Anomalous reaction-transport processes: the dynamics beyond the Mass Action Law

In this paper we reconsider the Mass Action Law (MAL) for the anomalous reversible reaction $A\rightleftarrows B$ with diffusion. We provide a mesoscopic description of this reaction when the transitions between two states $A$ and $B$ are governed by anomalous (heavy-tailed) waiting-time distributions. We derive the set of mesoscopic integro-differential equations for the mean densities of reacting and diffusing particles in both states. We show that the effective reaction rate memory kernels in these equations and the uniform asymptotic states depend on transport characteristics such as jumping rates. This is in contradiction with the classical picture of MAL. We find that transport can even induce an extinction of the particles such that the density of particles $A$ or $B$ tends asymptotically to zero. We verify analytical results by Monte Carlo simulations and show that the mesoscopic densities exhibit a transient growth before decay.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Parallelization of chip-based fluorescence immuno-assays with quantum-dot labelled beads

This paper presents an optical concept for the read-out of a parallel, bead-based fluorescence immunoassay conducted on a lab-on-a-disk platform. The reusable part of the modular setup comprises a detection unit featuring a single LED as light source, two emission-filters, and a color CCD-camera as standard components together with a spinning drive as actuation unit. The miniaturized lab-on-a-disk is devised as a disposable. In the read-out process of the parallel assay, beads are first identified by the color of incorporated quantum dots (QDs). Next, the reaction-specific fluorescence signal is quantified with FluoSpheres-labeled detection anti-bodies. To enable a fast and automated read-out, suitable algorithms have been implemented in this work. Based on this concept, we successfully demonstrated a Hepatitis-A assay on our disk-based lab-on-a-chip

Milieukundige beoordeling van de opslag en toepassing van organisch bedrijfsafval/plantensnippers als bodemverbeterend middel in de landbouw; advies

Organisch bedrijfsafval en plantensnippers afkomstig uit de tuinbouw kan na compostering nuttig hergebruikt worden als bodemverbeterend middel in de landbouw, mits voldaan wordt aan wettelijke, milieukundige en landbouwkundige randvoorwaarden. In de onderhavige studie is organisch bedrijfsafval/plantensnippers beoordeeld dat rijk is aan fosfaat en zware metalen. Het gebruik als organisch bodemverbeterend middel als bedoeld in de ontheffingsaanvraag leidt tot te hoge giften aan fosfaat. Deze hoge giften zijn gelet op de fosfaatbehoefte van de gewassen die door de firma A. Dijkshoorn en Zn. geteeld worden, landbouwkundig gezien, niet nodig. Het gebruik van organisch bedrijfsafval/plantensnippers als fosfaatmeststof leidt tot te hoge vrachten aan met name chroom, nikkel, zink en arseen bij spiegeling aan de voor zuiveringsslib en compost toegelaten vrachten aan zware metalen. Milieu-verantwoorde toepassing van organisch bedrijfsafval/plantensnippers wordt daardoor niet bepaald door de waardegevende bestanddelen organische stof en nutriënten maar door de gehalten aan zware metalen

Opname van struviet als categorie in het Uitvoeringsbesluit Meststoffenwet : advies

Alleen door de Meststoffenwet aangewezen stoffen kunnen als meststof vrij verhandeld worden. Voor afval- enreststoffen is een voorziening getroffen waardoor onder voorwaarden een gebruik als meststof mogelijk wordt.Struviet is een magnesiumammoniumfosfaat (NH4MgPO4.6H2O) en is één van de vormen waarin fosfaat uit afvalwaterof uit proceswater kan worden teruggewonnen. Door de herkomst is struviet een afvalstof. De Meststoffenwetverbiedt het gebruik van afval- en reststoffen als meststof. Onder voorwaarden kan een afvalstof in het kader van de Meststoffenwet wel als meststof toegepast worden en de gebruiksfunctie van meststof worden gegeven. Afhankelijk van de kwaliteit is struviet een snel- tot langzaamwerkende meststof. Door de verschillende technieken die beschikbaar zijn voor struvietvorming, de verschillende reststromen – communaal afvalwater, effluent mestverwerking, proceswater VGI – en behandeling van struviet is er een onderscheidenlijk aanbod qua kwaliteit en belasting met contaminanten en pathogenen mogelijk. In opdracht van het ministerie van Economische Zaken heeft de Commissie van Deskundigen Meststoffenwet een advies opgesteld voor opname van struviet in de Meststoffenwet, dat rekening houdt met dit aanbod. Het opstellen van het advies is in samenspraak gebeurd met stakeholders. Dit WOt-werkdocument is het advie

