Improving Carbon and Process Utilization for Biomass-to-Liquid Fuel Operations

With the increasing world demand for transportation fuels, declining petroleum reserves and quest for energy security, there is a renewed interest in Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology as a viable alternative for the production of liquid fuels from carbonaceous resources (natural gas, coal and biomass). Concern about global warming has also created a special interest in the use of biomass (Biom ass-ToLiquid Fuels, BTL) as a carbon-neutral route to liquid fuels. However, carbon utilization in BTL via traditional biomass gasification is between 25 – 40 % of carbons in the biomass feedstock. This results in poor process economy. Energy input from concentrated solar power (CSP) into BTL can salvage undue large carbon discharge in traditional BTL. The CSP-BTL hybrid not only improves carbon utilization but is also a plausible strategy for solar energy storage

Notes Toward a Definition of Values-Based Leadership

O’Toole distinguishes values-based leaders from other types of leadership by citing to various examples of both historical and present day leaders. In the end, as O’Toole notes, the values defining the leader are the values that leader holds dear

Apparatus for Dielectric Constant Measurements and Measurements for Water-Methanol Mixtures

A system for measuring dielectric constants has been constructed using a Sargent Oscillometer and an air bath for temperature control. The design and construction of the air bath as well as the temperature control achieved with it are described. The overall performance of the system including a computer program for forming the calculations is described. The system is one that requires calibration using two or more standard solvents and is good for both conducting and non-conducting liquids. Data are presented for water-methanol mixtures at 25 degrees with several points near pure methanol and also near pure wate

Bayes and empirical-Bayes multiplicity adjustment in the variable-selection problem

This paper studies the multiplicity-correction effect of standard Bayesian variable-selection priors in linear regression. Our first goal is to clarify when, and how, multiplicity correction happens automatically in Bayesian analysis, and to distinguish this correction from the Bayesian Ockham's-razor effect. Our second goal is to contrast empirical-Bayes and fully Bayesian approaches to variable selection through examples, theoretical results and simulations. Considerable differences between the two approaches are found. In particular, we prove a theorem that characterizes a surprising aymptotic discrepancy between fully Bayes and empirical Bayes. This discrepancy arises from a different source than the failure to account for hyperparameter uncertainty in the empirical-Bayes estimate. Indeed, even at the extreme, when the empirical-Bayes estimate converges asymptotically to the true variable-inclusion probability, the potential for a serious difference remains.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOS792 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Effects of Some Commercial Enzymes in the Deinking of Newsprint

The trend of industry, in general, today is one of recycling. This is brought about as a means of conserving our dwindling natural resources and to help abate the pollution problem. The design of this paper is to see if enzymes can be used successfully and economically in the deinking process of newsprint. Varying concentrations of enzymes, both an amylase and a protease, and a biodegradable detergent were used in a handsheet study. Temperature and pH were controlled so as to not denature the enzymes. It was found that the brightness increase was only minimal with a protease and brightness actually decreased with an amylase. The physical strength characteristics were also found to decrease with the addition of the enzymes. Therefore, it was concluded that there is very little prospect of enzymes being used in the deinking process to increase brightness or to strengthen the physical properties of newsprint

Mountain Men

This is a piece of fiction about love, drugs, death, and giants in no particular order. Todd and Heather, a young couple a year or two out of college, are camping in the woods and smoking a good deal of weed when the mountain they\u27ve pitched their tent on stands up and begins laying waste to the countryside. While the stoners are trapped on the body of the colossus and forced to work through some relationship issues and possible head trauma, an elderly widower and his dog on the forest floor have their home remodeled by a giant\u27s foot

The Pulping of Hardwood Sawdust by the Neutral Sulfite Semichemical Process for Use in Corrugating Medium

The need for using less expensive raw materials is ever increasing. Here the use of hardwood sawdust as one of these raw materials was investigated for use in Semichemical Corrugating Medium. It was found that 20 to 30% sawdust could be used in the furnish without a significant loss in sheet strength. It was also found that sawdust could be pulped either separately or combined with hardwood chips giving the same product quality. This was accomplished by either a regular neutral sulfite semichemical cook or by a vapor phase cook. The conventional disk refiner was found to do the best job of refining, when the plate clearance is very close. The use of 20 to 30% sawdust in the furnish could lead to a substantial cost savings, and would aid in pollution control in that it would end the disposal problem of the sawdust

Rapid Electroosmosis Measurements

A cell has been designed and built that allows for rapid measurement of volume moved in a definite time by electroosmosis. The cell is simple to use and is not very elaborate. Using a water jacket, the cell temperature can be controlled to ± 0.1° C. Measurements are presented for acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, and nitrobenzene at 25° C for applied voltages of 25, 50, 75, and 100 volts