Improving photosynthetic biogas purification via process aeration and nanoparticle supplementation.

This study evaluated the influence of nanoparticles in both suspension and solid format on the performance of a microalgal process devoted to photosynthetic biogas purification. The experimental system consisted of an enclosed tubular photobioreactor coupled to a biogas absorption column through a mixing chamber. The high NH concentration in the inlet mineral medium (530 mg N-NH L) and the punctual addition of 115 mL of nanoparticle suspension to the system caused inhibition of the microalgal-bacterial cultivation.

Assessing nitrous oxide emissions from algal-bacterial photobioreactors devoted to biogas upgrading and digestate treatment.

Nitrous oxide (NO) emissions in High Rate Algal Ponds (HRAP) can negatively affect the sustainability of algal-bacterial processes. NO emissions from a pilot HRAP devoted to biogas upgrading and digestate treatment were herein monitored for 73 days. The influence of the pH (7.

Innovative design and operational strategies to improve CO mass transfer during photosynthetic biogas upgrading.

Several innovative strategies of design and operation, such as biogas recirculation, centrate pH manipulation and liquid nanoparticle addition, were tested to assess their potential to improve CO mass transfer during photosynthetic purification of biogas in a microalgae-bacteria pond connected to a biogas scrubbing column. Biogas recirculation in the column was not effective since the biogas and cultivation broth had reached chemical equilibrium under the operational conditions and configuration without biogas recirculation. Feeding the centrate at pH 10 (with and without ammonium desorption) directly to the absorption column substantially improved CO removal efficiency (from 58 to 91 %) achieving a biomethane complying with European standards.

The use of machine learning to detect foraging behaviour in whale sharks: a new tool in conservation.

In this study we present the first attempt at modelling the feeding behaviour of whale sharks using a machine learning analytical method. A total of eight sharks were monitored with tri-axial accelerometers and their foraging behaviours were visually observed. Our results highlight that the random forest model is a valid and robust approach to predict the feeding behaviour of the whale shark.

Vestibular Test Results of a Patient with Cerebral Microangiopathy and Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia.

Background: Cerebral microangiopathy (CM) is a general term for small ischemic changes related to small blood vessels in the brain. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a rare acquired autoimmune disease that is characterized by low platelet count and increased risk of hemorrhage. We describe vestibular testing completed on a 64-year-old patient with CM and ITP presenting with complaints of general instability and listing while walking, decreased stability in dark environments, and blurred vision with head movement.

EPSPs Measured in Proximal Dendritic Spines of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons.

EPSPs occur when the neurotransmitter glutamate binds to postsynaptic receptors located on small pleomorphic membrane protrusions called dendritic spines. To transmit the synaptic signal, these potentials must travel through the spine neck and the dendritic tree to reach the soma. Due to their small size, the electrical behavior of spines and their ability to compartmentalize electrical signals has been very difficult to assess experimentally.

The pea seedling mitochondrial Nε-lysine acetylome.

Posttranslational lysine acetylation is believed to occur in all taxa and to affect thousands of proteins. In contrast to the hundreds of mitochondrial proteins reported to be lysine-acetylated in non-plant species, only a handful have been reported from the plant taxa previously examined. To investigate whether this reflects a biologically significant difference or merely a peculiarity of the samples thus far examined, we immunoenriched and analyzed acetylated peptides from highly purified pea seedling mitochondria using mass spectrometry.

A functional genomic analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana PP2C clade D.

In the reference dicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the PP2C family of P-protein phosphatases includes the products of 80 genes that have been separated into ten multi-protein clades plus six singletons. Clade D includes the products of nine genes distributed among three chromosomes (APD1, At3g12620; APD2, At3g17090; APD3, At3g51370; APD4, At3g55050; APD5, At4g33920; APD6, At4g38520; APD7, At5g02760; APD8, At5g06750; and APD9, At5g66080). As part of a functional genomics analysis of protein phosphorylation, we retrieved expression data from public databases and determined the subcellular protein localization of the members of clade D.

Quantitative variation in autocrine signaling and pathway crosstalk in the Caenorhabditis vulval network.

Background: Biological networks experience quantitative change in response to environmental and evolutionary variation. Computational modeling allows exploration of network parameter space corresponding to such variations. The intercellular signaling network underlying Caenorhabditis vulval development specifies three fates in a row of six precursor cells, yielding a quasi-invariant 3°3°2°1°2°3° cell fate pattern.

Post-thrombolysis intracerebral hemorrhage: data from the Spanish Register ARIAM.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the predisposing factors in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with thrombolysis and complicated by intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), as well as the factors associated with death for patients whose conditions were complicated by ICH.

Design: A retrospective study.

Setting: An intensive care/critical care unit.

Paradoxical effect of smoking in the Spanish population with acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina: results of the ARIAM Register.

Objectives: The paradoxical effect of smoking after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a phenomenon consisting of a reduction in the mortality of smokers compared to nonsmokers. However, it is not known whether the benefit of this reduction in mortality is due to smoking itself or to other covariables. Despite acceptance of the paradoxical effect of smoking in AMI, it is not known whether a similar phenomenon occurs in unstable angina.

Clinical implications of acute myocardial infarction complicated by high grade atrioventricular block.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence, clinical course, prognosis and mean length of stay in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by high-grade atrioventricular block (HAVB).

Material/methods: A retrospective cohort study including all AMI patients listed from January 1995 to September 2000 in the ARIAM multi-center register. Univariate analysis was carried out to study the factors associated with the development of HAVB, the mortality rate, and the mean length of stay, and multivariate logistic regression analysis to study whether HAVB is an independent predictive variable for mortality or prolongation of stay.