Investigation on the reliability of earthquake prediction based on ionospheric electron content variation

Due to lack of statistical reliability analysis of earthquake precursors, earthquake prediction from ionospheric parameters is considered to be controversial. In this study, reliability of earthquake prediction is investigated using dense TEC data estimated from the Turkish National Permanent GPS Network (TNPGN- Active). © 2013 ISIF ( Intl Society of Information Fusi

ACOX2 deficiency: A disorder of bile acid synthesis with transaminase elevation, liver fibrosis, ataxia, and cognitive impairment

Acyl CoA Oxidase 2 (ACOX2) encodes branched-chain acyl-CoA oxidase, a peroxisomal enzyme believed to be involved in the metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids and bile acid intermediates. Deficiency of this enzyme has not been described previously. We report an 8-y-old male with intermittently elevated transaminase levels, liver fibrosis, mild ataxia, and cognitive impairment. Exome sequencing revealed a previously unidentified homozygous premature termination mutation (p.Y69*) in ACOX2 Immunohistochemistry confirmed the absence of ACOX2 expression in the patient's liver, and biochemical analysis showed marked elevation of intermediate bile acids upstream of ACOX2. These findings define a potentially treatable inborn error of bile acid biosynthesis caused by ACOX2 deficiency

Polarity in GaN and ZnO: Theory, measurement, growth, and devices

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Rev. 3, 041303 (2016) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4963919.The polar nature of the wurtzite crystalline structure of GaN and ZnO results in the existence of a spontaneous electric polarization within these materials and their associated alloys (Ga,Al,In)N and (Zn,Mg,Cd)O. The polarity has also important consequences on the stability of the different crystallographic surfaces, and this becomes especially important when considering epitaxial growth. Furthermore, the internal polarization fields may adversely affect the properties of optoelectronic devices but is also used as a potential advantage for advanced electronic devices. In this article, polarity-related issues in GaN and ZnO are reviewed, going from theoretical considerations to electronic and optoelectronic devices, through thin film, and nanostructure growth. The necessary theoretical background is first introduced and the stability of the cation and anion polarity surfaces is discussed. For assessing the polarity, one has to make use of specific characterization methods, which are described in detail. Subsequently, the nucleation and growth mechanisms of thin films and nanostructures, including nanowires, are presented, reviewing the specific growth conditions that allow controlling the polarity of such objects. Eventually, the demonstrated and/or expected effects of polarity on the properties and performances of optoelectronic and electronic devices are reported. The present review is intended to yield an in-depth view of some of the hot topics related to polarity in GaN and ZnO, a fast growing subject over the last decade

Overcoming cross-cultural group work tensions: mixed student perspectives on the role of social relationships

As universities worldwide rapidly internationalise, higher education classrooms have become unique spaces for collaboration between students from different countries. One common way to encourage collaboration between diverse peers is through group work. However, previous research has highlighted that cross-cultural group work can be challenging and has hinted at potential social tensions. To understand this notion better, we have used robust quantitative tools in this study to select 20 participants from a larger classroom of 860 students to take part in an in-depth qualitative interview about cross-cultural group work experiences. Participant views on social tensions in cross-cultural group work were elicited using a unique mediating artefact method to encourage reflection and in-depth discussion. In our analysis of emergent interview themes, we compared student perspectives on the role of social relationships in group work by their academic performance level. Our findings indicated that all students interviewed desired the opportunity to form social relationships with their group work members, but their motivations for doing so varied widely by academic performance level

Long-term operation of a pilot-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating high salinity low loaded municipal wastewater in real environment

Supplementary material is available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383586619335427?via%3Dihub#s0095 .Long term operation of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating municipal wastewater was investigated in a real seawater intrusion spot in Falconara Marittima (Central Italy) on the Adriatic coastline. Changes in biological conversion and system stability were determined with respect to varying organic loading rate (OLR) and high salinity conditions. At an OLR of 1 kg COD m3−1 d−1, biogas production was around 0.39 ± 0.2 L d−1. The increase of the OLR to 2 kg COD m3−1 d−1 resulted in increase of biogas production to 2.8 ± 1.5 L d−1 (with 33.6% ± 10.5% of CH4) with methanol addition and to 4.11 ± 3.1 L d−1 (with 29.7% ± 11.8% of CH4) with fermented cellulosic sludge addition. COD removal by the AnMBR was 83% ± 1% when the effluent COD concentration was below 100 mg O2 L−1. The addition of the fermented sludge affected the membrane operation and significant fouling occurred after long-term filtration, where the trans-membrane pressure (TMP) reached up to 500 mbar. Citric acid solution was applied to remove scalants and the TMP reached the initial value. High saline conditions of 1500 mgCl− L−1 adversely affected the biogas production without deteriorating the membrane operation. The treated effluent met the EU quality standards of the D.M. 185/2003 and the new European Commission Resolution for reuse in agriculture.This study was carried out within the framework of the “SMART-Plant” Innovation Action which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 690323. This study was carried out within “Safe and Sustainable Solutions for the Integrated Use of Non-Conventional Water Resources in the Mediterranean Agricultural Sector (FIT4REUSE)” which has received funding from the Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under grant agreement No 1823

Fibrinogen storage disease without hypofibrinogenemia associated with estrogen therapy

BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic inclusion bodies within hepatocytes may have different etiologies, including the Endoplasmic Reticulum Storage Diseases (ERSDs). ERSD is a pathological condition characterized by abnormal accumulation of proteins destined for secretion in the endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes; it may be congenital (primary) or acquired (secondary). Fibrinogen storage disease is a form of ERSD. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of fibrinogen storage disease secondary to estrogen replacement therapy. Its causal relationship to the drug is shown by histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies of paired liver biopsies obtained during and after the drug therapy. CONCLUSION: The liver biopsies of patients with idiopathic liver enzyme abnormalities should be carefully evaluated for cytoplasmic inclusion bodies and, although rare, fibrinogen deposits

Six-dimensional Supergravity and Projective Superfields

We propose a superspace formulation of N=(1,0) conformal supergravity in six dimensions. The corresponding superspace constraints are invariant under super-Weyl transformations generated by a real scalar parameter. The known variant Weyl super-multiplet is recovered by coupling the geometry to a super-3-form tensor multiplet. Isotwistor variables are introduced and used to define projective superfields. We formulate a locally supersymmetric and super-Weyl invariant action principle in projective superspace. Some families of dynamical supergravity-matter systems are presented.Comment: 39 pages; v3: some modifications in section 2; equations (2.3), (2.14b), (2.16) and (2.17) correcte

Comparative life cycle environmental and economic assessment of anaerobic membrane bioreactor and disinfection for reclaimed water reuse in agricultural irrigation: A case study in Italy

Supplementary data are available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652621004212#appsec1 .Reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes is a measure to reduce water stress and overexploitation of freshwater resources. This study aims to investigate the environmental and economic impacts of a current conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Peschiera Borromeo (Milan, Italy), and compare possible scenarios to enable reclaimed water reuse for agriculture. Accordingly, we propose alternative disinfection methods (i.e. enhanced UV, peracetic acid) and replace conventional activated sludge (CAS) with upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) for biological treatment and use anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) as the tertiary treatment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) were implemented on the existing full-scale wastewater treatment line and the hypothetical scenarios. In most cases, the impact categories are primarily influenced by fertilizer application and direct emissions to water (i.e. nutrients and heavy metals). The baseline scenario appears to have the largest environmental impact, except for freshwater eutrophication, human ecotoxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity. As expected, water depletion is the most apparent impact category between the baseline and proposed scenarios. The UASB + AnMBR scenario gives relatively higher environmental benefits than the other proposed scenarios in climate change (−28%), fossil fuel depletion (−31%), mineral resource depletion (−52%), and terrestrial ecotoxicity compared to the baseline. On the other hand, the highest impact on freshwater eutrophication is also obtained by this scenario since the effluent from the anaerobic processes is rich in nutrients. Moreover, investment and operational costs vary remarkably between the scenarios, and the highest overall costs are obtained for the UASB + AnMBR line mostly due to the replacement of membrane modules (24% of the total cost). The results highlighted the importance of the life cycle approach to support decision making when considering possible upgrading scenarios in WWTPs for water reuse.This study was carried out within the framework of the ‘Digital-Water.City - DWC’ Innovation Action which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 820954. Alessia Foglia kindly acknowledges the Fondazione Cariverona for funding her PhD scholarship

New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2016)

This contribution forms part of a series of collective articles published regularly in Mediterranean Marine Science that report on new biodiversity records from the Mediterranean basin. The current article presents 51 geographically distinct records for 21 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla, extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine. The new records, per country, are as follows: Spain: the cryptogenic calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna is reported from a new location in the Alicante region. Algeria: the rare Atlanto-Mediterranean bivalve Cardium indicum is reported from Annaba. Tunisia: new distribution records for the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois miles from Zembra Island and Cape Bon. Italy: the ark clam Anadara transversa is reported from mussel cultures in the Gulf of Naples, while the amphipod Caprella scaura and the isopods Paracerceis sculpta and Paranthura japonica are reported as associated to the –also allochthonous–bryozoan Amathia verticillata in the Adriatic Sea; in the latter region, the cosmopolitan Atlantic tripletail Lobotes surinamensisis also reported, a rare finding for the Mediterranean. Slovenia: a new record of the non-indigenous nudibranch Polycera hedgpethi in the Adriatic. Greece: several new reports of the introduced scleractinian Oculina patagonica, the fangtooth moray Enchelycore anatina, the blunthead puffer Sphoeroides pachygaster (all Atlantic), and the lionfish Pterois miles (Indo-Pacific) suggest their ongoing establishment in the Aegean Sea; the deepest bathymetric record of the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea in the Mediterranean Sea is also registered in the Kyklades, at depths exceeding 70 m. Turkey: new distribution records for two non indigenous crustaceans, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Atlantic origin) and the moon crab Matuta victor (Indo-Pacific origin) from the Bay of Izmir and Antalya, respectively; in the latter region, the Red Sea goatfish Parupeneus forsskali, is also reported. Lebanon: an array of records of 5 alien and one native Mediterranean species is reported by citizen-scientists; the Pacific jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata and the Indo-Pacific teleosteans Tylerius spinosissimus, Ostracion cubicus, and Lutjanus argentimaculatus are reported from the Lebanese coast, the latter notably being the second record for the species in the Mediterranean Sea since 1977; the native sand snake-eel Ophisurus serpens, rare in the eastern Mediterranean, is reported for the first time from Lebanon, this being its easternmost distribution range; finally, a substantial number of sightings of the lionfish Pterois miles further confirm the current establishment of this lessepsian species in the Levantine