Ultimate pretreatment of lignocellulose in bioethanol production by combining both acidic and alkaline pretreatment

Alkaline pretreatment has been known as the most popular method to process lignocellulosic materials for bioethanol production due to its simplicity and high efficiency. However, the waste water of the process has a very high basicity, which requires neutralization with acids upon further disposal. In this study, rubber wood saw dust (Hevea brasiliensis) was employed as lignocellulosic material and its pretreatment was inspected with both diluted H2SO4 and NaOH in different combination ways. Hereby, acid was used not only for waste water neutralization but also to contribute to lignin removal. Analysis results showed that an aqueous solution of 2.0 - 2.5 wt.% H2SO4 can be used to treat the biomass followed by alkaline pretreatment. By this so-called combo-pretreatment technique, cellulose was well preserved without significant hydrolysis while the final pretreatment efficiency was up to 63.0%, compared to 48.2% of using only the alkaline solution and 13.7% of using only the acidic solution. Finally, alkaline waste water can be mixed to be neutralized with acidic waste water from the two previous steps. This innovated technique improved the pretreatment efficiency almost without increasing in chemical cost

Anatomical Evaluation for Successful Dye Laser Treatment of Port Wine Stain in Vietnamese Patients

AIM: To assess the efficacy in the treatment of port wine stain in the head and neck by using (Vbeam perfecta®). METHODS: Forty-two port wine stain patients were recruited at the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology, Hanoi, Vietnam. RESULTS: We reported an excellent response (43.8%) (76%-100% lightening), a good response (18.8%) (51%-75% lightening), fair improvement (18.8%) (26%-50% lightening), and no response (18.8%) (0%-25% lightening). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, pulsed dye laser is an excellent technique to remove port wine stains on the face and neck

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

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Frequency-Dependent Contrast Enhancement for Conductive and Non-Conductive Materials in Electrical Impedance Tomography

This research investigates the critical role of frequency selection in Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), a non-invasive imaging technique that reconstructs internal conductivity distributions through injected electrical currents. Empirical frequency selection is paramount to maximizing the fidelity and specificity of EIT images. The study explores the impact of distinct frequency ranges—low, medium, and high—on image contrast and clarity, particularly focusing on differentiating conductive materials from non-conductive materials. The findings reveal distinct empirical frequency bands for enhancing the respective contrasts: 15–38 kHz for conductive materials (copper) and 45–75 kHz for non-conductive materials (acrylic resin). These insights shed light on the frequency-dependent nature of material contrast in EIT images, guiding the selection of empirical operating ranges for various target materials. This research paves the way for improved sensitivity and broader applicability of EIT in diverse areas

Ultimate pretreatment of lignocellulose in bioethanol production by combining both acidic and alkaline pretreatment

Alkaline pretreatment has been known as the most popular method to process lignocellulosic materials for bioethanol production due to its simplicity and high efficiency. However, the waste water of the process has a very high basicity, which requires neutralization with acids upon further disposal. In this study, rubber wood saw dust (Hevea brasiliensis) was employed as lignocellulosic material and its pretreatment was inspected with both diluted H2SO4 and NaOH in different combination ways. Hereby, acid was used not only for waste water neutralization but also to contribute to lignin removal. Analysis results showed that an aqueous solution of 2.0 - 2.5 wt.% H2SO4 can be used to treat the biomass followed by alkaline pretreatment. By this so-called combo-pretreatment technique, cellulose was well preserved without significant hydrolysis while the final pretreatment efficiency was up to 63.0%, compared to 48.2% of using only the alkaline solution and 13.7% of using only the acidic solution. Finally, alkaline waste water can be mixed to be neutralized with acidic waste water from the two previous steps. This innovated technique improved the pretreatment efficiency almost without increasing in chemical cost

Microstructure and luminescence of VO2 (B) nanoparticle synthesis by hydrothermal method

This paper reports the way for the synthesis of nanoplate VO2 (B) particles with controlled morphology. Nanoplate VO2 (B) particle was synthesized by hydrothermal method. Microstructure of VO2 (B) particles were controlled by hydrothermal temperatures and use of Zn doping into VO2 (B) matrix. The microstructure of the particles was shifted from nanowires to nanoplate morphology by changing of hydrothermal temperatures. The doping of Zn into VO2 nanoparticles resulted in an effective achievement of VO2 (B) phase. In addition, luminescence of VO2 (B) nanoparticle was also controlled by the use Zn doping. These results suggest that the potential application of Zn doped VO2 (B) particles for potential application in optical and energy techniques

ILC Reference Design Report Volume 1 - Executive Summary

The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a 200-500 GeV center-of-mass high-luminosity linear electron-positron collider, based on 1.3 GHz superconducting radio-frequency (SCRF) accelerating cavities. The ILC has a total footprint of about 31 km and is designed for a peak luminosity of 2x10^34 cm^-2s^-1. This report is the Executive Summary (Volume I) of the four volume Reference Design Report. It gives an overview of the physics at the ILC, the accelerator design and value estimate, the detector concepts, and the next steps towards project realization.The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a 200-500 GeV center-of-mass high-luminosity linear electron-positron collider, based on 1.3 GHz superconducting radio-frequency (SCRF) accelerating cavities. The ILC has a total footprint of about 31 km and is designed for a peak luminosity of 2x10^34 cm^-2s^-1. This report is the Executive Summary (Volume I) of the four volume Reference Design Report. It gives an overview of the physics at the ILC, the accelerator design and value estimate, the detector concepts, and the next steps towards project realization