Cost-effective flexibilisation of an 80 MWe retrofitted biomass power plants : improved combustion control dynamics using virtual air flow sensors

As they deliver dispatchable renewable energy, biomass power plants are expected to play a key role in the stability of the future electricity grids dominated by intermittent renewables. Large-scale, biomass-fired power plants are often retrofitted from coal-fired plants. Such a fuel modi-fication combined with decreasing pollutant emission limits and higher requirements in terms load flexibility can lead to a decrease of the maximum power delivered by the unit. The limiting factors are partly related to the control systems of those plants. In this paper, we present the results of the upgrading of an 80 MWe, retrofitted biomass power plant that was achieved improving the dynamic control of the combustion process. Thanks to the addition of virtual air flow sensors in the control system and the re-design of the combustion control loops, the unde-sired effects of a recent 10% power increase on NOx emissions were more than compensated. The accurate control of the local NOx production in the furnace resulted in a decrease of these emissions by 15% with an increased stability. This study will help increasing the cost-effectiveness of such conversions, and facilitate the development of dispatchable, renewable power units able to contribute to the grid stability

Psychological Stress-Induced, IDO1-Dependent Tryptophan Catabolism: Implications on Immunosuppression in Mice and Humans

It is increasingly recognized that psychological stress influences inflammatory responses and mood. Here, we investigated whether psychological stress (combined acoustic and restraint stress) activates the tryptophan (Trp) catabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1(IDO1) and thereby alters the immune homeostasis and behavior in mice. We measured IDO1 mRNA expression and plasma levels of Trp catabolites after a single 2-h stress session and in repeatedly stressed (4.5-days stress, 2-h twice a day) naïve BALB/c mice. A role of cytokines in acute stress-induced IDO1 activation was studied after IFNγ and TNFα blockade and in IDO1−/− mice. RU486 and 1-Methyl-L-tryptophan (1-MT) were used to study role of glucocorticoids and IDO1 on Trp depletion in altering the immune and behavioral response in repeatedly stressed animals. Clinical relevance was addressed by analyzing IDO1 activity in patients expecting abdominal surgery. Acute stress increased the IDO1 mRNA expression in brain, lung, spleen and Peyer's patches (max. 14.1±4.9-fold in brain 6-h after stress) and resulted in a transient depletion of Trp (−25.2±6.6%) and serotonin (−27.3±4.6%) from the plasma measured 6-h after stress while kynurenine levels increased 6-h later (11.2±9.3%). IDO1 mRNA up-regulation was blocked by anti-TNFα and anti-IFNγ treatment. Continuous IDO1 blockade by 1-MT but not RU486 treatment normalized the anti-bacterial defense and attenuated increased IL-10 inducibility in splenocytes after repeated stress as it reduced the loss of body weight and behavioral alterations. Moreover, kynurenic acid which remained increased in 1-MT treated repeatedly stressed mice was identified to reduce the TNFα inducibility of splenocytes in vitro and in vivo. Thus, psychological stress stimulates cytokine-driven IDO1 activation and Trp depletion which seems to have a central role for developing stress-induced immunosuppression and behavioral alteration. Since patients showed Trp catabolism already prior to surgery, IDO is also a possible target enzyme for humans modulating immune homeostasis and mood

Phenotypic changes in colonocytes following acute stress or activation of mast cells in mice: implications for delayed epithelial barrier dysfunction

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Stressful life events are known to modulate the development or relapse of disease in both inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel disease patients but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Stress is known to effect mast cells, interferon γ (IFN‐γ), and myosin light chain phosphorylation to trigger colonic epithelial barrier dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acute stress induced or chemical mast cell activation impaired expression and function of epithelial tight junctions, and altered colonocyte differentiation in mice. METHODS: Colonic paracellular permeability was assessed as the in vivo lumen to blood ratio of (51)Cr‐EDTA in different groups of mice (controls, stressed, mast cell degranulator BrX‐537A treated), pretreated or not with the mast cell stabiliser doxantrazole. Involvement of mast cells and IFN‐γ was evaluated in wild‐type and IFN‐γ deficient mice. Tight junction alteration was assessed by histology, transmission electron microscopy, and real time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Colonocyte differentiation was determined by protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) immunofluorescence and western blotting, and alkaline phosphatase activity assay. RESULTS: Acute stress induced a three day delayed increase in colonic paracellular permeability which involved mast cell degranulation and overproduction of IFN‐γ. The colonic epithelial barrier was morphologically altered and expression of mRNA encoding tight junction proteins ZO‐2 and occludin was decreased. Moreover, three days after acute stress, colonocyte differentiation was reduced, as shown by decreased expression of both PKCζ isotype and alkaline phosphatase. CONCLUSION: These data highlight new mechanisms whereby an acute stress acts on the gastrointestinal tract by inducing alterations in colonocyte differentiation and decreased expression of mRNA encoding tight junction proteins. Thus phenotypic changes in colonocytes could pave the way for stress related intestinal disorders

