Phylogenetic and Pathogenic Evidence Reveals Novel Host-Pathogen Interactions between Species of Lasiodiplodia and Citrus latifolia Dieback Disease in Southern Mexico.

Mexico ranks second in the world for Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) exports, making it the principal citrus exporter within the national citrus industry, exporting over 600,000 tons per year. However, diseases are the main factor reducing production, resulting in significant economic losses. Among these diseases, fungal diseases like dieback, caused by species of Lasiodiplodia, are an emerging issue in Persian lime. Symptoms include gummosis, twig and branch dieback, cankers, the necrosis of bark and wood, fruit mummification, and tree decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and pathogenicity of the fungal species associated with twig and branch dieback, cankers, and decline of Persian lime trees in southern Mexico, and to elucidate the current status of the Lasiodiplodia species causing the disease in Mexico. During June, July, and August of 2023, a total of the 9229 Persian lime trees were inspected across 230 hectares of Persian lime orchards in southern Mexico, and symptoms of the disease were detected in 48.78% of the trees. Branches from 30 of these Persian lime trees were collected. Fungal isolates were obtained, resulting in a collection of 40 strains. The isolates were characterized molecularly and phylogenetically through the partial regions of four loci: the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the ß-tubulin gene (tub2), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1-α), and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2). Additionally, pathogenicity was assessed, successfully completing Koch's postulates on both detached Persian lime branches and certified 18-month-old Persian lime plants. Through multilocus molecular phylogenetic identification, pathogenicity, and virulence tests, five species were identified as causal agents: L. iraniensis, L. lignicola, L. mexicanensis, L. pseudotheobromae, and L. theobromae. This study demonstrates that in southern Mexico, at least five species of the genus Lasiodiplodia are responsible for dieback in Persian lime. Additionally, this is the first report of L. lignicola and L. mexicanensis as causal agents of the disease in citrus, indicating novel host interactions between species of Lasiodiplodia and C. latifolia.

Identifying Substructures That Facilitate Compounds to Penetrate the Blood-Brain Barrier via Passive Transport Using Machine Learning Explainer Models.

The local interpretable model-agnostic explanation (LIME) method was used to interpret two machine learning models of compounds penetrating the blood-brain barrier. The classification models, Random Forest, ExtraTrees, and Deep Residual Network, were trained and validated using the blood-brain barrier penetration dataset, which shows the penetrability of compounds in the blood-brain barrier. LIME was able to create explanations for such penetrability, highlighting the most important substructures of molecules that affect drug penetration in the barrier. The simple and intuitive outputs prove the applicability of this explainable model to interpreting the permeability of compounds across the blood-brain barrier in terms of molecular features. LIME explanations were filtered with a weight equal to or greater than 0.1 to obtain only the most relevant explanations. The results showed several structures that are important for blood-brain barrier penetration. In general, it was found that some compounds with nitrogenous substructures are more likely to permeate the blood-brain barrier. The application of these structural explanations may help the pharmaceutical industry and potential drug synthesis research groups to synthesize active molecules more rationally.

Rootstocks affect the vulnerability to embolism and pit membrane thickness in Citrus scions.

Embolism resistance of xylem tissue varies among species and is an important trait related to drought resistance, with anatomical attributes like pit membrane thickness playing an important role in avoiding embolism spread. Grafted Citrus trees are commonly grown in orchards, with the rootstock being able to affect the drought resistance of the whole plant. Here, we evaluated how rootstocks affect the vulnerability to embolism resistance of the scion using several rootstock/scion combinations. Scions of 'Tahiti' acid lime, 'Hamlin', 'Pera' and 'Valencia' oranges grafted on a 'Rangpur' lime rootstock exhibit similar vulnerability to embolism. In field-grown trees, measurements of leaf water potential did not suggest significant embolism formation during the dry season, while stomata of Citrus trees presented an isohydric response to declining water availability. When 'Valencia' orange scions were grafted on 'Rangpur' lime, 'IAC 1710' citrandarin, 'Sunki Tropical' mandarin or 'Swingle' citrumelo rootstocks, variation in intervessel pit membrane thickness of the scion was found. The 'Rangpur' lime rootstock, which is known for its drought resistance, induced thicker pit membranes in the scion, resulting in higher embolism resistance than the other rootstocks. Similarly, the rootstock 'IAC 1710' citrandarin generated increased embolism resistance of the scion, which is highly relevant for citriculture.

