Decolorization of reactive dyes under batch anaerobic condition by mixed microbial culture

Decolorization of reactive dyes, which are used in textile industry, under batch anaerobic conditions by mixed microbial culture was investigated in this study. Decolorization of C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB 5), C.I. Reactive Red 24 (RR 24) and C.I. Reactive Blue 49 (RB 49) with initial concentrations ranging from150 to 2400 mg/L was investigated. Decolorization efficiencies obtained were 93.4% for RB 5 and 98.9% for RR 24 both with initial concentration of 2400 mg/L after 24 h incubation period. However, decolorization was lower for the dye of RB 49 than other two dyes in all concentrations despite 72 hincubation period by mixed anaerobic culture. All of the three dyes correlated with 1st order reaction kinetic with respect to decolorization kinetics. The results of the study demonstrated that high decolorization was obtained under anaerobic condition depending on chemical structure of the dye

Questioning impact: interconnection between extra-organizational resources and agency of equality and diversity officers

This paper examines the change agency of equality and diversity (E&D) officers with a specific emphasis on the role of extra-organizational influences and resources. The paper is informed by qualitative material collected through interviews with E&D officers from 20 higher education institutions in the UK. The paper offers an evidence-based analysis of the utility of extra-organizational mechanisms and intervention programmes for organizational E&D agenda and for the agentic influence of E&D officers. The paper contributes to both academic literature and policy-making. We present original empirical insights into the change agency of E&D officers by exploring the impact of extra-organizational bodies as potential mechanisms for support and influence. At the policy level, the paper provides evidence on the value of extra-organizational resources and tools that are produced by policy bodies in promoting progressive E&D agendas in organizations

Optimizing source and receiver placement in multistatic sonar

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.Multistatic sonar networks consisting of non-collocated sources and receivers are a promising development in sonar systems, but they present distinct mathematical challenges compared to the monostatic case in which each source is collocated with a receiver. This paper is the first to consider the optimal placement of both sources and receivers to monitor a given set of target locations. Prior publications have only considered optimal placement of one type of sensor, given a fixed placement of the other type. We first develop two integer linear programs capable of optimally placing both sources and receivers within a discrete set of locations. Although these models are capable of placing both sources and receivers to any degree of optimality desired by the user, their computation times may be unacceptably long for some applications. To address this issue, we then develop a two-step heuristic process, Adapt-LOC, that quickly selects positions for both sources and receivers, but with no guarantee of optimality. Based on this, we also create an iterative approach, Iter-LOC, which leads to a locally optimal placement of both sources and receivers, at the cost of larger computation times relative to Adapt-LOC. Finally, we perform computational experiments demonstrating that the newly developed algorithms constitute a powerful portfolio of tools, enabling the user to slect an appropriate level of solution quality, given the available time to perform computations. Our experiments include three real-world case studies.Dr. Craparo is funded by the Office of Naval Research

Optimizing source and receiver placement in multistatic sonar networks to monitor fixed targets

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.02.006Multistatic sonar networks consisting of non-collocated sources and receivers are a promising develop ment in sonar systems, but they present distinct mathematical challenges compared to the monostatic case in which each source is collocated with a receiver. This paper is the first to consider the optimal placement of both sources and receivers to monitor a given set of target locations. Prior publications have only considered optimal placement of one type of sensor, given a fixed placement of the other type. We first develop two integer linear programs capable of optimally placing both sources and receivers within a discrete set of locations. Although these models are capable of placing both sources and receivers to any degree of optimality desired by the user, their computation times may be unacceptably long for some applications. To address this issue, we then develop a two-step heuristic process, Adapt-LOC, that quickly selects positions for both sources and receivers, but with no guarantee of optimality. Based on this, we also create an iterative approach, Iter-LOC, which leads to a locally optimal placement of both sources and receivers, at the cost of larger computation times relative to Adapt-LOC. Finally, we perform compu tational experiments demonstrating that the newly developed algorithms constitute a powerful portfolio of tools, enabling the user to slect an appropriate level of solution quality, given the available time to perform computations. Our experiments include three real-world case studies.Office of Naval Research

Effects of dietary supplementation of L-carnitine on performance, carcass and meat characteristics of quails

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding diets containing two levels of metabolizable energy (12.13 or 11.72 MJ ME/kg) and two different fat sources (sunflower- and fish-oil) with or without supplemental L-carnitine (0 or 50 mg/kg diet) on growth performance and carcass and meat characteristics of Japanese quails. Two hundred and forty day-old male quail chicks were randomly assigned to eight treatment groups, each subdivided into three replicates of 10 chicks. The chicks were raised from hatch until 5 wks of age. Feeding the diet containing 12.13 MJ ME/kg increases body weight and body weight gain significantly, and improved the feed conversion ratio above that of the lower energy diet. Feed intakes of the birds were unaffected by treatments. The cold carcass yield of quails fed the diet containing sunflower oil was significantly higher than those receiving the diets containing fish oil. After 35 days of feeding the diet containing the standard energy level (12.13 MJ ME/kg) the thigh yield of the birds was significantly higher than that of the chicks on the lower energy diet. Dietary treatments did not affect pH values of edible meat in the quails. Feeding diets containing sunflower oil and L-carnitine significantly decreased malonaldehyde (MA) amounts in the edible meat. The crude protein content of the edible meat fraction was significantly higher when the dietary energy level was decreased from 12.13 to 11.72 MJ ME/kg diet. Decreasing dietary energy levels significantly decreased the “L” (lightness) and “b” values (less yellow) of the meat, while dietary L-carnitine supplementation resulted in a significant increase in “L” value. The total edible meat of the quails on the diets containing fish oil had a higher “a” value (more red) than the quails receiving sunflower oil in their diets. It was concluded that additional studies are required to clarify the role of dietary L-carnitine in the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids, its antioxidant properties and its importance in energy metabolism in Japanese quails. Keywords: L-carnitine; metabolizable energy; fat sources; carcass quality; shelflife of edible meat South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 37 (3) 2007: pp.189-20

