High Proportion Of Water Research Articles

Experimental Tuna Farming in the Sultanate of Oman

Tuna are among a very large group of large and medium-oceanic fish and they are an important food source globally. They are also unusual fish because they are warm blooded fish and they need large amounts of oxygen. The fluctuations in tuna catch and price has led to focus on the farming of tuna in large floating cages in many countries, like South Australia, Turkey, Croatia, Mexico, Panama and other countries mainly for the Japanese market. In the Mediterranean they farm blue fin tuna, yellow fin tuna and big-eye are farmed in Mexico and the yellow fin tuna have been farmed on a pilot scale in the Sultanate of Oman by cage Culture Company. To farm tuna several stages have to be practiced, starting from preparation of cages, fishing, transferring of the live fish to the towing cages and to the farming site, feeding, harvesting, processing, packaging and exportation. In Oman, two types of cages were used in this process, towing cages and fattening cages, and with nets of 30meters depth, fixed on cages of 48meters diameter. Fishing was practiced using Purse-Seineships in areas around 50-70 kilometers away from the farming sites, nets were kept open to avoid killing of fish, which transferred under water to the towing cages then to the fattening cages. The speed of ship didn’t exceed 4 nots/hour through the whole journey. Tuna arrives to the farming site in a state of stress and seize eating for up to 3 weeks even if an attempt is made to feed them. After this period, tuna start feeding greedily large quantities of food with high oils content such as Sardine. When caught fish weight ranges from 25-40 KG, and there is no need to gain more weight but to increase the percentage of fat. In the Sultanate we used sardines, as the Omani sardine is characterized by high oil content. Feeding was distributed manually to the cage until the tuna stop eating. The fish lose about 20% of its weight during transportation and fasting stage, then compensate the loss and increase the percentage of oil in the flesh. Generally the universal calculated food conversion ratio is 1-20 as the fresh fish used in feeding has high proportion of water. Harvesting process is a delicate process and should be organized well and requires accuracy and speed at work, relies on the use special collection net to collects almost the required number and detain it in the cage. Professional divers have to dive and swim with a hold of fish. The caught tuna then lifted from the waterslide on the smooth floating portion to reduce friction with the fish’s body. Followed by quick killing of fish by putting steel nail in the brains of the fish to reduce stress and avoid burning of the meat. The second step is the insert of steel wire in the spinal cord after cutting the head using an electrics a win order to ensure the full death of the fish. Fish are then placed in ice water to ensure cooling of the meat and quality; the last stage is to transfer the fish to the factory for processing and exportation. Normally harvesting should not take more than 2-3 minutes to keep the meet to the highest quality or Shesimi grade for the Japanese market. Dealing with farmed tuna inside the processing plant should be in a way that maintains fish quality and maintain me at temperature internally and externally and determine the quality of meat in terms of the percentage of the fats in fish flesh.

Rapid immunocytochemistry based on alternating current electric field using squash smear preparation of central nervous system tumors.

The role of intraoperative pathological diagnosis for central nervous system (CNS) tumors is crucial for neurosurgery when determining the surgical procedure. Especially, treatment of carmustine (BCNU) wafers requires a conclusive diagnosis of high-grade glioma proven by intraoperative diagnosis. Recently, we demonstrated the usefulness of rapid immunohistochemistry (R-IHC) that facilitates antigen-antibody reaction under alternative current (AC) electric field in the intraoperative diagnosis of CNS tumors; however, a higher proportion of water and lipid in the brain parenchyma sometimes leads to freezing artifacts, resulting in poor quality of frozen sections. On the other hand, squash smear preparation of CNS tumors for cytology does not affect the frozen artifacts, and the importance of smear preparation is now being re-recognized as being better than that of the tissue sections. In this study, we established the rapid immunocytochemistry (R-ICC) protocol for squash smears of CNS tumors using AC electric field that takes only 22min, and demonstrated its usefulness for semi-quantitative Ki-67/MIB-1 labeling index and CD 20 by R-ICC for intraoperative diagnosis. R-ICC by AC electric field may become a substantial tool for compensating R-IHC and will be applied for broad antibodies in the future.

