Hydrogeochemical and isotopic assessment of the origin of NO_(3)^(−)and N-NH_(3)contents in the aquifer located in a closed lacustrine volcano-sedimentary basin in the metropolitan area of Mexico City

To explain the presence and spatial distribution of NO_(3)^(−)and N-NH_(3)in the Aquifer of the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City(AMAMC),a hydrogeochemical and isotopic analysis using^(13)C DIC(as well as the stable isotopes^(18)O and^(2)H)in groundwater was conducted.This aquifer is located in an old closed lacustrine volcano-sedimentary basin;some wells hosted in the semi-confined zone contain high N-NH_(3)concentrations,while others present NO_(3)^(−)contents in the recharge zones(hosted in an oxidizing environment).In this study,a change in the isotopic signature(primarily in^(18)O and^(2)H)was observed from the recharge zones to the basin center in some of the wells with high NO_(3)^(−)concentrations,this behavior can be attributed to evaporation during the incorporation of recently infiltrated water.In addition,the results for^(13)C(along with ^(2) H)in wells with the highest N-NH_(3)concentrations exhibited an atypically broad range of values.Results indicated the occurrence of hydrogeochemical and/or biochemical processes in the aquifer(in an oxidizing or reducing environment),such as organic degradation,bacterial decomposition(primarily in the ancient Lake Texcoco and which acts as a natural sink for carbon,nitrogen,sulfur,and phosphorus),besides rock weathering and dissolution,which may be responsible for a very marked isotopic modification of the^(13)C(and,to a lesser extent,2 H).Methanotrophic bacterial activity and methanogenic activity may be related to N-NH_(3)removal processes by oxidation and residual water incorporation respectively,whereas the increase in the NO_(3)^(−)content in some wells is due to the recent contribution of poor-quality water due to contamination.

Dispersion of niquel on the microstructure in magnesium based alloys for hydrogen storage

Mg–Xwt.%Ni(X=5 and 20)alloys have been prepared by mechanical alloying using milling times of 15 and 30 h in a planetary ball milling to know the effects of magnesium with the addition of Ni as catalyst,dispersion on the microstructure,area surface and the efficiency of hydrogen storage.SEM-EDS,XRD and ImageJ^(■)software have been used to characterize the microstructure and chemical composition of the alloys.Hydriding experiments were performed as batch-type tests at 200,250 and 300℃ under 2 MPa H2 pressure during 30 min.These experiments resulted in varying amounts of MgH2 in the hydrided powders depending on composition and hydriding conditions.The best results point to an optimum Ni dispersion,which in turn depends on Ni content and milling time.

A technical and socioeconomic approach to estimate forest residues as a feedstock for bioenergy in northern Mexico

Background: Forest residues can be a feasible alternative for converting energy into fuels, electricity, or heat.Compared to other second-generation bioenergy sources, they do not compete for food, are relatively cheap,abundant in forest-rich areas, and more importantly their energy balance is close to zero. Biomass estimations can help design energy strategies to reduce fossil fuels dependency. Because of the land property distribution in Mexico,biomass estimations should consider not only the physical availability, but also the willingness of landowners to extract such raw materials.Methods: This study presents a methodological approach for evaluating the potential use of forest residues as a feedstock to generate bioenergy in northern Mexico. Remote sensing and field forest inventory were used to estimate the quantity and distribution of forest residues. In addition, a discrete choice analysis evaluated landowners’ preferences towards bioenergy development, including the most important factors that influence their willingness to extract their products and the expected price.Results and conclusions: Considering both physical and socio-economic aspects, results showed that about59,000 metric tons per year could be available in the study area. The vast majority of landowners surveyed are willing to extract forest residues, as long as they are presented with extraction plans with the highest income. However, many showed concerns about the environmental impacts this activity can have on soils,plants, and fauna. These results can help evaluate the potential of these resources for bioenergy development.

