Compositional differences of fluorescence dissolved organic matter in Arctic Ocean drift sea ice and surface waters north of Svalbard in spring.

We assessed the qualitative composition of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in Arctic Ocean surface water and in sea ice north of the Svalbard Archipelago (in the Sophia Basin, the Yermak Plateau and the north Spitsbergen shelf) in May and June 2015, during the “TRANSSIZ” expedition (Transitions in the Arctic Seasonal Sea Ice Zone). Samples collected in open lead waters (OW), under-ice waters (UIW) and from the sea ice (ICE) were analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy and subsequently by multivariate statistical methods using Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC). Statistical analyses of all measured DOM fluorescence excitation and emission matrices (EEMs) enabled four components to be identified and validated. The spectral characteristics of the first component C1 (λEx/λEm 282(270)/335) corresponded to those of tryptophan. The spectral properties of the other three components corresponded to those of humic-like substances: components two (C2 − λEx/λEm 315(252)/395) and three (C3 − λEx/λEm 357(258)/446) corresponded to humic-like substances of marine origin, whereas component four (C4 − λEx/λEm 261(399)/492) resembled terrestrial humic-like substances. Changes in FDOM composition were recorded in OW, in contrast to UIW and sea ice. In the OW the sum of fluorescence intensities of humic-like components (C2, C3 and C4) was two times higher than the fluorescence intensity of protein-like component (C1). Component C2 exhibited the highest fluorescence intensity. In the UIW and particularly in the sea ice the fluorescence intensity of the protein-like component, IC1, was the highest. The IC1 in the sea ice increased toward the sea ice bottom, reaching maximum values at the sea ice-water interface. The calculated spectral indices (SUVA(254) and HIX) and ratios of fluorescence intensities of protein-like to humic-like components, Ip/Ih, suggested that FDOM in water and sea ice was predominantly autochthonous, characterized by low molecular weight organic compounds and low aromatic ring saturation. Enrichment factors Dc, calculated from salinity-normalized values of the optical DOM properties and dissolved organic carbon concentrations, indicated the significant fractionation of FDOM in the sea ice relative to the parent open waters. The humic-like terrestrial component C4 was enriched the least, whereas the protein-like component C1 was enriched the most. A statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and relatively strong (R = 63) correlation between IC1 and the total chlorophyll a concentration Tchla was found in the sea ice, which suggests that sympagic algal communities were producers of the protein-like FDOM fraction

Selective Depletion of CREB in Serotonergic Neurons Affects the Upregulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Evoked by Chronic Fluoxetine Treatment

Neurotrophic factors are regarded as crucial regulatory components in neuronal plasticity and are postulated to play an important role in depression pathology. The abundant expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in various brain structures seems to be of particular interest in this context, as downregulation of BDNF is postulated to be correlated with depression and its upregulation is often observed after chronic treatment with common antidepressants. It is well-known that BDNF expression is regulated by cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB). In our previous study using mice lacking CREB in serotonergic neurons (Creb1TPH2CreERT2 mice), we showed that selective CREB ablation in these particular neuronal populations is crucial for drug-resistant phenotypes in the tail suspension test observed after fluoxetine administration in Creb1TPH2CreERT2 mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular changes in the expression of neurotrophins in Creb1TPH2CreERT2 mice after chronic fluoxetine treatment, restricted to the brain structures implicated in depression pathology with profound serotonergic innervation including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Here, we show for the first time that BDNF upregulation observed after fluoxetine in the hippocampus or PFC might be dependent on the transcription factor CREB residing, not within these particular structures targeted by serotonergic projections, but exclusively in serotonergic neurons. This observation may shed new light on the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, where the effects of BDNF observed after antidepressants in the hippocampus and other brain structures were rather thought to be regulated by CREB residing within the same brain structures. Overall, these results provide further evidence for the pivotal role of CREB in serotonergic neurons in maintaining mechanisms of antidepressant drug action by regulation of BDNF levels

Być komparatystą. Rozmowa z profesorem Christianem Moserem / Was heißt es, Komparatist zu sein? Gespräch mit Professor Christian Moser

