| 1. |
- Wang, Song, et al.
(författare)
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Submerged hollow-fiber-ultrafiltration for harvesting microalgae used for bioremediation of a secondary wastewater
- 2022
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Ingår i: Separation and Purification Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1383-5866 .- 1873-3794. ; 289
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microalgae were employed to remove nutrients from a pre-treated wastewater (so-called anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent, AnMBR effluent) over a 24-day semi-continuous cultivation with varied N:P ratios. NH4+-N reduction percentage ranged from 68 to 94% with average removal rates varying from 8 to 26 mgN·L-1d-1 at different stages. Total phosphorus was almost completely removed shortly after inoculation. Biomass productivity ranged from 0.13 to 0.19 g·L-1d-1 during the cultivation. A submerged membrane-based filtration device was used to investigate the formation of biofouling, which occurred on the membrane surface during filtration and is considered as a bottleneck in downstream processing. Results indicated most severe fouling was caused by original microalgal suspension, compared to its individual fractions (cellular resuspensions, supernatant and AnMBR effluent). Irreversible fouling mainly occurred at the beginning of the filtration process; extracellular organic matter and cellular debris in the supernatant changed the fouling behavior more significantly than morphological properties of the algae cells; AnMBR effluent also led to a nonnegligible fouling effect. To minimize biofouling, TOC content in wastewater should be carefully controlled before and during cultivation. The current membrane can be proposed for long-term filtration, as irreversible fouling only occurred at the beginning and reversible fouling can be controlled effectively by backflushing and aeration. The biomass, characterized by relatively high protein and carbohydrate but low heavy metal content, indicated its potential as feeds and feedstock for bioenergy production. The present work provides novel insights into the coupling of wastewater treatment and fouling control, which has been rarely studied.
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| 2. |
- Ashraf, Muhammad Zubair, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative gut proteomics study revealing adaptive physiology of Eurasian spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae)
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Plant Science. - 1664-462X. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.), is a major pest of Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.), causing enormous economic losses globally. The adult stage of the I. typographus has a complex life cycle (callow and sclerotized); the callow beetles feed ferociously, whereas sclerotized male beetles are more aggressive and pioneers in establishing new colonies. We conducted a comparative proteomics study to understand male and female digestion and detoxification processes in callow and sclerotized beetles. Proteome profiling was performed using high-throughput liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of >3000 proteins were identified from the bark beetle gut, and among them, 539 were differentially abundant (fold change ±2, FDR <0.05) between callow and sclerotized beetles. The differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) mainly engage with binding, catalytic activity, anatomical activity, hydrolase activity, metabolic process, and carbohydrate metabolism, and hence may be crucial for growth, digestion, detoxification, and signalling. We validated selected DAPs with RT-qPCR. Gut enzymes such as NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CYC), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and esterase (EST) play a crucial role in the I. typographus for detoxification and digesting of host allelochemicals. We conducted enzyme activity assays with them and observed a positive correlation of CYC and GST activities with the proteomic results, whereas EST activity was not fully correlated. Furthermore, our investigation revealed that callow beetles had an upregulation of proteins associated with juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis and chitin metabolism, whereas sclerotized beetles exhibited an upregulation of proteins linked to fatty acid metabolism and the TCA cycle. These distinctive patterns of protein regulation in metabolic and functional processes are specific to each developmental stage, underscoring the adaptive responses of I. typographicus in overcoming conifer defences and facilitating their survival. Taken together, it is the first gut proteomic study comparing males and females of callow and sclerotized I. typographus, shedding light on the adaptive ecology at the molecular level. Furthermore, the information about bark beetle handling of nutritionally limiting and defence-rich spruce phloem diet can be utilized to formulate RNAi-mediated beetle management.
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| 3. |
- Barman, Snigdha Roy, et al.