Environmental, economic, and social impacts of sugar cane bagasse and eggshell wastes for soil stabilization.

Sustainability is a core topic for all sectors including geotechnical engineering (e.g., design of foundations, earthworks structures, and pavements for major infrastructure and building projects). Despite being comprised of environmental, economic, and social pillars, most sustainability studies in this area have focused on the first. Furthermore, social impacts and the three pillars integration are little explored. As a result, there is a lack of systemic and holistic assessments of innovative geotechnical alternatives. This research advances in this area by performing a complete sustainability assessment and integration of the environmental, economic, and social pillars of two expansive soil stabilization alternatives: (i) sugar cane bagasse ash combined with hydrated eggshell lime alkali-activated by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and (ii) Portland cement. Individual analyses were carried out to determine the environmental, economic, and social impacts, and the single sustainability index. Alkali-activated binder dosages showed higher impacts in 4 out of 10 environmental categories. For both binders, high-density/low-binder dosages contributed to environmental and economic sustainability as they require lower quantities of raw materials and diesel for materials transportation. The total costs of alkali-activated binder dosages ($189.79 and $154.45) were higher than that of Portland cement ($72.49 and $54.04), mainly due to the high cost of NaOH acquisition. However, the alkali-activated binder dosages implied lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and thus lower social cost of CO2. The alternative binder presented a higher positive social impact. The alkali-activated high-density/low binder dosage is the most sustainable soil stabilization strategy.

An Interpretable Approach with Explainable AI for Heart Stroke Prediction.

Heart strokes are a significant global health concern, profoundly affecting the wellbeing of the population. Many research endeavors have focused on developing predictive models for heart strokes using ML and DL techniques. Nevertheless, prior studies have often failed to bridge the gap between complex ML models and their interpretability in clinical contexts, leaving healthcare professionals hesitant to embrace them for critical decision-making. This research introduces a meticulously designed, effective, and easily interpretable approach for heart stroke prediction, empowered by explainable AI techniques. Our contributions include a meticulously designed model, incorporating pivotal techniques such as resampling, data leakage prevention, feature selection, and emphasizing the model's comprehensibility for healthcare practitioners. This multifaceted approach holds the potential to significantly impact the field of healthcare by offering a reliable and understandable tool for heart stroke prediction. In our research, we harnessed the potential of the Stroke Prediction Dataset, a valuable resource containing 11 distinct attributes. Applying these techniques, including model interpretability measures such as permutation importance and explainability methods like LIME, has achieved impressive results. While permutation importance provides insights into feature importance globally, LIME complements this by offering local and instance-specific explanations. Together, they contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. The combination of these techniques not only aids in understanding the features that drive overall model performance but also helps in interpreting and validating individual predictions. The ANN model has achieved an outstanding accuracy rate of 95%.

Explainability agreement between dermatologists and five visual explanations techniques in deep neural networks for melanoma AI classification.

Introduction: The use of deep convolutional neural networks for analyzing skin lesion images has shown promising results. The identification of skin cancer by faster and less expensive means can lead to an early diagnosis, saving lives and avoiding treatment costs. However, to implement this technology in a clinical context, it is important for specialists to understand why a certain model makes a prediction; it must be explainable. Explainability techniques can be used to highlight the patterns of interest for a prediction. Methods: Our goal was to test five different techniques: Grad-CAM, Grad-CAM++, Score-CAM, Eigen-CAM, and LIME, to analyze the agreement rate between features highlighted by the visual explanation maps to 3 important clinical criteria for melanoma classification: asymmetry, border irregularity, and color heterogeneity (ABC rule) in 100 melanoma images. Two dermatologists scored the visual maps and the clinical images using a semi-quantitative scale, and the results were compared. They also ranked their preferable techniques. Results: We found that the techniques had different agreement rates and acceptance. In the overall analysis, Grad-CAM showed the best total+partial agreement rate (93.6%), followed by LIME (89.8%), Grad-CAM++ (88.0%), Eigen-CAM (86.4%), and Score-CAM (84.6%). Dermatologists ranked their favorite options: Grad-CAM and Grad-CAM++, followed by Score-CAM, LIME, and Eigen-CAM. Discussion: Saliency maps are one of the few methods that can be used for visual explanations. The evaluation of explainability with humans is ideal to assess the understanding and applicability of these methods. Our results demonstrated that there is a significant agreement between clinical features used by dermatologists to diagnose melanomas and visual explanation techniques, especially Grad-Cam.

