bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-strength nitrogenous wastewater treatment in biofilm and granule anammox processes
Authors: Kim I. , Lee H. H. , Chung Y. C. , Jung J. Y.
Published: November 2009

Biofilm and granule reactors were employed to remove nitrogen via an anammox reaction applying synthetic nitrogen wastewater, whose concentration was in the range of 20 to 1,400 mg N/L as total nitrogen. A biofilm reactor was packed with non-woven fabric and a granule reactor was filled with anaerobic granular sludge taken from the brewery wastewater treatment plant. Both reactors were seeded with Planctomycetes KSU-1 and operated for 450 days. The biofilm reactor showed high NH4+-N and NO2−-N removal efficiencies of over 88% and 94%, respectively, until total nitrogen concentration was reached at 800 mg N/L. However, the biofilm reactor showed severe inhibition at over 1,000 mg N/L of total nitrogen due to nitrogen overloading. The granule reactor revealed better nitrogen removal performance than the biofilm reactor, showing high NH4+-N and NO2−-N removal efficiencies of over 90%, even at a total nitrogen concentration of 1,400 mg N/L. However, aggregation of anammox bacteria grown in the sludge bed after long-term operation resulted in the deterioration of nitrogen. The removal ratio of NH4+-N and NO2−-N was close to 1:1, suggesting other reactions related to ammonium oxidation could occur simultaneously. Free ammonia inhibition as well as NO2−-N could be significant when high-strength nitrogenous wastewater was applied.
Evaluation of the apparent losses caused by water meter under-registration in intermittent water supply
Authors: Criminisi A. , Fontanazza C. M. , Freni G. , Loggia G. La
Published: November 2009

Apparent losses are usually caused by water theft, billing errors, or revenue meter under-registration. While the first two causes are directly related to water utility management and may be reduced by improving company procedures, water meter inaccuracies are considered to be the most significant and hardest to quantify. Water meter errors are amplified in networks subjected to water scarcity, where users adopt private storage tanks to cope with the intermittent water supply. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of two variables influencing the apparent losses: water meter age and the private storage tank effect on meter performance. The study was carried out in Palermo (Italy). The impact of water meter ageing was evaluated in laboratory by testing 180 revenue meters, ranging from 0 to 45 years in age. The effects of the private water tanks were determined via field monitoring of real users and a mathematical model. This study demonstrates that the impact on apparent losses from the meter starting flow rapidly increases with meter age. Private water tanks, usually fed by a float valve, overstate meter under-registration, producing additional apparent losses between 15% and 40% for the users analysed in this study.
Oxidation of adsorbed ferrous iron: kinetics and influence of process conditions
Authors: Buamah R. , Petrusevski B. , Schippers J. C.
Published: November 2009

For the removal of iron from groundwater, aeration followed with rapid (sand) filtration is frequently applied. Iron removal in this process is achieved through oxidation of Fe2 +  in aqueous solution followed by floc formation as well as adsorption of Fe2 +  onto the filter media. The rate of oxidation of the adsorbed Fe2 +  on the filter media plays an important role in this removal process. This study focuses on investigating the effect of pH on the rate of oxidation of adsorbed Fe2 + . Fe2 +  has been adsorbed, under anoxic conditions, on iron oxide coated sand (IOCS) in a short filter column and subsequently oxidized by feeding the column with aerated water. Ferrous ions adsorbed at pH 5, 6, 7 and 8 demonstrated consumption of oxygen, when aerated water was fed into the column. The oxygen uptake at pH 7 and 8 was faster than at pH 5 and 6. However the difference was less pronounced than expected. The difference is attributed to the pH buffering effect of the IOCS. At feedwater pH 5, 6 and 7 the pH in the effluent was higher than in the influent, while a pH drop should occur because of oxidation of adsorbed Fe2 + . At pH 8, the pH dropped. These phenomena are attributed to the presence of calcium and /or ferrous carbonate in IOCS.
Secondary clarifier conditions conducting to secondary phosphorus release in a BNR plant
Authors: Mikola Anna , Rautiainen Jyri , Vahala Riku
Published: November 2009

A full-scale study at Pihlajaniemi BNR plant in Savonlinna Finland investigated in detail the conditions in which phosphorus release in the secondary clarifier can occur. For this purpose nutrient and ORP profiles were taken in different process conditions from the sludge blanket in the secondary clarifiers. The results show that in anaerobic conditions secondary phosphorus release can take place in the secondary clarifiers without any addition of exogenous COD. Long sludge retention time in the secondary clarifier was a prerequisite of anaerobic conditions in the sludge blanket, but retention time required varied with seasons and process conditions. Some indications of simultaneous phosphorus release and denitrification without COD input was also found. The re-absorption of the released phosphorus was observed in those parts of the sludge blanket, where nitrates were present. Even with very long sludge retention times the released phosphorus stayed inside the sludge blanket and it did not impair the effluent quality. An 18 month follow-up of the BNR process revealed, however, that occasionally dissolved phosphorus escaped from the sludge blanket. It was suggested, that this was the consequence of the missing nitrate containing layer at the upper part of the sludge blanket.
Potential future increase in extreme one-hour precipitation events over Europe due to climate change
Authors: Larsen A. N. , Gregersen I. B. , Christensen O. B. , Linde J. J. , Mikkelsen P. S.
Published: November 2009

