A Peer-reviewed Newspaper About_ Machine Feeling

On the ability of technologies to capture and structure feelings and experiences that are active, in flux, and situated in the present. Publication resulting from research workshop at CRASSH, University of Cambridge, organised in collaboration with CRASSH, University of Cambridge and transmediale festival for art and digital culture, Berlin

Bridging the gap between atmospheric concentrations and local ecosystem measurements

This paper demonstrates that atmospheric inversions of CO₂ are a reliable tool for estimating regional fluxes. We compare results of an inversion over 18 days and a 300 x 300 km 2 domain in southwest France against independent measurements of fluxes from aircraft and towers. The inversion used concentration measurements from 2 towers while the independent data included 27 aircraft transects and 5 flux towers. The inversion reduces the mismatch between prior and independent fluxes, improving both spatial and temporal structures. The present mesoscale atmospheric inversion improves by 30% the CO₂ fluxes over distances of few hundreds of km around the atmospheric measurement locations. Citation: Lauvaux, T., et al. (2009), Bridging the gap between atmospheric concentrations and local ecosystem measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L19809, doi: 10.1029/2009GL039574

Conversion of the Mycotoxin Patulin to the Less Toxic Desoxypatulinic Acid by the Biocontrol Yeast Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae Strain LS11

Se describe en este artículo el descubrimiento de la degradación de la micotoxina patulina por una levaduraThe infection of stored apples by the fungus Penicillium expansum causes the contamination of fruits and fruit-derived products with the mycotoxin patulin, which is a major issue in food safety. Fungal attack can be prevented by beneficial microorganisms, so-called biocontrol agents. Previous time-course thin layer chromatography analyses showed that the aerobic incubation of patulin with the biocontrol yeast Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae strain LS11 leads to the disappearance of the mycotoxin spot and the parallel emergence of two new spots, one of which disappears over time. In this work, we analyzed the biodegradation of patulin effected by LS11 through HPLC. The more stable of the two compounds was purified and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance as desoxypatulinic acid, whose formation was also quantitated in patulin degradation experiments. After R. kratochvilovae LS11 had been incubated in the presence of 13C-labeled patulin, label was traced to desoxypatulinic acid, thus proving that this compound derives from the metabolization of patulin by the yeast. Desoxypatulinic acid was much less toxic than patulin to human lymphocytes and, in contrast to patulin, did not react in vitro with the thiol-bearing tripeptide glutathione. The lower toxicity of desoxypatulinic acid is proposed to be a consequence of the hydrolysis of the lactone ring and the loss of functional groups that react with thiol groups. The formation of desoxypatulinic acid from patulin represents a novel biodegradation pathway that is also a detoxification process

Primerjava toksičnosti etanola in acetaldehida za podganje astrocite v primarni kulturi

This study compared the effects of toxicity of ethanol and its first metabolite acetaldehyde in rat astrocytes through cell viability and cell proliferation. The cells were treated with different concentrations of ethanol in the presence or absence of a catalase inhibitor 2-amino-1,2,4 triazole (AMT) or with different concentrations of acetaldehyde. Cell viability was assessed using the trypan blue test. Cell proliferation was assessed after 24 hours and after seven days of exposure to either ethanol or acetaldehyde. We showed that both ethanol and acetaldehyde decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In proliferation studies, after seven days of exposure to either ethanol or acetaldehyde, we observed a significant dose-dependent decrease in cell number. The protein content study showed biphasic dose-response curves, after 24 hours and seven days of exposure to either ethanol or acetaldehyde. Co-incubation in the presence of AMT significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of ethanol on cell proliferation. We concluded that long-term exposure of astrocytes to ethanol is more toxic than acute exposure. Acetaldehyde is a much more potent toxin than ethanol, and at least a part of ethanol toxicity is due to ethanol’s first metabolite acetaldehyde.V študiji smo primerjali toksičnost etanola in njegovega prvega metabolita acetaldehida za podganje astrocite z določitvijo celične viabilnosti in proliferacije. Celične kulture smo tretirali z različnimi koncentracijami etanola, etanola v prisotnosti inhibitorja katalaze 2-amino-1,2,4 triazol-a (AMT) ali z različnimi koncentracijami acetaldehida. Celično viabilnost smo vrednotili s pomočjo testa s tripanskim modrilom, celično proliferacijo pa s štetjem celic in določitvijo koncentracije proteinov po 24-urni, kot tudi 7-dnevni izpostavljenosti. S študijo smo pokazali, da tako etanol kot tudi acetaldehid v odvisnosti od njune koncentracije zmanjšata celično viabilnost. V študiji proliferacije sta etanol in acetaldehid, v odvisnosti od njunih koncentracij, značilno zmanjšala število celic po 7-dnevni izpostavljenosti. Pri ugotavljanju vsebnosti proteinov smo dobili bifazno krivuljo tako po 24-urni, kot tudi po 7-dnevni izpostavljenosti različnim koncentracijam etanola oziroma acetaldehida. Prisotnost AMT je signifi kantno zmanjšala učinek etanola na celično proliferacijo. Zaključimo lahko, da je dolgotrajna izpostavljenost astrocitov etanolu bolj toksična kot akutna. Acetaldehid je močnejši toksin kot etanol in vsaj del toksičnosti etanola je posledica delovanja njegovega prvega metabolita, acetaldehida

