Fluidization and coating of very dense powders by fluidized bed chemical vapour deposition.

The hydrodynamic behaviour of a very dense tungsten powder, 75 µm in median diameter and 19,300 kg/m3 in grain density, has been studied in a fluidized bed at room temperature using nitrogen and argon as carrier gas. Even if fluidization was achieved, the small bed expansion indicated that it was imperfect. Then, the fluidization was studied at 400 °C in order to investigate the feasibility of coating this powder by Fluidized Bed Chemical Vapour Deposition (FBCVD). In particular, the influence of the H0/D ratio (initial fixed bed height to reactor diameter) on the bed thermal behaviour was analysed. It appeared that at least 1.5 kg of powder (corresponding to a H0/D ratio of 1.8) was necessary to obtain an isothermal bed at 400°C. Finally, first results about alumina coatings on the tungsten powder by FBCVD from aluminium acetylacetonate are detailed. They show that for the quite low temperatures tested, the coatings are uniform on all bed particles and are formed of amorphous carbon containing alumina. This study demonstrates the efficiency to combine fluidization (instead of spouted bed) and CVD to coat such very dense powders

Physician-Assisted Dying Witnessed by Emergency Medical Services: A Case Report 

Introduction: Physician-assisted dying (PAD) is a practice that allows terminally ill patients to self-administer prescribed lethal medication.  In the 11 U.S. states where PAD is legal, the incidence of PAD cases is rapidly increasing.  Despite the majority of these cases occurring in the out-of-hospital setting, states lack specific emergency medical services (EMS) protocols to guide prehospital clinicians who may encounter PAD in the field.  Here, we describe a case in which a patient called 9-1-1 for a medical emergency and requested to ingest their prescribed lethal medication while in EMS care. Case Report: EMS was dispatched for a 56-year-old female who was bleeding from her tracheostomy stoma.  Despite the clinicians’ recommendation for transport to the emergency department, the patient refused transport and instead requested to ingest her PAD medication.  The crew, unfamiliar with PAD laws, were unsure if they could legally honor the patient’s refusal.  Clinicians consulted with on-line medical control, who were also unaware of PAD.  After extensive deliberation, the crew eventually decided to honor the patient's refusal and thoroughly document the situation.  The patient self-administered her medication as EMS cleared the scene. Conclusion: This case highlights the logistical challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by the responders, and underscores the complexity of balancing patient autonomy with legal and medical responsibilities in prehospital PAD situations.  As PAD becomes increasingly prevalent, equipping EMS clinicians with clear protocols and ongoing education about prehospital PAD cases is vital to preserving patient rights while protecting clinicians from legal and ethical uncertainty

Stormwater harvesting for irrigation purposes: An investigation of chemical quality of water recycled in pervious pavement system

Most available water resources in the world are used for agricultural irrigation. Whilst this level of water use is expected to increase due to rising world population and land use, available water resources are expected to become limited due to climate change and uneven rainfall distribution. Recycled stormwater has the potential to be used as an alternative source of irrigation water and part of sustainable water management strategy. This paper reports on a study to investigate whether a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) technique, known as the pervious pavements system (PPS) has the capability to recycle water that meets irrigation water quality standard. Furthermore, the experiment provided information on the impact of hydrocarbon (which was applied to simulate oil dripping from parked vehicles onto PPS), leaching of nutrients from different layers of the PPS and effects of nutrients (applied to enhance bioremediation) on the stormwater recycling efficiency of the PPS. A weekly dose of 6.23×10-3L of lubricating oil and single dose of 17.06g of polymer coated controlled-release fertilizer granules were applied to the series of 710mm×360mm model pervious pavement structure except the controls. Rainfall intensity of 7.4mm/h was applied to the test models at the rate of 3 events per week. Analysis of the recycled water showed that PPS has the capability to recycle stormwater to a quality that meets the chemical standards for use in agricultural irrigation irrespective of the type of sub-base used. There is a potential benefit of nutrient availability in recycled water for plants, but care should be taken not to dispose of this water in natural water courses as it might result in eutrophication problems. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Absorption and mobility of foliar-applied boron in soybean as affected by plant boron status and application as a polyol complex

In the present study (i) the impact of plant Boron (B) status on foliar B absorption and (ii) the effect of B complexation with polyols (sorbitol or mannitol) on B absorption and translocation was investigated. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Meer.) plants grown in nutrient solution containing 0 μM, 10 μM, 30 μM or 100 μM 11B labelled boric acid (BA) were treated with 50 mM 10B labelled BA applied to the basal parts of two leaflets of one leaf, either pure or in combination with 500 mM sorbitol or mannitol. After one week, 10B concentrations in different plant parts were determined. In B deficient leaves (0 μM 11B), 10B absorption was significantly lower than in all other treatments (9.7% of the applied dose vs. 26%–32%). The application of BA in combination with polyols increased absorption by 18–25% as compared to pure BA. The absolute amount of applied 10B moving out of the application zone was lowest in plants with 0 μM 11B supply (1.1% of the applied dose) and highest in those grown in 100 μM 11B (2.8%). The presence of sorbitol significantly decreased the share of mobile 10B in relation to the amount absorbed. The results suggest that 11B deficiency reduces the permeability of the leaf surface for BA. The addition of polyols may increase 10B absorption, but did not improve 10B distribution within the plant, which was even hindered when applied a sorbitol complex

