Exploiting in-situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy to probe the early stages of hydration of calcium aluminate cement

We report a high-field in-situ solid-state NMR study of the hydration of CaAl2O4 (the most important hydraulic phase in calcium aluminate cement), based on time-resolved measurements of solid-state 27Al NMR spectra during the early stages of the reaction. A variant of the CLASSIC NMR methodology, involving alternate recording of direct-excitation and MQMAS 27Al NMR spectra, was used to monitor the 27Al species present in both the solid and liquid phases as a function of time. Our results provide quantitative information on the changes in the relative amounts of 27Al sites with tetrahedral coordination (the anhydrous reactant phase) and octahedral coordination (the hydrated product phases) as a function of time, and reveal significantly different kinetic and mechanistic behaviour of the hydration reaction at the different temperatures (20 °C and 60 °C) studied

Minimization of free radical damage by metal catalysis of multivitamin/multimineral supplements

Multivitamin/multimineral complexes are the most common dietary supplements. Unlike minerals in foods that are incorporated in bioorganic structures, minerals in dietary supplements are typically in an inorganic form. These minerals can catalyze the generation of free radicals, thereby oxidizing antioxidants during digestion. Here we examine the ability of a matrix consisting of an amino acid and non-digestible oligosaccharide (AAOS) to blunt metal-catalyzed oxidations. Monitoring of ascorbate radical generated by copper shows that ascorbate is oxidized more slowly with the AAOS matrix than with copper sulfate. Measurement of the rate of oxidation of ascorbic acid and Trolox® by catalytic metals confirmed the ability of AAOS to slow these oxidations. Similar results were observed with iron-catalyzed formation of hydroxyl radicals. When compared to traditional forms of minerals used in supplements, we conclude that the oxidative loss of antioxidants in solution at physiological pH is much slower when AAOS is present

Decadal-timescale estuarine geomorphic change under future scenarios of climate and sediment supply

© The Authors, 2009. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License. The definitive version was published in Estuaries and Coasts 33 (2010): 15-29, doi:10.1007/s12237-009-9244-y.Future estuarine geomorphic change, in response to climate change, sea-level rise, and watershed sediment supply, may govern ecological function, navigation, and water quality. We estimated geomorphic changes in Suisun Bay, CA, under four scenarios using a tidal-timescale hydrodynamic/sediment transport model. Computational expense and data needs were reduced using the morphological hydrograph concept and the morphological acceleration factor. The four scenarios included (1) present-day conditions; (2) sea-level rise and freshwater flow changes of 2030; (3) sea-level rise and decreased watershed sediment supply of 2030; and (4) sea-level rise, freshwater flow changes, and decreased watershed sediment supply of 2030. Sea-level rise increased water levels thereby reducing wave-induced bottom shear stress and sediment redistribution during the wind-wave season. Decreased watershed sediment supply reduced net deposition within the estuary, while minor changes in freshwater flow timing and magnitude induced the smallest overall effect. In all future scenarios, net deposition in the entire estuary and in the shallowest areas did not keep pace with sea-level rise, suggesting that intertidal and wetland areas may struggle to maintain elevation. Tidal-timescale simulations using future conditions were also used to infer changes in optical depth: though sea-level rise acts to decrease mean light irradiance, decreased suspended-sediment concentrations increase irradiance, yielding small changes in optical depth. The modeling results also assisted with the development of a dimensionless estuarine geomorphic number representing the ratio of potential sediment import forces to sediment export forces; we found the number to be linearly related to relative geomorphic change in Suisun Bay. The methods implemented here are widely applicable to evaluating future scenarios of estuarine change over decadal timescales.This study was supported by the US Geological Survey’s Priority Ecosystems Science program, CALFED Bay/ Delta Program, and the University of California Center for Water Resources

Comparative LCA of concrete with recycled aggregates: a circular economy mindset in Europe

