Romanian River Basins Lag Time Analysis. The SCS-CN Versus RNS Comparative Approach Developed for Small Watersheds

Romanian policy makers have to perceive that human intervention on river basins land cover is influencing rainfall-runoff relation and the used methodology cannot accurately estimate watershed surface flow transformations. Global water cycles and energy fluxes understanding is leading to better predictions of land atmosphere interaction and local hydro-climates evolution. The water transfer time determination from rainfall to runoff needs accurate measurements of river basins hydrological parameters. Here, we analyzed and compared the lag time value results of two different methodologies (curve number and rational methodology) used for 54 Romanian small catchment areas study. The focus of this paper is the lag time evaluation and interpretation for an effective implementation of the best methodology approach in the Romanian geographical space. Our research in small river basins was developed using remote sensing technology maps, GIS and environmental datasets in combination with field work on every drainage basin in order to assess the specific morphological features and validate the land cover typology. We found that Soil Conservation Service - Curve Number (SCS-CN) method is widely used according to USA landscape features classification, but not necessarily applicable to Romanian river basins characteristics. Our results show how the official Romanian rational methodology national standard (RNS) can be improved and the limits of SCS-CN method.

     

Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and FOG with sewage sludge – realising its potential in Ireland

The severe environmental pollution in many countries is caused by indiscriminate discharge of large quantities of food waste (FW), fat oil and grease (FOG) and sewage sludge (SS) to the environment. There are many possible treatment routes, but anaerobic digestion (AD) is now well accepted for treating several kinds of organic wastes. But AD of FW alone presents some operational challenges because of substrates and variability. Anaerobic co-digestion of two or more substrates is better than single substrate digestion. This can use a plant’s unused capacity, in line with the trend to renewable energy. Co-digestion technology, although well established in many European countries, is still in its infancy in Ireland. There are problems with different regulatory arrangements. They should be resolved. The paper reviews anaerobic co-digestion technology is reviewed, with special focus on possible application in Ireland.     

Accelerated multi-contrast high isotropic resolution 3D intracranial vessel wall MRI using a tailored k-space undersampling and partially parallel reconstruction strategy

Objective

To develop a 3D multi-contrast IVW protocol with 0.5-mm isotropic resolution and a scan time of 5 min per sequence.

Materials and methods

Pre-contrast T1w VISTA, DANTE prepared PDw VISTA, SNAP, and post-contrast T1w VISTA were accelerated using cartesian undersampling with target ordering method (CUSTOM) and self-supporting tailored k-space estimation for parallel imaging reconstruction (STEP). CUSTOM + STEP IVW was compared to full-sample IVW, SENSE-accelerated IVW, and CUSTOM + zero-filled Fourier reconstruction in normal volunteers and subjects with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Image quality, vessel delineation, CSF suppression, and blood suppression were compared.

Results

CUSTOM + STEP vessel wall delineation was comparable to full-sample IVW and better than SENSE IVW for vessel wall delineation on T1w VISTA and luminal contrast on SNAP. Average image quality and wall depiction were significantly improved using STEP reconstruction compared with zero-filled Fourier reconstruction, with no significant difference in CSF or blood suppression.

Conclusions

CUSTOM + STEP allowed multi-contrast 3D 0.5-mm isotropic IVW within 30 min. Although some quantitative and qualitative scores for CUSTOM − STEP were lower than fully sampled IVW, CUSTOM + STEP provided comparable vessel wall delineation as full-sample IVW and was superior to SENSE. CUSTOM + STEP IVW was well tolerated by patients and showed good delineation of ICAD plaque.

     

Supramolecular Assembly of Aminoethylene‐Lipopeptide PMO Conjugates into RNA Splice‐Switching Nanomicelles

Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) are oligonucleotide analogs that can be used for therapeutic modulation of pre‐mRNA splicing. Similar to other classes of nucleic acid‐based therapeutics, PMOs require delivery systems for efficient transport to the intracellular target sites. Here, artificial peptides based on the oligo(ethylenamino) acid succinyl‐tetraethylenpentamine (Stp), hydrophobic modifications, and an azide group are presented, which are used for strain‐promoted azide‐alkyne cycloaddition conjugation with splice‐switching PMOs. By systematically varying the lead structure and formulation, it is determined that the type of contained fatty acid and supramolecular assembly have a critical impact on the delivery efficacy. A compound containing linolenic acid with three cis double bonds exhibits the highest splice‐switching activity and significantly increases functional protein expression in pLuc/705 reporter cells in vitro and after local administration in vivo. Structural and mechanistic studies reveal that the lipopeptide PMO conjugates form nanoparticles, which accelerate cellular uptake and that the content of unsaturated fatty acids enhances endosomal escape. In an in vitro Duchenne muscular dystrophy exon skipping model using H2K‐mdx52 dystrophic skeletal myotubes, the highly potent PMO conjugates mediate significant splice‐switching at very low nanomolar concentrations. The presented aminoethylene‐lipopeptides are thus a promising platform for the generation of PMO‐therapeutics with a favorable activity/toxicity profile.     

辐射型漏泄同轴电缆的设计

总结了漏泄同轴电缆的理论研究现状。围绕使用频带和耦合损耗这两个重要电气参数，讨论辐射型漏泄同轴电缆的设计方法。基于周期性槽孔结构的空间谐波的分析，讨论了抑制高次谐波以拓展使用频带的方法。利用时域有限差分方法和Matlab软件计算耦合损耗。     

Oxidative degradation of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes: Studies of molecular model compounds and selected membranes

Selected aromatic amides were used to model the chemical reactivity of aromatic polyamides found in thin‐film composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Chlorination and possible amide bond cleavage of aromatic amides upon exposure to aqueous chlorine, which can lead to membrane failure, were investigated. Correlations are made of the available chlorine concentration, pH, and exposure time with chemical changes in the model compounds. From the observed reactivity trends, insights are obtained into the mechanism of RO membrane performance loss upon chlorine exposure. Two chemical pathways for degradation are shown, one at constant pH and another that is pH‐history dependent. An alternative strategy is presented for the design of chlorine‐resistant RO membranes, and an initial performance study of RO membranes incorporating this strategy is reported. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1173–1184, 2003     

WC/Cu复合材料制备及其高温性能

用机械合金化法结合冷变形，制备了WC／Cu复合材料，研究了冷变形后复合材料的组织特征和高温退火时韵性能变化。结果表明：烧结后的材料经冷变形，组织呈显著纤维状，WC颗粒弥散分布，密度明显提高，达到理论密度的99．2％；复合材料经600～900℃高温退火，强度和硬度略有下降，塑性则有大幅提高；900℃退火时未发生明显的再结晶，界面结合良好；所制备的WC／Cu复合材料有优良的综合性能。     

陆东凹陷油气藏烃类组成非均质性及其意义

陆东凹陷原油和油砂抽提物中烃类的宏观组成存在着明显的非均质性。在高孔隙度(>15%)储层单元中,饱和烃的含量高,占总组成的含量均大于40%,而极性化合物则相对较低,一般不足40%;相反,在低孔隙度(<15%)储层单元中,饱和烃的含量明显降低,而极性化合物则显著增加。此外,陆东凹陷原油和油砂抽提物中烃类成熟度亦存在着非均质性:在高孔隙度储层中,原油和油砂烃类的成熟度参数高,而在低孔隙度储层中原油和油砂烃类的成熟度参数低。根据原油和油砂抽提物中烃类的宏观组成特征和成熟度参数的变化规律,提出了陆东凹陷油气聚集模式。