Differential Expression of miRNAs Involved in Response to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus Infection in Mexican Lime at Early and Late Stages of Huanglongbing Disease.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive diseases threatening citriculture worldwide. This disease has been associated with α-proteobacteria species, namely Candidatus Liberibacter. Due to the unculturable nature of the causal agent, it has been difficult to mitigate the disease, and nowadays a cure is not available. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression, playing an essential role in abiotic and biotic stress in plants including antibacterial responses. However, knowledge derived from non-model systems including Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas)-citrus pathosystem remains largely unknown. In this study, small RNA profiles from Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia) plants infected with CLas at asymptomatic and symptomatic stages were generated by sRNA-Seq, and miRNAs were obtained with ShortStack software. A total of 46 miRNAs, including 29 known miRNAs and 17 novel miRNAs, were identified in Mexican lime. Among them, six miRNAs were deregulated in the asymptomatic stage, highlighting the up regulation of two new miRNAs. Meanwhile, eight miRNAs were differentially expressed in the symptomatic stage of the disease. The target genes of miRNAs were related to protein modification, transcription factors, and enzyme-coding genes. Our results provide new insights into miRNA-mediated regulation in C. aurantifolia in response to CLas infection. This information will be useful to understand molecular mechanisms behind the defense and pathogenesis of HLB.

Rice husk ash-carbide lime as an alternative binder for waste foundry sand stabilization.

Rice husk ash (RHA) is an excellent pozzolana and associated with hydrated lime (HL), it becomes an alternative binder to Portland cement in soil stabilization. In the context of waste valorization, waste foundry sand (WFS) and carbide lime (CL) have been investigated in civil construction and environmental geotechnical applications. However, stabilizing WFS with alternative binders to Portland cement represents a large field of research to be explored. This study evaluated the stabilization of WFS with a binder based on RHA and CL, compared to the use of RHA-HL. An experimental design was carried out to evaluate the influence of different dry-specific weights (12.00, 12.75, and 13.50 kN/m3), RHA contents (10%, 20%, and 30%), and curing times (28, 60, and 90 days) under unconfined compressive strength (UCS). UCS results were submitted to statistical analysis and correlated to the porosity/binder content index (η/Biv). Healing capacity, mineralogy, microstructure, and leaching of metals from mixtures of interest were evaluated. The results showed that higher specific weights and higher percentages of RHA promoted better strength. The η/Biv0.28 index proved to be an adequate parameter to assess the UCS of WFS-RHA mixtures with different limes (CL and HL), lower porosity, and higher binder content leading to higher strengths. The mixture's mineralogy and microscopy showed the formation of cementing gels, corroborating the strength gains. WFS stabilized with both binders (RHA-CL and RHA-HL) presented satisfactory environmental performance, allowing the immobilization of metals in the waste compositions.

The technology life cycle of Persian lime. A patent based analysis.

The citrus agro-industry is one of the world's most important agricultural sectors. The Persian lime is one of six citrus fruit groups with economic significance. The technological lifecycle of Persian lime sector is assessed in this study using the growth S-curve approach. The objective is to depict the technology life cycle trajectory and current stage of the Persian lime citrus fruit, as well as each of its value chain phases, in order to facilitate better decision-making and technological strategies. The study uses technological patents collected from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) database from 1975 to 2009. The S-curve model of Persian lime and its value chain stages is generated using logistic mathematical regression. According to the findings of this study, Persian lime is in the maturity stage of the technology life cycle. As a result, the primary strategy could be cost reduction, process innovation, and price strategies to capitalize on market opportunities. When compared to other value chain phases, the transformation phase has the highest number of patents according to the value chain analysis and it is the unique value chain phase with statistical significance in the model. The transformation phase is also at the maturity stage of the technology life cycle. This creates opportunities in two ways: first, to adopt previously developed technologies in the transformation phase and improve process efficiency to reduce costs; and second, to reinforce innovative technological efforts in other phases of the Persian lime value chain, such as growth, harvest, or post-harvest.

Extraction of potential bioactive compounds from industrial Tahiti lime (Citrus latifólia Tan.) by-product using pressurized liquids and ultrasound-assisted extraction.