[EN] Purpose Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) is the largest waste stream in the European Union (EU) and all over the world. Proper management of C&DW and recycled materials¿including the correct handling of hazardous waste¿can have major benefits in terms of sustainability and the quality of life. The Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC aims to have 70% of C&DW recycled by 2020. However, except for a few EU countries, only about 50% of C&DW is currently being recycled. In the present research, the environmental impact of concrete with recycled aggregates and with geopolymer mixtures is analysed. The aim of the present research is to propose a comparative LCA of concrete with recycled aggregates in the context of European politics. Methods Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is applied using Simapro© software. A cradle to grave analysis is carried out. The results are analysed based on the database Ecoinvent 3.3 and Impact 2002+. Results Results show that the concrete with 25% recycled aggregates is the best solution from an environmental point of view. Furthermore, geopolymer mixtures could be a valid alternative to reduce the phenomenon of ¿global warming¿; however, the production of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide has a great environmental impact. Conclusions A possible future implementation of the present study is certainly to carry out an overall assessment and to determine the most cost-effective option among the different competing alternatives through the life cycle cost analysis.Colangelo, F.; Gómez-Navarro, T.; Farina, I.; Petrillo, A. (2020). Comparative LCA of concrete with recycled aggregates: a circular economy mindset in Europe. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 25(9):1790-1804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01798-6S17901804259Akhtar A, Sarmah (2018) Construction and demolition waste generation and properties of recycled aggregate concrete: a global perspective. 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J Clean Prod 184:815–825Braga AM, Silvestre JD, de Brito J (2017) Compared environmental and economic impact from cradle to gate of concrete with natural and recycled coarse aggregates. J Clean Prod 162:529–543Chen C, Habert G, Bouzidi Y, Jullien A, Ventura A (2010) LCA allocation procedure used as an incitative method for waste recycling: an application to mineral additions in concrete. Res Con Rec 54(12):1231–1240Chen Z, Gu H, Bergman RD, Liang S (2020) Comparative life-cycle assessment of a high-rise mass timber building with an equivalent reinforced concrete alternative using the Athena impact estimator for buildings. Sustainability (Switzerland) 12(11):4708Colangelo F, Cioffi R (2017) Mechanical properties and durability of mortar containing fine fraction of demolition wastes produced by selective demolition in South Italy. Comp Part B: Eng 115:43–50Colangelo F, Petrillo A, Cioffi R, Borrelli C, Forcina A (2018a) Life cycle assessment of recycled concretes: a case study in southern Italy. Sci Total Env 615:1506–1517Colangelo F, Forcina A, Farina I, Petrillo A (2018b) Life cycle assessment (LCA) of different kinds of concrete containing waste for sustainable construction. Buildings 8(5):70Colangelo F, Navarro TG, Petrillo A, Farina I, Cioffi R (2020) Life-cycle impact of concrete with recycled materials. 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Res Con Rec 136:166–178Gluth, G.J.G., Arbi, K., Bernal, S.A., Bondar, D., Castel, A., Chithiraputhiran, S., Dehghan, A., Dombrowski-Daube, K., Dubey, A., Ducman, V., Peterson, K., Pipilikaki, P., Valcke, S.L.A., Ye, G., Hajimohammadi, A., van Deventer, J.S.J., 2017. Characterisation of one-part geopolymer binders made from fly ash. Waste Biom Val, 8(1), pp. 225–233Gomes R, Silvestre JD, de Brito J (2020) Environmental, economic and energy life cycle assessment “from cradle to cradle” (3E-C2C) of flat roofs. Journal of Building Engineering 32:101436ISO 14040 (2006) Environmental management life cycle assessment. Principles and Framework. ISO, GenevaISO 14044 (2006) Environmental management. Life cycle assessment. Requirements and Guidelines. ISO, GenevaJafary Nasab T, Monavari SM, Jozi SA, Majedi H (2020) Assessment of carbon footprint in the construction phase of high-rise constructions in Tehran. Int J Environ Sci Technol 17(6):3153–3164Jolliet O, Margni M, Charles R, Humbert S, Payet J, Rebitzer G, Rosenbaum R (2003) Impact 2002+: a new life cycle impact assessment methodology. Int J Life Cycle Assess 8(6):324–333Khan MW, Ali Y, De Felice F, Salman A, Petrillo A (2019) Impact of brick kilns industry on environment and human health in Pakistan. Sci Total Environ 678:383–389Knoeri C, Sanyé-Mengual E, Althaus H-J (2013) Comparative LCA of recycled and conventional concrete for structural applications. Int J Life Cycle Assess 18(5):909–918Lu W, Yan H (2011) A framework for understanding waste management studies in construction. Waste Man 31:1252–1260Marinković S, Radonjanin V, Malešev M, Ignjatović I (2010) Comparative environmental assessment of natural and recycled aggregate concrete. Waste Man 30(11):2255–2264Mercante IT, Bovea MD, Ibáñez-Forés V, Arena AP (2012) Life cycle assessment of construction and demolition waste management systems: a Spanish case study. Int J Life Cycle Assess 17(2):232–241Pantini S, Giurato M, Rigamonti L (2019) A LCA study to investigate resource-efficient strategies for managing post-consumer gypsum waste in Lombardy region (Italy). Res Con Rec 147:157–168Petrillo A, Cioffi R, De Felice F, Colangelo F, Borrelli C (2016) An environmental evaluation: a comparison between geopolymer and OPC concrete paving blocks manufacturing process in Italy. Env Prog Sus Energy 35(6):1699–1708Provis JL (2017) Alkali-activated cementitious materials and concretes - steps towards standardization, American Concrete Inst, ACI Special Publication 2017-January (SP 320), pp. 444-448Sayagh S, Ventura A, Hoang T, François D (2010) Sensitivity of the LCA allocation procedure for BFS recycled into pavement structures. Res cons rec 54(6):348–358Tangtinthai N, Heidrich O, Manning DAC (2019) Role of policy in managing mined resources for construction in Europe and emerging economies. J Env Man 236:613–621Tošić N, Marinković S, Dašić T, Stanić M (2015) Multicriteria optimization of natural and recycled aggregate concrete for structural use. J Clean Prod 87(1):766–776Van den Heede P, De Belie N (2012) Environmental impact and life cycle assessment (LCA) of traditional and ‘green’ concretes: literature review and theoretical calculations. Cem Conc Comp 34(4):431–442Vossberg C, Mason-Jones K, Cohen B (2014) An energetic life cycle assessment of C&D waste and container glass recycling in Cape Town, South Africa. Res Con Rec 88:39–49Walling SA, Notman S, Watts P, Govan N, Provis JL (2019) Portland cement based immobilization/destruction of chemical weapon agent degradation products. Industrial Eng Chemistry Res 58(24):10383–10393Wu H, Zuo J, Yuan H, Zillante G, Wang J (2019) A review of performance assessment methods for construction and demolition waste management. Res Cons Recycling 150:104407Zhang C, Hu M, Dong L, Gebremariam A, Mirand-Xicotencatl B, Di Maio F, Tukker A (2019) Eco-efficiency assessment of technological innovations in high-grade concrete recycling. Res Cons Recycling 149:649–66

Suppression of Jasmonic Acid-Dependent Defense in Cotton Plant by the Mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis

The solenopsis mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis, has been recently recognized as an aggressively invasive pest in China, and is now becoming a serious threat to the cotton industry in the country. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the molecular mechanisms employed by cotton for defending against P. solenopsis before the pest populations reach epidemic levels. Here, we examined the effects of exogenous jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and herbivory treatments on feeding behavior and on development of female P. solenopsis. Further, we compared the volatile emissions of cotton plants upon JA, SA, and herbivory treatments, as well as the time-related changes in gossypol production and defense-related genes. Female adult P. solenopsis were repelled by leaves from JA-treated plant, but were not repelled by leaves from SA-treated plants. In contrast, females were attracted by leaves from plants pre-infested by P. solenopsis. The diverse feeding responses by P. solenopsis were due to the difference in volatile emission of plants from different treatments. Furthermore, we show that JA-treated plants slowed P. solenopsis development, but plants pre-infested by P. solenopsis accelerated its development. We also show that P. solenopsis feeding inhibited the JA-regulated gossypol production, and prevented the induction of JA-related genes. We conclude that P. solenopsis is able to prevent the activation of JA-dependent defenses associated with basal resistance to mealybugs

Genetic Diversity of EBV-Encoded LMP1 in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and Implication for NF-Κb Activation

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with several types of cancers including Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). EBV-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), a multifunctional oncoprotein, is a powerful activator of the transcription factor NF-κB, a property that is essential for EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell survival. Previous studies reported LMP1 sequence variations and induction of higher NF-κB activation levels compared to the prototype B95-8 LMP1 by some variants. Here we used biopsies of EBV-associated cancers and blood of individuals included in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) to analyze LMP1 genetic diversity and impact of sequence variations on LMP1-mediated NF-κB activation potential. We found that a number of variants mediate higher NF-κB activation levels when compared to B95-8 LMP1 and mapped three single polymorphisms responsible for this phenotype: F106Y, I124V and F144I. F106Y was present in all LMP1 isolated in this study and its effect was variant dependent, suggesting that it was modulated by other polymorphisms. The two polymorphisms I124V and F144I were present in distinct phylogenetic groups and were linked with other specific polymorphisms nearby, I152L and D150A/L151I, respectively. The two sets of polymorphisms, I124V/I152L and F144I/D150A/L151I, which were markers of increased NF-κB activation in vitro, were not associated with EBV-associated HL in the SHCS. Taken together these results highlighted the importance of single polymorphisms for the modulation of LMP1 signaling activity and demonstrated that several groups of LMP1 variants, through distinct mutational paths, mediated enhanced NF-κB activation levels compared to B95-8 LMP1

A Functional Genomics Approach Identifies Candidate Effectors from the Aphid Species Myzus persicae (Green Peach Aphid)

