CO2 as moderator for biomass gasification

Biomass can be converted into gaseous fuel by high-temperature reactions with a gasifying agent. The gasifying agent consists, in most cases, of oxygen and of a moderator, which is usually water vapour. Here we show that waste CO2 can be used instead of, or together with, water vapour to moderate the process of biomass gasification in a catalytic fluidized bed of dolomitic limestone. Such use of CO2 increased substantially the carbon and energy conversion efficiency and decreased the amount of tars in the produced gas

PRODUKTIVITAS TENAGA KERJA PADA PEKERJAAN BETON BERTULANG (STUDI KASUS : PEMBANGUNAN GEDUNG RUANG KANTOR DAN RUANG KELAS YAYASAN EBEN HEAZER JALAN 14 FEBRUARI TELING ATAS, MANADO)

Mayoritas pekerjaan bangunan bertingkat pada umumnya adalah pekerjaan struktur beton bertulang. Pekerjaan struktur beton bertulang adalah pekerjaan bekisting, penulangan, dan pengecoran. Salah satu hal yang perlu di manajemen dari pekerjaan struktur beton bertulang adalah pekerja. Hal yang perlu diketahui dalam manajemen pekerja adalah produktivitas pekerja. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menghitung nilai produktivitas pekerja pekerjaan struktur beton betulang,mengetahui faktor-faktor apa yang mempengaruhi produktivitas pekerja pada pekerjaan struktur beton bertulang. Penelitian ditunjang dengan observasi lapangan pada proyek pembangunan gedung kantor dan ruang kelas pada yayasan persekolahan eben heazer manado. Peningkatan produktivitas akan mengurangi waktu pekerjaan, dan itu berarti akan mereduksi biaya, khususnya biaya pekerjaan sehingga diperoleh suatu biaya tenaga kerja minimum untuk mendapatkan harga yang kompetitif baik untuk pelelangan maupun pelaksanaan. Dalam penelitian ini dibahas mengenai produktivitas dilihat dari segi pekerja dan durasi waktu. Kata Kunci : Produktivitas, Pekerja, Beton Bertulang, Bangunan Bertingka

Collaborative virtual environment for human-robot interaction and navigation

Abstract. In this work, we present a data-gathering tool for virtual reality human-robot interaction focusing on the trajectories of the participants. Unity, Robot Operating System, Photon PUN, and Oculus were utilized to create a lightweight multiplayer environment for various studies. The system supports various amounts of humans and autonomous as well as teleoperated robots. The data from these interactions can be collected and further analysed to find possible differences in human behavior. Positional and orientional data proved to be accurate. Measured latency of 200ms was found to be sufficient for the trajectory collection. Human-robot interaction studies are often restricted because of the challenges regarding large datasets, time, and financial matters. With the implementation of virtual reality, many of these challenges can be addressed. Virtual reality offers safe and easier ways to research situations that could be dangerous or impossible to produce in real life.Interaktiivinen virtuaaliympäristö ihmisten ja robottien välisen vuorovaikutuksen tutkimiseen. Tiivistelmä. Tässä työssä esittelemme tiedonkeruutyökalun ihmisten ja robottien välisen vuorovaikutuksen tutkimiseen virtuaalisessa todellisuudessa. Työkalu on kevyt moninpeli alusta, joka hyödyntää Unity-, Robot Operating System-, Photon PUN-, sekä Oculus-teknologioita. Järjestelmä tukee yhtä aikaisesti useita osallistujia, ihmisiä sekä teleoperoituja tai autonomisia robotteja. Ihmisten ja robottien välisistä kanssakäymisistä saatua dataa voidaan analysoida ja pyrkiä selvittämään mahdollisia muutoksia ihmisen käyttäytymisessä erilaisissa tilanteissa. Sijainti- ja orientaatiodata osoittautui tarkaksi. Mitattu 200ms viive on riittävä liikeratojen seuraamiseen. Ihmisten ja robottien vuorovaikutusta tutkivia tutkimuksia kuitenkin usein rajoittaa useat tekijät, kuten suuret tietoaineistot, pitkät tutkimusten kestot ja suuret kulut. Virtuaalisen todellisuuden hyödyntäminen tutkimuksissa voi auttaa näiden ongelmien ratkaisemisessa. Se tarjoaa myös turvallisempia ja helpompia vaihtoehtoja mahdollisesti vaarallisten tai muuten mahdottomien oikean elämän tilanteiden toistamiseen