Assessment of k–ε models using tetrahedral grids to describe the turbulent flow field of a PBT impeller and validation through the PIV technique

In turbulence modeling, the RNG and Realizable models have important improvements in the turbulent production and dissipation terms in comparison to the Standard. The selection of the appropriate turbulence model has an impact on the convergence and solution in STRs, and they are used in mixing, multiphase modeling or as starting solution of transient models as DES and LES. Although there are several studies with the pitched blade turbine(PBT) impeller, most of them used the Standard model as representative of all k–ε models, using structured hexahedral grids composed of low number of cells, and in some cases under axial symmetry assumptions.Accordingly, in this work the assessment of the Standard, RNG and Realizable models to describe the turbulent flow field of this impeller, using the Multiple Reference Frame(MRF) and Sliding Mesh(SM) approaches with tetrahedral domains in dense grids, is presented. This kind of cell elements is especially suitable to reproduce complex geometries. Flow velocities and turbulent parameters were verified experimentally by PIV and torque measurements. The three models were capable of predicting fairly the pumping number, the power number based on torque, and velocities. Although the RNG improved the predictions of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate, the Realizable model presented better performance for both approaches. All models failed in the prediction of the total dissipation rate, and a dependence of its value on the number of cells for the MRF was found.

Reactivity of Indoles through the Eyes of a Charge-Transfer Partitioning Analysis

A global and local charge transfer partitioning model,based on the cornerstone theory developed by Robert G.Parr and Robert G.Pearson,which introduces two charge transfer channels(one for accepting electrons(electrophilic) and another for donating(nucleophilic)),is applied to the reaction of a set of indoles with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.The global analysis indicates that the prevalent electron transfer mechanism in the reaction is a nucleophilic one on the indoles,i.e.,the indoles under consideration transfer electrons to 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.Evaluating the reactivity descriptorswith exchange-correlation functionals including exact exchange(global hybrids) yields slightly better correlations than those obtained with generalized gradient-approximated functionals;however,the trends are preserved.Comparing the trend obtained with the number of electrons donated by the indoles,and predicted by the partitioning model,with that observed experimentally based on the measured rate constants,we propose that the number of electrons transferred through this channel can be used as a nucleophilicity scale to order the reactivity of indoles towards 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.This approach to obtain reactivity scales has the advantage of depending on the intrinsic properties of the two reacting species;therefore,it opens the possibility that the same group of molecules may show different reactivity trends depending on the species with which they are reacting.The local model allows systematic incorporation of the reactive atoms based on the their decreasing condensed Fukui functions,and the correlations obtained by increasing the number of reactive atoms participating in the local analysis of the transferred nucleophilic charge improve,reaching an optimal correlation,which in the present case indicates keeping three atoms from the indoles and two from 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.The atoms selected by this procedure provide valuable information about the local reactivity of the indoles.We further show that this information about the most reactive atoms on each reactant,combined with the spatial distribution of the nucleophilic and electrophilic Fukui functions of both reactants,allows one to propose non-trivial candidates of starting geometries for the search of the transition state structures present in these reactions.

Effect of homogenization process on the hardness of Zn-Al-Cu alloys

The effect of a homogenizing treatment on the hardness of as-cast Zn–Al–Cu alloys was investigated. Eight alloy compositions were prepared and homogenized at 350 °C for 180 h, and their Rockwell 'B' hardness was subsequently measured. All the specimens were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and metallographically prepared for observation by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results of the present work indicated that the hardness of both alloys(as-cast and homogenized) increased with increasing Al and Cu contents; this increased hardness is likely related to the presence of the θ and τ′ phases. A regression equation was obtained to determine the hardness of the homogenized alloys as a function of their chemical composition and processing parameters, such as homogenization time and temperature, used in their preparation.

Comparison on Sufficient Conditions for the Stability of Hill Equation: An Arnold’s Tongues Approach

It is known that the solutions of a second order linear differential equation with periodic coefficients are almost always analytically impossible to obtain and in order to study its properties we often require a computational approach. In this paper we compare graphically, using the Arnold Tongues, some sufficient criteria for the stability of periodic differential equations. We also present a brief explanation on how the authors, of each criterion, obtained them. And a comparison between four sufficient stability criteria and the stability zones found by perturbation methods is presented.

Diagnosis of Laron syndrome using monoplex-polymerase chain reaction technology with a whole-genome amplification template: A case report

