Research harnesses solar-powered proteins to filter harmful antibiotics from water

Apr. 19, 2013 ? New research, just published, details how University of Cincinnati researchers have developed and tested a solar-powered nano filter that is able to remove harmful carcinogens and antibiotics from water sources -- lakes and rivers -- at a significantly higher rate than the currently used filtering technology made of activated carbon.

In the journal Nano Letters, Vikram Kapoor, environmental engineering doctoral student, and David Wendell, assistant professor of environmental engineering, report on their development and testing of the new filter made of two bacterial proteins that was able to absorb 64 percent of antibiotics in surface waters vs. about 40 percent absorbed by the currently used filtering technology made of activated carbon. One of the more exciting aspects of their filter is the ability to reuse the antibiotics that are captured.

Kapoor and Wendell began development of their new nano filter in 2010 and testing in 2012, with the results reported in a paper titled "Engineering Bacterial Efflux Pumps for Solar-Powered Bioremediation of Surface Waters."

The presence of antibiotics in surface waters is harmful in that it breeds resistant bacteria and kills helpful microorganisms, which can degrade aquatic environments and food chains. In other words, infectious agents like viruses and illness-causing bacteria become more numerous while the health of streams and lakes degrades.

So, according to Wendell, the newly developed nano filters, each much smaller in diameter than a human hair, could potentially have a big impact on both human health and on the health of the aquatic environment (since the presence of antibiotics in surface waters can also affect the endocrine systems of fish, birds and other wildlife).

Surprisingly, this filter employs one of the very elements that enable drug-resistant bacteria to be so harmful, a protein pump called AcrB. Wendell explained, "These pumps are an amazing product of evolution. They are essentially selective garbage disposals for the bacteria. Our innovation was turning the disposal system around. So, instead of pumping out, we pump the compounds into the proteovesicles." (The new filtering technology is called a proteovesicle system.)

One other important innovation was the power source, a light-driven bacterial protein called Delta-rhodopsin which supplies AcrB with the pumping power to move the antibiotics.

The bacterial protein system has a number of advantages over present filtration technology:

• The operation of the new filtering technology is powered by direct sunlight vs. the energy-intensive needs for the operation of the standard activated carbon filter.

• The filtering technology also allows for antibiotic recycling. After these new nano filters have absorbed antibiotics from surface waters, the filters could be extracted from the water and processed to release the drugs, allowing them to be reused. On the other hand, carbon filters are regenerated by heating to several hundred degrees, which burns off the antibiotics.

• The new protein filters are highly selective. Currently used activated carbon filters serve as "catch alls," filtering a wide variety of contaminants. That means that they become clogged more quickly with natural organic matter found in rivers and lakes.

Said Wendell, "So far, our innovation promises to be an environmentally friendly means for extracting antibiotics from the surface waters that we all rely on. It also has potential to provide for cost-effective antibiotic recovery and reuse. Next, we want to test our system for selectively filtering out hormones and heavy metals from surface waters."

In relation to the work published in this paper, Wendell and Kapoor tested their solar-powered nano filter against activated carbon, the present treatment technology standard outside the lab. They tested their innovation in water collected from the Little Miami River. Using only sunlight as the power source, they were able to selectively remove the antibiotics ampicillin and vancomycin, commonly used human and veterinary antibiotics, and the nucleic acid stain, ethidium bromide, which is a potent carcinogen to humans and aquatic animals.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Cincinnati. The original article was written by M.B. Reilly.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Vikram Kapoor, David Wendell. Engineering Bacterial Efflux Pumps for Solar-Powered Bioremediation of Surface Waters. Nano Letters, 2013; : 130417085101004 DOI: 10.1021/nl400691d

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/Wf4LjbKsOJ4/130419121112.htm

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Making Use of the Best Online Server Backup - ETech 7 blog - Backup

Making Use of the Best Online Server Backup

Your business has a lot to benefit from if you employ onsite data backup and its ilk effectively. The very nature of handling much of your backup process locally does have some advantages to it, such as being able to access and control everything. But do you really want to have to handle everything directly in the style of a control freak? Unless you are harboring some serious insecurities, it is generally a good idea to outsource this process as much as you can and begin to let go as soon as you can do so.

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To learn more about backing up your data, read this.

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When you integrate offsite server backup into the mix and begin your process of outsourcing, you might find that what you have already is less than satisfactory but the other options are worrisome. You have every right to be concerned, as there are plenty of companies that are not what they initially appear to be. When you sign on with an outsourcing partner, you need to be sure that you are getting involved with a reasonable and responsible company. If you do not carefully vet them, you are going to regret it down the line.

