Carbon and eco-footprints of adult incontinence products

This research article discusses the modelling and simulation results of carbon and eco-footprints of adult incontinence products. Four types of products are considered in this study: two types of diapers-commercial and new diapers and two types of pants-commercial and new type of pants. New types of diapers and pants were developed by our research team in the Institute of Textiles & Clothing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Carbon and eco-footprints were modeled by using IPCC 2001 method (100 Years) and ecological footprint method (taken from Ecoinvent 2.0) of SIMAPRO 7.3.2 version of LCA software. Datasets from Ecoinvent database inbuilt with SIMAPRO software were used to build the life cycle scenarios. Life cycle scenarios of four types of incontinence products were built for the entire life cycle of products from cradle to grave stages. In this research study, the contribution analysis (hot-spots in the life cycle stages) of carbon and eco-footprints of each type of product under consideration are highlighted. From the modeling and simulation results, it was noticed that the new reusable pants created the lowest carbon and eco-footprints compared to its counterparts. New type of diaper created slightly higher carbon and eco-footprints compared to the commercial diaper type. From the process contribution analysis, it was found that the production and disposal of SAP, generation of electricity for polypropylene, production processes of cotton were the contributors of major impacts in the order of hierarchy. From this detailed LCA study, it was understood that if the new type of reusable pants will be used without disposable inserts, it can bring carbon and eco-footprints significantly down.     

Colossal Magnetoresistance Without Mn3+/Mn4+ Double Exchange in the Stoichiometric Pyrochlore Tl2Mn2O7

Structural analysis from powder neutron and single-crystal x-ray diffraction data for a sample of the Tl2Mn2O7 pyrochlore, which exhibits colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), shows no deviations from ideal stoichiometry. This analysis gives an Mn-O distance of 1.90 angstroms, which is significantly shorter than the Mn-O distances (1.94 to 2.00 angstroms) observed in phases based on LaMnO3 perovskites that exhibit CMR. Both results in Tl2Mn2O7 indicate oxidation states very close to Tl23+Mn24+O7. Thus, Tl2Mn2O7 has neither mixed valence for a double-exchange magnetic interaction nor a Jahn-Teller cation such as Mn3+, both of which were thought to have an important function in CMR materials. An alternate mechanism for CMR in Tl2Mn2O7 based on magnetic ordering driven by superexchange and strong spin-fluctuation scattering above the Curie temperature is proposed here.     

Resveratrol metabolites do not elicit early pro-apoptotic mechanisms in neuroblastoma cells

Resveratrol, a nontoxic polyphenol, has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model of neuroblasoma. However, resveratrol is rapidly metabolized, mainly to its glucuronidated and sulfated derivatives. This study demonstrates that resveratrol alone, and not the glucuronidated or sulfated metabolites, is taken up into tumor cells, induces a rise in [Ca(2+)](i), and ultimately leads to a decrease in tumor cell viability. A new water-soluble resveratrol formulation was delivered directly at the site of the tumor in a neuroblastoma mouse model. The amount of unmodified resveratrol associated with the tumor increased more than 1000-fold. The increase of unmodified resveratrol associated with the tumor resulted in tumor regression. The number of residual tumor cells that remained viable also decreased as the ratio of the metabolites relative to unmodified resveratrol declined.     

Bulk Superconductivity up to 122 K in the Tl-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O System

New high-temperature superconductors based on oxides of thallium and copper, but not containing barium, have been prepared. A transition temperature (T(c)) of about 85 K is found for (Tl(0.5)Pb(0.5)) Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(7) whereas (Tl(0.5)Pb(0.5))Sr(2)Ca(2)Cu(3)O(9) has a T(c) of about 120 K. Both materials possess tetragonal symmetry with a = 3.80 A, c = 12.05 A for (Tl(0.5)Pb(0.5))Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(7), and a = 3.81 A, c = 15.23 A for (Tl(0.5)Pb(0.5))Sr(2)Ca(2)Cu(3)O(9). A structure refinement of the latter phase has been carried out with single-crystal x-ray diffraction data.     

Disease incidence in Eucalyptus microtheca provenances

A provenance trial of Eucalyptus microtheca F. Muell. was studied in order to select resistant provenances against Cytospara eucalypti twig blight, Pestalotiopsis versicolor stem canker and Botryodiplodia theobromae root collar canker. Out of 21 provenances tried, 4 provenances were screened as resistant against diseases and showed best performance.     

Spontaneous chondrosarcoma in Wistar rat: a case report

In rats, chondrosarcomas have been reported to occur both spontaneously and secondary to chemical induction. In a rare case, a spontaneous chondrosarcoma was identified in the deformed femur of a young male Wistar rat. After gross examination of the femur and knee joint, tissue was collected and preserved. The formalin-fixed tissue was decalcified, embedded in paraffin, sectioned, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Microscopic examinations revealed a large, highly proliferative, noncapsulated growth of chondrocytic or chondroblastic origin in the femoral bone, with proliferating chondrocytes invading the bone and surrounding tissues in an infiltrative growth pattern. Based on its histomorphological features, the lesion was diagnosed as a malignant cartilaginous neoplasm of spontaneous origin.     

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water using Iron Oxide-Coated Sand

This article describes experiments in which iron oxide-coated sand(IOCS) was used to study the removal of both As(V) and As(III) to a level less than 5 μg L^-1 in drinking water. Iron oxide-coated sand 2 (IOCS-2) prepared through high temperature coating process was used in batch and column studies to assess the effectiveness and suitability. The isotherm study results showed that the observed data fitted well with the Langmuir model, and the adsorption maximum for IOCS-2 at pH 7.6 was estimated to be 42.6 and 41.1 μg As g^-1 IOCS-2 for As(V) and As(III), respectively. In the fixed bed column tests to study arsenic removal from the tap water, good performance ofIOCS-2 was observed in respect of bed volumes achieved and arsenic removal capacity. Five cycles of column tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of IOCS-2, and arsenic wassuccessfully recovered from the media through regeneration and backwash operations. High bed volumes (860 to 1403) up to a breakthrough concentration of 5 μg L^-1 were achieved inthe column studies with tap water, and the bed volumes achievedin the studies with natural water (containing arsenic) were 1520.The results of both the batch and column studies showed that ironoxide-coated sand filtration could be effectively used to achieveless than 5 μg L^-1 As in drinking water.     

Proteome-level investigation of Brassica carinata-derived resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans

Plants resistant to the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans were generated by an interspecific cross between the highly susceptible Brassica napus (canola) and the highly resistant Brassica carinata. Changes in the leaf protein profiles of these lines were investigated in order to understand the biochemical basis for the observed resistance. Two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by tandem mass spectrometry led to the identification of proteins unique to the susceptible (5 proteins) and resistant genotypes (7 proteins) as well those that were differentially expressed in the resistant genotype 48 h after challenge with the pathogen (28 proteins). Proteins identified as being unique in the resistant plant material included superoxide dismutase, nitrate reductase, and carbonic anhydrase. Photosynthetic enzymes (fructose bisphosphate aldolase, triose phosphate isomerase, sedoheptulose bisphosphatase), dehydroascorbate reductase, peroxiredoxin, malate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase, N-glyceraldehyde-2-phosphotransferase, and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase were observed to be elevated in the resistant genotype upon pathogen challenge. Increased levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase were further validated and supported by spectrophotometric and in-gel activity assays. Other proteins identified in this study such as nitrate reductase and peptidylprolyl isomerase have not been previously described in this plant-pathogen system, and their potential involvement in an incompatible interaction is discussed.     

Influence of thermal power station effluents on hydrobiology of seawater

The hydrobiological parameters of the waters in the vicinity of ash slurry and cooling water outfall from Ennore Thermal Power Station located on the shore of Bay of Bengal, Madras were determined. In the outfall site, an increase in mean temperature (35 °C), salinity (3.5%), nitrite ? N (25 μg L^?1), ammonia ? N (185 μg L^?1), phosphate ? P (1 mg L^?1), silicate ? SiO₂ (1.65 mg L^?1), chlorophyll a (21.1 mg m^?3), respiration (76% of gross production), suspended solids (3.84 g L^?1), BOD (3.65 mg O₂) and decrease in pH (8.1), dissolved oxygen (DO) (5.5 mg L^?1), nitrate ? N (15 jig L^?1), gross production (16.6 Mg C m^?3 hr^?1) were recorded. Phaeopigment and respiration were inversely related with chlorophyll a and net productivity, respectively. Microbial biomass varied spatially, but was generally low (114.5 jig L^?1), at the outfall site. The hydrobiological characteristics of water with high turbidity indicate that the ash slurry and coolant water play a crucial role in a localized area resulting in environmental disturbance. The effect was profoundly influenced by an initial dilution, dispersion, wave mixing and current direction. The ecological relationships between these parameters and their implications in coastal pollution are discussed.