Dynamic operation of amine scrubbing in response to electricity demand and pricing

AbstractThis paper examines dynamic operation of CO2 capture with absorption/stripping using 7 m MEA, where the absorber is operated at full capacity with the stripper at reduced load. Depending on the cost of CO2 emissions, doing so in response to variations in electricity demand could improve annual profits by $10–$100 million or more at facilities with CO2 capture. Dynamic scenarios were simulated with a controlled, constant ratio of heat rate and solvent rate. With an 80% load reduction, scenarios that turn CO2 capture off and on affect stripper performance only slightly and reach the steady state in about 90 and 18 minutes respectively

Neutrinos in 5D SO(10) Unification

We study neutrino physics in a 5D supersymmetric SO(10) GUT. We analyze several different choices for realizing the See-Saw mechanism. We find that the "natural" scale for the Majorana mass of right-handed neutrinos depends critically on whether the right-handed neutrinos are located in the bulk or localized on a brane. In the former case, the effective Majorana mass is "naturally" of order the compactification scale, about 10^{14} GeV. Note, this is the value necessary for obtaining a light tau neutrino mass approximately 10^{-2} eV which, within the context of hierarchical neutrino masses, is the right order of magnitude to explain atmospheric neutrino oscillations. On the other-hand when the right-handed neutrino is localized on the brane, the effective Majorana mass is typically larger than the compactification scale. Nevertheless with small parameters of order 1/10 - 1/30, an effective Majorana mass of order 10^{14} GeV can be accommodated. We also discuss the constraints on model building resulting from the different scenarios for locating the right-handed neutrinos.Comment: 24 page

Wearable activity technology and action-planning (WATAAP) to promote physical activity in cancer survivors: Randomised controlled trial protocol

Background/Objective: Colorectal and gynecologic cancer survivors are at cardiovascular risk due to comorbidities and sedentary behaviour, warranting a feasible intervention to increase physical activity. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is a promising theoretical frame-work for health behaviour change, and wearable physical activity trackers offer a novel means of self-monitoring physical activity for cancer survivors. Method: Sixty-eight survivors of colorectal and gynecologic cancer will be randomised into 12- week intervention and control groups. Intervention group participants will receive: a Fitbit AltaTM to monitor physical activity, HAPA-based group sessions, booklet, and support phone-call. Participants in the control group will only receive the HAPA-based booklet. Physical activity (using accelerometers), blood pressure, BMI, and HAPA constructs will be assessed at baseline, 12-weeks (post-intervention) and 24-weeks (follow-up). Data analysis will use the Group x Time interaction from a General Linear Mixed Model analysis. Conclusions: Physical activity interventions that are acceptable and have robust theoretical underpinnings show promise for improving the health of cancer survivors

Dutch patients, retail chicken meat and poultry share the same ESBL genes, plasmids and strains

Intestinal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) -producing bacteria in food-producing animals and contamination of retail meat may contribute to increased incidences of infections with ESBL-producing bacteria in humans. Therefore, distribution of ESBL genes, plasmids and strain genotypes in Escherichia coli obtained from poultry and retail chicken meat in the Netherlands was determined and defined as ‘poultry-associated’ (PA). Subsequently, the proportion of E. coli isolates with PA ESBL genes, plasmids and strains was quantified in a representative sample of clinical isolates. The E. coli were derived from 98 retail chicken meat samples, a prevalence survey among poultry, and 516 human clinical samples from 31 laboratories collected during a 3-month period in 2009. Isolates were analysed using an ESBL-specific microarray, sequencing of ESBL genes, PCR-based replicon typing of plasmids, plasmid multi-locus sequence typing (pMLST) and strain genotyping (MLST). Six ESBL genes were defined as PA (blaCTX-M-1, blaCTX-M-2, blaSHV-2, blaSHV-12, blaTEM-20, blaTEM-52): 35% of the human isolates contained PA ESBL genes and 19% contained PA ESBL genes located on IncI1 plasmids that were genetically indistinguishable from those obtained from poultry (meat). Of these ESBL genes, 86% were blaCTX-M-1 and blaTEM-52 genes, which were also the predominant genes in poultry (78%) and retail chicken meat (75%). Of the retail meat samples, 94% contained ESBL-producing isolates of which 39% belonged to E. coli genotypes also present in human samples. These findings are suggestive for transmission of ESBL genes, plasmids and E. coli isolates from poultry to humans, most likely through the food chain

