Simultaneous sulfide and acetate oxidation under denitrifying conditions using an inverse fluidized bed reactor

BACKGROUND: Simultaneous removal of sulfur, nitrogen and carbon compounds from wastewaters is a commercially important biological process. The objective was to evaluate the influence of the CH₃COO^?/NO₃^? molar ratio on the sulfide oxidation process using an inverse fluidized bed reactor (IFBR). RESULTS: Three molar ratios of CH₃COO^?/NO₃^? (0.85, 0.72 and 0.62) with a constant S^2?/NO₃^? molar ratio of 0.13 were evaluated. At a CH₃COO^?/NO₃^? molar ratio of 0.85, the nitrate, acetate and sulfide removal efficiencies were approximately 100%. The N₂ yield (g N₂ g^?1 NO₃^?‐N consumed) was 0.81. Acetate was mineralized, resulting in a yield of 0.65 g inorganic‐C g^?1 CH₃COO^?‐C consumed. Sulfide was partially oxidized to S⁰, and 71% of the S^2? consumed was recovered as elemental sulfur by a settler installed in the IFBR. At a CH₃COO^?/NO₃^? molar ratio of 0.72, the efficiencies of nitrate, acetate and sulfide consumption were of 100%, with N₂ and inorganic‐C yields of 0.84 and 0.69, respectively. The sulfide was recovered as sulfate instead of S⁰, with a yield of 0.92 g SO₄^2?‐S g^?1 S^2? consumed. CONCLUSIONS: The CH₃COO^?/NO₃^? molar ratio was shown to be an important parameter that can be used to control the fate of sulfide oxidation to either S⁰ or sulfate. In this study, the potential of denitrification for the simultaneous removal of organic matter, sulfide and nitrate from wastewaters was demonstrated, obtaining CO₂, S⁰ and N₂ as the major end products. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Treatment of the sequelae of enucleation by septal chondro-mucosal composite graft. Report of 21 cases]

Enucleation frequently and progressively causes an enophtalmus and atrophia of the inferior eyelid, thereby leading to a height deficiency. Buccal mucous grafts give rise to phenomena such as secondary retraction. This may have complex and painful post-operative outcomes. However, when a septal chondromucous graft is performed, the height in the inferior palpebral part becomes more aesthetic, more retentive and quickly allows the wearing of a more voluminous prosthesis. Thus, the notinable enophtalmus can be corrected and the aesthetic quality of the looking is substantially restored. The authors report this surgical procedure and the results obtained with 21 patients which appear to be particularly promising.     

A framework for reconfigurable computing: task scheduling and context management-a summary

Reconfigurable computing is consolidating itself as a real alternative to ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and general-purpose processors. The main advantage of reconfigurable computing derives from its unique combination of broad applicability, provided by the reconfiguration capability, and achievable performance, through the potential parallelism exploitation. The key aspects of the scheduling problem in a reconfigurable architecture are discussed, focusing on a task scheduling methodology for DSP and multimedia applications, as well as the context management and scheduling optimizations.     

Finite element approach for the modal analysis of open-boundarywaveguides

A general finite element approach to computing the modes of open-boundary waveguides is presented. This efficient and robust scheme applies equally to situations with real and complex propagation constants. By using a localised boundary impedance condition, the approach preserves the sparsity of the global matrices. A comparison with the well established infinite element technique and the analysis of a 2-D leaky optical structure are given as examples     

Perceived consequences of risky behaviors: Adults and adolescents.

Adult and adolescent Ss were asked to list possible consequences of either accepting or declining opportunities to engage in various potentially risky behaviors (e.g., drinking and driving, skipping school to go to a mall). Response patterns were quite similar for these adults and adolescents, indicating shared beliefs about the possibilities. Although taking and avoiding a risk are logically complementary actions, they did not prove to be psychologically complementary. Other comparisons showed systematic differences in the consequences produced for 1-time and regular (or repeated) versions of the same behaviors, as well as open-ended and closed-ended response modes. These results are discussed in terms of their methodological implications for studying risk perceptions, their practical implications for influencing adolescents' risk behaviors, and their theoretical implications for understanding intellectual development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Actions speak no louder than words: Symmetrical cross-modal interference effects in the processing of verbal and gestural information.

Five experiments are reported that investigate the distribution of selective attention to verbal and nonverbal components of an utterance when conflicting information exists in these channels. A Stroop-type interference paradigm is adopted in which attributes from the verbal and nonverbal dimensions are placed into conflict. Static directional (deictic) gestures and corresponding spoken and written words show symmetrical interference (Experiments 1, 2, and 3), as do directional arrows and spoken words (Experiment 4). This symmetry is maintained when the task is switched from a manual keypress to a verbal naming response (Experiment 5), suggesting the mutual influence of the 2 dimensions is independent of spatial stimulus-response compatibility. It is concluded that the results are consistent with a model of interference in which information from pointing gestures and speech is integrated prior to the response selection stage of processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)