Identification of fireproofing zones in Oil&Gas facilities by a risk-based procedure

Fire is among the more dangerous accident scenarios that may affect the process and chemical industry. Beside the immediate and direct harm to workers and population, fire may also cause damages to structures, which may trigger escalation resulting in severe secondary scenarios. Fireproofing is usually applied to improve the capacity of structures to maintain their integrity during a fire. Past accidents evidenced that the available standards for fireproofing application in onshore chemical and process plants do not consider all the fire scenarios that may cause structural damage. In the present study a methodology was developed for the identification of the zones where fireproofing should be applied. The effect of both pool fires and jet fires was accounted. Simplified criteria, based on radiative heat intensity, were provided for the identification of the fire protection zones. A risk-based procedure was proposed for the selection of significant reference release scenarios to be used in the evaluation of worst credible fire consequences.     

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Modulates Postoperative Pain by Regulating Biochemical and Molecular Pathways

Treating postoperative (PO) pain is a clinical challenge. Inadequate PO pain management can lead to worse outcomes, for example chronic post-surgical pain. Therefore, acquiring new information on the PO pain mechanism would increase the therapeutic options available. In this paper, we evaluated the role of a natural substance, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on pain and neuroinflammation induced by a surgical procedure in an animal model of PO pain. We performed an incision of the hind paw and EGCG was administered for five days. Mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, and motor dysfunction were assessed 24 h, and three and five days after surgery. At the same time points, animals were sacrificed, and sera and lumbar spinal cord tissues were harvested for molecular analysis. EGCG administration significantly alleviated hyperalgesia and allodynia, and reduced motor disfunction. From the molecular point of view, EGCG reduced the activation of the WNT pathway, reducing WNT3a, cysteine-rich domain frizzled (FZ)1 and FZ8 expressions, and both cytosolic and nuclear β-catenin expression, and the noncanonical β-catenin–independent signaling pathways, reducing the activation of the NMDA receptor subtype NR2B (pNR2B), pPKC and cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) expressions at all time points. Additionally, EGCG reduced spinal astrocytes and microglia activation, cytokines overexpression and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB) pathway, downregulating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activation, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Thus, EGCG administration managing the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways modulates PO pain related neurochemical and inflammatory alterations.     

Spiro[chromane-2,4'-piperidine]-based histone deacetylase inhibitors with improved in vivo activity

A series of spiro[chromane-2,4'-piperidine] derivatives based on a previously published lead benzyl spirocycle 1 and bearing various N-aryl and N-alkylaryl substituents on the piperidine ring were prepared as novel histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. The compounds were evaluated for their abilities to inhibit nuclear HDACs, their in vitro antiproliferative activities, and in vitro ADME profiles. Based on these activities, 4-fluorobenzyl and 2-phenylethyl spirocycles were selected for further characterization. In vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) studies showed that both compounds exhibit an overall lower clearance rate, an increased half-life, and higher AUCs after intravenous and oral administration than spiropiperidine 1 under the conditions used. The improved PK behavior of these two compounds also correlated with superior in vivo antitumor activity in an HCT-116 xenograft model.     

Inter-annual variations of planktonic food webs in the northern Adriatic Sea

The temporal dynamics of microphytoplankton, microzooplankton and mesozooplankton were monitored over 37 months in the Adriatic Sea in order to identify alterations in the plankton structures, which can lead to, or enhance the production of macro-aggregates, that affected the entire northern basin in summers 2000 and 2002, and to assess any negative effects of mucilage on plankton temporal patterns. Samples were collected monthly, from June 1999 to July 2002, on three transects at 9 stations across the northern and central Adriatic Sea. Besides the high year-to-year variations in abundances and taxonomical composition, plankton communities only showed a clear seasonal succession during 2001, when since April a grazing food web developed and was able to control large sized phytoplankton increase. In spring-summer 2000 and 2002 consumer abundances remained quite low and the dominant mesozooplankton summer species (Penilia avirostris) did not reach its usual summer maximum. The lack of an efficient top control was more evident on the northernmost transect, where generally grazing food web prevails over the microbial one. A large part of the microphytoplankton blooms, although not particularly intense, was exported to the bottom in the particulate phase, where it was processed by bacteria, enhancing the production of refractory dissolved material.     

