Aluminium fouling and its impact on activated carbon based dioxin and furan removal in a wet scrubber at a co-incineration plant

Dioxins and furans, PCDD/Fs, are highly toxic substances formed in post combustion zones in furnaces. PCDD/F emissions are regulated by a waste incineration directive which relates also to co-incineration plants. Several observations of dioxin and furan enhancements in wet scrub- bers have been reported previously. This is thought to be due to the so-called "memory effect" which occurs when dioxins and furans absorb into plastic material in scrubbers and desorb when ambient circumstances alter significantly. At the co-incineration plant involved, dioxins and furans are controlled with a wet scrubber, the tower packing of which is made of plastic in which activated carbon particles are dispersed. This should avoid the memory effect and act as a dioxin and furan sink since dioxins and furans are absorbed irreversibly into the packing ma- terial. In this case, the tower packing in the scrubber is covered with a white layer that has been found to be mainly aluminium. The aim of this thesis was to determine the aluminium balance and the dioxin and furan behaviour in the scrubber and, thus, the impacts that the foul- ing has on dioxin and furan removal. The source of aluminium, reasons for fouling and further actions to minimize its impacts on dioxin and furan removal were also to be discovered. Measurements in various media around the scrubber and in fuels were made and a profile analysis of PCDD/F and mass balance calculations were carried out. PCDD/F content de- creased in the scrubber. The reduced PCDD/F was not discharged into scrubbing water. The removal mechanism seems to work in spite of the fouling, at least with low PCDD/F loads. Most of the PCDD/F in excess water originates from the Kymijoki River which is used as feeding water in the scrubber. Fouling turned out to consist mainly of aluminium hydroxides. Sludge combusted in the furnace was found to be a significant source of aluminium. Ways to minimize the fouling would be adjustment of pH to a proper lever, installation of a mechanical filter to catch the loose material from the scrubbing water and affecting the aluminium content of the sludge.

Bupivacaine 0.5 % versus articaine 4 % for the removal of lower third molars. A crossover randomized controlled trial

Objective: To compare the anesthetic action of 0.5% bupivacaine in relation to 4% articaine, both with 1:200,000 epinephrine, in the surgical removal of lower third molars. As a secondary objective hemodynamic changes using both anesthetics were analyzed. Study Design: Triple-blind crossover randomized clinical trial. Eighteen patients underwent bilateral removal of impacted lower third molars using 0.5% bupivacaine or 4% articaine in two different appointments. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative variables were recorded. Differences were assessed with McNemar tests and repeated measures ANOVA tests. Results: Both solutions exhibited similar latency times and intraoperative efficacy. Statistical significant lower pain levels were observed with bupivacaine between the fifth (p=0.011) and the ninth (p=0.007) postoperative hours. Bupivacaine provided significantly longer lasting soft tissue anesthesia (p<0.05). Systolic blood pressure and heart rate values were significantly higher with articaine. Conclusions: Bupivacaine could be a valid alternative to articaine especially due to its early postoperative pain prevention ability.

Study on the removal of biodegradable NOM from seawater using biofiltration

Despite the low biodegradability of seawater NOM, problems associated with biofouling are common in facilities that handle seawater. In this work, a fixed-film aerobic biofilter is proposed as an effective unit for preventing biofouling in such facilities. A packed-bed biofilter with an EBCT = 6 - 11 min was employed. The results demonstrated that the DOC is reduced by 6% and the BOD7 is reduced up to 15%. The LC-OCD analysis revealed that biofiltration abates the LMW neutrals and biopolymer fractions by 33 and 17%, respectively. However, the fractionation with UF membrane showed that the biofiltration process is able to degrade the more biodegradable compounds that have molecular weights that are greater than 1 kDa and compounds with molecular weights of less than 1 kDa. After biofiltration, the biological activity measured in terms of ATP removal was reduced by 60%. Finally, a test to evaluate the biofilm formation capacity of a water sample revealed reductions of ~94% when comparing biofiltered and non-biofiltered seawater. Therefore, a fixed-film aerobic biofiltration process could be a useful treatment for the removal of biodegradable organic matter from seawater and for improving the water quality in terms of less biofilm formation capacity.

