Nitrogen removal and ammonia-oxidising bacteria in a vertical flow constructed wetland treating inorganic wastewater

Nitrogen removal performance and the ammonia-oxidising bacterial (AOB) community were assessed in the batch loaded 1.3ha saturated surface vertical flow wetland at CSBP Ltd, a fertiliser and chemical manufacturer located in Kwinana, Western Australia. From September 2008 to October 2009 water quality was monitored and sediment samples collected for bacterial analyses. During the period of study the wetland received an average inflow of 1109m3/day with NH3-N = 40mg/L and NO3-N=23mg/L. Effluent NH3-N and NO3-N were on average 31mg/L and 25mg/L respectively. The overall NH3-N removal rate for the period was 1.2g/m2/d indicating the nitrifying capacity of the wetland. The structure of the AOB community was analysed using group specific primers for the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and by clone libraries to identify key members. The majority of sequences obtained were most similar to Nitrosomonas sp. while Nitrosospira sp. was less frequent. Another two vertical flow wetlands, 0.8ha each, were commissioned at CSBP in July 2009, since then the wetland in this study has received nitrified effluent from these two new cells

Energy and phase transition in a horizontally vibrating granular system

The study focuses on the average energy of a monolayer of granular particles confined in a rectangular container. The container is shaken sinusoidally in a horizontal plane. The motion of every particle is recorded by a CCD camera so that the kinetic energy of the system can be analyzed by tracking the trajectory of each particle. It is found that the average energy changes abruptly at a certain critical filling fraction while the configuration of the particles makes a transition from a disordered to a solid-like state. We determine the critical value of the filling fraction and the energy of the solid-like state using a resonant condition

Superfluid properties of one-component Fermi gas with an anisotropic p-wave interaction

We investigate superfluid properties and strong-coupling effects in a one-component Fermi gas with an anisotropic p-wave interaction. Within the framework of the Gaussian fluctuation theory, we determine the superfluid transition temperature $T_{\rm c}$, as well as the temperature $T_0$ at which the phase transition from the $p_x$-wave pairing state to the $p_x+ip_y$-wave state occurs below $T_{\rm c}$. We also show that while the anisotropy of the p-wave interaction enhances $T_{\rm c}$ in the strong-coupling regime, it suppresses $T_0$.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of QFS 201

Ценностно-смысловые предпосылки адаптивности вьетнамских студентов

This article analyzes the ratio of axiological orientation of Vietnamese students and their adaptability. The article demonstrates that the ratio of certain values, attitudes and needs forms a specific type of axiological orientation. The article finds out that the different types of orientation are interrelated with the selective personality adaptive indicators of Vietnamese students and can be regarded as predictors of the adaptation process. The article identifies the current trends of adaptability studies within the context of the system paradigm. The article points out the main determinants of the personal adaptability manifestations. The methodological basis of the research was the dispositional concept of personality and individual traits investigation by A.I. Krupnov, as well as the provisions of the theory of personal potential by D.A. Leontiev, developed within the framework of positive psychology. The aim of the study presented in this article is to identify the relationship between the indicators of axiological orientation and adaptability variables in Vietnamese students. At the first stage of the study, different types of students’ axiological orientation based on the results of cluster analysis have been identified and described: vocational-career, egocentric, socio-communicative orientation types. Statistically significant differences between the selected types were recorded for most of the components. The meaningful characteristics of these types at the behavioral level differ in their attitude to training activities, relationship with other people and personal self-conception. At the next stage the features of adaptability among the representatives with different types of axiological orientation were revealed. The correlation analysis was used to identify the correlation between the axiological variables and adaptability. It turned out that all the three groups are pressed by uncertainty, nostalgia and asthenic feelings. At the same time the representatives of the vocational and career axiological orientation type were more successful in adaptability, as compared to other groups. The students with egocentric orientation turned out less successful in adaptability. They are distinguished by the highest severity of negative background mood, uncertainty, difficulties in communication. As a conclusion, we defined the role of axiological orientation as the primary predictor of personal adaptability in multicultural environment.В статье анализируются показатели соотношения ценностно-смысловой направленности и адаптивности вьетнамских студентов. Показано, что соотношение определенных ценностей, установок и потребностей образует определенный тип ценностно-смысловой направленности. Установлено, что различные типы направленности избирательно взаимосвязаны с показателями адаптивности личности вьетнамских студентов и могут выступать определенными предикторами процесса адаптации. Обозначены современные тенденции исследования адаптивности в контексте системной парадигмы. Отмечены основные индивидуально-личностные детерминанты проявления адаптивности личности. Методологической базой исследования выступила диспозиционная концепция исследования свойств личности и индивидуальности А.И. Крупнова, а также положения теории личностного потенциала Д.А. Леоньтева, разработанные в рамках позитивной психологии. Цель исследования, представленного в данной статье - изучение взаимосвязи показателей ценностно-смысловой направленности и переменных адаптивности вьетнамских студентов. На первом этапе исследования, опираясь на результаты кластерного анализа, были выделены и охарактеризованы различные типы ценностно-смысловой направленности студентов: профессионально-карьерная, эгоцентрическая, социально-коммуникативная. Между выделенными типами зафиксированы статистически значимые различия по большинству составляющих. Содержательные характеристики указанных типов на поведенческом уровне отличаются отношением к учебной деятельности, взаимоотношениями с окружающими людьми и самоотношением. На следующем этапе были выявлены особенности проявления адаптивности у студентов с разными типами ценностно-смысловой направленности. С помощью корреляционного анализа установлена взаимосвязь между переменными ценностной направленности и адаптивности. Оказалось, что для всех трех групп является актуальным их неуверенность, ностальгия и астеничность. В тоже время для представителей профессионально-карьерного типа ценностно-смысловой направленности характерна более успешная адаптивность по сравнению с представителями других групп. Менее успешными в проявлении адаптивности оказались студенты с эгоцентрической направленностью, их отличает наибольшая выраженность негативного фона настроения, неуверенность, трудности в общении. В заключении делается вывод о роли ценностно-смысловой направленности как основного из факторов, определяющих успешность адаптивности личности в поликультурной среде