Detection and diversity of aeromonads from treated wastewater and fish inhabiting effluent and downstream waters

A two-season investigation of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, of related waters, sludge and fish across a wide area and 11 stations, with emphasis on Aeromonas spp. was conducted. Aeromonas veronii was the prevailing aeromonad isolated by MALDI TOF MS in the summer period. A rise of Aeromonas hydrophila was observed in summer in raw sewage, treated wastewater and effluent-carrying canal. The ratio of aeromonad species retrieved from fish tissues did not correspond with the water and sludge findings, as in spring in the effluent-carrying canal fish carried Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. salmonicida and Aeromonas bestiarum, while in summer mainly A. veronii and Acinetobacter johnsonii were isolated from fish tissues in the same location. No correlation was established between fecal coliforms/enterococci and aeromonad occurrence. All retrieved Aeromonas species demonstrated a distinct spectral pattern, with peaks showing unique mass distribution ranging from 4000 to 10,000Da. Hierarchical clustering separated aeromonads of all isolated species and clustered closely related strains together. Resistance was determined towards amoxicillin, and frequently towards sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin. In summer, a high proportion of water and sludge Aeromonas species demonstrated multiple resistance patterns towards five or more antimicrobials. The quinolone resistance of water aeromonads was mostly related to A. veronii. There are potential health concerns regarding aeromonad exposure amongst recreational fishermen who come into contact with fish inhabiting waters downstream from the WWTP, and WWTP workers who are occupationally exposed to wastewaters and their aerosols.

The effect of drought and interspecific interactions on depth of water uptake in deep- and shallow-rooting grassland species as determined by δ<sup>18</sup>O natural abundance

Abstract. Increased incidence of drought, as predicted under climate change, has the potential to negatively affect grassland production. Compared to monocultures, vertical belowground niche complementarity between shallow- and deep-rooting species may be an important mechanism resulting in higher yields and higher resistance to drought in grassland mixtures. However, very little is known about the belowground responses in grassland systems and increased insight into these processes may yield important information both to predict the effect of future climate change and better design agricultural systems to cope with this. This study assessed the effect of a 9-week experimental summer drought on the depth of water uptake of two shallow-rooting species (Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L.) and two deep-rooting species (Cichorium intybus L. and Trifolium pratense L.) in grassland monocultures and four-species mixtures by using the natural abundance δ18O isotope method. We tested the following three hypotheses: (1) drought results in a shift of water uptake to deeper soil layers, (2) deep-rooting species take up a higher proportion of water from deeper soil layers relative to shallow-rooting species, and (3) as a result of interspecific interactions in mixtures, the water uptake of shallow-rooting species becomes shallower when grown together with deep-rooting species and vice versa, resulting in reduced niche overlap. The natural abundance δ18O technique provided novel insights into the depth of water uptake of deep- and shallow- rooting grassland species and revealed large shifts in depth of water uptake in response to drought and interspecific interactions. Compared to control conditions, drought reduced the proportional water uptake from 0–10 cm soil depth (PCWU0–10) of L. perenne, T. repens and C. intybus in monocultures by on average 54%. In contrast, the PCWU0–10 of T. pratense in monoculture increased by 44%, and only when grown in mixture did the PCWU0–10 of T. pratense decrease under drought conditions. In line with hypothesis (2), in monoculture, the PCWU0–10 of shallow-rooting species L. perenne and T. repens was 0.53 averaged over the two drought treatments, compared to 0.16 for the deep-rooting C. intybus. Surprisingly, in monoculture, water uptake by T. pratense was shallower than for the shallow-rooting species (PCWU0–10 = 0.68). Interspecific interactions in mixtures resulted in a shift in the depth of water uptake by the different species. As hypothesised, the shallow-rooting species L. perenne and T. repens tended to become shallower, and the deep-rooting T. pratense made a dramatic shift to deeper soil layers (reduction in PCWU0–10 of 58% on average) in mixture compared to monoculture. However, these shifts did not result in a reduction in the proportional similarity of the proportional water uptake from different soil depth intervals (niche overlap) in mixtures compared to monocultures. There was no clear link between interspecific differences in depth of water uptake and the reduction of biomass production under drought compared to control conditions (drought resistance). Cichorium intybus, the species with water uptake from the deepest soil layers was one of the species most affected by drought. Interestingly, T. pratense, which was least affected by drought, also had the greatest plasticity in depth of water uptake. This suggests that there may be an indirect effect of rooting depth on drought resistance, as it determines the potential plasticity in the depth of water uptake.