In this study the potential increase of extreme precipitation in a future warmer European climate has been examined. Output from the regional climate model (RCM) HIRHAM4 covering Europe has been analysed for two periods, a control period 1961–1990 and a scenario 2071–2100, the latter following the IPCC scenario A2. The model has a resolution of about 12 km, which is unique compared with existing RCM studies that typically operate at 25–50 km scale, and make the results relevant to hydrological phenomena occurring at the spatial scale of the infrastructure designed to drain off rainfall in large urban areas. Extreme events with one- and 24-hour duration were extracted using the Partial Duration Series approach, a Generalized Pareto Distribution was fitted to the data and T-year events for return periods from 2 to 100 years were calculated for the control and scenario period in model cells across Europe. The analysis shows that there will be an increase of the intensity of extreme events generally in Europe; Scandinavia will experience the highest increase and southern Europe the lowest. A 20 year 1-hour precipitation event will for example become a 4 year event in Sweden and a 10 year event in Spain. Intensities for short durations and high return periods will increase the most, which implies that European urban drainage systems will be challenged in the future.
Vision-based system for the control and measurement of wastewater flow rate in sewer systems
Authors: Nguyen L. S. , Schaeli B. , Sage D. , Kayal S. , Jeanbourquin D. , Barry D. A. , Rossi L.
Published: November 2009

Combined sewer overflows and stormwater discharges represent an important source of contamination to the environment. However, the harsh environment inside sewers and particular hydraulic conditions during rain events reduce the reliability of traditional flow measurement probes. In the following, we present and evaluate an in situ system for the monitoring of water flow in sewers based on video images. This paper focuses on the measurement of the water level based on image-processing techniques. The developed image-based water level algorithms identify the wall/water interface from sewer images and measure its position with respect to real world coordinates. A web-based user interface and a 3-tier system architecture enable the remote configuration of the cameras and the image-processing algorithms. Images acquired and processed by our system were found to reliably measure water levels and thereby to provide crucial information leading to better understand particular hydraulic behaviors. In terms of robustness and accuracy, the water level algorithm provided equal or better results compared to traditional water level probes in three different in situ configurations.
Electrochemical treatment and operating cost analysis of textile wastewater using sacrificial iron electrodes
Authors: Kobya M. , Demirbas E. , Akyol A.
Published: November 2009

Electrocoagulation (EC) method with iron electrode was used to treat the textile wastewater in a batch reactor. Iron electrode material was used as a sacrificial electrode in monopolar parallel mode in this study. The removal efficiencies of the wastewater by EC were affected by initial pH of the solution, current density, conductivity and time of electrolysis. Under the optimal experimental conditions (initial pH 6.9, current density of 10 mA/cm2, conductivity of 3,990 μS/cm, and electrolysis time of 10 min), the treatment of textile wastewater by the EC process led to a removal capacity of 78% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 92% of turbidity. The energy and electrode consumptions at the optimum conditions were calculated to be 0.7 kWh/kg COD (1.7 kWh/m3) and 0.2 kgFe/kg COD (0.5 kgFe/m3), respectively. Moreover, the operating cost was calculated as 0.2 €/kg removed COD or 0.5 €/m3 treated wastewater. Zeta potential measurement was used to determine the charge of particle formed during the EC which revealed that Fe(OH)3 might be responsible for the EC process.
The substitution of sand filtration by immersed-UF for surface water treatment: pilot-scale studies
Authors: Lihua Sun , Xing Li , Guoyu Zhang , Jie Chen , Zhe Xu , Guibai Li
Published: November 2009

The newly issued National Drinking Water Standard required that turbidity should be lower than 1 NTU, and the substitution of sand filtration by immersed ultrafiltration (immersed-UF) is feasible to achieve the standard. This study aimed to optimise the operational processes (i.e. aeration, backwashing) through pilot scale studies, to control membrane fouling while treating the sedimentation effluent. Results indicated that the immersed-UF was promising to treat the sedimentation effluent. The turbidity was below 0.10 NTU, bacteria and E. coli were not detected in the permeate water. The intermittent filtration with aeration is beneficial to inhibit membrane fouling. The critical aeration intensity is observed to be 60.0 m3 m−2 h−1. At this aeration intensity, the decline rate of permeate flux in one period of backwashing was 1.94% and 7.03% for intermittent filtration and sustained filtration respectively. The different membrane backwashing methods (i.e. aeration 1.5 min, synchronous aeration and water backwashing 2 min, water backwashing 1.5 min; synchronous aeration and water backwashing 3 min, water backwashing 2 min; aeration 3 min, single water backwashing 2 min; synchronous aeration and water backwashing 5 min; single water backwashing 5 min) on the recovery of permeate flux were compared, indicating that the synchronous aeration and water backwashing exhibited best potential for permeate flux recovery. The optimal intensity of water backwashing is shown to be 90.0 L m−2 h−1. When the actual water intensity was below or exceeded the value, the recovery rate of permeate flux would be reduced. Additionally, the average operating cost for the immersed UF membrane, including the power, the chemical cleaning reagents, and membrane modules replacement, was about 0.31 RMB/m3.
Increased performance of secondary clarifiers using dynamic distribution of minimum return sludge rates
Authors: Lynggaard-Jensen A. , Andreasen P. , Husum F. , Nygaard M. , Kaltoft J. , Landgren L. , Møller F. , Brodersen E.
Published: November 2009