Rapid depletion of marbofloxacin residues in rabbit after therapeutic treatment

Although rabbit meat production represents a very small percentage of the world meat market, this percentage has been growing continuously during the last 30 years. Rabbit is considered a minor food species, and therefore no drugs are specifically registered for this animal. This situation encourages rabbit farmers to make off-label use of antibacterial drugs authorized for food-producing animal species other than rabbits. In the present study, the distribution and elimination of the fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent marbofloxacin in rabbit muscle, liver, and kidney was investigated. Marbofloxacin was chosen as a representative of a new generation of antibacterial drugs active against most gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and mycoplasms; it is well tolerated and has short elimination times in bovine and swine species. Rabbits were treated with marbofloxacin at 2 mg kg of body weight(-1) for 5 days. Residual concentrations in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues were determined posttreatment with high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. Marbofloxacin was rapidly distributed and eliminated from rabbit tissues. Concentrations were higher in the liver and kidney than in muscle. However, 48 h after the end of treatment, marbofloxacin concentrations dropped below the maximum residue level fixed for this antibacterial drug in cattle and pigs. Considering the efficacy of marbofloxacin for the treatment of the most common rabbit diseases, its tolerability, and its short elimination time as verified in the present study, use of this antibacterial drug could be extended to therapeutic treatment of rabbits.     

Transport of ferrihydrite nanoparticles in saturated porous media: role of ionic strength and flow rate

The use of nanoscale ferrihydrite particles, which are known to effectively enhance microbial degradation of a wide range of contaminants, represents a promising technology for in situ remediation of contaminated aquifers. Thanks to their small size, ferrihydrite nanoparticles can be dispersed in water and directly injected into the subsurface to create reactive zones where contaminant biodegradation is promoted. Field applications would require a detailed knowledge of ferrihydrite transport mechanisms in the subsurface, but such studies are lacking in the literature. The present study is intended to fill this gap, focusing in particular on the influence of flow rate and ionic strength on particle mobility. Column tests were performed under constant or transient ionic strength, including injection of ferrihydrite colloidal dispersions, followed by flushing with particle-free electrolyte solutions. Particle mobility was greatly affected by the salt concentration, and particle retention was almost irreversible under typical salt content in groundwater. Experimental results indicate that, for usual ionic strength in European aquifers (2 to 5 mM), under natural flow condition ferrihydrite nanoparticles are likely to be transported for 5 to 30 m. For higher ionic strength, corresponding to contaminated aquifers, (e.g., 10 mM) the travel distance decreases to few meters. A simple relationship is proposed for the estimation of travel distance with changing flow rate and ionic strength. For future applications to aquifer remediation, ionic strength and injection rate can be used as tuning parameters to control ferrihydrite mobility in the subsurface and therefore the radius of influence during field injections.     

Acidification of grape marc for alcoholic beverage production: effects on indigenous microflora and aroma profile after distillation

Grappa is an Italian alcoholic beverage obtained from distillation of grape marc, the raw material derived from separation of must during the winemaking process. Marc is stored for a period lasting from few days to several weeks, when fermentation of residual sugars occurs mainly by yeast activity. Many distilleries have adopted different solutions to manage this critical phase in order to avoid spoilage microorganisms: marc acidification is the most widely diffused. In this work, Prosecco grape pomace was acidified with sulphuric acid (to pH 2.9) and stored, whereas non-acidified grape marc was used as control (pH 3.9). Samples for microbiological analysis were collected at the beginning of the storage period, after 15 and 43 days. At the beginning of the ensilage (time T0) the indigenous microflora was represented both by yeasts and bacteria at a concentration of about 10⁶ cfu/g. During the first 15 days, when the fermentation generally takes place, yeast population grew considerably (up to 10⁷ cfu/g) in acidified grape marc, where bacterial population was maintained at low levels. Moreover, yeast populations recovered at the three sampling times in both treated and untreated marc were genetically characterised. This analysis showed that the species succession lead to non-Saccharomyces species dominance (in particular Issatchenkia and Pichia genera) in both conditions although acidified marc showed a lower percentage of Saccharomyces at any sampling time analysed, this meaning that non-Saccharomyces species were favoured in this environment. Gas chromatographic analysis showed a remarkable change in the aromatic profile of distilled grape marcs at the end of the storage, thus evidencing that concentration of monitored volatile compounds usually produced by microflora was generally lowered by the acidification treatment.This work demonstrates for the first time the strong effect of a persistent acidification treatment both on the microbiota of grape pomace and on the aromatic profile of the distillate. Indeed, the lowering of the pH caused significant changes in yeast-bacteria populations ratio and in yeast species turnover. These microbiological changes determine an improvement of the aromatic profile of the distillate, due to the reduction of the main volatile products associated with potential off-flavours.