A review on basalt fibre and its composites

Abstract In recent years, both industrial and academic world are focussing their attention toward the development of sustainable composites, reinforced with natural fibres. In particular, among the natural fibres (i.e. animal, vegetable or mineral) that can be used as reinforcement, the basalt ones represent the most interesting for their properties. The aim of this review is to illustrate the results of research on this topical subject. In the introduction, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of basalt fibre have been reviewed. Moreover, its main manufacturing technologies have been described. Then, the effect of using this mineral fibre as reinforcement of different matrices as po…

Modulation of Nitric Oxide Production by Tetracyclines and Chemically Modified Tetracyclines

Chemically modified tetracyclines (CMTs) dose-dependently decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and, consequently, nitric oxide (NO) formation by the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated J774 line. The inhibitory effect was due to a specific reduction in the iNOS protein content in the cells, as attested by Western blot analysis and by the inhibition of iNOS mRNA accumulation. Furthermore, CMTs cause a dose-dependent increase in cell death in the J774 line mediated by the NO-independent apoptotic mechanism.

Effect of areal weight and chemical treatment on the mechanical properties of bidirectional flax fabrics reinforced composites

Abstract In this paper several bidirectional flax fibers, usually used to made curtains, were employed as reinforcement of an epoxy matrix. Four different laminates were made by a vacuum bagging process, with varying both the areal weight and the treatment of the fabric. These structures were mechanically investigated carrying out both tensile and three point flexural tests. In order to evaluate the effect of the identified variables on the mechanical parameters (i.e. Young modulus and maximum stress) a statistical analysis was performed. Finally, by comparing the flax composite with a glass one, the convenience of the replacement of glass fiber was investigated in term of cost, weight and …

Pilot scale experiment with MBR operated in intermittent aeration condition: analysis of biological performance.

The effect of intermittent aeration (IA) on a MBR system was investigated. The study was aimed at ana- lyzing different working conditions and the influence of different IA cycles on the biological performance of the MBR pilot plant, in terms of organic carbon and ammonium removal as well as extracellular poly- meric substances (EPSs) production. The membrane modules were placed in a separate compartment, continuously aerated. This configuration allowed to disconnect from the filtration stage the biological phenomena occurring into the IA bioreactor. The observed results highlighted good efficiencies, in terms of organic carbon and ammonium removal. It was noticed a significant soluble micr…

The role of fouling mechanisms in a membrane bioreactor.

The present study has aimed to quantify the role of pore blocking and cake layer in a laboratory scale hollow fibre membrane module in submerged configuration. The membrane reactor (MBR) was fed with raw wastewater, only screened with a 2-mm sieve, collected from the Palermo WWTP. The MBR was characterised by an operating volume of 190 L and equipped with an aeration system located on the bottom of the reactor. The MBR operated for 65 days. The permeate was extracted by imposing a constant flux through the membrane (21 Lh−1m−2). The results confirm the importance of pore blocking control during start-up. In particular, it provides a rapid irreversible fouling that takes place at the beginni…

Effect of Chemical Etching on Adhesively Bonded Aluminum AA6082

The efforts of new automotive industry are mainly directed towards the substitution of aluminum for steel in the body structure because the aluminum structures are lighter than traditional steel ones and meet the requirements, in terms of both vehicle design and manufacture. However, this substitution is not so automatic, but it is important to study the material properties and the structure design, focusing the attention on the methods of joining. Welding, typical technique to joint steel parts, is particularly difficult when applied on aluminum ones and then, in many cases, the adhesive bonding is preferred. To optimise the joint performances it is necessary to pre-treat the metal surface…

Suspended and attached biomass in an mbr system treating high strength wastewater Loads

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Respirometry for the Characterization of Heterotrophic Biomass Activity: Application to a MBR Pilot Plant Operated with Two Different Start-Up Strategies

A membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant was operated in two subsequent experimental periods (namely, Periods I and II) with different start-up and sludge withdrawal strategies to study its peculiar biokinetic behavior by using respirometric techniques. Two extreme operational conditions were chosen to investigate the different biomass activity under dynamic or pseudostationary conditions during and after the start-up phases. Particularly, the MBR pilot plant was operated with the same volumetric loading rate (VLR) and permeate flux but differently managed during the start-up phase. In Period I, the MBR pilot plant was started up without sludge inoculum and operated without sludge withdrawal…

Study of new joining technique: flat clinching

In this paper a development of clinching, called flat clinching, is presented. After a press clinching process, the joined sheets have been deformed by a punch with a lower diameter against a flat die. In this way a new configuration is created with a geometry that has no discontinuity on the external surface (bottom). A new procedure has also been tested: the second step is perfomed by pressing the joint between two flat dies. This second case has revealed itself to be very effective.Tensile tests have been done to compare the joints strength among the various joining techniques. Moreover some joints have been cut to analyse the changing of the contact line shape and how its characteristic…

Adhesive joining of Aluminum AA6082: the effect of resin and surface treatment

Abstract In this work the effects of both the substrate surface condition and the adhesive properties on single-lap aluminium joint resistance were analysed. The aluminium sheets were mechanically treated with two abrasive surfaces evaluating the induced roughness; four different resins were used in adhesion tests. Moreover, wettability tests were performed in order to evaluate the effect of the above-mentioned parameters on the substrate/adhesive interaction. A design of experiments was defined in order to quantify the effect of the considered factors and their correlation.

The Acute Phase Response in Sicilian Patients with Boutonneuse Fever Admitted to Hospitals in Palermo, 1992–1997

Abstract Objectives : To study the modifications of some components of the acute phase response (APR) in Sicilian patients with boutonneuse fever (BF) caused by Rickettsia conorii . Methods : Sera from 500 Sicilian patients with confirmed BF were studied at the time of diagnosis and every week after treatment, and after recovery for the presence of various inflammatory mediators. Tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin(IL)-6, IL-1α, IL-8, soluble TNF receptors (sTNF-R) and sIL-6R were assayed by commercially ELISA kits. C3, C4, factor B, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin (Cp) and α 1 -antitrypsin (AAT) were assayed by a rate nephelometry. Results : Interferon gamma (I…

Fouling mechanism elucidation in membrane bioreactors by bespoke physical cleaning

Abstract Cake layer deposition on a membrane surface can determine both external and internal membrane fouling through negatively affecting the total filtration resistance while exerting a positive effect as a pre-filter. Membranes are usually subjected to a periodic cake layer removal through routine physical cleaning, specifically permeate backwashing of hollow fiber membranes, or enhanced cleaning through, for example, chemically-enhanced backwashing. Physical cake layer removal is crucial for sustaining permeability, yet the effect of different physical cleaning modes remains poorly evaluated. The present work attempts to analyze physical cake layer removal through the application of sp…

Aerobic Granular Sludge for Leachate Treatment

The treatment of municipal landfill leachate by means of aerobic granular sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) was investigated. The paper reports the results from an experimental campaign lasted 100 days, which has been divided into three periods: cultivation of granular sludge (70 days), operation with semi-fresh (15 day) and diluted landfill leachate (15 day). Two different GSBR configurations were used: a Sequencing Batch Bubble Column reactor and a Sequencing Batch Airlift Reactor. All reactors were operated at Volume Loading Rates (VLRs) between 4.8 and 7.2 g COD /(m 3 ·d). The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency varied between 80% and 90% under operation with synthetic waste…

Performance Analysis in Spatially Correlated IEEE 802.11 Networks

Wireless mesh networks are difficult to be characterized, especially under multi-hop traffic streams. The problem is that the local view of the channel and the correlation between the buffers of consecutive nodes in a stream path make complicated the identification of the contention level perceived by each station along the time. Such a figure is used in the models based on the so called decoupling assumption for evaluating the final scheduling of simultaneous channel access grants. In this paper we propose a simplified mesh network model focused on capturing the correlation due to the network topology and traffic routes rather than the access protocol state at each node. To this purpose, w…