Most wastewater treatment plants have several secondary clarifiers or even more sets of clarifiers including several secondary clarifiers, and in practice it is a well known problem that equal distribution of the load to the single clarifier (or set of clarifiers) is very difficult—not to say impossible—to obtain. If the problem is neglected, quite a big percentage of the total clarifier capacity—measured as the max. allowed hydraulic load—can be lost. Further, return sludge rates are seldom controlled by any other means than as a (typically too high) percentage of the inlet to the wastewater treatment plant—giving a varying and too low suspended solids concentration in the return sludge, which again can lead to an unnecessary use of polymer in the pre-dewatering of the surplus sludge taken from the return sludge. A control of the return sludge rate divided into two parts - control of the total return sludge flow and control of how the total flow shall be distributed between the secondary clarifiers - is able to solve the mentioned problems. Finally, as shall be demonstrated on full scale wastewater treatment plants, a considerable increase of the hydraulic capacity of the treatment plants can be obtained.
Effect of the Number of Applications of Acetone-based Adhesives on Microtensile Bond Strength and the Hybrid Layer
Authors: Elkassas D. , Taher H. A. , Elsahn N. , Hafez R. , El-Badrawy W.
Published: November 2009

Clinical Relevance

The application technique of total- and self-etching bonding resins affects their bonding strength to dentin.
Effect of Glass-ionomer Cement Lining on Postoperative Sensitivity in Occlusal Cavities Restored with Resin Composite—A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Burrow M. F. , Banomyong D. , Harnirattisai C. , Messer H. H.
Published: November 2009

Clinical Relevance

Glass-ionomer lining showed no benefit in reducing postoperative sensitivity associated with occlusal resin composite restorations. The use of self-etching adhesive demonstrated postoperative sensitivity similar to that of total-etching adhesive.
How Dentists Diagnose and Treat Defective Restorations: Evidence from The Dental Practice-based Research Network
Authors: Gordan V. V. , Garvan C. W. , Richman J. S. , Fellows J. L. , Rindal D. B. , Qvist V. , Heft M. W. , Williams O. D. , Gilbert G. H. ,   for the DPBRN Collaborative Group
Published: November 2009

Clinical Relevance

Dentists who did not assess caries risk as a routine part of the treatment planning process were more likely to choose a surgical intervention and less likely to choose a preventive treatment.
Characterization and Utilization of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) from Rice Mill of Bangladesh
Authors: Farooque KN , Zaman M , Halim E , Islam S , Hossain M , Mollah YA , Mahmood AJ
Published: November 2009

The characterization of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) was carried out using conventional chemical analysis and instrumental techniques. Chemical analysis reveals that RHA contains mainly silica along with minor inorganic oxides. Phase analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates the presence of quartz, crystobalite and anorthite, while micro structural features obtained from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) shows that RHA particles are highly porous and honeycombed structure. Thermal analysis indicates the presence of surface moisture. A wide range of particles (0.001-0.100 mm) are present in the sample with 59% below the size of 0.05 mm. However after characterization, utilization of RHA as a potential cost effective ingredient in developing a variety of construction materials (e.g. building brick, insulating brick and pozzolana cement) have been examined. The results obtained are very promising. Keywords : Charcterization, Rice husk ash, XRD, SEM, Construction material.   DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i2.3666 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(2), 157-162, 2009
A Mathematical Model for the Alkylation of o-Cresol with Cyclohexanol
Authors: Ashaduzzaman M , Saha Manoranjan , Islam Shams Tania Afroza , Ismail Mohammad , Sharif Nashid , Galib Mirza
Published: November 2009

A mathematical model was developed for the alkylation of o-cresol with cyclohexanol in the presence of perchloric acid as a catalyst. A set of trials was planned according to a 3 factor 2-level Yates pattern experimental design. The variables chosen for the study were temperature, molar ratio of o-cresol to cyclohexanol and amount of perchloric acid. The critical response was the yield of cyclohexyl o-cresol. Main effects as well as two-and three-factor interaction effects were statistically significant. The adequacy of the suggested model was checked up. The highest experimentally found yield was 89.3% while the estimated yield was found to be 89.09%. The experimentally settings were temperature, 140O C; molar ratio of o-cresol to cyclohexanol, 6:1; amount of catalyst, 5% by wt. of o-cresol; addition time, 2 h; stirring time, 1 h. Keywords: o-Cresol, Cyclohexanol, Experimental design, Alkylation. DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i2.3669 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(2), 181-186, 2009
Evaluation of Aflatoxins and Pesticide Residues in Fresh and Different Processed Mushrooms
Authors: Kamal Abu Saleh Mostafa , Khair Abul , Dawlatana Mamtaz , Hassan M Tariqul , Begum Fauzia , Rahim Matiur
Published: November 2009

Mushrooms are becoming popular to us due to their nutritional, medicinal and therapeutic values. Toxicity of aflatoxins, presence of DDT and heptachlor as pesticide residue are rare in edible mushrooms but not non-existent. So an attempt has been made to determine its presence and to the same quantify using HPLC and GC. Total seven categories of mushrooms and mushroom-based food products were analyzed. Among them (6 samples) 85.72% of the total was found to be free from aflatoxins. On the other hand, 5.53282 μgkg-1 of aflatoxin B1 was found to be present in canned Button mushrooms (Agaricus spp).The results revealed that 14.28% (1 sample) of samples were toxicated by aflatoxin B1, compare to the total samples analyzed including the imported was in the form of processed/preserved mushrooms. In the present experiments it was also observed that there were no aflatoxins in fresh-cut mushrooms and in the recently developed Mushroom-juice even in dried and powdered as processed Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) which are being widely cultivated in Bangladesh. No pesticide residue such as DDT or heptachlor was detected in any of the samples examined. Key words: Mushrooms, Oyster, Button, Aflatoxins, DDT, Heptachlor; Pesticide residue.  DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i2.3671 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(2), 193-198, 2009
Study of Mutagenic Effect of Coccinea cordifolia (Linn.) Cogn. Leaf Extract on Neurospora crassa Fungus
Authors: Bhuiyan M Nazrul Islam , Mozmader TIMA , Hoque M Amirul , Akter Sumi , Islam M Rafiqual
Published: November 2009

