Fine and ultrafine particle number and size measurements from industrial combustion processes : primary emissions field data

This study is to our knowledge the first to present the results of on-line measurements of residual nanoparticle numbers downstream of the flue gas treatment systems of a wide variety of medium- and large-scale industrial installations. Where available, a semi-quantitative elemental composition of the sampled particles is carried out using a Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS). The semi-quantitative elemental composition as a function of the particle size is presented. EU's Best Available Technology documents (BAT) show removal efficiencies of Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) and bag filter dedusting systems exceeding 99% when expressed in terms of weight. Their efficiency decreases slightly for particles smaller than 1 mu m but when expressed in terms of weight, still exceeds 99% for bag filters and 96% for ESP. This study reveals that in terms of particle numbers, residual nanoparticles (NP) leaving the dedusting systems dominate by several orders of magnitude. In terms of weight, all installations respect their emission limit values and the contribution of NP to weight concentrations is negligible, despite their dominance in terms of numbers. Current World Health Organisation regulations are expressed in terms of PM2.5 wt concentrations and therefore do not reflect the presence or absence of a high number of NP. This study suggests that research is needed on possible additional guidelines related to NP given their possible toxicity and high potential to easily enter the blood stream when inhaled by humans

Enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature from the competition between electron-electron correlations and electron-phonon interactions

We uncover that the competition between electron-electron correlations and electron-phonon interactions gives rise to unexpectedly huge enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature, several hundreds percent larger ($\geq$ 200 K) than that of the case when only one of the two is taken into account ($\sim$ 30 K). Our renormalization group analysis claims that this mechanism for the enhancement of the critical temperature is not limited on superconductivity but applied to various Fermi surface instabilities, proposing an underlying universal structure, which turns out to be essentially identical to that of a recent study [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 108}, 046601 (2012)] on the enhancement of the Kondo temperature in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interactions. We also discuss the stability of superconductivity against nonmagnetic randomness

Exome sequencing identifies novel AD-associated genes

The genetic component of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been mainly assessed using Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), which do not capture the risk contributed by rare variants. Here, we compared the gene-based burden of rare damaging variants in exome sequencing data from 32,558 individuals —16,036 AD cases and 16,522 controls— in a two-stage analysis. Next to known genes TREM2, SORL1 and ABCA7, we observed a significant association of rare, predicted damaging variants in ATP8B4 and ABCA1 with AD risk, and a suggestive signal in ADAM10. Next to these genes, the rare variant burden in RIN3, CLU, ZCWPW1 and ACE highlighted these genes as potential driver genes in AD-GWAS loci. Rare damaging variants in these genes, and in particular loss-of-function variants, have a large effect on AD-risk, and they are enriched in early onset AD cases. The newly identified AD-associated genes provide additional evidence for a major role for APP-processing, Aβ-aggregation, lipid metabolism and microglial function in AD

Exome sequencing identifies rare damaging variants in ATP8B4 and ABCA1 as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, has an estimated heritability of approximately 70%1. The genetic component of AD has been mainly assessed using genome-wide association studies, which do not capture the risk contributed by rare variants2. Here, we compared the gene-based burden of rare damaging variants in exome sequencing data from 32,558 individuals—16,036 AD cases and 16,522 controls. Next to variants in TREM2, SORL1 and ABCA7, we observed a significant association of rare, predicted damaging variants in ATP8B4 and ABCA1 with AD risk, and a suggestive signal in ADAM10. Additionally, the rare-variant burden in RIN3, CLU, ZCWPW1 and ACE highlighted these genes as potential drivers of respective AD-genome-wide association study loci. Variants associated with the strongest effect on AD risk, in particular loss-of-function variants, are enriched in early-onset AD cases. Our results provide additional evidence for a major role for amyloid-β precursor protein processing, amyloid-β aggregation, lipid metabolism and microglial function in AD

Role of clover species and AM Fungi (Glomus mosseae) on forage yield, nutrients uptake, nitrogenase activity and soil microbial biomass

. Role of clover species and AM Fungi (Glomus mosseae) on forage yield, nutrients uptake, nitrogenase activity and soil microbial biomass. Journal of Agricultural Technology 5(2): 337-347. The effects of earthworms (Ew), arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and mixed cropping systems on nitrogenase activity of rhizosphere free-living bacteria, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and growth of clovers were studied in various mixed cropping ratios of 1:0, 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) to Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L.). AMF G. mosseae and cropping system gave significantly affected on total forage yield. Mixed cropping gave a greater stability of yield over monoculture. Although G. mosseae application increased mycorrhiza colonization rate but there was no obvious effect of clover ratios on mycorrhiza colonization rate. The greatest P-uptake was in the berseem clover:Persian clover ration treatment of 3:1. N-uptake accumulated in above-ground biomass of 173.64 kg ha -1 obtained from mixed cropping BP (3:1) with the presence of G. mosseae. AM fungi G. mosseae increased microbial biomass from 260.2 to 459.2 mg C kg -1 . The greatest amounts of 404 mg kg -1 soil microbial biomass C was found in the 1:1 ratio of berseem clover to Persian clover. With AM G. mosseae inoculation, the greatest nitrogenase activity of rhizosphere free-living bacteria was a 1:1 ratio of berseem clover to Persian clover

Fixation par ancrages d’une canalisation de gaz enterrée dans un terrain inondable

Une nouvelle canalisation de transport de gaz naturel de diamètre 1 100 mm, enterrée dans une zone inondable pendant la saison d’hiver, a été fixée par des ancrages en kevlar afin de s’opposer à la remontée due à la poussée d’Archimede. L’économie de la méthode, comparée au lestage par cavalier de béton, a été d’environ 15 % par rapport au coût total des travaux de pose