A feasibility study on integrating electric buses with waste gasification for a green public transport system and solid waste management

Waste management and public transport are two major issues requiring decarbonisation in the face of climate change and environmental concerns related to global warming. Green transport systems are classified as zero or low carbon alternatives to the fossil fuel-based approach and vehicles. These systems rely on zero emission fuels such as hydrogen. Thermochemical processes (e.g., gasification) and biochemical technologies (e.g., fermentation) can convert carbon-based feedstock such as waste to produce desirable products like hydrogen. Waste-to Hydrogen is proposed as a potential solution to provide both sustainable waste management and hydrogen production. Waste-to-Hydrogen (WtH) is a hybrid solution that simultaneously combines sustainable waste management and non-fossil-fuel based hydrogen production. The concept of distributed WtH systems, based on gasification and fermentation, is to support hydrogen fuel cell buses in Glasgow is considered as a potential solution zero emission transport development. Hydrogen has potential to replace petrol and diesel fuels and consequently become part the zero-carbon measures to aid the transition to cleaner energy sources. When hydrogen is produced from renewable or sustainable energy sources it can help decarbonise the energy and transport sector. To be attractive to policymakers and investors it is necessary for the hydrogen from a WtH system to demonstrate its carbon footprint is lower than conventional methods. By supporting the effort to reach carbon emission reduction targets, hydrogen is part of the solution to limit climate change, a global emergency. Providing research to support the roadmap of hydrogen-powered public transport to shape the direction of future technological improvement and policy formulation. As well as the potential to provide a clean versatile fuel through hydrogen, WtH can offer an alternative waste management practice that diverts waste away from landfill and incineration. By utilising and transforming waste into a useful energy resource, a value is applied which can encourage the development of sustainable disposal methods such as WtH conversion processes. Glasgow was chosen as the location for the study due to the large population which would supply regular amounts of waste to be used as feedstock. The city council is also actively trying to decarbonise local industries including transport, this is seen by the strategies and targets in place such as Net Zero by 2045. An aim of this study is to demonstrate how low carbon hydrogen production technologies could fit into the city’s transport and energy plan and support the hydrogen strategy, thereby benefitting the people of Glasgow. Whilst Glasgow does not currently use fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) for public transport, an intention to run a fleet has been presented through the publication of the Scottish Governments Hydrogen Policy Statement (2020) and Hydrogen Action Plan (2022). FCEB fleets in other parts of the UK notably London and Birmingham, have shown the environmental benefit through the annual carbon savings made. FCEBs are classified as zero emissions buses (ZEB) which the UK Department of Transport has stated can reduce carbon emissions by 46 tonnes per year and nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 23kg when compared to a diesel bus (UK Government Department for Transport, 2021). This study contributes to the growing evidence of the benefits of using hydrogen as a transport fuel in terms of the carbon savings as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels. Whilst the main concerns of the underdeveloped industrial status, relatively immature technology and high costs are explored. In practice WtH is currently limited to laboratory and pilot scale systems and requires further investment and policy support for advancements to be made. These bottlenecks and limitations are considered in the discussion section of this study. The research question centres around the economic and environmental feasibility of WtH within Glasgow. A feasible project would show the carbon savings compared to conventional methods in both aspects of waste management and hydrogen production. The feasibility is also a measurement of positive returns on economic investment where total project costs do not outweigh the environmental benefits associated with low carbon technologies. This study critically assesses the current situation for WtH development in terms of the environmental impact and potential carbon savings, economic implications, and cost benefits, plus transport and climate policy. The novelty of the study establishes a procedure for defining how WtH could support the growing hydrogen industry as a low carbon hydrogen production technique. The results from the environmental impact analysis and economic assessment add data sets to existing research in academia and energy industry. Life cycle assessment (LCA), cost benefit analysis (CBA) and multi-bjective optimization (MOO) have been conducted to determine the feasibility of WtH projects to support green transport systems and sustainable waste management schemes. A variety of WtH scenarios were designed based on biomass waste feedstock, hydrogen production reactors, and upstream and downstream system components. The WtH systems selected use thermochemical and biochemical technologies to convert the different waste feedstocks available in Glasgow with suitable operational conditions according to the waste characteristics. The waste considered in this study is biodegradable, carbon based and organic including household, plastics, waste wood products, as well as the wet fraction of waste such as food and sewage sludge. Five scenarios, four WtH technologies and one conventional hydrogen production technology of steam methane reforming (SMR), were designed to allow for comparison of environmental and economic results. The scenarios differ in waste feedstock type and technology leading to differences in hydrogen production rates, hydrogen yields, and process carbon emissions. Waste that is less suitable for thermochemical conversion processes can be utilised by biochemical technology to ensure the most efficient and least energy intensive method is applied. The environmental approach for this work focuses on the LCA method to evaluate environmental performance through the carbon saving potential using global warming potential (GWP) as the impact indicator for the WtH technologies. It was shown that WtH technologies could reduce <55% of CO2-eq emissions per kg H2 compared to SMR. Gasification treating municipal solid waste and waste wood had global warming potentials of 4.99 and 4.11 kg CO2-eq/kg H2 respectively, which were lower than dark fermentation treating wet waste at 6.6 kg CO2-eq/kg H2 and combined dark and photo fermentation at 6.4 kg CO2-eq/kg H2. The distance emissions of WtH-based electric fuel cell bus scenarios were 0.33-0.44 kg CO2-eq/km as compared to 0.89 kg CO2-eq/km for the SMR-based scenario. The economic assessment in this study uses cost benefit analysis to determine whether the carbon savings outweigh the expected cost of a WtH system. The CBA was conducted to compare the economic feasibility of the different WtH systems with the conventional SMR. A database was that includes, direct cost data on construction, maintenance, operations, infrastructure, and storage, along with indirect cost data comprising environmental impacts and externalities, cost of pollution, carbon taxes and subsidies was collated. The results are in the form of economic indicators Net present value (NPV), Internal rate of return (IRR), Benefit cost ratio (BCR) and Levelized cost of hydrogen (LCoH). The LCoH was calculated as 0.49 GBP/kg for the gasification systems using MSW feedstock and 0.52 GBP/kg for waste wood gasification. The LCoH for dark fermentation was calculated to be 0.52 GBP/kg and 0.59 GBP/kg for combined dark and photo fermentation systems. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the most significant influential factors of distributed WtH systems. The results indicate that the conversion efficiency and the energy density of the waste had the largest impact for biochemical technology and thermochemical technologies, respectively. It is concluded that WtH could be economically feasible for hydrogen production in Glasgow. However, limitations including high capital expenditure will require cost reduction through technical advancements and carbon tax on conventional hydrogen production methods to improve the outlook for WtH. The multi-objective optimisation results suggest that optimisation is possible with the best solution calculated to minimise both total cost and GWP for the four Scenarios assessed in this work. The results from the three analysis types in this work, indicate the feasibility of WtH in Glasgow. The results suggest there is potential to utilise the waste generated within Glasgow to produce hydrogen, reduce the environmental impact of waste management practices, and provide economic benefit to both the energy and transport industry