Coccinea cordifolia (Linn.) Cogn. leaf extract showed significant mutagenic effect on Neurospora crassa fungus. Observation after 24 hours, control showed 2.9 cm linear vegetative growth of the mycelia where C. cordifolia leaf with N. crassa showed 0.25 cm growth and it is 12 times less than the control. Besides, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 ml extract showed gradual decrease of growth of mycelia. This result indicates that this plant was suitable for induction of mutation in N. crassa. After mutation of N. crassa Ema (5297) conidia with C. cordifolia leaf extract, 6 types of mutants were found namely- dirty, ropy, albino, mat, cauliflower, conidial brand. Albino mutant showed highest frequency (35%) where ropy showed lowest frequency (5%). Key words: Neurospora crassa, Coccinea cordifolia, Mutants, Dirty, Ropy, Albino, Mat,Cauliflower and Conidial brand. DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i2.3675 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(2), 215-220, 2009
Incidence and Damage Severity of Pod Borer, Helicoverpa Armigera (Hubner) in Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.)
Authors: Hossain M Altaf , Haque A Azizul , Prodhan MZH
Published: November 2009

Incidence, population fluctuations and damage severity of pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) chickpea was studied at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ishurdi, Pabna, Bangladesh during rabi crop seasons of 2003-04 and 2004-05. The incidence started in 2nd to 4th week of January irrespective of sowing dates. The borer population fluctuated depending on the dates of sowing. Pod borer population was higher in the early sown crops (October 15 to November 01) and with delayed the dates of sowing from November 01 to 30 population was decreased and then increased again. It was observed that both the early (October 15 to November 01) and late sown (December and onward) crops received higher pod borer damage and produced lower yield. But mid sown (November 08 to 30) crops received less pod borer damage and produced higher yield. Hence, for ensuring higher yield with less pod borer damage, chickpea should be sown within the range of November 08 to 30 and the best date of sowing seems to be November 15. Key words: Chickpea, Pod borer, Population fluctuation, Damage severity, Yield. DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i2.3676 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(2), 221-224, 2009
Composition and Binding Properties of Mucilages from Stem Bark of Grewia venusta and Calyx of Bombax costatum, two Tropical Plants Growing Wild in Togo
Authors: Nenonene Amen Y , Koba Koffi , Sanda Komla , Rigal Luc
Published: November 2009

The stem bark of Grewia venusta and the flower sepal of Bombax costatum, two mucilaginous plants, were investigated as potential sources of bioadhesives for formaldehyde-free particleboards. Mucilage and pectin fractions of both plant organs were analysed for monosaccharides identification and quantification. The binding properties of these mucilages were investigated by testing mechanically particleboard made with the extracted mucilages. The aqueous extraction and ethanolic precipitation, followed by ionic chromatography gave the following results. Depending on the plant organ, extraction yield varied from 12% to 45 %. The pectin from B. costatum contained mainly rhamnose and arabinose (85%), while G. venusta bark's pectin enclosed basically arabinose, glucose and fucose (80%). The mechanical behaviour of the panels met most of the requirements of ANSI 208.1 standard. Keywords: Bombax costatum, Grewia venusta, Pectin, Mucilage and Monosaccharides DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i2.3681 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(2), 247-253, 2009
Identification of Drosophila Promoter Using Positional Differential Matrix and Support Vector Machine from Sequence Data
Authors: Haque Azizul , Anwar Firoz , Jabid Taskeed , Baker Syed Murtuza , Khan Haseena , Islam Mohammad Nurul , Shoyaib Mohammad
Published: November 2009

Promoter region plays an important role in controlling gene expression of any living organism. It regulates gene transcription by providing space to the RNA polymerase and transcription factors to bind and interact with. Binding of appropriate transcription initiation complex is determined by the specific promoter sequence carrying gene specific motifs. The promoter recognition process is a part of the complex process where genes interact with each other over time and actually regulates the whole working process of a cell. Thus computational method for identifying promoter is a focal point for researchers. This paper presents an algorithm for identifying Drosophila melanogaster promoter using differential positional frequency matrix between promoter and non-promoter sequences which shows maximum 90.36% tenfold cross validation accuracy. The proposed method exhibits greater accuracy for detecting promoters. Also higher sensitivity and specificity results elucidate that the proposed method is less prone to false negatives and false positives compared to some other existing methods.  Key words:  Drosophila, Promoter, Sequence data D.O.I. 10.3329/ptcb.v18i2.3394 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 18(2): 123-130, 2008 (December)
Construction of Genetic Map of Jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) Based on RAPD Markers
Authors: Haque Samiul , Ashraf Nadim , Begum Selina , Sarkar R.H. , Khan Haseena
Published: November 2009

