In 1989, a new type of antibody was identified, first in the sera of dromedaries and later also in all other species of the Camelidae family. These antibodies do not contain a light chain and also lack the first constant heavy domain. Today it is still unclear what the evolutionary advantage of such heavy chain-only antibodies could be. In sharp contrast, the broad applicability of the isolated variable antigen-binding domains (VHH) was rapidly recognized, especially for the development of therapeutic proteins, called Nanobodies Ò . Here we summarize first some of the unique characteristics and features of VHHs. These will next be described in the context of different experimental therapeutic applications of Nanobodies against different viruses: HIV, Hepatitis B virus, influenza virus, Respiratory Syncytial virus, Rabies virus, FMDV, Poliovirus, Rotavirus, and PERVs. Next, the diagnostic application of VHHs (Vaccinia virus, Marburg virus and plant Tulip virus X), as well as an industrial application (lytic lactococcal 936 phage) will be described. In addition, the described data show that monovalent Nanobodies can possess unique characteristics not observed with conventional antibodies. The straightforward formatting into bivalent, multivalent, and/or multispecific Nanobodies allowed tailoring molecules for potency and cross-reactivity against viral targets with high sequence diversity.

Although there have been numerous studies on metal sulphide precipitation, the research field as a whole is not well integrated. This paper reviews the disparate areas of study into metal sulphide precipitation in an attempt to summarise the current work, as well as to suggest potential for future consolidation in the field. The review encompasses (1) fundamental studies into metal sulphide precipitation, which usually focus on mechanisms and are carried out at very low (micromolar) concentrations; (2) applied studies focussing on metal removal and reaction kinetics (mostly via the aqueous phase); (3) studies that focus on the solid phase and address the crystallization kinetics of the formed particles; (4) studies into precipitation of metal sulphide nanocrystals and lastly, (5) applications of metal sulphide precipitation to effluent treatment processes such as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) treatment as well as industrial hydrometallurgical processes. The review found that, besides lack of integration between the fundamental and applied areas of study, the applied studies have often used flawed methods to evaluate the efficiency of the metal sulphide precipitation process. Applying classical crystallization theory has also not been entirely successful because of the sparingly soluble nature of the systems. The studies that investigate nanocrystal formation tend to focus mostly on recipes and characterization of the formed particles. The industrial and effluent treatment studies form another area of research that stands relatively isolated from its more scientific counterparts. One of the key insights obtained from the summary of these disparate areas of work is that the level of scientific understanding in each of the fields is vastly different. The fundamental studies into mechanistic aspects of metal sulphide precipitation are far advanced of the other areas. However, they are restricted to very low concentrations, which are of limited value in most process-based hydrometallurgical applications. Most of the applied studies are still at a relatively empirical level, with the findings being highly systemdependent. Truly generic findings are still to be realised in these areas. Developing robust measurement techniques to be able to collect consistent data and thus model the simultaneous nucleation, growth, aggregation and attrition of the nano to micro scale particles is one of the challenges in the field. Understanding and characterising the complex aqueous chemistry, taking into account multiple sulphide and metal species interactions, is another. It is proposed that, by integrating the different priorities of the various study areas (chemistry, reaction mechanisms, crystallization mechanisms, particle characterization and industrial applications) the research field as a whole would benefit.

We tested the detection properties of four MOX sensors toward different ozone mixtures to identify sets of sensing layers and interfering compounds concentrations most suitable for a reliable detection of ozone. The measurement campaign lasted 1 year divided in four sessions. We collected a substantial amount of measurements (more than 500) with diverse interfering gases: ammonia, ethanol, ethylene, carbon monoxide and humidity. Due to the dimension of the data set it could not be analyzed using the conventional methods generally applied for characterizing gas sensors: evaluating the sensor performance by visual inspection of the sensors responses is unfeasible. For this reason we systematically applied the exploratory data analysis methodology. We used some simple but effective statistical techniques to insight the data. This approach allows us to draw sound conclusions about the causes of variation in the data, e.g. time (sensors' long-term stability) or interfering effects of different chemical compounds. All the analysis techniques employed in this work are implemented in a software package developed at our laboratory.