The Fountain District: Framework Plan

The \u27South Auditorium\u27 neighborhood established itself in the days when loggers and other workers filled the district’s hotels due to its proximity to the river. In the wake of the Great Depression and as the logging trade declined, the area began to fall into disrepair and development shifted away from the Willamette River. By the 1950s, many of its 2,000+ inhabitants were low-income or elderly and living in small, poorly maintained apartments, shuffling from one to the next as they were forced out of their prior home. The neighborhood was also extremely diverse, housing numerous immigrant families, particularly Italian, Jewish, Chinese, and African American families. In 1955, the newly formed Portland Development Commission targeted a block of land in what was then considered part of South Portland as a test of the new Urban Renewal philosophy making the rounds in planning circles, at the behest of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee. It was decided that a 110 acre portion of the district would be razed in two phases. Interestingly, the district had originally been intended as the home for a new expo center or coliseum, with the remaining redevelopment occurring around it. This center would be just the sort of attraction to lure people to the city center, it was believed; these plans were scrapped, however, after conflicts between interested parties on each side of the Willamette resulted in the centerpiece of the project (later to be Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum) being relocated to the eastern side of the river. Inspired by the design principles of Le Corbusier and the budgets of major firms such as Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), renewal pressed onward, with the forthcoming towers and plazas to be punctuated by greenspaces, among them a set of fountains crafted by Lawrence Halprin. Little, if anything, remains of the district as it had existed prior to the removal of the area’s residences, businesses, and the communities who resided there. This project was conducted under the supervision of Donald J. Stastny and Edward Starkie

Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Decreases β2-Agonist–induced Relaxation in Human Airway Smooth Muscle