The genetic basis of color-related local adaptation in a ring-like colonization around the Mediterranean.

Uncovering the genetic basis of phenotypic variation and the population history under which it established is key to understand the trajectories along which local adaptation evolves. Here, we investigated the genetic basis and evolutionary history of a clinal plumage color polymorphism in European barn owls (Tyto alba). Our results suggest that barn owls colonized the Western Palearctic in a ring-like manner around the Mediterranean and meet in secondary contact in Greece. Rufous coloration appears to be linked to a recently evolved nonsynonymous-derived variant of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene, which according to quantitative genetic analyses evolved under local adaptation during or following the colonization of Central Europe. Admixture patterns and linkage disequilibrium between the neutral genetic background and color found exclusively within the secondary contact zone suggest limited introgression at secondary contact. These results from a system reminiscent of ring species provide a striking example of how local adaptation can evolve from derived genetic variation.

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous trephine removal of the nidus in osteoid osteoma patients: experience of a single center in Brazil

AbstractObjective:To report the results of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous resection of the nidus in 18 cases of osteoid osteoma.Materials and Methods:The medical records of 18 cases of osteoid osteoma in children, adolescents and young adults, who underwent CT-guided removal of the nidus between November, 2004 and March, 2009 were reviewed retrospectively for demographic data, lesion site, clinical outcome and complications after procedure.Results:Clinical follow-up was available for all cases at a median of 29 months (range 6–60 months). No persistence of pre-procedural pain was noted on 17 patients. Only one patient experienced recurrence of symptoms 12 months after percutaneous resection, and was successfully retreated by the same technique, resulting in a secondary success rate of 18/18 (100%).Conclusion:CT-guided removal or destruction of the nidus is a safe and effective alternative to surgical resection of the osteoid osteoma nidus.