This work evaluated two emerging techniques in extracting phenolic compounds from Tahiti lime pomace - pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). PLE was performed at different temperatures (60 - 110 °C) and times (5 - 40 min), and UAE was carried out varying ultrasound power (160 - 792 W), time (2 - 10 min), and solvent to feed mass ratio (20 - 40 kg solvent/kg dried pomace). Both used ethanol and water (3:1, wt.) as the solvent. The effects of these variables were evaluated on global extraction yield, polyphenols, hesperidin, narirutin yields, and antioxidant capacity. PLE was strongly affected by temperature and extraction time, and the highest temperature (110 °C) provided the best results for global yield, total phenolic, and ORAC, except for hesperidin and narirutin, which were not significative affected by temperature. UAE revealed a weak dependency on power, S/F, and time; however, the lowest power level significantly increased the yields compared to no power application. Thus, P = 480 W, t = 6 min, and S/F = 30 was chosen as the best condition in the UAE in terms of overall extraction yield, total phenolics, specific phenolics, antioxidant capacities, and solvent and energy expenditures. UAE mechanisms were investigated by comparing with heated and stirred maceration, and scanning electron microscopy suggested that total phenolic yield was influenced by mechanisms that only ultrasound can provide. Micrographics confirmed the cavitation effect on Tahiti lime pomace particles' surface. To sum up, PLE resulted in the highest yields and antioxidant capacity, followed by UAE.

Soil acidity and soy phytometry under application of limestone and agricultural gypsum / Acidez do solo e fitometria de soja sob aplicação de calcário e gesso agrícola

The soybean is one of the main agricultural crops in Brazil, because the use of its grains is an important source of protein and vegetable oil. One of the main limiting factors for obtaining high yields in soybean in tropical soils is related to the need to correct soil acidity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) and the variation of soil pH values under the application of limestone and agricultural gypsum. The experimental design was completely randomized, distributed in a 4x4 factorial scheme. The treatments consisted of doses of 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 t ha-1of only limestone, only gypsum and the combination of limestone and gypsum, repeated four times, totaling 64 experimental units. The soil pH was evaluated at 30, 45, 60, 75 days before sowing. The growth variables were: number of pods, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, root length and shoot/root ratio. The variables pH 75 days, root length and shoot/root ratio were significantly influenced by the treatments, alone or in interaction. For pH 30, pH 45 and pH 60 days, number of pods and shoot dry mass, there were isolated effects of treatments for gypsum and limestone. In root dry mass, the effect of the treatment was verified only with the use of limestone. As a conclusion, the application of limestone and gypsum reduces the soil acidity, obtaining higher pH values from the doses of 3000 kg ha-1, with the combination of limestone and gypsum. The use of gypsum consortium with limestone promotes significant results in the growth of soybean plants.

A soja é uma das principais culturas agrícolas do Brasil, pois, a utilização de seus grãos é uma importante fonte de proteínas e óleo vegetal. Um dos principais fatores limitantes para obtenção de altos rendimentos na soja, em solos tropicais, está relacionado à necessidade de correção da acidez do solo. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o crescimento de (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) e a variação dos valores de pH do solo sob a aplicação de calcário e gesso agrícola. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, distribuídos em esquema fatorial 4x4, os tratamentos constaram de doses 0, 1,5, 3,0 e 4,5 t ha-1sendo elas somente calcário, somente o gesso e a combinação de calcário e gesso, repetidos quatro vezes, totalizando 64 unidades experimentais. O pH do solo foi avaliado a 30, 45, 60 e 75 dias antes da semeadura. As variáveis de crescimento foram: número de vagens, massa seca da parte aérea, massa seca da raiz, comprimento da raiz e relação parte aérea/raiz. As variáveis pH 75 dias, comprimento da raiz e relação parte aérea/raiz, foram influenciadas significativamente pelos tratamentos, isoladamente ou em interação. Para o pH 30, 45 e 60 dias, número de vagens e massa seca da parte aérea ocorreram efeitos isolados dos tratamentos para gesso e calcário. Na massa seca da raiz o efeito do tratamento foi verificado apenas com a utilização do calcário. Como conclusão, a aplicação de calcário e gesso reduz a acidez do solo, obtendo maiores valores de pH a partir das doses de 3000 kg ha-1, com a combinação de calcário e gesso. A utilização do gesso consorciado com o calcário promove resultados significativos no crescimento das plantas de soja.