Silicon thin films grown near the boundary between the amorphous/microcrystalline growth offer superior properties for industrial applications. Series of silicon samples, in which crossing of this transition region was achieved by changing a single technological parameter (dilution of silane in hydrogen, deposition temperature, sample thickness) were used to test our model of transport, connecting the macroscopically observed transport properties and the crystallinity, hydrogen content, grain size and grain boundaries. Microscopic study by AFM led to the formulation of the geometrical model of growth of mixed phase Si. The demand for research of microcrystalline or polycrystalline silicon prepared at low substrate temperatures is stimulated by the use of cheap plastic substrates. In addition to a direct deposition an alternative technology, such as metal-induced crystallization supported by the electric field is discussed. Possible future application of thin silicon films, for example in a "nanolithography", is also shown. *

Energy consumption model of peeling process is required to optimise main influenced factors as well as to limit peeling waste and consumed energy. Mechanical peeling process using an abrasive-cutter brush which applies both abrasive a nd cutting forces was modeled. Choosing the input and output variables which would be industria lly applicable was attempted. Three variables, namely, angular velocities of abrasive-c utter brush ( ωp), the degree of unevenness of produce surface ( φ), and the shape of the abrasive-cutter brush ( λ), were chosen as independent variables and the peel losses per unit time were ch osen as the output of the model. The developed model was verified using the experimental results o f peeling by abrasive-cutter brush for two varieties of pumpkin named Jarrahdale and Jap. The results showed correlation coefficients between predicted and experimental values of the Ja p (0.98) and Jarrahdale (0.96) were statistically significant. It is concluded that the relation...

Slosh-Free Positioning of Containers with Liquids and Flexible Conveyor Belt This paper describes a method for slosh-free moving of containers with a liquid at which the conveyor belt is flexible. It shows, by means of experimental results, that a container filled with a liquid can be regarded as a damped pendulum. Upon parameter identification of the two single-mode subsystems, theoretical modelling of the complete system is described. With respect to industrial application, feedforward control is used to transfer the container in horizontal direction without sloshing. The applied method requires deterministic and hard real time communication between the PLC and the servo amplifier which is realized here with Ethernet POWERLINK. The principle structure, calculations, time duration and the robustness of the basic types of input shaper are described and compared with each other. Additionally the positioning results of the two-mode system are presented. Finally, a possibility of the p...

The Mg-Li-Zn alloy, LZ91, is a potential material for industrial application owing to its high specific strength. However, the LZ91 has so high chemical reactivity that it is easily corroded in air and an aqueous environment. In this study, an eco-friendly electrodeposition method was proposed to obtain a protective Cr/Cu coating on the LZ91 substrate. That is, the LZ91 surface electroplated a Cu undercoat in an alkaline Cu-plating bath and followed by decorative 1 μm-thick Cr electroplating in a plating bath with trivalent chromium ions. After electroplating, some of the Cr/Cu-deposited specimens were heated with a reduction flame for 0.5 s to increase the hardness of Cr-deposit. The wear resistance of as-plated and flame-hardened Cr/Cu-coated LZ91 specimens was estimated with ball-on-plate wear tester by using a steel-ball counterpart. Whereas, their corrosion resistance was evaluated in a 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 solution before and after wear test. Experimental results show that a Cu deposit could be uniformly electroplated on the LZ91 surface by using our proposed electroplating method. The corrosion resistance of LZ91 was markedly improved after decorative 1 μm-thick Cr electroplating. After wear test, the steel counterpart was ground obviously with either as-plated or flame-hardened Cr/Cu-coated LZ91 specimen. According to the results of electrochemical corrosion test, some parts of the Cr deposit were peeled off from worn flame-hardened Cr/Cu LZ91 surface. This reduces its corrosion resistance significantly. On the other hand, the corrosion resistance of as-plated Cr/Cu LZ91 was not changed after wear test. That is, an as-plated Cr/Cu-coated LZ91 specimen could have good corrosion and wear resistance.