BACKGROUND Laron syndrome(LS)is an autosomal recessive hereditary condition affecting only 1/1000000 births.The cause is associated with mutations in the growth hormone(GH)receptor(GHR),leading to GH insensitivity.LS patients typically present with severe growth retardation,obesity,and abnormal sexual maturation.Currently,LS diagnosis is performed post-delivery.Therefore,we assessed the efficiency of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing(PGT)coupled with monoplex-polymerase chain reaction(PCR)technology for detecting this monogenic disease in embryos from a couple confirmed as LS heterozygous carriers CASE SUMMARY The couple LS-carriers were confirmed by the presence of a first child born with LS.The couple underwent a standard in vitro fertilization(IVF)protocol.DNA was collected from trophectoderm cells from day 5 embryos.Whole genome amplification(WGA)was performed using a Sureplex DNA Amplification System and analyzed by PCR,targeting the deletion of the exons 5 and 6 in the GHR gene as well as PGT by Next-generation Sequencing(Illumina).Eleven embryos were collected and analyzed.27.3%were the wild type for GHR,45.5%were heterozygotes,and 18.2%homozygous mutants.One embryo yielded no results.Three 2-embryos transfers were performed;2 normal homozygous and four heterozygous carriers were selected for transfer.The first two transfers were unsuccessful,whereas the final transfer with two heterozygous embryos resulted in clinical pregnancy.The genomic composition of the fetus was verified,applying the same techniques using amniocytes,extracted after 21 wk of the ongoing pregnancy.The fetus was confirmed as GHR deletion in exon 5-6,carrier.A non-affected baby was born.CONCLUSION Here,we present a case demonstrating that using WGA as a template in addition to PCR targeting specific gene regions,exons 5 and 6 on the GHR gene,could identify LS carrier embryos.This provides evidence that WGA and PCR serve as an excellent tool to detect this specific monogenic disease in IVF embryos,thus allowing selection of candidate embryos for transfer successfully when a specific inherited genetic mutation/disease is suspected.

Effects of estrogen receptor modulators on cytoskeletal proteins in the central nervous system

Estrogen receptor modulators are compounds of interest because of their estrogenic agonistic/antagonistic effects and tissue specificity. These compounds have many clinical applications, particularly for breast cancer treatment and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, as well as for the treatment of climacteric symptoms. Similar to estrogens, neuroprotective effects of estrogen receptor modulators have been described in different models. However, the mechanisms of action of these compounds in the central nervous system have not been fully described. We conducted a systematic search to investigate the effects of estrogen receptor modulators in the central nervous system, focusing on the modulation of cytoskeletal proteins. We found that raloxifene, tamoxifen, and tibolone modulate some cytoskeletal proteins such as tau, microtuble-associated protein 1（MAP1）, MAP2, neurofilament 38（NF38） by different mechanisms of action and at different levels： neuronal microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubule-associated proteins. Finally, we emphasize the importance of the study of these compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases since they present the benefits of estrogens without their side effects.

Scalability of biomass-derived graphene derivative materials as viable anode electrode for a commercialized microbial fuel cell: A systematic review

Microbial fuel cell(MFC) is an advanced bioelectrochemical technique that can utilize biomass materials in the process of simultaneously generating electricity and biodegrading or bio transforming toxic pollutants from wastewater. The overall performance of the system is largely dependent on the efficiency of the anode electrode to enhance electron transportation. Furthermore, the anode electrode has a significant impact on the overall cost of MFC setup. Hence, the need to explore research focused towards developing cost-effective material as anode in MFC. This material must also have favourable properties for electron transportation. Graphene oxide(GO) derivatives and its modification with nanomaterials have been identified as a viable anode material. Herein, we discussed an economically effective strategy for the synthesis of graphene derivatives from waste biomass materials and its subsequent fabrication into anode electrode for MFC applications. This review article offers a promising approach towards replacing commercial graphene materials with biomass-derived graphene derivatives in a view to achieve a sustainable and commercialized MFC.

Synthesis of Hydrothermally Grown Zinc Oxide Nanowires

We report the synthesis ofZnO nanowires grown on glass by spin coating and using a commercial microwave oven. 10 mM solutions of zinc acetate dehydrate and 12propanol were spin coated on glass at 2000 rpm for 60 s. A seed layer was obtained after three layers of spin coating. Vertical ZnO nanowires were then grown by dipping the substrate in an equimolar solution of zinc nitrate hexahydrate and hexamethylenetetramine subsequently, films were heated with a commercially microwave oven at different power settings （140, 350 and 700 W）. The ZnO nanowires were characterized optically and morphologically. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the size of ZnO nanowires was 50 nm in diameter and 500 nm in length. XRD patterns and IR spectra revealed the presence of Zn（OH）2 on the films, when low power in the microwave oven was utilized. The ZnO nanowires bandgap energy was obtained from optical transmission spectra.