Transient catalytic activity of calcined dolomitic limestone in a fluidized bed during gasification of woody biomass

Calcined dolomitic limestone mixed with silica sand in a fluidized bed can catalytically enhance the gasification of woody biomass. The lime is prone to attrition and carry over from the reactor and to deactivation caused by pore sintering; therefore, it has to be replenished continuously or periodically to maintain catalytic activity of the fluidized bed. The main aim of this paper was to explore the level of the decrease of the catalytic activity of the fluidized bed if the limestone is not replenished and to estimate a critical period for its top-up. Wood chips were gasified first in a silica sand fluidized bed (1080 g), to obtain background data without the catalytic effect of limestone. After 5 h of operation, dolomitic limestone (1050 g) was added to the fluidized bed and left to calcine. Its catalytic activity was monitored during the following 6 h. During the second part of the experiment, the yield of the main gases (H2, CO, CH4, CO2, and H2O) remained almost unchanged. The yield of minor organic gases and tars rose slightly but still remained far below the value attained with only silica sand. The heavy polyaromatic tar compounds were effectively decomposed during the first 3 h after the addition of dolomitic limestone. It was concluded that the catalytic activity of dolomitic lime remains in an acceptable level during the first 3 h after its addition into the fluidized bed, suggesting that periodic rather than continuous replenishment of limestone should be sufficient

Influence of contrast media dose and osmolality on the diagnostic performance of contrast fractional flow reserve

Background—Contrast fractional flow reserve (cFFR) is a method for assessing functional significance of coronary stenoses, which is more accurate than resting indices and does not require adenosine. However, contrast media volume and osmolality may affect the degree of hyperemia and therefore diagnostic performance. Methods and Results—cFFR, instantaneous wave–free ratio, distal pressure/aortic pressure at rest, and FFR were measured in 763 patients from 12 centers. We compared the diagnostic performance of cFFR between patients receiving low or iso-osmolality contrast (n=574 versus 189) and low or high contrast volume (n=341 versus 422) using FFR≤0.80 as a reference standard. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of cFFR for the low versus iso-osmolality groups were 73%, 93%, and 85% versus 87%, 90%, and 89%, and for the low versus high contrast volume groups were 69%, 99%, and 83% versus 82%, 93%, and 88%. By receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, cFFR provided better diagnostic performance than resting indices regardless of contrast osmolality and volume (P<0.001 for all groups). There was no significant difference between the area under the curve of cFFR in the low- and iso-osmolality groups (0.938 versus 0.957; P=0.40) and in the low- and high-volume groups (0.939 versus 0.949; P=0.61). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that neither contrast osmolality nor volume affected the overall accuracy of cFFR; however, both affected the sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions—The overall accuracy of cFFR is greater than instantaneous wave–free ratio and distal pressure/aortic pressure and not significantly affected by contrast volume and osmolality. However, contrast volume and osmolality do affect the sensitivity and specificity of cFFR

Differential Contribution of Subunit Interfaces to α 9 α 10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can be assembled from either homomeric or heteromeric pentameric subunit combinations. At the interface of the extracellular domains of adjacent subunits lies the acetylcholine binding site, composed of a principal component provided by one subunit and a complementary component of the adjacent subunit. Compared with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine cholinergic receptors (nAChRs) assembled from α and β subunits, the α9α10 receptor is an atypical member of the family. It is a heteromeric receptor composed only of α subunits. Whereas mammalian α9 subunits can form functional homomeric α9 receptors, α10 subunits do not generate functional channels when expressed heterologously. Hence, it has been proposed that α10 might serve as a structural subunit, much like a β subunit of heteromeric nAChRs, providing only complementary components to the agonist binding site. Here, we have made use of site-directed mutagenesis to examine the contribution of subunit interface domains to α9α10 receptors by a combination of electrophysiological and radioligand binding studies. Characterization of receptors containing Y190T mutations revealed unexpectedly that both α9 and α10 subunits equally contribute to the principal components of the α9α10 nAChR. In addition, we have shown that the introduction of a W55T mutation impairs receptor binding and function in the rat α9 subunit but not in the α10 subunit, indicating that the contribution of α9 and α10 subunits to complementary components of the ligand-binding site is nonequivalent. We conclude that this asymmetry, which is supported by molecular docking studies, results from adaptive amino acid changes acquired only during the evolution of mammalian α10 subunits.Fil: Boffi, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Marcovich, Irina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Gill Thind, JasKiran K.. University College London; Reino UnidoFil: Corradi, Jeremias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca; ArgentinaFil: Collins, Toby. University College London; Reino UnidoFil: Lipovsek, Maria Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Moglie, Marcelo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Plazas, Paola Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Craig, Patricio Oliver. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Millar, Neil S.. University College London; Reino UnidoFil: Bouzat, Cecilia Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca; ArgentinaFil: Elgoyhen, Ana Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentin

