Liquid Agglomeration of Ink Particles in Deinking

Liquid agglomeration is defined by references as a separation process (3). For the purpose of this thesis project, it is the process of using a hydrocarbon oil, dispersed in water, to a pulp slurry, to agglomerate the ink particles and then float them to the top. The idea behind this research is that the sludge produced will have a higher BTU value due to the hydrocarbon oil, which will make incineration a more feasible means of disposal. The preliminary work consisted of determining whether or not the ink particles would agglomerate with hexadecane. It was found that the ink particles did in fact agglomerate and hexadecane was an efficient agglomerating oil. Previous work had found that internal starch and internal size inhibited agglomeration, however, it is believed that if the right surface chemistry could be induced onto the fiber, the agglomeration process would be promoted (3). This was attempted by evaluating four different surfactants to determine if any of them could promote agglomeration. BRD2340, BRD2342, Busperse 47, an Busperse 59 were the surfactants chosen for evaluation. It was found that BRD2342 and BRD2340 were incapable of promoting agglomeration. However, Busperse 47 and Busperse 59 did promote agglomeration, with Busperse 59 visually performing the best. After the pulp had been run through the agglomeration cells, it was evaluated for pulp cleanliness. This was done by making brightness pads and running the pads through the Spec*Scan 2000 to determine dirt counts. It was found that the agglomeration cells could not perform as efficiently as an air flotation cell. However, it was observed that the liquid agglomeration process did increase the ink particles size. It is hypothesized that this may prove favorable in an air flotation cell. It can be concluded that the liquid agglomeration process needs additional research

Regulation of Synthesis and Roles of Hyaluronan in Peritoneal Dialysis

Hyaluronan (HA) is a ubiquitous extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan composed of repeated disaccharide units of alternating D-glucuronic acid and D-N-acetylglucosamine residues linked via alternating beta-1, 4 and beta-1, 3 glycosidic bonds. HA is synthesized in humans by HA synthase (HAS) enzymes 1, 2, and 3, which are encoded by the corresponding HAS genes. Previous in vitro studies have shown characteristic changes in HAS expression and increased HA synthesis in response to wounding and proinflammatory cytokines in human peritoneal mesothelial cells. In addition, in vivo models and human peritoneal biopsy samples have provided evidence of changes in HA metabolism in the fibrosis that at present accompanies peritoneal dialysis treatment. This review discusses these published observations and how they might contribute to improvement in peritoneal dialysis

Discovering the Data of Safety: Embry-Riddle’s Aviation Safety and Security Archives

The path to the sky and beyond has not been simple or obstacle-free, but dedicated dreamers have worked to overcome obstacles, learn from mishaps, and develop new technologies to achieve their goals. As the leading university for aviation and aerospace education, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University maintains a firm commitment to the practice and study of safety. As part of this mission, the university has established the Aviation Safety and Security Archives (ASASA) which is a national treasure of aviation safety history and information

Mutual information--based approach to adaptive homodyne detection of quantum optical states

I propose an approach to adaptive homodyne detection of digitally modulated quantum optical pulses in which the phase of the local oscillator is chosen to maximize the average information gain, i.e., the mutual information, at each step of the measurement. I study the properties of this adaptive detection scheme by considering the problem of classical information content of ensembles of coherent states. Using simulations of quantum trajectories and visualizations of corresponding measurement operators, I show that the proposed measurement scheme adapts itself to the features of each ensemble. For all considered ensembles of coherent states, it consistently outperforms heterodyne detection and Wiseman's adaptive scheme for phase measurements [H.M. Wiseman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 4587 (1995)].Comment: Submutted to Phys. Rev.

MicroRNAs in diabetic nephropathy: from biomarkers to therapy

Recent estimates suggest that 1 in 12 of the global population suffers from diabetes mellitus. Approximately 40 % of those affected will go on to develop diabetes-related chronic kidney disease or diabetic nephropathy (DN). DN is a major cause of disability and premature death. Existing tests for prognostic purposes are limited and can be invasive, and interventions to delay progression are challenging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently described class of molecular regulators found ubiquitously in human tissues and bodily fluids, where they are highly stable. Alterations in miRNA expression profiles have been observed in numerous diseases. Blood and tissue miRNAs are already established cancer biomarkers, and cardiovascular, metabolic and immune disease miRNA biomarkers are under development. Urinary miRNAs represent a potential novel source of non-invasive biomarkers for kidney diseases, including DN. In addition, recent data suggest that miRNAs may have therapeutic applications. Here, we review the utility of miRNAs as biomarkers for the early detection and progression of DN, assess emerging data on miRNAs implicated in DN pathology and discuss how the data from both fields may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic agents

