Dispersion and treatment performance analysis of an UASB reactor under different hydraulic loading rates

Mixing and transport phenomena affect the efficiency of all bioreactor configurations. An even mixing pattern at the macro-level is desirable to provide good conditions for substrate transport to, and from, the microbial aggregates. The state of segregation of particulate material in the reactor is also important. The production of biogas in anaerobic reactors is another factor that affects mixing intensity and hence the interactions between the liquid, solid and gaseous phases. The CSTR model with some degree of short-circuiting, dead zones and bypassing flows seems to describe the overall hydrodynamics of UASBs. However, few data are available in the literature for full-scale reactors that relate process performance to mixing characteristics. Dispersion studies using LiCl were done for four hydraulic loading rates on a full-scale UASB treating domestic wastewater in Ginebra, Valle del Cauca, southwest Colombia. COD, TSS, and Settleable Solids were used to evaluate the performance of organic matter removal. The UASB showed a complete mixing pattern for hydraulic loading rates close to the design value (i.e. Q = 10-13l s(-1) and HRT=8-6 h). Gross mixing distortions and localised stagnant zones, short-circuiting and bypass flows were found in the sludge bed and blanket zones for both extreme conditions (underloading and overloading). The liquid volume contained below the gas-liquid-solid separator was found to contribute to the overall stagnant volume, particularly when the reactor was underloaded. The removal of organic matter showed a log-linear correlation with the dispersion number.     

Factorial experimental design of winery wastewaters treatment by heterogeneous photo-Fenton process

Winery wastewaters are difficult to treat by conventional biological processes because they are seasonal and experience a substantial flow variations. Photocatalytic advanced oxidation is a promising technology for wastewaters containing high amounts of organic matter. In this work, the photo-Fenton process in heterogeneous phase is presented as an alternative methodology for the treatment of winery wastewaters. As a consequence of the great number of existing variables, an experimental design methodology has been used in order to study the influence and interaction of various variables and to obtain a reduced empirical model which describes the organic matter degradation process. Applying photo-Fenton treatment in heterogeneous phase under energetic conditions for synthetic samples simulating winery wastewaters results in purification levels of up to 50% (measured as total organic carbon). Different reduced models are obtained and their utilization depends mainly on the degree of degradation of organic matter required.     

Survival of an emerging foodborne pathogen: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) serotype III sequence type (ST) 283—under simulated partial cooking and gastric fluid conditions

Food Science and Biotechnology - Group B Streptococcus (GBS) was previously not known to be transmitted through food, but an outbreak investigation in Singapore in 2015 documented for the first...     

Rapid demountable platform (RDP)—A device for preventing fall from height accidents

The prevention of fall from height accidents has long been a popular topic in the field of construction safety. Previous research has indicated one of the potential hazards was induced by the use of steel bracket as scaffold support. While researchers are focusing to improve the existing scaffolding system, this research introduces a newly developed device to minimize fall accidents. The working platform, namely Rapid Demountable Platform (RDP) can be applied across window frames without fixing anchor bolts. Emphasizing on the rapid installation/dismantling, the RDP provides another safer option for working at height. The development of the RDP has incorporated modular concept and aesthetic factor into the design, achieving a more user-friendly platform. Although the RDP is not intended to totally replace the traditional bamboo truss-out scaffold, it is designed to act as an alternative or a supplement to the existing bamboo truss-out scaffold. The RDP is the first of this kind to minimize fall from height accidents especially in cities similar to Hong Kong where external working at height is frequently encountered.     

Optogenetic Modulation of Neural Progenitor Cells Improves Neuroregenerative Potential

Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation possesses enormous potential for the treatment of disorders and injuries of the central nervous system, including the replacement of lost cells or the repair of host neural circuity after spinal cord injury (SCI). Importantly, cell-based therapies in this context still require improvements such as increased cell survival and host circuit integration, and we propose the implementation of optogenetics as a solution. Blue-light stimulation of NPCs engineered to ectopically express the excitatory light-sensitive protein channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2-NPCs) prompted an influx of cations and a subsequent increase in proliferation and differentiation into oligodendrocytes and neurons and the polarization of astrocytes from a pro-inflammatory phenotype to a pro-regenerative/anti-inflammatory phenotype. Moreover, neurons derived from blue-light-stimulated ChR2-NPCs exhibited both increased branching and axon length and improved axon growth in the presence of axonal inhibitory drugs such as lysophosphatidic acid or chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. Our results highlight the enormous potential of optogenetically stimulated NPCs as a means to increase neuroregeneration and improve cell therapy outcomes for enhancing better engraftments and cell identity upon transplantation in conditions such as SCI.     