The first and preliminary genetic linkage map of the jute genome was constructed with RAPD markers using two parents (variety O-9897 and accession no. 1805) and their F2 populations. Linkage analysis at a LOD (Log of odds base 10) score of 3.0 and a maximum distance 50 cM revealed 18 linkage groups. Among the 18 linkage groups, 15 contained single locus and the remaining three groups 16, 17 and 18 contained 2, 11 and 12 loci, respectively. The three multi locus linkage groups varying in length from 15.9 - 241.7 cM, snapped a total length of 463.7 cM with an average marker density of 19.6 cM between adjacent markers. The basic chromosome number of Corchorus spp. is seven (2n = 14), so in saturated map, seven linkage groups should have been obtained to represent the genome. But for linkage group analysis, the effort was very limited and the total number of loci (40) was also low.  Key words: Jute, Linkage map, RAPD, Polymorphism D.O.I 10.3329/ptcb.v18i2.3647 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 18(2): 165-172, 2008 (December)
Jute - Microbiological and Biochemical Research
Authors: Ahmed Zakaria , Nizam Syed Asif
Published: November 2009

The role of microorganisms obtained from jute (Corchorus spp.) in the retting of dry ribbons of jute was determined. Efficiency of fungus on retting of green ribbon and dry ribbon of jute was also examined. Attempt was made to determine the effect of nature of the harvested jute plants on the production of cuttings and improvement of their fibre quality, and the impact of stem-water ratio and retting of its top and basal parts separately on the quality of fibre. Distribution and activity of microbial population for jute retting and their impact on the water quality of jute growing areas of Bangladesh was also surveyed. Utilization and suitability of retting effluents as a fertilizer in vegetable crops production were also determined. Micrococcus spp. were identified as an accelerator of jute retting. Referring to the recent advancements made in isolating completed/partial genes controlling desirable traits, it is suggested to use the modern molecular technology not only to improve the quality of jute fibres but also bioengineer microbial flora to further reduce the retting time without sacrificing fibre qualities. Key words: Jute, Chemical composition, Bast fibre, Jute-cotton yarn, Transformation D.O.I. 10.3329/ptcb.v18i2.3651 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 18(2): 197-220, 2008 (December)
Impacts of Large Scale Wind Penetration on Energy Supply Industry
Authors: Kabouris John , Kanellos Fotis D.
Published: November 2009

Large penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) impacts Energy Supply Industry (ESI) in many aspects leading to a fundamental change in electric power systems. It raises a number of technical challenges to the Transmission System Operators (TSOs), Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Wind Turbine Generators (WTG) constructors. This paper aims to present in a thorough and coherent way the redrawn picture for Energy Systems under these conditions. Topics related to emergent technical challenges, technical solutions required and finally the impact on ESI due to large wind power penetration, are analyzed. Finally, general conclusions are extracted about the ESI current and future state and general directions are recommended.
Editorial: Nanotechnological Advances in Biosensors
Authors: Nadeau Jay
Published: November 2009

A biosensor is a physicochemical or hybrid physical-chemical-biological device that detects a biological molecule, organism, or process. Because of the nature of their targets, biosensors need to be faster, smaller, more sensitive, and more specific than nearly all of their physicochemical counterparts or the traditional methods that they are designed to replace. Speed is of the essence in medical diagnosis as it permits for rapid, accurate treatment and does not allow patients to be lost to follow-up. Small size and greater sensitivity mean less-invasive sampling and detection of molecules such as neurotransmitters or hormones at biologically-relevant levels. Greater specificity allows assays to be performed in complex fluids such as blood or urine without false negative or false positive results. [...]
Retrotransposons within Syntenic Regions between Soybean and Medicago truncatula and Their Contribution to Local Genome Evolution
Authors: Joseph Bindu , Schlueter Jessica A. , Du Jianchang , Graham Michelle A. , Ma Jianxin , Shoemaker Randy C.
Published: November 2009

Comparative genome analyses have described the extent of macro and microsynteny among closely related legumes. The organization of the intergenic regions within syntenic blocks and the involvement of retrotransposons in the evolution of these regions have not been studied in detail. In this paper, retrotransposon rich (gene‐poor) and retrotransposon poor (gene‐rich) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] regions showing synteny with Medicago truncatula Gaertn. were analyzed to understand the role of retrotransposons in the evolution of syntenic regions. The majority of the intact retroelements were inserted 2 million years ago (MYA). The abundance and the types of retrotransposons vary in homoeologous soybean regions. The retrotransposon‐rich region showed local genome expansion in soybean compared to Medicago. The retrotransposon‐poor region showed local genome expansion in Medicago suggesting that local genome sizes do not always reflect the global genome size difference between soybean and Medicago. One unique observation was the three‐fold expansion of an ubiquitin specific protease (UBP12) gene in soybean due to multiple intronic retroelement insertions; yet a full‐length transcript from the soybean UBP12 gene was confirmed. This study also uncovered a sample of the less explored non‐LTR retrotransposons in soybean and their presence in the introns of genes.
Karyotypic Evolution of the Common and Silverleaf Sunflower Genomes
Authors: Heesacker Adam F. , Bachlava Eleni , Brunick Robert L. , Burke John M. , Rieseberg Loren H. , Knapp Steven J.
Published: November 2009

