Characterization of a strong, constitutive mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) promoter with a complex mode of regulation in planta

We report the cloning and characterization in tobacco and Arabidopsis of a Vigna radiata L. (mung bean) promoter that controls the expression of VR-ACS1, an auxin-inducible ACC synthase gene. The VR-ACS1 promoter exhibits a very unusual behavior when studied in plants different from its original host, mung bean. GUS and luciferase in situ assays of transgenic plants containing VR-ACS1 promoter fusions show strong constitutive reporter gene expression throughout tobacco and Arabidopsis development. In vitro quantitative analyses show that transgenic plants harboring VR-ACS1 promoter-reporter constructs have on average 4-6 fold higher protein and activity levels of both reporter genes than plants transformed with comparable CaMV 35S promoter fusions. Similar transcript levels are present in VR-ACS1 and CaMV 35S promoter lines, suggesting that the high levels of gene product observed for the VR-ACS1 promoter are the combined result of transcriptional and translational activation. All tested deletion constructs retaining the core promoter region can drive strong constitutive promoter activity in transgenic plants. This is in contrast to mung bean, where expression of the native VR-ACS1 gene is almost undetectable in plants grown under normal conditions, but is rapidly and highly induced by a variety of stimuli. The constitutive behavior of the VR-ACS1 promoter in heterologous hosts is surprising, suggesting that the control mechanisms active in mung bean are impaired in tobacco and Arabidopsis. The 'aberrant' behavior of the VR-ACS1 promoter is further emphasized by its failure to respond to auxin and cycloheximide in heterologous hosts. VR-ACS1 promoter regulatory mechanisms seem to be different from all previously characterized auxin-inducible promoters.

(Figure 2) Mean discharge per day (total and baseflow part) of the San Francisco River and daily precipitation at station ECPL (Planta), in 2007

We investigated controls on the water chemistry of a South Ecuadorian cloud forest catchment which is partly pristine, and partly converted to extensive pasture. From April 2007 to May 2008 water samples were taken weekly to biweekly at nine different subcatchments, and were screened for differences in electric conductivity, pH, anion, as well as element composition. A principal component analysis was conducted to reduce dimensionality of the data set and define major factors explaining variation in the data. Three main factors were isolated by a subset of 10 elements (Ca2+, Ce, Gd, K+, Mg2+, Na+, Nd, Rb, Sr, Y), explaining around 90% of the data variation. Land-use was the major factor controlling and changing water chemistry of the subcatchments. A second factor was associated with the concentration of rare earth elements in water, presumably highlighting other anthropogenic influences such as gravel excavation or road construction. Around 12% of the variation was explained by the third component, which was defined by the occurrence of Rb and K and represents the influence of vegetation dynamics on element accumulation and wash-out. Comparison of base- and fast flow concentrations led to the assumption that a significant portion of soil water from around 30 cm depth contributes to storm flow, as revealed by increased rare earth element concentrations in fast flow samples. Our findings demonstrate the utility of multi-tracer principal component analysis to study tropical headwater streams, and emphasize the need for effective land management in cloud forest catchments.

Discharge measurements and storm event chemistry at the San Francisco River station (Planta) in 2007-2008

To improve our knowledge of the influence of land-use on solute behaviour and export rates in neotropical montane catchments we investigated total organic carbon (TOC), Ca, Mg, Na, K, NO3 and SO4 concentrations during April 2007-May 2008 at different flow conditions and over time in six forested and pasture-dominated headwaters (0.7-76 km2) in Ecuador. NO3 and SO4 concentrations decreased during the study period, with a continual decrease in NO3 and an abrupt decrease in February 2008 for SO4. We attribute this to changing weather regimes connected to a weakening La Niña event. Stream Na concentration decreased in all catchments, and Mg and Ca concentration decreased in all but the forested catchments during storm flow. Under all land-uses TOC increased at high flows. The differences in solute behaviour during storm flow might be attributed to largely shallow subsurface and surface flow paths in pasture streams on the one hand, and a predominant origin of storm flow from the organic layer in the forested streams on the other hand. Nutrient export rates in the forested streams were comparable to the values found in literature for tropical streams. They amounted to 6-8 kg/ha/y for Ca, 7-8 kg/ha/y for K, 4-5 kg/ha/y for Mg, 11-14 kg/ha/y for Na, 19-22 kg/ha/y for NO3 (i.e. 4.3-5.0 kg/ha/y NO3-N) and 17 kg/ha/y for SO4. Our data contradict the assumption that nutrient export increases with the loss of forest cover. For NO3 we observed a positive correlation of export value and percentage forest cover.

