Fine-Grain Iterative Compilation for WCET Estimation

Compiler optimizations, although reducing the execution times of programs, raise issues in static WCET estimation techniques and tools. Flow facts, such as loop bounds, may not be automatically found by static WCET analysis tools after aggressive code optimizations. In this paper, we explore the use of iterative compilation (WCET-directed program optimization to explore the optimization space), with the objective to (i) allow flow facts to be automatically found and (ii) select optimizations that result in the lowest WCET estimates. We also explore to which extent code outlining helps, by allowing the selection of different optimization options for different code snippets of the application

System for Removing Pollutants from Incinerator Exhaust

A system for removing pollutants -- primarily sulfur dioxide and mixed oxides of nitrogen (NOx) -- from incinerator exhaust has been demonstrated. The system is also designed secondarily to remove particles, hydrocarbons, and CO. The system is intended for use in an enclosed environment, for which a prior NOx-and-SO2-removal system designed for industrial settings would not be suitable

HYBRID SULFUR RECOVERY PROCESS FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

This first quarter report of 2001 describes progress on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test a hybrid sulfur recovery process for natural gas upgrading. The process concept represents a low cost option for direct treatment of natural gas streams to remove H{sub 2}S in quantities equivalent to 0.2-25 metric tons (LT) of sulfur per day. This process is projected to have lower capital and operating costs than the competing technologies, amine/aqueous iron liquid redox and amine/Claus/tail gas treating, and have a smaller plant footprint, making it well suited to both on-shore and offshore applications. CrystaSulf{trademark} (service mark of Gas Research Institute) is a new nonaqueous sulfur recovery process that removes hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) from gas streams and converts it into elemental sulfur. CrystaSulf features high sulfur recovery similar to aqueous-iron liquid redox sulfur recovery processes, but differs from the aqueous processes in that CrystaSulf controls the location where elemental sulfur particles are formed. In the hybrid process, approximately 1/3 of the total H{sub 2}S in the natural gas is first oxidized to SO{sub 2} at low temperatures over a heterogeneous catalyst. Low temperature oxidation is done so that the H{sub 2}S can be oxidized in the presence of methane and other hydrocarbons without oxidation of the hydrocarbons. The project involves the development of a catalyst using laboratory/bench-scale catalyst testing, and then demonstration of the catalyst at CrystaTech's pilot plant in west Texas. During this reporting periods new catalyst formulations were tested. The experiments showed that the newest catalyst has slightly better performance, but catalyst TDA No.2 is still superior overall for use with the hybrid CrystaSulf process due to lower costs. Plans for catalyst pelletization and continued testing are described

Hybrid Sulfur Recovery Process for Natural Gas Upgrading Quarterly Report

This second quarter report of 2002 describes progress on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test a hybrid sulfur recovery process for natural gas upgrading. The process concept represents a low cost option for direct treatment of natural gas streams to remove H{sub 2}S in quantities equivalent to 0.2-25 metric tons (LT) of sulfur per day. This process is projected to have lower capital and operating costs than the competing technologies, amine/aqueous iron liquid redox and amine/Claus/tail gas treating, and have a smaller plant footprint, making it well suited to both on-shore and offshore applications. CrystaSulf (service mark of CrystaTech, Inc.) is a new nonaqueous sulfur recovery process that removes hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) from gas streams and converts it into elemental sulfur. CrystaSulf features high sulfur recovery similar to aqueous-iron liquid redox sulfur recovery processes, but differs from the aqueous processes in that CrystaSulf controls the location where elemental sulfur particles are formed. In the hybrid process, approximately 1/3 of the total H{sub 2}S in the natural gas is first oxidized to SO{sub 2} at low temperatures over a heterogeneous catalyst. Low temperature oxidation is done so that the H{sub 2}S can be oxidized in the presence of methane and other hydrocarbons without oxidation of the hydrocarbons. The project involves the development of a catalyst using laboratory/bench-scale catalyst testing, and then demonstration of the catalyst at CrystaTech's pilot plant in west Texas. Previous reports described development of a catalyst with the required selectivity and efficiency for producing sulfur dioxide from H{sub 2}S. In the laboratory, the catalyst was shown to be robust and stable in the presence of several intentionally added contaminants, including condensate from the pilot plant site. This report describes testing using the laboratory apparatus but operated at the pilot plant using the actual pilot plant gas, which contains far more contaminants than can be simulated in the laboratory. The results are very encouraging, with stable and efficient operation being obtained for a prolonged period of time

