Direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation of Indigo Carmine using PbO2 and TiRuSnO2

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - In this paper, the electrocatalytic properties of PbO2 and TiRuSnO2 anodes for direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation of a synthetic solution...     

Effectiveness of dairy treated wastewater and different irrigation systems on the growth,biomass and fruiting of a Tunisian olive orchard (Olea europaea L., cv Chemlali)

Abstract

The effectiveness of dairy treated wastewater (TWW) was evaluated, in comparison with tap water (TW), on a Tunisian olive orchard (Olea europea, cv Chemlali), irrigated manually (MI) and by surface dripping (SDI). To this purpose, tree growth, biomass and fruiting were monthly tested for a one-year period. Similar trunk diameters, nodes/tree, root lengths were obtained, independently of source and system of irrigation. Also, comparable tree length and leaf area, shoots/tree and biomass, were observed between TWW and TW plants. However, such parameters improved under SDI rather than MI. Fruiting occurred only in TWW and TW trees treated by MI. Concerning growth, biomass and fruiting, TWW represented a valid alternative source for the irrigation of olive orchard, especially in Tunisia, already facing the freshwater scarcity. Monitoring of soil, TWW, fruits and oil will be required to validate the use of such effluent for olive orchard irrigation.     

One atmosphere glow discharge structure revealed by computermodeling

A one-dimensional and self-consistent model of an atmospheric pressure, dielectric controlled, parallel-plate RF discharge is presented. The computer modeling provided information about the unexpected uniform glow structure of this discharge. The calculated parameters of the plasma, including the electric field, the potential, and the space charge density are analogous to those observed in a normal DC glow discharge. Images of plasma properties are presented and discussed     

Une preuve de la conjecture d’Erdős,Joò et Komornik dans le cas des séries formelles

Properties of Pisot numbers have long been of interest. One line of questioning, initiated by Erdös, Joò and Komornik in (Bull Soc Math France 118:377–390, 1990), is the study of the set \(\Lambda _{m}(\beta )\) the spectrum of \(\beta \) and the determination of \(l^{m}(\beta )\) for Pisot number \(\beta \) , where \(\Lambda _{m}(\beta )\) denotes the set of numbers having at least one representation of the form \(\omega =\varepsilon _{n} \beta ^{n}+\varepsilon _{n-1}\beta ^{n-1}+\cdots +\varepsilon _{1}\beta +\varepsilon _{0},\) such that the \(\varepsilon _{i}\in \{-m,\ldots ,0,\ldots ,m\}\) , for all \(0\le i\le n\) , and \(l^{m}(\beta )=\inf \{|\omega |:\omega \in \Lambda _{m},\omega \ne 0\}.\) In this paper, we consider \(\Lambda _{m}(\beta )\) , where \(\beta \) is a formal power series over a finite field and the \(\varepsilon _{i}\) are polynomials of degree at most \(m\) for all \(0\le i\le n\) . Our main result is to give a full answer in the Laurent series case, to an old question of Erd?s and Komornik (Acta Math Hungar 79:57–83, 1998), as to whether \(l^{1}(\beta )=0\) for all non-Pisot numbers. More generally, we characterize the inequalities \(l^{m}(\beta )>0\) .     

Investigations on Hydrolytic Activities from Stachybotrys microspora and Their Use as an Alternative in Yeast DNA Extraction

Stachybotrys microspora is a filamentous fungus characterized by the secretion of multiple hydrolytic activities (cellulolytic and non-cellulolytic enzymes). The production of these biocatalysts was studied under submerged culture using glucose, cellulose, and wheat bran as carbon sources. Endoglucanases, pectinases, xylanases, β-glucanases, chitinases, and proteases were induced on cellulose-based medium and repressed on glucose in both strains with higher amounts produced by the mutant. β-glucosidases were roughly equally produced by both strains under glucose and cellulose conditions. The yield of chitinases, β-glucanases, and proteases produced by Stachybotrys strains was as much higher than the commercialized lysing enzyme called “zymolyase,” currently used in yeast DNA extraction. In this context, we showed that S. microspora hydrolases can be successfully applied in the extraction of yeast DNA.     

Novel Facet of an Old Dietary Molecule? Direct Influence of Caffeine on Glucose and Biogenic Amine Handling by Human Adipocytes

Caffeine is a plant alkaloid present in food and beverages consumed worldwide. It has high lipid solubility with recognized actions in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues, notably the adipose depots. However, the literature is scant regarding caffeine’s influence on adipocyte functions other than lipolysis, such as glucose incorporation into lipids (lipogenesis) and amine oxidation. The objective of this study was to explore the direct effects of caffeine and of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) on these adipocyte functions. Glucose transport into fat cells freshly isolated from mice, rats, or humans was monitored by determining [³H]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) uptake, while the incorporation of radiolabeled glucose into cell lipids was used as an index of lipogenic activity. Oxidation of benzylamine by primary amine oxidase (PrAO) was inhibited by increasing doses of caffeine in human adipose tissue preparations with an inhibition constant (Ki) in the millimolar range. Caffeine inhibited basal and insulin-stimulated glucose transport as well as lipogenesis in rodent adipose cells. The antilipogenic action of caffeine was also observed in adipocytes from mice genetically invalidated for PrAO activity, indicating that PrAO activity was not required for lipogenesis inhibition. These caffeine inhibitory properties were extended to human adipocytes: relative to basal 2-DG uptake, set at 1.0 ± 0.2 for 6 individuals, 0.1 mM caffeine tended to reduce uptake to 0.83 ± 0.08. Insulin increased uptake by 3.86 ± 1.11 fold when tested alone at 100 nM, and by 3.21 ± 0.80 when combined with caffeine. Our results reinforce the recommendation of caffeine’s potential in the treatment or prevention of obesity complications.     

Air filter sterilization using a one atmosphere uniform glowdischarge plasma (the volfilter)

Two characteristics of microorganisms-extremely small size (0.01 to a few micrometers) and the ability to reproduce-hinder the effective filtration of bacteria and viruses from indoor air. The microorganisms captured by a filter in spite of their small size can reproduce in situ and be released into the airstream, giving rise to the “sick building syndrome”. The application of the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP) to a filter can address both these issues. At University of Tennessee at Knoxville, we have recently developed the “Volfilter”, a planar version of the OAUGDP produced by attaching strip electrodes to both sides of a sheet of dielectric filter material and energizing the electrodes with a high-voltage, low-frequency RF source. After the filter material removes microorganisms from the airstream, the OAUGD plasma kills the captured microorganisms. The combination of an appropriate filter material and periodic application of the OAUGDP results in an effective capture and sterilization device even for the smallest microorganisms and requires minimum maintenance. This paper will describe results obtained during the operation of a laboratory-scale “Volfilter” challenged by two kinds of microorganisms, S. aureus and the bacterial virus Phi X 174. An objective of this work is to demonstrate that a “Volfilter” exposed to a OAUGDP will have the number of captured microorganisms on its surface reduced by a factor of one million     

Experimental study of the ultrasound attenuation in chemical reactors

Ultrasound is used in different domains, and in sonochemistry particularly, for different purposes and in various flow configurations: monophasic, two-phase and polyphasic reactors. In order to optimize and to design sonochemical reactors, it is important to describe the ultrasonic intensity space and time distribution. In addition, it is important to study the different parameters influencing the intensity profiles of the ultrasonic wave. In this work, a thermoelectric probe has been used to measure the ultrasonic intensity. This procedure has shown that the ultrasound propagation is influenced by the presence of cavitation bubbles, the flow regime and the presence of solid particles.