Meeting in school: Cultural diversity approaches of teachers and intergroup contact among ethnic minority and majority adolescents

This study investigated the associations between cultural diversity approaches endorsed by teachers and adolescents' positive and negative intergroup contact in schools. Participants were 984 adolescents (Mage = 14.66; 62.7% female; 24.8% ethnic minority) involved in a three-wave longitudinal study between 2019 and 2020. Results highlighted that perceived equal treatment by teachers was related to higher positive and lower negative contact over time. However, perceived support for contact and cooperation and interest of teachers in children's cultural background were not related to either positive or negative contact over time. Importantly, the results were replicated across ethnic minority and majority adolescents. This study provides novel insights into the key role that teachers can play in promoting cultural diversity approaches to facilitate harmonious intergroup interactions in schools

Public sector reforms, privatisation and regimes of control in a Chinese enterprise

The Chinese economic reform has recently become a major focus of attention around the world. The underlying rationale for the Chinese government's privatisation and public sector reforms is the view that reformed state enterprises and privately managed firms will demonstrate superior management control and better performance, and hence encourage economic growth and employment. There are very few intensive case studies published in English journals studying whether firms privatised in China have reversed previous losses and introduced better management controls, leading to increased investment, productivity, and overall organizational effectiveness and efficiency. The researchers do not seek to deny the control problems of Chinese SOEs, but question the consequences of the new controls installed during the post-privatisation period. The paper also reveals a declining tendency in employment; altered distributions of wealth ? especially to the state ? and labour, and a lack of improvements in the accountability of privatised companies. Overall, the paper argues, the aims of reform policies in China, including better control, increased profitability and an improved working life for Chinese people, have not materialized. The paper calls for more research on the above issues in the Chinese context

Minimally invasive management of vital teeth requiring root canal therapy

The present study aimed to investigate the possible use of a non-instrumentation technique including blue light irradiation for root canal cleaning. Extracted human single rooted teeth were selected. Nine different groups included distilled water, NaOCl, intra-canal heated NaOCl, and NaOCl + EDTA irrigation after either instrumentation or non-instrumentation, and a laser application group following non-instrumentation technique. The chemical assessment of the root canal dentine was evaluated using EDS and FT-IR. Surface microstructural analyses were performed by using SEM. The antimicrobial efficacy of different preparation techniques was evaluated using microbial tests. Laser application didn’t change the Ca/P, carbonate/phosphate and amide I/phosphate ratios of the root canal dentin the root canal dentin preserved its original form after light application. The instrumentation decreased the carbonate/phosphate and amide I/phosphate ratios of the root canal dentin regardless of the irrigation solution or technique (p < 0.05). According to the microbiological tests, the light application could not provide antibacterial efficacy as much as NaOCl irrigation. The NaOCl irrigation both in the non-instrumentation and instrumentation groups significantly reduced the number of bacteria (p < 0,05). Minimally invasive root canal preparation techniques where the root canal is not instrumented and is disinfected by laser irradiation followed by obturation with a hydraulic cement sealer may be an attractive treatment option for management of vital teeth needing root canal therapy and does not have any detrimental effects on the chemical structure of dentin

Exploring the Uncertainty of Approximated Fitness Landscapes via Gaussian Process Realisations

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IEEE via the DOI in this recordGaussian processes (GPs) serve as powerful surrogate models in optimisation by providing a flexible data-driven framework for representing complex fitness landscapes. We provide an analysis of realisations drawn from GP models of fitness landscapes-which represent alternative coherent fits to the data-and use a network-based approach to investigate their induced landscape consistency. We consider the variation of constructed local optima networks (LONs: which provide a condensed representation of landscapes), analyse the fitness landscapes of GP realisations, and delve into the uncertainty associated with graph metrics of LONs. Our findings contribute to the understanding and practical application of GPs in optimisation and landscape analysis. Particularly that landscape consistency between GP realisations can vary considerably dependent on the model fit and underlying landscape complexity of the optimisation problem.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Women’s Informal Entrepreneurship through the Lens of Institutional Voids and Institutional Logics

YesIn this conceptual paper, we respond to the calls for broader theoretical approaches that can coherently demonstrate a high degree of conceptual sensitivity to multiple combinations of institutional factors influencing women's informal entrepreneurship (WIE) and related agency. We do so by integrating constructs of gender and gender inequality with those of institutional logics and institutional voids. We find that a refined understanding of institutional voids is required to pave the way for a meaningful theoretical integration and empirical application of the related conceptualizations. We offer such a revised definition by placing formal and informal logics (rather than institutions) at the heart of it. In our theorizing, we propose that gender interplaying with formal and informal institutional logics create varying degrees of obscure and unique institutional voids that shape WIE prevalence. The proposed harmonized theoretical lens provides researchers with flexible yet consistent guidance for conducting context-specific empirical work that can coherently advance understanding of underlying logics shaping WIE and related agency