Effect of Pretreatment Renal Function on Treatment and Clinical Outcomes in the Adjuvant Treatment of Older Women With Breast Cancer: Alliance A171201, an Ancillary Study of CALGB/CTSU 49907

CALGB 49907 showed the superiority of standard therapy, which included either cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin (AC) or cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/fluorouracil over single-agent capecitabine in the treatment of patients age ≥ 65 with early-stage breast cancer. The treatment allowed dosing adjustments of methotrexate and capecitabine for pretreatment renal function. The purpose of the current analysis was to assess the relationship between pretreatment renal function and five end points: toxicity, dose modification, therapy completion, relapse-free survival, and overall survival

Collaboration between Science and Religious Education teachers in Scottish Secondary schools

The article reports on quantitative research that examines: (1) the current practice in collaboration; and (2) potential for collaboration between Science and Religious Education teachers in a large sample of Scottish secondary schools. The authors adopt and adapt three models (conflict; concordat and consonance) to interrogate the relationship between science and religion (and the perceived relation between these two subjects in schools) (Astley and Francis 2010). The findings indicate that there is evidence of limited collaboration and, in a few cases, a dismissive attitude towards collaboration (conflict and concordat and very weak consonance). There is, however, evidence of a genuine aspiration for greater collaboration among many teachers (moving towards a more robust consonance model). The article concludes by discussing a number of key factors that must be realised for this greater collaboration to be enacted

Engineering HIV envelope protein to activate germline B cell receptors of broadly neutralizing anti-CD4 binding site antibodies

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against HIV are believed to be a critical component of the protective responses elicited by an effective HIV vaccine. Neutralizing antibodies against the evolutionarily conserved CD4-binding site (CD4-BS) on the HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) are capable of inhibiting infection of diverse HIV strains, and have been isolated from HIV-infected individuals. Despite the presence of anti–CD4-BS broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) epitopes on recombinant Env, Env immunization has so far failed to elicit such antibodies. Here, we show that Env immunogens fail to engage the germline-reverted forms of known bnAbs that target the CD4-BS. However, we found that the elimination of a conserved glycosylation site located in Loop D and two glycosylation sites located in variable region 5 of Env allows Env-binding to, and activation of, B cells expressing the germline-reverted BCRs of two potent broadly neutralizing antibodies, VRC01 and NIH45-46. Our results offer a possible explanation as to why Env immunogens have been ineffective in stimulating the production of such bNAbs. Importantly, they provide key information as to how such immunogens can be engineered to initiate the process of antibody-affinity maturation against one of the most conserved Env regions

SUSY GUTs under Siege : Proton Decay

SO(10) supersymmetric grand unified theories [SUSY GUTs] provide a beautiful framework for physics beyond the standard model. Experimental measurements of the three gauge couplings are consistent with unification at a scale $M_G \sim 3 \times 10^{16}$ GeV. In addition predictive models for fermion masses and mixing angles have been found which fit the low energy data, including the recent data for neutrino oscillations. SO(10) boundary conditions can be tested via the spectrum of superparticles. The simplest models also predict neutron and proton decay rates. In this paper we discuss nucleon decay rates and obtain reasonable upper bounds. A clear picture of the allowed SUSY spectra as constrained by nucleon decay is presented.Comment: 13 page

A simple, optically induced electrokinetic method to concentrate and pattern nanoparticles

We demonstrate an optically induced electrokinetic technique that continuously concentrates nanoparticles on the surface of a parallel plate electrode that is biased with an AC signal. A highly focused beam of near-infrared light (1064 nm) was applied, inducing an electrothermal microfluidic vortex that carried nanoparticles to its center where they were accumulated. This technique was demonstrated with 49 nm and 100 nm fluorescent polystyrene particles and characterized as a function of applied AC frequency and voltage. With this technique the location and shape of colloidal concentration was reconfigured by controlling the optical landscape, yielding dynamic control of the aggregation. Colloidal concentration was demonstrated with a plain parallel plate electrode configuration without the need of photoconductive materials or complex microfabrication procedures

First-to-Invent Versus First-to-File: International Patent Law Harmonization and Innovation

The U.S. has been under pressure to abandon the unique first-to-invent feature of its patent law for awarding patents. The opposition to reform however argues that switch to a first-to-file rule, the international norm, will undermine innovation. We evaluate this argument in a dynamic stochastic model of a patent race. The result generally supports the opposition's argument