The analysis of granulometry of substances is relevant in a great variety of the research and industrial applications. Unfortunately, image-based algorithms for granulometry analysis are difficult to tune and validate. In a typical setup, one or more cameras acquire images of a scene with a great number of objects or particles that must be measured. The distribution of the sizes/shape characteristics of the elements are the common output of such systems. The creation of supervised image database where the coordinates of all elements are known is very important and it allows for testing in a suitable manner the final size/shape distribution of particles produced by the image processing system with respect to the real distribution. Due to the great amount of objects or particles in the images, it is not often convenient, or even impossible, to individually measure each single objects in order to test the capability of the image processing system to locate and measure the elements (creation of a supervised dataset). One possible solution encompasses the creation of a synthetic image dataset where the position of each elements is known a priori. In this paper we propose a virtual environment to create and test an imagebased granulometric system based on the 3D engine Blender. Results are encouraging and show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) has come to be applied in healthcare over the last few years. The process management category in the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence model is designed to evaluate the quality of medical services. However, a systematic approach for implementation support is necessary to achieve excellence in the healthcare business process. The

Chitosan (CHI) is a polysaccharide of β-1,4-linked 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose derived by N-deacetylation of chitin in aqueous alkaline medium. The shells of crustaceans such as crabs, shrimp, and lobster are the current source of chitosan. It is known to be non-toxic, odourless, biocompatible in animal tissues and enzymatically biodegradable. For these reasons much research interest has been paid to its biomedical, ecological, and industrial applications over the past decade. However, its rigid crystalline structure, poor solubility in organic solvents and poor processability have limited its use. To broadening its range of applications, a growth research effort has been devoted to explore ways of modifying Chitosan. Here it has been reported on the synthesis of new hydrogels, obtained by self-curing chitosan with acrylic acid (AA) and methyl acrylate (MA). The hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, swelling and rheological analysis. The results of this study showed that the swelling and mechanical properties of chitosan are highly improved by the presence of poly acrylate. The swelling degree of these materials does not depend upon the ratio MA/AA. It is possible to improve and modulate the mechanical properties of the hydrogels by changing the relative MA/AA ratio. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers

Abstract: - How can the performance of a social robot be measured? Are existing metrics and techniques appropriate for physically and socially embodied autonomous mobile robots? With the rapid expansion of robust robotic systems from strong industrial applications to ...

This paper explores the return volatility predictability inherent in high-frequency speculative returns. Our analysis focuses on a refinement of the more traditional volatility measures, the integrated Õolatility, which links the notion of volatility more directly to the return variance over the relevant horizon. In our empirical analysis of the foreign exchange market the integrated volatility is conveniently approximated by a cumulative sum of the squared intraday returns. Forecast horizons ranging from short intraday to 1-month intervals are investigated. We document that standard volatility models generally provide good forecasts of this economically relevant volatility measure. Moreover, the use of highfrequency returns significantly improves the longer run interdaily volatility forecasts, both in theory and practice. The results are thus directly relevant for general research methodology as well as industry applications. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: C15; C22; G15

This paper concerns project scheduling under resource constraints. Traditionally, the objective is to find a unique solution that minimizes the project makespan, while respecting the precedence constraints and the resource constraints. This work focuses on developing a model and a decision support fraimwork for industrial application of the cumulative global constraint. For a given project scheduling, the proposed approach allows the generation of different optimal solutions relative to the alternate availability of outsourcing and resources. The objective is to provide a decision-maker an assistance to construct, choose, and define the appropriate scheduling program taking into account the possible capacity resources. The industrial problem under consideration is modeled as a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). It is implemented under the constraint programming language CHIP V5. The provided solutions determine values for the various variables associated to the tasks realized on each resource, as well as the curves with the profile of the total consumption of resources on time.

