Molecular biomarkers and toxic consequences of impact by organic pollution in aquatic organisms

Organic contaminants are readily bioaccumulated by aquatic organisms. Exposure to and toxic effects of contaminants can be measured in terms of the biochemical responses of the organisms (i.e. molecular biomarkers). The hepatic biotransformation enzyme cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) in vertebrates is specifically induced by organic contaminants such as aromatic hydrocarbons, PCBs and dioxins, and is involved in chemical carcinogenesis via catalysis of the covalent binding of organic contaminants to DNA (DNA-adducts). Hepatic CYP1A induction has been used extensively and successfully as a biomarker of organic contaminant exposure in fish. Fewer but equally encouraging studies in fish have used hepatic bulky, hydrophobic DNA-adducts as biomarkers of organic contaminant damage. Much less is known of the situation in marine invertebrates, but a CYPlA-like enzyme with limited inducibility and some potential for biomarker application is indicated. Stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is another potential mechanism of organic contaminant-mediated DNA and other damage in aquatic organisms. A combination of antioxidant (enzymes, scavengers) and pro-oxidant (oxidised DNA bases, lipid peroxidation) measurements may have potential as a biomarker of organic contaminant exposure (particularly those chemicals which do not induce CYP1A) and/or oxidative stress, but more studies are required. Both CYP1A- and ROS-mediated toxicity are indicated to result in higher order deleterious effects, including cancer and other aspects of animal fitness.

The impact of molecular biology on assessment of water quality: advantages and limitations of current techniques

The advent of molecular biology has had a dramatic impact on all aspects of biology, not least applied microbial ecology. Microbiological testing of water has traditionally depended largely on culture techniques. Growing understanding that only a small proportion of microbial species are culturable, and that many microorganisms may attain a viable but non-culturable state, has promoted the development of novel approaches to monitoring pathogens in the environment. This has been paralleled by an increased awareness of the surprising genetic diversity of natural microbial populations. By targeting gene sequences that are specific for particular microorganisms, for example genes that encode diagnostic enzymes, or species-specific domains of conserved genes such as 16S ribosomal RNA coding sequences (rrn genes), the problems of culture can be avoided. Technical developments, notably in the area of in vitro amplification of DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), now permit routine detection and identification of specific microorganisms, even when present in very low numbers. Although the techniques of molecular biology have provided some very powerful tools for environmental microbiology, it should not be forgotten that these have their own drawbacks and biases in sampling. For example, molecular techniques are dependent on efficient lysis and recovery of nucleic acids from both vegetative forms and spores of microbial species that may differ radically when growing in the laboratory compared with the natural environment. Furthermore, PCR amplification can introduce its own bias depending on the nature of the oligonucleotide primers utilised. However, despite these potential caveats, it seems likely that a molecular biological approach, particularly with its potential for automation, will provide the mainstay of diagnostic technology for the foreseeable future.

Desarrollo de una librería en Simulink de la normativa J1939 de automoción para el diagnóstico y comunicación de ECUs.

[ES]El objetivo principal de este proyecto consiste en desarrollar una librería en Matlab- Simulink correspondiente a un OBD (Sistema de diagnóstico a bordo) para el vehículo eléctrico. Se pretende comprobar el correcto funcionamiento de la librería ejecutando el software en tiempo real mediante un PLC proporcionado por Tecnalia, realizando la comunicación entre PLC y PC mediante bus CAN. En este contexto, la ejecución del proyecto seguiría la metodología de software del ciclo en V con las siguientes fases principales: Desarrollo de las comunicaciones en Simulink (Plataforma PC).Implementación del software en plataformas de prototipado rápido (Dspace). Validación y testeo. Implementación final en DSP.

Rélations hydrométéorologiques sur les côtes du Golfe de Guinée: influence de l'orientation de la côte

The Gulf of Guinea is remarkable for its abundant precipitations and negative anomalies of the surface water temperature. This originality comes from the southern monsoon which transfers the cold season to the middle of northern summer up to latitude 10 degrees North. Yearly precipitations, which can vary along the coast, are well in correlation with coast crossing air flow (r=0.71) and with the sea-air temperature difference (r=0.72). Precipitations provide a better correlation with surface temperatures (0.72) than with salinities (-0.63). The wind influence upon negative anomaly of the surface temperature is more clear on N-S coast (r=0.98) than on W-E coast (r=0.73) of the Gulf. Temporal correlations calculated on 16 years of observations in Pointe-Noire are in connection with previous spatial correlations. Coastal hydroclimates are thus likely to be deduced from meteorology.

Using wildlife activity and antibiotic resistance analysis to model bacterial water quality in coastal ponds

Models that help predict fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) levels in environmental waters can be important tools for resource managers. In this study, we used animal activity along with antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA), land cover, and other variables to build models that predict bacteria levels in coastal ponds that discharge into an estuary. Photographic wildlife monitoring was used to estimate terrestrial and aquatic wildlife activity prior to sampling. Increased duck activity was an important predictor of increased FCB in coastal ponds. Terrestrial animals like deer and raccoon, although abundant, were not significant in our model. Various land cover types, rainfall, tide, solar irradiation, air temperature, and season parameters, in combination with duck activity, were significant predictors of increased FCB. It appears that tidal ponds allow for settling of bacteria under most conditions. We propose that these models can be used to test different development styles and wildlife management techniques to reduce bacterial loading into downstream shellfish harvesting and contact recreation areas.

