Evidence of High Vertical Wave-Number Behavior in a Continuously Stratified Reservoir: Boadella, Spain

High vertical wave-number modes clearly dominate the internal wave field during the stratification period in Boadella reservoir in northeast Spain. In this period, the extraction of hypolimnetic water, due to summer irrigation, brought the surface level down by 6 m in one month and the epilimnetic water progressively occupied the whole water column. The temperature profile, with the exception of a few meters at the surface layer, presented an almost constant temperature gradient of about 0.7°C/m. The period of the main vertical mode is 24 h with an amplitude of around 1 m. Thermistor chain records and meteorological data allow us to deduce that this mode is, at least, a third vertical mode forced by the wind, which normally has a typical periodicity of 24 h. However, when the wind changes direction from south to north, the circulation cells developed due to this forced nonstationary oscillation are destroyed. When this occurs, the Bulk Richardson number is Rib ～ 1. Similar vertical structures as a response to wind forcing should be expected in similar systems, although this has not been reported in the literature.     

Sequential batch reactor for eucalypt kraft pulp effluent treatment with Trametes versicolor

BACKGROUND: A sequential batch reactor (SBR) was used for eucalypt kraft pulp effluent treatment with Trametes versicolor. A 2³ full factorial design and response surface methodology were applied to optimise the batch fermentation conditions. Effluent concentration, culture medium and inoculum age were the factors selected for this study in order to optimise the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD). RESULTS: The presence of Trametes Defined Medium (TDM) in the fermentation was required to obtain a significant COD reduction. Experiments in the batch reactor confirmed, in general, the predicted results of optimisation developed from Erlenmeyer batch assays. The T. versicolor culture remained active during 42 days of study in the SBR, providing approximately 80% of COD reduction. CONCLUSION: Trametes versicolor may be considered as very promising for the biological treatment of effluents from kraft pulp mills in an SBR system instead of the activated sludge mixed cultures traditionally used. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Expression of recombinant antigens in Escherichia coli: application on immunochemical studies of Schistosoma mansoni tegumental antigens

Sm15 and Sm13 are recognized by antibodies from mice protectively vaccinated with tegumental membranes, suggesting a potential role in protective immunity. In order to raise antibodies for immunochemical investigations, the genes for these antigens were expressed in pGEX and pMal vectors so that comparisons could be made among different expression systems and different genes. The fusion proteins corresponding to several parts of the gene for the precursor of Sm15 failed in producing antibodies recognizing the parasite counterpart. On the other hand, antibodies raised against Sm13 MBP-fusion proteins recognized the 13 kDa tegumental protein. Thus the peculiarities of the gene of interest are important and the choice of the expression system must sometimes be decided on an empirical basis.     

Second-Order optical non-linearities of {4-(dimethylamino) stilben z & e 4'-yl} dimesityl borane

Samples of {4-(dimethylamino) stilben Z & E 4'-yl} dimesityl borane (BNS) were synthesised and investigated for their non-linear optical properties. The results show that the quadratic hyperpolarisability of the Z-isomer is smaller than that of the E-isomer, the beta value found for the latter being as high as 60 × 10^?30 esu.     

A Survey of Inverse Surface Design From Light Transport Behavior Specification

Inverse surface design problems from light transport behavior specification usually represent extremely complex and costly processes, but their importance is well known. In particular, they are very interesting for lighting and luminaire design, in which it is usually difficult to test design decisions on a physical model in order to avoid costly mistakes. In this survey, we present the main ideas behind these kinds of problems, characterize them, and summarize existing work in the area, revealing problems that remain open and possible areas of further research.     

2D crack growth simulation with an energetic approach

It is well known that the tearing resistance curve J–Δa is not a material property. A recent approach, based on an energetic critical parameter to model ductile tearing propagation, is used to model 3D effects. The approach considered in this work aims to estimate the dissipated energy in the fracture process during ductile tearing represented by an intrinsic parameter G_fr. A fracture criterion, which accounts for the crack extension length, is defined and lies on a critical energy release rate, noted G_c, which is compared to G_fr. Previously, this parameter was obtained from a numerical local energy release rate, which handicaps the application field of the approach: a fine mesh for the whole propagation area was needed and the criterion allowed only to model 1D propagation. A new manner to estimate G_c is then proposed in this article, based on the J plastic part variation, which allows to model 2D propagation by defining a local criterion. This new calculation method is validated on a CT specimen made in Tu52b ferritic steel, by comparing the results obtained from the two methods of G_c calculation. Then, the 2D crack growth case is studied, by modelling the propagation in a ring, loaded in compression. It is shown that a 3D effect, such as tunnel effect, could be successfully represented with this approach.     

Partner violence before and after individually based alcoholism treatment for male alcoholic patients.

This study examined partner violence in the year before and the year after individually based, outpatient alcoholism treatment for 301 married or cohabiting male alcoholic patients and used a demographically matched nonalcoholic comparison sample. In the year before treatment, 56% of the alcoholic patients had been violent toward their female partner, 4 times the rate of 14% in the comparison sample. In the year after treatment, violence decreased significantly to 25% of the alcoholic sample but remained higher than in the comparison group. Among remitted alcoholics after treatment, violence prevalence of 15% was nearly identical to the comparison sample and half the rate among relapsed patients (32%). Thus, partner violence decreased after alcoholism treatment, and clinically significant violence reductions occurred for patients whose alcoholism was remitted after treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)