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography versus reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry: Effect of electrospray ionization source geometry on sensitivity

In this study, the influence of electrospray ionization (ESI) source design on the overall sensitivity achieved in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), was investigated. State-of-the-art triple quadrupole mass analyzers from AB Sciex, Agilent Technologies and Waters equipped with brand specific source geometries were tested with various mobile phase pH on 53 pharmaceutical compounds. The design of the ESI source showed to strongly influence the gain in sensitivity that can be achieved in HILIC compared to RPLC mode. The 6460 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS system from Agilent Technologies was particularly affected by mobile phase settings. Indeed, compared to RPLC conditions, 92% of the compounds had an increased signal-to-noise ratio at a flow rate of 300μL/min in HILIC mode at pH 6, while this percentage dropped to only 7% at 1000μL/min and pH 3. In contrast, the influence of flow rate and mobile phase pH on the gain in sensitivity between RPLC and HILIC was found very limited with the API 5000™ LC/MS/MS system from AB Sciex, as only 15 to 36% of the tested compounds showed an enhanced sensitivity in HILIC mode. With the Xevo TQ-S instrument from Waters, superior sensitivity in HILIC was noticed for 85% of the compounds with optimal conditions (i.e., pH 3 and 1000μL/min), whereas at sub-optimal conditions (i.e. pH 6 and 300μL/min), it represented less than 50%. The gain in sensitivity observed in HILIC was found less significant with the recent LC–MS platforms used in this study than for old-generation instruments. Indeed, the improved ESI sources equipping the recent mass analyzers allow for enhanced evaporation efficiency, mainly for RPLC mobile phases containing high proportion of water and this even at high flow rates

Concealed Basalt-Matrix Diatremes with Cu-Au-Ag-(Mo)-Mineralized Xenoliths, Santa Cruz Porphyry Cu-(Mo) System, Pinal County, Arizona

