Waste-derived activated carbons for control of nitrogen oxides

Activated carbons were produced from waste and investigated for their efficiency for the removal of mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx) in simulated flue gases at a low temperature. The wastes used were waste biomass (date seeds), processed municipal solid waste in the form of refuse-derived fuel and waste tyres. The morphology, porous texture and surface chemistry of the prepared activated carbons were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption and Boehm titration, and were compared with several commercial activated carbons. The carbons were then investigated in terms of their use in adsorbing NOx at a low temperature. The waste-derived activated carbons had NOx adsorption efficiencies at 50°C which were between 50 and 70% of those achieved for the commercial activated carbons. Increasing the adsorption temperature from 25 to 100°C significantly reduced nitrogen oxide (NO) adsorption. It was also shown that the NO adsorption efficiency depends on the porous structure, particularly the presence of micropores in the activated carbon, but to a lesser extent on the surface area of the carbons and acid–base surface groups on the carbon surface

The effects of Tualang Honey Supplement on Medial Prefrontal Cortex Morphology and Cholinergic System in Stressed Ovariectomised Rats

This study evaluated the effects of Tualang honey on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) morphology and the brain cholinergic system in stressed ovariectomised (OVX) rats. Sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups: (i) unstressed sham-operated control rats, (ii) stressed sham-operated control rats, (iii) nonnstressed OVX rats, (iv) stressed OVX rats, (v) stressed OVX rats treated with 17 β- oestradiol (20 μg daily, sc) and (vi) stressed OVX rats treated with Tualang honey (0.2 g/kg body weight, orally). After social instability stress, the rats were sacrificed, and the right and left brain hemispheres were isolated for histological studies and estimation of acetylcoline (ACh) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) concentrations. Stressed OVX rats showed reduced concentrations of ACh and increased AChE in the brain homogenates compared with nonstressed sham-operated controls and the effects were reversed after treatment with either 17 β-oestradiol or Tualang honey. The arrangement and number of Nissl positive cells in the mPFC neurons were significantly improved in stressed OVX rats treated with either 17 β-oestradiol or Tualang honey compared to untreated stressed OVX rats. In conclusion, treatment with either 17 β- oestradiol or Tualang honey significantly improved the morphology of mPFC, increased ACh and reduced AChE concentrations in stressed ovariectomised rats

Thermal decomposition and gasification of biomass pyrolysis gases using a hot bed of waste derived pyrolysis char

Chars produced from the pyrolysis of different waste materials have been investigated in terms of their use as a catalyst for the catalytic cracking of biomass pyrolysis gases during the two-stage pyrolysis-gasification of biomass. The chars were produced from the pyrolysis of waste tyres, refused derived fuel and biomass in the form of date stones. The results showed that the hydrocarbon tar yields decreased significantly with all the char materials used in comparison to the non-char catalytic experiments. For example, at a cracking temperature of 800 °C, the total product hydrocarbon tar yield decreased by 70% with tyre char, 50% with RDF char and 9% with biomass date stones char compared to that without char. There was a consequent increase in total gas yield. Analysis of the tar composition showed that the content of phenolic compounds decreased and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons increased in the product tar at higher char temperatures

Lipopolysaccharide-induced memory impairment in rats: a model of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a primary cause of dementia in the middle-aged and elderly worldwide. Animal models for AD are widely used to study the disease mechanisms as well as to test potential therapeutic agents for disease modification. Among the non-genetically manipulated neuroinflammation models for AD, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced animal model is commonly used. This review paper aims to discuss the possible factors that influence rats’ response following LPS injection. Factors such as dose of LPS, route of administration, nature and duration of exposure as well as age and gender of animal used should be taken into account when designing a study using LPS-induced memory impairment as model for AD

Hydrogen production from cellulose catalytic gasification on CeO<inf>2</inf>/Fe<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>catalyst

