Immersed Membrane BioReactor (IMBR) for treatment of combined domestic and dairy wastewater in an isolated farm: An exploratory case study implementing the Facet Analysis (FA)

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o In many regions dairy farms and milk processing industries, discharge large quantities of their wastes to the surroundings which pose serious environmental risks. With the purpose of treating the combined dairy and domestic wastewater from a small dairy farm in the Negev Desert of Israel, the use of a recent emerging technology of Immersed Membrane BioReactor (IMBR) was evaluated over the course of 500 test hours, under a variety of wastewater feed quality conditions. Field experiments were performed at the Kornmehl farm, an isolated dairy farm located 30 km south of BeerSheva, in the Negev Desert of Israel. The operating conditions for this experiment included constant product flow of 7 (L/h)], and the transmembrane pressure was increased smoothly during the experiment from 0.05 to 0.13 bar. Temperatures ranged between 30°C and 37°C, pH ranged between 4 and 9, TSS varied between 353 mg/L to 1000 mg/L and COD changed from 900 mg/L to 12,800 mg/L. The overall performance of a pilot-scale Ultrafiltration (UF) IMBR process for a combined domestic and dairy wastewater was analyzed based on the Facet Analysis (FA) method. Preliminary results of the FA model indicate: (i) the Trans-Membrane Pressure (TMP); the pH and the temperature do not have an effect on the performance of the permeate normalized flux and on the specific normalized flux, and; (ii) the bioreactor is characterized by high concentration of organic matters and it can be estimated that the IMBR normalized flux decline is dependent on other variables (air blower performance, backwash procedure and chemical cleaning)

New Modularity of DAP-Kinases: Alternative Splicing of the DRP-1 Gene Produces a ZIPk-Like Isoform

DRP-1 and ZIPk are two members of the Death Associated Protein Ser/Thr Kinase (DAP-kinase) family, which function in different settings of cell death including autophagy. DAP kinases are very similar in their catalytic domains but differ substantially in their extra-catalytic domains. This difference is crucial for the significantly different modes of regulation and function among DAP kinases. Here we report the identification of a novel alternatively spliced kinase isoform of the DRP-1 gene, termed DRP-1β. The alternative splicing event replaces the whole extra catalytic domain of DRP-1 with a single coding exon that is closely related to the sequence of the extra catalytic domain of ZIPk. As a consequence, DRP-1β lacks the calmodulin regulatory domain of DRP-1, and instead contains a leucine zipper-like motif similar to the protein binding region of ZIPk. Several functional assays proved that this new isoform retained the biochemical and cellular properties that are common to DRP-1 and ZIPk, including myosin light chain phosphorylation, and activation of membrane blebbing and autophagy. In addition, DRP-1β also acquired binding to the ATF4 transcription factor, a feature characteristic of ZIPk but not DRP-1. Thus, a splicing event of the DRP-1 produces a ZIPk like isoform. DRP-1β is highly conserved in evolution, present in all known vertebrate DRP-1 loci. We detected the corresponding mRNA and protein in embryonic mouse brains and in human embryonic stem cells thus confirming the in vivo utilization of this isoform. The discovery of module conservation within the DAPk family members illustrates a parsimonious way to increase the functional complexity within protein families. It also provides crucial data for modeling the expansion and evolution of DAP kinase proteins within vertebrates, suggesting that DRP-1 and ZIPk most likely evolved from their ancient ancestor gene DAPk by two gene duplication events that occurred close to the emergence of vertebrates

Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field

Socio-economic Differences among Localities: A New Method of Multivariate Analysis

LIPSHITZ G. and RAVEH A. (1998) Socio-economic differences among localities: a new method of multivariate analysis, Reg. Studies 32, 747-757. From a theoretical planning standpoint, this study is one of those that examines the socio-economic differences among localities that make up 'large' geographic units. Methodologically speaking, this study belongs to the group of studies that examines methods of classifying observations. The study, which is based on a new multivariate statistical method (Co-plot), presents the core-periphery pattern that characterizes the spatial distribution at the socio-economic level of the Israeli population, as well as the differences between the towns that make up the core and the periphery. The findings of the present study point to the need to reconsider regional development by placing the main emphasis on the fashioning of a differential regional development policy, together with, or in preference to, a homogeneous or uniform policy. The significance of this finding transcends the Israeli case. It has theoretical and methodological implications in the larger context of regional development, as the conclusion of the study affirms. Another important contribution of this study is the application of a new method of cluster analysis. This method is called 'Co-plot' and will be clarified in the paper. LIPSHITZ G. et RAVEH A. (1998) Une nouvelle analyse a variables multiples des ecarts socio-economiques regionaux, Reg. Studies 32, 747-757. Du point de vue theorique, cette etude examine les ecarts socio-economiques des pays qui font de grandes zones geographiques. Sur le plan methodologique, cette etude fait partie des etudes qui examinent les methodes utilisees pour classer les observations. A partir d'une nouvelle methode statistique a variables multiples ('Co-plot'), cette etude presente la tendance centre-peripherie qui caracterise la distribution geographique du niveau socio-economique de la population israelienne, aussi bien que les ecarts entre les villes qui font le centre et la peripherie. Les resultats de cette etude montre la necessite de remettre en cause l'amenagement du territoire tout en soulignant la conception d'une politique d'amenagement du territoire differentielle , conjointement avec ou de preference a une politique homog ene ou uniforme. L'importance de ce constat transcende le cas israelien. Dans un contexte plus vaste d'amenagement du territoire, il y a des retombees theoriques et methodologiques, comme l'affirme la conclusion de l'etude. Le role joue par l'application d'une nouvelle methode d'analyse en grappes est a signaler. Cette methode 'Co-plot' se voit eclaircir dans l'articler. LIPSHITZ G. und RAVEH A. (1998) Sozialokonomische Unterschiede von Ortschaften nach einer neuen Methode der Multivariatanalyse, Reg. Studies 32, 747-757. Von einem theoretischen Planungsstandpunkt aus gesehen ist diese Arbeit eine derer, welche die sozialokonomischen Unterschiede von Gegenden untersuchen, die 'grosse' geographische Einheiten bilden. Vom Standpunkt der Methodik her gehort sie zu der Gruppe von Studien, die Methoden der Klassifizierung von Beobachtungen untersuchen. Diese Arbeit, die auf einer neuen, multivariaten Methode (Coplot) basiert, stellt das Kern-Randgebietsmuster vor, welches sowohl die raumliche Verteilung der sozio-okonomischen Ebene der Bevolkerung von Israel charakterisiert, als auch die Unterschiede zwischen den Stadten, die Kern und Peripherie bilden. Die Befunde dieser Arbeit verweisen auf die Notwendigkeit, regionale Entwicklung nochmals zu uberdenken, indem sie die Hauptbetonung auf die Gestaltung einer unterschiedlichen regionalen Entwicklungspolitik legt, in Verbindung mit oder in Bevorzugung einer homogenen oder gleichformigen Politik. Die Bedeutung dieses Befundes geht uber den Fall Israel hinaus. Sie hat theoretische und methodologische Implikationen im grosseren Zusammenhang regionaler Entwicklung, wie die Konklusion der Arbeit bestatigt. Ein weiterer wichtiger Beitrag dieser Arbeit ist die Anwendung einer neuen Methode der Klusteranalyse. Diese Methode wird 'Co-plot' genannt und wird in dem Aufsatz erklart.Multivariate Analysis, Co-PLOT, Regional Development, Differential Development Policy,