Monitoring and characterization of bacterial populations of two biological air filters during the start up phase

[Abstract] This study aimed to monitor and characterize bacterial populations of two biological air filters during their start up phase (four months). The main objective of this work was to assess the potentiality of a microbiological approach to better understand the evolution of the bacterial populations within biofilters and therefore help to select biomass carrier media. The two biological filters were operated at full-scale (480 m3), filled with organic materials and dedicated to the removal of ammonia and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The first step of the work consisted in developing an extraction method for the biomass fixed on the solid supports. The second step investigated biofilters’ microbial ecology using molecular tools: DAPI (4,6-DiAmino-2- PhenylIndole), TVC (Total Viable Counts), FISH (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization) and SSCP (Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism). The findings of the experiments did not show a significant evolution of total bacterial concentrations in biofilms of both biological filters during their start up phase. However, SSCP data analysis underlined important variations in the composition of bacterial populations. Finally, examination of the results highlighted the interest to inoculate organic media in order to reduce the acclimation time of microbial populations

Evolution of IGF-1 in children born small for gestational age and with growth retardation, treated by growth hormone adapted to IGF-1 levels after 1 year

AIM: This study was designed to estimate the percentage of growth hormone (GH)-treated children born small for gestational age (SGA), with serum IGF-1 >2 SDS before and after GH dose adaptation. METHODS: SGA boys aged 4-9 and girls aged 4-7 with a height <-2 SDS and an annual growth rate below the mean received a subcutaneous GH dose of 57 mug/kg/day for 2 years. The GH dose was to be decreased by 30% in children with serum IGF-1 >2 SDS at 12 months and on the previous sample. The GH dose could be reduced a second time to 35 mug/kg.day. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 dosages were centralized. RESULTS: Among the 49 (21 boys) children included in the study, 8 (16.3%) had an IGF-1 >2 SDS consecutively at 9 and 12 months (95% CI 7.3, 29.7). The GH dose was decreased in 6/8 children. However, IGF-1 levels were elevated at several nonconsecutive determinations in 45% (95% CI 28.4, 56.6) of the patients. CONCLUSION: A high IGF-1 level is observed in 45% of the GH SGA-treated children with a relatively high dose of GH. A 30% reduction in the GH dose causes a decrease in IGF-1 below 2 SDS in most children

Надежная конструкция подвески с полиномиальным хаотичным расширением и машинным обучением

During the early development of a new vehicle project, the uncertainty of parameters should be taken into consideration because the design may be perturbed due to real components’ complexity and manufacturing tolerances. Thus, the numerical validation of critical suspension specifications, such as durability and ride comfort should be carried out with random factors. In this article a multi-objective optimization methodology is proposed which involves the specification’s robustness as one of the optimization objectives. To predict the output variation from a given set of uncertain-but-bounded parameters proposed by optimization iterations, an adaptive chaos polynomial expansion (PCE) is applied to combine a local design of experiments with global response surfaces. Furthermore, in order to reduce the additional tests required for PCE construction, a machine learning algorithm based on inter-design correlation matrix firstly classifies the current design points through data mining and clustering. Then it learns how to predict the robustness of future optimized solutions with no extra simulations. At the end of the optimization, a Pareto front between specifications and their robustness can be obtained which represents the best compromises among objectives. The optimum set on the front is classified and can serve as a reference for future design. An example of a quarter car model has been tested for which the target is to optimize the global durability based on real road excitations. The statistical distribution of the parameters such as the trajectories and speeds is also taken into account. The result shows the natural incompatibility between the durability of the chassis and the robustness of this durability. Here the term robustness does not mean “strength”, but means that the performance is less sensitive to perturbations. In addition, a stochastic sampling verifies the good robustness prediction of PCE method and machine learning, based on a greatly reduced number of tests. This example demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach, in particular its ability to save computational costs for full vehicle simulation.На начальном этапе разработки нового транспортного средства необходимо учитывать момент неопределенности параметров, поскольку конструкционные работы предполагают отклонения, вызванные сложностью изготовления ряда элементов с соблюдением производственных допусков. Поэтому числовая оценка критических характеристик подвески, таких как долговечность и комфортные условия во время движения, должна проводиться с учетом факторов случайности. В статье предлагается применять многоцелевую методологию оптимизации, которая рассматривает надежность спецификации в качестве одной из задач. С целью прогнозирования конечного результата на основании заданного набора неопределенных, но ограниченных параметров, предлагаемых в процессе оптимизационных итераций, используется адаптивное полиномиальное хаотичное расширение для объединения локального проектирования экспериментов и глобальных поверхностей отклика. Кроме того, чтобы уменьшить количество дополнительных тестов, которые необходимы для построения полиномиального хаотичного расширения, используется алгоритм машинного обучения, основанный на межпроектной корреляционной матрице, для проведения классификации текущих проектных точек с помощью интеллектуального анализа данных и кластеризации. Таким образом, появляется возможность прогнозировать надежность разрабатываемых оптимизированных решений без использования дополнительных моделей. По завершении процесса оптимизации может быть получен фронт Парето между спецификациями и их надежностью, который представляет наилучшее компромиссное решение с поставленными целями. Оптимальный набор на данном фронте классифицируется и может являться ориентиром для проектирования. Примером этого может служить тестирование модели автомобиля с целью оптимизации его глобальной долговечности на основе дорожных ситуаций. При этом статистическое распределение параметров, таких как траектории и скорости, тоже принимается во внимание. Результаты исследований показывают несовместимость между долговечностью шасси и надежностью этого параметра. В данном случае термин «надежность» не означает «прочность». В статье этот термин предполагает, что функционирование является менее чувствительным к каким-либо отклонениям. Кроме того, стохастическая выборка подтверждает правильность прогноза надежности методом применения полиномиального хаотичного расширения и машинного обучения, в основе которого лежит значительное уменьшение количества тестов. Показана эффективность предлагаемого подхода, в частности отмечается возможность экономии расчетных затрат на разработку моделей транспортного средства

