DNA persistence in soft tissue comparing vodka and absolute ethanol

Successful DNA analysis of human remains relies on the collection and preservation of biological material. Low temperatures are typically used to preserve soft tissues; however, this is not always available, for example, after mass disasters and conflict, where the infrastructure has been damaged. Lysis buffers and absolute ethanol have also been shown to be effective at preserving material, but again are not always readily available. This study assess the use of drinking alcohol as an alternative preservative solution for muscle tissue storage. Pig muscle was incubated for up to 42 days at different temperatures (−20 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C) with 95% ethanol, 37.5% ethanol, vodka (37.5%), and no preservative. Samples were collected weekly and analysis was based on agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA quantitation and amplification success of a multiplex with amplicons between 70 bp and 384 bp. Samples incubated with 37.5% ethanol and vodka had high molecular weight DNA and all samples incubated with preservative solutions generated complete profiles until the last collection point, while samples left untreated had drop-outs after 21 days at 25 °C and 37 °C

DNA persistance in soft tissues exposed to extreme environments

After death DNA becomes progressively more fragmented as biological tissue degrades and this results in a decreasing ability to gain a complete STR profile. When extracting and profiling DNA from human remains understanding the likely persistence of DNA in different tissues is important. Studies in the UK have demonstrated that when using pigs as an experimental model, DNA up to 400 bp will persist for up to 3 weeks in the summer. However, it is well known that DNA degradation, especially in muscle tissue that has not become dehydrated, is dependent to a large degree on temperature. To assess DNA persistence in more extreme environmental conditions pig carcasses were exposed to the environment in Thailand during June for 10 days, with samples being collected every 12 h: muscle tissue was present for up to three days post-mortem. Extracted DNA could not be amplified after 36 h exposure unless the muscle was collected from tissue that was in contact with the ground; DNA persisted for up to 72 h in these samples

Proposal for Implementation of Green Roof Project Using the Wetland Technique

This work presents a study on methods of wetland systems and the design of a prototype of green roof design in a practical example, with the objective of presenting a sustainable technique for reuse of rainwater. The use of the wetland system as a technique for collecting and treating wastewater can be one of the possible solutions to the lack of potable water in large urban centres, since the system is capable of filtering rainwater. As a result, a proposed green roof design is presented using a wetland system built to retain and treat rainwater for reuse with non-potable purposes. This system, in addition to integrating landscape aspects of the environment, presents low cost of implementation and can be a viable alternative for water reuse. This study contributes to improve knowledge as this type of technique is not yet used in Brazil, allowing future work on the economic viability and construction of the prototype

Implementasi dan Pengaturan Illicit Enrichment (Peningkatan Kekayaan secara Tidak Sah) di Indonesia

Undang-undang Nomor 31 Tahun 1999 jo Undang-undang Nomor 20 Tahun 2001 tentang tindak Pidana Korupsi masih menyisahkan celah hukum bagi penjahat pengemplang uang dan kekayaan Negara. Meski saat ini lembaga KPK (Komisi Pemberatasan Korupsi) sudah secara maksimal melakukan tindakan pencegahan (preventif) dan penindakan (Represif), para penjahat ini masih dapat mengakali peraturan Perundang-undangan dan mengerus keuangan Negara untuk memperkaya diri dan kelompoknya. Berdasarkan itu, Pengaturan Illicit Enrichment (Kekayaan yang tidak wajar) sebagaimana diatur dalam pasal 20 UNCAC merupakan hal penting untuk ditindaklanjuti oleh Indonesia sebagai Negara peserta Konvensi ini. Saat ini, dari 193 Negara yang ada di dunia, setidaknya sudah ada 44 negara yang memiliki intrumen hukum setingkat UU tentang Illicit Enrichment. 39 Negara dari 44 tersebut mengenakan sanksi kurungan atau penjara, seperti Cina, India,Malaysia, Brunei, Makao, Bangladesh, dan Mesir

Numerical modelling of acoustic pressure fields to optimize the ultrasonic cleaning technique for cylinders

The promising benefits of the renewable sources based on distributed generation are pushing the future energy markets to invest more into the available renewable systems. This research will focus on integrating available renewable energy resources in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the electric grid to minimize the energy production from fossil fuels through continuous prediction and forecast of demand requirements. The work will concentrate on linking modern forecasting techniques with load history, weather information and the grid, with the objective to minimize CO2 emission over both short and long term forecasting periods. Simulation model will be developed to validate the proposed solutions using MATLAB software environment. With the aim of testing the linear module performance historical load data gained from the Saudi Arabia Electrical Company for a west part of the country, for the period from January 2010 to August 2016 has been put under process

Application of ultrasonic guided waves for inspection of high density polyethylene pipe systems