A multi-primary empirical model based on a quantum dots display technology

In this work, we built a multi-primary display model based on the new quantum dots (QD) technology to enlarge the display color gamut. In this way, first the emission spectral radiance curves of the three RGB channels of a commercial QD display were fitted to a four-parameter function. From this modeling, it is possible to gain new theoretical color primaries by selecting new spectral peaks (cyan, yellow, magenta, and/or additional RGB primaries) and imposing some colorimetric conditions for the resulting white of this proposed theoretical multi-primary display. Proper characterization to assess the performance of the display was conducted to know if the basic “gain-offset-gamma” (GOG) model can be used for direct and inverse color reproduction (from RGB to CIE-XYZ, and vice versa). The GOG model was found to well characterize this display. The spatial uniformity of the display was also evaluated in luminance and color chromaticity terms. Finally, with the primaries modeling and color characterization based on the GOG model, a 5-primary model (RGBYC) was tested. The evaluation of this theoretical RGBYC display model confirms the gamut enlargement, which can also improve goniochromatic color reproduction.     

Evaluation of integrated hydrogen systems: IEA Task 18

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA) established in 2004 a task (Annex 18) on the topic of “Integrated Systems: Evaluation of Hydrogen Demonstration Projects”. During 6 years, divided in two phases, this annex has been working in order to search and provide information on progress in the hydrogen economy around the world. Spain is one of the 15 member countries since the phase 1.     

An analysis of the key role of human and technological development in the smart specialization of smart European regions

ABSTRACT

The Europe 2020 development strategy prioritizes the so-called Smart Regions, reflecting the European Commission's commitment to geographical ‘specialization.’ Accordingly, the European regions have developed innovation strategies for smart specialization. A key element in these development strategies is the technological factor, which is clearly influenced by the level of human development in the region. This article analyses the convergence between citizens’ capacities and technological development in a region. Specifically, we analyse 129 NUTS 2 regions in Europe, using official data provided by Eurostat. To measure human development, this article proposes a Smart Human Index based on a synthetic indicator incorporating three dimensions; in addition, we use two dimensions to construct an indicator of regional technological development. The results show that a region's technological capacity clearly depends on its inhabitants’ degree of formal education, while their use of technologies depends on the citizens’ degree of social openness and cultural level.     

The association between parental warmth and control in thirteen cultural groups.

The goal of the current study was to investigate potential cross-cultural differences in the covariation between two of the major dimensions of parenting behavior: control and warmth. Participants included 1,421 (51% female) 7- to 10-year-old (M = 8.29, SD = .67 years) children and their mothers and fathers representing 13 cultural groups in nine countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. Children and parents completed questionnaires and interviews regarding mother and father control and warmth. Greater warmth was associated with more control, but this association varied widely between cultural groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ring-on-ring testing of thin, curved bi-layered materials

The bi-axial ring-on-ring test is a convenient method to determine elastic modulus and fracture strength of brittle materials in plate geometry. However, standard analytical relationships appear to be limited to flat isotropic samples with discrete ratios of thickness to loading/support ring radii. In addition to the necessity to consider residual stresses due to differences in thermal expansion for bi-layered materials, the curvature of thin components complicates the analysis of the experimental data. Experimental and finite element modeling results are presented for thin curved bi-layered materials with substrates of different elastic behavior. Basis for the analysis are experimental results obtained for solid oxide fuel cells with anode substrates in oxidized and reduced state. A testing procedure and its limits are outlined that permits to extend the use of standard analytical relationships to curved bi-layered specimens with the aim to determine the properties of the mechanically dominating support material.