The accumulation levels of PAHs, PCBs and DDTs are related in an inverse way to the size of a benthic amphipod (Echinogammarus stammeri Karaman) in the River Po

The accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and DDTs were investigated in gammarids captured at three sites along the middle River Po; the first was located upstream and the other two were at increasing distances downstream of the confluence of a polluted tributary, the River Lambro. Using a GC-MS technique, the levels of PCBs, PAHs and DDTs were determined separately in large and small gammarids as well as in the fine fraction of sediment samples collected along the sites of capture. Results confirm the River Lambro as a source of these chemicals to the River Po, and show that bioaccumulation differences exist between small and large individuals, the former being more contaminated particularly by PCBs and DDTs. This is likely the result of several interacting factors such as contaminant bioavailability, gammarid-size effects on kinetic parameters and feeding selectivity. The bioaccumulation patterns of PCBs and DDTs, and their higher biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF), are consistent with chemical properties and suggest a dietary disequilibrium found only 10 km downstream from the tributary, and in smaller amphipods. Present results show that gammarids may represent an additional source of contaminants, particularly of chlorinated compounds, to the many organisms feeding on them, with a higher risk for those which prey selectively on smaller gammarids.     

Knowledge networks and industrial structure for regional innovation: An analysis of patents collaborations in Italy

The aim of the research is to investigate whether the structure of knowledge networks and the variety of the local industrial structure are important for regional innovation and if the interplay between these two forces has an additional effect on local innovativeness. The research analyses co-patenting collaborations at firm level in the Italian provinces in three five-year intervals in the period 2001–2016. Results show that the structure of knowledge networks and agglomeration economies of inventors boost local inventive capacity. It also highlights how these forces have an increasing impact on innovation as the variety of the area increases.     

Treatment of concentrated arsenic(V) solutions by micellar enhanced ultrafiltration with high molecular weight cut-off membrane

In this work arsenic removal by micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) was investigated using cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and a cross-flow polyethersulphone (PES) membrane apparatus. The effects of some operating factors on permeate flux, arsenic and CPC rejections were investigated and, in particular, transmembrane pressure, pH, CPC concentration, As concentration and ionic strength. The novel aim of this work is evaluating the possible advantages of using large molecular weight cut-off membrane (100 kDa) and reduced surfactant concentrations (1-3 mM) for treating high fluxes of concentrated arsenic-bearing solutions (6-10 ppm). The experimental results reported in this paper show that PES membrane apparatus with high molecular weight cut-off allowed to treat large fluxes of concentrated arsenic-bearing solutions (6-10 ppm) even by using low surfactant concentration (1-3mM). In particular arsenic removal ranged from 93-98% to 70-74% depending on initial As concentration (6 and 10 ppm, respectively). In addition surfactant leakage in the permeate was always below CMC due to presieving of concentration polarisation layer. The favourable combination of high MWCO membranes and low surfactant concentration can benefit to overall process economics for the lower membrane area requirement (due to greater flux) and the reduced surfactant consumption.     

Muons probe strong hydrogen interactions with defective graphene

Here, we present the first muon spectroscopy investigation of graphene, focused on chemically produced, gram-scale samples, appropriate to the large muon penetration depth. We have observed an evident muon spin precession, usually the fingerprint of magnetic order, but here demonstrated to originate from muon-hydrogen nuclear dipolar interactions. This is attributed to the formation of CHMu (analogous to CH(2)) groups, stable up to 1250 K where the signal still persists. The relatively large signal amplitude demonstrates an extraordinary hydrogen capture cross section of CH units. These results also rule out the formation of ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic order in chemically synthesized graphene samples.     

Extraction of metals from spent hydrotreating catalysts: physico-mechanical pre-treatments and leaching stage

The present paper is focused on physico-mechanical pre-treatments of spent hydrotreating catalysts aimed at concentration of at least one of the valuable metals contained in such secondary raw material. In particular, dry Ni-Mo and Co-Mo as well as wet Ni-Mo catalysts were used. Flotation, grain size separation and attrition processes were tested. After that, a rods vibrating mill and a ball mill were used to ground the catalysts in order to understand the best mechanical pre-treatment before leaching extraction. The results showed that flotation is not able to concentrate any metals due to the presence of coke or other depressant compounds. The particle size separation produces two fractions enriched in Mo and Co when dry Co-Mo catalyst is used, whereas attrition is not suitable as metals are uniformely distributed in rings’ volume. Roasting at 550 °C and vibrating grinding are the most suitable pre-treatments able to produce fractions easily leached by NaOH and H₂SO₄ after grain size separation.     

