Development of an Automated Detection System for Nitrite in Aquatic Environments

The main objective of the project is to develop an automated nitrite sensor for use in aquatic environments, and more specifically for use in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), where monitoring can help sustain a controlled environment, protect against nitrite intoxication, and promote fish health. Detecting nitrite manually with semi-quantitative colorimetric test kits, although inexpensive and simple, is prone to inter-user variability and poor sensitivity. An automated nitrite sensor has potential to provide higher resolution measurements at both concentration and time scales and can serve as a research tool for the study of filtration systems essential in maintaining a healthy RAS environment. The questions driving the project are: How to build a device that can deliver satisfactory analytical merit (e.g., sensitivity, accuracy, precision), while maintaining reliable, inexpensive, and simple operation. The research involves investigation into detection methods and state of the art instrumentation available for nitrite, production trends in chemical total analysis systems, and centers around larger questions surrounding invention and innovation. The first steps towards such a device are benchtop prototyping of the detection and fluidic modules, their integration with wet chemistry, and the validation of the analytical process carried out by the system. The project approaches the objectives with a design that relies on commercially available components and consumables and is modular and adaptable for future possible configurations. To this end, the benchtop prototype was developed as an opto-fluidic system for automated colorimetric detection. With the exception of two custom-built PVC adaptors, the entire system was built with off-the-shelf parts for around $1,000. In addition to utilizing easily replaceable components, the system was tested using commercially available and pre-made reagents based on proven chemistry (Griess assay for nitrite). Preliminary results suggest the analytical process is capable of detecting sub-micromolar nitrite concentrations (limit of detection equal to 0.18 µM) at appreciable precision, sensitivity, and accuracy in comparison to commercial instruments

The Constitutionality of Income-Based Fines

In America, fines are typically imposed without regard to income. The result is a system that traps low-income offenders in a cycle of debt and jail while letting rich offenders break the law without meaningful financial consequence. One-sizefits-all fines also fail to meet basic goals of the justice system: to treat like offenders alike, punish the deserving, and encourage respect for the law. Elsewhere in the world, however, systems that assess fines based on earnings have been around for nearly one hundred years. The most common model—known as the “day fine”— scales penalties according to a person’s daily income. These models are credited with ensuring proportionality in sentencing, improving the effectiveness of fines as a sanction, and even allowing fines to serve as an alternative to incarceration. They can also lead to startling results, such as a €54,000 speeding ticket assessed to a Finnish businessman. This Article is the first in-depth attempt to examine the constitutionality of a system of income-based fines that would levy significant financial penalties on the wealthy. Ultimately, it concludes that potential constitutional obstacles—arising primarily from the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment—are navigable, especially if a US system caps how high fines can go. As more people awaken to the burden that criminal justice debt imposes on the poor, this Article suggests that now may be an opportunity for a larger reconceptualization of financial sanctions—away from the inflexible fine and toward income proportionality

Sacred culture : religion and aesthetics in Barbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys

This project examines the role of religion in the cultural politics of the Romantic era. Though previous studies have explored the influence of radical, plebeian religion on Barbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys, they have not situated these Romantic writers\u27 discourse within the broader field of cultural production that includes conservative religious discourse. By doing so, I unfold the pervasive connections between culture, religion, and aesthetics in the Romantic era. I demonstrate how conservative religious discourse of this era aesthet~cizes social power through an emphasis on manners and taste. Such religious discourse thus works to internalize dominant social values more effectively by making them appear less coercive. This study traces the way in which the presumably more radical religious discourses ofBarbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys similarly aestheticize social power and advocate hegemonic values

The Growing Challenge of Dual Credit/Enrollment

Face the dual credit challenge by taking back control of the program and strengthening it to ensure high academic standards. This presentation will explain the dual credit phenomenon and offer practical advice in countering it, navigating the political landmines, and making it work better for your department

Future discourse: Energy and agricultural turnaround in one area? Modeling of future land use with the software 100prosim