GENETIC ARCHITECTURE, EVOLUTION AND MAINTENANCE OF A COLOR CLINE AT A CONTINENTAL SCALE

On a geological time scale the conditions on earth are very variable and biological patterns (for example the distributions of species) are very dynamic. Understanding large scale patterns of variation observed today thus requires a deep understanding of the historical factors that drove their evolution. In this thesis, we reevaluated the evolution and maintenance of a continental color cline observed in the European barn owl (Tyto alba) using population genetic tools. The colour cline spans from south-est Europe where most individual have pure white underparts to north and east Europe where most individuals have rufous-brown underparts. Our results globally showed that the old scenario, stipulating that the color cline evolved by secondary contact of two color morphs (white and rufous) that evolved in allopatry during the last ice age has to be revised. We collected samples of about 700 barn owls from the Western Palearctic to establish the first population genetic data set for this species. Individuals were genotyped at 22 microsatellites markers, at one mitochondrial gene, and at a candidate color gene. The color of each individuals was assessed and their sex determined by molecular methods. We first showed that the genetic variation in Western Europe is very limited compared to the heritable color variation. We found no evidences of different glacial lineages, and showed that selection must be involved in the maintenance of the color cline (chapter 1). Using computer simulations, we demonstrated that the post-glacial colonization of Europe occurred from the Iberian Peninsula and that the color cline could not have evolved by neutral demographic processes during this colonization (chapter 2). Finally we reevaluated the whole history of the establishment of the Western Palearctic variation of the barn owl (chapter 3): This study showed that all Western European barn owls descend from white barn owls phenotypes from the Middle East that colonized the Iberian Peninsula via North-Africa. Following the end of the last ice age (20'000 years ago), these white barn owls colonized Western Europe and under selection a novel rufous phenotype evolved (during or after the colonization). An important part of the color variation could be explained by a single mutation in the melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) gene that appeared during or after the colonization. The colonization of Europe reached until Greece, where the rufous birds encountered white ones (which reached Greece from the Middle East over the Bosporus) in a secondary contact zone. Our analyses show that white and rufous barn owls in Greece interbreed only to a limited extent. This suggests that barn owls are at the verge of becoming two species in Greece and demonstrates that European barn owls represent an incipient ring species around the Mediterranean. The revisited history of the establishment of the European barn owl color cline makes this model system remarkable for several aspects. It is a very clear example of strong local adaptation that can be achieved despite high gene flow (strong color and MC1R differentiation despite almost no neutral genetic differentiation). It also offers a wonderful model system to study the interactions between colonization processes and selection processes which have, for now, been remarkably understudied despite their potentially ubiquitous importance. Finally it represents a very interesting case in the speciation continuum and appeals for further studying the amount of gene flow that occurs between the color morphs in Greece. -- Sur l'échelle des temps géologiques, les conditions sur terre sont très variables et les patrons biologiques (telle que la distribution des espèces) sont très dynamiques. Si l'on veut comprendre des patrons que l'on peut observer à large échelle aujourd'hui, il est nécessaire de d'abord comprendre les facteurs historiques qui ont gouverné leur établissement. Dans cette thèse, nous allons réévaluer, grâce à des outils modernes de génétique des populations, l'évolution et la maintenance d'un cline de couleur continental observé chez l'effraie des clochers européenne (Tyto alba). Globalement, nos résultats montrent que le scenario accepté jusqu'à maintenant, qui stipule que le cline de couleur a évolué à partir du contact secondaire de deux morphes de couleur (blanches et rousses) ayant évolué en allopatrie durant les dernières glaciations, est à revoir. Afin de constituer le premier jeu de données de génétique des populations pour cette espèce, nous avons récolté des échantillons d'environ 700 effraies de l'ouest Paléarctique. Nous avons génotypé tous les individus à 22 loci microsatellites, sur un gène mitochondrial et sur un autre gène participant au déterminisme de la couleur. Nous avons aussi mesuré la couleur de tous les individus et déterminé leur sexe génétiquement. Nous avons tout d'abord pu montrer que la variation génétique neutre est négligeable en comparaison avec la variation héritable de couleur, qu'il n'existe qu'une seule lignée européenne et que de la sélection doit être impliquée dans le maintien du cline de couleur (chapitre 1). Grâce à des simulations informatiques, nous avons démontré que l'ensemble de l'Europe de l'ouest a été recolonisé depuis la Péninsule Ibérique après les dernières glaciations et que le cline de couleur ne peut pas avoir évolué par des processus neutre durant cette colonisation (chapitre 2). Finalement, nous avons réévalué l'ensemble de l'histoire postglaciaire de l'espèce dans l'ouest Paléarctique (chapitre 3): l'ensemble des effraies du Paléarctique descendent d'effraie claire du Moyen-Orient qui ont colonisé la péninsule ibérique en passant par l'Afrique du nord. Après la fin de la dernière glaciation (il y a 20'000 ans), ces effraies claires ont colonisé l'Europe de l'ouest et ont évolués par sélection le phénotype roux (durant ou après la colonisation). Une part importante de la variation de couleur peut être expliquée par une mutation sur le gène MC1R qui est apparue durant ou juste après la colonisation. Cette vague de colonisation s'est poursuivie jusqu'en Grèce où ces effraies rousses ont rencontré dans une zone de contact secondaire des effraies claires (qui sont remontées en Grèce depuis le Moyen-Orient via le Bosphore). Nos analyses montrent que le flux de gènes entre effraies blanches et rousses est limité en Grèce, ce qui suggère qu'elles sont en passe de former deux espèces et ce qui montre que les effraies constituent un exemple naissant de spéciation en anneaux autour de la Méditerranée. L'histoire revisitée des effraies des clochers de l'ouest Paléarctique en fait un système modèle remarquable pour plusieurs aspects. C'est un exemple très claire de forte adaptation locale maintenue malgré un fort flux de gènes (différenciation forte de couleur et sur le gène MC1R malgré presque aucune structure neutre). Il offre également un très bon système pour étudier l'interaction entre colonisation et sélection, un thème ayant été remarquablement peu étudié malgré son importance. Et il offre finalement un cas très intéressant dans le « continuum de spéciation » et il serait très intéressant d'étudier plus en détail l'importance du flux de gènes entre les morphes de couleur en Grèce.