Prof. dr Christian Moser – literaturoznawca i komparatysta z Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität w Bonn. Studiował filologię angielską i germańską w Bonn i Oxfordzie, w 2007 r. pracował jako profesor wizytujący na Columbia University w Nowym Jorku, w roku następnym – na uniwersytecie w Amsterdamie, a w 2014 – na Ohio State University. Jest przewodniczącym Niemieckiego Towarzystwa Literaturoznawstwa Ogólnego i Porównawczego (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft – DGAVL) oraz współredaktorem czasopisma „Komparatistik” i członkiem rady redakcyjnej „European Journal of Life Writing”. Jego zainteresowania naukowe obejmują komparatystykę, literaturę europejską od XVIII w. do współczesności, szczególnie wzajemne powiązania między literaturą niemiecką a brytyjską oraz niemiecką a francuską, autobiografistykę oraz literaturę w kontekście globalizacji. W maju 2014 r. Christian Moser był gościem Katedry Filologii Germańskiej UMK w Toruniu i wygłosił dwa wykłady: „Ökologische Peripatetik: Literarische Modellierungen der Mensch-Umwelt-Beziehung am Beispiel des Spazierganges” oraz „Nationalliteratur – Weltpoesie – Weltliteratur. Internationalisierung des Literaturbegriffs bei Herder und Goethe”. Wtedy też przeprowadzona została niniejsza rozmowa

Incineration, pyrolysis and gasification of electronic waste

Three high temperature processes of the electronic waste processing: smelting/incineration, pyrolysis and gasification were shortly discussed. The most distinctive feature of electronic waste is complexity of components and their integration. This type of waste consists of polymeric materials and has high content of valuable metals that could be recovered. The purpose of thermal treatment of electronic waste is elimination of plastic components (especially epoxy resins) while leaving non-volatile mineral and metallic phases in more or less original forms. Additionally, the gaseous product of the process after cleaning may be used for energy recovery or as syngas

Incineration, pyrolysis and gasification of electronic waste

Three high temperature processes of the electronic waste processing: smelting/incineration, pyrolysis and gasification were shortly discussed. The most distinctive feature of electronic waste is complexity of components and their integration. This type of waste consists of polymeric materials and has high content of valuable metals that could be recovered. The purpose of thermal treatment of electronic waste is elimination of plastic components (especially epoxy resins) while leaving non-volatile mineral and metallic phases in more or less original forms. Additionally, the gaseous product of the process after cleaning may be used for energy recovery or as syngas

Steam gasification for waste valorization with energy recovery

Steam gasification seems a promising technology of waste transformation since the steam is the only oxidizing reagent in the process and gaseous carrier of volatiles. Gasses are equilibrated at high temperature for conversion to the H2-rich syngas. After this step, the excess of steam condenses during cooling, together with non-converted tars, oils and fine particles. Condensing steam efficiently absorbs hydrogen bromide and hydrogen chloride. The use of steam eliminates carbonaceous residue from the solid mineral/metal product, which is convenient for further processing (for example extraction of metals). The syngas and the solid residue are generally the only products of gasification, because aqueous condensate may be returned to the process together with non-volatile hydrocarbons and sediments. The process was illustrated by laboratory scale gasification experiments with a) carton packaging, b) abrasive disc, c) pork bones, d) Cu multiwire cable e) PC/AT card and f) inverter (PCB board). The mineral/metal products of gasification may be considered as a raw materials for further processing, including typical routes of metals recovery. There is no direct emission to the atmosphere from the process. However, providing the energy from the syngas back to the reactor as well as the energy balance of steam condensation and recirculation of condensate to the reactor need careful analysis

Badania wstępne zastosowania glonów Mougeotia sp. w usuwaniu barwników syntetycznych

Biological methods of removal of synthetic dyes are cost effective and environmentally safe but still need improvement. The preliminary studies were focused on possibility of application of the freshwater algae Mougeotia sp. for the removal of synthetic dyes belonging to different chemical groups. Decolorization of water solutions of six dyes from four chemical groups were studied: azo – Evans blue (EB) and Congo red (CR); triphenylmethane (TPM) – brilliant green (BG) and crystal violet (CV); fluorone – bengal rose (BR) and anthraquinone – remazol brilliant blue R (RB). Dyes were used at three concentrations 0.005, 0.025 and 0.05 g/dm3. The best results of dyes removal were reached in case of both triphenylmethane dyes (BG and CV) and fluorone BR for all used dyes concentrations (97–100 %). Increase of azo dyes concentration was connected with the decrease of the removal efficiency (CR – 68–100 %; EB – 37–87 %). In case of the antraquinone RB the inverse effect was observed and the best removal results were reached at higher dye concentrations. Preliminary results point out the possibility of use Mougeotia sp. in processes of synthetic dyes removal, but further studies are required