Aphids are amongst the most devastating sap-feeding insects of plants. Like most plant parasites, aphids require intimate associations with their host plants to gain access to nutrients. Aphid feeding induces responses such as clogging of phloem sieve elements and callose formation, which are suppressed by unknown molecules, probably proteins, in aphid saliva. Therefore, it is likely that aphids, like plant pathogens, deliver proteins (effectors) inside their hosts to modulate host cell processes, suppress plant defenses, and promote infestation. We exploited publicly available aphid salivary gland expressed sequence tags (ESTs) to apply a functional genomics approach for identification of candidate effectors from Myzus persicae (green peach aphid), based on common features of plant pathogen effectors. A total of 48 effector candidates were identified, cloned, and subjected to transient overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana to assay for elicitation of a phenotype, suppression of the Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP)–mediated oxidative burst, and effects on aphid reproductive performance. We identified one candidate effector, Mp10, which specifically induced chlorosis and local cell death in N. benthamiana and conferred avirulence to recombinant Potato virus X (PVX) expressing Mp10, PVX-Mp10, in N. tabacum, indicating that this protein may trigger plant defenses. The ubiquitin-ligase associated protein SGT1 was required for the Mp10-mediated chlorosis response in N. benthamiana. Mp10 also suppressed the oxidative burst induced by flg22, but not by chitin. Aphid fecundity assays revealed that in planta overexpression of Mp10 and Mp42 reduced aphid fecundity, whereas another effector candidate, MpC002, enhanced aphid fecundity. Thus, these results suggest that, although Mp10 suppresses flg22-triggered immunity, it triggers a defense response, resulting in an overall decrease in aphid performance in the fecundity assays. Overall, we identified aphid salivary proteins that share features with plant pathogen effectors and therefore may function as aphid effectors by perturbing host cellular processes

Prediction of Associations between microRNAs and Gene Expression in Glioma Biology

Despite progress in the determination of miR interactions, their regulatory role in cancer is only beginning to be unraveled. Utilizing gene expression data from 27 glioblastoma samples we found that the mere knowledge of physical interactions between specific mRNAs and miRs can be used to determine associated regulatory interactions, allowing us to identify 626 associated interactions, involving 128 miRs that putatively modulate the expression of 246 mRNAs. Experimentally determining the expression of miRs, we found an over-representation of over(under)-expressed miRs with various predicted mRNA target sequences. Such significantly associated miRs that putatively bind over-expressed genes strongly tend to have binding sites nearby the 3′UTR of the corresponding mRNAs, suggesting that the presence of the miRs near the translation stop site may be a factor in their regulatory ability. Our analysis predicted a significant association between miR-128 and the protein kinase WEE1, which we subsequently validated experimentally by showing that the over-expression of the naturally under-expressed miR-128 in glioma cells resulted in the inhibition of WEE1 in glioblastoma cells

Sediment geochemistry of streams draining abandoned lead / zinc mines in central Wales: the Afon Twymyn

Purpose Despite the decline of metal mining in the UK during the early 20th century, a substantial legacy of heavy metal contamination persists in river channel and floodplain sediments. Poor sediment quality is likely to impede the achievement of ’good’ chemical and ecological status for surface waters under the European Union Water Framework Directive. This paper examines the environmental legacy of the Dylife lead/zinc mine in the central Wales mining district. Leachable heavy metal concentrations in the bed sediments of the Afon Twymyn are established and the geochemical partitioning, potential mobility and bioavailability of sediment-associated heavy metals are established. Materials and methods Sediment samples were collected from the river bed and dry-sieved into two size fractions (<63 μm and 64–2,000 μm). The fractionated samples were then subjected to a sequential extraction procedure to isolate heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn) in three different geochemical phases. Sediment samples were then analysed for heavy metals using ICP-AES. Results and discussion The bed sediment of the Afon Twymyn is grossly polluted with heavy metals. Within the vicinity of the former mine, Pb concentrations are up to 100 times greater than levels reported to have deleterious impacts on aquatic ecology. Most heavy metals exist in the most mobile easily exchangeable and carbonate-bound geochemical phases, potentially posing serious threats to ecological integrity and constituting a significant, secondary, diffuse source of pollution. Metal concentrations decrease sharply downstream of the former mine, although there is a gradual increase in the proportion of readily extractable Zn and Cd. Conclusions Implementation of sediment quality guidelines is important in order to achieve the aims of the Water Framework Directive. Assessments of sediment quality should include measurements of background metal concentrations, river water physico-chemistry and, most importantly, metal mobility and potential bioavailability. Uniformity of sediment guidelines throughout Europe and flexibility of targets with regard to the most heavily contaminated mine sites are recommended