A Computer program for estimating population size by the removal method

A BASIC computer program (REMOVAL) was developed to compute in a VAXNMS environment all the calculations of the removal method for population size estimation (catch-effort method for closed populations with constant sampling effort). The program follows the maximum likelihood methodology,checks the failure conditions, applies the appropriate formula, and displays the estimates of population size and catchability, with their standard deviations and coefficients of variation, and two goodness-of-fit statistics with their significance levels. Data of removal experiments for the cyprinodontid fish Aphanius iberus in the Alt Emporda wetlands are used to exemplify the use of the program

Geração e controle das cores luz primárias em vidros para dispositivos "full color"

We are working in a new multi-doped glassy material to generate simultaneously the three primary light color (by addition) of the visible spectrum, with the control of the intensity of each one, allowing the simulation of any color: a full-color generator device. Tm+3, Tb+3 and Eu+3 ions were used (0.01 to 5,0 mol%) as blue, green and red narrow line emitters. A wide color gamut was obtained under ultraviolet excitation by varying the material composition. The chromaticity diagram is covered, including the white simulation.

Corantes têxteis

A dye is a colored substance used to impart permanent color to other substances. Its most important use is in coloring textile fibers and fabrics. The removal of colour from dyehouse waste waters is currently a major problem in the textile sector. This paper provides an overview of the treatment technologies that can currently be used by the textile processor and the developments over the past decade with respect to the toxicological and ecotoxicological properties of synthetic organic dyes.

Trompa interestelar : el color sonoro de la trompa en la "llamada interestelar" de O. Messiaen

Mi trabajo versa sobre la obra de O. Messiaen "Des Canyons aux etoiles" (De los cañones a las estrellas), y en particular de uno de los movimientos de la obra: "Appel Interestellaire" -N.VI- (Llamada Interestelar) -para trompa sola-. Se estructura en dos partes. La primera se centra en su contexto histórico -como, cuando y para quien fue compuesta-; análisis formal, armónico, melódico, rítmico; y aspectos estéticos. La segunda parte está vinculada con la interpretación de la obra. Se realiza un análisis para la interpretación -técnica de la trompa, efectos sonoros, timbres-; se hace una comparación entre la interpretación de 2 diferentes trompistas, y por último, aporto mi propuesta de interpretación. El trabajo se cierra con una conclusión, bibliografía, y un extracto con anexos (esquema, partitura y datos o imágenes de interés).

Tratamento de efluente da indústria de processamento de coco utilizando eletroflotação

Electroflotation (EF) with aluminum electrodes was applied in the treatment of Brazilian industrial coconut wastewater. The results show that EF with polarity inversion is a very good treatment when compared to others. The removal of pollutants in the wastewater after EF with polarity inversion was 96.3% of oils and grease, 99% of color and 66% of total organic carbon. Also, metal concentrations, turbidity and total solids were reduced.

Brook Trout Removal as a Conservation Tool to Restore Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout

Nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis are abundant in Pine Creek and its main tributary, Bogard Spring Creek, California. These creeks historically provided the most spawning and rearing habitat for endemic Eagle Lake rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss aquilarum. Three-pass electrofishing removal was conducted in 2007–2009 over the entire 2.8-km length of Bogard Spring Creek to determine whether brook trout removal was a feasible restoration tool and to document the life history characteristics of brook trout in a California meadow stream. After the first 2 years of removal, brook trout density and biomass were severely reduced from 15,803 to 1,192 fish/ha and from 277 to 31 kg/ha, respectively. Average removal efficiency was 92–97%, and most of the remaining fish were removed in the third year. The lack of a decrease in age-0 brook trout abundance between 2007 and 2008 after the removal of more than 4,000 adults in 2007 suggests compensatory reproduction of mature fish that survived and higher survival of age-0 fish. However, recruitment was greatly reduced after 2 years of removal and is likely to be even more depressed after the third year of removal assuming that immigration of fish from outside the creek continues to be minimal. Brook trout condition, growth, and fecundity indicated a stunted population at the start of the study, but all three features increased significantly every year, demonstrating compensatory effects. Although highly labor intensive, the use of electrofishing to eradicate brook trout may be feasible in Bogard Spring Creek and similar small streams if removal and monitoring are continued annually and if other control measures (e.g., construction of barriers) are implemented. Our evidence shows that if brook trout control measures continue and if only Eagle Lake rainbow trout are allowed access to the creek, then a self-sustaining population ofEagle Lake rainbow trout can become reestablished

