Research on an internal combustion engine with an injected pre-chamber to operate with low methane number fuels for future gas flaring reduction

Flaring gas is the action of burning waste crude natural gas that is not possible to process or sell during the extraction and processing of oil and gas extraction. However, the surge of the oil and gas (O&G) fields caused an augmentation of flared gas; making society aware of its impact on the planet. To solve this problem, internal combustion engines showed clear advantages. However, there is a lack of information about how to utilize this associated petroleum gas (APG) as fuel for these engines due to its reduced methane number (MN). A methodical investigation about the optimal combustion and design needs for low MN fuels is proposed based on tests conducted in a natural gas engine with an injected pre-chamber ignition technology and a future technology that could replace flaring is proposed. Experiments conducted when using low MN gases showed different misfire limits and knocking margins. A 15% efficiency drop was obtained, however, this could be considered as a good performance as the Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) or output power reduction was 53.3%. In consequence, different engine design modifications are proposed to improve the former situation.The work presented in this contribution has been sponsored by Siemens Energy Engines R&D Organisation in the Basque Country (Vitoria-Gasteiz). Thanks are extended to the Energy and Marine Propulsion Research Unit of the University of Coruña (UDC)

Klebsiella pneumoniae triggers a cytotoxic effect on airway epithelial cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>is a capsulated Gram negative bacterial pathogen and a frequent cause of nosocomial infections. Despite its clinical relevance, little is known about the features of the interaction between <it>K. pneumoniae </it>and lung epithelial cells on a cellular level, neither about the role of capsule polysaccharide, one of its best characterised virulence factors, in this interaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The interaction between <it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>and cultured airway epithelial cells was analysed. <it>K. pneumoniae </it>infection triggered cytotoxicity, evident by cell rounding and detachment from the substrate. This effect required the presence of live bacteria and of capsule polysaccharide, since it was observed with isolates expressing different amounts of capsule and/or different serotypes but not with non-capsulated bacteria. Cytotoxicity was analysed by lactate dehydrogenase and formazan measurements, ethidium bromide uptake and analysis of DNA integrity, obtaining consistent and complementary results. Moreover, cytotoxicity of non-capsulated strains was restored by addition of purified capsule during infection. While a non-capsulated strain was avirulent in a mouse infection model, capsulated <it>K. pneumoniae </it>isolates displayed different degrees of virulence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our observations allocate a novel role to <it>K. pneumoniae </it>capsule in promotion of cytotoxicity. Although this effect is likely to be associated with virulence, strains expressing different capsule levels were not equally virulent. This fact suggests the existence of other bacterial requirements for virulence, together with capsule polysaccharide.</p

Significance of tagl and mfd genes in the virulence of non-typeable Haemophilus infl uenzae

Non-typeable Haemophilus infl uenzae (NTHi) is an opportunist pathogen well adapted to the human upper respiratory tract and responsible for many respiratory diseases. In the human airway, NTHi is exposed to pollutants, such as alkylating agents, that damage its DNA. In this study, we examined the signifi cance of genes involved in the repair of DNA alkylation damage in NTHi virulence. Two knockout mutants, tagI and mfd, encoding N3methyladenine-DNA glycosylase I and the key protein involved in transcription-coupled repair, respectively, were constructed and their virulence in a BALB/c mice model was examined. This work shows that N3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase I is constitutively expressed in NTHi and that it is relevant for its virulence. [Int Microbiol 2014; 17(3):159-164]Keywords: Haemophilus infl uenzae &middot; alkylating agents &middot; virulence &middot; genes tagI and mf

Formation of soy protein-based superabsorbent materials through optimization of a thermal processing