(författare)
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Dendrimer as a multifunctional capping agent for metal nanoparticles for use in bioimaging, drug delivery and sensor applications
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of materials chemistry. B. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2050-750X .- 2050-7518. ; 6:16, s. 2368-2384
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Advances in nanoparticle research, particularly in the domain of surface-engineered, function-oriented nanoparticles, have had a profound effect in many areas of scientific research and aided in bringing unprecedented developments forward, particularly in the biomedical field. Surface modifiers/capping agents have a direct bearing on the major properties of metal nanoparticles (MNPs), ranging from their physico-chemical properties to their stability and functional applications. Among the different classes of capping agents, dendrimers have gained traction as effective multifunctional capping agents for MNPs due to their unique structural qualities, dendritic effect and polydentate nature. Dendrimer-coated metal nanoparticles (DC-MNPs) are typically produced by both (i) a one-pot strategy, where metal ions are reduced in the presence of dendrimer molecules and (ii) a multi-pot strategy, where a sequence of reactions involving the reduction of metal ions, activation, conjugation and purification steps are involved. These DC-MNPs have shown remarkable ability to stabilize MNPs by means of electrostatic interactions, coordination chemistry or covalent attachment, due to them entailing a large number of sites at which further molecular moieties can be conjugated. This review article is an attempt to consolidate the on-going work, particularly over the last five years, in the field of the synthesis of dendrimer-coated MNPs and their potential applications in bioimaging, drug delivery and biochemical sensors.
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| 4. |
- Bras, Audrey, et al.
(författare)
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Pesticide resistance in arthropods: Ecology matters too
- 2022
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 25, s. 1746-1759
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pesticide resistance development is an example of rapid contemporary evolution that poses immense challenges for agriculture. It typically evolves due to the strong directional selection that pesticide treatments exert on herbivorous arthropods. However, recent research suggests that some species are more prone to evolve pesticide resistance than others due to their evolutionary history and standing genetic variation. Generalist species might develop pesticide resistance especially rapidly due to pre-adaptation to handle a wide array of plant allelochemicals. Moreover, research has shown that adaptation to novel host plants could lead to increased pesticide resistance. Exploring such cross-resistance between host plant range evolution and pesticide resistance development from an ecological perspective is needed to understand its causes and consequences better. Much research has, however, been devoted to the molecular mechanisms underlying pesticide resistance while both the ecological contexts that could facilitate resistance evolution and the ecological consequences of cross-resistance have been under-studied. Here, we take an eco-evolutionary approach and discuss circumstances that may facilitate cross-resistance in arthropods and the consequences cross-resistance may have for plant–arthropod interactions in both target and non-target species and species interactions. Furthermore, we suggest future research avenues and practical implications of an increased ecological understanding of pesticide resistance evolution.
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| 5. |
- Burlakovs, Juris, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Platinum Group Elements in Geosphere and Anthroposphere : Interplay among the Global Reserves, Urban Ores, Markets and Circular Economy
- 2020
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Ingår i: Minerals. - : MDPI. - 2075-163X. ; 10:6, s. 1-19
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Industrial and strategic significance of platinum group elements (PGEs)-Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt-makes them irreplaceable; furthermore, some PGEs are used by investors as "safe heaven" assets traded in the commodity markets. This review analyzes PGEs from various aspects: their place in the geosphere, destiny in the anthroposphere, and opportunity in the economy considering interactions among the exploration, recycling of urban ores, trade markets, speculative rhetoric, and changes required for successful technological progress towards the implementation of sustainability. The global market of PGEs is driven by several concerns: costs for extraction/recycling; logistics; the demand of industries; policies of waste management. Diversity of application and specific chemical properties, as well as improper waste management, make the recycling of PGEs complicated. The processing approach depends on composition and the amount of available waste material, and so therefore urban ores are a significant source of PGEs, especially when the supply of elements is limited by geopolitical or market tensions. Recycling potential of urban ores is particularly important in a long-term view disregarding short-term economic fluctuations, and it should influence investment flows in the advancement of innovation.
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| 6. |
- Drissen, Roy, et al.
