4-Ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol in wines: Estimating non-microbial sourced contributions and toxicological considerations

Analyses of commercially available wines suggested non-Brettanomyces sources of 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol. Grapes, enological additions, exposure to plastics, and oak-barrel aging were potential inputs considered. Investigations of whole grape bunch samples from two major red wine Vitis vinifera cultivars (L. cv. Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir), a commercial mannoprotein additive, and three commercial enological tannin additions indicated they are not likely significant sources of these compounds. Studies on 15 commercial oak barrelled red wines from six Vitis vinifera cultivars (L. cv. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dunkelfelder, Merlot, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir), and a review of volatile phenol extraction from toasted oak wood, suggested that oak-aging may produce concentrations of up to 50 μg L^?1 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol. Thus, following potential Brettanomyces-sourced aroma impacts in wine using 4-ethylphenol and/or 4-ethylguaiacol concentrations as proxies should only be considered reliable at analyte levels > 100 μg L^?1. A review of worldwide 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol concentrations in wine, consumption patterns, and available toxicological data also suggested that levels of 4-ethylphenol being observed in wines worldwide do not warrant concerns about acute or long-term effects. While little is known about the toxicology of 4-ethylguaiacol, it is unlikely that elevated concentrations will pose any health-related concerns.     

Clinical and toxicological data in Fenthion and omethoate acute poisoning

Abstract

This study paper reports on two cases of poisoning with the organophosphorus insecticides, fenthion and omethoate. The two victims were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) a few hours after ingestion of the two insecticides. They received appropriate treatment for organophosphorous poisoning (gastric lavage, activated charcoal, atropine and pralidoxime) and supportive care. Both patients survived. Organophosphate blood levels were determined on admission (fenthion 2.9 (ig/ml, omethoate 1.6 Hg/ml) and during the hospitalisation and proved to be considerably high. Slow elimination rate of the poison already distributed in the body was indicated for both pesticides. The patient with omethoate poisoning remained clinically well (Glasgow Coma Scale : 15) and was discharged three days later. The patient with fenthion poisoning, who had also ingested 30 mg of bromazepam and 720 mg of oxetoron, developed cholinergic crisis six hours after admission and was intubated for 24 days, with concomitant complications.     

Analysis of gas dispersion and ventilation within a comprehensive CAD model of an offshore platform via computational fluid dynamics

Maintaining an adequate air flow with a desired air quality that is free from hazardous gases is among the most important actions taken toward the improvement of safety in any process plant. Due to the increased focus on the consequences of existing hazardous material on safety, health, and the environment, air quality and sufficient ventilation within a plant has been increasingly considered in the design stage. This paper investigates and analyzes methane and hydrogen sulfite dispersion and the effect of air ventilation within a CAD model of an offshore platform using computation fluids dynamics (CFD). In addition, this method and its principals could be utilized in any other hazardous environment. Simulations of possible hazardous events along with solutions for preventing or reducing their probability are presented to better assess the data. These investigations are performed by considering hypothetical hazardous scenarios which consist of gas leakages from pipes and process equipment under different conditions. After drafting a precise and highly detailed CAD model of the plant and performing CFD simulations on this model, the results of gas behaviors, dispersion, distribution, accumulation, and its possible hazards are investigated and analyzed. The larger amount of details of the actual plant model in CFD simulation are obtained by using a combination of different methods and software. These include PDMS for 3-D drawing of the plan, Rinoceros for geometrical integration of the process equipment and facilities, and Sharc Harpoon which meshes the model. Moreover, the probability of inducing ignitable or toxic concentration of gases within the atmosphere and air ventilation of the unit is considered by these investigations.     

Experimental data and CFD performance for cloud dispersion analysis: The USP-UPC project

Forecasting the behaviour of a flammable or toxic cloud is a critical challenge in quantitative risk analysis. Recent literature shows that empirical and integral models are unable to model complex dispersion scenarios, like those occurring in semi-confined spaces or with the presence of physical barriers. Although CFD simulators are promising tools in this regard, they still need to be fully validated with comprehensive datasets coming from experimental campaigns designed ad-hoc. In this paper, we present an experimental campaign carried out by a joint venture between University of São Paulo and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya to investigate CFD tools performance when used to analyse clouds dispersion. The experiments consisted on propane cloud dispersion field tests (unobstructed and with the presence of a fence obstructing the flow) of releases up to 0.5 kg s⁻¹ of 40 s of duration in a discharge area of 700 m². We provide a full 1-s averaged propane concentration evolution dataset of two experiments, extracted from 29 points located at different positions within the cloud, with which we have tested FLACS^® CFD-software performance. FLACS reproduces successfully the presence of complex geometry, showing realistic concentration decreases due to cloud dispersion obstruction by the existence of a fence. However, simulated clouds have not represented the whole complex accumulation dynamics due to wind variation.     

