Microplastic contamination in east Antarctic sea ice

The durability of plastics in the marine environment has led to concerns regarding the pervasiveness of this debris in remote polar habitats. Microplastic (MP) enrichment in East Antarctic sea ice was measured in one ice core sampled from coastal land-fast sea ice. The core was processed and filtered material was analyzed using micro Fourier-Transform Infrared (μFTIR) spectroscopy. 96 MP particles were identified, averaging 11.71 particles L^-1. The most common MP polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyamide) were consistent with those most frequently represented in the majority of marine MP studies. Sea-ice MP concentrations were positively related with chlorophyll a, suggesting living biomass could assist in incorporating MPs in sea ice. Our preliminary results indicate that sea ice has the potential to serve as a reservoir for MP debris in the Southern Ocean, which may have consequences for Southern Ocean food webs and biogeochemistry.

Morphology control in polymerised high internal phase emulsion templated via macro-RAFT agent composition: visualizing surface chemistry

A series of polymerized high internal phase emulsion (polyHIPE) materials have been prepared by using a water in oil emulsion stabilized by a macro-RAFT agent, 2-(butylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-poly(styrene)-b-poly(acrylic acid), acting as a polymeric surfactant.

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy for estimation of non-structural carbohydrates in foliar samples of Eucalyptus globulus Labilladière

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is frequently used for the assessment of key nutrients of forage or crops but remains underused in ecological and physiological studies, especially to quantify non-structural carbohydrates. The aim of this study was to develop calibration models to assess the content in soluble sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose) and starch in foliar material of Eucalyptus globulus. A partial least squares (PLS) regression was used on the sample spectral data and was compared to the contents measured using standard wet chemistry methods. The calibration models were validated using a completely independent set of samples. We used key indicators such as the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) and the range error ratio to give an assessment of the performance of the calibration models. Accurate calibration models were obtained for fructose and sucrose content (R2 > 0.85, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.95%–1.26% in the validation models), followed by sucrose and total soluble sugar content (R2 ~ 0.70 and RMSEP > 2.3%). In comparison to the others, calibration of the starch model performed very poorly with RPD = 1.70. This study establishes the ability of the NIRS calibration model to infer soluble sugar content in foliar samples of E. globulus in a rapid and cost-effective way. We suggest a complete redevelopment of the starch analysis using more specific quantification such as an HPLC-based technique to reach higher performance in the starch model. Overall, NIRS could serve as a high-throughput phenotyping tool to study plant response to stress factors.

Use of near infrared spectroscopy to predict microbial numbers on Atlantic salmon

The potential of a near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) method to detect as well as predict microbial spoilage on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was investigated. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the NIR spectra showed clear separation between the fresh salmon fillets and those stored for nine days at 4°C indicating that NIR could detect spoilage. A partial least squares regression (PLS) prediction model for total aerobic plate counts after nine days was established using the NIR spectra collected when the fish was fresh to predict the number of bacteria that would be present nine days later. The calibration equation was good (R(2) = 0.95 and RMSE = 0.12 log cfu/g) although the error of the validation curve was larger (R(2) = 0.64 and RMSE = 0.32 log cfu/g). These results indicate that with further model development, it may be possible to use NIR to predict bacterial numbers, and hence shelf-life, in Atlantic salmon and other seafood.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of carboxamide derivatives of benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline and pyrido[3',2':4,5]imidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline

A series of benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolines with carboxamide side chains at the 1-, 6-, 9- and 11-positions were prepared, in order to study the biological effects of varying the position of the side chain in this tetracyclic series. The 6-, 9- and 11-analogues were obtained by modifications to published chemistry. The 1-carboxamide analogue was obtained via a one-pot isocoumarin/isoquinolone conversion of 3-methylisocoumarin-8-carboxylic acid with o-phenylenediamine in buffered aqueous acid, which gave the required 1-acid. The compounds were evaluated in a panel of cell lines in culture. The 6-carboxamides, where the side chain is attached to one of the central rings, were not active, but the 1- and 11-carboxamides, where the side chain is attached to one of the terminal rings off the chromophore short axis, were reasonably cytotoxic (IC50s < 1 microM). Overall, the structure-activity relationships are broadly in line with those seen with other tri- and tetracyclic carboxamides, and are consistent with recent crystal structure studies of acridine-4-carboxamides bound to DNA. The most potent 1-carboxamide was highly active in vivo against s.c. colon 38 tumours in mice, providing a growth delay of 12 days.

A model of computation in neocortical architecture

We propose that the specific architecture of the neocortex reflects the organization principles of neocortical computation. In this paper, we place the anatomically defined concept of columns into a functional context. It is provided by a large-scale computational hypothesis on visual recognition, which includes both, rapid parallel forward recognition, independent of any feedback prediction, and a feedback controlled refinement system. Short epochs of periodic clocking define a global reference time and introduce a discrete time for cortical processing which enables the combination of parallel categorization and sequential refinement. The presented model differs significantly from conventional neural network architectures and suggests a novel interpretation of the role of gamma oscillations and cognitive binding.