The guinea pig ileum lacks the direct, high-potency, M2-muscarinic, contractile mechanism characteristic of the mouse ileum

We explored whether the M2 muscarinic receptor in the guinea pig ileum elicits a highly potent, direct-contractile response, like that from the M3 muscarinic receptor knockout mouse. First, we characterized the irreversible receptor-blocking activity of 4-DAMP mustard in ileum from muscarinic receptor knockout mice to verify its M3 selectivity. Then, we used 4-DAMP mustard to inactivate M3 responses in the guinea pig ileum to attempt to reveal direct, M2 receptor-mediated contractions. The muscarinic agonist, oxotremorine-M, elicited potent contractions in ileum from wild-type, M2 receptor knockout, and M3 receptor knockout mice characterized by negative log EC50 (pEC50) values ± SEM of 6.75 ± 0.03, 6.26 ± 0.05, and 6.99 ± 0.08, respectively. The corresponding Emax values in wild-type and M2 receptor knockout mice were approximately the same, but that in the M3 receptor knockout mouse was only 36% of wild type. Following 4-DAMP mustard treatment, the concentration–response curve of oxotremorine-M in wild-type ileum resembled that of the M3 knockout mouse in terms of its pEC50, Emax, and inhibition by selective muscarinic antagonists. Thus, 4-DAMP mustard treatment appears to inactivate M3 responses selectively and renders the muscarinic contractile behavior of the wild-type ileum similar to that of the M3 knockout mouse. Following 4-DAMP mustard treatment, the contractile response of the guinea pig ileum to oxotremorine-M exhibited low potency and a competitive-antagonism profile consistent with an M3 response. The guinea pig ileum, therefore, lacks a direct, highly potent, M2-contractile component but may have a direct, lower potency M2 component

Multipartite Entanglement and Frustration

Some features of the global entanglement of a composed quantum system can be quantified in terms of the purity of a balanced bipartition, made up of half of its subsystems. For the given bipartition, purity can always be minimized by taking a suitable (pure) state. When many bipartitions are considered, the requirement that purity be minimal for all bipartitions can engender conflicts and frustration arises. This unearths an interesting link between frustration and multipartite entanglement, defined as the average purity over all (balanced) bipartitions.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Higher education and unemployment in Europe : an analysis of the academic subject and national effects

This paper examines the impact of an academic degree and field of study on short and long-term unemployment across Europe (EU15). Labour Force Survey (LFS) data on over half a million individuals are utilised for that purpose. The harmonized LFS classification of level of education and field of study overcomes past problems of comparability across Europe. The study analyses (i) the effect of an academic degree at a European level, (ii) the specific effect of 14 academic subjects and (iii) country specific effects. The results indicate that an academic degree is more effective on reducing the likelihood of short-term than long-term unemployment. This general pattern even though it is observed for most of the academic subjects its levels show significant variation across disciplines and countries

ASAS–NANP Symposium: Mathematical Modeling in Animal Nutrition: Opportunities and Challenges of Confned and Extensive Precision Livestock Production

Modern animal scientists, industry, and managers have never faced a more complex world. Precision livestock technologies have altered management in confned operations to meet production, environmental, and consumer goals. Applications of precision technologies have been limited in extensive systems such as rangelands due to lack of infrastructure, electrical power, communication, and durability. However, advancements in technology have helped to overcome many of these challenges. Investment in precision technologies is growing within the livestock sector, requiring the need to assess opportunities and challenges associated with implementation to enhance livestock production systems. In this review, precision livestock farming and digital livestock farming are explained in the context of a logical and iterative fve-step process to successfully integrate precision livestock measurement and management tools, emphasizing the need for precision system models (PSMs). This fve-step process acts as a guide to realize anticipated benefts from precision technologies and avoid unintended consequences. Consequently, the synthesis of precision livestock and modeling examples and key case studies help highlight past challenges and current opportunities within confned and extensive systems. Successfully developing PSM requires appropriate model(s) selection that aligns with desired management goals and precision technology capabilities. Therefore, it is imperative to consider the entire system to ensure that precision technology integration achieves desired goals while remaining economically and managerially sustainable. Achieving long-term success using precision technology requires the next generation of animal scientists to obtain additional skills to keep up with the rapid pace of technology innovation. Building workforce capacity and synergistic relationships between research, industry, and managers will be critical. As the process of precision technology adoption continues in more challenging and harsh, extensive systems, it is likely that confned operations will beneft from required advances in precision technology and PSMs, ultimately strengthening the benefts from precision technology to achieve short- and long-term goals