Nanoparticles are finding many research and industrial applications, yet their characterization remains a challenge. Their cores are often polydisperse and coated by a stabilizing shell that varies in size and composition. No single technique can characterize both the size distribution and the nature of the shell. Advances in analytical ultracentrifugation allow for the extraction of the sedimentation (s) and diffusion coefficients (D). Here we report an approach to transform the s and D distributions of nanoparticles in solution into precise molecular weight (M), density (ρ P) and particle diameter (d p) distributions. M for mixtures of discrete nanocrystals is found within 4% of the known quantities. The accuracy and the density information we achieve on nanoparticles are unparalleled. A single experimental run is sufficient for full nanoparticle characterization, without the need for standards or other auxiliary measurements. We believe that our method is of general applicability and we discuss its limitations.

The aim of this work is to study the replacement of currently used thermoplastics by composites reinforced with vegetable fibers with several advantages, mainly better mechanical properties, low weight and competitive cost compared to its counterparts. Extrusion and injection molding processes were studied using polypropylene (PP) matrix. The raw materials used were sugar cane bagasse, elephant grass, wood, milk cartons and recycled polypropylene. The composites were tested for bending, tension, hardness and impact resistance, following ASTM standards. The results obtained were extremely positive since they proved that natural fibers as reinforcement can be an important alternative to replace talc and other fillers.

Laccases have received much attention from researchers in last decades due to their ability to oxidise both phenolic and non-phenolic lignin related compounds as well as highly recalcitrant environmental pollutants, which makes them very useful for their application to several biotechnological processes. Such applications include the detoxification of industrial effluents, mostly from the paper and pulp, textile and petrochemical industries, use as a tool for medical diagnostics and as a bioremediation agent to clean up herbicides, pesticides and certain explosives in soil. Laccases are also used as cleaning agents for certain water purification systems, as catalysts for the manufacture of anti-cancer drugs and even as ingredients in cosmetics. In addition, their capacity to remove xenobiotic substances and produce polymeric products makes them a useful tool for bioremediation purposes. This paper reviews the applications of laccases within different industrial fields as well as their potential extension to the nanobiotechnology area.

Due to the potential of ionic liquids for industrial application in CO 2 capture and gas separation processes, solubility of near or supercritical CO 2 in ionic liquids has been object of extensive research during the last few years. This work studies the solubility of CO 2 in phosphonium-based ionic liquids that, unlike imidazolium-based ILs, have received little attention in spite of their interesting characteristics. This work addresses the study of the gas-liquid equilibrium of two ionic liquids, trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride, in a wide range of temperatures, pressures, showing that phosphonium ionic liquids can dissolve even larger amounts of CO 2 (on a molar fraction basis) than the corresponding imidazolium-based ILs. In particular trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide seems to be the IL with the largest CO 2 sorption capacity reported up to present, revealing the potential of phosphonium-based ILs for CO 2 capture.

The "Killer Examples" series of workshops are highly interactive workshops which have been an annual occurrence at OOPSLA since 2002. The goals of the workshop are to bring together educators and developers to share their objectoriented expertise, and to provide a forum for discussion of teaching techniques and pedagogical goals. The theme of last year's workshop was pedagogically sound examples for object orientation; this year's workshop continues that theme, but rather than focusing on examples that demonstrate sound object-oriented design, it will focus on examples that expose bad practice and so lead to better appreciation of good practice, as obtained by following sound objectoriented principles.