Easy synthesis of hybrid hydrophilic-hydrophobic patterned surfaces by atmospheric plasmas

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Easy synthesis of hybrid laterally or vertically patterned hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces using a dielectric barrier discharge

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Simple and Scalable Chemical Surface Patterning via Direct Deposition from Immobilized Plasma Filaments in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge

0info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Ozone-induced damage in 3D-Skin Model is prevented by topical vitamin C and vitamin E compound mixtures application.

Because its critical location, the skin is the main target of environmental stressors such as ozone (O3). Although O3 does not penetrate the deeper layers of skin it is able to react readily with stratum corneum lipids [1]. The toxic effects of O3 on the uppermost layers, induced either directly by the oxidation of biomolecules or by driving the radical-dependent production of cytotoxic, non-radical species (aldehydes), have repercussions on deeper cellular layers, triggering a cascade of cellular stress and inflammatory responses that can lead to skin pathologies [2] and [3]. Furthermore, O3 is able to induce the depletion of cutaneous antioxidants [4]. Therefore, topical application of antioxidants could prevent pollution induces cutaneous damages. In our recent work, the use of topical antioxidant mixtures (MIXs) has proven an effective defensive approach against O3-induced oxidative damage in human keratinocytes [5]. In the present study, which is a methodological extension of the one recently published [5], we evaluated the ability of the three MIXs to prevent the noxious effects of O3 on a customized reconstructed human epidermis (RHE, Episkin), where sebum was applied to reproduce a model resembling “in vivo” expectations [

Body Site Is a More Determinant Factor than Human Population Diversity in the Healthy Skin Microbiome

<div><p>We studied skin microbiota present in three skin sites (forearm, axilla, scalp) in men from six ethnic groups living in New York City. <b>Methods.</b> Samples were obtained at baseline and after four days following use of neutral soap and stopping regular hygiene products, including shampoos and deodorants. DNA was extracted using the MoBio Power Lyzer kit and 16S rRNA gene sequences determined on the IIlumina MiSeq platform, using QIIME for analysis. <b>Results.</b> Our analysis confirmed skin swabbing as a useful method for sampling different areas of the skin because DNA concentrations and number of sequences obtained across subject libraries were similar. We confirmed that skin location was the main factor determining the composition of bacterial communities. Alpha diversity, expressed as number of species observed, was greater in arm than on scalp or axilla in all studied groups. We observed an unexpected increase in α-diversity on arm, with similar tendency on scalp, in the South Asian group after subjects stopped using their regular shampoos and deodorants. Significant differences at phylum and genus levels were observed between subjects of the different ethnic origins at all skin sites. <b>Conclusions.</b> We conclude that ethnicity and particular soap and shampoo practices are secondary factors compared to the ecological zone of the human body in determining cutaneous microbiota composition.</p></div

Taxonomic analysis of cutaneous microbiota from 110 subjects in six different subject groups.

<p><b>Panel A.</b> By site (arm, axilla, scalp) at the phylum level. A total of 41 phyla were found. The sequences for the dominant 9 phyla (>0.1% in any group) accounted for >99.7% of total sequences in all ethnic groups. Baseline: Samples collected before special soap wash used. Follow-up: Samples collected after special soap wash used. <b>Panel B:</b> Genus level. A total 726 genera were detected; only predominant genera (Mean>0.01%) are shown.</p

Comparison of diversity of the cutaneous microbiota over time, by ethnic group.

<p><b>Panel A.</b> Rarefaction analysis of cutaneous microbiota in relation to sampling time in samples from arms (Brown), axilla (Black) and scalp (Yellow), African-American (AA, n = 108 samples); African-Continental (AC, n = 66); Caucasian-American (CA, n = 96); East-Asian (EA, n = 150); Latin-American (LA, n = 114); South-Asian (SA, n = 96). Rarefaction analysis represented by phylogenetic distance. The solid and dashed lines indicate samples collected before (T1) and after (T2) a special soap wash was used, respectively. Only a significant difference between time-points was found for the SA group. <b>Panel B.</b> Intra- and inter-group beta-diversity over time. Mean (±SD) pairwise unweighted UniFrac distances are shown. The ethnic groups are colored as described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0151990#pone.0151990.g001" target="_blank">Fig 1</a>. Significance was determined by one-way ANOVA with the Tukey method for correction for multiple comparisons (*<0.05; **<0.01; ***<0.001; ****<0.0001).</p