Poplar from phytoremediation as a renewable energy source:gasification properties and pollution analysis

Biomass gasification is a very efficient process to produce clean energy in the form of a fuel gas (syngas). Hazelnut shells and poplar have good energy production potential and they are abundant in nature. Hazelnut shells have the characteristics of a very good fuel and poplar is among the fastest growing trees; furthermore, poplar demonstrated the capability to absorb organic contaminants (i.e. heavy metals) from the soil in which they are cultivated. However, poplar is not usually used for biomass gasification and its potential is not fully assessed. Here, 3 types of biomass, hazelnut shells (HS), simple poplar (P) and poplar coming from a phytoremediation procedure (PHYP), were chosen as representative samples to be characterized and tested in a steam gasification process carried out on a bench scale fluidized bed gasifier. A comparison is reported on gasification results, such as gas composition, tar production and gas yield for the biomass feedstocks mentioned above. It was concluded that hazelnut shells and poplar (P and PHYP) could be easily gasified in a fluidized bed gasifier, thus producing a good quality gas with low polluting by-products. The PHYP sample showed lower tar content and higher gas yield. It is guessed that Ca and Mg, found in higher quantities in the PHYP sample, could have had a catalytic effect in tar reforming thus producing lower quantity of heavy hydrocarbons

Eating the Mediterranean Style: A Tasty Way for Stroke Prevention☆

Abstract Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, with high individual, social and economic costs. Diet has been identified as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and stroke in several large epidemiological studies. The evaluation of foods groups and dietary patterns provides a more realistic representation of actual dietary intake, and gives clues to developing guidelines aimed at general population. We review the role of Mediterranean diet, fruit and vegetables, and olive oil consumption, on the risk of stroke and other vascular outcomes. Findings from major studies indicate that, together with a healthy lifestyle, the traditional Mediterranean way of eating, including social and cultural components, and inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, may be considered a cost-effective intervention to reduce the human, social and economic burden of stroke and cardiovascular disease

Supply Chain Management analysis: a simulation approach of the Value Chain Operations Reference model (VCOR)

International audienceThe impact of globalization and worldwide competition has forced firms to modify their strategies towards a real time operation with respect to customer's requirements. This behaviour, together with the communication possibilities offered by the actual Information and Communication Technologies, allows the top management to move towards the concept of extended enterprise in which a collaborative link is established among suppliers, commercial partners and customers. When the information flows involve each actor of the chain, from suppliers to the final distribution centers, the extended enterprise becomes a virtual firm, that can be defined as a set of stand-alone operational units that acts to reconfigure themselves as a value chain in order to adapt to the business opportunities given by the market. The present work is intended to verify through a simulation approach the quantitative advantages that can be obtained by the introduction of the Value Chain concept into the Supply Chain Management (SCM). The paper, after a description of the two most known (SCM) methods - SCOR and VCOR - makes a comparison between them by the customer's point of view. In the second part of the work a simulation model has been developed to verify the advantage that the VCOR is able to obtain, validating it on an industrial case study

Modelling time-varying interactions in complex systems: the Score Driven Kinetic Ising Model

A common issue when analyzing real-world complex systems is that the interactions between their elements often change over time. Here we propose a new modeling approach for time-varying interactions generalising the well-known Kinetic Ising Model, a minimalistic pairwise constant interactions model which has found applications in several scientific disciplines. Keeping arbitrary choices of dynamics to a minimum and seeking information theoretical optimality, the Score-Driven methodology allows to extract from data and interpret the presence of temporal patterns describing time-varying interactions. We identify a parameter whose value at a given time can be directly associated with the local predictability of the dynamics and we introduce a method to dynamically learn its value from the data, without specifying parametrically the system's dynamics. We extend our framework to disentangle different sources (e.g. endogenous vs exogenous) of predictability in real time, and show how our methodology applies to a variety of complex systems such as financial markets, temporal (social) networks, and neuronal populations

Molecular profile of sensitization in subjects with short occupational exposure to latex

Objectives: We examined the prevalence of latex allergy in subjects with occupational exposure to latex allergens for less than 5 years, determining the disease spectrum in symptomatic workers. We identified the most frequent molecular allergens by Immuno- CAP (ICAP), correlating the findings with skin prick test (SPT) results. Material and Methods: Seven hundred twenty-three healthcare students using latex gloves on a regular basis were invited to participate in a baseline questionnaire screening. An ICAP serum test was performed only when a possible latex allergy was indicated by the questionnaire. Results: The total number of participants responding to the baseline survey was 619. Glove-related symptoms were indicated by 4% (N = 25) of the students. The most common symptom was contact dermatitis (N = 18, 72%). In 12 subjects, ICAP revealed a real sensitization to latex, with a recombinant latex allergen profile showing a high frequency for rHev b 6.01 specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) (N = 9, 67%). In these individuals, skin symptoms were more prevalent than other types (88%). Conclusions: The combined positivity for rHev b 6.01, rHev 8 and rHev b 5 determined by ICAP identified 92% of latex-allergic subjects with short-term exposure to latex

Experimental seismic response of a resilient 3-storey post-tensioned timber framed building with dissipative braces

AbstractWith the increased number of multi-storey buildings in seismic areas, research efforts have been focused on developing earthquake resilient systems, such as low-damage techniques based on the combination of post-tensioning and dissipating devices. This paper describes the experimental study performed on a 3-storey post-tensioned timber framed (Pres-Lam) building equipped with energy dissipating systems. The testing project consisted of three phases adopting different configurations of the experimental model: (1) post-tensioning to beam-column joints only, (2) post-tensioning and dissipative rocking mechanisms and (3) post-tensioning and dissipative braces. The main objective of this paper is to experimentally investigate on the seismic response of a large-scale specimen with dissipative braces located in high seismic area, considering construction details similar to those adopted in practical applications. During the experimental campaign, the test frame was subjected to more than one hundred ground motions considering a set of seven spectra-compatible earthquakes at increasing intensity levels. The dissipating bracing system with external replaceable hysteretic dampers improves the seismic resilience of multi-storey Pres-Lam buildings, showing inter-storey drift comparable to those with rocking walls, with full recentring capability and without structural damages or post-tensioning losses through seismic tests

Seismic Design and Testing of Post-tensioned Timber Buildings With Dissipative Bracing Systems

This paper describes a seismic design procedure for low-damage buildings composed by post-tensioned timber framed structures coupled with hysteretic dissipative bracing systems. The main goal of the design procedure is preventing or limiting earthquake-induced damage to the structural and non-structural elements. For this aim, a target design displacement is defined according to the desired performance level. Then, the corresponding design force, strength, and stiffness of the post-tensioning and of the dissipative braces are evaluated in order to size post-tensioned connections and dissipating devices. The results of shaking table testing performed at the University of Basilicata are also reported. A prototype model −2/3 scaled, three-dimensional, and three stories with a post-tensioned timber structure without and with V-inverted braces and U-shaped flexural steel dampers—has been extensively tested. During testing, the specimen was subjected to a set of seven earthquakes at different intensity levels of the peak ground acceleration. The effectiveness of the bracing system and the reliability of the proposed procedure are experimentally demonstrated. Non-linear dynamic analyses have been performed in order to simulate the experimental seismic response. The numerical model is based on a lumped plasticity approach, which combines the use of elastic elements with linear and rotational springs representing energy dissipating devices and plastic rotations of the connections. The numerical results accurately predict the non-linear behavior of the prototype model, obtaining a satisfactory matching with the target drift considered for design

Association of oral lichen planus with thyroid disease in a Finnish population: A retrospective case-control study: "A different finding from a Mediterranean area".

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