The Santa Cruz porphyry Cu-(Mo) system near Casa Grande, Arizona, includes the Sacaton mine deposits and at least five other concealed, mineralized fault blocks with an estimated minimum resource of 1.5 Gt @ 0.6% Cu. The Late Cretaceous-Paleocene system has been dismembered and rotated by Tertiary extension, partially eroded, and covered by Tertiary-Quaternary basin-fill deposits. The mine and mineralized fault blocks, which form an 11 km (~7 miles) by 1.6 km (~1 mile) NE-SW–trending alignment, represent either pieces of one large deposit, several deposits, or pieces of several deposits. The southwestern part of the known system is penetrated by three or more diatremes that consist of heterolithic breccia pipes with basalt and clastic matrices, and subannular tuff ring and maar-fill sedimentary deposits associated with vents. The tephra and maar-fill deposits, which are covered by ~485 to 910 m (~1,600–3,000 ft) of basin fill, lie on a mid-Tertiary erosion surface of Middle Proterozoic granite and Late Cretaceous porphyry, which compose most xenoliths in pipes and are the host rocks of the system. Some igneous xenoliths in the pipes contain bornite-chalcopyrite-covellite assemblages with hypogene grades >1 wt % Cu, 0.01 ounces per ton (oz/t) Au, 0.5 oz/t Ag, and small amounts of Mo (<0.01 wt %). These xenoliths were derived from mineralized rocks that have not been encountered in drill holes, and attest to additional, possibly higher-grade deposits within or subjacent to the known system. The geometry, stratigraphy, and temporal relationships of pipes and tephras, interpreted from drill hole spacing and intercepts, multigenerational breccias and matrices, reequilibrated and partially decomposed sulfide-oxide mineral assemblages, melted xenoliths, and breccia matrix compositions show that the diatremes formed in repeated stages. Initial pulses of basalt magma fractured granite, porphyry, and other crustal rocks during intrusion, transported multi-sized fragments of these rocks upward, and partially melted small fragments. Rapid decompression of magma induced catastrophic devolatilization that ruptured overlying rocks to the surface, and generated fragment-volatile suspensions that abraded conduits into near-vertical cylindrical structures. Fragments entrained in suspensions were milled and sorted, and ejected as basal surge, pyroclastic deposits, and airfall tephra that built tuff rings around vents and filled vent depressions. Comminuted m- to mm-sized fragments of wall rocks in magma and suspensions that remained in conduits solidified as heterolithic breccias. Subsequent pulses of basalt magma ascended through the same conduits, brecciated older heterolithic breccias, devolatilized, and quenched, leaving two or more generations of nested and mingled heterolithic breccias and internal zones of fluidized fragments. Tephra and maar-fill deposits from later eruptions are composed of more hydrous and oxidized minerals than earlier tephras, reflecting a higher proportion of water in transport fluid which, based on fluid inclusion populations in mineralized xenoliths, was saline water and CO2. The large vertical extent (~600 m; ~2,000 ft) of basalt matrix in pipes, near-paleosurface matrix vesiculation, and plastically deformed basalt lapilli indicates that diatreme eruptions were predominantly phreatic. Diatreme xenoliths represent crustal stratigraphy and, as in the Santa Cruz system, provide evidence of concealed mineral resources that can guide exploration drilling through cover. Vectors to the source of bornite-dominant xenoliths containing >1% Cu and significant Au and Ag could be determined by refinement of breccia pipe geometries, by reassembly of mineralized fault blocks using modal, chemical, and temporal characteristics of hydrothermal mineral assemblages and fluid inclusions, and by paleodrainage analysis.

Influences of sedimentation and hydrodynamics on the spatial distribution of Alexandrium catenella/tamarense resting cysts in a shellfish farming lagoon impacted by toxic blooms

Since resting cysts are a potential seeding source for blooms, the presence of these cysts in sediments is a marker of an established population for a number of harmful algal species. The spatial patterns of cyst density in relation to sediment characteristics and hydrodynamics are still largely misunderstood. This study investigated the spatial distribution of resting cysts belonging to the Alexandrium tamarense species complex (Dinophyceae) in sediments of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Thau Lagoon, France). This lagoon, hosting shellfish farming, is regularly impacted by toxic Alexandrium catenella blooms. The average cyst density across the whole lagoon was rather low, <20cystsg−1 of dry sediment (DS). However, densities varied widely among sampled stations, with the highest density (∼440cystsg−1 DS) recorded in a shallow cove named Crique-de-l’Angle, which is the only area where dense blooms of A. catenella and A. tamarense have been recorded in the years preceding this survey. An analysis using spatial autoregressive models demonstrated that cyst densities were highly spatially autocorrelated (indicating that close stations tended to have more similar cyst densities) with accumulation sites. With respect to sediment characteristics (5 granulometric fractions <2mm and biochemical components), the highest densities were found in silty sediments containing high proportions of water and organic matter. Nevertheless, the linkage between cyst density and sediment structure was not always verified; this reflected the influence of hydrodynamics on the sedimentation of cysts and sediment particles, and on the dispersal of cysts away from the bloom area by wind-induced currents, suggesting that hydrodynamics was responsible for the spatially autocorrelated distribution of cyst densities.

