Cost Effective CO2 Reduction in the Iron & Steel Industry by Means of the SEWGS Technology: STEPWISE Project

In the STEPWISE project, the Sorption Enhanced Water-Gas Shift (SEWGS) technology for CO2 capture is brought to TRL6 by means of design, construction, operation and modelling a pilot installation in the Iron and Steel industry using Blast Furnace Gas (BFG). This advanced CO2 removal technology makes use of regenerative solid adsorbents. The STEPWISE project represents the essential demonstration step within the research, development and demonstration trajectory of the SEWGS technology. This project will further reduce the risks associated with scaling up the process

Induced pseudoscalar coupling of the proton weak interaction

The induced pseudoscalar coupling $g_p$ is the least well known of the weak coupling constants of the proton's charged--current interaction. Its size is dictated by chiral symmetry arguments, and its measurement represents an important test of quantum chromodynamics at low energies. During the past decade a large body of new data relevant to the coupling $g_p$ has been accumulated. This data includes measurements of radiative and non radiative muon capture on targets ranging from hydrogen and few--nucleon systems to complex nuclei. Herein the authors review the theoretical underpinnings of $g_p$, the experimental studies of $g_p$, and the procedures and uncertainties in extracting the coupling from data. Current puzzles are highlighted and future opportunities are discussed.Comment: 58 pages, Latex, Revtex4, prepared for Reviews of Modern Physic

Field emitted electron trajectories for the CEBAF cavity

Electromagnetic fields of the superconducting 5-cell CEBAF cavity with its fundamental power coupler are solved numerically with URMEL and MAFIA codes. Trajectories of field emitted electrons following the Fowler-Nordheim relation are studied with a numerical program which accepts the URMEL/MAFIA fields. Emission sites and gradients are determined for those electrons which can reach the cold ceramic window either directly or by an energetic backscattering. The peak and average impact energy and current are found. The generation of dark current by field emitted electrons has also been studied, and its relevance to CEBAF operation is briefly discussed

Elevens møte med matematiske problemer

Problemløsning er i dag en sentral del av læreplanen i matematikk. Denne masteroppgaven er en kvalitativ casestudie som undersøker hvordan lærere arbeider for å utvikle gode problemløsere. Studien har et særlig fokus på hvordan lærere støtter elvenes inngang til matematiske problemer. Dette innebærer hvilke grep lærere gjør for at elevene skal forstå og investere i et problem. Den sosiokulturelle læringsteorien er helt sentral for denne studien, da studien ser på læring i felleskap. Problemstillingen belyses gjennom en casestudie lokalisert på New Zealand. Casen består av 11 lærere og en mentor i programmet: Developing Mathematical Inquery Comunities. Sammen med mentor besøkte vi 11 klasserom hvor vi gjorde observasjoner av matematikkundervisningen. Lærerne vi observerte arbeidet med å innarbeide en mer problemløsende tilnærming til undervisning i matematikk. I casen jobbet elevene alltid i fellesskap. I etterkant av observasjonene gjennomførte vi et intervju mentoren, som ga utdypende forklaringer til våre observasjoner. I analysearbeidet benyttet vi oss av en kollektiv tematisk analyse. Resultatene fra studien viser at læreren i stor grad arbeider for å styrke elevenes deltagelse i fellesskapet. Videre jobber læreren for å etablere en klasseromskultur som gir en hensiktsmessig ramme for å møte problemet. Dette arbeidet innebærer eksempelvis å prate med elevene om hvordan de skal samarbeide i grupper. Når elevene får oppgaven, gjennomgås problemet langsomt for at alle elevene skal få tilstrekkelig med tid til å ta innover seg problemets innhold

Gene family expansions and contractions are associated with host range in plant pathogens of the genus Colletotrichum

Background: Many species belonging to the genus Colletotrichum cause anthracnose disease on a wide range of plant species. In addition to their economic impact, the genus Colletotrichum is a useful model for the study of the evolution of host specificity, speciation and reproductive behaviors. Genome projects of Colletotrichum species have already opened a new era for studying the evolution of pathogenesis in fungi. Results: We sequenced and annotated the genomes of four strains in the Colletotrichum acutatum species complex (CAsc), a clade of broad host range pathogens within the genus. The four CAsc proteomes and secretomes along with those representing an additional 13 species (six Colletotrichum spp. and seven other Sordariomycetes) were classified into protein families using a variety of tools. Hierarchical clustering of gene family and functional domain assignments, and phylogenetic analyses revealed lineage specific losses of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and proteases encoding genes in Colletotrichum species that have narrow host range as well as duplications of these families in the CAsc. We also found a lineage specific expansion of necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide 1 (Nep1)-like protein (NLPs) families within the CAsc. Conclusions: This study illustrates the plasticity of Colletotrichum genomes, and shows that major changes in host range are associated with relatively recent changes in gene content

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Persistent mucosal damage and risk of epilepsy in people with celiac disease

BACKGROUND: Celiac disease (CD) is associated with an increased risk of developing epilepsy, a risk that persists after CD diagnosis. A significant proportion of CD patients have persistent villous atrophy (VA) on follow-up biopsy. This study's objective was to determine whether persistent VA on follow-up biopsy affects long-term epilepsy risk and epilepsy-related hospital emergency admissions. METHODS: Nationwide Cohort Study. We identified all people in Sweden with histological evidence of CD who underwent a follow-up small intestinal biopsy (1969-2008). We compared those with persistent VA to those who showed histological improvement, assessing the development of epilepsy and related emergency hospital admissions (defined according to relevant ICD codes in the Swedish Patient Register). Cox regression analysis was used to assess outcome measures. RESULTS: Of 7590 people with CD who had a follow-up biopsy, VA was present in 43%. The presence of persistent VA was significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing newly-diagnosed epilepsy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-0.98). On stratified analysis this effect was primarily amongst males (HR 0.35; 95 CI 0.15-0.80). Among the 58 CD patients with a prior diagnosis of epilepsy, those with persistent VA were less likely to visit an emergency department with epilepsy (HR 0.37; 95%CI 0.09-1.09). CONCLUSIONS: In a population-based study of CD individuals, persisting VA on follow up biopsy was associated with reduced future risk of developing epilepsy but did not influence emergency epilepsy-related hospital admissions. Mechanisms as to why persistent VA confers this benefit requires further exploration

The renal cortical interstitium: morphological and functional aspects

The renal interstitial compartment, situated between basement membranes of epithelia and vessels, contains two contiguous cellular networks. One network is formed by interstitial fibroblasts, the second one by dendritic cells. Both are in intimate contact with each other. Fibroblasts are interconnected by junctions and connected to basement membranes of vessels and tubules by focal adhesions. Fibroblasts constitute the “skeleton” of the kidney. In the renal cortex, fibroblasts produce erythropoietin and are distinguished from other interstitial cells by their prominent F-actin cytoskeleton, abundance of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and by ecto-5′-nucleotidase expression in their plasma membrane. The resident dendritic cells belong to the mononuclear phagocyte system and fulfil a sentinel function. They are characterized by their expression of MHC class II and CD11c. The central situation of fibroblasts suggests that signals from tubules, vessels, and inflammatory cells converge in fibroblasts and elicit an integrated response. Following tubular damage and inflammatory signals fibroblasts proliferate, change to the myofibroblast phenotype and increase their collagen production, potentially resulting in renal fibrosis. The acquisition of a profibrotic phenotype by fibroblasts in renal diseases is generally considered a main causal event in the progression of chronic renal failure. However, it might also be seen as a repair process