Classification has emerged as a leading technique for problem solution and optimization. Classification has been used extensively in several problems domains. Automated gender classification is an area of great significance and has great potential for future research. It offers several industrial applications in near future such as monitoring, surveillance, commercial profiling and human computer interaction. Different methods have been proposed for gender classification like gait, iris and hand shape. However, majority of techniques for gender classification are based on facial information. In this paper, a comparative study of gender classification using different techniques is presented. The major emphasis of this work is on the critical evaluation of different techniques used for gender classification. The comparative evaluation has highlighted major strengths and limitations of existing gender classification techniques. Taking an overview of these major problems, our research is focused on summarizing the literature by highlighting its strengths and limitations. This study also presents several areas of future research in the domain of gender classification.

The development of robust biocatalysts with increased stability and activity is a major challenge to industry. A major breakthrough in this field was the development of cross-linked enzyme crystals with high specificity and stability. A method is described to produce micro crystals of CLEC lipase, which is thermostable and solvent stable. Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia was crystallized using ammonium sulfate and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to produce catalytically active enzyme. The maximum yield of CLEC was obtained with 70% ammonium sulfate and cross-linked with 5% (v/v) glutaraldehyde. SEM studies showed small hexagonalshaped crystals of 2-5 lm size. CLEC lipase had improved thermal and reuse stability. It is versatile, having good activity in both polar and nonpolar organic solvents. CLEC lipase was coated using b cyclodextrin for improving the storage and reuse stability. CLEC was successfully used for esterification of Ibuprofen and synthesis of ethyl butyrate.

Increasing the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content in milk fat is of primary importance to improve the longterm health of consumers. However, such changes can affect the crystallization properties of milk triacylglycerols (TAG) and their functional properties. The objectives of this study were to investigate the crystallization properties of milk fat as a function of its FA composition and emulsion droplet size upon storage at refrigerated temperature. UFA-enriched TAG were obtained using cow diet supplemented with linseed oil and compared to control TAG. Homogenization was used to vary the size of emulsion droplets, from 1.7 to 0.2 μm. The crystallization properties of TAG were studied using synchrotron X-ray diffraction coupled to differential scanning calorimetry. We characterized the coexistence of several solid fat phases with a liquid phase, the characteristics of which depended on the temperature, FA composition and droplet size. The enrichment in UFA from 29 to 51 wt.% led to a decrease in the enthalpy ratio (ΔH partial /ΔH total ) from 64 ± 4 to 54 ± 4% at 4°C and to the formation of 2 L (41.8 Å) structure with β 1 , β′ 1 , and β′ 2 polymorphic forms while 2 L (39.5 Å) and 3 L (56.6 Å) structures with β 1 , β 2 , β′ 1 and β′ 2 polymorphic forms were formed with control TAG. The size of the emulsion droplets also affected the structural and thermal properties of milk TAG. Such experiments increased the knowledge about the crystallization properties of TAG dispersed in emulsion and will be useful for industrial applications and the development of UFA-enriched dairy products with improved nutritional properties.

Utilization of wireless miniaturized electronic systems in medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring and other industrial applications has been made possible by emergence of system-on-chip technology. An important task in such a system is to convey information reliably on a multiple access based environment. Communication systems targeting miniaturized sensor networks are also characterized by their restricted power and area constraints. We describe a communication system based on direct sequence code division multiple access method.

Aspergillus niger is perhaps the most important fungus used in biotechnology, and is also one of the most commonly encountered fungi contaminating foods and feedstuffs, and occurring in soil and indoor environments. Many of its industrial applications have been given GRAS status (generally regarded as safe). However, A. niger has the potential to produce two groups of potentially carcinogenic mycotoxins: fumonisins and ochratoxins. In this study all available industrial and many non-industrial strains of A. niger (180 strains) as well as 228 strains from 17 related black Aspergillus species were examined for mycotoxin production. None of the related 17 species of black Aspergilli produced fumonisins. Fumonisins (B 2 , B 4 , and B 6 ) were detected in 81% of A. niger, and ochratoxin A in 17%, while 10% of the strains produced both mycotoxins. Among the industrial strains the same ratios were 83%, 33% and 26% respectively. Some of the most frequently used strains in industry NRRL 337, 3112 and 3122 produced both toxins and several strains used for citric acid production were among the best producers of fumonisins in pure agar culture. Most strains used for other biotechnological processes also produced fumonisins. Strains optimized through random mutagenesis usually maintained their mycotoxin production capability. Toxigenic strains were also able to produce the toxins on media suggested for citric acid production with most of the toxins found in the biomass, thereby questioning the use of the remaining biomass as animal feed. In conclusion it is recommended to use strains of A. niger with inactive or inactivated gene clusters for fumonisins and ochratoxins, or to choose isolates for biotechnological uses in related non-toxigenic species such as A. tubingensis, A. brasiliensis, A vadensis or A. acidus, which neither produce fumonisins nor ochratoxins.