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The structural integrity assessment of thermoplastic pipes has become an interesting area of research due to its elevated usage in the liquid/gas transportation industry. Ultrasonic guided wave testing has gained higher attention from industry for the inspection of elongated structures due to the reduced inspection time and cost associated with conventional non-destructive testing techniques, e.g., ultrasonic testing, radiography, and visual inspection. Current research addresses the inspection of thermoplastic pipes using ultrasonic guided waves as a low cost and permanently installed structural health-monitoring tool. Laboratory and numerical investigations were conducted to study the potential of using ultrasonic guided waves to assess the structural health of thermoplastic pipe structures in order to define optimum frequency range for inspection, array design, and length of inspection. In order to achieve a better surface contact, flexible Macro-Fiber Composite transducers were used in this investigation, and the Teletest® Focus+ system was used as the pulser/receiver. Optimum frequency range of inspection was at 15−25 kHz due to the level of attenuation at higher frequencies and the larger dead zone at lower frequencies due to the pulse length. A minimum of 14 transducers around the circumference of a 3 inch pipe were required to suppress higher order flexural modes at 16 kHz. According to the studied condition, 1.84 m of inspection coverage could be achieved at a single direction for pulse-echo, which could be improved by using a higher number of transducers for excitation and using pitch-catch configuration

Characterization of the Use of Low Frequency Ultrasonic Guided Waves to Detect Fouling Deposition in Pipelines

Abstract: The accumulation of fouling within a structure is a well-known and costly problem across many industries. The build-up is dependent on the environmental conditions surrounding the fouled structure. Many attempts have been made to detect fouling accumulation in critical engineering structures and to optimize the application of power ultrasonic fouling removal procedures, i.e., flow monitoring, ultrasonic guided waves and thermal imaging. In recent years, the use of ultrasonic guided waves has been identified as a promising technology to detect fouling deposition/growth. This technology also has the capability to assess structural health; an added value to the industry. The use of ultrasonic guided waves for structural health monitoring is established but fouling detection using ultrasonic guided waves is still in its infancy. The present study focuses on the characterization of fouling detection using ultrasonic guided waves. A 6.2-m long 6-inch schedule 40 carbon steel pipe has been used to study the effect of (Calcite) fouling on ultrasonic guided wave propagation within the structure. Parameters considered include frequency selection, number of cycles and dispersion at incremental fouling thickness. According to the studied conditions, a 0.5 dB/m drop in signal amplitude occurs for a fouling deposition of 1 mm. The findings demonstrate the potential to detect fouling build-up in lengthy pipes and to quantify its thickness by the reduction in amplitude found from further numerical investigation. This variable can be exploited to optimize the power ultrasonic fouling removal procedure

Immunogenicity of a Prime-Boost Vaccine Containing the Circumsporozoite Proteins of Plasmodium vivax in Rodents

Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread and the second most prevalent malaria-causing species in the world. Current measures used to control the transmission of this disease would benefit from the development of an efficacious vaccine. in the case of the deadly parasite P. falciparum, the recombinant RTS,S vaccine containing the circumsporozoite antigen (CSP) consistently protects 30 to 50% of human volunteers against infection and is undergoing phase III clinical trials in Africa with similar efficacy. These findings encouraged us to develop a P. vivax vaccine containing the three circulating allelic forms of P. vivax CSP. Toward this goal, we generated three recombinant bacterial proteins representing the CSP alleles, as well as a hybrid polypeptide called PvCSP-All-CSP-epitopes. This hybrid contains the conserved N and C termini of P. vivax CSP and the three variant repeat domains in tandem. We also generated simian and human recombinant replication-defective adenovirus vectors expressing PvCSP-All-CSP-epitopes. Mice immunized with the mixture of recombinant proteins in a formulation containing the adjuvant poly(I.C) developed high and long-lasting serum IgG titers comparable to those elicited by proteins emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant. Antibody titers were similar in mice immunized with homologous (protein-protein) and heterologous (adenovirus- protein) vaccine regimens. the antibodies recognized the three allelic forms of CSP, reacted to the repeated and nonrepeated regions of CSP, and recognized sporozoites expressing the alleles VK210 and VK247. the vaccine formulations described in this work should be useful for the further development of an anti-P. vivax vaccine.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)PNPDCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Ctr Terapia Celular & Mol CTCMol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilWistar Inst Anat & Biol, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USAMalaria Vaccine & Drug Dev Ctr, Cali, ColombiaUniv Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Florianopolis, SC, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut, Dept Anal Clin & Toxicol, São Paulo, BrazilNYU, Sch Med, Dept Pathol, Michael Heidelberger Div, New York, NY USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Ctr Terapia Celular & Mol CTCMol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2009/15432-4FAPESP: 2012/13032-5CNPq: 471087/2013-0Web of Scienc