Decomposition of LCD screen inverter by pyrolysis

PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) are important parts of electronic equipment and their use increases with technology development. Recycling of waste PCBs is challenging due to their complex structure and receives wide concerns as the amount of this type of waste is growing rapidly. In the article, the experiment of pyrolysis carried out with electronic waste sample was presented. The material employed in the present work was inverter of the LCD screen that it the example of the multilayer PCB. The correlation between pyrolysis temperature and gas emission from the system, which is associated with epoxy resin decomposition, is presented in the article

Steam gasification for waste valorization with energy recovery

Steam gasification seems a promising technology of waste transformation since the steam is the only oxidizing reagent in the process and gaseous carrier of volatiles. Gasses are equilibrated at high temperature for conversion to the H2-rich syngas. After this step, the excess of steam condenses during cooling, together with non-converted tars, oils and fine particles. Condensing steam efficiently absorbs hydrogen bromide and hydrogen chloride. The use of steam eliminates carbonaceous residue from the solid mineral/metal product, which is convenient for further processing (for example extraction of metals). The syngas and the solid residue are generally the only products of gasification, because aqueous condensate may be returned to the process together with non-volatile hydrocarbons and sediments. The process was illustrated by laboratory scale gasification experiments with a) carton packaging, b) abrasive disc, c) pork bones, d) Cu multiwire cable e) PC/AT card and f) inverter (PCB board). The mineral/metal products of gasification may be considered as a raw materials for further processing, including typical routes of metals recovery. There is no direct emission to the atmosphere from the process. However, providing the energy from the syngas back to the reactor as well as the energy balance of steam condensation and recirculation of condensate to the reactor need careful analysis

Validation of empirical and semi-analytical remote sensing algorithms for estimating absorption by Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter in the Baltic Sea from SeaWiFS and MODIS imagery

An extensive bio-optical data set obtained from field measurements was used to evaluate the performance of an empirical (Kowalczuket al. 2005) and two semi-analytical algorithms: Carder et al. (1999) and GSM01 (Maritorena et al. 2002) for estimating CDOMabsorption in the Baltic Sea. The data set includes coincident measurements of radiometric quantities and absorption coefficientsof CDOM made during 43 cruises between 2000 and 2008. In the first stage of the analysis, the accuracy of the empirical algorithmby Kowalczuk et al. (2005) was assessed using in situ measurements of remote sensing reflectance. Validation results improved whenmatching points located in Gulf of Gda&#x0144;sk close to the Vistula River mouth were eliminated from the data set. The calculatederrors in the estimation of aCDOM(400) in the first phase of the analysis were Bias = -0.02, RMSE = 0.46 and R2 = 0.70.In the second stage, the empirical algorithm was tested on satellite data from SeaWiFS and MODIS imagery. The satellite data werecorrected atmospherically with the MUMM algorithm designed for turbid coastal and inland waters and implemented in the SeaDASsoftware. The results of the best case scenario for estimating the CDOM absorption coefficient aCDOM(400), based on SeaWiFSdata, were Bias = -0.02, RMSE = 0.23 and R2 = 0.40. The validation of the Kowalczuk et al. (2005) empirical algorithm applied toMODIS data led to a less accurate estimate of aCDOM(400): Bias = -0.03, RMSE = 0.19 and R2 = 0.29. This assessment of the accuracy of standard semi-analytical algorithms available in the SeaWiFS and MODIS imagery processing software revealed that both algorithms (GSM_01 and Carder) underestimate CDOM absorption in the Baltic Sea with mean systematic and random errors in excess of 70%. The paper presents examples of theapplication of the Kowalczuk et al. (2005) empirical algorithm for producing maps of the seasonal distribution of aCDOM(400) in the Baltic Sea between 2004 and 2008