Survey of 1012 moldy dwellings by culture fungal analysis: Threshold proposal for asthmatic patient management

Different countries have tried to define guidelines to quantify what levels of fungi are considered as inappropriate for housing. This retrospective study analyzes indoor fungi by cultures of airborne samples from 1012 dwellings. Altogether, 908 patients suffering from rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma were compared to 104 controls free of allergies. Portuguese decree law no 118/2013 (PDL118), ANSES (a French environmental and health agency) recommendations, and health regulations of Besançon University Hospital were applied to determine the rates of non‐conforming dwellings, which were respectively 55.2%, 5.2%, and 19%. Environmental microbiological results and medical data were compared. The whole number of colonies per cubic meter of air was correlated with asthma (P < 0.001) and rhinitis (P = 0.002). Sixty‐seven genera and species were detected in bedrooms. Asthma was correlated to Aspergillus versicolor (P = 0.004) and Cladosporium spp. (P = 0.02). Thresholds of 300 cfu/m³ for A. versicolor or 495 cfu/m³ for Cladosporium spp. are able to discriminate 90% of the asthmatic dwellings. We propose a new protocol to obtain an optimal cost for indoor fungi surveys, excluding surface analyses, and a new guideline to interpret the results based on >1000 cfu/m³ of whole colonies and/or above threshold levels for A. versicolor or Cladosporium spp.     

Estimation of chlorination by-products presence in drinking water in epidemiological studies on adverse reproductive outcomes: A review

Chlorination of drinking water is essential to prevent waterborne disease. However, chlorine reacts with organic matter present in surface waters to form various by-products. In the last decade, several epidemiological studies have been conducted to determine the connection between exposure to these chlorination by-products (CBPs) and human health defects, such as adverse reproductive outcomes. However, the methodology used to assess exposure of pregnant women in these studies had serious limitations, particularly in relation to determining CBP presence in the subject's tap water. The purpose of this paper is to critically review of methods used to evaluate the CBP presence in a subject's tap water for exposure assessment purposes in epidemiological studies focused on adverse reproductive outcomes and CBPs in drinking water. Interest is directed more precisely at space-time features related to CBPs for an optimal estimation of their presence in a subject's tap water.     

全新可持续加州科学院建筑设计

项目地点:美国加州项目类型:建筑(教育)开工日期:2005年9月该项目综合考虑了可持续性和建筑方面的因素,并将其纳入大型公共建筑之中。该项目获2005年豪瑞可持续建筑大奖赛北美地区银奖     

为计划中的加纳的驱逐行动寻找替代方案

加纳政府邀请联合国人居署强制驱逐问题顾问小组（AGFE）访问该国，为解决在实施一项驱逐计划过程中出现的僵局寻找方案。该计划打算将约3万名居民从首都阿克拉市郊的一个居民区驱逐出去。     

Anforderungen an Stahl‐ und Verbundknoten bei Stützenausfall in einem Rahmentragwerk

Eine lokale Schädigung innerhalb der Tragstruktur (z. B. Stützenausfall durch Anprall oder Explosion) kann zu einem Versagen der Gesamtstruktur und damit zum Einsturz des Gebäudes führen. Um solch ein globales Versagen durch lokale Schädigung zu vermeiden, muss innerhalb der Tragstruktur eine Umlagerung der Schnittgrößen ermöglicht werden, d. h., es müssen sich alternative Lastpfade ausbilden können. Solch eine Umlagerung, z. B. von einem reinen Biegezustand in einen gemischten Biege‐/Membranspannungszustand, bedingt unter Umständen sehr große Verformungen, die zu großen Deformationen der Anschlüsse führen. Im Rahmen eines europäischen RFCS‐Forschungsprojektes wurde versucht, mit Hilfe sehr duktiler Anschlussausbildungen die Robustheit von Stahl‐ und Verbundrahmentragwerken zu verbessern. Hauptaugenmerk bei der Konzeption der Anschlüsse war dabei, den Material‐ und Fertigungsaufwand der Anschlüsse so gering wie möglich zu halten und die Umlagerungsmöglichkeiten für außergewöhnliche Bemessungssituationen vornehmlich über das Vorhalten hoher Verformungskapazitäten der Anschlüsse zu aktivieren. Aus diesem Grund wurden hier nachgiebige teiltragfähige Anschlüsse gewählt. Als außergewöhnliche Bemessungssituation wurde in diesem Projekt schwerpunktmäßig der Stützenausfall in einem Rahmentragwerk betrachtet. (RFCS Research Fund for Coal and Steel) Requirements on steel‐ and composite joints for the load case column removal. Local failure in a structure (e. g. sudden column loss due to impact or explosion) may lead to progressive collapse propagation of the global structural system resulting in a total collapse. To avoid progressive collapse initiated by local damage a redistribution of force from the damaged part of the structure has to be enabled by alternate load paths. Activation of alternate load paths by change of the bearing mechanism from pure bending state to more or less pure membrane state is a measure that is only possible by allowing large deformations resulting in high deformation requirements for the joints. In the course of an European RFCS research project ductile joint solutions have been developed to improve the robustness as characteristic of the structure. Main focus of the joint design was to obtain the required deformation capacity for accidental design situations mainly from ductile joint and cause at the same time only few additional material and fabrication costs for the joints. As a result semi‐rigid and partial‐strength joint solutions have been chosen. Objectives within the project were to determine requirements of the joints concerning deformation capacity as well as M‐N‐resistance to enable the activation of catenary action for the load case notional column removal.     