Helper T effector cytokines implicated in asthma modulate the contractility of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. We have reported recently that a profibrotic cytokine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, induces HASM cell shortening and airway hyperresponsiveness. Here, we assessed whether TGF-β1 affects the ability of HASM cells to relax in response to β2-agonists, a mainstay treatment for airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma. Overnight TGF-β1 treatment significantly impaired isoproterenol (ISO)-induced relaxation of carbachol-stimulated, isolated HASM cells. This single-cell mechanical hyporesponsiveness to ISO was corroborated by sustained increases in myosin light chain phosphorylation. In TGF-β1–treated HASM cells, ISO evoked markedly lower levels of intracellular cAMP. These attenuated cAMP levels were, in turn, restored with pharmacological and siRNA inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 and Smad3, respectively. Most strikingly, TGF-β1 selectively induced phosphodiesterase 4D gene expression in HASM cells in a Smad2/3-dependent manner. Together, these data suggest that TGF-β1 decreases HASM cell β2-agonist relaxation responses by modulating intracellular cAMP levels via a Smad2/3-dependent mechanism. Our findings further define the mechanisms underlying β2-agonist hyporesponsiveness in asthma, and suggest TGF-β1 as a potential therapeutic target to decrease asthma exacerbations in severe and treatment-resistant asthma

Temporal Accumulation and Decision Processes in the Duration Bisection Task Revealed by Contingent Negative Variation

The duration bisection paradigm is a classic task used to examine how humans and other animals perceive time. Typically, participants first learn short and long anchor durations and are subsequently asked to classify probe durations as closer to the short or long anchor duration. However, the specific representations of time and the decision rules applied in this task remain the subject of debate. For example, researchers have questioned whether participants actually use representations of the short and long anchor durations in the decision process rather than merely a response threshold that is derived from those anchor durations. Electroencephalographic (EEG) measures, like the contingent negative variation (CNV), can provide information about the perceptual and cognitive processes that occur between the onset of the timing stimulus and the motor response. The CNV has been implicated as an electrophysiological marker of interval timing processes such as temporal accumulation, representation of the target duration, and the decision that the target duration has been attained. We used the CNV to investigate which durations are involved in the bisection categorization decision. The CNV increased in amplitude up to the value of the short anchor, remained at a constant level until about the geometric mean (GM) of the short and long anchors, and then began to resolve. These results suggest that the short anchor and the GM of the short and long anchors are critical target durations used in the bisection categorization decision process. In addition, larger mean N1P2 amplitude differences were associated with larger amplitude CNVs, which may reflect the participant’s precision in initiating timing on each trial across a test session. Overall, the results demonstrate the value of using scalp-recorded EEG to address basic questions about interval timing

A phase I, open-label, randomized crossover study to assess the effect of dosing of the MEK 1/2 inhibitor Selumetinib (AZD6244; ARRY-142866) in the presence and absence of food in patients with advanced solid tumors

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Purpose:&lt;/b&gt; This Phase I study assessed whether food influences the rate and extent of selumetinib absorption in patients with advanced solid malignancies and determined the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of selumetinib and its active metabolite N-desmethyl-selumetinib in fed and fasted states.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; A single dose of 75 mg selumetinib was to be taken with food on Day 1 followed by a single dose of 75 mg after fasting for at least 10 h on Day 8, or vice versa, followed by twice daily dosing of 75 mg selumetinib from Day 10. Plasma concentrations and PK parameters were determined on Days 1 and 8. Patients could continue to receive selumetinib for as long as they benefitted from treatment.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; In total, 31 patients were randomized to receive selumetinib; 15 to fed/fasted sequence and 16 to fasted/fed sequence. Comprehensive PK sampling was performed on 11 and 10 patients, respectively. The geometric least-squares means of C&lt;sub&gt;max&lt;/sub&gt; and AUC for selumetinib were reduced by 62% (ratio 0.38 90% CI 0.29, 0.50) and 19% (ratio 0.81 90% CI 0.74, 0.88), respectively, under fed compared with fasting conditions. The rate of absorption (t&lt;sub&gt;max&lt;/sub&gt;) of selumetinib (fed) was delayed by approximately 2.5 h (median). The food effect was also observed for the active metabolite N-desmethyl-selumetinib. Selumetinib was well tolerated.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; The presence of food decreased the extent of absorption of selumetinib. It is recommended that for further clinical studies, selumetinib be taken on an empty stomach. Selumetinib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile in the advanced cancer population.&lt;/p&gt

Event-based modelling in temporal lobe epilepsy demonstrates progressive atrophy from cross-sectional data