Administration of Harmine and Imipramine Alters Creatine Kinase and Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Activities in the Rat Brain

The present study evaluated mitochondrial respiratory chain and creatine kinase activities after administration of harmine (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg) and imipramine (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg) in rat brain. After acute treatment occurred an increase of creatine kinase in the prefrontal with imipramine (20 and 30 mg/kg) and harmine in all doses, in the striatum with imipramine (20 and 30 mg/kg) and harmine (5 and 10 mg/kg); harmine (15 mg/kg) decreased creatine kinase. In the chronic treatment occurred an increase of creatine kinase with imipramine (20 mg/kg), harmine (5 mg/kg) in the prefrontal with imipramine (20 and 30 mg/kg) and harmine (5 and 10 mg/kg) in the striatum. In the acute treatment, the complex I increased in the prefrontal with harmine (15 mg/kg) and in the striatum with harmine (10 mg/kg); the complex II decreased with imipramine (20 and 30 mg/kg) in the striatum; the complex IV increased with imipramine (30 mg/kg) in the striatum. In the chronic treatment, the complex I increased with harmine (5 mg/kg) in the prefrontal; the complex II increased with imipramine (20 mg/kg) in the prefrontal; the complex IV increased with harmine (5 mg/kg) in the striatum. Finally, these findings further support the hypothesis that harmine and imipramine could be involved in mitochondrial function

KESESUAIAN DAN DAYA DUKUNG KAWASAN EKOWISATA KEBUN KIMA NEGERI MORELLA, KABUPATEN MALUKU TENGAH

Tihlepuai Bay in Morella Village has a protected area called Kebun Kima, which has been developed to become a location for marine ecotourism. An increase in visitor numbers is thought to disrupt conservation activities due to the lack of understanding of local people and tourists regarding the importance of developing marine conservation and tourism. This study aims to analyze the suitability and carrying capacity of the Kebun Kima ecotourism area. The research was conducted in Kebun Kima ecotourism area in Tihlepuai Bay from April to June 2020. Data collection on the suitability of the location designated for the snorkeling and diving categories was obtained from the results of measuring the suitability parameters of the area. Carrying capacity data is intended to determine the number of tourists who can occupy the area. Community social data collection in the form of support for the development of marine ecotourism in the Kebun Kima and tourists' assessment of the coral reef's beauty was obtained from interview results, field observation, and questionnaires. The data obtained were then analyzed descriptively. Based on the study's results, diving and snorkeling activities are suitable for development with a carrying capacity of 4 people per day, both snorkeling and diving. The proportion of people who do not know about the impact of coral reef damage is about 55%, while the proportion of tourists evaluating the coral reef's attractiveness is 60% for the 'very good' category.   ABSTRAK Pantai Teluk Tihlepuai di Negeri Morella memiliki sebuah kawasan yang dilindungi bernama Kebun Kima yang dikembangkan menjadi lokasi ekowisata bahari. Peningkatan jumlah pengunjung di kawasan konservasi Kebun Kima diduga dapat mengganggu kegiatan konservasi. Hal ini disebabkan kurangnya pemahaman masyarakat lokal maupun wisatawan tentang pentingnya pengembangan konservasi dan wisata bahari. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis kesesuaian dan daya dukung kawasan ekowisata kebun kima. Penelitian dilakukan di kawasan ekowisata Kebun Kima di Pantai Teluk Tihlepuai, Negeri Morella, Kabupaten Maluku Tengah pada April-Juni 2020. Pengambilan data kesesuaian lokasi yang diperuntukkan untuk kategori snorkeling dan selam diperoleh dari hasil pengukuran parameter kesesuaian kawasan. Pengambilan data daya dukung diperuntukkan untuk mengetahui jumlah wisatawan yang dapat menempati kawasan tersebut. Pengambilan data sosial masyarakat berupa dukungan terhadap pengembangan ekowisata bahari kebun kima dan penilaian wisatawan terhadap keindahan terumbu karang diperoleh dari hasil wawancara, pengamatan lapangan, dan penyebaran kuesioner. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dianalisis secara deskriptif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, kegiatan selam dan snorkeling sesuai untuk dikembangkan serta snorkeling dengan daya dukung mampu melayani 4 orang/hari, dan kategori selam dengan tingkat pelayanan 4 orang wisatawan/hari. Persepsi masyarakat kategori tidak tahu tentang dampak kerusakan terumbu karang sebesar 55%, sedangkan penialian wisatawan terhadap keindangan terumbu karang di kebun kima kategori sangat bagus sebesar 60%. Kata kunci: Ekowisata, kebun kima, kesesuaian, daya dukung, Negeri Morell