Beef sausage structure affected by sodium chloride and potassium lactate

A histological and ultrastructural study was conducted to characterize changes in the muscle fibre structure of three fresh sausage preparations, depending on meat composition, sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium lactate (K-lactate) contents. After addition of 0.8% and 1.6% NaCl, 65% and 51%, respectively, of the area observed showed well preserved fibres (histological data). The altered regions presented a large disorganization of the myofilaments and a solubilization of the sarcolemma and of the Z lines. K-lactate addition had no marked effects on meat structure. The preparation containing some sheep meat was more sensitive to salt than the others containing only bovine meat. The level of alteration was much lower than those obtained in pork meat in another study. Technological conditions used to modify the internal muscle fibre structure during sausage processing depend on the species used. Therefore, the classification of the sausage preparation to “meat preparation” or “meat product” under the EU regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 (which assign meat preparations to meat if the product has undergone a process insufficient to modify the internal muscle fibre structure of the meat) must be systematically controlled when changing the meat sausage composition.     

Effect of temperature and water availability during late maturation of the soybean seed on germ and cotyledon isoflavone content and composition

BACKGROUND: Isoflavone content in soybean seeds is strongly influenced by both environment and genotype. However, little is known about the effect of environment and genotype on isoflavones in germ versus cotyledons. To determine the effect of temperature and soil moisture status during soybean seed development on seed isoflavone concentration and composition, a set of two French and three US cultivars of similar maturity were grown in the greenhouse. At the R6 growth stage, plants were subjected to one of three night/day temperature regimes (13/23°, 18/28° or 23/33 °C) in either optimal or sub‐optimal soil water conditions. RESULTS: In cotyledons, a three‐ to six‐fold variation in total isoflavone content was observed between the high and low temperature treatments, whereas the germ contents had less than a two‐fold variation. Soil water supply had less effect than temperature on the isoflavone contents and compositions. In both seed parts, the isoflavone concentrations were highly dependent on the cultivar. CONCLUSION: These results show that isoflavone content and composition in cotyledon and germ are unrelated and it should be possible to independently manipulate these seed traits through plant breeding and crop management systems. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Stability of citral in protein- and gum arabic-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions

Citral is a major flavor component of citrus oils that can undergo chemical degradation leading to loss of aroma and formation of off-flavors. Engineering the interface of emulsion droplets with emulsifiers that inhibit chemical reactions could provide a novel technique to stabilize citral. The objective of this study was to determine if citral was more stable in emulsions stabilized with whey protein isolate (WPI) than gum arabic (GA). Degradation of citral was equal to or less in GA- than WPI-stabilized emulsion at pH 3.0 and 7.0. However, formation of the citral oxidation product, p-cymene was greater in the GA- than WPI-stabilized emulsion at pH 3.0 and 7.0. Emulsions stabilized by WPI had a better creaming stability than those stabilized by GA because the protein emulsifier was able to produce smaller lipid droplets during homogenization. These data suggest that WPI was able to inhibit the oxidative deterioration of citral in oil-in-water emulsions. The ability of WPI to decrease oxidative reactions could be due to the formation of a cationic emulsion droplet interface at pH 3.0 which can repel prooxidative metals and/or the ability of amino acids in WPI to scavenge free radical and chelate prooxidative metals.     

Heat transfer model with two heat transfer coefficients along a multiperforated plate — Application to combustion chamber wall cooling

Walls‘ cooling of aeronautic propeller combustion chamber is performed with the injection, through the combustion chamber wall, of a part of the air coming from compressors placed upstream. Measurements of the wall thermal fields are made by infrared thermography along the injection wall. This injection wall is pierced by 9 rows of 8 holes (α=90&#176;) in staggered configuration (p/D=s/D=6). We propose a model using two heat transfer coefficients to represent the convective exchanges. The results are non-dimensioned and presented in comparison with the case without holes. The use of this model allows us to define 4 zones. Those 4 zones exist for the 5 blowing rates.     

DFT Study of the Solvent Effects on the Structure, UV-Vis Spectra and the Antioxidant Activity of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester and Some of Its Derivatives

In this study, the antioxidative （3-methyl-2-butenyl caffeate）, BC efficiency of CAPE （caffeic acid phenethyl ester） and four of its derivatives （MBC （benzoic caffeate）, P3HC （phenethyl-3-hydroxy-cinnamate） and P4HC （phenethyl-4-hydroxy-cinnamate）） are compared in vacuum and in seven solvents. It turned out that the AA （antioxidant activity） in increasing order was P3HC 〈 P4HC 〈 CAPE 〈 MBC. Effects of solvents on the structure and the antioxidant activity of P3HC, P4HC, BC, MBC and CAPE, were studied at 133LYP/6-31G （d, p） then B3LYP/6-3 I＋G （d, p） level of theory using the conductor polarized continuum model methods. Thermodynamically, the authors showed that solvent effects on bond dissociation enthalpy are very weak （within 25 kJ/mol）, but sufficient to influence hydrogen bonds, O-H bond lengths and showed the preferential sites of hydrogen atom cleavage. In addition, solvent notably influences and changes the nature of the scavenging process of ROS （reactive oxygen species）, favouring by this way the HHAT （homolytic hydrogen atom transfer） in non polar solvents, the SPLET （sequential proton loss electron transfer） in polar solvents. Moreover, in chloroform and for the five molecules studied the SET-PT （sequential electron transfer proton transfer） mechanism is preferred compared to the HHAT, because in this solvent the IP is lower than the BDE. TD-DFT calculations revealed that solvent induce a bathochromic effect （red-shift of the wavelengths） coupled to hyperchromic or hypochromic effects.