Modeling Energy Demand Aggregators for Residential Consumers

International audience; Energy demand aggregators are new actors in the energy scenario: they gather a group of energy consumers and implement a demand- response paradigm. When the energy provider needs to reduce the current energy demand on the grid, it can pay the energy demand aggregator to reduce the load by turning off some of its consumers loads or postponing their activation. Currently this operation involves only greedy energy consumers like industrial plants. In this paper we want to study the potential of aggregating a large number of small energy consumers like home users as it may happen in smart grids. In particular we want to address the feasibility of such approach by conside…

Influence of roasting and different brewing processes on ochratoxin A content in coffee determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD)

A rapid and reliable procedure has been developed for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in green and roasted coffee. The method consists of extraction of the sample with methanol-5% aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate/1% PEG8000 (20:80), followed by immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up and, finally, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination with fluorimetric detection. Mean recoveries for green and roasted coffee spiked at different levels ranging from 94 and 105% were obtained. The limit of determination (S/N = 3) was 0.032 ng g(-1) and the precision (within-laboratory relative standard deviation) was 6%. The method described has been used to assess the influence of r…

Failure Map of Composite Laminate Mechanical Joint

The aim of this research is to investigate the pin/hole contact stress of a composite laminate and failure modes when submitted to tensile bearing tests. The limit loads and failure modes are evaluated as a function of pin diameter and hole position. Analyzing the joint geometry effect on the fracture mechanisms, a failure map is obtained, identifying three regions of typical failure modes of mechanically fastened joints. A theoretical approach is proposed to identify the field of each fracture mode to obtain a simple experimental methodology to support the design of a particular joint laminate. In addition, a simplified numerical model is proposed to evaluate near the hole the stress/stra…

Study of aerobic granular sludge stability in a continuous-flow membrane bioreactor.

A granular continuous-flow membrane bioreactor with a novel hydrodynamic configuration was developed to evaluate the stability of aerobic granular sludge (AGS). Under continuous-flow operation (Period I), AGS rapidly lost their structural integrity resulting in loose and fluffy microbial aggregates in which filamentous bacteria were dominant. The intermittent feeding (Period II) allowed obtaining the succession of feast and famine conditions that favored the increase in AGS stability. Although no further breakage occurred, the formation of new granules was very limited, owing to the absence of the hydraulic selection pressure. These results noted the necessity to ensure, on the one hand the…

Characterization of Biomass Activity in Conventional and Hybrid MBR Pilot Plants by Means of Respirometric Techniques

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Manufacture of marine composite sandwich structures

Abstract The aim of this chapter is to present the main processes of manufacture of composite sandwich structures used in marine applications. In the introduction, sandwich structure classification and properties and advantages/disadvantages in their uses are presented. In the second and third section, the main used technologies to made sandwich are, respectively, described and compared. Then, the goodness of these techniques is evidenced with the discussion of some experimental results obtained by the authors in their studies. The last section concludes with a thorough list of the future trends.

Rare cardiomyopathies: Diagnostic features

Cardiomyopathies (CM) are an important and heterogeneous group of diseases affecting the myocardium. They can induce mechanical and/or electrical disorders and are due to a variety of causes, they frequently are genetic. However, since their high number and their clinical complexity, the identification is still a challenge. Echocardiography is a very useful tool in the assessment of CM. In this review we aim to define the typical clinical features and to discuss the main diagnostic tool, above all echocardiography that can help physicians in the correct assessment of CM.