Lanolin‐based organogels as a matrix for topical drug delivery

AbstractThe current study deals with the development of lanolin‐based emulsion gels by hot emulsification method. Bright‐field, phase contrast, and fluorescent micrographs of the gels have shown the uniform distribution of circular water droplets in the formulations. Coalescence of water droplets was observed in gels containing higher proportion of water. Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometric studies indicated absence of Ln‐drug chemical interactions. X‐ray diffraction studies suggested an increase in amorphousness of the gels with the incorporation of water into the gel structure. The salicylic acid (SA), model drug, release from the gels was found to follow Higuchi kinetics. Krossmeyer–Peppas model fitting indicated non‐Fickian release of the drug. As the water content of the gels increased, there was a corresponding increase in the rate of release of the drug. The gels showed non‐Newtonian and thixotropic flow behavior. The gel to sol transition and melting temperatures of the gels were identified by differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) thermal analysis and falling ball method. DSC thermograms indicated an increase in thermal stability with the increase of water content in the gels. The gels showed sufficient spreadability and biocompatibility characteristics to be used as topical formulations. SA loaded gels showed good antimicrobial efficacy against Bacillus subtilis, a Gram‐positive bacterium. Based on the preliminary studies, the developed gels may be regarded as carriers in topical drug delivery. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

PREBIOTIC DI‐D‐FRUCTOSE DIANHYDRIDE‐ENRICHED CARAMELS: DEVELOPMENT OF BATCH PROCESS (1 L) AND OPTIMIZATION OF OPERATING CONDITIONS

ABSTRACTAn experimental design was used to scale up the synthesis of caramels enriched in di‐D‐fructose dianhydride. The scale‐up from 100 mL to 1 L is particularly difficult because the mixture is a viscous paste. Using the Doehlert design for three factors, a model of difructose dianhydrides (DFAs) yield in relation to operating conditions was established. By considering only the significant coefficients, a second model was rewritten. The second model was verified and validated. F‐test was calculated (3.3) and was satisfactory (probability of adjustment is 25%). In a 100‐mL flask, the optimum DFAs yield was 30%. The determination of an optimum in a 1‐L reactor was 50% with better rheological conditions (a lower proportion of resin and a higher proportion of water).PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSDFAs have prebiotic properties and are intended to be used as food additives. The possibility of producing them by caramelization allows one to consider the addition of these healthy caramels to different food matrices. The synthesis used at 100‐mL scale presented the advantage of satisfying yields but the inconvenience of strong rheological constraints. This work shows that the passage at the larger scale is possible while increasing performance and decreasing the viscosity of the medium. This step is fundamental in the industrial extrapolation process.

Assessment of arsenic immobilization in synthetically prepared cemented paste backfill specimens

Mine tailings coming from the exploitation of sulphide and/or gold deposits can contain significant amounts of arsenic (As), highly soluble in conditions of weathering. Open mine voids backfilling techniques are now widely practiced by modern mining companies to manage the tailings. The most common one is called cemented paste backfill (CPB), and consists of tailings mixed with low amounts of hydraulic binders (3-5%) and a high proportion of water (typically 25%). The CPB is transported through a pipe network, to be placed in the mine openings. CPB provides storage benefits and underground support during mining operations. Moreover, this technique could also enhance contaminant stabilization, by fixing the contaminants in the binder matrix. CPB composites artificially spiked with As were synthesized in laboratory, using two types of hydraulic binders: a Portland cement, and a mix of fly ash and Portland cement. After curing duration of 66 days, the CPB samples were subjected to several leaching tests in various experimental conditions in order to better understand and then predict the As geochemical behaviour within CPBs. The assessment of the As release indicates that this element is better stabilized in Portland cement-based matrices rather than fly ash-based matrices. The As mobility differs in these two matrices, mainly because of the different As-bearing minerals formed during hydration processes. However, the total As depletion does not exceed 5% at the end of the most aggressive leaching test, indicating that As is well immobilized in the two types of CPB.

