Energy Efficiency Analysis: Biomass-to-Wheel Efficiency Related with Biofuels Production, Fuel Distribution, and Powertrain Systems

BACKGROUND: Energy efficiency analysis for different biomass-utilization scenarios would help make more informed decisions for developing future biomass-based transportation systems. Diverse biofuels produced from biomass include cellulosic ethanol, butanol, fatty acid ethyl esters, methane, hydrogen, methanol, dimethyether, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and bioelectricity; the respective powertrain systems include internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles based on gasoline or diesel ICEs, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, sugar fuel cell vehicles (SFCV), and battery electric vehicles (BEV). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a simple, straightforward, and transparent biomass-to-wheel (BTW) analysis including three separate conversion elements--biomass-to-fuel conversion, fuel transport and distribution, and respective powertrain systems. BTW efficiency is a ratio of the kinetic energy of an automobile's wheels to the chemical energy of delivered biomass just before entering biorefineries. Up to 13 scenarios were analyzed and compared to a base line case--corn ethanol/ICE. This analysis suggests that BEV, whose electricity is generated from stationary fuel cells, and SFCV, based on a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with an on-board sugar-to-hydrogen bioreformer, would have the highest BTW efficiencies, nearly four times that of ethanol-ICE. SIGNIFICANCE: In the long term, a small fraction of the annual US biomass (e.g., 7.1%, or 700 million tons of biomass) would be sufficient to meet 100% of light-duty passenger vehicle fuel needs (i.e., 150 billion gallons of gasoline/ethanol per year), through up to four-fold enhanced BTW efficiencies by using SFCV or BEV. SFCV would have several advantages over BEV: much higher energy storage densities, faster refilling rates, better safety, and less environmental burdens

Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 and respiratory distress syndrome

We present a patient born at 31 weeks gestation with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) which did not respond to surfactant. He also developed hyponatremia, hyperkalemia and dehydration with increased sweat electrolytes despite high levels of serum aldosterone, thus systemic pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA-1) diagnosis was made. Systemic PHA-1 is caused by mutations of amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) genes. Because ENaC is a rate-limiting step for sodium absorption by epithelial cells, not only of the renal tubule but also of the lung epithelium, patients with PHA-1 with pulmonary symptoms have sometimes been reported. However, our patient appears to be the second reported human case of both neonatal RDS and PHA-1, and the first description, with increased sweat electrolytes, of a premature baby with systemic PHA-1 and RDS

<i>Fournier&#x2032;s gangrene</i>: Evaluation of 68 patients and analysis of prognostic variables

Context: Fournier&#x2032;s gangrene (FG) is a rapidly progressing acute gangrenous infection of the anorectal and urogenital area. Aims: The objectives of this study were to investigate patients with FG and to determine risk factors that affect mortality. Settings and Design: Retrospective clinical study. Materials and Methods: Clinical presentations and outcomes of surgical treatments were evaluated in 68 patients with FG. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square, Student&#x2032;s t -test, and logistic regression test. Results: Mean age of patients was 54 and female-to-male ratio was 9:59. Among the predisposing factors, diabetes mellitus (DM) was the most common ( n =24, 35.3&#x0025;), and sepsis on admission was detected in 31 (45.6&#x0025;) and 15 (22.1&#x0025;) patients, respectively. Seven (10.3&#x0025;) patients died. Using logistic regression test, Fournier&#x2032;s Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI)&#62; 9, DM and sepsis on admission were found as prognostic factors. Conclusions: FG has a high mortality rate, especially in patients with DM and sepsis. An FGSI value&#62; 9 indicates high mortality rate

Coherent vibrational climbing in carboxyhemoglobin

We demonstrate vibrational climbing in the CO stretch of carboxyhemoglobin pumped by midinfrared chirped ultrashort pulses. By use of spectrally resolved pump-probe measurements, we directly observed the induced absorption lines caused by excited vibrational populations up to v = 6. In some cases, we also observed stimulated emission, providing direct evidence of vibrational population inversion. This study provides important spectroscopic parameters on the CO stretch in the strong-field regime, such as transition frequencies and dephasing times up to the v = 6to v = 7 vibrational transition. We measured equally spaced vibrational transitions, in agreement with the energy levels of a Morse potential up to v = 6. It is interesting that the integral of the differential absorption spectra was observed to deviate far from zero, in contrast to what one would expect from a simple one-dimensional Morse model assuming a linear dependence of dipole moment with bond length