Superabsorbent materials are used in a wide range of products (e.g. personal care, controlled-release of nutrients in agriculture). The present study pretends the development of biodegradable materials from a natural source, a soy protein isolate, which eventually would help to diminish the environmental issues associated to the use of common synthetic materials. Moreover, the present work focuses on the modulation of the water uptake exclusively through the modification of the parameters of the thermal processes carried out during the development of those materials. Firstly, the protein isolate is blended with the plasticizer (glycerol) in a 1/1 ratio. Then, the homogeneous blend is injected using different mould temperatures and, subsequently, the bioplastics obtained are submitted to a dehydrothermal treatment (tdeshid) consisting on the storage of the samples at 50 ºC for a certain time (tdeshid). When the mould temperature is 70 ºC, superabsorbent materials are always obtained at tdeshid, shorter than 12 h. Conversely, viscoelastic properties increase as DHT treatment is longer, reducing the swelling that takes place during water absorption, and resulting more compact matrices. Thus, the present study proves how thermal processing modulation can solely determine the superabsorbent ability of soy protein-based biodegradable materials.Los materiales superabsorbentes son aplicables en campos tan diversos como productos de higiene personal o liberación controlada de nutrientes en agricultura. El presente estudio pretende el desarrollo de materiales biodegradables a partir de una materia prima natural, un aislado de proteína de soja, cuya aplicación supondría una disminución en el uso de materiales sintéticos, repercutiendo beneficiosamente en el medio ambiente; y la modulación de su capacidad de absorción de agua, que se modificará exclusivamente variando las condiciones de los procesos térmicos a los que son sometidas durante su obtención. En primer lugar, el aislado se mezcla con glicerina (plastificante)en una proporción 1/1, para después inyectar la masa homogénea utilizando diferentes temperaturas de moldeo (Tmold). Posteriormente, son sometidas a un tratamiento deshidrotérmico. o almacenamiento a 50ºC, durante cierto periodo de tiempo (tdeshid). Cuando la Tmold utilizada es 70ºC, se obtienen siempre materiales superabsorbentes, cuando el tdeshid seleccionado sea menos de 12h. Por otra parte, las propiedades viscoelásticas aumentan con la duración del tratamiento deshidrotérmico, provocando un menor hinchamiento durante la absorción de agua, resultando matrices menos porosas. Así, el presente estudio permite comprobar cómo modulando exclusivamente las condiciones de procesado pueden conseguirse capacidades superabsorbentes para materiales biodegradables basados en soja.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España-CTQ2015-71164-

Relative Contribution of P5 and Hap Surface Proteins to Nontypable <i>Haemophilus influenzae</i> Interplay with the Host Upper and Lower Airways

Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a major cause of opportunistic respiratory tract disease, and initiates infection by colonizing the nasopharynx. Bacterial surface proteins play determining roles in the NTHi-airways interplay, but their specific and relative contribution to colonization and infection of the respiratory tract has not been addressed comprehensively. In this study, we focused on the ompP5 and hap genes, present in all H. influenzae genome sequenced isolates, and encoding the P5 and Hap surface proteins, respectively. We employed isogenic single and double mutants of the ompP5 and hap genes generated in the pathogenic strain NTHi375 to evaluate P5 and Hap contribution to biofilm growth under continuous flow, to NTHi adhesion, and invasion/phagocytosis on nasal, pharyngeal, bronchial, alveolar cultured epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages, and to NTHi murine pulmonary infection. We show that P5 is not required for bacterial biofilm growth, but it is involved in NTHi interplay with respiratory cells and in mouse lung infection. Mechanistically, P5NTHi375 is not a ligand for CEACAM1 or α5 integrin receptors. Hap involvement in NTHi375-host interaction was shown to be limited, despite promoting bacterial cell adhesion when expressed in H. influenzae RdKW20. We also show that Hap does not contribute to bacterial biofilm growth, and that its absence partially restores the deficiency in lung infection observed for the ΔompP5 mutant. Altogether, this work frames the relative importance of the P5 and Hap surface proteins in NTHi virulence.</p

P02-09 The dissemination of an effective school-based PA intervention programme: Sigue la Huella (Follow the footprint)

Background. A widespread dissemination of effective evidence-based physical activity (PA) interventions is needed whether a greater proportion of the population, who could potentially benefit from it, wants to be reached (Finch et al., 2016). ‘Sigue la Huella' (Follow the Footprint), is one of the few effective evidence-informed PA school-based interventions conducted on adolescents in Europe, with the support of the family and the community (Murillo et al., 2014). The main aim of this study is to describe and analyze the process of dissemination of this intervention program. Methods. The ‘Sigue la Huella' was implemented at one secondary school situated in Jaca/Huesca (Spain). The Replicating Effective Programs (REP) framework was used, because provides a roadmap for disseminating effective interventions (Kilbourne et al., 2007). The intervention was delivered through workshops, ongoing technical assistance to the teachers, and the distribution of an instructional guide among the teachers and the school staff. A quasi-experimental design was adopted to examine the effect of ‘Sigue la Huella' after its dissemination process. PA was assessed using accelerometers at baseline and after the intervention of 14 weeks. In addition, we evaluated the dissemination process using the PRACTIS guide (Koorts et al., 2018). Results. From an initial evaluation of the dissemination process, several key learnings emerged: To identify strategies for effective stakeholders engagement; To overcome some barriers such as the excess workload of the teachers in charge of disseminating the intervention program; For better measures to determine the success of dissemination approaches (e.g., reliable and valid indicators of organizational and policy change). Conclusions. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the dissemination process of an effective school-based program identifying contextual barriers and facilitators that influence program implementation in new contexts and the direction of specific strategies to address those barriers

Efecto del procesado sobre las propiedades y morfología de bioplásticos de proteína de soja