L’anatomie pathologique, une méthode d’étude originale des denrées alimentaires

To study the composition of foodstuffs (sausage, merguez, chipolata) on microscopic examination.Six sausages, merguez, and chipolatas, sold in supermarkets were studied. The samples were weighed before and after dehydration to assess the water composition. Foodstuffs specimens were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and analyzed on microscopic examination. Proportions of different tissues were assessed by morphometric analysis.Specimens contained a high proportion of water (40 to 55%). Striated muscular fibers represented from 0.7 to 15.3% for the sausages and the merguez, and from 61 to 76.5% for the chipolatas. Sausages and merguez contained from 43.3 to 49.2% of adipose tissue. All the specimens had fibrous tissue and most of them had small fragments of bone and cartilaginous tissue. Fragments of salivar glands were found in the sausages and fragments of lymphoid tissue were found in merguez. There were neither parasite nor brain tissue. Manufacturer wrote on the label the presence of "meat" with no information about the nature and the proportion of tissues in the foodstuffs specimens. Prices of the foodstuffs were globally correlated to the quantity of muscular fibers in the specimens.Pathological studies are not performed in France for the control of foodstuffs. Microscopic analysis could be interesting, as well as biochemical and bacteriological studies, in order to identify the nature and the proportion of tissues involved in the composition of the foodstuffs, to search tissues with potential risk of pathogenic agents transmission, and to search for some parasites.

Guest Editorial: Linking the dynamics of people, land and water in the drylands of the Murray - Darling Basin

Guest Editorial: Linking the dynamics of people, land and water in the drylands of the Murray - Darling Basin

Estimating economic value of agricultural water under changing conditions and the effects of spatial aggregation

Given the high proportion of water used for agriculture in certain regions, the economic value of agricultural water can be an important tool for water management and policy development. This value is quantified using economic demand curves for irrigation water. Such demand functions show the incremental contribution of water to agricultural production. Water demand curves are estimated using econometric or optimisation techniques. Calibrated agricultural optimisation models allow the derivation of demand curves using smaller datasets than econometric models. This paper introduces these subject areas then explores the effect of spatial aggregation (upscaling) on the valuation of water for irrigated agriculture. A case study from the Rio Grande–Rio Bravo Basin in North Mexico investigates differences in valuation at farm and regional aggregated levels under four scenarios: technological change, warm-dry climate change, changes in agricultural commodity prices, and water costs for agriculture. The scenarios consider changes due to external shocks or new policies. Positive mathematical programming (PMP), a calibrated optimisation method, is the deductive valuation method used. An exponential cost function is compared to the quadratic cost functions typically used in PMP. Results indicate that the economic value of water at the farm level and the regionally aggregated level are similar, but that the variability and distributional effects of each scenario are affected by aggregation. Moderately aggregated agricultural production models are effective at capturing average-farm adaptation to policy changes and external shocks. Farm-level models best reveal the distribution of scenario impacts.

Detection of nanosecond time scale side-chain jumps in a protein dissolved in water/glycerol solvent

In solution, the correlation time of the overall protein tumbling, tau(R), plays a role of a natural dynamics cutoff-internal motions with correlation times on the order of tau ( R ) or longer cannot be reliably identified on the basis of spin relaxation data. It has been proposed some time ago that the 'observation window' of solution experiments can be expanded by changing the viscosity of solvent to raise the value of tau(R). To further explore this concept, we prepared a series of samples of alpha-spectrin SH3 domain in solvent with increasing concentration of glycerol. In addition to the conventional (15)N labeling, the protein was labeled in the Val, Leu methyl positions ((13)CHD(2) on a deuterated background). The collected relaxation data were used in asymmetric fashion: backbone (15)N relaxation rates were used to determine tau(R) across the series of samples, while methyl (13)C data were used to probe local dynamics (side-chain motions). In interpreting the results, it has been initially suggested that addition of glycerol leads only to increases in tau(R), whereas local motional parameters remain unchanged. Thus the data from multiple samples can be analyzed jointly, with tau(R) playing the role of experimentally controlled variable. Based on this concept, the extended model-free model was constructed with the intent to capture the effect of ns time-scale rotameric jumps in valine and leucine side chains. Using this model, we made a positive identification of nanosecond dynamics in Val-23 where ns motions were already observed earlier. In several other cases, however, only tentative identification was possible. The lack of definitive results was due to the approximate character of the model-contrary to what has been assumed, addition of glycerol led to a gradual 'stiffening' of the protein. This and other observations also shed light on the interaction of the protein with glycerol, which is one of the naturally occurring osmoprotectants. In particular, it has been found that the overall protein tumbling is controlled by the bulk solvent, and not by a thin solvation layer which contains a higher proportion of water.

