2,4,6-trinitrotoluene transformation by a tropical marine yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica NCIM 3589

Yarrowia lipolytica NCIM 3589, a tropical marine degrader of hydrocarbons and triglycerides transformed 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) very efficiently. Though this yeast could not utilize TNT as the sole carbon or nitrogen source, it was capable of reducing the nitro groups in TNT to aminodinitrotoluene (ADNT). In a complete medium containing glucose and ammonium sulphate as the available carbon and nitrogen sources respectively, the culture was able to completely transform 1 mM (227 ppm) of TNT under such conditions. A dual pathway was found to be functional, one of which resulted in the formation of the hydride-Meisenheimer complex (H(-)TNT) as a transiently accumulating metabolite that was subsequently denitrated to 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), whereas the other pathway resulted in the formation of amino derivatives. The presence of increasing amounts of reducing equivalents in the form of glucose promoted better growth and the nitroreductases of this yeast to reduce the aromatic ring to 2,4-DNT although, the reduction of the nitro groups to amino groups was the major functional pathway. The ability of this tropical marine yeast to transform TNT into products such as 2,4-DNT which in turn could be metabolized by other microbes has implications in the use of this yeast for bioremediation of TNT polluted marine environments.     

Excitation of PtI transitions ending at the levels of the main term

We have experimentally studied the excitation of transitions of the platinum atom ending in levels of the ³D main term. The atoms were excited by a 30 eV monoenergetic electron beam. The lines studied are located at wavelengths of 204–367 nm. The largest of the measured excitational cross sections exceed 10^?16 cm². The optical-excitation functions measured at electron energies of 0–200 eV have complex structures.     

Resonance Magnetic Conversion of Photons Into Massless Axions and Striking Feature in Quasar Polarized Light

The effect of massless Nambu-Goldstone bosons (massless axions) on the appearance of striking feature in QSO polarized light is suggested. This feature can be appeared in a result of resonance magnetic conversion of photons into massless axions. The resonance magnetic conversion can take place for mixture of electron plasma and neutral hydrogen gas into a magnetic field in the regions of Damped Ly- systems. The QSOs with a noticeable Faraday rotation measures should be suitable targets for polarimetric observations.     

A Simple Model for the Movement of Fire Smoke in a Confined Tunnel

Fires in tunnels are unfortunately frequent occurrences often with tragic outcomes. A recent example is the fire on the funicular train at the ski resort in Kaprun (Austria), which caused nearly 160 deaths. Design engineers and risk analysts require knowledge of the fluid dynamics of the fire and smoke movement to answer questions such as how much oxygen can access and feed the fire, and what concentration of smoke will the people be exposed to. As an example in the Austrian accident the geometry was a long tunnel with fire doors closed at one end, and with a fire initiated near the closed (lower) end. The hot smoke from the fire is a source of buoyancy; the smoke reaches the ceiling of the tunnel, and then develops along the ceiling as a wall-bounded plume. The motion of the smoke is driven by a buoyancy force, but at the same time, mechanisms of turbulent heat and mass transfer act as a brake to this motion. In this paper we present how a generic model describing a semi-enclosed buoyancy-driven flow can be interpreted and used in the modelling of fire smoke movement in a confined tunnel. A consideration of the net pollutant volume flux through the tunnel leads to predictions for the variation of concentrations along the tunnel. The smoke concentrations near the fire smoke source scale linearly with the length of the tunnel, with higher concentrations at the lower section of the tunnel, as could be expected. Similarly the concentration of oxygen making its way through to the fire source decreases linearly with the length of the tunnel. A lower bound estimate of the smoke residence time can be obtained based on smoke concentration predictions from the model.