Pulsed field magnetization of a high temperature superconducting motor

As we known, the high temperature (77 K) superconducting (HTS) motor is considered as a competitive electrical machine by more and more people. There have been various of designs for HTS motor in the world. However, most of them focus on HTS tapes rather than bulks. Therefore, in order to investigate possibility of HTS bulks on motor application, a HTS magnet synchronous motor which has 75 pieces of YBCO bulks surface mounted on the rotor has been designed and developed in Cambridge University. After pulsed field magnetization (PFM) process, the rotor can trap a 4 poles magnetic field of 375 mT. The magnetized rotor can provide a maximum torque of 49.5 Nm and a maximum power of 7.8 kW at 1500 rpm. © 2010 IEEE.

Energy use of buildings at urban scale: A case study of london school buildings

The diversity of non-domestic buildings at urban scale poses a number of difficulties to develop building stock models. This research proposes an engineering-based bottom-up stock model in a probabilistic manner to address these issues. School buildings are used for illustrating the application of this probabilistic method. Two sampling-based global sensitivity methods are used to identify key factors affecting building energy performance. The sensitivity analysis methods can also create statistical regression models for inverse analysis, which are used to estimate input information for building stock energy models. The effects of different energy saving measures are analysed by changing these building stock input distributions.

The investigation of sweeping speed on the magnetization of a 2 inches diameter YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin film with the circular-type magnetic flux pump

A circular-type magnetic flux pump (CTMFP) device was built to study the flux dynamics on a 2-inch-diameter YBCO thin film. This CTMFP is composed of two CTMFP coils, with each CTMFP coil containing concentric three-phase windings and a dc winding. We connected the three-phase windings to the output of a commercial inverter. By changing the output frequency of the inverter, the sweeping speed of the circular-shaped travelling magnetic wave can be changed. The connection of the phase coils follows the forward consequence, so that the circular-shaped travelling magnetic wave travels inward to the center. The output frequency f was changed from f = 0.01 to 1000.0 Hz. The YBCO sample was sandwiched between the two CTMFP coils to experience the circular-shaped travelling magnetic wave. It was found that the increase of the flux density in the center of the film is independent of the sweeping frequency. In high frequency f = 1000.0Hz, even if the waveform had changed a lot, the increment is still the same as in low frequencies. © 2012 IEEE.

基于MontaVista Linux的开放式机器人控制器研究与实现

本文提出了一种基于MontaVista Linux操作系统的开放式机器人控制器,该系统采用CAN总线作为控制器的系统总线。由于MontaVista Linux操作系统的开放性和良好的移植性,使得系统可以方便扩展、定制不同的应用软件模块和操作系统模块,并且在各种硬件平台间具有良好的移植性。同时由于采用CAN总线作为系统总线,使得系统可灵活配置且可以通过现场总线与其它设备共享数据。

基于DSP的CANopen通讯协议的实现

CANopen是一种开放的应用层协议,其应用可以进一步提高系统的可靠性、通讯效率及灵活性,而且可以使产品具有很好的兼容性。本文采用CANopen通讯协议实现了CAN总线DSP系统与上位机CAN卡之间的通讯,并通过测试实验验证了信息传递的可靠性,保证了全数字网络化伺服驱动系统中对电机控制的准确性和实时性。

星球探测系统的多机器人组内协作研究

建立了子机器人的控制模型,提出了分散式控制与集中式控制相结合的复合控制体系。采用动态分配ID号和由ID号确定机器人组中领导者的机制,建立了有领导者的机器人组的协作方法。其中,领导者与监控平台之间采用无线通讯,机器人组内采用CAN(control area network)总线传递控制信号。同时采用组内基于状态表匹配的控制方式。两个机器人组合利用以上机制,通过相互协调完成差速转弯的实验验证了该控制方法的可行性。

机器人化月表采样器控制系统研究

在未来的深空探测任务中迫切需要采样任务的机器人化。为突破这一关键的技术,我们研制了一台六自由度的机器人化月表采样器原理样机,为其选择合理的控制方式并搭建了一套基于CAN总线的分布式控制系统。本文将详细介绍该机器人化月表采样器的工作原理及其控制系统的基本结构,并将阐述在操作采样器执行采样任务时采用的控制方式。最后搭建试验平台进行采样试验,验证采样器和控制系统的基本功能及其有效性。

面向实时控制任务的高速数据采集存储方法

提出一种基于CAN总线,面向实时控制任务的高速数据采集存储方法.该方法将数据实时采集、系统实时控制、数据存储与显示分配在相互独立的处理单元中实现,处理单元之间通过独立的CAN网络进行通信.该数据采集方法解决了数据实时采集与系统实时控制之间的矛盾.利用队列技术,该方法解决了数据存储与数据实时显示之间的矛盾.该数据采集存储方法已成功应用到某大型仿真系统中.

基于C8051的运动控制卡研制和应用

本文针对排爆机器人手臂多关节联动控制的需要,开发了一种具有高集成度的基于C8051单片机和CAN总线的运动控制卡。介绍了运动控制卡的原理及实施方案,同时给出了运动控制卡在机器人平台的应用实例。在排爆机器人平台上的应用表明该运动控制卡具有较高的精度及很好的可靠性和实时性。

仿人机器人腰机构控制及分析实验平台研究

介绍了一种新型的仿人机器人两自由度腰部结构,给出了该机构两个伺服电机的PID控制策略,建立了基于PC机CAN卡的网络控制平台,该平台可实现腰部机构的实时控制及实时机构控制响应特性分析,该平台还具有扩展性强、成本低的特点。