DNA Damage and Developmental Defects After Exposure to UV and Heavy Metals in Sea Urchin Cells and Embryos Compared to Other Invertebrates

The depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer and the resulting increase in hazardous ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation reaching the Earth are of major concern not only for terrestrial but also for aquatic organisms. UV-B is able to penetrate clear water to ecologically significant depths. This chapter deals with the effects of UV radiation on DNA integrity in marine benthic organisms, in particular sea urchins in comparison to other marine invertebrates (sponges and corals). These animals cannot escape the damaging effects of UV-B radiation and may be additionally exposed to pollution from natural or anthropogenic sources. Besides eggs and larvae that lack a protective epidermal layer and ar…

Malnutrition in elderly: Social and economic determinants

Abstract: Malnutrition occurs frequently in the frailest groups of the population, especially in people who are on a low income and elderly subjects, overall if they are institutionalized. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in a sample of elderly people living in different settings and to identify the determinants of malnutrition. Methods: A total of 718 subjects, 472 females (F) and 246 males (M), were recruited from nursing homes or were free living in three different regions in Italy. Nutritional status, depression, social, functional and cognitive status, were evaluated. Results: According to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), a high prevalence of mal…

Mechanical behavior of carbon/flax hybrid composites for structural applications

In this work, the influence of an unidirectional carbon fabric layer on the mechanical performances of bidirectional flax fabric/epoxy composites used for structural applications was studied. Two different bidirectional flax fabrics were used to produce flax fabric reinforced plastic (FFRP) laminates by a vacuum bagging process: one is normally used to make curtains; the other, heavier and more expensive than the previous one, is usually used as reinforcement in composite structures. In order to realize hybrid structures starting from FFRP, an unidirectional UHM carbon fabric was used to replace a bidirectional flax fabric. Tensile and three-point bending tests were performed to evaluate t…

On the mechanical behavior of BFRP to aluminum AA6086 mixed joints

The aim of this work is to analyze the possibility to join aluminum alloy AA6086 and composite laminates reinforced with basalt fibers, an innovative material which use is growing in several applications as an alternative to glass fibers. To this goal, three joining techniques were investigated: mechanical by Self Piercing Riveting (in the next called SPR), adhesive by co-curing technique and mixed in which the joining techniques (i.e. adhesive and mechanical) were combined. Two manufacturing technologies (i.e. hand lay-up and vacuum bagging) were used both to produce composite substrates and to realize co-curing adhesion between the substrates to be joined. Mixed joints were realized by in…

Sex hormones modulate inflammatory mediators produced by macrophages.

Effect of Sheep Wool Fibers on Thermal Insulation and Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Composites

The use of sheep wool as a filler of cement in order to produce mortar or plaster involves several advantages for environment and energy. Moreover, it is considered as a waste and, therefore, its use is characterized by low cost. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence of wool fibers on thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of cement. The samples were prepared using wool fibers, obtained from a breed of Sicilian sheep, with three different lengths (i.e., 1, 6, and 20 mm). Furthermore, in order to evaluate the influence of fiber content, the samples were prepared by varying the fiber weight fraction. The thermal conductivity of the samples was analyzed by using a heat flo…

Diagnosi differenziale tra sindrome neurologica alterna e idrocefalo normoteso: un caso clinico

L’idrocefalo consiste in una dilatazione del sistema ventricolare dovuta ad un disturbo della circolazione liquorale. Nell’anziano l’idrocefalo è di frequente riscontro in associazione a demenza, come forma ex vacuo. L’idrocefalo normoteso colpisce prevalentemente soggetti d’età superiore ai 65 anni con un esordio clinico subdolo, che spesso è causa di ritardo nella diagnosi. Le sindromi neurologiche alterne sono espressione di lesioni di varia natura a carico del tronco encefalico, caratterizzate dalla coesistenza di un deficit neurologico centrale controlaterale alla lesione ed un deficit neurologico periferico omolateralmente alla lesione. Descriviamo il caso di un paziente di sesso masc…

Effects of powder concentration and type of resin on the performance of marble composite structures

In this work, we will expose the behaviour of a composite structure reinforced with marble powder. The attention was focused on the effects produced on the physical and mechanical properties due to different kinds of matrix (epoxy and polyester resins) and filler amounts (60%, 70%, 80%). Rheological, static flexural and Izod impact tests have been carried out. An experiment designed was defined for the mechanical tests, in order to quantify the effects of both the resin and the marble percentage on the material properties, as well as to identify a possible correlation between these factors. Moreover, water absorption and stain resistance have been evaluated to study the surface properties o…

Paper-reinforced biomimetic cellular structures for automotive applications

The aim of this work was to make and test some sandwich structures, made of biomimetic cellular cores of recycled paper. In a preliminary study some paper laminates were investigated. Then two different kinds of cores were made by simple processes, according to two natural structures (i.e. feather and honeycomb). To evaluate the mechanical properties of these new sandwiches, static flexural, flatwise and edgewise compression tests were performed.

