1,117 research outputs found
Investigations on inhibitory effects of nickel and cobalt salts on the decolorization of textile dyes by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete velutina
Organic aromatic compounds used for dyeing and coloring in the textile industry are persistent and hazardous pollutants that must be treated before they are discharged into rivers and surface waters. Therefore, we investigated the potential of the white rot fungus Phanerochaete velutina to decolorize commonly used reactive dyes. The fungus decolorized in average 55% of Reactive Orange 16 (RO-16) after 14 days at a maximum rate of 0.09 d-1 and a half-life of 8 days. Furthermore, we determined the inhibitory effects of co-present inorganic contaminants Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co) salts on the decolorization potential and determined IC50 values of 5.55 mg l- 1 for Co and a weaker inhibition by Ni starting from a concentration of 20 mg l- 1. In the decolorization assay for Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) we observed the interference of a metabolite of P. velutina, which did not allow us to investigate the kinetics of the reaction. The formation of the metabolite, however, could be used to obtain IC50 values of 3.37 mg l- 1 for Co and 7.58 mg l- 1 for Ni. Our results show that living white rot fungi, such as P. velutina, can be used for remediation of dye polluted wastewater, alternatively to enzyme mixtures, even in the co-presence of heavy metals.Peer reviewe
Lady Gaga as (dis)simulacrum of monstrosity
Lady Gaga’s celebrity DNA revolves around the notion of monstrosity, an extensively
researched concept in postmodern cultural studies. The analysis that is offered in this
paper is largely informed by Deleuze and Guattari’s notion of monstrosity, as well as
by their approach to the study of sign-systems that was deployed in A Thousand
Plateaus. By drawing on biographical and archival visual data, with a focus on the
relatively underexplored live show, an elucidation is afforded of what is really monstrous
about Lady Gaga. The main argument put forward is that monstrosity as sign
seeks to appropriate the horizon of unlimited semiosis as radical alterity and openness
to signifying possibilities. In this context it is held that Gaga effectively delimits her
unique semioscape; however, any claims to monstrosity are undercut by the inherent
limits of a representationalist approach in sufficiently engulfing this concept. Gaga is
monstrous for her community insofar as she demands of her fans to project their
semiosic horizon onto her as a simulacrum of infinite semiosis. However, this simulacrum
may only be evinced in a feigned manner as a (dis)simulacrum. The analysis of
imagery from seminal live shows during 2011–2012 shows that Gaga’s presumed
monstrosity is more akin to hyperdifferentiation as simultaneous employment of
heterogeneous and potentially dissonant inter pares cultural representations. The article
concludes with a problematisation of audience effects in the light of Gaga’s adoption of
a schematic and post-representationalist strategy in the event of her strategy’s emulation
by competitive artists
Superhydrophobic Paper from Nanostructured Fluorinated Cellulose Esters
The development of economically and ecologically viable strategies for sup erhydrophobization offers a vast variety of interesting applications in self-cleaning surfaces. Examples include packaging materials, textiles, outdoor clothing, and microfluidic devices. In this work, we produced superhydrophobic paper by spin-coating a dispersion of nanostructured fluorinated cellulose esters. Modification of cellulose nanocrystals was accomplished using 2H,2H,3H,3H-perfluorononanoyl chloride and 2H,2H,3H,3H-perfluoroundecanoyl chloride, which are well-known for their ability to reduce surface energy. A stable dispersion of nanospherical fluorinated cellulose ester was obtained by using the nanoprecipitation technique. The hydrophobized fluorinated cellulose esters were characterized by both solid- and liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Further, we investigated the size, shape, and structure morphology of nanostructured fluorinated cellulose esters by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements.Peer reviewe
Towards constraints on the SUSY seesaw from flavour-dependent leptogenesis
We systematically investigate constraints on the parameters of the
supersymmetric type-I seesaw mechanism from the requirement of successful
thermal leptogenesis in the presence of upper bounds on the reheat temperature
of the early Universe. To this end, we solve the
flavour-dependent Boltzmann equations in the MSSM, extended to include
reheating. With conservative bounds on , leading to mildly
constrained scenarios for thermal leptogenesis, compatibility with observation
can be obtained for extensive new regions of the parameter space, due to
flavour-dependent effects. On the other hand, focusing on (normal) hierarchical
light and heavy neutrinos, the hypothesis that there is no CP violation
associated with the right-handed neutrino sector, and that leptogenesis
exclusively arises from the CP-violating phases of the matrix,
is only marginally consistent. Taking into account stricter bounds on
further suggests that (additional) sources of CP violation must
arise from the right-handed neutrino sector, further implying stronger
constraints for the right-handed neutrino parameters.Comment: 42 pages, 12 figures; final version published in JCAP; numerical
results for the efficiency factor can be downloaded from
http://www.newphysics.eu/leptogenesis
- …