Effect of calcium hydroxide mixed with preservatives on physicochemical characteristics and sensory shelf-life of corn tortilla.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and shelf-life of corn tortilla stored at room temperature (25 °C) using aw modifiers (propylene glycol and glycerol) and pH modifiers (fumaric acid and sodium benzoate) as preservatives combined with calcium hydroxide. Detection thresholds were used to determine the maximum preservative concentration and calcium hydroxide. Physicochemical characterization and sensory evaluation were used to determine the stability and sensory shelf-life of tortillas. RESULTS: Control, calcium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide + fumaric acid, calcium hydroxide + glycerol, calcium hydroxide + propylene glycol, and calcium hydroxide + sodium benzoate treatments had rounded half-lives of 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, and 2 days respectively. Glycerol combined with calcium hydroxide resulted in tortillas with lower pH variations over time. Mold presence was the critical attribute causing tortilla rejection. CONCLUSION: The use of aw modifiers had a better effect in preserving corn tortilla, as the concentration of pH modifiers at detection threshold levels was not able to reach an optimum performance when combined with calcium hydroxide. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficiency of the base saturation method in determining lime requirements for Dystrophic Yellow Latosol Soilin Eastern Amazon / Eficiência do método de saturação por bases para recomendação de calagem em um Latossolo Amarelo na Amazônia Oriental

High soil acidity, low cation-exchange capacity, and low fertility are the major bottlenecks in the Amazon region's agricultural activities, making liming an essential technique for crop production. This study aimed to assess the efficiency of two liming methods, namely broadcasting and incorporation, in meeting base saturation (BS) requirements at different soil depths and time intervals in a Latossolo Amarelo in the eastern Amazon. The experiment was carried out using a randomized block design arranged in a 5 × 2 factorial, with five lime doses recommended for raising the BS to 0, 40, 80, 160, and 320% and two application methods (broadcasting and incorporation). After lime application, soil samples were collected at three depths (0.00-0.05, 0.05-0.10, and 0.10-0.20 m) and three periods (30, 60, and 90 days after application, DAA) for BS determination. The highest BS values were observed at 30 DAA with incorporation. The expected BS value was obtained by incorporating the 40% dose but was limited to the 0.00-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m layers. Lime incorporation is the most efficient method for achieving the recommended BS levels at 30 DAA. At 90 DAA, most doses did not provide BS values equal to or greater than the calculated values. Therefore, regression analyses are recommended in field experiments respecting the threshold of 80% BS.

Alta acidez do solo, baixa capacidade de troca catiônica e baixa fertilidade são os principais gargalos das atividades agrícolas na região amazônica, o que torna a calagem uma técnica essencial para a produção agrícola. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de dois métodos de calagem, a saber, a lanço e incorporado ao solo, para atender às exigências da saturação por bases (V%) em diferentes profundidades e intervalos de tempo em um Latossolo Amarelo na Amazônia oriental. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 5 × 2, com cinco doses de calcário recomendadas para elevar o V a 0, 40, 80, 160 e 320% e dois métodos de aplicação(a lanço e incorporado). Após a aplicação do calcário, amostras de solo foram coletadas em três profundidades (0,00-0,05, 0,05-0,10 e 0,10-0,20 m) em três períodos (30, 60 e 90 dias após a aplicação, DAA) para determinação do V%. Os maiores valores de V% foram observados aos 30 DAA com incorporação. O valor de V% esperado foi obtido pela incorporação da dose de 40%, mas foi limitado às camadas de 0,00-0,05 e 0,05-0,10 m. A incorporação de cálcario é o método mais eficiente para atingir os níveis recomendados de V%aos30 DAA. Aos 90 DAA, a maioria das doses não forneceu valores de V% iguais ou superiores aos valores calculados. Portanto, análises de regressão são recomendadas em experimentos de campo respeitando o limite de 80% V.

Use of biochar from rice husk pyrolysis: assessment of reactivity in lime pastes.

Biochar has unique properties such as its porous structure, specific surface area, and stable chemical properties. The rice husk is characterized by its high content of silica, and that during the pyrolysis process it generates a considerable amount of biochar that can be used in different processes. The aim of this work is to evaluate several biochars from the pyrolysis process in the reactivity of lime pastes. For this, biochar has been obtained at four different temperatures (450, 500, 550 and 600 °C), and they have been characterized by XRF, XRD, ICP-EOS, and particle size distribution, to determine their phases and their chemical composition. Biochar has been replaced in lime pastes in different proportions (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%), and exposed to different curing times (1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, 90 and 180 days). It has been found that all the replacements show reactivity within the lime pastes and that the percentage of 25% in all the biochar tested could be an adequate replacement.