Hybrid Sulfur Recovery Process for Natural Gas Upgrading Quarterly Report

This first quarter report of 2001 describes progress on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test a hybrid sulfur recovery process for natural gas upgrading. The process concept represents a low cost option for direct treatment of natural gas streams to remove H{sub 2}S in quantities equivalent to 0.2-25 metric tons (LT) of sulfur per day. This process is projected to have lower capital and operating costs than the competing technologies, amine/aqueous iron liquid redox and amine/Claus/tail gas treating, and have a smaller plant footprint, making it well suited to both on-shore and offshore applications. CrystaSulf (service mark of Gas Research Institute) is a new nonaqueous sulfur recovery process that removes hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) from gas streams and converts it into elemental sulfur. CrystaSulf features high sulfur recovery similar to aqueous-iron liquid redox sulfur recovery processes, but differs from the aqueous processes in that CrystaSulf controls the location where elemental sulfur particles are formed. In the hybrid process, approximately 1/3 of the total H{sub 2}S in the natural gas is first oxidized to SO{sub 2} at low temperatures over a heterogeneous catalyst. Low temperature oxidation is done so that the H{sub 2}S can be oxidized in the presence of methane and other hydrocarbons without oxidation of the hydrocarbons. The project involves the development of a catalyst using laboratory/bench-scale catalyst testing, and then demonstration of the catalyst at CrystaTech's pilot plant in west Texas. During this reporting period tests were done to determine the effect of hydrocarbons such as n-hexane on catalyst performance with and without H{sub 2}S present. The experiments showed that hexane oxidation is suppressed when H{sub 2}S is present. Hexane represents the most reactive of the C1 to C6 series of alkanes. Since hexane exhibits low reactivity under H{sub 2}S oxidation conditions, and more importantly, does not change the SO{sub 2} selectivity, we can conclude that the C1-C6 hydrocarbons should not significantly interfere with the oxidation of H{sub 2}S into SO{sub 2}. Plans to determine the effect of aromatic compounds on catalyst performance for extended periods, and for catalyst pelletization and continued testing are described

HYBRID SULFUR RECOVERY PROCESS FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING LAST TECHNICAL REPORT BEFORE NOVATION FROM URS CORP. TO CRYSTATECH, INC.

This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test a hybrid sulfur recovery process for natural gas upgrading. The process concept represents a low cost option for direct treatment of natural gas streams to remove H{sub 2}S in quantities equivalent to 0.2-25 metric tons (LT) of sulfur per day. This process is projected to have lower capital and operating costs than the competing technologies, amine/aqueous iron liquid redox and amine/Claus/tail gas treating, and have a smaller plant footprint, making it well suited to both on-shore and offshore applications. CrystaSulf (service mark of Gas Research Institute) is a new nonaqueous sulfur recovery process that removes hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) from gas streams and converts it into elemental sulfur. CrystaSulf features high sulfur recovery similar to aqueous-iron liquid redox sulfur recovery processes, but differs from the aqueous processes in that CrystaSulf controls the location where elemental sulfur particles are formed. In the hybrid process, approximately 1/3 of the total H{sub 2}S in the natural gas is first oxidized to SO{sub 2} at low temperatures over a heterogeneous catalyst. Low temperature oxidation is done so that the H{sub 2}S can be oxidized in the presence of methane while avoiding methane oxidation. The project involved the development of a detailed plan for laboratory and bench scale-up application, laboratory/bench-scale catalyst testing, and demonstration of scale-up economic advantages. The bench-scale tests examined two different catalysts that are promoted modifications of TDA's patented partial oxidation catalyst used to make elemental sulfur. The experiments showed that catalyst TDA No.2 is superior for use with the hybrid CrystaSulf process in that much higher yields of SO{sub 2} can be obtained. Continued testing is planned

Translational molecular imaging and drug development in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects elderly people and constitutes a major source of disability worldwide. Notably, the neuropathological hallmarks of PD include nigrostriatal loss and the formation of intracellular inclusion bodies containing misfolded α-synuclein protein aggregates. Cardinal motor symptoms, which include tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia, can effectively be managed with dopaminergic therapy for years following symptom onset. Nonetheless, patients ultimately develop symptoms that no longer fully respond to dopaminergic treatment. Attempts to discover disease-modifying agents have increasingly been supported by translational molecular imaging concepts, targeting the most prominent pathological hallmark of PD, α-synuclein accumulation, as well as other molecular pathways that contribute to the pathophysiology of PD. Indeed, molecular imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can be leveraged to study parkinsonism not only in animal models but also in living patients. For instance, mitochondrial dysfunction can be assessed with probes that target the mitochondrial complex I (MC-I), while nigrostriatal degeneration is typically evaluated with probes designed to non-invasively quantify dopaminergic nerve loss. In addition to dopaminergic imaging, serotonin transporter and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor probes are increasingly used as research tools to better understand the complexity of neurotransmitter dysregulation in PD. Non-invasive quantification of neuroinflammatory processes is mainly conducted by targeting the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) on activated microglia using established imaging agents. Despite the overwhelming involvement of the brain and brainstem, the pathophysiology of PD is not restricted to the central nervous system (CNS). In fact, PD also affects various peripheral organs such as the heart and gastrointestinal tract - primarily via autonomic dysfunction. As such, research into peripheral biomarkers has taken advantage of cardiac autonomic denervation in PD, allowing the differential diagnosis between PD and multiple system atrophy with probes that visualize sympathetic nerve terminals in the myocardium. Further, α-synuclein has recently gained attention as a potential peripheral biomarker in PD. This review discusses breakthrough discoveries that have led to the contemporary molecular concepts of PD pathophysiology and how they can be harnessed to develop effective imaging probes and therapeutic agents. Further, we will shed light on potential future trends, thereby focusing on potential novel diagnostic tracers and disease-modifying therapeutic interventions

Strongly Correlated Electrons on a Silicon Surface: Theory of a Mott Insulator

We demonstrate theoretically that the electronic ground state of the potassium-covered Si(111)-B surface is a Mott insulator, explicitly contradicting band theory but in good agreement with recent experiments. We determine the physical structure by standard density-functional methods, and obtain the electronic ground state by exact diagonalization of a many-body Hamiltonian. The many-body conductivity reveals a Brinkman-Rice metal-insulator transition at a critical interaction strength; the calculated interaction strength is well above this critical value.Comment: 4 pages; 4 figures included in text; Revte

Decomposition of methanol into synthesis gas over supported palladium catalysts

Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-92)