OBJECTIVE: Recent work has shown that people with common epilepsies have characteristic patterns of cortical thinning, and that these changes may be progressive over time. Leveraging a large multi-centre cross-sectional cohort, we investigated whether regional morphometric changes occur in a sequential manner, and whether these changes in people with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) correlate with clinical features. METHODS: We extracted regional measures of cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical brain volumes from T1-weighted (T1W) MRI scans collected by the ENIGMA-Epilepsy consortium, comprising 804 people with MTLE-HS and 1,625 healthy controls from 25 centres. Features with a moderate case-control effect size (Cohen's d≥0.5) were used to train an Event-Based Model (EBM), which estimates a sequence of disease-specific biomarker changes from cross-sectional data and assigns a biomarker-based fine-grained disease stage to individual patients. We tested for associations between EBM disease stage and duration of epilepsy, age of onset and anti-seizure medicine (ASM) resistance. RESULTS: In MTLE-HS, decrease in ipsilateral hippocampal volume along with increased asymmetry in hippocampal volume was followed by reduced thickness in neocortical regions, reduction in ipsilateral thalamus volume and, finally, increase in ipsilateral lateral ventricle volume. EBM stage was correlated to duration of illness (Spearman's ρ=0.293, p=7.03x10-16 ), age of onset (ρ=-0.18, p=9.82x10-7 ) and ASM resistance (AUC=0.59, p=0.043, Mann-Whitney U test). However, associations were driven by cases assigned to EBM stage zero, which represents MTLE-HS with mild or non-detectable abnormality on T1W MRI. SIGNIFICANCE: From cross-sectional MRI, we reconstructed a disease progression model that highlights a sequence of MRI changes that aligns with previous longitudinal studies. This model could be used to stage MTLE-HS subjects in other cohorts and help establish connections between imaging-based progression staging and clinical features

Documenting the Recovery of Vascular Services in European Centres Following the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Peak: Results from a Multicentre Collaborative Study

Objective: To document the recovery of vascular services in Europe following the first COVID-19 pandemic peak. Methods: An online structured vascular service survey with repeated data entry between 23 March and 9 August 2020 was carried out. Unit level data were collected using repeated questionnaires addressing modifications to vascular services during the first peak (March – May 2020, “period 1”), and then again between May and June (“period 2”) and June and July 2020 (“period 3”). The duration of each period was similar. From 2 June, as reductions in cases began to be reported, centres were first asked if they were in a region still affected by rising cases, or if they had passed the peak of the first wave. These centres were asked additional questions about adaptations made to their standard pathways to permit elective surgery to resume. Results: The impact of the pandemic continued to be felt well after countries’ first peak was thought to have passed in 2020. Aneurysm screening had not returned to normal in 21.7% of centres. Carotid surgery was still offered on a case by case basis in 33.8% of centres, and only 52.9% of centres had returned to their normal aneurysm threshold for surgery. Half of centres (49.4%) believed their management of lower limb ischaemia continued to be negatively affected by the pandemic. Reduced operating theatre capacity continued in 45.5% of centres. Twenty per cent of responding centres documented a backlog of at least 20 aortic repairs. At least one negative swab and 14 days of isolation were the most common strategies used for permitting safe elective surgery to recommence. Conclusion: Centres reported a broad return of services approaching pre-pandemic “normal” by July 2020. Many introduced protocols to manage peri-operative COVID-19 risk. Backlogs in cases were reported for all major vascular surgeries

Evolving trends in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 waves. The ACIE appy II study

Background: In 2020, ACIE Appy study showed that COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the management of patients with acute appendicitis (AA) worldwide, with an increased rate of non-operative management (NOM) strategies and a trend toward open surgery due to concern of virus transmission by laparoscopy and controversial recommendations on this issue. The aim of this study was to survey again the same group of surgeons to assess if any difference in management attitudes of AA had occurred in the later stages of the outbreak. Methods: From August 15 to September 30, 2021, an online questionnaire was sent to all 709 participants of the ACIE Appy study. The questionnaire included questions on personal protective equipment (PPE), local policies and screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, NOM, surgical approach and disease presentations in 2021. The results were compared with the results from the previous study. Results: A total of 476 answers were collected (response rate 67.1%). Screening policies were significatively improved with most patients screened regardless of symptoms (89.5% vs. 37.4%) with PCR and antigenic test as the preferred test (74.1% vs. 26.3%). More patients tested positive before surgery and commercial systems were the preferred ones to filter smoke plumes during laparoscopy. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was the first option in the treatment of AA, with a declined use of NOM. Conclusion: Management of AA has improved in the last waves of pandemic. Increased evidence regarding SARS-COV-2 infection along with a timely healthcare systems response has been translated into tailored attitudes and a better care for patients with AA worldwide

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p &lt; 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead