Modelling inhibitory effects of long chain fatty acids in the anaerobic digestion process

Mathematical modelling of anaerobic digestion process has been used to give new insights regarding dynamics of the long chain fatty acids (LCFA) inhibition. Previously published experimental data, including batch tests with clay mineral bentonite additions, were used for parameter identification. New kinetics were considered to describe the bio-physics of the inhibitory process, including: i) adsorption of LCFA over granular biomass and ii) specific LCFA substrate (saturated/unsaturated) and LCFA-degrading populations. Furthermore, iii) a new variable was introduced to describe the state of damage of the acetoclastic methanogens in order to account for the loss of cell-functionality (inhibition) induced by the adsorbed LCFAs. The proposed model modifications are state compatible and easy to be integrated into the International Water Association’s Anaerobic Digestion Model N1 (ADM1) framework. Practical identifiability of model parameters was assessed with a global sensitivity analysis, while calibration and model structure validation were performed on independent data sets. A reliable simulation of the LCFA-inhibition process can be achieved, if the model includes the description of the adsorptive nature of the LCFAs and the LCFA-damage over specific biomass. The importance of microbial population structure (saturated/unsaturated LCFA-degraders) and the high sensitivity of acetoclastic population to LCFA are evidenced, providing a plausible explanation of experimental based hypothesis.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects CTM 2010-18212 and PSE-120000-2009-27)

Carta de uso atual das terras e cobertura vegetal do Município de Jaguariúna, São Paulo.

O trabalho divulga o levantamento e a elaboração da carta de uso atual das terras e da cobertura vegetal do Município de Jaguariúna, região metropolitana de Campinas-SP, com a aplicação de técnicas utilizadas em geoprocessamento

Cartografia do uso atual das terras nas Áreas de Proteção Ambiental de Sousas e Joaquim Egídio, Campinas-SP, Brasil.

Divulga os resultados do levantamento, utilizando sensoriamento remoto e geoprocessamento, do uso das terras nas APAS de Sousas e Joaquim Egídio, no Município de Campinas-SP

Towards the ultimate regime in Rayleigh-Darcy convection

Numerical simulations are used to probe Rayleigh-Darcy convection in fluid-saturated porous media towards the ultimate regime. The present three-dimensional dataset, up to Rayleigh-Darcy number, suggests that the appropriate scaling of the Nusselt number is, fitting the computed data for. Extrapolation of current predictions to the ultimate linear regime yields the asymptotic law, about less than indicated in previous studies. Upon examination of the flow structures near the boundaries, we confirm previous indications of small flow cells hierarchically nesting into supercells, and we show evidence that the supercells at the boundary are the footprints of the megaplumes that dominate the interior part of the flow. The present findings pave the way for more accurate modelling of geophysical systems, with special reference to geological sequestration

Strong Rayleigh-Darcy convection regime in three-dimensional porous media

We perform large-scale numerical simulations to study Rayleigh-Darcy convection in three-dimensional fluid-saturated porous media up to Rayleigh-Darcy number. At these large values of, the flow is dominated by large columnar structures - called megaplumes - which span the entire height of the domain. Near the boundaries, the flow is hierarchically organized, with fine-scale structures interacting and nesting to form larger-scale structures called supercells. We observe that the correlation between the flow structure in the core of the domain and at the boundaries decreases only slightly for increasing, and remains rather high even at the largest considered here. This confirms that supercells are the boundary footprint of megaplumes dominating the core of the domain. In agreement with available literature predictions, we show that the thickness of the thermal boundary layer scales very well with the Nusselt number as. Measurements of the mean wavenumber - inverse of the mean length scale - in the core of the flow support the scaling, in very good agreement with theoretical and numerical predictions. Interestingly, the behaviour of the mean wavenumber near the boundaries scales as, which is distinguishably different from the presumed linear behaviour. We hypothesize that a linear behaviour can only be observed in the ultimate regime, which we argue to set in only at in excess of, whereas a sublinear behaviour is recovered at more modest. The present results are expected to help the development of long desired reliable models to predict the large- and fine-scale structure of Rayleigh-Darcy convection in the high- regime typically encountered in geophysical processes, such as for instance in geological carbon dioxide sequestration

Uso de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto aplicadas à estimativa da produção florestal.

EVINCI. Resumo 053

Total orthotopic small bowel transplantation in swine under FK 506

Previous experimental studies in rodents and in dogs have established the efficacy of FK 506 in controlling the immunologic events following small bowel or multivisceral transplantation.1–5 To complete the assessment of FK 506 in experimental small bowel transplantation, we present here our experience with the frequently used swine model

Rejection-mediated Regression of Melanocytic Naevi in an Immunosuppressed Organ Transplant Recipient

© 2014 The Authors. doi: 10.2340/00015555-1789 Journal Compilation © 2014 Acta Dermato-Venereologica. ISSN 0001-5555 Eruptive melanocytic naevi and/or excess of melanocytic naevi have been reported in several groups of immunosuppressed patients. The eruption of melanocytic naevi after immunosuppression is a peculiar phenomenon indicating that the immune system may play a major role in limitating proliferation of melanocytes (1). In this article we describe a patient with excess of post-transplant melanocytic naevi that spontaneously disappeared after graft rejection

Conservação de sementes de feijão tratadas com cera de carnaúba.

O tratamento com produtos alternativos para sementes destinadas ao armazenamento tem sido uma prática bastante comum. O uso de ceras como a de carnaúba, vêm sendo testadas em frutas e hortaliças. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a eficiência da utilização da cera de carnaúba na conservação da qualidade fisiológica de sementes de feijão, cultivar Majestoso, durante o armazenamento. Após colheita, secagem, beneficiamento e expurgo, as sementes foram subdivididas em amostras de 20 kg e tratadas com 120 mL de solução de cera e água nas seguintes proporções (cera/água): 1/0 (cera pura), 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5 e testemunha (apenas água). As sementes foram acondicionadas em sacos de pano e armazenadas em laboratório, com temperatura média de 25°C e umidade relativa entre 65 e 80%. Antes do armazenamento e após 3, 6, 9 e 12 meses avaliaram-se a germinação (teste de germinação) e o vigor (primeira contagem, envelhecimento acelerado e emergência em areia) das sementes. Apesar da germinação das sementes dos diferentes tratamentos terem se mantido acima de 80% após seis meses de armazenamento, o seu vigor, principalmente pelo teste de envelhecimento acelerado, foi seriamente reduzido já aos três meses de armazenamento, principalmente naquelas que receberam o tratamento com cera de carnaúba. Nas sementes tratadas com a cera de carnaúba foi observada uma forte incidência de fungos de armazenamento (Aspergillus e Penicillium), resultando em um maior número de sementes mortas e plântulas anormais infeccionadas. Conclui-se que a aplicação de solução de cera de carnaúba em sementes de feijão, nas diferentes concentrações estudadas, não foi eficiente para a manutenção das suas qualidades fisiológica e sanitária.Resumo