Design and Performance of an Adsorption Bed with Activated Carbons for Biogas Purification

Organic waste can be efficiently converted into energy using highly efficient energy systems, such as SOFCs coupled to the anaerobic digestion process. SOFC systems fed by biogenous fuels, such as biogas or syngas, suffer long-term stability due to trace compound impacts. It follows that, a mandatory gas cleaning section is needed to remove these pollutants at lower concentrations. This work investigates the adsorption mechanism for micro-contaminant removal through experimental results achieved using solid sorbents. Samples of different sorbent materials were analyzed in the laboratory to determine their performances in terms of sulfur (mainly hydrogen sulfide) and siloxanes (mainly D4-Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane) adsorption capacities. The analysis shows that the chemical composition of the samples influences the adsorption of H2S (i.e., presence of calcium, iron, copper), while the effect of their textural properties mainly influences the adsorption of siloxane compounds, such as D4. A quantitative analysis was performed considering the influence of gas velocity on adsorption capacity. By increasing the biogas velocity (+45% and +89%), there was an indirect correlation with the H2S adsorption capacity (−27% and −44%). This identified an aspect related to the residence time required to be able to remove and retain the trace compound. The results obtained and summarized were used to develop a strategy for the removal of trace compounds in large-scale plants, e.g., for water purification

What is a Workers’ Referendum for? Evidence from Italy

In July 2007, the Prodi government and representatives of the three main Italian trade union confederations signed a landmark agreement on welfare and economic development. In October, in order to ratify or reject the agreement, the Italian labor movement organized a referendum, i.e. the Workers’ Referendum of 2007, inviting workers, pensioners and the unemployed to assess the agreement. Based on a comprehensive sampling (1,574 interviewees), these research notes provide an analysis of the Workers’ Referendum with regard to both key societal voting features and attitudes toward unions

What is a Workers’ Referendum for? Evidence from Italy

In July 2007, the Prodi government and representatives of the three main Italian trade union confederations signed a landmark agreement on welfare and economic development. In October, in order to ratify or reject the agreement, the Italian labor movement organized a referendum, i.e. the Workers’ Referendum of 2007, inviting workers, pensioners and the unemployed to assess the agreement. Based on a comprehensive sampling (1,574 interviewees), these research notes provide an analysis of the Workers’ Referendum with regard to both key societal voting features and attitudes toward unions

Les libertés dans le capitalisme de liens

Este artigo relaciona dois tipos de liberdade econômica com base em uma análise de redes sociais dos principais capitalismos europeus. A definição dessas liberdades surge de um uso ad hoc, no campo econômico, do próprio conceito de liberdade de Isaiah Berlin: enquanto o primeiro tipo de liberdade econômica (liberdade negativa) depende de fatores externos ao sistema empresarial (p. ex., os vínculos à empresa impostos por lei), o segundo tipo (liberdade positiva) refere-se a fatores propriamente internos, especificamente à liberdade da empresa de atuar no mercado de forma livre e independente de outras empresas. Esse segundo tipo de liberdade depende do uso e da difusão dos interlocking directorates (isto é, os membros de um conselho de administração em comum entre duas empresas) e das redes por estes criadas.The article relates two kinds of economic freedom, starting with a social network analysis of the main European capitalisms. The definition of these freedoms rises from an ad hoc use for the entrepreneurial system of the very concept of freedom by Isaiah Berlin: while the first kind of freedom (negative freedom) depends on external factors to the entrepreneurial system (e.g., those constraints to the enterprise decided by law), the second one (positive freedom) refers to proper internal factors, in other words, the firm possibility to compete in markets freely, and independent of other companies. This second type of liberty depends on the use and diffusion of interlocking directorates (i.e., those members of a board of directors in common between two companies) and the network by them created.L’article vise à tester une corrélation entre deux types de liberté économique, à commencer par une analyse de réseaux sociaux des principales capitalismes européens. L’analyse des données commence avec une utilisation ad hoc de la notion de liberté par Isaiah Berlin: alors que le premier genre de liberté (liberté négative) dépend de facteurs externe à l’entreprise (par exemple, les contraintes de la législation fiscale de l’entreprise), le deuxième type (liberté positive) se réfère aux limites dans le système économique privé, en particulier, la possibilité de agir librement sur les marchés, et indépendante des autres entreprises. Ce deuxième type de liberté dépend de l’utilisation et de la diffusion des réseaux de interlocking directorates (à savoir, les liens d’affaires qui sont créés par les administrateurs en commun entre les entreprises) dans lesquelles l’entreprise est inclus