(författare)
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Distinct myeloid progenitor-differentiation pathways identified through single-cell RNA sequencing
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature Immunology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1529-2908 .- 1529-2916. ; 17:6, s. 666-676
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- According to current models of hematopoiesis, lymphoid-primed multi-potent progenitors (LMPPs) (Lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)CD34(+)Flt3(hi)) and common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) (Lin(-)Sca-1(+)c-Kit(+)CD34(+)CD41(hi)) establish an early branch point for separate lineage-commitment pathways from hematopoietic stem cells, with the notable exception that both pathways are proposed to generate all myeloid innate immune cell types through the same myeloid-restricted pre-granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (pre-GM) (Lin(-)Sca-1(-)c-Kit(+)CD41(-)FcγRII/III(-)CD150(-)CD105(-)). By single-cell transcriptome profiling of pre-GMs, we identified distinct myeloid differentiation pathways: a pathway expressing the gene encoding the transcription factor GATA-1 generated mast cells, eosinophils, megakaryocytes and erythroid cells, and a pathway lacking expression of that gene generated monocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes. These results identify an early hematopoietic-lineage bifurcation that separates the myeloid lineages before their segregation from other hematopoietic-lineage potential.
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| 7. |
- Kassebaum, Nicholas J., et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990-2015 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 388:10053, s. 1603-1658
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Healthy life expectancy (HALE) and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) provide summary measures of health across geographies and time that can inform assessments of epidemiological patterns and health system performance, help to prioritise investments in research and development, and monitor progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We aimed to provide updated HALE and DALYs for geographies worldwide and evaluate how disease burden changes with development. Methods We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) for all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and non-fatal disease burden to derive HALE and DALYs by sex for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We calculated DALYs by summing years of life lost (YLLs) and years of life lived with disability (YLDs) for each geography, age group, sex, and year. We estimated HALE using the Sullivan method, which draws from age-specific death rates and YLDs per capita. We then assessed how observed levels of DALYs and HALE differed from expected trends calculated with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator constructed from measures of income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Findings Total global DALYs remained largely unchanged from 1990 to 2015, with decreases in communicable, neonatal, maternal, and nutritional (Group 1) disease DALYs off set by increased DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Much of this epidemiological transition was caused by changes in population growth and ageing, but it was accelerated by widespread improvements in SDI that also correlated strongly with the increasing importance of NCDs. Both total DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates due to most Group 1 causes significantly decreased by 2015, and although total burden climbed for the majority of NCDs, age-standardised DALY rates due to NCDs declined. Nonetheless, age-standardised DALY rates due to several high-burden NCDs (including osteoarthritis, drug use disorders, depression, diabetes, congenital birth defects, and skin, oral, and sense organ diseases) either increased or remained unchanged, leading to increases in their relative ranking in many geographies. From 2005 to 2015, HALE at birth increased by an average of 2.9 years (95% uncertainty interval 2.9-3.0) for men and 3.5 years (3.4-3.7) for women, while HALE at age 65 years improved by 0.85 years (0.78-0.92) and 1.2 years (1.1-1.3), respectively. Rising SDI was associated with consistently higher HALE and a somewhat smaller proportion of life spent with functional health loss; however, rising SDI was related to increases in total disability. Many countries and territories in central America and eastern sub-Saharan Africa had increasingly lower rates of disease burden than expected given their SDI. At the same time, a subset of geographies recorded a growing gap between observed and expected levels of DALYs, a trend driven mainly by rising burden due to war, interpersonal violence, and various NCDs. Interpretation Health is improving globally, but this means more populations are spending more time with functional health loss, an absolute expansion of morbidity. The proportion of life spent in ill health decreases somewhat with increasing SDI, a relative compression of morbidity, which supports continued efforts to elevate personal income, improve education, and limit fertility. Our analysis of DALYs and HALE and their relationship to SDI represents a robust framework on which to benchmark geography-specific health performance and SDG progress. Country-specific drivers of disease burden, particularly for causes with higher-than-expected DALYs, should inform financial and research investments, prevention efforts, health policies, and health system improvement initiatives for all countries along the development continuum.