Removal of chromium (vi) in aqueous environments using cork and heat-treated cork samples from quercus cerris and quercus suber

Chromium (VI) removal and its reduction to chromium (III) from aqueous solution by untreated and heat-treated Quercus cerris and heat-treated Quercus suber black agglomerate cork granules was investigated. Initial screening studies revealed that among the sorbents tested, untreated Q. cerris and Q. suber black agglomerate are the most efficient in the removal of Cr(VI) ions and were selected for adsorption essays. Heat treatment adversely affected chromium adsorption and chromium (VI) reduction in Q. cerris cork. The highest metal uptake was found at pH 3.0 for Q. cerris and pH 2.0 for black agglomerate. The experimental data fitted the Langmuir model and the calculated qmax was 22.98 mg/g in black agglomerate and 21.69 mg/g in untreated Q. cerris cork. The FTIR results indicated that while in black agglomerate, lignin is the sole component responsible for Cr(VI) sorption, and in untreated Q. cerris cork, suberin and polysaccharides also play a significant role on the sorption. The SEM-EDX results imply that chromium has a homogenous distribution within both cork granules. Also, phloemic residues in Q. cerris granules showed higher chromium concentration. The results obtained in this study show that untreated Q. cerris and black agglomerate cork granules can be an effective and economical alternative to more costly materials for the treatment of liquid wastes containing chromium

Avaliação dos tratamentos eletroquímico e fotoeletroquímico na degradação de corantes têxteis

This paper presents the study of the oxidation of three textile dyes (Remazol black B, Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R and Remazol Golden Yellow RNL) using electrochemical and photoelectrochemical methods. In both methods, electrolysis experiments were performed at a current density of 50 mA cm-2 in an aqueous solution of each dye (30 mg L-1), using a photoelectrochemical flow-cell. For all the dyes studied, the photoelectrochemical method was demonstrated to be more efficient than the electrochemical one. Photoelectrochemical oxidation resulted in complete decoloration after 90 min of electrolysis and total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached up to 36%. It was observed that the dyes presenting chromophores at higher wavelengths are removed the quickest, which indicates that photosensitised (photoassisted) oxidation occurs. The level of color was reduced to levels below the standards presented in the literature, which indicates the viability of the photoelectrochemical process as part of the treatment of textile effluents.

Color ad spectral image assessment using novel quality and fidelity techniques

The ongoing development of the digital media has brought a new set of challenges with it. As images containing more than three wavelength bands, often called spectral images, are becoming a more integral part of everyday life, problems in the quality of the RGB reproduction from the spectral images have turned into an important area of research. The notion of image quality is often thought to comprise two distinctive areas – image quality itself and image fidelity, both dealing with similar questions, image quality being the degree of excellence of the image, and image fidelity the measure of the match of the image under study to the original. In this thesis, both image fidelity and image quality are considered, with an emphasis on the influence of color and spectral image features on both. There are very few works dedicated to the quality and fidelity of spectral images. Several novel image fidelity measures were developed in this study, which include kernel similarity measures and 3D-SSIM (structural similarity index). The kernel measures incorporate the polynomial, Gaussian radial basis function (RBF) and sigmoid kernels. The 3D-SSIM is an extension of a traditional gray-scale SSIM measure developed to incorporate spectral data. The novel image quality model presented in this study is based on the assumption that the statistical parameters of the spectra of an image influence the overall appearance. The spectral image quality model comprises three parameters of quality: colorfulness, vividness and naturalness. The quality prediction is done by modeling the preference function expressed in JNDs (just noticeable difference). Both image fidelity measures and the image quality model have proven to be effective in the respective experiments.