La industria de los plásticos ha crecido notablemente en los últimos años. Este crecimiento, ligado a la baja biodegradabilidad de estos materiales, ha causado un grave problema medioambiental. La presente investigación pretende la obtención de materiales con alta capacidad de absorción de agua, que sean biodegradables y obtenidos a partir de fuentes renovables. Deberían además poseer propiedades mecánicas adecuadas para constituir una alternativa real a los plásticos sintéticos. Estos bioplásticos son obtenidos mediante un proceso con diferentes etapas: una de mezclado de los componentes para conformar una masa homogénea; y una segunda de inyección en la que, aplicando presión, la masa es introducida en un molde de forma deseada. La capacidad de absorción de agua es afectada por la composición y las condiciones de procesado. El presente documento estudia cómo la temperatura y duración de la etapa de moldeo, además del tratamiento dehidrotérmico, modifican la capacidad de absorción del bioplástico. Los resultados concluyen que la capacidad de absorción de agua aumenta con menores temperaturas y tiempos de moldeo, a la vez que aumenta cuando el tratamiento dehidrotérmico es más corto. Asimismo, los módulos viscoelásticos poseen una tendencia a disminuir cuando la capacidad de absorción de agua en las muestras aumenta.The remarkable growth experienced by the production and demand of the plastic industry during the last few years has resulted in a serious environmental issue associated specially to their low biodegradability. This work is focused on the manufacture of bioplastics with high water absorption capacity, obtained from renewable sources. Bioplastics produced should have adequate mechanical properties to be able to replace eventually synthetic plastics in specific markets. In order to obtain these bioplastics, two steps were carried out: the first one consists of a mixing stage to achieve a homogenous blend that is injection-molded during the second step. The water uptake capacity of these samples is influenced by both the formulation and the processing conditions of the blends. The present study is focused on the evolution of water uptake values when either the molding conditions (temperature and duration) or the length of a post-dehydrothermal treatment are modified. Results indicated an improvement in the water uptake when lower mold temperatures and shorter compaction stages were used. An analogous improvement was observed when the dehydrotermal process was shorter. Mechanical properties usually decreased as the water uptake of samples was improved.Plan Propio de la Universidad de Sevilla Proyecto: 2017/00000962MINECO (España)/FEDER (UE) proyecto CTQ2015-71164-

Desarrollo de materiales superabsorbentes biodegradables procesados a partir de subproductos agroindustriales

Actualmente se admite la necesidad cada vez más apremiante de desarrollar nuevos materiales con mayor sostenibilidad. Los materiales superabsorbentes constituyen un claro ejemplo, lo cual implica que estén basados en materias primas renovables, de menor coste e impacto ambiental. A pesar de ello, la comercialización de productos superabsorbentes basados en materias primas de origen natural, que sean biocompatibles y biodegradables se encuentra aún bastante limitada, existiendo una evidente necesidad de impulsar la investigación en el sector. El trabajo pretende contribuir a satisfacer esa necesidad, estableciéndose como objetivo principal desarrrollar nuevos materiales que presenten gran capacidad de absorción de agua (absorbentes y superabsobentes), que puedan ser procesados mediante técnicas de eficacia contrastada en la industria de fabricación de plásticos. Todo ello a partir de fuentes naturales renovables tales como proteínas procedentes de subproductos de la industria agroalimentaria. Además de su capacidad absorbente estos materiales deben presentar propiedades mecánicas y biodegradabilidad apropiadas para que puedan suponer una alternativa a los fabricados con polímeros sintéticos. Como resultado del trabajo se pretende adquirir el conocimiento científico y establecer las bases tecnológicas necesarias para conseguir matrices absorbentes y superabsorbentes biodegradables. Asimismo, se evaluará su potencial en productos SAB para higiene personal y para horticultura.There is an increasing need to shift towards the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials in the world market nowadays. Superabsorbents polymers (SAP) are a good example of this new type of materials, being based on renewable natural components with a lower cost. Notwithstanding, the productionand commercialization of biocompatible and biodegradable SAP are still very limited, which makes the need of research on this field pretty clear. This work pretends to cover that need establishing as its main objective the development of new materials that display a great water absorption capacity (absorbents and superabsorbents). These materials will be produced from natural renewable sources (proteins obtained as agro-food industry byproducts) through techniques commonly used in the plastic industry. These materials not only should possess a great water absorption capacity but they should present proper mechanical properties and biodegradability, so they could represent an attractive choice to those obtained from synthetic polymers. Eventually, the acquisition of scientific knowledge and the establishment of the technological base needed for the success in the development of those biodegradable SAP matrixes will be pursued with the different activities. Moreover, the potential of SAP materials produced for hygienic and horticulture applications will be studied.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) proyecto “Desarrrollo de Materiales superabsorbentes biodegradables procesados a partir de subproductos agroindustriales (SABio)” CTQ2015-71164-