Object Detection Using SURF and Superpixels

This paper proposes a novel object detection method in which a set of local features inside the superpixels are extracted from the image under analysis acquired by a 3D visual sensor. To increase the segmentation accuracy, the proposed method firstly performs the segmentation of the image, under analysis, using the Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) superpixels method. Next the key points inside each superpixel are estimated using the Speed-Up Robust Feature (SURF). These key points are then used to carry out the matching task for every detected keypoints of a scene inside the estimated superpixels. In addition, a probability map is introduced to describe the accuracy of the object detection results. Experimental results show that the proposed approach provides fairly good object detection and confirms the superior performance of proposed scene compared with other recently proposed methods such as the scheme proposed by Mae et al.

Comparison on Morphological and Optical Properties of TiO_(2) Thin Films Grown by Single-Pulse and Multi-Pulse Laser Ablation

TiO2 thin films were prepared on glass substrates using the PLD (Pulsed Laser Deposition) technique. In order to carry out the ablation process, a Nd:YAG laser was used emitting in 1064 nm wavelength at 10 Hz repetition rate, set up for operating in both single-pulse and multi-pulse regimes. A comparison of the deposition rate, the optical and morphological properties of the layers obtained from both ablation regimes was made, which showed that the multi-pulsed ablation produced layers with a higher surface quality and better optical properties.

Tetrapartite entanglement measures of W-class in noninertial frames

We present the entanglement measures of a tetrapartite W-class entangled system in a noninertial frame, where the transformation between Minkowski and Rindler coordinates is applied.Two cases are considered.First, when one qubit has uniform acceleration whilst the other three remain stationary.Second, when two qubits have nonuniform accelerations and the others stay inertial.The 1–1 tangle, 1–3 tangle, and whole entanglement measurements π4 and Π4, are studied and illustrated with graphics through their dependence on the acceleration parameter rd for the first case and rc and rd for the second case.It is found that the negativities(1–1 tangle and 1–3 tangle) and π-tangle decrease when the acceleration parameter rd or in the second case rc and rd increase, remaining a nonzero entanglement in the majority of the results.This means that the system will be always entangled except for special cases.It is shown that only the 1–1 tangle for the first case vanishes at infinite accelerations, but for the second case the 1–1 tangle disappears completely when r > 0.472473.An analytical expression for the von Neumann information entropy of the system is found and we note that it increases with the acceleration parameter.

Spatial heterogeneity of factors influencing forest fires size in northern Mexico

In Mexico, forest fires are strongly influenced by environmental, topographic, and anthropogenic factors. A government-based database covering the period 2000-2011 was used to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of the factors influencing forest fire size in the state of Durango, Mexico. Ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression models were fit to identify the main factors as well as their spatial influence on fire size. Results indicate that fire size is greatly affected by distance to roads, distance to towns, precipitation, temperature, and a population gravity index. The geographically weighted model was better than the ordinary least squares model. The improvement of the former is due to the influence of factors that were found to be non-stationary. These results suggest that geographic location determines the influence of a factor on fire size. While the models can be greatly improved with additional information, the study suggests the need to adopt fire management policies to more efficiently reduce the effect of anthropogenic factors. These policies may include more training for landowners who use fire for clearing, closure of roads, application of thinning, prescribed burning, and fire breaks in perimeters adjacent to roads.

Effects of bixin in high-fat diet-fed-induced fatty liver in C57BL/6J mice

Objective:To evaluate the anti-obesity activity of bixin(BIX) on C57BL/6J mice which were fed a high-fat diet(HFD) and to determine the mechanism of this effect.Methods:C57BL/6J mice were separately fed a high-calorie diet or a normal diet for 8weeks,then they were treated with BIX for another 13 weeks.After administration for 13 weeks,the animals were sacrificed.Body adiposity,serum lipid level,and insulin resistance were evaluated.In addition,a histological assay of pancreas and liver,an evaluation of the inhibitory properties on pancreatic lipase,and a-amylase were conducted.Results:Administration of BIX significantly decreased the body weight gain,adipocyte size,fat pad weights,hepatic lipid levels in HFD-induced obese mice.In addition,reduced liver weight exhibited decreased serum leptin levels,malic enzyme,glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase,hepatic fatty acid synthase,aspartate aminotransferase,alanine aminotransferase and hepatic phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activity.However,superoxide dismutase,catalase,glutathione peroxidase,and glutathione levels were increased in hepatic tissue.BIX also decreased lipid and carbohydrates absorption due to inhibition of pancreatic lipase and a-amylase.Long term supplementation of BIX significantly decreased hyperlipidemia,insulin resistance and glucose level.Decreased levels of hepatic steatosis and the islets of Langerhans appeared less shrunken in HFD-fed mice.Conclusions:The antiobesity effect of BIX appears to be associated at least in part,to its inhibitory effect on lipids and carbohydrate digestion enzymes such as pancreatic lipase,a-glucosidase,and a-amylase.The results suggested that BIX also act as an antioxidant and may treat visceral obesity normalizing glucose levels,improving insulin resistance and increasing energy expenditure.Therefore,achiote which has a main component,the carotenoid BIX,could be a viable food for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Precipitation analysis of as-cast HK40 steel after isothermal aging

As-cast HK40 steel was aged at 700, 800, or 900℃ for times as long as 2000 h. Microstructural characterization showed that the primary M_7C_3 carbide network contained a substantial content of manganese, in agreement with the microsegregation of manganese calculated by Thermo-Calc using the Scheil–Gulliver module. The dissolution of primary carbides caused the solute supersaturation of austenite and subsequent precipitation of fine M_(23)C_6 carbides in the austenite matrix for aged specimens. During prolonged aging, the carbide size increased with increasing time because of the coarsening process. A time–temperature–precipitation diagram for M_(23)C_6 carbides was calculated using the Thermo-CalcPRISMA software; this diagram showed good agreement with the experimental growth kinetics of precipitation. The fine carbide precipitation caused an increase in hardness; however, the coarsening process of carbides promoted a decrease in hardness. Nanoindentation tests of the austenite matrix indicated an increase in ductility with increasing aging time.

Shannon information entropies for position-dependent mass Schrdinger problem with a hyperbolic well

The Shannon information entropy for the Schrodinger equation with a nonuniform solitonic mass is evaluated for a hyperbolic-type potential. The number of nodes of the wave functions in the transformed space z are broken when recovered to original space x. The position Sx and momentum S p information entropies for six low-lying states are calculated. We notice that the Sx decreases with the increasing mass barrier width a and becomes negative beyond a particular width a,while the Sp first increases with a and then decreases with it. The negative Sx exists for the probability densities that are highly localized. We find that the probability density ρ（x） for n = 1, 3, 5 are greater than 1 at position x = 0. Some interesting features of the information entropy densities ρs（x） and ρs（p） are demonstrated. The Bialynicki-Birula-Mycielski（BBM）inequality is also tested for these states and found to hold.

Pulsatile electroosmotic flow of a Maxwell fluid in a parallel flat plate microchannel with asymmetric zeta potentials

The pulsatile electroosmotic flow （PEOF） of a Maxwell fluid in a parallel flat plate microchannel with asymmetric wall zeta potentials is theoretically analyzed. By combining the linear Maxwell viscoelastic model, the Cauchy equation, and the electric field solution obtained from the linearized PoissomBoltzmann equation, a hyperbolic par- tial differential equation is obtained to derive the flow field. The PEOF is controlled by the angular Reynolds number, the ratio of the zeta potentials of the microchannel walls, the electrokinetic parameter, and the elasticity number. The main results obtained from this analysis show strong oscillations in the velocity profiles when the values of the elas- ticity number and the angular Reynolds number increase due to the competition among the elastic, viscous, inertial, and electric forces in the flow.

Thermodynamic analysis, synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride: Study of its effect on pretreated rice husk

This work is focused on the determination of the optimal reaction conditions to synthesize the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride([EMIM][Cl]) and assess its suitability for the pretreatment of rice husk. The modified UNIFAC(UNIversal quasi-chemical Functional-group Activity Coefficients)approach for ionic liquids is used to develop a thermodynamic model that describes the reactive system methylimidazole(MIM), chloroethane(C_(2)H_(5)Cl) and [EMIM][Cl]. The model allows to study the phase equilibria coexistence(vapor–liquid equilibria and solid–liquid equilibria) and yields the theoretically optimal conditions to synthesize the ionic liquid. The model predictions are validated with the available experimental and reported data. By implementing the developed model, a simple way to synthesize ionic liquid [EMIM][Cl] was found allowing to study its influence on the structure and morphology of pretreated rice husk. The lignocellulosic materials involved in this study are characterized by their composition, enzymatic digestibility, scanning electron microscopy, and crystallinity. Compared to untreated material, [EMIM][Cl]-pretreated rice husk produces cellulose that can be efficiently enzymatic hydrolyzed with high sugar yields. This work offers a suitable methodology to include the synthesis and thermodynamics of the solvent media within the design of low-cost ionic liquids for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment.