Application of direct contact membrane distillation for saline dairy effluent treatment: performance and fouling analysis.

Membrane distillation is getting increasing attention thanks to its advantages in terms of energy consumption and final permeate quality in addition to its resistance against highly corrosive media which forms an appealing solution for industrial wastewater treatment. Despite its advantages, one of the most challenging issues in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is membrane fouling and wetting. In the present research work, saline dairy effluent discharged from hard cheese industry was pretreated by macrofiltration (MAF) and ultrafiltration (UF) and processed by DCMD to investigate the extent of the aforementioned issues.

Switching to statins: a challenge for primary care.

In 1997, doctors in England received official guidelines on the use of statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors) for primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). Six months later we determined the status of patients who had been discharged from a specialist lipid clinic in 1989. 195 patients received questionnaires, with the consent of their general practitioners, regarding morbidity in, the subsequent decade and present medication, and were asked to have their cholesterol checked.

Somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana is facilitated by mutations in genes repressing meristematic cell divisions.

Embryogenesis in plants can commence from cells other than the fertilized egg cell. Embryogenesis initiated from somatic cells in vitro is an attractive system for studying early embryonic stages when they are accessible to experimental manipulation. Somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis offers the additional advantage that many zygotic embryo mutants can be studied under in vitro conditions.

The petunia MADS box gene FBP11 determines ovule identity.

In contrast to the wealth of information relating to genes regulating floral meristem and floral organ identity, only limited data are available concerning genes that are involved in determining and regulating the identity and development of an ovule. We have recently isolated the floral binding protein 11 (FBP11) MADS box gene from petunia and found that it is expressed exclusively in ovule primordia and subsequently in the ovules, suggesting a role for this gene in ovule formation. To test this hypothesis, we constructed a recombinant gene in which the full-size FBP11 cDNA was placed under the control of a strong cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter.

A novel class of MADS box genes is involved in ovule development in petunia.

We isolated and characterized two ovule-specific MADS box cDNAs from petunia, designated floral binding protein (fbp) genes 7 and 11. The putative protein products of these genes have approximately 90% of their overall amino acid sequence in common. In situ RNA hybridization experiments revealed that both genes are expressed in the center of the developing gynoecium before ovule primordia are visible.

Petunia hybrida homologues of shaggy/zeste-white 3 expressed in female and male reproductive organs.

Petunia hybrida ovule-specific cDNA libraries were screened for genes encoding homologues of protein kinases known to be involved in developmental processes. Two cDNAs, PSK4 and PSK6 (Petunia hybrida shaggy related protein kinase), homologous to GSK-3 from rat, MDS1 from yeast and to the segment polarity gene shaggy/zeste-white 3 (sgg/zw3) from Drosophila were characterized in detail. Southern blot analysis showed that the PSK4 and PSK6 genes belong to a small multigene family in P.

A homologue of the MAP/ERK family of protein kinase genes is expressed in vegetative and in female reproductive organs of Petunia hybrida.

The mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway of eukaryotes is stimulated by many growth factors and is required for the integration of multiple cellular signals. In order to study the function of MAP kinases during plant ovule development we have synthesized a Petunia hybrida ovule-specific cDNA library and screened for MAP protein kinase-related sequences using a DNA probe obtained by PCR. A full-length cDNA clone was identified (PMEK for Petunia hybrida MAP/ERK-related protein kinase) and shown to encode a protein related to the family of MAP/ERK protein kinases.

Ultrastructural changes of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen during final maturation and rehydration.

Several ultrastructural changes occur during dehydration and subsequent rehydration of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen. The cytoplasmic channels, present in the outer part of the intine of the mature, dehydrating pollen grain, degenerate and develop into electron-dense inclusions. At the same time a large quantity of electron-dense material is deposited in the cavities of the exine.

Unequal distribution of plastids during generative cell formation in Impatiens.

This paper describes the unequal distribution of plastids in the developing microspores of Impatiens walleriana and Impatiens glandulifera which leads to the exclusion of plastids from the generative cell. During the development from young microspore to the onset of mitosis a change in the organization of the cytoplasm and distribution of organelles is gradually established. This includes the formation of vacuoles at the poles of the elongate-shaped microspores, the movement of the nucleus to a position near the microspore wall in the central part of the cell, and the accumulation of the plastids to a position near the wall at the opposite side of the cell.

Fetal sex determination by ultrasound scan in the second and third trimesters.

Sector real-time ultrasound examinations of the fetal perineal area were done on fetuses ranging in age from 14 weeks to term. An attempt was made to determine fetal sex in 404 consecutive cases. Seventeen cases were lost to follow-up and 20 fetuses under 16 weeks of age were omitted, as only two predictions were made in this group.

Ultrastructure and histochemistry of Citrus limon (L.) stigma.

Citrus limon has a "wet" stigma which can be divided in two zones: a glandular superficial one formed by papillae, and a non-glandular one formed by parenchymatic cells. The stigmatic exudate is produced by the papillae after the latter have reached their ultimate size. The papillae of the mature pistil are of varying size and composition.

Spina bifida and so-called asplenia syndrome occurring separately in sibs.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that neural-tube defects may sometimes be associted with the so-called asplenia syndrome (Ivemark syndrome). This hypothesis is based upon a family in which one child had spina bifida and hydrocephaly and another had cardiovascular and other fissural anomalies, similar to Ivemark syndrome. The family history, moreover, revealed several cases of anencephaly and/or spina bifida, both on the paternal and maternal sides.

Callose deposition and plug formation in Petunia pollen tubes in situ.

In Petunia pollen tubes growing in the style there appear to be two ways of callose deposition. The first one is callose deposition outside the plasma membrane as a distinct layer closely appressed to the cell wall. The second one is callose deposition within the cytoplasm as distinct callose grains, leading to the formation of callose plugs.

Ultrastructure of transmitting tissue of Lycopersicon peruvianum style: Development and histochemistry.

The development of the transmitting tissue of the style of Lycopersicon peruvianum goes, after the completion of cell division and cell wall formation, through two distinct phases. During the first phase, the cells enlarge and the main part of the intercellular substance, consisting of pectins, is formed. During the second phase, the cells form an extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and proteins are incorporated in the intercellular substance.

Interrelations of plasma calcium, inorganic phosphate, magnesium, and protein over the first week of life.

Plasma levels of calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and protein were measured on the first day of life (cord blood) and at the age of 1 week, in infants fed on breast milk or on one of three cow's milk preparations. The plasma calcium fell in all patients over the first 24 hours. Breast-fed infants, in all but three instances, showed a rise of calcium in the following 5 to 7 days.

An immunological study during post-transplantation follow-up of a case of severe combined immunodeficiency.

A 5-month-old boy with severe combined immunodeficiency treated 2 years ago by transplantation of a foetal thymus and bone marrow-derived cells from a 7-year-old sister, now shows complete clinical recovery. The first indication of activity of the cellular immune system appeared 1 week after transplantation, and in the humoral immune system during the 3rd week. By 18 months all laboratory findings were comparable to those in a normal boy, except that all the PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes showed an XX karyotype.