalysts was synthesized via two preparation techniques: solution combustion synthesis (Mn3O4/Mn2O3-SCS and Mn2O3-SCS) and sol-gel synthesis (Mn2O3-SG550 and Mn2O3-SG650). The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were studied by means of N2-physisorption at −196◦ C, X-ray powder diffraction, H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), soot-TPR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The high catalytic performance of the catalysts was verified in the oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) probe molecules (ethene and propene) and carbon soot in a temperature-programmed oxidation setup. The best catalytic performances in soot abatement were observed for the Mn2O3-SG550 and the Mn3O4/Mn2O3-SCS catalysts. The catalytic activity in VOC total oxidation was effectively correlated to the enhanced low-temperature reducibility of the catalysts and the abundant surface Oα-species. Likewise, low-temperature oxidation of soot in tight contact occurred over the Mn2O3-SG550 catalyst and was attributed to high amounts of surface Oα-species and better surface reducibility. For the soot oxidation in loose contact, the improved catalytic performance of the Mn3O4/Mn2O3-SCS catalyst was attributed to the beneficial effects of both the morphological structure that—like a filter—enhanced the capture of soot particles and to a probable high amount of surface acid-sites, which is characteristic of Mn3O4 catalysts
Contribution à la dépollution d’un rejet textile par adsorption sur un coagulant à base du mélange fer/aluminium préparé par électrocoagulation
Get PDFL’industrie textile consomme une grande quantité d’eau, générant ainsi des rejets liquides à charge élevée en divers types de polluants. Ces derniers produisent des effets nocifs sur l’environnement. Ce travail s’intéresse à la dépollution d’un rejet d’une industrie textile, par addition d’un coagulant synthétique à base de fer et d’aluminium, préparé par le procédé d’électrocoagulation. Les résultats ont montré que le traitement de ce rejet par ce coagulant, a permis d’atteindre un rendement d’élimination des matières colorantes de 83.37% en terme de demande chimique en oxygène (DCO).Mots clés: traitement, hydroxyde, coagulation, demande chimique en oxygèn
Detection of MERS-CoV antigen on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded nasal tissue of alpacas by immunohistochemistry using human monoclonal antibodies directed against different epitopes of the spike protein
Get PDFMiddle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) represents an important respiratory disease accompanied by lethal outcome in one third of human patients. In recent years, several investigators developed protective antibodies which could be used as prophylaxis in prospective human epidemics. In the current study, eight human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with neutralizing and non-neutralizing capabilities, directed against different epitopes of the MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) spike (MERS-S) protein, were investigated with regard to their ability to immunohistochemically detect respective epitopes on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) nasal tissue sections of MERS-CoV experimentally infected alpacas. The most intense immunoreaction was detected using a neutralizing antibody directed against the receptor binding domain S1B of the MERS-S protein, which produced an immunosignal in the cytoplasm of ciliated respiratory epithelium and along the apical membranous region. A similar staining was obtained by two other mAbs which recognize the sialic acid-binding domain and the ectodomain of the membrane fusion subunit S2, respectively. Five mAbs lacked immunoreactivity for MERS-CoV antigen on FFPE tissue, even though they belong, at least in part, to the same epitope group. In summary, three tested human mAbs demonstrated capacity for detection of MERS-CoV antigen on FFPE samples and may be implemented in double or triple immunohistochemical methods.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
The National Pediatric Surgery Simulation Program in France: A tool to develop resident training in pediatric surgery
Get PDFBACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To implement resident curriculum in France based on theoretical teaching and bed side training, the national council known as the "Collège Hospitalier et Universitaire de Chirurgie Pédiatrique" examined the relevance and feasibility of systematically introducing simulation program in the pediatric surgery resident training.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A national simulation training program was developed and took place in a 2-day session organized in 7 simulation centers in France. The program included technical (laparoscopic/suturing technique on low-fidelity models) and nontechnical (6 scenarios for standardized consultation, and a team work scenario based on errors prevention in the operative room) skills. Evaluation of the program (Likert scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent) and notation on 20 points) concerned trainees and trainers.
RESULTS: 40 residents (95% of all pediatric surgery French residents) attended with a ratio of trainees/trainer of ½. The training objectives earned a score of 4.46/5. The pedagogical value of the seminar scored 4.7/5, teaching quality 17.95/20, and the overall seminar score was 17.35/20.