Correlation between number of walls and diameter in multiwall carbon nanotubes grown by chemical vapor deposition

We propose an empirical law correlating the average number of walls and the average diameter in a population of multi-wall carbon nanotubes grown by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The relationship and its dispersion are derived from the statistical analysis of a database of TEM images of nanotubes collected from more than 60 publications in literature and from our group in the last years. Considering the nanotubes were grown from independent sources in a variety of conditions and tools, it has general validity. The relationship may find applicability in a wide range of fields as it provides a simple model to quickly estimate the number of walls most likely present in a population of nanotubes from only the measure of their average diameter.     

Linear increase of the modal gain in 1.3 µm InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers containing up to seven-stacked QD layers

The authors have recently demonstrated the enhancement of the quantum dot laser modal gain, linearly scaling with the number of stacked QD layers. These results allowed the achievement of multi-quantum dot (MQD) lasers, the zero-dimensional counterpart of MQW lasers, with a modal gain as high as 42?cm(-1), in a seven-layer structure. A detailed investigation of the structural and optical properties was performed on laser structures with three, five and seven QD layers. Such an investigation clearly shows that the high uniformity of QD layer features is responsible for the linear increase of the modal gain and its high value.     

Improving the spectral efficiency of FDM‐CPM systems through packing and multiuser processing

In frequency division multiplexed (FDM) systems, spectral efficiency (SE) can be increased by reducing the spacing between two adjacent channels, thus increasing the relevant interference and possibly accounting for it at the receiver. In this paper, we consider a FDM system where each user employs a continuous phase modulation, serially concatenated with an outer code through an interleaver, and iterative detection/decoding. We show that, by taking into account the increased interference using properly designed multiuser detection and synchronization schemes, it is possible to implement transmission schemes with unprecedented SE at a price of a limited complexity increase with respect to a classical single‐user receiver which neglects the interference. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heat stress elicits different responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Brown Swiss and Holstein cows

This study was undertaken to assess whether peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from Brown Swiss (Br) and Holstein (Ho) cows and stimulated with concanavalin A differ in response to chronic exposure to incubation temperatures simulating conditions of hyperthermia. Five multiparous Br and 5 Ho cows were utilized as blood donors. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were subjected for 65 h to each of 5 treatments (T). Cells were exposed to 39°C continuously (T39) and three 13-h cycles at 40 (T40), 41 (T41), 42 (T42) or 43°C (T43), respectively, which were interspersed with two 13-h cycles at 39°C. Treatment T39 was adopted to mimic normothermia; T40, T41, T42, and T43 mimicked conditions of more severe hyperthermia alternating with normothermia. Measures evaluated at the end of the incubation period were proliferative response (DNA synthesis), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, and mRNA abundance of the 72-kDa heat-shock protein (Hsp72). In Br cows, DNA synthesis began to decline when PBMC were repeatedly exposed to 41°C (−22%), whereas DNA synthesis in cells isolated from Ho cows did not begin to decline until 42°C (−40%). Furthermore, under T41 and T42, DNA synthesis from Br cows was lower than in Ho(−24 and −54%, respectively). In both breeds, increased incubation temperatures caused a reduction of intracellular ROS (from −39.6 and −69.7%). Increase in incubation temperatures enhanced Hsp72 mRNA levels only in PBMC isolated from Br cows. The Hsp72 mRNA in Br cows increased significantly under T41 and T43 compared with T39. In both breeds, DNA synthesis was positively and negatively correlated with intracellular ROS and Hsp72 mRNA abundance, respectively (r = 0.85 and r = −0.70, respectively). Results indicated that PBMC from Br cows are less tolerant to chronic heat exposure than those from Ho cows, and that the lower tolerance is associated with higher expression of Hsp72, suggesting that the same level of hyperthermia may be associated with a differential decline of immune function in the 2 breeds.