Influence of support on catalytic behavior of nickel catalysts in the steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production

Al₂O₃, MgO, SiO₂ and ZnO-supported nickel catalysts were prepared and evaluated in the ethanol steam reforming for hydrogen production. It is shown that the catalytic behavior can be influenced depending on the experimental conditions employed and chemical composition of the catalyst.     

Co-culture with Enterobacter cloacae does not Enhance Virus Resistance to Thermal and Chemical Treatments

Food and Environmental Virology - Human noroviruses (hNoV) are the primary cause of foodborne disease in the USA. Most studies on inactivation kinetics of hNoV and its surrogates are performed in...     

Oxidative stress-mediated cardiac mast cell degranulation

Pulmonary mast cell degranulation is a well-characterized response to diesel exhaust exposure. A primary constituent of fossil fuel combustion is sulfur dioxide (SO₂). SO₂ was shown to induce mast cell degranulation in an immortalized cell line secondary to induction of intracellular oxidative stress; however, it is not known whether SO₂-induced oxidative stress directly triggers the activation of cardiac mast cells. Accordingly, this study sought to determine whether Na₂SO₃ induces degranulation of cardiac mast cells, and furthermore whether cardiac mast cell activation may be prevented by inhibition of oxidative stress. To this end, cardiac mast cells were isolated from epicardial surface of the heart and incubated with increasing concentrations of Na₂SO₃ (0, 0.5, or 5 mM). Antioxidant compounds targeting different mechanisms of free radical generation, including ebselen, diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), or α-tocopherol, were incubated with 5 mM of Na₂SO₃ in order to determine their efficacy in preventing mast cell degranulation. Na₂SO₃ induced a significant concentration-dependent histamine release from cardiac mast cells ranging from 8.87% to 18.86%, which was prevented by ebselen. No effect was observed with DPI and α-tocopherol under these conditions. In conclusion, these findings indicate that SO₂ is capable of producing cardiac mast cell degranulation in vitro; however, the variable effectiveness of the three antioxidants evaluated is indicative of a multifactorial mechanism mediating SO₂-induced cardiac mast cell degranulation. The particular effectiveness of ebselen in preventing mast cell degranulation may be related to its multiple mechanisms of preventing oxidative stress.     

Environmental pesticide distribution in horticultural and floricultural periurban production units

The environmental pesticide distribution on non-target systems (soil, drift and agricultural plastics) during the application step at small periurban production units, was studied in open field and greenhouses, for different crops (tomato, lettuce, broccoli, strawberry and flowers) using different pesticides (endosulfan, procymidone, chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos and deltamethrin). In all cases, soil was the most exposed non-target system. For greenhouses, a general pesticide distribution was found of approximately 2/3 for crop, 1/4 for soil and 1/20 for plastic, of the total amount applied. In horticultural open fields, although the distribution was very dependent on the crop size and type, soil was also the most exposed non-target subsystem. Pesticide drift seems not to be significant in these production units, whilst pesticide accumulation on agricultural plastics reached up to 45% of the total applied, for polyethylene mulching in strawberry fields.     

How violence against women and girls undermines resilience to climate risks in Chad

What consequences does ‘everyday violence’ have on the abilities of survivors to protect themselves from further risks? This paper seeks to establish the linkages between violence and people's resilience capacities to survive and adapt to environmental changes, particularly those living in fragile economic and political contexts such as Chad. It investigates not only how the adverse consequences of violence against women and girls affect the health status and livelihoods of survivors, but also their capacities, and those of their household and community members, to further protect themselves from other risks. Empirical evidence collected in Chad as part of the BRACED (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters) programme shows that ‘everyday violence’ undermines resilience‐building at the individual, household, and community level. These results have serious implications for development programmes and the role they need to play to better promote both gender equality and resilience to shocks and stresses.     

Ionic Dye Removal Using Solvent-Assisted Ionic Micellar Flocculation

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The environmental impacts caused by dyes in industrial wastewater are incalculable, due to their adverse effects on the ecosystem and human life,...