Stopy aluminium z dodatkiem cyrkonu w zakresie od 0,05 do 0,32% przeznaczone do zastosowań w elektroenergetyce napowietrznej

The main scientific challenge of the study was the selection of the zirconium amount, which will allow achieving high electric and strength properties of the alloy. The analysis of chemical compositions of the thermal resistive, conducting AlZr alloys allowed to estimate the most advantageous amount of zirconium, which was found to be within the range: from 0.05 to 0.32 wt % of Zr. The main aim of the study was the investigation of electric properties of alloys of the selected chemical compositions, being within the above given range. The endeavours were focused on determining the heat treatment influence (artificial ageing) on the resistivity of the AlZr alloys in the cast form. On these bases the ranges of obtainable electrical properties were estimated for the investigated alloys, which enabled the selection of optimal conditions of the heat treatment.Głównym wyzwaniem naukowym pracy był dobór ilości cyrkonu, która pozwoli uzyskać wysokie własności elektryczne oraz wytrzymałościowe stopu. Analiza składów chemicznych odpornych cieplnie, przewodowych stopów AlZr pozwoliła określić najkorzystniejszą ilość dodatku cyrkonu, która mieści się w zakresie od 0.05 do 0,32 % wag. Zr. Zasadniczym celem pracy są badania własności elektrycznych stopów o wybranych składach chemicznych mieszczących się w powyższym zakresie. W pracy skupiono się na określeniu wpływu obróbki cieplnej (starzenie sztuczne) na zmianę rezystywności stopów AlZr w postaci odlewanej. Na tej podstawie, dla badanych stopów, wyznaczono zakresy możliwych do uzyskania własności elektrycznych, co pozwoliło na dobór optymalnych warunków obróbki cieplnej

Aluminium Alloys with Zirconium Additions, in the Range from 0.05 To 0.32%, Intended for Applications in the Overhead Electrical Power Engineering

The main scientific challenge of the study was the selection of the zirconium amount, which will allow achieving high electric and strength properties of the alloy. The analysis of chemical compositions of the thermal resistive, conducting AlZr alloys allowed to estimate the most advantageous amount of zirconium, which was found to be within the range: from 0.05 to 0.32 wt % of Zr. The main aim of the study was the investigation of electric properties of alloys of the selected chemical compositions, being within the above given range. The endeavours were focused on determining the heat treatment influence (artificial ageing) on the resistivity of the AlZr alloys in the cast form. On these bases the ranges of obtainable electrical properties were estimated for the investigated alloys, which enabled the selection of optimal conditions of the heat treatment.Głównym wyzwaniem naukowym pracy był dobór ilości cyrkonu, która pozwoli uzyskać wysokie własności elektryczne oraz wytrzymałościowe stopu. Analiza składów chemicznych odpornych cieplnie, przewodowych stopów AlZr pozwoliła określić najkorzystniejszą ilość dodatku cyrkonu, która mieści się w zakresie od 0.05 do 0,32 % wag. Zr. Zasadniczym celem pracy są badania własności elektrycznych stopów o wybranych składach chemicznych mieszczących się w powyższym zakresie. W pracy skupiono się na określeniu wpływu obróbki cieplnej (starzenie sztuczne) na zmianę rezystywności stopów AlZr w postaci odlewanej. Na tej podstawie, dla badanych stopów, wyznaczono zakresy możliwych do uzyskania własności elektrycznych, co pozwoliło na dobór optymalnych warunków obróbki cieplnej

Comparative Studies of Continuously Cast Semi-finished Al Grade EN AW 1370

The current development of processing technologies of aluminium and its alloys is oriented towards special technologies of continuous casting, dedicated to specific applications. The good point of such approach constitutes limiting of production costs and time needed for making these products. An example of utilising dedicated technologies is sheets production technology of aluminium and its alloys by continuous casting. Another example constitutes technologies of producing charges for the drawing process, where technologies of rods continuous castings of copper and its alloys are known an industrial scale. However, there is a lack of such solutions regarding continuous casting of aluminium and aluminium alloys. Comparative studies of aluminium materials obtained in continuous casting and in continuous casting and rolling technology are presented in the paper

Studies of Al-Zr Alloys Produced by Continuous Casting

Praca zawiera badania własności mechanicznych, elektrycznych oraz odporności cieplnej badanych materiałów. Zakres pracy obejmuje badania nad procesem ciągnienia wlewków na druty o średnicy 3,5 mm, uzyskanych ze stopów Al-Zr w zakresie zawartości cyrkonu od 0,05 do 0,32, które zostały wytworzone w warunkach przemysłowych w linii ciągłego odlewania i walcowania (COiW). W artykule przedstawiono technologiczne krzywe umocnienia poszczególnych materiałów oraz wyniki badań obejmujące charakteryzację wybranych własności stopów Al-Zr.The work includes the study of mechanical, electrical properties and thermal resistance of the tested materials. The scope of work includes research on the process of wire bar on the wires with a diameter of 3.5 mm, obtained from Al-Zr alloys of zirconium content of 0.05 to 0.32, which have been produced in industrial conditions in the continuous casting and rolling (CCR). The paper presents the technological curve and the strengthening of individual materials research, including characterization of selected properties of Al-Zr alloys