The transformation of an energy system is complex and requires not only technical measures, innovation and changes in lifestyle, but also increasing agricultural land use, especially for the construction of wind turbines or solar panels. Land use for biofuel cultivation is also relevant. Participants in transdisciplinary workshops use the simulation tool 100prosim to create and discuss their new energy scenario and learn about the complexity and requirements of the energy transitions regarding land use for renewable energy. The goal is to create an energy system that is supplied completely through renewable energy, while maintaining the balance between consumption and production. The focus is not on economic but on ecological factors and those related to land use. The holistic view of the tool and the visualization make it possible for participants to get an idea of the size and use of the energy production areas planned. Consequently, participants can identify possible conflicts of use, such as feed production and food security, to be discussed as a basic requirement for determining space for opportunities and a desirable optimum

Metabolic monitoring in patients undergoing cardiac surgery using intravascular microdialysis

Critically ill patients and patients undergoing cardiac surgery often experience hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and glycemic variability (fluctuating blood glucose concentrations), all of which have been associated with adverse outcomes. Glycemic control aimed at avoiding both hyper- and hypoglycemia as well as at minimizing glycemic variability has been shown to be beneficial in these patients. In order to enable glycemic control, a safe and reliable glucose monitoring system is required. Additionally, monitoring of lactate is beneficial since an elevated lactate level may serve as a warning signal, and the knowledge of lactate concentration is necessary to guide lactate-reducing treatment, which has been shown to improve outcome in critically ill patients. Intravascular microdialysis is a technique that can monitor small molecules like glucose and lactate in the bloodstream without the need for blood sampling. This thesis aimed at developing intravascular microdialysis into a verified and accepted clinical method for continuous monitoring of glucose and lactate in patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring postoperative treatment in the intensive care unit. Furthermore, another aim was to incorporate this technology into a standard procedure. The intravascular microdialysis method is based on a new and innovative technology, which involves a small compartment located between a catheter body and a covering microdialysis membrane. By perfusing this compartment, a dialysate fluid is produced wherein the concentrations of glucose and lactate are theoretically equal to those in the surrounding tissue, i.e. the bloodstream as the catheter is placed in a central vein. In Study I, the intravascular microdialysis concept was applied to a single- lumen catheter. The dialysate fluid was collected and intermittently analyzed in a separate dialysate analyzer for glucose and lactate concentrations and compared to blood samples. This study verified the microdialysis concept as an efficient clinical method for measuring blood glucose and lactate levels. In Study II, the outlet of the compartment of the microdialysis catheter was directly connected to a recently developed sensor, continuously analyzing glucose and lactate concentrations of the dialysate fluid. The continuous microdialysis catheter-sensor system was shown to be very accurate in monitoring blood glucose, with a lag time of only a few minutes in the clinical setting. The technique was improved in Study III, in which the microdialysis membrane was integrated in a standard central venous catheter, which is routinely applied in patients subjected to cardiac surgery. The results further demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of the microdialysis system. The data on lactate from Studies II and III were processed in Study IV, which demonstrated that the microdialysis system was also accurate and efficient in monitoring blood lactate. In Study V, the accuracy and responsiveness of the microdialysis system were confirmed in an animal model during extreme hypoglycemic conditions and rapid blood glucose oscillations, as well as during infusion of a solution with a high glucose concentration via the catheter. Finally in Study VI, the microdialysis system was compared to a certified and clinically verified continuous glucose monitoring system placed subcutaneously. The microdialysis system was found to be superior in terms of accuracy and met the clinical standards in terms of safety in the intensive care unit, while the subcutaneous system failed in this respect. This thesis demonstrates that intravascular microdialysis is a safe and accurate method for continuous monitoring of glucose and lactate in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and is superior to a subcutaneous system in this specific setting. Based on the results of the included studies, a safe, reliable and certified standard procedure was developed for use in critically ill patients for the pertinent control of blood glucose and lactate for early detection of metabolic derangement

Impacto de la mancha amarilla y roya de la hoja en la dinámica del nitrogéno en cultivares de trigo con diferente tolerancia, bajo aplicación de fertilización nitrogenada y fungicidas

La mancha amarilla (MA) ocasionada por el hongo necrotrófico Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died) Drechs (anamorfo Drechslera tritici-repentis) (Died) Shoem) y la roya de la hoja (RH) ocasionada por el hongo biotrófico Puccinia triticina Eriks, se encuentran entre las principales restricciones bióticas que limitan el rendimiento y afectan la calidad del cultivo de trigo pan (Triticum aestivum L.) en Argentina y otros países. En los últimos años se ha impulsado el interés por el estudio de la tolerancia a enfermedades como un importante complemento de la resistencia genética dentro de un contexto de manejo integrado. Sin embargo, cuando estas enfermedades no pueden ser atenuadas por la resistencia o los mecanismos de tolerancia, es usual optar por la aplicación de fungicidas. Por su parte, la fertilización nitrogenada es necesaria para alcanzar elevados rendimientos y calidad en trigo, aunque su utilización puede afectar la expresión de enfermedades foliares. El objetivo general fue analizar la importancia de la tolerancia a las enfemedades foliares causadas por patógenos biotróficos (P. triticina) y necrotróficos (Py. tritici-repentis) con inoculaciones de los patógenos separadamente, la fertilización nitrogenada y la aplicación de diferentes fungicidas sobre el rendimiento de cultivares de trigo de diferente aptitud panadera y su efecto sobre la removilizacion de Nitrógeno (N), absorción post-antesis, % N en granos y acumulación de N en los granos, para permitir un control más eficiente de las enfermedades foliares en el contexto del manejo integrado. Se condujeron ensayos durante 2012 y 2013 en la Estación Experimental J. Hirschhorn (FCAyF-UNLP; La Plata, Argentina) utilizando un diseño experimental en parcela dividida con tres repeticiones. Las parcelas principales fueron las inoculaciones de los patógenos (Py. tritici-repentis y P. triticina). La sub-parcela fueron los tratamientos de inoculación: 1- sin inóculo (SI), 2- baja concentración de inóculo (BCI) y 3- alta concentración de inóculo (ACI). Como sub-sub-parcela se sembraron diez cultivares de trigo de diferente grupo de calidad (GC). Las evaluaciones se realizaron en EC39, EC60 y EC82 y consistieron en la determinación del área bajo la curva del progreso de la enfermedad (ABCPE), duración del índice de área foliar verde del cultivo (DAFV), rendimiento y sus componentes, y la removilizacion (NREM), absorción post-antesis (NPA), acumulación de N en granos (NG) y %N en granos (%NG). Se detectaron tres genotipos tolerantes a cada uno de los patógenos evaluados. Algunos cultivares fueron tolerantes a las dos enfermedades (BioINTA 3004 y Klein Guerrero), en tanto que ACA 303 y Sursem LE 2330 fueron tolerantes a MA y Klein Yarará y Baguette 11 lo fueron a RH. Se evidenciaron efectos de la tolerancia en el NG, ICN y ERN en ambos patógenos y además en NPA ante P. triticina y en NREM ante Py. tritici-repentis. La pérdida de rendimiento fluctuó entre el 15,2% al 19,9%, debido a las disminuciones en el número de granos/espiga (12,9% para MA y 18,7% para RH) y en el peso de mil granos (6,3% y 9,4% para MA y RH respectivamente). Respecto a la dinámica del N en el cultivo, los resultados indican que el modo de nutrición de los patógenos provoca un efecto diferencial en estas variables con efectos más notorios ante RH, mecanismo que estaría explicado por la retención de N en tejidos verdes y pústulas ante este patógeno biotrófico lo que impide la normal traslocación del N hacia los granos y reducen la eficiencia de removilizacion de N (ERN). En este sentido, inoculaciones con Py. tritici-repentis provocaron incrementos en el %NG de hasta 14,9%, en tanto que inoculaciones con P. triticina provocaron el efecto inverso, reduciendo esta variable en hasta 9,89% respecto al testigo no inoculado. Tanto la NREM (-30,9%) como el NG (-24,4%) mostraron mayores reducciones ante aumentos en la dosis de inóculo de P.triticina, no detectándose reducciones significativas ante Py. tritici-repentis. Otro de los objetivos fue evaluar el efecto de 6 diferentes principios activos de fungicidas y de la fertilización nitrogenada sobre la severidad de la MA y RH, la DAFV del cultivo y de la hoja bandera (DAFVHB), el rendimiento y la dinámica del N en tres cultivares de trigo. Para ello, se condujo un ensayo durante 2014 y 2015 en la Estación Experimental J. Hirschhorn utilizando un diseño experimental en parcela dividida con tres repeticiones. Las parcelas principales fueron las inoculaciones de los patógenos (Py. triticirepentis y P. triticina). La sub-parcela fueron los tratamientos de fungicidas: 1- sin fungicida (SF), 2- triazol + estrobilurina (TE) y 3- triazol + estrobilurina + carboxamida (TEC). Como sub-subparcela se aplicaron tres dosis de N: 1- 0 kg N/ha (0N), 2- 70 kg N/ha (70N) y 3- 140 kg N/ha (140N). Como sub-sub-sub-parcela se sembraron tres cultivares de trigo de diferente grupo de calidad. Las evaluaciones también se realizaron en EC39, EC60 y EC82 y consistieron en la determinación del ABCPE, DAFV, DAFVHB, el rendimiento y sus componentes y la NREM, NPA, NG y %NG. El ABCPE ante MA disminuyó ante dosis crecientes de N, en tanto que, con RH, la respuesta fue inversa. No obstante, el impacto de la fertilización nitrogenada fue mayor sobre la DAFV que sobre la severidad de las enfermedades. Por otro lado, la aplicación de TEC no solo produjo las mayores disminuciones del ABCPE, sino que además produjo los mayores incrementos de la DAFV y DAFVHB lo que derivó en los mayores aumentos de rendimiento fundamentalmente explicados por el número de granos.m-2 . El %NG se redujo con la aplicación de fungicidas para el control de MA, en tanto que, cuando se controló la RH, ocurrió lo inverso. Ante inoculaciones con P.triticina se detectaron mayores reducciones en el NREM, NPA y NG con respecto a Py.tritici-repentis, respuesta que estaría explicada por disminuciones en la generación de biomasa y rendimiento, sumado a reducciones en el ICN y ERN por retención de N en partes vegetativas y pústulas del patógeno. Se detectó que los genotipos más susceptibles a enfermedades permitieron discriminar de manera más consistente el efecto diferencial que cada patógeno provocó ante incrementos en la fertilización nitrogenada sobre el ABCPE, DAFV y DAFVHB y sobre la dinámica del N. El efecto combinado de fungicidas y aumentos en la dosis de N generó los mayores incrementos en la NREM, NPA y en la NG. Los mayores resultados sobre el control de los patógenos, generación de rendimiento y dinámica del N en el cultivo ante la aplicación de TEC con respecto a la doble mezcla TE, se debería a un mejor efecto fungicida sumado a un efecto positivo en la fisiología del cultivo, tales como incrementos en la eficiencia del uso del agua y radiación e incrementos en la tasa fotosintética del cultivo que provocaron mayores aumentos en la tasa de crecimiento del cultivo.Tan spot caused by the necrotrophic fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died) Drechs (anamorph Drechslera tritici-repentis) (Died) Shoem) (MA) and leaf rust caused by the biotrophic fungus Puccinia triticina Eriks (RH), are the main biotic causes of yield and quality reductions of wheat (Triticum aestivum L) in Argentina and other countries. In recent years, the interest in the study of the disease tolerance has been promoted as an important complement to the genetic resistance within an integrated management context. However, when disease can not be attenuated by any of these mechanisms, opting for fungicide applications is very usual. On the other hand, nitrogen (N) fertilization is necessary to achieve high yields and quality in wheat, although its use may affect the expression of the foliar diseases. The main objective was to analyze the importance of the tolerance to foliar diseases caused by biotrophic (P.triticina) and necrotrophic pathogens (Py. tritici-repentis) under separated inoculations, with N fertilization and different fungicides applications on yield of wheat cultivars differing in bread making aptitude and their effect on N remobilization, N post-anthesis absorption, % N in grains and N accumulation in grains, to allow a more efficient control of foliar diseases in the context of the integrated management. Two field experiments were conducted during 2012 and 2013 at the Estación Experimental Julio Hirschhorn (FCAyF-UNLP, La Plata, Argentina). Treatments were arranged in an experimental split-split plot design with three replications, where the main plots were the pathogens (P. tritici-repentis and P. triticina); sub-plots corresponded to inoculation treatments: 1- without inoculation (WI), 2- low inoculum concentration of each pathogen (LC), 3- high inoculum concentration of each pathogen (HC) and ten commercial cultivars differing in bread-making aptitude were the sub-sub-plots. Evaluations consisting in determining the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC), Healthy area duration (HAD), yield, yield components, N remobilization (NREM), N post-anthesis absorption (NPA), % N in grains (%NG) and N accumulation in grains (NG) were performed. Three genotypes presented tolerance to each of the diseases. Cultivars BioINTA 3004 and Klein Guerrero showed tolerance to both diseases. ACA 303 and Sursem LE 2330 were tolerant to MA, while Klein Yarará and Baguette 11 were tolerant to RH. Tolerance effects were observed in the NG, ICN and ERN in both pathogens and also in NPA (P. triticina) and NREM (Py. tritici-repentis). Yield loss caused by diseases fluctuated between 15.2% and 19.9% due to decreases in the grain number/spike (12.9% for MA and 18.7% for RH) and in thousand kernel weight (6.3 and 9.4% for MA and RH respectively). Regarding the crop N dynamics, the results indicate that the mode of nutrition of the pathogens would cause a differential effect in these variables with more noticeable effects on RH, a mechanism that would be explained by the retention of N in green tissues and pustules of this biotrophic pathogen, which prevents the normal translocation of N to the grains and reduce the N remobilization efficiency (ERN). In this sense, inoculations with MA caused increases in the %NG up to 14.9%, while RH caused the inverse effect, reducing this variable by 9.89% with respect to the non-inoculated treatment. Both, NREM (-30.9%) and NG (-24.4%) showed higher reductions under increases in the inoculum dose of RH, while no significant reductions were detected under MA infections. Other objective was to evaluate the effect of fungicide differing in active ingredients and three N rates, on MA and RH AUDPC, HAD, flag leaf 8 HAD (FLHAD), grain yield and N dynamics in three wheat cultivars. Two field experiments were conducted during 2014 and 2015 at the Estación Experimental Julio Hirschhorn. Main plots were the inoculations with the pathogens (Py. tritici-repentis and P. triticina); sub-plots corresponded to fungicide treatments: 1- untreated, 2- triazole + strobilurin (TS) and 3- triazole + strobilurin + carboxamide (TSC), N doses were the sub-sub-plots: 1- 0 kg N/ha (0N), 2- 70 kg N/ha (70N) and 3- 140 kg N/ha. Three cultivars difering in bread-making aptitude were the sub-sub-sub-plot. Evaluations consisting in determining the AUDPC, HAD, FLHAD, yield, yield components and NREM, NPA, NG y %NG were performed. AUDPC of MA increased at higher N rates, whereas with RH the opposite occurred. However, the impact of N was greater on HAD than on the disease severity. On the other hand, TSC applications not only produced the major decreases in AUDPC but also the main increases in HAD and FLHAD, which resulted in the higher yield increases mainly explained by the grain number/m2. %NG was reduced with the application of fungicides when MA was controlled, whereas, with RH the opposite occurred. Greater reductions in NREM, NPA and NG were detected in response to RH inoculations with respect to MA, a response that could be explained by decreases in biomass and yield, coupled with reductions on N harvest index and NRE due to retention of N in vegetative parts and pustules of the pathogen. It was detected that the most susceptible genotypes allowed a better discriminination on the differential effect that each pathogen caused due to increases in N fertilization on AUDPC, HAD and FLHAD and N dynamics. Combined effect of fungicides and increases in N dose generated the largest increases in NREM, NPA and NG. The greater results on the control of pathogens, yield generation and N dynamics in the crop under TSC application with respect to TS, would be due to a better fungicidal effect added to a positive effect in the physiology of the crop, such as increases in the water and radiation use efficiency and increases in the photosynthetic rate of the crop, which led to greater increases in the growth rate of the crop.Fil: Schierenbeck, Matías. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Cátedra de Cerealicultura; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

Componentes ecofisiológicos involucrados en la generación de biomasa afectados por enfermedades foliares en trigo

Se investigó la incidencia de patógenos necrotróficos y biotróficos inoculados separadamente sobre variables de generación de biomasa en cultivares de trigo. Se encontró que los patógenos biotróficos disminuyen la EUR en mayor medida que los biotróficos debido a la interacción particular que este tipo de patógenos establece con las células del hospedante.Fil: Schierenbeck, Matías. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Cátedra de Cerealicultura; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Fleitas, María Constanza. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Cátedra de Cerealicultura; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Simon, Maria Rosa. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Cátedra de Cerealicultura; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin