Recycling Carbon-based Wastewater Filters for Hydrogen Storage: a sustainable approach

openLooking at the energy mix in recent years, it becomes clear that there is a need to make an energy transition towards renewable sources, especially in the transportation sector. Hydrogen, carrying high gravimetric energy density and being non-pollutant and regen-erative in nature, presents itself as the perfect candidate for substituting fossil fuels and addressing the fluctuations of natural energy sources, acting as an energy vector. Howev-er, the implementation of an energy system based on hydrogen (“Hydrogen Economy”) is impaired by some technical difficulties, regarding, most of all, its storage. As a matter of fact, hydrogen is characterized by an extremely low volumetric energy density, which requires the development of advanced techniques for its storage and transportation. Compared to traditional compressed and liquified hydrogen, storage in solid state mate-rials has shown to be more effective and safer, while also optimal for mobile applica-tions. Among all the materials studied for this application, activated carbons (ACs) have sparked a lot of interest due to their extremely high surface area and porosity, along with them being inexpensive and having good availability for industrial purposes. Additional-ly, they show higher adsorption reversibility when compared to other studied materials like metal hydrides. In particular, this research work focused on a particular type of AC, recycled from wastewater filters, which was studied to evaluate its performance in the storage of hydrogen. For this purpose, different parameters were investigated for the op-timization of this material. First, the influence of granulometry was investigated with samples ground at different particle sizes. A chemical activation with KOH was per-formed to increase the spent activated carbon’s specific surface area (SSA), and, lastly, a doping process was performed to introduce N heteroatoms using urea as a nitrogen pre-cursor. For all samples, extensive analysis of the textural parameters was performed by gas adsorption, while hydrogen uptake measurements were performed to evaluate the material’s performance in H2 storage.Looking at the energy mix in recent years, it becomes clear that there is a need to make an energy transition towards renewable sources, especially in the transportation sector. Hydrogen, carrying high gravimetric energy density and being non-pollutant and regen-erative in nature, presents itself as the perfect candidate for substituting fossil fuels and addressing the fluctuations of natural energy sources, acting as an energy vector. Howev-er, the implementation of an energy system based on hydrogen (“Hydrogen Economy”) is impaired by some technical difficulties, regarding, most of all, its storage. As a matter of fact, hydrogen is characterized by an extremely low volumetric energy density, which requires the development of advanced techniques for its storage and transportation. Compared to traditional compressed and liquified hydrogen, storage in solid state mate-rials has shown to be more effective and safer, while also optimal for mobile applica-tions. Among all the materials studied for this application, activated carbons (ACs) have sparked a lot of interest due to their extremely high surface area and porosity, along with them being inexpensive and having good availability for industrial purposes. Additional-ly, they show higher adsorption reversibility when compared to other studied materials like metal hydrides. In particular, this research work focused on a particular type of AC, recycled from wastewater filters, which was studied to evaluate its performance in the storage of hydrogen. For this purpose, different parameters were investigated for the op-timization of this material. First, the influence of granulometry was investigated with samples ground at different particle sizes. A chemical activation with KOH was per-formed to increase the spent activated carbon’s specific surface area (SSA), and, lastly, a doping process was performed to introduce N heteroatoms using urea as a nitrogen pre-cursor. For all samples, extensive analysis of the textural parameters was performed by gas adsorption, while hydrogen uptake measurements were performed to evaluate the material’s performance in H2 storage

Recent kinematics of the tectonic plates surrounding the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden represent two young basins that formed between Africa and Arabia since the early Oligocene, floored by oceanic crust or by transitional and thinned continental crust. While in the easternmost Gulf of Aden the rift–drift transition can be dated chron C6 (~20.1 Ma), here we show that in the Red Sea the first pulse of sea floor spreading occurred during chron C3n.2n (~4.6 Ma) around ~17.1°N (present–day coordinates) and propagated southwards from this location, separating the Danakil microplate from Arabia. It is also shown that sea floor spreading between Arabia and Nubia started later, around chron 2A (~2.58 Ma), and propagated northwards. At present, there is no magnetic evidence for the existence of a linear spreading center in the northern Red Sea at latitudes higher than ~24°N and in the southern Red Sea below ~14.8°N. The present–day plate kinematics of this region can be described with high accuracy by a network of five interacting plates (Nubia, Arabia, Somalia, Sinai, and Danakil) and six triple junctions. For times older than anomaly 2A (~2.58 Ma) and up to anomaly 3, the absence of marine magnetic anomalies between Arabia and Nubia prevents a rigorous kinematic description of the five–plates system. However, there is strong evidence that the unique changes in plate motions during the last five Myrs were a dramatic slowdown at chron C2 (~1.77 Ma) in the spreading or extension rates along the ridge and rift axes, thereby a good representation of the real plate motions can be obtained anyway by backward extension of the oldest Arabia – Nubia and Arabia – Danakil stage rotations determined on the basis of marine magnetic anomalies, respectively C2 – C2A and C2A – C3. The proposed kinematic reconstructions are accompanied by a geodynamic explanation for the genesis of large continent–continent fracture zones at the rift–drift transition and by an analysis of the strain associated with plate motions in Afar, northeastern Egypt, and Sinai

The opening of the Tyrrhenian basin and the Apennine chain formation in the kinematic context of Africa - Europe collision

EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online, 4-8 may 2020The Africa Europe collision, which produces the formation of the Alpine arc, in the Mediterranean area is accompanied by passive subduction processes, resulting from the sinking of the remnant Alpine Tethys and the Ionian lithosphere, and from the fragmentation of the Adriatic plate. In this complex deformation, back-arc basins (Alboran, Balearic, Tyrrhenian and Hellenic) and circum - Mediterranean mountain ranges are formed. In this work we focus our attention on the opening of the Tyrrhenian basin and the contemporary formation of the Apennine chain. In order to describe the evolution of the geodynamic processes that guided the formation of the Tyrrhenian basin and the Apennine chain we used the plate kinematics technique. Through careful observation of the regional structures we have divided the area of the Apennine Chain and the Tyrrhenian basin into polygons (crustal blocks or microplates) distinguished on the basis of the direction of the Tyrrhenian extension. The boundary between the polygons has been placed coinciding with the large structures that characterize the Tyrrhenian-Apennine area. The rotation poles of the individual polygons, in the frame of reference of the Sardo-Corso block, are based on the Tyrrhenian extension directions that characterize them. The velocity ratio between the polygons was determined by the slip vector of the structure (plate boundary) that separates them. To determine the rotation time of the polygons we used the stratigraphic records of the syn-rift sequences, while the rotation angle of the polygons is obtained comparing the crustal balance with the speed ratios. Finally, the kinematic framework obtained, included in the global rotation model, allowed us to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of the central Mediterranean during the opening of the Tyrrhenian basin

Panitumumab: the evidence for its use in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

Panitumumab is the first fully human monoclonal antibody to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) to enter clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors. The anti-tumor activity of panitumumab has been tested in vitro and in vivo, and inhibition of tumor growth has been observed in numerous cancer models, particularly lung, kidney and colorectal (CRC). Preclinical and clinical studies have established a role for panitumumab in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) refractory to multiple chemotherapeutic regimens. Based on these encouraging findings, panitumumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing mCRC refractory to fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and/or irinotecan-containing chemotherapeutic regimens. The improvement in progression free survival (PFS) and response rate (RR) produced by panitumumab monotherapy was significantly greater in patients with non mutated (wild-type) K-RAS than in those with mutant K-RAS. Therefore implementing routine K-RAS screening and limiting the use of EGFR inhibitors to patients with wild-type K-RAS appears the better strategy for select only the patients who could benefit from the therapy with panitumumab and also may have the potential for cost savings. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the patient-related, disease-related and economic-related evidence for the use of panitumumab in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in clinical practice

Controls of Radiogenic Heat and Moho Geometry on the Thermal Setting of the Marche Region (Central Italy): An Analytical 3D Geothermal Model

none7sìopenSantini, S.; Basilici, M.; Invernizzi, C.; Jablonska, D.; Mazzoli, S.; Megna, A.; Pierantoni, P.P.Santini, S.; Basilici, M.; Invernizzi, C.; Jablonska, D.; Mazzoli, S.; Megna, A.; Pierantoni, P. P

A New Southern North Atlantic Isochron Map: Insights Into the Drift of the Iberian Plate Since the Late Cretaceous

This paper presents a new southern North Atlantic plate model from Late Cretaceous to present, with the aim of constraining the kinematics of the Iberian plate during the last 83.5 Myr. This model is presented along with a detailed isochron map generated through the analysis of 3 aeromagnetic tracks and ~400 ship tracks from the National Centers for Environmental Information database. We present a new technique to obtain well‐constrained estimates of the Iberia‐North America plate motions from magnetic anomalies, overcoming the scarcity of large‐offset fracture zones and transform faults. We build an integrated kinematic model for NW Africa, Morocco, Iberia, Europe, and North America, which shows that the deformation is partitioned between Pyrenees and Betic‐Rif orogenic domain during the Late Cretaceous‐Oligocene time interval. In the Eastern Betics domain, the calculated amount of NW Africa‐Iberia convergence is ~80 km between 83.5 and 34 Ma, followed by ~150 km since the Oligocene. The motion of Iberia relative to Europe in the Central Pyrenees is characterized by overall NE directed transpressional motion during the Campanian and the Paleocene, followed by NW directed transpressional movement until the Lutetian and overall NNW directed convergence from Bartonian to Chattian. This motion occurs along the axis of the Bay of Biscay from the Santonian–Campanian boundary to the middle Priabonian, subsequently jumping to King's Trough at Anomaly 17 (36.62 Ma)