Numerical modeling of water spray suppression of conveyor belt fires in a large-scale tunnel

Conveyor belt fires in an underground mine pose a serious life threat to miners. Water sprinkler systems are usually used to extinguish underground conveyor belt fires, but because of the complex interaction between conveyor belt fires and mine ventilation airflow, more effective engineering designs are needed for the installation of water sprinkler systems. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to simulate the interaction between the ventilation airflow, the belt flame spread, and the water spray system in a mine entry. The CFD model was calibrated using test results from a large-scale conveyor belt fire suppression experiment. Simulations were conducted using the calibrated CFD model to investigate the effects of sprinkler location, water flow rate, and sprinkler activation temperature on the suppression of conveyor belt fires. The sprinkler location and the activation temperature were found to have a major effect on the suppression of the belt fire, while the water flow rate had a minor effect.     

有机化合物生物富集因子的计算机预测研究

有机化合物在生物体内的富集,通常用生物富集因子(bioconcentration factor,简称BCF)来表达,这是化合物生态环境毒性评估的重要指标。为合理预测有机化合物是否易于生物富集,首先从美国环保局网站收集了624个具有不同BCF值的化合物,然后采用7种分子指纹结合5种机器学习方法(包括支持向量机、C4.5决策树、k最近邻法、随机森林法和朴素贝叶斯法),构建了化合物BCF的分类预测模型,所有模型均采用独立外部验证集进行验证。其中,使用Chemo Typer分子指纹结合支持向量机方法得到的二分类模型,整体预测准确度最好,达到了85.4%。通过采用信息增益、频率分析等方法,进一步确定了化合物中易于引起生物富集的关键子结构,包括芳基氯、二芳基醚、氯代烷烃等。研究中所用到的方法为有毒化学品的生态风险评价提供了良好可靠的预测工具。     

Studying developmental neurotoxic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) using embryonic stem cells

There is little to no toxicity information regarding thousands of chemicals to which people are exposed daily. In fact, of the 84,000 chemicals listed in the United States Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory, there is limited information available on their effects on neural development (Betts, 2010 and US EPA, 2015). The number of chemicals tested remains low due to the high cost of conducting multi-generational animal studies and the lack of alternative testing methods.     

Assessment of Bisphenol A (BPA) neurotoxicity in vitro with mouse embryonic stem cells

The adverse effects of environmental pollution on our well-being have been intensively studied with many in vitro and in vivo systems. In our group, we focus on stem cell toxicology due to the multitude of embryonic stem cell (ESC) properties which can be exerted in toxicity assays. In fact, ESCs can differentiate in culture to mimic embryonic development in vivo, or specifically to virtually any kind of somatic cells. Here, we used the toxicant Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known as a hazard to infants and children, and showed that our stem cell toxicology system was able to efficiently recapitulate most of the toxic effects of BPA previously detected by in vitro system or animal tests. More precisely, we demonstrated that BPA affected the proper specification of germ layers during our in vitro mimicking of the embryonic development, as well as the establishment of neural ectoderm and neural progenitor cells.     

Effect of cooling rate and laser process parameters on additive manufactured Fe–Ti–C metal matrix composites microstructure and carbide morphology

In this paper, laser additive manufacturing (LAM) of Fe–TiC composite coating on AISI 1030 carbon steel is investigated using a numerical and experimental method. In order to have a desired result using LAM, it is crucial to understand the effects of the process parameters’ values on the TiC morphology and microstructure. For this purpose, the LAM process is numerically simulated in order to calculate cooling rate and peak temperature. Experimental data and numerical results are in good agreement in terms of the phase development. Results show that cooling rate plays a crucial role in phase transformation in the clad, however, final microstructure strongly depends on the cooling rate and powder's chemical composition. Two main carbide morphologies (i.e. dendritic and particulate) are studied and relevant cooling rates are detected. Based on this paper and developed map, it is possible to control the cooling rate in order to achieve specific carbide morphologies in the clad. In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are used to characterize clads’ microstructure.     

建筑火灾过渡区域数值模拟选取计算区域的判据研究

在建筑火灾的计算机模拟中,计算区域的选取密切关系到计算结果的合理性。已有研究针对单一开口小室在火灾燃料控制阶段和通风控制阶段时计算区域如何选取进行了分析并得到了定量的结论,该文在此基础上改进结果处理的方法,提出一种新的定量分析计算区域合理选取的方法,对单一开口小室在火灾两阶段间的过渡区域如何选取计算区域进行了定量分析。