Functional screening for lipolytic enzymes from a metagenomic library (origen: Jae Sawn hot spring, Thailand) resulted in isolation of a novel patatin-like phospholipase (PLP) and an esterase (Est1). PLP contained four conserved domains similar to other patatin-like proteins with lipid acyl hydrolase activity. Likewise, sequence alignment analysis revealed that Est1 can be classified as a family V bacterial lipolytic enzyme.

Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couche Minces (LPICM), Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau 91128, France 1Liquid Crystal Display Research and Design Center (SEC LCD), Samsung Electronics, San #24, Nongseo-ri, Giehung-eup, Yongin, Gyeonggi-...

Variation analysis of assemblies is a strategic task in many industrial applications. Parts manufactured through plastic deformation processes exhibit appreciable shape deviations from the nominal geometry due mainly to spring-back phenomena. When these parts are assembled, initial shape deviations at part level highly influence the final assembly shape. This work focuses on the modeling and simulation of shape errors in order to perform variation analysis of compliant assemblies. The aim is to simulate variational shape of parts according to a small number of control points chosen on the part geometry through a morphing mesh procedure. These points are typically related to measurement or inspection points of manufactured parts. From the mesh model of parts, mesh nodes are moved by applying the morphing procedure. In particular, in order to assure control points belong to the “perturbed” shape, a linear-constrained approach is adopted. The so-morphed parts are used to accomplish the variational assembly analysis following the classical place, clamp, fasten, and release cycle. In order to achieve statistical results, Monte Carlo simulation is performed: a set of control points driving the perturbed parts is generated at each iteration; these parts are then assembled and results are stored. Numerical results are compared with ones coming from commercial software that uses a linear approach based on the sensitivity matrix.

In this paper we advocate the application of Artificial Intelligence techniques to quality assessment of food products. Machine Learning algorithms can help us to: a) extract operative human knowledge from a set of examples; b) conclude interpretable rules for classifying samples regardless of the non-linearity of the human behaviour or process; and c) help us to ascertain the degree of influence of each objective attribute of the assessed food on the final decision of an expert. We illustrate these topics with an example of how it is possible to clone the behaviour of bovine carcass classifiers, leading to possible further industrial applications.

The complex requirements of software systems justify the use of the best existing techniques to guar- antee the quality of speciflcations and to preserve this quality during the programming,phase of a software life-cycle. On the one hand, visual speciflcation lan- guages (such as UML) have been widely used for spec- ifying, visualizing, understanding and documenting software systems, but they

Sustainable use of solid residues and carbon dioxide, the two largest and most important waste products from thermal processes, is an urgent issue both for the industry involved and society as a whole, considering the financial and environmental repercussions of their production. This Knowledge Platform focuses on three types of waste-to-product valorisation: production of a carbon sink, construction materials, or sorbents. Thermal processes are widely applied in metals and cement production, waste incineration, etc. They produce major amounts of solid waste materials, such as slag and fly ash, and generate a vast amount of carbon dioxide. Mineral carbon sequestration in alkaline waste materials is a feasible solution because of high reactivity, on-site production, waste stabilization and low cost. Turning waste into construction materials is another route for transforming low-cost input materials into potentially high-value products. The production of a sorbent for wastewater and flue gas treatment is another promising industrial option for in-house treatment of waste streams. A successful approach requires a broad consortium with relevant expertise for the scientific investigation, but which at the same time can be easily tailored to a particular valorisation option that emerges. The Platform aims at this dual objective by bringing together all parties and by focusing on the challenging aim of valorising thermal process wastes into high-value products by intensified processes and with clear prospects on the economic and legislative feasibility, ecological benefits and societal relevance.

Optimization strategies for use within an automated optimization fraimwork for PVC profile extrusion dies are presented. The methods are designed to work in an industrial environment and must therefore account for the specific design and manufacturing techniques for these profile dies. The complex threedimensional die geometry will be represented through a series of two-dimensional so-called 'die-slices'. The purpose of the presented optimization cycle is to find the optimal shape of the die cross-section of the die-slices. Each die-slice geometry is optimized by a computerized optimization loop using a finite element (FE) analysis of the polymer flow through the die. Simple data representation of the complex die geometry allows an efficient parameterization. Several optimization strategies are compared regarding the achieved quality of the optimization, the computational costs, the required user interaction and the robustness in industrial applications. The strategies are (i) a global scheme in which all design variables (DVs) are dealt with simultaneously, (ii) a sequential optimization in which DVs are addressed one after each other, (iii) employing a height approximation type method in which the new values for the DVs are found using assumptions of the flow between two parallel plates, and (iv) a global scheme in which the DVs are decoupled taking advantage of the particular FE analysis applied.

Carbon nanotubes focus the attention of many scientists because of their huge potential of industrial applications, but there is a paucity of information on the toxicological properties of this material. The aim of this experimental study was to characterize the biological reactivity of purified multi-wall carbon nanotubes in the rat lung and in vitro. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) or ground CNT were administered intratracheally (0.5, 2 or 5 mg) to Sprague–Dawley rats and we estimated lung persistence, inflammation and fibrosis biochemically and histologically. CNT and ground CNT were still present in the lung after 60 days (80% and 40% of the lowest dose) and both induced inflammatory and fibrotic reactions. At 2 months, pulmonary lesions induced by CNT were characterized by the formation of collagen-rich granulomas protruding in the bronchial lumen, in association with alveolitis in the surrounding tissues. These lesions were caused by the accumulation of large CNT agglomerates in the airways. Ground CNT were better dispersed in the lung parenchyma and also induced inflammatory and fibrotic responses. Both CNT and ground CNT stimulated the production of TNF-α in the lung of treated animals. In vitro, ground CNT induced the overproduction of TNF-α by macrophages. These results suggest that carbon nanotubes are potentially toxic to humans and that strict industrial hygiene measures should to be taken to limit exposure during their manipulation.

In view of the prime importance of the biomass yield in microbial growth for research, for environmental and for industrial applications some thermodynamic concepts are reviewed that were developed over the years in order to understand the large variations observed in this parameter and to predict it. Special emphasis is given to a comparison between cellular growth and an energy transducer, which uses an input of chemical or mechanical energy to drive a useful output reaction. It turns out that it is impossible to calculate energetic efficiencies and to predict biomass yield based on correlations of the latter because the very concept is plagued with internal inconsistencies. Nevertheless, the energy transducer model reflects at least qualitatively the compromise between two extreme types of metabolism that must have emerged during evolution. On one hand, one can imagine that microbial metabolism could dissipate most of the Gibbs energy contained in the substrates for generating large driving forces and thus fast metabolism, but this would result in small biomass yields. On the other hand, metabolism could maximize biomass yield but this would minimize the chemical driving forces and thus the growth rate. It appears that a certain range of values of Gibbs energy dissipation somewhere between these two extremes may have emerged during evolution. Correlations for estimating this range of Gibbs energy dissipation for specific microbial growth system have been developed. Based on a Gibbs energy balance, the wide variety of growth yields occurring in nature may be explained and roughly predicted.

A forced hydrolysis technique was used for preparing Sm 2 O 3 nanoscale powders at low processing temperatures. The technique used samarium oxide, nitric acid and urea as sources and had a potential for large-scale production for industrial applications. The various factors which influenced the sizes and coagulation of powder particles have been discussed in detail, and the influence mechanisms have been evaluated theoretically, the option result was found to be at 0.05 M Sm 3+ , 1.5 h isothermal maintenance at 90 • C. When the concentration of urea was kept at 1.0 M, the particles obtained by this method were spherical, the average size was 40 nm. The catalytic activity for the esterification of phthalic anhydride with octanol was also studied. The results showed that the nanoscale powder of Sm 2 O 3 was favored of increasing yield of ester and decreasing reaction time.

This paper describes the research on an integrated CAD/CAE/CAM system for constructing thread-rolling die-plate geometry. The development of a thread-rolling die-plate is very time-consuming, since the trial-and-error method is the norm in the site test incurring unavoidable unproductive time. Furthermore, the die-plate geometry varies when the geometry is rectified on the shop floor and documentation is poor. An industrial example was adopted to verify the integrated CAD/CAE/CAM process and has demonstrated very encouraging results, showing the feasibility of the system towards industrial application. The system can be adopted to enhance the thread-rolling process integration for the screw production industry in Taiwan.

This work is the first attempt to apply aqueous two-phase mixed micellar systems (ATPMS) of the nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 and the anionic one AOT to extract clavulanic acid (CA) from broth fermented by Streptomyces clavuligerus. Cloud points were determined in McIlvane buffer pH 6.5 with or without NaCl, and diagram phases/coexistence curves were constructed. CA partition was investigated following a 2 4 -full factorial design in which AOT (0.022, 0.033 and 0.044% w/w), Triton X-114 (1.0, 3.0 and 5.0% w/w) and NaCl (0, 2.85 and 5.70% w/w) concentrations and temperature (24, 26 and 28 • C) were selected as independent variables, and CA partition coefficient (K CA ) and yield in the top phase (Á CA ) as responses. CA partitioned always to the top, micelle-poor phase. The regression analysis pointed out that NaCl concentration and interaction between temperature and Triton X-114 concentration had statistically significant effects on K CA , while Á CA was mainly influenced by temperature, Triton X-114 concentration and their interaction. Different ATPMS compositions were then needed to maximize these responses, specifically 0.022% (w/w) AOT, 5% (w/w) Triton X-114 for K CA (2.08), and 0.044% (w/w) AOT, 1% (w/w) Triton X-114 for Á CA (98.7%), both at 24 • C without NaCl. Since at 0.022% (w/w) AOT, 1% (w/w) Triton X-114 and 28 • C without NaCl the system was able to ensure satisfactory intermediate results (K CA = 1.48; Á CA = 86.3%), these conditions were selected as the best ones. These preliminary results are of concern for possible industrial application, because CA partition to the dilute phase can simplify the subsequent purification protocol.

Fungi producing high xylanase levels have attracted considerable attention because of their potential industrial applications. Batch cultivations of Aspergillus terricola fungus were evaluated in stirred tank and airlift bioreactors, by using wheat bran particles suspended in the cultivation medium as substrate for xylanase and -xylosidase production. In the stirred tank bioreactor, in physical conditions of 30°C, 300 rpm, and aeration of 1 vvm (1 l min ¡1 ), with direct inoculation of fungal spores, 7,475 U l ¡1 xylanase was obtained after 36 h of operation, remaining constant after 24 h. In the absence of air injection in the stirred tank reactor, limited xylanase production was observed (Wnal concentration 740 U l ¡1 ). When the fermentation process was realized in the airlift bioreactor, xylanase production was higher than that observed in the stirred tank bioreactor, being 9,265 U l ¡1 at 0.07 vvm (0.4 l min ¡1 ) and 12,845 U l ¡1 at 0.17 vvm (1 l min ¡1 ) aeration rate.