Comparison of the mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of spent cow bedding in leach-bed reactors.

Anaerobic digestion of spent cow bedding in batch leach-bed reactors (LBRs) was compared in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions for the first time. Results show that the use of thermophilic conditions enhanced only the degradation kinetics of easily-degradable matter during the first days of the digestion, whereas similar methane yields (80% of the Biomethane Potential) were reached after 42days at both temperatures. Therefore, the anaerobic digestion in LBRs of spent cow bedding, a substrate rich in slowly-degradable compounds, was not improved in term of methane production considering the overall digestion time. Moreover, the high initial biogas production rate in thermophilic reactors was found to significantly reduce the energetic performance of the cogeneration unit at industrial scale, leading to a 5.9% decrease in the annual electricity production when compared to a mesophilic one.

Leachate flush strategies for managing volatile fatty acids accumulation in leach-bed reactors.

In anaerobic leach-bed reactors (LBRs) co-digesting an easily- and a slowly-degradable substrate, the importance of the leachate flush both on extracting volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at the beginning of newly-started batches and on their consumption in mature reactors was tested. Regarding VFA extraction three leachate flush-rate conditions were studied: 0.5, 1 and 2Lkg-1TSd-1. Results showed that increasing the leachate flush-rate during the acidification phase is essential to increase degradation kinetics. After this initial phase, leachate injection is less important and the flush-rate could be reduced. The injection in mature reactors of leachate with an acetic acid concentration of 5 or 10gL-1 showed that for an optimized VFA consumption in LBRs, VFAs should be provided straight after the methane production peak in order to profit from a higher methanogenic activity, and every 6-7h to maintain a high biogas production rate.

Controlled clockwise and anticlockwise rotational switching of a molecular motor.

The design of artificial molecular machines often takes inspiration from macroscopic machines. However, the parallels between the two systems are often only superficial, because most molecular machines are governed by quantum processes. Previously, rotary molecular motors powered by light and chemical energy have been developed. In electrically driven motors, tunnelling electrons from the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope have been used to drive the rotation of a simple rotor in a single direction and to move a four-wheeled molecule across a surface. Here, we show that a stand-alone molecular motor adsorbed on a gold surface can be made to rotate in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction by selective inelastic electron tunnelling through different subunits of the motor. Our motor is composed of a tripodal stator for vertical positioning, a five-arm rotor for controlled rotations, and a ruthenium atomic ball bearing connecting the static and rotational parts. The directional rotation arises from sawtooth-like rotational potentials, which are solely determined by the internal molecular structure and are independent of the surface adsorption site.

Caracterización morfológica de Acremonium sp. asociado a Neonectria fuckeliana en Pinus radiata en Chile / Morphological characterization of Acremonium-like asociated with Neonectria fuckeliana in Pinus radiata in Chile

En este estudio se realizaron los primeros aislamientos del estado asexual del patógeno Neonectria fuckeliana asociado a cancros o ®revirado del pino¼ en plantaciones de Pinus radiata. Se caracterizaron morfológicamente las cepas del sinanamorfo semejante a Verticillium (Acremonium), obtenidas en cultivo in vitro a partir de peritecios. El material para los aislamientos consistió en trozos de corteza de P. radiata con presencia de peritecios, colectados en Toltén, región de La Araucanía, lugar donde se realizó el primer reporte de N. fuckeliana en Chile. Se utilizaron diez cepas del semejante a Acremonium para la caracterización morfológica, mediciones de estructuras fúngicas, ritmo de crecimiento in vitro y morfología de las colonias. Las colonias presentaron un micelio flocoso y ralo de bordes blanquecinos e irregulares, destacándose tres tipos de colonias, blancas, naranjo oscura y naranjo claro. Taxonómicamente, las cepas coinciden con las estructuras mencionadas en la literatura, caracterizándose por la presencia de glioconidios. Las fialides midieron entre 7 – 78,4 x 1,4 - 4,9 ìm. Los conidios, de formas ovoides y algunas bicelulares, midieron entre 4,2 - 8,4 x 2,6 - 3,5 ìm. El ritmo de crecimiento in vitro fue lento, completando su desarrollo a los 19 días con un promedio de 71 +/- 0,3 mm de diámetro, a una tasa de crecimiento diario de 3,8 mm. Los resultados obtenidos hacen necesario futuros estudios de carácter molecular para analizar la variabilidad genética poblacional que puede presentarse en Chile.

First Neonectria fuckeliana isolates in Chile. Strains of Acremonium obtained from in vitro peritecia culture were morphologically characterized. The samples were collected in Toltén, La Araucanía region, were Neonectria fuckeliana was first reported in Chile. The material used for the isolation came from pieces of Pinus radiata bark with peritecia. Ten Acremonium-like strains were used for characterization of fungal structures, in vitro growth and strains morphology. The colonies were a floccose mycelium and thin edges whitish and irregular, varying color highlighting three types of strains, white, dark orange and pale orange. Taxonomically, the strains match the structures referred in the literature, characterized by the presence of gliospores. The phialides dimensions ranged from 7 to 7.8 ìm long and 1.4 to 4.9 ìm wide. The conidio of ovoid shapes and some bicelular measured between 4.2 to 8.4 ìm in length and width 2.6 and 3.5 ìm. In vitro growth rates were slow, the complete development take19 days with a daily growth average of 71 +/-3 mm in diameter, at a rate of 3.8 mm. It is necessary future molecular studies to analyze the population genetic variation that may occur in Chile.

Spatially resolved x-ray spectroscopy investigation of femtosecond laser irradiated Ar clusters.

High temperature plasmas have been created by irradiating Ar clusters with high intensity 60-fs laser pulses. Detailed spectroscopic analysis of spatially resolved, high resolution x-ray data near the He(alpha) line of Ar is consistent with a two-temperature collisional-radiative model incorporating the effects of highly energetic electrons. The results of the spectral analysis are compared with a theoretical hydrodynamic model of cluster production, as well as interferometric data. The plasma parameters are notably uniform over one Rayleigh length (600 microm).

Demographic and attitudinal variables related to high-risk behaviors in Asian males who have sex with other men.

Although AIDS is spreading rapidly in minority communities, little is known about attitudes, knowledge, and behavior related to AIDS and HIV in the Asian community. The purpose of this study was to examine these variables in a sample of gay Asian males, as well as to investigate the relationship between knowledge, sources of information, culturally influenced attitudes and high-risk behaviors in this population. Results from a sample of 60 young Asian men who self-identified as "having sex with other men" indicated they were generally knowledgeable about methods of transmission and prevention, and appeared linked to a large information network that included informal sources such as peers and formal sources. However, significant percentages held culturally biased views of AIDS, such as believing race of partner or one's own gender role in the sexual encounter determined level of risk; and one third of the sample did not use condoms regularly. Having been tested for HIV was associated with holding less traditional cultural beliefs and a higher sexual activity level. Open communication about safer sexual practices was associated with monogamous as opposed to multiple relationships and with decreased tendency to engage in alcohol-related unprotected sex. Variance in overall risk was predicted by demographic variables such as education, age, and level of sexual activity, rather than by the attitudinal factors measured. Limitations of this exploratory study include a time-limited subject recruitment period and consequent small sample size, a homogeneous sample weighted toward young, well-educated, and middle-class respondents, and the exclusion of non-English speaking individuals. Nevertheless, study findings suggest that educational outreach targeting Asians who have sex with other men needs to address inaccurate cultural beliefs about HIV/AIDS, emphasize consistent condom use, and encourage models of open communication with partners about safer sexual practices.