Silverleaf sunflower (Helianthus argophyllusTorrey and Gray) has been an important source of favorable alleles for broadening genetic diversity and enhancing agriculturally important traits in common sunflower (H. annuusL.), and, as the closest living relative ofH. annuus, provides an excellent model for understanding how apparently maladaptive chromosomal rearrangements became established in this genus. The genomes ofH. annuusandH. argophylluswere comparatively mapped to identify syntenic and rearranged chromosomes and develop genomic blueprints for predicting the impact of chromosomal rearrangements on interspecific gene flow. Syntenic chromosomal segments were identified and aligned using 131 orthologous DNA marker loci distributed throughout theH. annuusgenome (299 DNA marker loci were mapped inH. argophyllus). We identified 28 colinear chromosomal segments, 10 colinear chromosomes, and seven chromosomal rearrangements (five non‐reciprocal translocations and two inversions). FourH. argophylluschromosomes carrying non‐reciprocal translocations apparently arose from the duplication of two chromosomes, and threeH. argophylluschromosomes apparently arose from end‐to‐end or end‐to‐opposite‐end fusions of chromosomes or chromosome segments. Chromosome duplication may reduce the initial fitness costs of chromosomal rearrangements, thereby facilitating their establishment. Despite dramatic differences in chromosome architecture, a significant fraction of theH. argophyllusgenome appears to be accessible for introgression intoH. annuus.
SNP Discovery via Genomic Reduction, Barcoding, and 454‐Pyrosequencing in Amaranth
Authors: Maughan Peter J. , Yourstone Scott M. , Jellen Eric N. , Udall Joshua A.
Published: November 2009

The grain amaranths are important pseudo‐cereals native to the New World. During the last decade they have garnered increased international attention for their nutritional quality, tolerance to abiotic stress, and importance as a symbol of indigenous cultures. We report the development of a novel genomic reduction protocol based on restriction‐site conservation and multiplex identifiers (MID) barcodes to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a pooled amaranth library of four mapping parents. The incorporation of MID barcodes allowed for DNA sample pooling, sequence deconvolution, and the identification of SNPs for specific mapping populations without additional genotyping. Approximately 1.3 million sequence‐reads with an average read length of 440 bp were collected from a single 454‐pyrosequencing run. Contigs specific to each of the four mapping populations were assembled. The assembled contigs had an average read‐length of 464 bp, and an average read‐depth of 16X. A total of 27,658 SNPs were observed across all populations. The average base coverage at all SNPs was 20X. Thirty‐four of 35 (97%) predicted SNPs were verified via resequencing and the random genomic distribution of the SNPs generated using this approach was shown in Arabidopsis. The method does not require a priori sequence information and should be readily adaptable to other species.
Measuring the performance of aphids: fecundity versus biomass
Authors: Lamb Robert J. , MacKay Patricia A. , Migui Samuel M.
Published: November 2009

Fecundity and biomass of nine species of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) feeding on six species of plants were compared to assess whether the two measures are equally effective for quantifying aphid performance. Performance was quantified by measuring both fecundity (the number of offspring born over a defined interval) and biomass (the dry mass of offspring produced) using three variables expected to affect performance: host-plant genotype, aphid genotype, and aphid density. The efficacy of the performance parameters was assessed by comparing their ability to discriminate among treatments for the three variables. Biomass usually provided a more effective measure of performance than fecundity, but for one aphid species, fecundity was more effective than biomass. Biomass of offspring is the preferred measure of performance, but biomass and fecundity should both be recorded whenever practical.
Activity of flying beetles (Coleoptera) at two heights in canopy gaps and intact forests in a hardwood forest in Quebec
Authors: Schroeder Briana , Buddle Christopher M. , Saint-Germain Michel
Published: November 2009

We studied the effects of forest height and forest gap on assemblages of flying beetles in an American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. (Fagaceae) – sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh. (Aceraceae)) forest in Quebec. From June until August of 2005, beetles were collected in Lindgren funnel traps placed in the canopy (20–25 m height) and upper understorey (3–5 m height) in proximity to five forest gaps (15–30 m in diameter) (at the edge of the forest opening or within the closed-canopy forest). We collected 1852 beetles representing 38 families and 172 species. Based on rarefaction curves, species richness was significantly higher in the canopy than in the upper understorey. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination revealed a change in species composition in relation to vertical stratification but not to the forest gaps. Our findings confirmed the importance of the vertical forest gradient to overall diversity of forest coleopterans.
Dasineura plicatrix (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae): a recent introduction into North America
Authors: Sinclair Bradley J. , Mann Jasbir , Elmhirst Janice , Grogan Tammas , Ashekian Caroline , Hueppelsheuser Tracy
Published: November 2009

The first record of a European blackberry leaf gall midge, Dasineura plicatrix (Loew), is confirmed from North America. Specimens were reared from damaged leaves of blackberry, Rubus laciniatus Willd. (thornless variety ‘Chester’), and red raspberry, R. idaeus L. (variety ‘Cascade Delight’) (Rosaceae), in southwestern British Columbia. Photographs of the damage and illustrations of the male terminalia and female ovipositor are presented to assist future determinations.
Transport of fungal symbionts by mountain pine beetles
Authors: Bleiker K.P. , Potter S.E. , Lauzon C.R. , Six D.L.
Published: November 2009

The perpetuation of symbiotic associations between bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and ophiostomatoid fungi requires the consistent transport of fungi by successive beetle generations to new host trees. We used scanning electron microscopy and culture methods to investigate fungal transport by the mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins. MPB transports its two main fungal associates, Grosmannia clavigera (Robinson-Jeffrey and Davidson) Zipfel, de Beer and Wingfield and Ophiostoma montium (Rumbold) von Arx, in sac-like mycangia on the maxillary cardines as well as on the exoskeleton. Although spores of both species of fungi were observed on MPB exoskeletons, often in pits, O. montium spores were generally more abundant than G. clavigera spores. However, a general scarcity of spores of either species on MPB exoskeletons compared with numbers on scolytines that lack sac-like mycangia indicates that fungal transport exteriorly on MPBs is incidental rather than adaptive. Conidia were the dominant spore type transported regardless of location or species; however, our results suggest that once acquired in mycangia, conidia may reproduce in a yeast-like form and even produce hypha-like strands and compact conidiophore-like structures. Fungi that propagate in mycangia may provide beetles with a continual source of inocula during the extended egg-laying period.
Identification, distribution, and molecular characterization of the apple aphids Aphis pomi and Aphis spiraecola (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphidinae)
Authors: Foottit R.G. , Lowery D.T. , Maw H.E.L. , Smirle M.J. , Lushai G.
Published: November 2009

Morphometric techniques, DNA mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) barcoding, and microsatellite flanking region sequences were used to assess the reliability of suggested morphological characters in distinguishing the green apple aphid (Aphis pomi De Geer) from the spirea aphid (Aphis spiraecola Patch), and to assess variation within these species. Both molecular approaches clearly distinguished two groups corresponding to the morphologically defined species. Differences in the length of the distal rostral segment and the number of lateral tubercles were found to be robust indicators of species membership, performing as well as multivariate approaches. Among A. pomi samples, microsatellite flanking region sequences were relatively uniform, whereas A. spiraecola exhibited much variability, which suggests that North American populations of the latter species are genetically much more complex.
On the Geometry ofp-Typical Covers in Characteristicp
Authors: Kedlaya Kiran S.
Published: November 2009

Forpa prime, ap-typical cover of a connected scheme on whichp= 0 is a finite étale cover whose monodromy group (i.e.,the Galois group of its normal closure) is ap-group. The geometry of such covers exhibits some unexpectedly pleasant behaviors; building on work of Katz, we demonstrate some of these. These include a criterion for when a morphism induces an isomorphism of thep-typical quotients of the étale fundamental groups, and a decomposition theorem forp-typical covers of polynomial rings over an algebraically closed field.
Boundary Structure of Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds Admitting Annular and Toroidal Fillings at Large Distance
Authors: Lee Sangyop , Teragaito Masakazu
Published: November 2009

For a hyperbolic 3-manifold M with a torus boundary component, all but finitely many Dehn fillings yield hyperbolic 3-manifolds. In this paper, we will focus on the situation where M has two exceptional Dehn fillings: an annular filling and a toroidal filling. For such a situation, Gordon gave an upper bound of 5 for the distance between such slopes. Furthermore, the distance 4 is realized only by two specific manifolds, and 5 is realized by a single manifold. These manifolds all have a union of two tori as their boundaries. Also, there is a manifold with three tori as its boundary which realizes the distance 3. We show that if the distance is 3 then the boundary of the manifold consists of at most three tori.
Furstenberg Transformations and Approximate Conjugacy
Authors: Lin Huaxin
Published: November 2009

Let α and β be two Furstenberg transformations on 2-torus associated with irrational numbers θ1, θ2, integers d1, d2 and Lipschitz functions f1 and f2. It is shown that α and β are approximately conjugate in ameasure theoretical sense if (and only if) θ1 ± θ2 = 0 in R/Z. Closely related to the classification of simple amenable C*-algebras, it is shown that α and β are approximately K-conjugate if (and only if) θ1 ± θ2 = 0 in R/Z and |d1| = |d2|. This is also shown to be equivalent to the condition that the associated crossed product C*-algebras are isomorphic.
Amibes de sommes d’exponentielles
Authors: Silipo James
Published: November 2009

L’objectif de cet article est d’étudier la notion d’amibe au sens de Favorov pour les systèmes finis de sommes d’exponentielles à fréquences réelles et de montrer que, sous des hypothèses de généricité sur les fréquences, le complémentaire de l’amibe d’un système de (k+1) sommes d’exponentielles à fréquences réelles est un sous-ensemble k-convexe au sens d’Henriques.
Transfert des intègrales orbitales pour les algèbres de Lie classiques
Authors: Bernon Florent
Published: November 2009

Dans cet article, on considère un groupe semi-simple $G$ classique réel et connexe. On suppose de plus que $G$ possède un sous-groupe de Cartan compact. On définit une famille de sous-algèbres de Lie associée à $\mathfrak{g}=\text{Lie(G)}$, de même rang que g dont tous les facteurs simples sont de rang 1 ou 2. Soit $\mathfrak{g}'$ une telle sous-algèbre de Lie. On construit alors une application de transfert des intégrales orbitales de $\mathfrak{g}'$ dans l’espace des intégrales orbitales de $\mathfrak{g}$. On montre que cette application est définie dès que $\mathfrak{g}$ne possède pas de facteur simple réel de type CI de rang supérieur ouégal à 3. Si de plus, $\mathfrak{g}$ ne possède pas de facteur simple de type BI de rang supérieur à 3, on montre la surjectivité de cette application de transfert.

On utilise cette application de transfert pour obtenir une formule de réduction de l’intégrale de Cauchy Harish-Chandra pour les paires duales d’algèbres de Lie réductives $(U(p,q),U(r,s))$ et $(Sp(p,q),{{O}^{*}}(2n))$ avec $p+q=r+s=n$.
Examples of Calabi–Yau 3-Folds of ℙ7 with ρ = 1
Authors: Bertin Marie-Amélie
Published: November 2009

Abstract. We give some examples of Calabi–Yau 3-folds with $\rho =1$ and $\rho =2$, defined over $\mathbb{Q}$ and constructed as 4-codimensional subvarieties of ${{\mathbb{P}}^{7}}$ via commutative algebra methods. We explain how to deduce their Hodge diamond and top Chern classes from computer based computations over some finite field ${{\mathbb{F}}_{p}}$. Three of our examples (of degree 17 and 20) are new. The two others (degree 15 and 18) are known, and we recover their well-known invariants with ourmethod. These examples are built out of Gulliksen–Neg°ard and Kustin–Miller complexes of locally free sheaves.

Finally, we give two new examples of Calabi–Yau 3-folds of ${{\mathbb{P}}^{6}}$ of degree 14 and 15 (defined over $\mathbb{Q}$). We show that they are not deformation equivalent to Tonoli's examples of the same degree, despite the fact that they have the same invariants $({{H}^{3}},{{c}_{2}}.H,{{c}_{3}})$ and $\rho =1$.
On the 2-Rank of the Hilbert Kernel of Number Fields
Authors: Griffiths Ross , Lescop Mikaël
Published: November 2009

Abstract. Let $E/F$ be a quadratic extension of number fields. In this paper, we show that the genus formula for Hilbert kernels, proved by M. Kolster and A. Movahhedi, gives the 2-rank of the Hilbert kernel of $E$ provided that the 2-primary Hilbert kernel of $F$ is trivial. However, since the original genus formula is not explicit enough in a very particular case, we first develop a refinement of this formula in order to employ it in the calculation of the 2-rank of $E$ whenever $F$ is totally real with trivial 2-primary Hilbert kernel. Finally, we apply our results to quadratic, bi-quadratic, and tri-quadratic fields which include a complete 2-rank formula for the family of fields $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2},\sqrt{\delta )}$ where $\delta $ is a squarefree integer.
Minimal Transitive Factorizations of Permutations into Cycles
Authors: Irving John
Published: November 2009

Abstract. We introduce a new approach to an enumerative problem closely linked with the geometry of branched coverings, that is, we study the number ${{H}_{\alpha }}({{i}_{2}},{{i}_{3}},...)$) of ways a given permutation (with cycles described by the partition $\alpha $) can be decomposed into a product of exactly ${{i}_{2}}$ 2-cycles, ${{i}_{3}}$ 3-cycles, etc., with certain minimality and transitivity conditions imposed on the factors. The method is to encode such factorizations as planar maps with certain descent structure and apply a new combinatorial decomposition to make their enumeration more manageable. We apply our technique to determine ${{H}_{\alpha }}({{i}_{2}},{{i}_{3}},...)$ when $\alpha $ has one or two parts, extending earlier work of Goulden and Jackson. We also show how these methods are readily modified to count inequivalent factorizations, where equivalence is defined by permitting commutations of adjacent disjoint factors. Our technique permits us to generalize recent work of Goulden, Jackson, and Latour, while allowing for a considerable simplification of their analysis.
Invariant Einstein Metrics on Some Homogeneous Spaces of Classical Lie Groups
Authors: Arvanitoyeorgos Andreas , Dzhepko V. V. , Nikonorov Yu. G.
Published: November 2009

A Riemannian manifold (M, ρ) is called Einstein if the metric ρ satisfies the condition Ric(ρ) = c · ρ for some constant c. This paper is devoted to the investigation of G-invariant Einstein metrics, with additional symmetries, on some homogeneous spaces G/H of classical groups. As a consequence, we obtain new invariant Einstein metrics on some Stiefel manifolds SO(n)/SO(l). Furthermore, we show that for any positive integer p there exists a Stiefelmanifold SO(n)/SO(l) that admits at least p SO(n)-invariant Einstein metrics.
Uniqueness of Shalika Models
Authors: Nien Chufeng
Published: November 2009

Let 𝔽q be a finite field of q elements, 𝓕 a p-adic field, and D a quaternion division algebra over 𝓕. This paper proves uniqueness of Shalika models for GL2n(𝔽q) and GL2n(D), and re-obtains uniqueness of Shalika models for GL2n(𝔽q) and GL2n(D), and re-obtains uniqueness of Shalika models for GL2n (𝓕) for any n ∈ ℕ.
Simultaneous Polynomial Approximations of the Lerch Function
Authors: Rivoal Tanguy
Published: November 2009

We construct bivariate polynomial approximations of the Lerch function that for certain specialisations of the variables and parameters turn out to be Hermite–Padé approximants either of the polylogarithms or ofHurwitz zeta functions. In the former case, we recover known results, while in the latter the results are new and generalise some recent works of Beukers and Prévost. Finally, we make a detailed comparison of our work with Beukers’. Such constructions are useful in the arithmetical study of the values of the Riemann zeta function at integer points and of the Kubota–Leopold p-adic zeta function.
On a Class of Landsberg Metrics in Finsler Geometry
Authors: Shen Zhongmin
Published: November 2009

In this paper, we study a long existing open problem on Landsberg metrics in Finsler geometry. We consider Finsler metrics defined by a Riemannian metric and a 1-form on a manifold. We show that a regular Finsler metric in this form is Landsbergian if and only if it is Berwaldian. We further show that there is a two-parameter family of functions, ɸ = ɸ(s), for which there are a Riemannian metric 𝜶 and a 1-form ᵦ on a manifold M such that the scalar function F = 𝜶ɸ(ᵦ/𝜶) on TM is an almost regular Landsberg metric, but not a Berwald metric.