Ultrasonic system for continuous washing of textiles in liquid layers

The use of ultrasonic energy for washing of textiles has been tried several times without achieving practical development. In fact, the softness of the fibres makes the cavitation to produce small erosion effect and the reticulate structure of the fabric favours the formation of air bubble layers which obstruct wave penetration. In addition, a high proportion of water with respect to the wash load and a certain water degassing is required to assure efficiency and homogeneity in the wash performance. Such requirements have hindered the commercial development of the ultrasonic washing machines for domestic purposes. For specific industrial applications, a great part of these limitations may be overcome. This article deals with a new process in which the fabric is exposed to the ultrasonic field in a flat format. Such process has been implemented at laboratory and at semi-industrial stage by using specially designed power ultrasonic transducers with rectangular plate radiators. The cleaning effect is produced by the intense cavitation field generated by the plate radiator within a thin layer of liquid where the fabric is introduced. The homogeneity of such effect is achieved by the successive exposure of all the fabric areas to the intense acoustic field. In this paper the structure and performance of the developed system are shown.

The water balance of irrigated forages in northern Victoria, Australia

Knowledge of the components of the water balance – evaporation, transpiration and deep drainage – would be beneficial for targeting productivity improvements for irrigated forages in northern Victoria. We aimed to estimate these components using a simple water balance and the dual crop coefficients provided in FAO-56. Soil water deficits from a field experiment, comparing the water use of six border-check and one spray irrigated forage system, agreed well with the modelled values, except for alfalfa where irrigation intake was restricted. About 85% of the water applied to perennial forages (perennial ryegrass/white clover, tall fescue/white clover and alfalfa) was used for transpiration, 10% for evaporation and 5% was lost as drainage below the root zone. Evaporation was highest from the double-cropped (oats/millet) system (30%) and was 5–25% of the water used by winter-growing annual pastures (Persian clover/Italian ryegrass and both border-check and spray irrigated subterranean clover/Italian ryegrass). The high proportion of water used as transpiration by the perennial forages was due to their high ground cover maintained throughout the year. When compared over similar seasonal conditions, actively growing forages used similar amounts of water, indicating that any increases in water productivity will be mainly due to higher production and/or to matching the growing season of the forage to periods of lower potential evapotranspiration.

The impact of an invasive African bunchgrass (Pennisetum setaceum) on water availability and productivity of canopy trees within a tropical dry forest in Hawaii

Summary 1. Tropical dry forests are among the Earth’s most threatened ecosystems. On the Island of Hawaii the African bunchgrass Pennisetum setaceum (fountain grass) dominates the understorey of the few remaining fragments of native dry forests and is contributing to the degradation of this once diverse ecosystem. In this study, we examined the impacts of Pennisetum on water use and productivity of the dominant native canopy tree, Diospyros sandwicensis . 2. Over a 3-year period, measurements were made on tree growth rates, and physiological and morphological responses of the most common dry forest native tree, D. sandwicensis , growing with an understorey dominated by Pennisetum , and on trees growing in plots maintained free of grasses. 3. Analysis of stable oxygen isotope ratios indicated that trees growing in the absence of Pennisetum used a higher proportion of water from shallow soil sources. They also sustained higher mid-day water potentials, especially during drier periods. At the leaf level, no significant differences were found in gas exchange measurements between Diospyros trees growing with or without Pennisetum . However, trees growing without Pennisetum had 30% lower leaf mass per unit area and 40% higher diameter growth than trees growing with Pennisetum . 4. These results demonstrate that invasion by Pennisetum has a pronounced negative impact on resource acquisition and use by the dominant native tree of this dry forest ecosystem. Although tree death due to these impacts would be much slower than through more immediate processes such as fire and grazing, our findings suggest that long-term conservation of ecosystems threatened by invasions, such those in Hawaiian dry forests, will ultimately require active management of the invading species.