Fate of Z(N) walls in hot holographic QCD

We first study Z(N) walls in a deconfined phase of Witten's D4-brane background of pure SU(N) Yang-Mills theory, motivated by a recent work in the case of N=4 SYM. Similarly to it, we propose that for a large wall charge k ~ N, it is described by k D2-branes blown up into a NS5-brane wrapping S^3 inside S^4 via Myers effect, and we calculate the tension by suitable U-duality. We find a precise Casimir scaling for the tension formula. We then study the fate of Z(N)-vacua in a presence of fundamental flavors in quenched approximation via gauge/gravity correspondence. In the case of D3/D7 system where one can vary the mass m_q of flavors, we show that there is a phase transition at T_c ~ m_q, below which the Z(N)-vacua survive while they are lifted above the critical temperature. We analytically calculate the energy lift of k'th vacua in the massless case, both in the D3/D7 system and in the Sakai-Sugimoto model.Comment: 24 pages, v2: references updated, v3: A clarification on the meaning of Z(N) walls in Euclidean space added, citations update

Composition, characterisation and emulsifying properties of natural nanoparticles in chickpea aquafaba for the formation of chilli oleoresin-in-water Pickering emulsions

This study aims to assess the compositional characteristics of British Kabuli chickpea aquafaba (AF) by conducting a comprehensive analysis from raw chickpeas to centrifugation fractions of AF and its potential use in forming and stabilising capsaicin-loaded O/W Pickering systems by exploiting the presence of self-assembled nanoparticles and proteins, which act as natural-coating agent. To this end, chickpeas were soaked (16 h, 4 °C, 1:4 chickpea: water) and pressure-cooked (20 min, 113 °C, 10 psig, 1:5 chickpea: water). The dry weight-based (DWB) compositions included total carbohydrate (76.33 ± 4.20%), protein (16.29 ± 0.43%), total phenolics (7.05–8.77 mg/g) and saponins (39.95 ± 0.89 mg/g), thus confirming the leaching of these components from seeds to AF. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis analysis revealed the presence of low MW proteins (≤∼16 kDa). The monosaccharides comprised d-glucose, d-galactose, l-arabinose, d-xylose and d-fructose. AF's particle size distribution revealed the occurrence of a bimodal population of nanoparticles (Dh ≤∼1000 nm and Dh ≤∼100 nm), further characterised by SAXS and TEM imaging. O/W emulsions were prepared with three chilli oleoresin types (capsicum, chilli birds' eye, and chilli ancho) by high-pressure homogenisation. The emulsion with the highest capsaicin content (capsicum oleoresin) was the most stable while the emulsion with the lowest capsaicin content (chilli ancho oleoresin) was the least stable. The presence of incidental nanoparticles and denatured proteins in AF was reasoned to account for the formation and stabilisation of chilli oleoresin-in-water Pickering emulsions, a newly offered explanation for its interfacial properties that will be pursued further in future studies

Role of spinon and spinon singlet pair excitations on phase transitions in d−waved-wave superconductors

We examine the roles of massless Dirac spinon and spin singlet pair excitations on the phase transition in $d-wave$ superconductors. Although the massless spinon excitations in the presence of the spin singlet pair excitations do not alter the nature of the phase transition at $T = 0$, that is, the XY universality class, they are seen to induce an additional attractive interaction potential between vortices, further stabilizing vortex-antivortex pairs at low temperature for lightly doped high $T_c$ samples.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Collaborative dynamic decision making: a case study from B2B supplier selection

The problem of supplier selection can be easily modeled as a multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem: businesses express their preferences with respect to suppliers, which can then be ranked and selected. This approach has two major pitfalls: first, it does not consider a dynamic scenario, in which suppliers and their ratings are constantly changing; second, it only addressed the problem from the point of view of a single business, and cannot be easily applied when considering more than one business. To overcome these problems, we introduce a method for supplier selection that builds upon the dynamic MCDM framework of Campanella and Ribeiro [1] and, by means of a linear programming model, can be used in the case of multiple collaborating businesses plan- ning their next batch of orders together.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal, under contract CONT DOUT/49/UNINOVA/0/5902/1/200