Non-aqueous electrolyte solutions

Non-aqueous electrolyte solutions are nowadays intensively studied owing to their unique properties for their application in various electrochemical devices and procedures. Important advances have already been made in high-energy primary batteries, wet capacitors, electroplating, phase-transfer catalysis and electro-organic synthesis; advances are expected in further fields such as high-energy secondary batteries, non-emissive displays, solar cells, thin-film procedures and coating. A survey is given both for successful recent applications and expectations.     

A participatory approach to the establishment of a baseline scenario for a reforestation Clean Development Mechanism project

This paper is part of a two-year study to investigate the feasibility of initiating a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in an indigenous community of Eastern Panamá, Ipetí-Emberá. We use participatory mapping and matrices as well as household surveys to develop a land-use/land-cover baseline scenario and examine the role of local participation in assessing land-use change. In Ipetí, land-use change has not occurred in a linear way over the last decades, and our data unveils socio-economic factors as potential key drivers of change. The concordance that we observed between geographic information and individual and collective perceptions of land-use change substantiates the possibility of using local knowledge in the establishment of baseline data for CDM projects. Our calculations suggest that the total carbon (C) stocks in the Tierra Colectiva (TC) of Ipetí-Emberá in 2004 represents a 47% reduction from the estimated C stock at the onset of settlement in the early 1970’s. Results from the participatory assessments predict that, in 2024 and in absence of a CDM project, the C stocks will decline from 301,859 t C in 2004 to 155,730 t C, which constitutes a reduction of 52%. The scenario with CDM estimates C stocks of 305,853 t C for 2024, a value slightly superior to the 2004 value. In the TC there is ground to believe that cattle ranching is likely to become an ever more important activity as the population is young and growing and cannot easily move elsewhere. Forests tend to be cleared for cultivation while pastures are established on short fallows. Our baseline scenario underlines the potential for a CDM project to make a significant difference in the future C stocks of this landscape.     

Prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis using linked DNA probes

This paper presents data collected in Europe on 107 prenatal diagnoses of cystic fibrosis (CF) using linked DNA markers. To date, 38 children have been born without CF, as predicted, demonstrating the present rapid move from research to clinical genetic service.     

Removal of copper from a copper sulphate solution using an ultrasonic-electrolysis process

The application of ultrasonic-electrolysis process for the removal of copper is studied.In the ultrasonic field cavitation acts as jets and agitates the solution and breaks the barrier layer between the cathode surface and the bulk of the solution.Thus increases metal deposition on the cathode surface.The results show that an ultrasonic field is successful for the removal of low copper concentrations in solution.     

Biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons by natural soil microflora and pure cultures of imperfect and lignolitic fungi

The biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons by natural soil microflora and seven fungi species, including imperfect strains and higher level lignolitic species, is compared in a 90-day laboratory experiment using a natural, not-fertilized soil contaminated with 10% crude oil. The natural microbial soil assemblage isolated from an urban forest area was unable to significantly degrade crude oil, whereas pure fungi cultures effectively reduced the residues by 26-35% in 90 days. Normal alkanes were almost completely degraded in the first 15 days, whereas aromatic compounds (phenanthrene and methylphenanthrenes) exhibited slower kinetics. Aspergillus terreus and Fusarium solani, isolated from oil-polluted areas, produced the more efficient attack of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, respectively. Overall, imperfect fungi isolated from polluted soils showed a somewhat higher efficiency, but the performance of unadapted, indigenous, lignolitic fungi was comparable, and all three species, Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes villosus and Coriolopsis rigida, effectively degraded aliphatic and aromatic components. The simultaneous, multivariate analysis of 22 parameters allowed the elucidation of a clear reactivity trend of the oil components during biodegradation: lower molecular weight n-alkanes > phenanthrene > 3-2-methylphenanthrenes > intermediate chain length n-alkanes > longer chain length n-alkanes > isoprenoids approximately 9-1-methylphenanthrenes. Irrespective of the individual degrading capacities, all fungi species tested seem to follow this decomposition sequence.