Life in the Atacama — Year 2: Geologic reconnaissance through long-range roving and implications on the search for life

The Life in the Atacama-2004 project, which included geological, morphological, and mineralogical mapping through combined satellite, field-based, and microscopic perspectives and long-range roving, led to the localization of potential habitats

Spectroscopic results from the Life in the Atacama (LITA) project 2004 field season

Analysis of spectroscopy datasets from rover field tests in the Atacama Desert (Chile), focusing on the composition of the surface and identification of potential habitats for life

Searching for life with rovers: exploration methods and science results from the 2004 field campaign of the “Life in the Atacama” project and applications to future Mars Missions

LITA develops and field tests a long-range automated rover and a science payload to search for microbial life in the Atacama. The Atacama's evolution provides a unique training ground for designing and testing exploration strategies and life detection methods for the search for life on Mars

Abatement of styrene waste gas emission by biofilter and biotrickling filter: comparison of packing materials and inoculation procedures

The removal of styrene was studied using 2 biofilters packed with peat and coconut fibre (BF1-P and BF2-C, respectively) and 1 biotrickling filter (BTF) packed with plastic rings. Two inoculation procedures were applied: an enriched culture with strain Pseudomonas putida CECT 324 for biofilters and activated sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant for the BTF. Inlet loads (ILs) between 10 and 45 g m-3 h-1 and empty bed residence times (EBRTs) from 30 to 120 s were applied. At inlet concentrations ranging between 200 and 400 mg Nm-3, removal efficiencies between 70 and 95% were obtained in the 3 bioreactors. Maximum elimination capacities (ECs) of 81 and 39 g m-3 h-1 were obtained for the first quarter of the BF1-P and BF2-C, respectively (IL of 173 g m-3 h-1 and EBRT of 60 s in BF1-P; IL of 89 g m-3 h-1 and EBRT of 90 s in BF2-C). A maximum EC of 52 g m-3 h-1 was obtained for the first third of the BTF (IL of 116 g m-3 h-1, EBRT of 45 s). Problems regarding high pressure drop appeared in the peat biofilter, whereas drying episodes occurred in the coconut fibre biofilter. DGGE revealed that the pure culture used for biofilter inoculation was not detected by day 105. Although 2 different inoculation procedures were applied, similar styrene removal at the end of the experiments was observed. The use as inoculum of activated sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant appears a more feasible option

Use of a novel rover-mounted fluorescence imager and fluorescent probes to detect biological material in the Atacama Desert in daylight

We deployed our fluorescence imaging system which detects fluorescence signals from sparse microorganisms and biofilms on Carnegie Mellon University’s autonomous rover Zoë. The results of the 2004 Atacama Desert field season, in Chile, are discussed

Implementation of a daylight fluorescence imaging system to autonomously detect biomarkers of extant life in the Atacama Desert

We have integrated a biomarker detection system with a rover for the search for sparse life in extreme environments. The system incorporated a pulsed fluorescence imager, a reagent sprayer, and a surface scraping device for remote detection of fluorescence signals

Seeing the Soils of Meridiani Planum Through the Eyes of Pancam and Microscopic Imager

We are using data from the Pancam and Microscopic Imager (MI) on the Opportunity rover to characterize the soil grains at Meridiani Planum. We have traced individual grains in all MI images of the soils using the software application ImageJ distributed by NIH, and subsequently derived size and shape properties about the grains. The resolution of the MI is 31 microns per pixel [1] so we limit our measurements to those grains larger than about 0.3 mm in size. In cases where the grain is partially or substantially buried by other grains or finer soil particles, we do not make a measurement. False-color composites from Pancam images that cover the same location imaged by MI are made from the Left 2,5,6 (753, 535, 482 nm) filters or Right 2,7,1 (753, 1009, 430 nm) filters [2] in the Red, Green, and Blue channels, respectively. These color images are then merged with the MI images to illustrate color properties of particular grains. Pancam spectra are also extracted from grains when there is sufficient spatial coverage. in diameter. Figure 2 illustrates the dominance of these small grains at this particular location, which happens to be on the southern wall of Eagle crater. The Pancam color merge with this MI image suggests that the small spherules are more consistent with the basalt grains than the blueberries (spherulitic concretions derived from outcrop rocks [7]). The resolution of Pancam images of this location is on the order of 0.5 mm so the grains are only barely resolved. A Mossbauer measurement taken on an adjacent soil (Sol 53 Vanilla) that is composed solely of these smaller spherules (Fig 1) is consistent with a basaltic composition for the grains. Their concentration at this particular location in a brighter, elongate patch along the southeastern wall compared to elsewhere inside Eagle crater suggests wind activity favored their transport and subsequent deposition here. Their spherical shape is also possibly the result of wind action rounding them during transport, though water action cannot be ruled out