As liberdades no capitalismo de laços

O artigo relaciona dois tipos de liberdade econômica, a partir de uma análise de redes sociais dos principais capitalismos europeus. A definição destas liberdades surge de um uso ad hoc, no campo econômico, do próprio conceito de liberdade de Isaiah Berlin: enquanto o primeiro tipo de liberdade econômica (liberdade negativa) depende de fatores externos ao sistema empresarial (por exemplo, os vínculos à empresa impostos por lei), o segundo tipo (liberdade positiva) refere-se a fatores propriamente internos, especificamente à liberdade da empresa de atuar no mercado de forma livre e independente de outras empresas. Este segundo tipo de liberdade depende do uso e da difusão dos interlocking directorates (i.e., os membros de um conselho de administração em comum entre duas empresas) e das redes por estes criadas.

Risk Factors of Right Ventricular Dysfunction and Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot

Aim: This study evaluates the risk factors associated with right ventricular (RV) dilation and dysfunction leading to pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) or adverse cardiac events in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) patients. Methods: Data from all rToF patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation at our hospital between February 2007 and September 2020 were collected. Results: Three hundred and forty-two patients (60% males, 42% older than 18 years), with a median age of 16 years (IQR 13–24) at the time of MRI, were included. All patients underwent complete repair at a median age of 8 months (IQR 5–16), while palliation was performed in 56 patients (16%). One hundred and forty-four patients (42%) subsequently received pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). At the multivariate analysis, male gender was an independent predictor for significant RV dilation, RV and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Transventricular ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure and previous palliation significantly affected LV function and RV size, respectively. Male gender and the transventricular VSD closure were independent predictors for PVR. Conclusions: Male gender and surgical history (palliation, VSD closure approach) significantly affected the long-term outcomes in rToF patients and should be taken into consideration in the follow-up management and in PVR timing in this patient population

Alteration of Smell and Taste in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic COVID-19 Patients in Sicily, Italy.

Objectives: Alteration of smell and taste has been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The incidence and clinical-symptomatic manifestation of COVID-19 is different between northern and southern Italy. This study aims to evaluate the onset of alteration of smell and taste in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients in Sicily (extreme south of Italy). Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was performed on asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) from May 1 to May 15, 2020. A questionnaire was used for evaluating the prevalence of smell and taste disorders in COVID-19 patients before performing nasopharyngeal swab. Results: Of the total 292 patients, 242 (83.2%) were negative for SARS-CoV-2 and 50 were positive (16.8%). Twenty-six of the 50 (52%) SARS-CoV-2 positive patients reported smell/taste disorders. Twenty-eight of the 50 (57.1%) SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were hospitalized (group A), and 22 (42.9%) were nonhospitalized (group B). The mean age in group A and group B was 45.4 ± 13.7 years and 57.0 ± 15.0, respectively ( P = .007). The symptoms reported by hospitalized patients were fever (71.4%), cough (64.2%), fatigue (82.1%), and dyspnea (100%), while in nonhospitalized patients, the most reported symptoms were sore throat (72.7%), rhinorrhea (77.2%), and altered smell (81.8%). Anosmia/hyposmia reported in group A and group B was 28.5% and 81.8%, respectively ( P = .001). Conclusion: These preliminary results indicate that the majority of SARS-Cov-2 positive patients in southern Italy did not require hospitalization and presented with milder symptoms or no symptoms and the alterations in smell and taste occurred