Catalytic steam gasification of biomass can produce clean and renewable hydrogen. In this study, Ce/Fe bimetallic catalysts were used to promote hydrogen production from cellulose steam catalytic reforming at 500–900 °C. The effect of different Ce/Fe ratios on the catalytic performance of hydrogen production was studied. The distribution of products, gas composition, carbon deposition and the stability of the catalyst were analyzed with variant approaches. The results show that the catalytic performance of the CeO2/Fe2O3catalyst in relation to hydrogen production was much better than pure CeO2or Fe2O3. When the ratio of Ce:Fe was 3:7, the maximum yield of the H2was 28.58 mmol at 800 °C. CeFeO3could be generated at 800 °C or higher temperature after redox reactions without forming CeO2/Fe2O3clathrate. And the existence of CeFeO3enhanced the thermal stability of Ce/Fe catalyst. The presence of CeO2not only improved the oxidative ability of the iron catalysts, but also was in favour of the oxidation of possible deposited carbon on the surface of the used catalysts

A global call for action to include gender in research impact assessment

Global investment in biomedical research has grown significantly over the last decades, reaching approximately a quarter of a trillion US dollars in 2010. However, not all of this investment is distributed evenly by gender. It follows, arguably, that scarce research resources may not be optimally invested (by either not supporting the best science or by failing to investigate topics that benefit women and men equitably). Women across the world tend to be significantly underrepresented in research both as researchers and research participants, receive less research funding, and appear less frequently than men as authors on research publications. There is also some evidence that women are relatively disadvantaged as the beneficiaries of research, in terms of its health, societal, and economic impacts. Historical gender biases may have created a path dependency that means that the research system and the impacts of research are biased towards male researchers and male beneficiaries, making it inherently difficult (though not impossible) to eliminate gender bias. In this commentary, we – a group of scholars and practitioners from Africa, America, Asia, and Europe– argue that gender-sensitive research impact assessment could become a force for good in moving science policy and practice towards gender equity. Research impact assessment is the multidisciplinary field of scientific inquiry that examines the research process to maximise scientific, societal, and economic returns on investment in research. It encompasses many theoretical and methodological approaches that can be used to investigate gender bias and recommend actions for change to maximise research impact. We offer a set of recommendations to research funders, research institutions, and research evaluators who conduct impact assessment on how to include and strengthen analysis of gender equity in research impact assessment and issue a global call for action

Fruit Ripening stage affects lycopene and Vitamin C contents in tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum): nutritional and clinical implications.

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Neuroblastoma Among Omani Children: Clinical characteristics and survival outcome from a dedicated centre

Objectives: A limited number of publications from the Middle East have focused on neuroblastoma, a common childhood malignancy. This study describes the clinical characteristics and survival outcome of Omani children with neuroblastoma treated at the National Oncology Centre, Oman, between 2010 and 2017. Methods: From January 2010 to December 2017, data on Omani children aged less than 13 years with neuroblastoma were retrospectively collected. Survival data were statistically correlated with known prognostic factors, including age, stage of disease, MYCN profile and presence of metastasis. Results: A total of 56 Omani children were included. in this study. The male to female ratio was 1:1. The mean age at presentation was one year and 10 months. The two most common presenting complaints were body masses (48.2%) and constitutional symptoms (33.9%). Approximately, 54.5% were high risk, 35.7% were intermediate risk and 9.8% were low risk. High-risk neuroblastoma was mainly found in children older than one year (76.6%), with low risk mainly observed in children less than one year of age (80%). The overall survival of all groups combined was 74% (P &lt;0.05); the event-free survival (EFS) was 67% (P &lt;0.05). The overall survival rates over five years for the high-risk, intermediate-risk and low risk groups were 60%, 88% and 100%, respectively, and the EFS was 51%, 79% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: Omani children with neuroblastoma mainly presented with masses or constitutional symptoms and had an advanced disease at presentation which was associated with inferior survival. The survival outcomes were reasonably similar to published international data. Keywords: Neuroblastoma; Survival; Event-Free Survival; Oman