Lime/Sodium Carbonate Treated Seawater to Improve Flocculation and Sedimentation of Clay-Based Tailings.

Seawater treated with lime and sodium carbonate in different proportions to reduce magnesium and calcium contents is used in flocculation and sedimentation tests of artificial quartz and kaolin tailings. Solid complexes were separated from water by vacuum filtration, and factors such as lime/sodium carbonate ratio, kaolin content, flocculation time, and flocculant dose are evaluated. The growth of the aggregates was captured in situ by a focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) probe. Solid magnesium and calcium complexes are formed in raw seawater at pH 11, impairing the performance of flocculant polymers based on polyacrylamides. The results show that the settling rate improved when the treatment's lime/sodium carbonate ratio increased. That is, when a greater removal of magnesium is prioritized over calcium. The amount of magnesium required to be removed depends on the mineralogy of the system: more clay will require more significant removal of magnesium. These results respond to the structural changes of the flocs, achieving that the more magnesium is removed, the greater the size and density of the aggregates. In contrast, calcium removal does not significantly influence flocculant performance. The study suggests the necessary conditions for each type of tailing to maximize water recovery, contributing to the effective closure of the water cycle in processes that use seawater with magnesium control.

Lightweight masonry block without Portland cement / Bloco de alvenaria leve sem cimento Portland

ABSTRACT Huge amounts of fly ash - a substance that does not conform to the ASTM C618 classification due to its chemical properties - have been abandoned in landfills around the world, despite their self-cementing property. It has not been used in concrete making applications due to its large amounts of free lime and sulfate contents. The fly ash in these plants is dumped in landfills, causing serious environmental hazards. Fly ash is disposed to the landfills by belt conveyors after being humidified with water. Therefore, the fly ashes humidified in the landfill areas are hydrated in nature. This hydration is further intensified in landfills by rain and snow. Thus, the free lime content of fly ash decreases due to its long hydration process. In this work, the lightweight masonry blocks were produced by mixing normal and hydrated fly ashes or normal, hydrated fly ash and lime without Portland cement. The compressive strength, water absorption, sorptivity, density, porosity, and thermal conductivity values of the samples produced were determined. The results obtained from these tests showed that lightweight masonry blocks could be produced by using these waste materials in building applications.

RESUMO Enormes quantidades de cinzas volantes - uma substância que não está de acordo com a classificação ASTM C618 devido às suas propriedades químicas - foram abandonadas em aterros sanitários ao redor do mundo, apesar de sua propriedade de autocimentação. Essas substâncias não têm sido usadas em aplicações de fabricação de concreto devido às suas grandes quantidades de cal livre e teores de sulfato. A cinza volante dessas usinas é despejada em aterros sanitários, causando sérios riscos ambientais. Essas cinzas são descartadas em aterros por correias transportadoras após serem umedecidas com água. Portanto, as cinzas volantes umedecidas nas áreas do aterro são hidratadas na natureza. Essa hidratação é ainda mais intensificada em aterros, pela chuva e pela neve. Assim, o teor de cal livre nas cinzas volantes diminui devido ao longo processo de hidratação. Neste trabalho, blocos de alvenaria leves foram produzidos pela mistura de cinzas volantes normais e hidratadas, ou cinza volante normal hidratada e cal sem cimento Portland. Foram determinados os valores de resistência à compressão, absorção de água, sensibilidade, densidade, porosidade e condutividade térmica das amostras produzidas. Os resultados obtidos nesses testes mostraram que blocos de alvenaria leves podem ser produzidos usando esses materiais residuais em aplicações de construção.

Specific Physiological and Anatomical Traits Associated With Polyploidy and Better Detoxification Processes Contribute to Improved Huanglongbing Tolerance of the Persian Lime Compared With the Mexican Lime.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is presently a major threat to the citrus industry. Because of this disease, millions of trees are currently dying worldwide. The putative causal agent is a motile bacteria belonging to Candidatus Liberibacter spp., which is transmitted by psyllids. The bacteria is responsible for the synthesis of callose at the phloem sieve plate, leading to the obstruction of the pores that provide connections between adjacent sieve elements, thus limiting the symplastic transport of the sugars and starches synthesized in leaves to the other plant organs. The Persian triploid lime (Citrus latifolia) is one of the most HLB-tolerant citrus varieties, but the determinants associated with the tolerance are still unknown. HLB-infected diploid Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) and Persian lime were investigated. The leaf petiole was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe callose deposition at the phloem sieve plate. Leaf starch contents and detoxification enzyme activities were investigated. In the field, Persian lime leaves present more limited symptoms due to HLB than the Mexican lime leaves do. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration decreased compared with control plants, but values remained greater in the Persian than in the Mexican lime. Analysis of the petiole sieve plate in control petiole samples showed that pores were approximately 1.8-fold larger in the Persian than in the Mexican lime. SEM analyses of petiole samples of symptomatic leaves showed the important deposition of callose into pores of Mexican and Persian limes, whereas biochemical analyses revealed better detoxification in Persian limes than in Mexican limes. Moreover, SEM analyses of infected petiole samples of asymptomatic leaves showed much larger callose depositions into the Mexican lime pores than in the Persian lime pores, whereas biochemical traits revealed much better behavior in Persian limes than in Mexican limes. Our results reveal that polyploids present specific behaviors associated with important physiological and biochemical determinants that may explain the better tolerance of the Persian lime against HLB compared with the Mexican lime.

The Influence of Lime Solution in Kneading Water Substitution on Cement Roughcast and Mortar Coating.

The understanding of the mechanical fixation behavior of coatings is crucial for a better comprehension of the bonding systems, especially at the interface between the mortar and the substrate. Physical adherence is related, among other things, to the contents of the materials used in the roughcast and mortar coatings, due to the colloidal water penetration into the pores of the substrate. This work evaluated the influence of different lime solution additions replacing the kneading water in the preparation of roughcast and mortar coatings. Two types of substrates were investigated:ceramic bricks and concrete blocks. Three wall masonry panels were constructed, with dimensions of 220 × 180 cm2, one of concrete block and two of ceramic bricks, followed by the application of roughcast and mortar coating with an average thickness of 5 mm and 20 mm, respectively. Direct tensile bond strength tests were performed and the results, with a 95% confidence level, showed that substrate ceramic and treatment in the roughcast exhibited a better behavior regarding the distribution of the tensile bond strength of the tested specimens. However, no significant differences of the amount of addition used (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) on the tensile bond strength were observed.

Oxygen delivery failure due to improper installation of carbon dioxide absorbent canister: a case report.

The CLIC system in the Dräger Apollo anesthesia workstation allows a successful pre-use machine checkout without the presence of a carbon dioxide absorbent canister. It also allows the canister to be changed without interrupting controlled ventilation. However, this canister can be easily installed improperly with the CLIC adapter. We report a case in which a patient could not be ventilated by mask after the induction of general anesthesia, resulting in oxygen desaturation before successful ventilation was achieved with a bag valve mask. This case illustrates the importance of a leak test after components of the breathing circuit are changed.

Evaluating the potential of electrolysed water for the disinfection of citrus fruit in packinghouses.

BACKGROUND: The largest and most profitable market for citrus is the production of fresh fruit. Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri is a Gram-negative plant pathogen and the etiological agent of citrus canker, one of the major threats to citrus production worldwide. In the early stages of infection, X. citri can attach to plant surfaces by means of biofilms. Biofilm is considered an essential virulence factor, which helps tissue colonization in plants. Thus, sanitization of citrus fruit is mandatory in packinghouses before any logistic operation as packing and shipment to the market. The aim of this study was to evaluate electrolysed water (EW) as a sanitizer for the disinfection of citrus fruit in packinghouses. RESULTS: Using a protocol to monitor cell respiration we show that EW, obtained after 8 and 9 min of electrolysis, sufficed to kill X. citri when applied at a concentration of 500 µL mL-1 . Furthermore, microscopy analysis, combined with time-response growth curves, confirmed that EW affects the bacterial cytoplasmatic membrane and it leads to cell death in the first few minutes of contact. Pathogenicity tests using limes to simulate packinghouse treatment showed that EW, produced with 9 min of electrolysis, was a very effective sanitizer capable of eliminating X. citri from contaminated fruit. CONCLUSION: It was possible to conclude that EW is significantly effective as sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) at 200 ppm. Therefore, EW could be an alternative for citrus sanitization in packinghouses. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.