Freeze casting of porous monolithic composites for hydrogen storage

Hydrogen storage by adsorption offers operational benefits over energy intensive compression techniques. Incorporating physisorption materials in compression stores could improve hydrogen capacities, reducing the volume or pressure needed for storage vessels. However, such materials are often presented as fine powders and development efforts to date have predominantly focused on improving hydrogen uptake alone. Without due attention to industry-relevant attributes, such as handling, processability, and mechanical properties it is unlikely that these materials will find commercial application. In the paper, the desirable mechanical properties of hydrogen-adsorbent PIM-1 are exploited to yield a series of composite monoliths doped with a high surface area activated carbon, intended to act as pressure vessel inserts. Freeze casting techniques were successfully adapted for use with chloroform, facilitating the production of coherent and controlled three-dimensional geometries. This included the use of an innovative elastomeric mould made by additive manufacture to allow facile adoption, with the ability to vary multiple forming factors in the future. The composite monolith formed exhibited a stiffness of 0.26 GPa, a compressive strength of 6.7 MPa, and an increased BET surface area of 847 m2 g−1 compared to PIM-1 powders, signifying the first steps towards producing hydrogen adsorbents in truly useful monolithic forms

Experimental investigation of continuous variable quantum teleportation

We report the experimental demonstration of quantum teleportation of the quadrature amplitudes of a light field. Our experiment was stably locked for long periods, and was analyzed in terms of fidelity, F; and with signal transfer, T_{q}=T^{+}+T^{-}, and noise correlation, V_{q}=V_{in|out}^{+} V_{in|out}^{-}. We observed an optimum fidelity of 0.64 +/- 0.02, T_{q}= 1.06 +/- 0.02 and V_{q} =0.96 +/- 0.10. We discuss the significance of both T_{q}>1 and V_{q}<1 and their relation to the teleportation no-cloning limit.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Continuous variable polarization entanglement, experiment and analysis

We generate and characterise continuous variable polarization entanglement between two optical beams. We first produce quadrature entanglement, and by performing local operations we transform it into a polarization basis. We extend two entanglement criteria, the inseparability criteria proposed by Duan {\it et al.}\cite{Duan00} and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox criteria proposed by Reid and Drummond\cite{Reid88}, to Stokes operators; and use them to charactise the entanglement. Our results for the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox criteria are visualised in terms of uncertainty balls on the Poincar\'{e} sphere. We demonstrate theoretically that using two quadrature entangled pairs it is possible to entangle three orthogonal Stokes operators between a pair of beams, although with a bound $\sqrt{3}$ times more stringent than for the quadrature entanglement.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure

A network biology approach to prostate cancer

There is a need to identify genetic mediators of solid-tumor cancers, such as prostate cancer, where invasion and distant metastases determine the clinical outcome of the disease. Whole-genome expression profiling offers promise in this regard, but can be complicated by the challenge of identifying the genes affected by a condition from the hundreds to thousands of genes that exhibit changes in expression. Here, we show that reverse-engineered gene networks can be combined with expression profiles to compute the likelihood that genes and associated pathways are mediators of a disease. We apply our method to non-recurrent primary and metastatic prostate cancer data, and identify the androgen receptor gene (AR) among the top genetic mediators and the AR pathway as a highly enriched pathway for metastatic prostate cancer. These results were not obtained on the basis of expression change alone. We further demonstrate that the AR gene, in the context of the network, can be used as a marker to detect the aggressiveness of primary prostate cancers. This work shows that a network biology approach can be used advantageously to identify the genetic mediators and mediating pathways associated with a disease

Medievals and moderns in conversation: Co-designing creative futures for under-used historic churches in rural communities

For many living in rural areas, the loss of traditional community assets and increased social fragmentation are a common feature of everyday life. The empty village church is a poignant symbol of these challenges; yet, these are sites that hold considerable potential for new placemaking solutions that respond to the needs of communities today. This means looking beyond “the traditional village church” to recognise a longer history of church adaptation and resilience within the lives of communities. In this paper we ask: how can co-design, projected through a Wicked problems and Clumsy solutions lens, help imagine new futures for communities and their historic churches today? Clumsy solutions consider a plurality of different perspectives on the nature of problems and their resolution to deliver more effective solutions with broad appeal. In the search for clumsiness, we turn to ‘long history’ and ‘slow technology’ for inspiration, uncovering deeper resonance with historical communities of place and anchoring that continuity within church sites themselves. Our paper demonstrates how Wicked/Clumsy thinking can account for the challenges faced by rural communities today, bootstrap co-design activities in the development of clumsy solutions, and uncover clumsiness in long history and slow technology dimensions—together laying the foundation for new placemaking strategies