Boron Stress Responsive MicroRNAs and Their Targets in Barley

Boron stress is an environmental factor affecting plant development and production. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in several plant processes such as growth regulation and stress responses. In this study, miRNAs associated with boron stress were identified and characterized in barley. miRNA profiles were also comparatively analyzed between root and leave samples. A total of 31 known and 3 new miRNAs were identified in barley; 25 of them were found to respond to boron treatment. Several miRNAs were expressed in a tissue specific manner; for example, miR156d, miR171a, miR397, and miR444a were only detected in leaves. Additionally, a total of 934 barley transcripts were found to be specifically targeted and degraded by miRNAs. In silico analysis of miRNA target genes demonstrated that many miRNA targets are conserved transcription factors such as Squamosa promoter-binding protein, Auxin response factor (ARF), and the MYB transcription factor family. A majority of these targets were responsible for plant growth and response to environmental changes. We also propose that some of the miRNAs in barley such as miRNA408 might play critical roles against boron exposure. In conclusion, barley may use several pathways and cellular processes targeted by miRNAs to cope with boron stress

Characterization of leaf apoplastic peroxidases and metabolites in Vigna unguiculata in response to toxic manganese supply and silicon

Previous work suggested that the apoplastic phenol composition and its interaction with apoplastic class III peroxidases (PODs) are decisive in the development or avoidance of manganese (Mn) toxicity in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). This study characterizes apoplastic PODs with particular emphasis on the activities of specific isoenzymes and their modulation by phenols in the Mn-sensitive cowpea cultivar TVu 91 as affected by Mn and silicon (Si) supply. Si reduced Mn-induced toxicity symptoms without affecting the Mn uptake. Blue Native-PAGE combined with Nano-LC-MS/MS allowed identification of a range of POD isoenzymes in the apoplastic washing fluid (AWF). In Si-treated plants Mn-mediated induction of POD activity was delayed. Four POD isoenzymes eluted from the BN gels catalysed both H2O2-consuming and H2O2-producing activity with pH optima at 6.5 and 5.5, respectively. Four phenols enhanced NADH-peroxidase activity of these isoenzymes in the presence of Mn2+ (p-coumaric=vanillic>>benzoic>ferulic acid). p-Coumaric acid-enhanced NADH-peroxidase activity was inhibited by ferulic acid (50%) and five other phenols (50–90%). An independent component analysis (ICA) of the total and apoplastic GC-MS-based metabolome profile showed that Mn, Si supply, and the AWF fraction (AWFH2O, AWFNaCl) significantly changed the metabolite composition. Extracting non-polar metabolites from the AWF allowed the identification of phenols. Predominantly NADH-peroxidase activity-inhibiting ferulic acid appeared to be down-regulated in Mn-sensitive (+Mn, –Si) and up-regulated in Mn-tolerant (+Si) leaf tissue. The results presented here support the previously hypothesized role of apoplastic NADH-peroxidase and its activity-modulating phenols in Mn toxicity and Si-enhanced Mn tolerance

Climatic effects on sugarcane ripening under the influence of cultivars and crop age

The lack of information about the effects of cultivars, crop age and climate on the sugarcane (Saccharum ssp.) crop yield and quality has been the primary factor impacting the sugar-ethanol sector in Brazil. One of the processes about which we do not have a satisfactory understanding is sugarcane ripening and the effects of cultivars, crop age and climate on that. Sugarcane ripening is the process of sucrose accumulation in stalks, which is heavily influenced by several factors, mainly by climatic conditions such as air temperature and water deficits. Because it is a complex process, studies of the variables involved in sugarcane ripening can provide important information, resulting in a better use of commercial cultivars, bringing advantages to growers, processing units, breeding programs and scientific community. In this review, we discuss the available knowledge of the interaction between climate conditions and sugarcane ripening, under the influence of genotypic characteristics and crop age. In several studies, the main conclusion is that sugarcane ripening depends on a complex combination of climate variables, the genetic potential of cultivars and crop management. Soil moisture and air temperature are the primary variables involved in sugarcane ripening, and their combination stimulates the intensity of the process. In addition, the need for studies integrating the effects of climate on plant physiological processes and on the use of chemical agents to stimulate sugarcane ripening is highlighted