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The mangrove swamp rice production system (MSRPS) in West Africa faces significant challenges in soil, water, and salinity management, making rice production highly vulnerable to variations in the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of rainfall, which are exacerbated by climate change. This study's results can provide the initial basis for co-developing strategies with farmers aiming to contribute to the biophysical characterization of the MSRPS, in particular: (i) estimate the water-harvesting efficiency (WLef) of the plots in the north and south of Guinea Bissau (GB); (ii) characterize the unevenness of the bottom of the plots, which leads to salinization spots; and (iii) create soil consistency maps to provide farmers with a tool to prioritize sites with optimal conditions for tillage. The research was conducted between 2021 and 2023 in the study site of Cafine-Cafal in the south and Elalab in the north of GB. Systematic soil sampling in a grid was designed to quantify the soil consistency and plot/ridge areas were determined. Linear models were developed to predict biophysical parameters (e.g., effective planting areas and water-logging depths) and geostatistics were used to create soil consistency maps for each study site. The results show precipitation water-harvesting efficiencies of 15% and 16% for the southern and northern regions, respectively. Furthermore, the plasticity limits of 18.6% for Elalab and 35.5% for Cafine-Cafal show the most appropriate times to start tillage in specific areas of the paddies. This study provides information on the efficient management of tillage and freshwater conservation, providing MSRPS farmers with useful tools to counteract the effects caused by salinity and rainfall variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EPANET can be used to simulate quality on water distribution networks. The EPANET model considers that the mixing on cross junctions of pipes is complete, including the cases of two contiguous inlets and two contiguous outlets. The output concentration of this model is the same value on the two outlets. This research proposes a code to generate an INP file for EPANET but with an incomplete mixing scenario in the crossings. The cross junctions are identified, and their hydraulic and concentration conditions are analyzed for each quality time step. Bypass pipes are included in the model to remove concentrations generated by the complete mixing model, preserve continuity in water quality and ensure the correct allocation of concentration. The concentration at the outlets is obtained by a system of polynomial equations representing the incomplete mixing model as a function of the hydraulic and concentration at the junction inlets. The outlets' concentrations are incorporated by setpoint boosters. Validations are described to demonstrate the achievement of the new code. An average relative concentration difference of up to 14% is obtained in networks with different scenarios for the two mixing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research proposes a methodology with multi-objective optimization for the placement of Pumps operating As Turbines (PATs), energizing street lighting, devices for monitoring the water network, and charging stations for small electric vehicles such as bikes and scooters. This methodology helps to find the most profitable project for benefiting life quality and energy recovery through pumps operating as turbines, replacing virtual pressure reduction valves to locate the best point for decreasing pressure. PATs are selected by maximizing power recovery and minimizing pressure in the system as well as maximizing recoverable energy. Benefits analyzed include the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and fuel use, as well as the saving of electricity consumption and benefiting socio-economic impact with street lighting, monitoring, and charging station. It was considered that each PAT proposed by the methodology will supply a street light pole, a station for monitoring the water network, and a charging station; under these established conditions, the return on investment is up to 1.07 at 12 years, with a power generation of 60 kWh per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine demand as a disinfectant for water utility impacts on unintended energy consumption from electrolysis manufacture; thus, diminishing the chlorine consumption also reduces the environmental impact and energy consumption. Problems of disinfectant distribution and uniformity in Water Distribution Networks (WDN) are associated with the exponential urban growth and the physical and biochemical difficulties within the network. This study optimizes Chlorine Booster Stations (CBS) location on a network with two main objectives; (1) to deliver minimal Free Residual Chlorine (FRC) throughout all demand nodes according to country regulations, and (2) to reduce day chlorine mass concentration supplied in the system by applying an hour time pattern in CBS, consequently associated economic, energy and environmental impacts complying with regulatory standards. The application is demonstrated on a real-world WDN modeled from Guanajuato, Mexico. The resulting optimal location and disinfectant dosage schedule in CBS provided insights on maintaining disinfectant residuals throughout all the WDN to prevent health issues and diminishing chlorine consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Notch ligand DLL3 has emerged as a novel therapeutic target expressed in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas. Rovalpituzumab teserine (Rova-T; SC16LD6.5) is a first-in-class DLL3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate with encouraging initial safety and efficacy profiles in SCLC in the clinic. Here we demonstrate that tumor expression of DLL3, although orders of magnitude lower in surface protein expression than typical oncology targets of immunoPET, can serve as an imaging biomarker for SCLC. We developed 89Zr-labeled SC16 antibody as a companion diagnostic agent to facilitate selection of patients for treatment with Rova-T based on a noninvasive interrogation of the in vivo status of DLL3 expression using PET imaging. Despite low cell-surface abundance of DLL3, immunoPET imaging with 89Zr-labeled SC16 antibody enabled delineation of subcutaneous and orthotopic SCLC tumor xenografts as well as distant organ metastases with high sensitivity. Uptake of the radiotracer in tumors was concordant with levels of DLL3 expression and, most notably, DLL3 immunoPET yielded rank-order correlation for response to SC16LD6.5 therapy in SCLC patient-derived xenograft models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PNU-159682 is a highly potent secondary metabolite of nemorubicin belonging to the anthracycline class of natural products. Due to its extremely high potency and only partially understood mechanism of action, it was deemed an interesting starting point for the development of a new suite of linker drugs for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). Structure activity relationships were explored on the small molecule which led to six linker drugs being developed for conjugation to antibodies. Herein we describe the synthesis of novel PNU-159682 derivatives and the subsequent linker drugs as well as the corresponding biological evaluations of the small molecules and ADCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]