Peracetic acid‐enhanced photocatalytic and sonophotocatalytic inactivation of E. coli in aqueous suspensions

BACKGROUND: Although chlorination is an effective and widely employed method of water disinfection, it suffers serious drawbacks such as the formation of toxic chlorinated by‐products. Therefore, other disinfection technologies have been researched and developed, including advanced oxidation. RESULTS: The efficacy of heterogeneous photocatalysis and sonophotocatalysis induced by UV‐A irradiation and low frequency (24–80 kHz) ultrasound irradiation in the presence of TiO₂ as the photocatalyst and peracetic acid (PAA) as an additional disinfectant to inactivate E. coli in sterile water was evaluated. PAA‐assisted UV‐A/TiO₂ photocatalysis generally leads to nearly complete E. coli inactivation in 10–20 min of contact time with the extent of inactivation depending on the photocatalyst type and loading (in the range 100–500 mg L^?1) and PAA concentration (in the range 0.5–2 mg L^?1). The simultaneous application of ultrasound and UV‐A irradiation in the presence of TiO₂ and PAA prompted further E. coli inactivation. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed advanced disinfection technology offers complete E. coli inactivation at short treatment times and low PAA doses. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Robust estimators under semi‐parametric partly linear autoregression: Asymptotic behaviour and bandwidth selection

Abstract. In this article, under a semi‐parametric partly linear autoregression model, a family of robust estimators for the autoregression parameter and the autoregression function is studied. The proposed estimators are based on a three‐step procedure, in which robust regression estimators and robust smoothing techniques are combined. Asymptotic results on the autoregression estimators are derived. Besides combining robust procedures with M‐smoothers, predicted values for the series and detection residuals, which allow to detect anomalous data, are introduced. Robust cross‐validation methods to select the smoothing parameter are presented as an alternative to the classical ones, which are sensitive to outlying observations. A Monte Carlo study is conducted to compare the performance of the proposed criteria. Finally, the asymptotic distribution of the autoregression parameter estimator is stated uniformly over the smoothing parameter.     

Colistin Resistance in Aeromonas spp.

The increase in the use of antimicrobials such as colistin for the treatment of infectious diseases has led to the appearance of Aeromonas strains resistant to this drug. However, resistance to colistin not only occurs in the clinical area but has also been determined in Aeromonas isolates from the environment or animals, which has been determined by the detection of mcr genes that confer a resistance mechanism to colistin. The variants mcr-1, mcr-3, and mcr-5 have been detected in the genus Aeromonas in animal, environmental, and human fluids samples. In this article, an overview of the resistance to colistin in Aeromonas is shown, as well as the generalities of this molecule and the recommended methods to determine colistin resistance to be used in some of the genus Aeromonas.     

标准与市场

“曾经，专业市场为中国纺织服装行业的发展出了大力气。但是现在．专业市场越来越多．重复建设、不正当竞争等问题却也屡见不鲜。专业市场的量上来了，质却还停滞不前。大多数专业市场的影响力只限于很小的一个地理范围，能在全国范围内产生影响的专业市场少之又少。如此的小打小闹．一方面无法支撑专业市场的发展，另方面使得业内外及消费者对专业市场的偏见越来越深。很多人认为，专业市场就是卖低档货的地方，其实不然。真正的专业市场，是为有实力的企业、包括品牌企业的流通和形象宣传服务的，为生产企业与商贸。DIL通企业的沟通和交易提供场所。所以．规范专业市场的问题就显得很迫切。”采访中．中国纺织品商业协会彭桂福会长的焦急之情溢于言表。     

Ultrafine 316 L stainless steel particles with frozen-in magnetic structures characterized by means of electron backscattered diffraction

Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) studies clearly revealed a different crystallographic structure of the smallest particle size fraction of gas-atomized AISI 316 L stainless steel powder (< 4 μm) compared with larger sized fractions of the same powder (< 45 μm). Despite similar chemical compositions, the predominating structure of the smallest particle size fraction was ferritic (i.e., has ferromagnetic properties) whereas the larger sized particle fractions and massive 316 L revealed an expected austenitic and non-magnetic structure. From these findings, it follows that direct magnetic separation can be applied to separate very fine sized particles. These structural differences explain previously observed dissimilarities from corrosion and metal release perspectives.     

