Alien Registration- Damon, Edgor S. (Portland, Cumberland County)

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Modeling and Optimization of Woody Biomass Harvest and Logistics in the Northeastern United States

World energy consumption is at an all-time high and is projected to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Currently, much of the energy that is produced comes from non-renewable fossil energy sources, which includes the burden of increased greenhouse gas emissions and the fear of energy insecurity. Woody biomass is being considered as a material that can be utilized to reduce the burden caused by fossil energy. While the technical capability to convert woody biomass to energy has been known for a long period of time, the cost of the feedstock has been considered too costly to be implemented in a large commercial scale. Increasing the use of woody biomass as an energy source requires that the supply chains are setup in a way that minimizes cost, the locational factors that lead to development are understood, the facilities are located in the most favorable locations and local resource assessments can be made.;A mixed integer linear programming model to efficiently configure woody biomass supply chain configurations and optimize the harvest, extraction, transport, storage and preprocessing of the woody biomass resources to provide the lowest possible delivered price. The characteristics of woody biomass, such as spatial distribution and low bulk density, tend to make collection and transport difficult as compared to traditional energy sources. These factors, as well as others, have an adverse effect on the cost of the feedstock. The average delivered cost was found to be between {dollar}64.69-98.31 dry Mg for an annual demand of 180,000 dry Mg. The effect of resource availability and required demand was examined to determine the impact that each would have on the total cost.;The use of woody biomass for energy has been suggested as a way to improve rural economies through job creation, reduction of energy costs and regional development. This study examined existing wood using bio-energy facilities in the northeastern United States to define the drivers of establishment of bio-energy projects. Using a spatial econometric framework, a spatial autoregressive probit model was estimated based on the Bayesian methods to define the factors that impact the location of wood using bio-energy facilities in the United States. Through the analysis it was found that the energy policy of the state is the biggest driver of the choice of location for bioenergy facilities.;The choice of site is of great importance when trying to meet the goal of producing cost-effective biofuels, due to the spatial dispersion of the biofuels and the high proportion of total cost that is incurred by transportation to the processing facility. The proximity to the fuel supply and the resulting transportation cost are the primary concern of the operators of the facilities, although this is not the primary driver that leads to the development of these projects. In order to make these endeavors successful, there must also be buy-in from the local community and its government. Previous studies have found that in addition to the environmental benefits and improved energy security, the impact that the facilities have on the local economy, in terms of job creation, improved industrial competitiveness and regional development are key drivers of bioenergy projects. A two-stage site selection approach is developed for the siting of woody biomass facilities, which combines multi-criteria analysis with mixed integer linear programming to rank potential development sites. This approach was then applied to the siting of a Coal/Biomass to liquids plant, and was able to objectively identify the optimal location of the facility.;Finally, a simulation model was developed to assess the locally available quantities and prices for biomass feedstocks. The simulation uses machine tractability in conjunction with graph theory to assess machine productivity and harvesting cost. The model was then applied to a demonstration project in which a 10,000 bbl per day Coal/Biomass to Liquid plant is being used to examine if there are sufficient feedstocks available to warrant the project. It was found that within the proposed three county procurement area that there were approximately 34% less material available than was assumed to be available from large scale feedstock data. Also, the simulation model was able to determine that the total feedstock requirement could be met at a price of {dollar}66 per dry Mg

Eagle Syndrome: A Rare Case of Atraumatic, Painful Cervical Neck Swelling

Introduction: Painful neck swelling is a common emergency complaint but can present diagnostic challenges. Eagle syndrome is a rare clinical entity in which a pathologically elongated styloid process or ossified stylohyoid ligament produces a constellation of symptoms in the head and neck region.Case Report: We present the case of a 50-year-old male with a spontaneous, atraumatic fracture of an elongated styloid process associated with hematoma formation and radiological findings of airway impingement.Discussion: The classic triad for Eagle syndrome consists of unilateral cervicofacial pain, globus sensation, and dysphagia. Diagnosis of Eagle syndrome should be made based on a combination of physical examination and radiological findings. Treatment options vary based on severity of symptoms.Conclusion: Although more likely to be an indolent and progressive complaint, providers in the acute care setting should be familiar with Eagle syndrome due to the potential for a spontaneous fracture of an elongated styloid process to cause acute, painful neck swelling and life-threatening airway compromise

Biomass Handling and Feeding

Handling and feeding of materials represent a substantial challenge in biomass feedstock supply systems and have been primary factors causing pioneer industrial biorefineries to struggle to achieve their production targets. The focus of this chapter is handling and feeding within the plant prior to conversion. The dominant material properties that impact biorefinery operations are presented, and biomass flow patterns and behavior in silos, bins and hoppers are briefly explained. Methods to measure key properties are reviewed, including the Jenike method as well as the efficacy of newer ring shear methods. Finally, areas are identified in which future effort should focus to have the greatest impact to alleviate the challenges that currently plague the emerging biomass industry

Melatonin as a potential therapy for sepsis : a phase I dose escalation study and an ex vivo whole blood model under conditions of sepsis

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This study was funded by the Chief Scientist Office, NHS Scotland. We would like to thank all the volunteers who gave up their time and blood to take part in the study and the data monitoring committee and staff of the intensive care unit for their support. In addition, thanks to Dr Malachy Columb for performing Page's trend test for us and to Annette Fearnley at Nu-Pharm Ltd for her advice.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Disparate Impact of an Underfunded, Patchwork Indigent Defense System on Mississippi’s African Americans: The Civil Rights Case for Establishing a Statewide, Fully Funded Public Defender System

A fundamental principal of our nation\u27s criminal justice system is that regardless of financial status, whether wealthy or destitute, every accused person is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel. Despite over a decade of calls for reform by state courts, Mississippi is one of the few states that fail to meet its obligation to provide funding for attorneys representing the indigent criminally accused. As a result, Mississippi\u27s counties have shouldered the responsibility of paying court-appointed counsel without financial contribution from the state. The state\u27s eighty-two counties vary widely in wealth and resources. Some counties are able to provide reasonably adequate funding for indigent defense services, and even feature full-time, fully staffed public defender offices. Others, however, have maintained under-funded, part-time, court-appointed counsel systems. The resulting patchwork system of indigent defense practically ensures geographic disparities in the quality of counsel provided to poor Mississippians. Alternatively, a defendant\u27s access to counsel or decent advocacy varies widely depending on the county in which he is charged. African Americans in Mississippi, as throughout the nation, are disproportionately among the poor and the criminally accused. Therefore, the state\u27s failure to fund attorneys for the indigent accused acutely affects African Americans. The effects of the absence of meaningful advocacy for poor defendants reverberates widely and impacts African American families, neighborhoods, and communities