1,112 research outputs found
Co-pyrolysis of Rice Husk with Underutilized Biomass Species: A Sustainable Route for Production of Precursors for Fuels and Valuable Chemicals
In this study, co-pyrolysis of rice husk with
underutilized biomass, Napier grass and sago waste was
carried out in a fixed bed reactor at 600 �C, 30 �C/min and
5 L/min nitrogen flowrate. Two-phase bio-oil (organic and
aqueous) was collected and characterized using standard
analytical techniques. 34.13–45.55 wt% total boil-oil yield
was recorded using assorted biomass compared to pure risk
husk biomass with 31.51 wt% yield. The organic phase
consist mainly benzene derivatives with higher proportion
in the oil from the co-pyrolysis process relative to the
organic phase from the pyrolysis of the individual biomass
while the aqueous phase in all cases was predominantly
water, acids, ketones, aldehydes, sugars and traces of
phenolics. This study has demonstrated a good approach
towards increasing valorization of rice husk in a single
reaction step for the production of high grade bio-oil,
which can be transformed into fuel and valuable chemicals
Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteremia is associated with clinically significant infections and high mortality
published_or_final_versio
The generalized cusp in ABJ(M) N = 6 Super Chern-Simons theories
We construct a generalized cusped Wilson loop operator in N = 6 super
Chern-Simons-matter theories which is locally invariant under half of the
supercharges. It depends on two parameters and interpolates smoothly between
the 1/2 BPS line or circle and a pair of antiparallel lines, representing a
natural generalization of the quark-antiquark potential in ABJ(M) theories. For
particular choices of the parameters we obtain 1/6 BPS configurations that,
mapped on S^2 by a conformal transformation, realize a three-dimensional
analogue of the wedge DGRT Wilson loop of N = 4. The cusp couples, in addition
to the gauge and scalar fields of the theory, also to the fermions in the
bifundamental representation of the U(N)xU(M) gauge group and its expectation
value is expressed as the holonomy of a suitable superconnection. We discuss
the definition of these observables in terms of traces and the role of the
boundary conditions of fermions along the loop. We perform a complete two-loop
analysis, obtaining an explicit result for the generalized cusp at the second
non-trivial order, from which we read off the interaction potential between
heavy 1/2 BPS particles in the ABJ(M) model. Our results open the possibility
to explore in the three-dimensional case the connection between localization
properties and integrability, recently advocated in D = 4.Comment: 53 pages, 10 figures, added references, this is the version appeared
on JHE
Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the retroperitoneum in a young woman resulting in an abdominal chyloma
Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is an extremely rare neoplasm which appears to have predominancy for young, frequently Asian, women. The neoplasm is composed chiefly of HMB-45-positive epithelioid cells with clear to granular cytoplasm and usually showing a perivascular distribution. These tumors have been reported in various organs under a variety of designations. Malignant PEComas exist but are very rare. The difficulty in determining optimal therapy, owing to the sparse literature available, led us to present this case. We report a retroperitoneal PEComa discovered during emergency surgery for abdominal pain in a 28-year-old Asian woman. The postoperative period was complicated by chylous ascites that was initially controlled by a wait-and-see policy with total parenteral nutrition. However, the chyle production gradually increased to more than 4 l per day. The development of a bacterial peritonitis resulted in cessation of production of abdominal fluid permitting normal nutrition without chylous leakage. Effective treatment for this rare complication of PEComa is not yet known; therefore, we have chosen to engage in long-term clinical follow-up
Fabrication and photoluminescent properties of Tb3+ doped carbon nanodots
Abstract Carbon nanodots (CNDs) doped with Tb ions were synthesized using different synthetic routes: hydrothermal treatment of a solution containing carbon source (sodium dextran sulfate) and TbCl3; mixing of CNDs and TbCl3 solutions; freezing-induced loading of Tb and carbon-containing source into pores of CaCO3 microparticles followed by hydrothermal treatment. Binding of Tb ions to CNDs (Tb-CND coupling) was confirmed using size-exclusion chromatography and manifested itself through a decrease of the Tb photoluminescence lifetime signal. The shortest Tb photoluminescence lifetime was observed for samples obtained by hydrothermal synthesis of CaCO3 microparticles where Tb and carbon source were loaded into pores via the freezing-induced process. The same system displays an increase of Tb photoluminescence via energy transfer with excitation at 320–340 nm. Based on the obtained results, freezing-induced loading of cations into CNDs using porous CaCO3 microparticles as reactors is proposed to be a versatile route for the introduction of active components into CNDs. The obtained CNDs with long-lived emission may be used for time-resolved imaging and visualization in living biological samples where time-resolved and long-lived luminescence microscopy is required
Effects of pretreatments of Napier Grass with deionized water, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide on pyrolysis oil characteristics
The depletion of fossil fuel reserves has led to
increasing interest in liquid bio-fuel from renewable biomass. Biomass is a complex organic material consisting of
different degrees of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin,
extractives and minerals. Some of the mineral elements
tend to retard conversions, yield and selectivity during
pyrolysis processing. This study is focused on the extraction of mineral retardants from Napier grass using deionized water, dilute sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid and subsequent pyrolysis in a fixed bed reactor. The raw biomass was characterized before and after each pretreatment
following standard procedure. Pyrolysis study was conducted
in a fixed bed reactor at 600 o�C, 30 �C/min and 30 mL/min N2 flow. Pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) collected was analyzed using standard analytic techniques. The bio-oil yield and characteristics from each pretreated sample were compared with oil from the non-pretreated sample. Bio-oil
yield from the raw sample was 32.06 wt% compared to
38.71, 33.28 and 29.27 wt% oil yield recorded from the
sample pretreated with sulfuric acid, deionized water and
sodium hydroxide respectively. GC–MS analysis of the oil
samples revealed that the oil from all the pretreated biomass had more value added chemicals and less ketones and
aldehydes. Pretreatment with neutral solvent generated
valuable leachate, showed significant impact on the ash
extraction, pyrolysis oil yield, and its composition and
therefore can be regarded as more appropriate for thermochemical conversion of Napier grass
Lung Cancer in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Tales of Epithelial Cell Plasticity
Lung epithelial cells exhibit a high degree of plasticity. Alterations to lung epithelial cell function are critically involved in several chronic lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by repetitive injury and subsequent impaired repair of epithelial cells, which leads to aberrant growth factor activation and fibroblast accumulation. Increased proliferation and hyper- and metaplasia of epithelial cells upon injury have also been observed in pulmonary fibrosis; this epithelial cell activation might represent the basis for lung cancer development. Indeed, several studies have provided histopathological evidence of an increased incidence of lung cancer in pulmonary fibrosis. The mechanisms involved in the development of cancer in pulmonary fibrosis, however, remain poorly understood. This review highlights recently uncovered molecular mechanisms shared between lung cancer and fibrosis, which extend the current evidence of a common trait of cancer and fibrosis, as provided by histopathological observations. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base
Image informatics strategies for deciphering neuronal network connectivity
Brain function relies on an intricate network of highly dynamic neuronal connections that rewires dramatically under the impulse of various external cues and pathological conditions. Among the neuronal structures that show morphologi- cal plasticity are neurites, synapses, dendritic spines and even nuclei. This structural remodelling is directly connected with functional changes such as intercellular com- munication and the associated calcium-bursting behaviour. In vitro cultured neu- ronal networks are valuable models for studying these morpho-functional changes. Owing to the automation and standardisation of both image acquisition and image analysis, it has become possible to extract statistically relevant readout from such networks. Here, we focus on the current state-of-the-art in image informatics that enables quantitative microscopic interrogation of neuronal networks. We describe the major correlates of neuronal connectivity and present workflows for analysing them. Finally, we provide an outlook on the challenges that remain to be addressed, and discuss how imaging algorithms can be extended beyond in vitro imaging studies