CONCLUSION: This program, unique nationally, was assessed very favorably by the participating residents and by the involved trainers. To our knowledge, it represents the first mandatory national simulation training program included within a surgical training model.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV
Contribution à la dépollution des eaux usées de textile par électrocoagulation et par adsorption sur des composés à base de fer et d’aluminium
Get PDFLes ressources hydriques au monde sont rares et la demande en eau connaît une croissance continue en liaison avec l’évolution démographique et les activités consommatrices en eau, notamment les industries de textiles se voient dans l’obligation de recycler les eaux résiduaires et en particulier celles colorées. Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’étude de l’élimination des matières organiques et colorantes de deux rejets provenant des industries de textile, un de teinture du tissu de polyester à pH acide et l’autre de teinture du tissu de coton à pH basique. Ces rejets ont été traités de deux manières. La première est par électrocoagulation en utilisant des plaques de fer et/ou d’aluminium. La deuxième est par adsorption sur des composés synthétiques à base de fer et d’aluminium préparés par électrocoagulation. Dans le cas du traitement par le procédé d’électrocoagulation, nous avons constaté que le rendement d’élimination en demande chimique en oxygène (DCO) du rejet de polyester atteint un rendement de DCO de 60% pour un temps de 7 min de réaction. Pour le rejet de coton, le rendement d’élimination, par les plaques de fer/aluminium et l’élimination des matières colorantes, atteint une valeur de 45% en terme de DCO, et ceci en utilisant des plaques d’aluminium seul et de fer/aluminium pour un temps de 12 et 15 min respectivement. Dans le cas du traitement par ajout des coagulants synthétiques préparés au laboratoire, nous pouvons observer que le meilleur rendement d’élimination en DCO du rejet de polyester est obtenu pour une valeur de 48%, pour la faible granulométrie avec une concentration de 5 g/l du composé à base de fer /aluminium. Le rendement d’élimination en DCO du rejet de coton augmente jusqu'à une valeur de 60% avec une concentration de 5 g/l de coagulants appliqués à base d’aluminium seul. Les résultats de la dépollution de ces rejets, ont montré que le rendement d'élimination des matières organiques et colorantes par le procédé d'électrocoagulation est important, et la durée de traitement est courte, mais l'inconvénient de ce procédé c'est la saleté des plaques après chaque utilisation et la fabrication d'une grande quantité des boues par rapport à l’adsorption sur des composés à base de fer /aluminium où on utilise des poudres peu solubles et stables avec un bon rendement d’élimination et faibles quantités de fer et d'aluminium dans le surnageant traité.Keywords: Colorant textile, électrocoagulation, adsorption, dépollution, fer, aluminiu
Cerium‐Copper Oxides Synthesized in a Multi‐Inlet Vortex Reactor as Effective Nanocatalysts for CO and Ethene Oxidation Reactions
Get PDFIn this study, a set of CuCeOx catalysts was prepared via the coprecipitation method using a Multi‐Inlet Vortex Reactor: the Cu wt.% content is 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60. Moreover, pure CeO2 and CuO were synthesized for comparison purposes. The physico‐chemical properties of this set of samples were investigated by complementary techniques, e.g., XRD, N2 physisorption at −196 °C, Scanning Electron Microscopy, XPS, FT‐IR, Raman spectroscopy and H2‐TPR. Then, the CuCeOx catalysts were tested for the CO and ethene oxidation reactions. As a whole, all the prepared samples presented good catalytic performances towards the CO oxidation reaction (1000 ppm CO, 10 vol.% O2/N2): the most promising catalyst was the 20%CuCeOx (complete CO conversion at 125 °C), which exhibited a long‐term thermal stability. Similarly, the oxidative activity of the catalysts were evaluated using a gaseous mixture containing 500 ppm C2H4, 10 vol.% O2/N2. Accordingly, for the ethene oxidation reaction, the 20%CuCeOx catalyst evidenced the best catalytic properties. The elevated catalytic activity towards CO and ethene oxidation was mainly ascribed to synergistic interactions between CeO2 and CuO phases, as well as to the high amount of surface‐chemisorbed oxygen species and structural defects
Supervised machine learning on Galactic filaments. Revealing the filamentary structure of the Galactic interstellar medium
Get PDFContext. Filaments are ubiquitous in the Galaxy, and they host star formation. Detecting them in a reliable way is therefore key towards our understanding of the star formation process.
Aims: We explore whether supervised machine learning can identify filamentary structures on the whole Galactic plane.
Methods: We used two versions of UNet-based networks for image segmentation. We used H2 column density images of the Galactic plane obtained with Herschel Hi-GAL data as input data. We trained the UNet-based networks with skeletons (spine plus branches) of filaments that were extracted from these images, together with background and missing data masks that we produced. We tested eight training scenarios to determine the best scenario for our astrophysical purpose of classifying pixels as filaments.
Results: The training of the UNets allows us to create a new image of the Galactic plane by segmentation in which pixels belonging to filamentary structures are identified. With this new method, we classify more pixels (more by a factor of 2 to 7, depending on the classification threshold used) as belonging to filaments than the spine plus branches structures we used as input. New structures are revealed, which are mainly low-contrast filaments that were not detected before. We use standard metrics to evaluate the performances of the different training scenarios. This allows us to demonstrate the robustness of the method and to determine an optimal threshold value that maximizes the recovery of the input labelled pixel classification.
Conclusions: This proof-of-concept study shows that supervised machine learning can reveal filamentary structures that are present throughout the Galactic plane. The detection of these structures, including low-density and low-contrast structures that have never been seen before, offers important perspectives for the study of these filaments
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