Effects of Dietary Energy Intake Levels on Growth Performance and Body Composition of Finishing Barrows and Gilts

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different energy intake on physical and chemical composition in body fractions, growth performance and meat characteristics of finishing barrows and gilts. A total of twenty six crossbred (Landracex Yorkshire) consisting of 16 barrows and 13 gilts were used in this study. The animals were allocated by sex to two treatments to form a 2x2 factorial arrangement. The respective factors were sex (barrow and gilt) and dietary energy intake (1.8 and 3.0 times energy for maintenance). Pigs were kept in individual pens and had ad libitum access to feed and water from the start of the experiment at 52.4±1.9 kg until they reached 109.9±4.4 kg live weight. The growth performance, physical composition and meat characteristics of finishing pigs were not greatly affected by the sex. However, higher fat tissue weight in the carcass was observed in barrows compared with gilts (p<0.05). Higher proportions of water and protein (p<0.05), and lower lipid proportion (p<0.01) in the empty body and carcass were observed in gilts compared with barrows, while protein proportion in lean tissue was not affected by the sex. In fat tissue, only protein proportion was higher in gilts compared with barrows (p<0.05). Although, growth performance, physical and chemical compositions in body fractions were greatly affected, final body or carcass weight was partly affected by the energy intake In addition, loin characteristics such as shear force and loin eye area were partly influenced by energy intake levels. Therefore, the present results showed that growth performance and meat characteristics were not influenced but chemical body composition was greatly influenced by the sex. Growth performance, physical and chemical compositions in body fractions were greatly affected, whereas meat characteristics were partly affected by the energy intake levels.

Effect of Tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol Succinate on the Percutaneous Penetration of Minoxidil from Water/Ethanol/Polyethylene Glycol 400 Solutions

ABSTRACTWe described to achieve the local retention of minoxidil which has penetrated the skin with minimization of its absorption into the general circulation and elimination of local irritation induced by propylene glycol. The effect of tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) on the penetration flux of minoxidil and its retention in the skin from topical minoxidil formulations consisting of water, alcohol, and polyethylene glycol 400 was characterized by an experimental design of ten solvent formulations in this study. Results show that the addition of TPGS was only able to improve the solubility of minoxidil in those solvent systems containing higher proportions of water and PEG 400, and the extent of improvement was also more profound with the addition of TPGS at concentrations higher than 5%. For those solvent systems containing a higher fraction of alcohol, an insignificant change in minoxidil solubility with increasing added amounts of TPGS was noted even with the tendency to decrease the solubility of minoxidil with higher amounts of TPGS. Increasing the amount of TPGS added gradually increased the flux and the corrected flux from solvent formulations with a lower solubility parameter, but decreased those from solvent systems with a higher solubility parameter. With the addition of TPGS, solvent formulation F6 (alcohol:PEG 400 of 50:50) was demonstrated to be the optimal choice by having an improved local effect and a reduced systemic effect compared to the reference of 2% Regaine®. Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) was mainly retained locally in the stratum corneum, and the amount was proportional to the increase in the amount of TPGS added to these ten solvent formulations.

Improving strength development of wastepaper sludge ash by wet-milling

Abstract Wastepaper sludge ash (WSA) requires relatively higher proportions of water than Portland cement (PC) when used as a single binder. This high water demand may be reduced by the addition of secondary binders such as ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS), which improves the hydration properties of the mixes. Based on the already determined physico-chemical properties of WSA a new method of paste preparation is introduced which also enhances the cementitious properties of WSA. The method utilises a wet-grinding stage prior to mixing. Pre-treatment of WSA prior to the addition of GGBS enhances effectively the strength development of the blended binder. Higher compressive strengths are obtained for the paste cube samples made using the new method of paste preparation than those achieved by conventional dry mixing methods.