Otimização do sistema de supervisão e controle de uma planta de tratamento de resíduos utilizando plasma

A major and growing problems faced by modern society is the high production of waste and related effects they produce, such as environmental degradation and pollution of various ecosystems, with direct effects on quality of life. The thermal treatment technologies have been widely used in the treatment of these wastes and thermal plasma is gaining importance in processing blanketing. This work is focused on developing an optimized system of supervision and control applied to a processing plant and petrochemical waste effluents using thermal plasma. The system is basically composed of a inductive plasma torch reactors washing system / exhaust gases and RF power used to generate plasma. The process of supervision and control of the plant is of paramount importance in the development of the ultimate goal. For this reason, various subsidies were created in the search for greater efficiency in the process, generating events, graphics / distribution and storage of data for each subsystem of the plant, process execution, control and 3D visualization of each subsystem of the plant between others. A communication platform between the virtual 3D plant architecture and a real control structure (hardware) was created. The goal is to use the concepts of mixed reality and develop strategies for different types of controls that allow manipulating 3D plant without restrictions and schedules, optimize the actual process. Studies have shown that one of the best ways to implement the control of generation inductively coupled plasma techniques is to use intelligent control, both for their efficiency in the results is low for its implementation, without requiring a specific model. The control strategy using Fuzzy Logic (Fuzzy-PI) was developed and implemented, and the results showed satisfactory condition on response time and viability

Reaproveitamento de condensado e vapor flash em uma planta têxtil com ênfase no setor de acabamento

This study focused object a steam generation system, steam distribution and condensate return a textile plant located in Rio Grande do Norte. The work was based on the following objectives: Knowing the use of saturated water vapor in the dyeing and finishing processes in a textile plant; To study the various aspects of a steam distribution system to identify the ways in which energy losses occur; Obtain quantitative information of the main loss in steam generation system and steam distribution and to measure the losses, water and steam system; Using the flash steam as a means of cost reduction. For it was made use of the calculation of financial gains made in their respective improvements. As a database for the development of working registers are used in industrial processes, data from utility systems, laboratory data analysis and on-line analyzers, covering the period 2013. Using the principles set conservation laws mass and energy, those data showed that the loss of water and energy in the steam system are significant and that the environmental and economic gains to be obtained with improvement actions are quite significant. Based on the data and results suggest that future studies deem the continuity approach to steam generation systems, distribution and mainly condensate return.

Una planta sin clásicos. La berenjena en la farmacología medieval y renacentista

La berenjena (Solanum melongena L.) es una planta solanácea de múltiples variedades, cuyos ancestros salvajes se sitúan en Indochina y el este de África. Su cultivo fue muy temprano en zonas de China e India. Aun así, no se extendió al Occidente antiguo ni apenas se conoció, de ahí su ausencia en los textos clásicos de botánica y farmacología. Fueron los árabes quienes llevaron el cultivo de la planta por el Norte de África y Al-Andalus, de donde pasó ya a Europa. Los primeros testimonios occidentales de la berenjena aparecen en traducciones latinas de textos árabes, para incorporarse luego a la literatura farmacológica medieval y, más tarde ya, a la del Renacimiento, que empezó a tratar de ella por su posible parecido con una especie de mandrágora. Pese a que se le reconocían algunas virtudes medicinales, siempre se la tuvo bajo sospecha por ser de sabor poco agradable, indigesta y causante de algunas afecciones. Solo los botánicos de finales del Renacimiento describirían la planta y sus variedades con criterios más «científicos» y botánicos, ya sin apenas intereses farmacológicos.

Farms-Chemicals S.A. Planta formuladora y productora de agroquímicos

En esta tesis se analiza el sector en el cual se encuentra la empresa Farm-Chemicals S.A. planta Formuladoray Productora de Agroquímicos genéricos, evaluando su potencialde mercado y se presenta un modelo financiero desde cuatro escenarios, con lo que obtenemos posibles panoramas futuros para la Compañía. La información ha sido preparada cuidadosamente, después de estudiar el mercado potencialexistente, la situación competitiva de Farm-Chemicals S.A. y las expectativas futuras dentro del sector en que se desenvuelve.

Automatización de una torre de destilación en una planta piloto de operaciones unitarias

Tesis (Ingeniero(a) en Automaziación).--Universidad de La Salle. Facultad de Ingeniería. Programa de Ingeniería en Automatización, 2014

Aplicación de la filtración gruesa para diseño de una planta de tratamiento de aguas de alto riesgo mediante filtración gruesa

Mediante filtración gruesa se puede tratar agua efectivamente aún siendo de alto riesgo, para esto se recomienda el uso de filtro grueso dinámico, filtro grueso ascendente en capas y filtro lento de arena. Este proceso es efectivo para zonas rurales y de escasos recursos, pues el costo de mantenimiento y uso de químicos es bajo y de fácil manejo. Su dificultad radica en el extenso espacio físico y con gradientes efectivos que favorezcan el proceso por fuerzas gravitatorias. En general es un método práctico, lógico, materiales del lugar y de fácil operación.

Proyecto de inversión para la instalación de una planta procesadora de frutas en el distrito de Motupe

Tesis de pregrado

Bioleta Mata: una planta que interactúa por medio de realidad aumentada

Este documento describe una planta real dotada de un vehículo inteligente que le permite navegar por ambientes de interiores, responder a estímulos del ambiente, interactuar con seres humanos a través de realidad aumentada, detectar la presencia de fuego y solicitar ayuda por medio de Twitter. Los experimentos muestran que no hay falsos positivos en la detección de fuego, y que la detección de fuego es superior al 50% de las lecturas del sensor en distancias menores a 5 m, con línea de visión entre el sensor y la llama. La comunicación por radios XBee en ambientes de interiores es efectiva hasta por lo menos 25m de distancia entre los radios.