IL-15 in human visceral leishmaniasis caused byLeishmania infantum

SummaryInterleukin (IL)-15 is a recently discovered cytokine with the ability to stimulate the proliferation activity of Th1 and/or Th2 lymphocytes. Here, we investigated the involvement of IL-15 in the immune response to Leishmania infantum infection by studying patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). We found that IL-15 is produced by leishmanial antigen (LAg)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from active VL patients at a significantly higher level than those produced by cells from healed VL subjects or healthy controls. A significant increase in IL-15 serum blood levels was also observed in acute VL patients compared with healed ones. Furthermore, recombinant IL-15 …

Effects of natural fibres reinforcement in lime plasters (kenaf and sisal vs. Polypropylene)

Nowadays the tendency to realize environment-friendly products is becoming more widespread to ensure sustainable and smart development. The synthetic fibres, frequently used, are harmful to the environment because they are non-degradable and non-renewable. Their use has resulted in an increase of oil consumption. Therefore, the possibility of replacing them with natural fibres becomes increasingly concrete confirmed by the researches and investigations carried out. In this work three lime based plasters were prepared and analysed to evaluate the influence on their performance of different fibres used as reinforcement. In particular each plaster was realised by adding to the mortar the same …

Effect of UD carbon on the specific mechanical properties of glass mat composites for marine applications

In this work the influence of a uniaxial carbon fabric layer on the mechanical performances of a glass mat/epoxy composite used for marine applications has been studied. All the structures have been made, at room temperature, by vacuum bagging technique. Tension and flexural tests have been carried out in order to evaluate the specific mechanical properties of the composite and to compare these with those of the marine aluminium alloy 6016-T4. The glass composites have higher specific strength but lower specific modulus than aluminium alloy. To increase the specific modulus of the composites, each layer of glass mat has been replaced with a layer of uniaxial carbon fabric. In addition, a s…

Influenza della copertura superficiale sulle emissioni diffuse di metano da discarica: analisi di casi studio

La quantizzazione delle emissioni di CH4 da discariche rappresenta un tema di rilievo nella gestione dei rifiuti. La capacità emissiva delle discariche, direttamente correlata alla decomposizione anaerobica della sostanza organica in esse smaltita, può durare per decine di anni sebbene la massima produzione di biogas si registra nei primi anni seguenti l’abbancamento dei rifiuti. Nella nota si riferisce dei risultati di alcune campagne di misura eseguite su discariche controllate per rifiuti urbani, dotate di differente tipo di copertura; in particolare, la prima discarica è dotata di capping definitivo, la seconda di capping temporaneo. I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato una significat…

Mechanical behaviour of SPR/co-cured composite to aluminium joints

Effect of Plasma Treatment on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Marble Powder/Epoxy Composites

The aim of this work was to study the effect of the plasma treatment on the behavior of composite structures reinforced with marble powder, obtained as processing waste in the “Custonaci” basin. Moreover, different filler amounts (i.e. 10%wt, 20%, 30% in weight) were investigated. For the mechanical characterization, tensile and flexural quasi-static tests, Charpy impact test, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) were performed. For the thermal stability, thermogravimetric analysis was carried out. Finally, real density and fraction of voids were measured. It was observed that untreated marble powder, on one hand, increases tensile and flexural stiffness and improves thermal stabi…

Effects of aging in salt spray conditions on flax and flax/basalt reinforced composites: Wettability and dynamic mechanical properties