Spinning strings and integrable spin chains in the AdS/CFT correspondence
In this introductory review we discuss dynamical tests of the AdS_5 x S^5
string/N=4 super Yang-Mills duality. After a brief introduction to AdS/CFT we
argue that semiclassical string energies yield information on the quantum
spectrum of the string in the limit of large angular momenta on the S^5. The
energies of the folded and circular spinning string solutions rotating on a S^3
within the S^5 are derived, which yield all loop predictions for the dual gauge
theory scaling dimensions. These follow from the eigenvalues of the dilatation
operator of N=4 super Yang-Mills in a minimal SU(2) subsector and we display
its reformulation in terms of a Heisenberg s=1/2 spin chain along with the
coordinate Bethe ansatz for its explicit diagonalization. In order to make
contact to the spinning string energies we then study the thermodynamic limit
of the one-loop gauge theory Bethe equations and demonstrate the matching with
the folded and closed string result at this loop order. Finally the known gauge
theory results at higher-loop orders are reviewed and the associated long-range
spin chain Bethe ansatz is introduced, leading to an asymptotic all-loop
conjecture for the gauge theory Bethe equations. This uncovers discrepancies at
the three-loop order between gauge theory scaling dimensions and string theory
energies and the implications of this are discussed. Along the way we comment
on further developments and generalizations of the subject and point to the
relevant literature.Comment: 40 pages, invited contribution to Living Reviews in Relativity. v2:
improvements in the text and references adde
The Genetic Architecture of Depression in Individuals of East Asian Ancestry: A Genome-Wide Association Study
Importance: Most previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of depression have used data from individuals of European descent. This limits the understanding of the underlying biology of depression and raises questions about the transferability of findings between populations. Objective: To investigate the genetics of depression among individuals of East Asian and European descent living in different geographic locations, and with different outcome definitions for depression. Design, Setting, and Participants: Genome-wide association analyses followed by meta-analysis, which included data from 9 cohort and case-control data sets comprising individuals with depression and control individuals of East Asian descent. This study was conducted between January 2019 and May 2021. Exposures: Associations of genetic variants with depression risk were assessed using generalized linear mixed models and logistic regression. The results were combined across studies using fixed-effects meta-analyses. These were subsequently also meta-analyzed with the largest published GWAS for depression among individuals of European descent. Additional meta-analyses were carried out separately by outcome definition (clinical depression vs symptom-based depression) and region (East Asian countries vs Western countries) for East Asian ancestry cohorts. Main Outcomes and Measures: Depression status was defined based on health records and self-report questionnaires. Results: There were a total of 194 548 study participants (approximate mean age, 51.3 years; 62.8% women). Participants included 15 771 individuals with depression and 178 777 control individuals of East Asian descent. Five novel associations were identified, including 1 in the meta-analysis for broad depression among those of East Asian descent: rs4656484 (β = -0.018, SE = 0.003, P = 4.43x10-8) at 1q24.1. Another locus at 7p21.2 was associated in a meta-analysis restricted to geographically East Asian studies (β = 0.028, SE = 0.005, P = 6.48x10-9 for rs10240457). The lead variants of these 2 novel loci were not associated with depression risk in European ancestry cohorts (β = -0.003, SE = 0.005, P = .53 for rs4656484 and β = -0.005, SE = 0.004, P = .28 for rs10240457). Only 11% of depression loci previously identified in individuals of European descent reached nominal significance levels in the individuals of East Asian descent. The transancestry genetic correlation between cohorts of East Asian and European descent for clinical depression was r = 0.413 (SE = 0.159). Clinical depression risk was negatively genetically correlated with body mass index in individuals of East Asian descent (r = -0.212, SE = 0.084), contrary to findings for individuals of European descent. Conclusions and Relevance: These results support caution against generalizing findings about depression risk factors across populations and highlight the need to increase the ancestral and geographic diversity of samples with consistent phenotyping
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