Stratigraphic framework of the late Miocene to Pliocene Pisco Formation at Cerro Colorado (Ica Desert, Peru)

This paper describes a 200 m-thick section of the Pisco Formation exposed at Cerro Colorado, an important fossiliferous site in the Ica desert. In order to properly place the fauna in its correct relative position, this study establishes the stratigraphic framework within which the different fossil-bearing intervals of this site can be compared and may prove invaluable in future high-resolution studies on the faunal change. Most of the Pisco Formation deposits exposed at Cerro Colorado consist of gently dipping fine-grained sandstones, diatomaceous siltstones and diatomites with minor ash layers and dolomites deposited within nearshore and offshore settings. To facilitate detailed stratigraphic correlations within the Pisco strata for a 30 km2 area, eight marker beds have been defined and large-scale (1:10,000 scale) geological mapping conducted to determine fault positions, styles and offsets. The geological map shows that there are two important angular unconformities in the study area. The first one is the interformational basal unconformity of the Pisco Formation against folded, faulted, and planated Oligo-Miocene rocks of the Chilcatay Formation. The second is a low-angle intraformational erosional discontinuity of up to 48 angular discordance that allows the subdivision of the Pisco stratigraphy exposed in the study area into two informal allomembers. Dating of the exposed succession by diatom biostratigraphy suggests that the age of the lower allomember is late Miocene, whereas the upper allomember is late Miocene or younger

Actin remodeling driven by circLIMA1: sperm cell as an intriguing cellular model

CircRNA cargo in spermatozoa (SPZ) participates in setting cell quality, in terms of morphology and motility. Cannabinoid receptor CB1 activity is correlated with a proper spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation. Despite CB1 promotes endogenous skill to circularize mRNAs in SPZ, few notions are reported regarding the functional link between endocannabinoids and spermatic circRNA cargo. In CB1 knock-out male mice, we performed a complete dataset of spermatic circRNA content by microarray strategy. Differentially expressed (DE)-circRNAs, as a function of genotype, were identified. Within DE-circRNAs, we focused the attention on circLIMA1, as putative actin-cytoskeleton architecture regulator. The validation of circLIMA1 dependent-competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network (ceRNET) in in vitro cell line confirmed its activity in the regulation of the cytoskeletal actin. Interestingly, a dynamic actin regulation in SPZ nuclei was found during their epididymal maturation. In this scenario, we showed for the first time an intriguing sperm nuclear actin remodeling, regulated via a ceRNET-independent pathway, consisting in the nuclear shuttling of circLIMA1-QKI interactome and downstream in Gelsolin regulation. In particular, the increased levels of circLIMA1 in CB1 knock-out SPZ, associated with an inefficient depolymerization of nuclear actin, specifically illustrate how endocannabinoids, by regulating circRNA cargo, may contribute to sperm morpho-cellular maturation

Gastrointestinal presentation of kawasaki disease: A red flag for severe disease?

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology and the main cause of acquired heart disease among children in the developed world. To date, abdominal involvement at presentation is not recognized as a risk factor for a more severe form of the disease. Objective To evaluate whether presenting abdominal manifestations identify a group at major risk for Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistance and coronary lesions. Methods Retrospective study of KD patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 in 13 pediatric units in Italy. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of abdominal manifestations at onset. We compared their demographic and clinical data, IVIG-responsiveness, coronary ectasia/aneurysms, laboratory findings from the acute and subacute phases. Results 302 patients (181 boys) were enrolled: 106 patients with, and 196 patients without presenting abdominal features. Seasonality was different between the groups (p = 0.034). Patients with abdominal manifestations were younger (p = 0.006) and more frequently underwent delayed treatment (p = 0.014). In the acute phase, patients with abdominal presentation had higher platelet counts (PLT) (p = 0.042) and lower albuminemia (p = 0.009), while, in the subacute phase, they had higher white blood cell counts (WBC) and PLT (p = 0.002 and p < 0.005, respectively) and lower red blood cell counts (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) (p = 0.031 and p 0.009). Moreover, the above mentioned group was more likely to be IVIG-resistant (p < 0.005) and have coronary aneurysms (p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, presenting abdominal manifestations, age younger than 6 months, IVIG- resistance, delayed treatment and albumin concentration in the acute phase were independent risk factors for coronary aneurysms (respectively p<0.005, <0.005, = 0.005 and 0.009). Conclusions This is the first multicenter report demonstrating that presenting gastrointestinal features in KD identify patients at higher risk for IVIG-resistance and for the development of coronary aneurysms in a predominantly Caucasian population