Abstract In the last years, the industrial policies are more attentive to issues concerning sustainability, recycling and environmental care. Therefore, the use of natural fibres in composite materials has spread more and more. This paper deals with flax and basalt fibres within an epoxy matrix by investigating the wettability and the dynamic mechanical properties of the resulting composites, subjected to long-term aging tests in critical environmental conditions. The first laminate was constituted by stacking ten layers of bidirectional flax fabrics. The second one was produced by replacing two external flax layers with two layers of basalt mat, for each side of the laminate. Both laminate…

Unidirectional Direct Load Control through Smart Plugs

International audience; Balancing energy demand and production is be-coming a more and more challenging task for energy utilities also because of the larger penetration of renewable energies which are more difficult to predict and control. While the traditional solution is to dynamically adapt energy production to follow time-varying demand, a new trend is to drive demand itself. Most of the ongoing actions in this direction involve greedy energy consumers, like industrial plants, supermarkets or large buildings. Pervasive communication technologies may allow in the near future to push further the granularity of such approach, by having the energy utility interacting with residen-tial appli…

Analisi Sperimentali su impianti MBR ad aerazione intermittente

Impacts of UV-B radiation on short-term cultures of sea urchin coelomocytes

Three specialized cell types constitute the heterogeneous population present in the coelomic cavity fluid of sea urchins. The list includes: phagocytes, which undergo a stress-induced petaloid-filopodial transition, white or red amoebocytes and vibratile cells. As a whole, they act as the immune defense system of the sea urchin and respond to environmental and experimental challenge triggering specific stress markers. Here we extended our studies on coelomocytes short-term cultures by describing the morphology and occurrence of each cell type and analyzing their response to UV-B radiation at the biochemical level and with respect to DNA damage. The effects of different doses, ranging from 5…

Comparisons of processing and strength properties of two adhesive systems for composite joints

Abstract In the present study rheological, static and impact tests are carried out on two adhesive resins usually employed in marine applications; then single lap joint tests are conducted on composites joints evidencing the effect of the curing time of both resins on the mechanical properties of the joint. The applicability and workability conditions of the adhesive resins are determined evaluating the curing evolution by a preliminary rheological analysis; then the relation of curing properties with the mechanical performances of the resins themselves and with ones of the composite joints is estimated. Static flexural and Izod impact tests are performed on the resins at increasing time af…

Glass-basalt/epoxy hybrid composites for marine applications

Abstract The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of uniaxial basalt fabric layers on the mechanical performances of a glass mat/epoxy composite used for marine applications. Polymer composites, reinforced by glass mat (GFRP), and hybrid ones, reinforced by glass mat and unidirectional basalt fabric, have been produced by vacuum bagging technique. Three points bending and tensile tests have been carried out in order to evaluate the effect of number and position of basalt layers on the mechanical properties of the investigated structures. The experimental tests have showed that the presence of two external layers of basalt involves the highest increase in mechanical properties of hy…

Effect of curing time on the performances of hybrid/mixed joints

Abstract The aim of this work is the study of a mixed method used for the joining of aluminum alloys with glass reinforced polymer’s substrates (in the next GFRP). In particular, the technique of self-piercing riveting (in the next SPR) was applied on a co-cured joint in order to evaluate the influence of the time of inserting the rivet on the mechanical behavior of the mixed joints. Three different joints were realized: adhesive by co-curing technique, mechanical by self piercing riveting (in the next SPR) and a mixed one in which the joining techniques (i.e. adhesive and mechanical) were combined. In particular, to determine the optimum time to insert the rivet, three different times from…

Experimental and numerical study of composite T-joints for marine application

Abstract The aim of this work was to study the behaviour of composite T-joints used in marine applications. The effect of several parameters was investigated. In particular, three configurations were studied; i.e. with adhesive and with two different over-laminations. Moreover, the joined sections were made of different materials. These joints were subjected to a tensile load in the plane of the sheet. To quantify the effect of different designs on the strength, a variance analysis was performed. Finally, a numerical model was developed using a commercial finite element code (Ansys).

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L.) fibres as potential reinforcement of composite structures

Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine the use of artichoke fibres as potential reinforcement in polymer composites. The fibres are extracted from the stem of artichoke plant, which grows in Southern Sicily. In order to use these lignocellulosic fibres as potential reinforcement in polymer composites, it is fundamental to investigate their microstructure, chemical composition and mechanical properties. Therefore, the morphology of artichoke fibres was investigated through electron microscopy, the thermal behaviour through thermogravimetric analysis and the real density through a helium pycnometer. The chemical composition of the natural fibres in terms of cellulose, lignin, and ash co…

Apoptosi dei subsets linfocitari CD4+/ CCR5+, CD4+/ CCR3+ e dei monociti in pazienti con leishmaniasi viscerale acuta

Performances of a granular sequencing batch reactor (GSBR).

Aerobic granulation in sequencing batch reactors is widely reported in literature and in particular in SBAR (Sequencing batch airlift reactor) configuration, due to the high localised hydrodynamic shear forces that occur in this type of configuration. The aim of this work was to observe the phenomenon of the aerobic granulation and to confirm the excellent removal efficiencies that can be achieved with this technology. In order to do that, a laboratory-scale plant, inoculated with activated sludge collected from a conventional WWTP, was operated for 64 days: 42 days as a SBAR and 22 days as a SBBC (sequencing batch bubble column). The performances of the pilot plant showed excellent organic…

Artichoke fibres as potential reinforcement of composite materials: mechanical and thermal characterization

Interleukin-15, as Interferon-gamma, Induces the Killing of Leishmania infantum in Phorbol-Myristate-Acetate-Activated Macrophages Increasing Interleukin-12

The potential leishmanicidal activity of interleukin-15 (IL-15) was examined while priming with the cytokine phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA)-activated macrophages and infecting them with Leishmania infantum parasites. The activation of macrophage cultures with IL-15 determined a significant anti-leishmanial activity, comparable with that induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The killing of Leishmania in macrophages primed with IL-15, as well as with IFN-gamma, was followed by an increase in the IL-12 synthesis. The neutralization of IL-15 or IFN-gamma, by specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) caused a significant reduction in leishmanicidal activity. Furthermore, in PMA-activated macroph…

Teletraffic Engineering for Direct Load Control in Smart Grids

International audience; The traditional paradigm for power grid operation is to continuously adapt energy production to demand. This paradigm is challenged by the increasing penetration of renewable sources, that are more variable and less predictable. An alternative approach is the direct load control of some inherently flexible electric loads to shape the demand. Direct control of deferrable loads presents analogies with flow admission control in telecommunication networks: a request for network resources (bandwidth or energy) can be delayed on the basis of the current network status in order to guarantee some performance metrics. In this paper we go beyond such an analogy, showing that u…

Membrane bioreactors sludge: From production to disposal

Abstract This chapter reviews the MBR activated sludge from production to disposal. Starting from sludge characterization, the chapter first presents the features of MBR sludge (morphology and EPS chemical composition), also in terms of differences with the activated sludge from conventional activated sludge plants. Sludge dewaterability is then discussed, focusing on the differences between aerobically and anaerobically digested sludge. An analysis of the costs related to MBR sludge treatment and disposal also is presented in order to provide a framework for a sustainable MBR sludge management.

The effect of alkaline treatment on mechanical properties of kenaf fibers and their epoxy composites

Abstract In this work, kenaf fibers were pre-treated in a NaOH solution (6% in weight) at room temperature for two different periods (48 and 144 h). The chemical treatment of kenaf fibers for 48 h allowed to clean their surface removing each impurity whereas 144 h of immersion time had detrimental effect on the fibers surface and, consequently, on their mechanical properties. Untreated and NaOH treated kenaf fibers (i.e. for 48 h) were also used as reinforcing agent of epoxy resin composites. The effect of the stacking sequence (i.e. using unidirectional long fibers or randomly oriented short fibers) and the chemical treatment on the static mechanical properties was evaluated showing that t…