Chemical composition, mineral content and antioxidant activity of Verbena officinalis L.

Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from Verbena officinalis L. were obtained and characterised. The analysis by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS allowed the detection and identification of three iridoids, fifteen flavonoids and four phenolic acid derivatives. Four flavonoids, scutellarein 7-diglucuronide (9), scutellarein 7-glucuronide (13), pedalitin 6-galactoside (15) and scutellarein 7-glucoside (19) are reported for the first time from this plant. In addition, three new flavonoids have been isolated: scutellarein 7-O-(2-O-feruloyl)-diglucuronide (5), pedalitin 6-O-diglucuronide (6) and pedalitin 6-O-(2-O-feruloyl)-diglucuronide (13). To our knowledge, these flavonoids have not been reported as natural products. Both extracts showed significant antioxidant activity using three in vitro model systems and the results have been correlated with total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. The results have allowed establishing an important relation structure-activity and significant correlations have also been found between the mineral content and the flavonoids present in both extracts.     

An experimental investigation of the combustion of technical tetrachlorobenzene in a laboratory scale incinerator

An experimental study of the combustion of technical 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene has been carried out in conditions closely similar to those in incinerators of industrial hazardous wastes. A non-premixed flame fed by a fuel spray was stabilized in a reactor heated electrically. Measurements of axial and radial temperatures and species concentration profiles in well-defined conditions have been systematically repeated to specify the influence exerted by key parameters on the efficiency of the thermal degradation process. The reactor’s wall temperature was varied from 1223 to 1363 K. Air injection was distributed between axial and peripheral injectors to change the swirl intensity. Two fuel injectors have been compared to assess the influence of atomization efficiency. A methane-air pilot flame helped to anchor the flame and to decrease the overall Cl/H ratio. The latter was also decreased by addition of water vapor. Results show that conditions leading to a complete consumption of the fuel can be associated with very limited carbon conversion into CO₂ and chlorine conversion into HCl.     

Structural Test Approach for Embedded Analog Circuits Based on a Built-in Current Sensor

This paper presents a test method based on the analysis of the dynamic power supply current, both quiescent and transient, of the circuit under test. In an off-chip measurement, the global interconnect impedance associated with the chip package and the test equipment and, also, the chip input/output cells will complicate the extraction of the information provided by the current waveform of the circuit under test. Thus, the supply current is measured on-chip by a built-in current sensor integrated in the die itself. To avoid the effective reduction of the voltage supply, the measurement is performed in parallel by replicating the current that flows through selected branches of the analog circuit. With the aim of reducing the test equipment requirements, the built-in current sensor output generates digital level pulses whose width is related to the amplitude and duration of the circuit current transients. In this way the defective circuit is exposed by comparing the digital signature of the circuit under test with the expected one for the fault-free circuit. A fault evaluation has been carried out to check the efficiency of the proposed test method. It uses a fault model that considers catastrophic and parametric faults at transistor level. Two benchmark circuits have been fabricated to experimentally verify the defect detection by the built-in current sensor. One is an operational amplifier; the other is a structure of switched current cells that belongs to an analog-to-digital converter.     

Specific detection of viable Listeria monocytogenes in Spanish wastewater treatment plants by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization and PCR

Listeria monocytogenes detection in wastewater can be difficult because of the large amount of background microbiota and the presence of viable but non-culturable forms in this environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) assay combined with Direct Viable Count (DVC) method for detecting viable L. monocytogenes in wastewater samples, as an alternative to conventional culture methods. 16S rRNA sequence data were used to design a specific oligonucleotide probe. In order to assess the suitability of the method, the assays were performed on naturally (n = 87) and artificially (n = 14) contaminated samples and results were compared to those obtained with the isolation of cells on selective media and with a PCR method. The detection limit of FISH and PCR assays was 10⁴ cells/mL without enrichment and 10 cells/mL after enrichment. A total of 47 samples, including 3 samples from effluent sites, yielded FISH positive results for L. monocytogenes. Using DVC-FISH technique, the presence of viable L. monocytogenes cells was detected in 23 out of these 47 FISH positive wastewater samples. PCR and culture methods yielded 27 and 23 positive results, respectively. According to these results, FISH technique has the potential to be used as a sensitive method for the detection and enumeration of L. monocytogenes in environmental wastewater samples.