Continuum of vasodilator stress from rest to contrast medium to adenosine hyperemia for fractional flow reserve assessment

Objectives: This study compared the diagnostic performance with adenosine-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) ≤0.8 of contrast-based FFR (cFFR), resting distal pressure (Pd)/aortic pressure (Pa), and the instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR). Background: FFR objectively identifies lesions that benefit from medical therapy versus revascularization. However, FFR requires maximal vasodilation, usually achieved with adenosine. Radiographic contrast injection causes submaximal coronary hyperemia. Therefore, intracoronary contrast could provide an easy and inexpensive tool for predicting FFR. Methods: We recruited patients undergoing routine FFR assessment and made paired, repeated measurements of all physiology metrics (Pd/Pa, iFR, cFFR, and FFR). Contrast medium and dose were per local practice, as was the dose of intracoronary adenosine. Operators were encouraged to perform both intracoronary and intravenous adenosine assessments and a final drift check to assess wire calibration. A central core lab analyzed blinded pressure tracings in a standardized fashion. Results: A total of 763 subjects were enrolled from 12 international centers. Contrast volume was 8 ± 2 ml per measurement, and 8 different contrast media were used. Repeated measurements of each metric showed a bias <0.005, but a lower SD (less variability) for cFFR than resting indexes. Although Pd/Pa and iFR demonstrated equivalent performance against FFR ≤0.8 (78.5% vs. 79.9% accuracy; p = 0.78; area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve: 0.875 vs. 0.881; p = 0.35), cFFR improved both metrics (85.8% accuracy and 0.930 area; p < 0.001 for each) with an optimal binary threshold of 0.83. A hybrid decision-making strategy using cFFR required adenosine less often than when based on either Pd/Pa or iFR. Conclusions: cFFR provides diagnostic performance superior to that of Pd/Pa or iFR for predicting FFR. For clinical scenarios or health care systems in which adenosine is contraindicated or prohibitively expensive, cFFR offers a universal technique to simplify invasive coronary physiological assessments. Yet FFR remains the reference standard for diagnostic certainty as even cFFR reached only ∼85% agreement

Uncertainty-aware deep learning methods for robust diabetic retinopathy classification

Automatic classification of diabetic retinopathy from retinal images has been increasingly studied using deep neural networks with impressive results. However, there is clinical need for estimating uncertainty in the classifications, a shortcoming of modern neural networks. Recently, approximate Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) have been proposed for this task, but previous studies have only considered the binary referable/non-referable diabetic retinopathy classification applied to benchmark datasets. We present novel results for 9 BNNs by systematically investigating a clinical dataset and 5-class classification scheme, together with benchmark datasets and binary classification scheme. Moreover, we derive a connection between entropy-based uncertainty measure and classifier risk, from which we develop a novel uncertainty measure. We observe that the previously proposed entropy-based uncertainty measure improves performance on the clinical dataset for the binary classification scheme, but not to such an extent as on the benchmark datasets. It improves performance in the clinical 5-class classification scheme for the benchmark datasets, but not for the clinical dataset. Our novel uncertainty measure generalizes to the clinical dataset and to one benchmark dataset. Our findings suggest that BNNs can be utilized for uncertainty estimation in classifying diabetic retinopathy on clinical data, though proper uncertainty measures are needed to optimize the desired performance measure. In addition, methods developed for benchmark datasets might not generalize to clinical datasets