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| 8. |
- Mozelius, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Education on Wheels – Mobile Dissemination of E-services and Computer Based Learning in Rural Gujarat, India
- 2012
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Ingår i: The Proceedings of the 11th European Conference on e-Learning. - : Academic Publishing International. - 9781908272737
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In Vision 2020 there is a belief that India will be the world’s leading country in less than a decade. When many countries in the developed world will have a high average age among its citizens in 2020, India is expected to have the youngest population in the world. If India will succeed in their strive for education for all this vision can come through, but if the strategies for mass education fails the vision will probably fail as well. In the five foundational pillars of the Vision 2020 education and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are important factors. Out of the about one million public schools in India, less than 0.2% has access to internet or any implementation of computer based learning. In the age group of 6-14 years not more than 80 million children out of approximately 200 million go to school on a regularly basis. Gujarat is a state in western India well-known as the land of Mahatma Gandhi and a part of India with a fast economical growth in the 21th century. Gujarat is also known for a relatively good infrastructure management and educational reorganization. The aim of this paper is to describe some selected bus based initiatives for technology enhanced learning in Gujarat and discuss how they can contribute to the current education and future development in rural areas. This article is based on a combination of a literature study and digitally recorded semi-structured interviews conducted by the authors during a visit to Gujarat in 2011. We find that the bus based initiatives described in this article will improve the dissemination of e-learning in Gujarat but exactly to what extent is hard to say since they all are recently started projects. Old traditional transportation technology has been combined with ICT in a creative way that might contribute to bridge the educational gap between urban and rural areas in the region. If India can get the bottom of the pyramid on board as well and provide quality education for rural regions, the country might reach some of the objectives described in the optimistic Vision 2020.
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| 9. |
- Mozelius, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Migration of a Learning Object Repository : an Evaluation of the eNOSHA System and its Context Independency
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The idea of storing and sharing digital content for e-learning has been widely discussed. At the University of Colombo, School of Computing (UCSC) a lot of learning objects have been developed during the last decade. Even in a well structured university environment it is not possible to have a rational control of content for hundreds of different e-learning courses without an appropriate system that provides searching and a metadata markup of the learning objects. This paper will analyze the eNOSHA Learning Object Repository (LOR) that was designed and developed at UCSC in Colombo Sri Lanka during 2008 – 2009. Even if this was a software project for a LOR based on the UCSC needs the ambition has always been to built the eNOSHA system as context independent as possible. Local adaptation of the system should be done from within the system without any changes in the source code. In our analysis we will assess if this works when the system is migrated to a university in another part of the world with a different culture and language situation. We will also scrutinize the installation process and test its user-friendliness. What could be improved in the eNOSHA system and is there a need for an extended version to provide context independency? Data for the analysis has been gathered by semi-structured interviews and system testing at the University of Eastern Finland. Based on the findings we find that the currently used version 1.6 of the eNOSHA system needs to be updated. There are no big crucial problems found, but if the system should live up to the original objectives on flexibility and user-friendliness the software would need some amendment for multi-language support. Some security issues were found and the system must be easier to install in the future. We have also found a need for some kind of integrated start-up instructions. A general code revision and a security test of the system would also improve the quality of the eNOSHA learning object repository. Though open source products often are created with a specific target audience in mind, it would be of interest to test this product with users outside the academic world.
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| 10. |
- Nain, Amit, et al.
(författare)
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Dual mechanism-based sensing of mercury using unmodified, heteroepitaxially synthesized silver nanoparticles
- 2017
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Ingår i: Applied Nanoscience. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 2190-5509 .- 2190-5517. ; 7:6, s. 299-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mercury and its compounds are widely distributed in the environment and have a significant negative impact on human health. In this paper, we report the development of a rapid and facile method for the detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) using heteroepitaxially synthesized unmodified silver nanoparticle-based smart probes using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and also through the naked eye by means of a paper-based sensor strip. The silver nanoparticles were prepared by heteroepitaxial growth method using gold seed nanoparticle of similar to 2.4 nm size as the template. The silver is grown on the seed particles by reducing the silver-ammonia complex using glucose, which resulted in Glu-AgNPs having an average size of 14.65 +/- 3.53 nm. The sensing of mercury ions was carried out in aqueous solution and the reaction response was monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The interaction of Hg2+ with Glu-AgNPs resulted in a significant drop in the absorbance at 402 nm along with a prominent color change (from bright yellow to colorless) and wavelength shift (blue shift). The limit of detection (LOD) of this assay was found to be 100 nM (i. e., 20 ppb) with a good linearity in the concentration range of 100-10 mM. To further ease the detection process and make it field deployable, we attempted to develop a paper-based sensor strip by immobilizing Glu-AgNPs on a paper strip. Upon interaction with mercury solution of varying concentrations, the decoloration of the spots could be observed easily through naked eyes, with the limit of detection under sub-optical conditions being 1 mu M.
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