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But how are you going to properly figure out which company is good enough versus simply going with a company that will cause your business harm? How can you determine which company will offer your company the best online server backup services? You need to start out by questioning everything you possibly can. If you do not go with the best that is knowable and quantifiable in a certain way, you are going to end up doing much worse than if you simply pick through intuition. While trusting your gut is an important part of being an entrepreneur at all times, logic also needs to play a role in making your decisions.

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To find out more about outsourcing and its advantages, read this.

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The vetting process begins with the verification of as much information as you can. How much can the company actually prove by what it is doing right now? A new company may not have as many references as an older one, but if they have less than 10 there is generally a problem. As well as the number of clients that are satisfied goes, there is also the matter of being able to inspect and virtually tour the facilities. If the servers are slovenly, so is the outsourcing company.

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You want to work with a data backup company that operates servers in a clean, protected environment where vandals, malware and other miscreants are not going to be able to enter at will. The safer the physicality and the data stream of the servers, the better protected your data is going to be while it is stored in this depository. You want your data in the backup company to be kept as though it were in a vault at the most secure bank there is because otherwise you might find yourself broke sooner instead of later.

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The nature of backing up your data is such that you have tons of different options available to you. The last step in determining whether you should make use of a particular company is when you decide whether the sales staff or the technicians are more experienced. If the sales force tries to use psychological pressure tactics to camouflage a lack of skill on the technicians' parts, get out of there and never think twice about refusing the company's services. This is the last hurdle in your path, and outsourcing to a solid company will make the trip into the future far simpler.

Source: http://blog.etech7.com/blog/bid/285593/Making-Use-of-the-Best-Online-Server-Backup

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Naruto: Harumi and Akira

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Storm brings much needed snow to Colo., Wyo.

DENVER (AP) ? A slow moving spring storm is bringing much-needed moisture to parts of the Rockies and the Plains, but winds are raising the wildfire danger to the south.

Rocky Mountain National Park has already gotten over 2 feet of snow and more is expected to fall through Wednesday. Southeastern Wyoming could also get up to a foot. It was also snowing in western South Dakota and Nebraska, and the storm is expected to push farther into Nebraska and Colorado's plains Wednesday night.

The first round of the storm came Monday, when Cheyenne, Wyo., received 6.9 inches of snow, breaking the old record of 6 inches set back in 1890. The snow also postponed the opening game of the Colorado Rockies-New York Mets series in Denver. The teams were hoping to squeeze in a doubleheader Tuesday before snow was expected to pick up again.

Blowing snow has closed some highways in Colorado and Wyoming and is causing delays at Denver International Airport because planes need to be de-iced.

"Our crews can easily keep that road surface sustainable for travel, but if the wind comes up and you start get drifting and visibility problems then really you can't plow fast enough to fix that, so it can be a losing battle at times," Wyoming Department of Transportation spokesman Bruce Burrows said.

The storm forced some Wyoming colleges and schools to close early Tuesday, and some state government meetings were canceled. Even a "Storm Spotter Training" session in Lander was canceled because of the storm, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, parts of Colorado, including the state's southwestern corner and the agricultural San Luis Valley, along with parts of New Mexico and Arizona are forecast to only get strong winds from the system, making it easier for wildfires to spread in the dry areas.

In southwest Colorado, La Plata Electric Association said blustery winds and downed trees were believed to have caused power outages affecting hundreds of customers Tuesday.

April is typically the second-snowiest month for Colorado and wet spring snows help boost the mountain snowpack that provides most of the water supply. It also helps delay lawn watering in Denver and along the rest of the populated Front Range region, where many water districts have limited watering after two years of drought conditions.

"It doesn't stick around as long, but it gives that soil moisture heading into the drier months," National Weather Service forecaster Jeff Colton said of spring snow.

The heavy blanket of snow does squash daffodils and other plants that have started to bloom, but any precipitation will be welcomed by dryland farmers on the Plains.

The snowpack in both Colorado and Wyoming is below average but has risen in the last week to 77 percent of average in both states.

Most of Colorado's ski areas are already closed for the season, but Vail and Breckenridge resorts announced Tuesday that they would open for a bonus three-day weekend this week because of all the new snow. Aspen Highlands, which is still open, plans to open for an extra weekend next week.

Even a "Storm Spotter Training" session in Lander was canceled because of the storm, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm system is expected to pick up speed as it moves east into the Great Lakes on Friday. It should move off the East Coast on Saturday, Colton said.

There's a potential for more snow in Colorado's mountains on Friday.

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Associated Press writer Bob Moen in Cheyenne, Wyo., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spring-storm-bringing-needed-snow-colo-wyo-144929986.html

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Isolated slur doesn't justify harassment lawsuit ? Business ...

Good news for employers worried that a single inflammatory utterance could land them in big legal trouble: Courts generally won?t hold an employer responsible.

Recent case: Shortly before being discharged for abandoning his job, Anthony, who is black, claimed to have overheard one supervisor tell another in a cellphone conversation that the second supervisor should ?Tell that n****r to get to work on time.? Anthony sued, claiming the supervisor immediately confronted him and said that the other super??visor ?says to get to work on time.?

The court was first skeptical that the incident was as Anthony described, because no one else who was present recalled hearing the slur. However, it said that even if Anthony?s recollection was accurate, a one-time slur, though unprofessional, wasn?t enough to create a hostile work environment. (Harris v. The Home Sales Company, et al., No. 11-1313, 4th Cir., 2012)

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Dean International picks up a quarter million dollars of business in ...

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Gold tumbles as China data hits commodities, stocks

By Leah Schnurr

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gold slumped anew on Monday, racking up its worst two-day loss in 30 years, and investors dumped stocks and other commodities after weaker-than-expected Chinese data raised concerns about the global economic outlook.

Gold dragged other metals lower as its price plunged to a more than two-year low. Oil fell towards $100 a barrel, while Wall Street stocks were down more than half a percent.

Spot gold dropped as much as 8 percent on Monday alone, accelerating losses in the late morning to hit a low of $1,356.85 an ounce. In the last two sessions gold has fallen nearly 13 percent, making for the worst two days since late February 1983.

Gold was recently at $1,363.51, down 7.8 percent. Strategists have cited various reasons for gold's decline, including official selling from central banks and the already sharp correction that has caused short-term investors to flee the asset.

"The mass liquidation in gold is feeding on itself and pushing prices of the yellow metal, possibly well below speculators' entry points. It is rolling over across the entire commodity complex as is typical with any period of liquidation," said Andrew Wilkinson, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak & Co.

China's recovery unexpectedly stumbled in the first three months of 2013, as it reported its annual growth rate eased to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in the final quarter of last year. Economists had forecast 8 percent growth.

Industrial output in China in March also undershot expectations and added to investor sensitivity after recent disappointing economic data out of the United States.

A U.S. regional manufacturing report on Monday showed the pace of growth slowed, the latest data to suggest the world's biggest economy lost some steam heading into the second quarter.

"The growth numbers out of China are absolutely crucial for commodities and the numbers that came out are significantly worse than people were expecting," said Nic Brown, head of commodities research at Natixis in London.

"China makes up 40 percent of demand for base metals and all the growth in demand for oil is coming from the developing world, so to see weakness in China is bad for commodities generally."

Last week Cyprus revealed it would sell around 400 million euros worth of gold to help plug its finances and the move has sparked suggestions that larger countries in the region could use the move to cash in on some huge jumps gold has seen over the last decade.

Traders also cited concern that the Federal Reserve might reduce U.S. monetary stimulus towards the end of the year.

"We are entering a phase of additional long liquidation by ETF investors and short-selling from hedge funds, which will continue in the foreseeable future," Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said.

Brent crude futures dropped more than $2 to $100.27 as the disappointment stirred the already-festering global recovery concerns. U.S. crude lost more than $3 to $88.15.

U.S. stocks also fell for the second straight session, weighed by the disappointing data both domestically and abroad.

"None of the economic data has been very good for the last couple of weeks. When you look at the whole scope of data, it looks like we have been going into a slowdown here," said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist at Windham Financial Services in Charlotte, Vermont.

"I wouldn't say this is over yet, but there are enough indicators out there to really indicate that investors should approach this market with a degree of caution which doesn't seem to exist right now."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> dropped 86.82 points, or 0.58 percent, to 14,778.24. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> fell 11.92 points, or 0.75 percent, to 1,576.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> gave up 27.18 points, or 0.82 percent, at 3,267.77.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> was down 0.7 percent and MSCI's world share index <.miwd00000pus>, which tracks stocks in 45 countries, lost 0.9 percent.

The yen rose as traders sold riskier investments funded by the cheap Japanese currency. The dollar fell 0.5 percent to 97.93 yen, having dropped as low as 97.57 yen on Reuters data in Asian trade. It has retreated from a four-year high of 99.94 yen on Thursday, and hefty resistance is expected at 100 yen.

The euro fell 0.6 percent to 128.22 yen, its lowest in a week and down for a second straight day. Last week, the euro touched 131.11 yen, its strongest since January 2010.

(Additional reporting by Marc Jones and Clara Denina in London and Chuck Mikolajczak in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-fall-weak-u-sales-await-china-003004561--finance.html

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