Synthesis of Nanoporous Type A and X Zeolite Mixtures from Biomass Combustion Fly Ash for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture

In this study, improved nanoporous zeolites for use in post-combustion carbon capture have been synthesised from industrial-grade biomass combustion fly ash generated in one of the largest biomass combustion power plants in the UK. The method of nanoporous zeolite synthesis follows an alkaline fusion-assisted hydrothermal procedure. The nanoporous zeolites have been characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The presence of two crystalline structures, Faujasite and Linde Type A has been confirmed by the characterisation results. The CO 2 adsorption investigations were conducted via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to estimate the uptake capacity of the prepared adsorbents. TGA studies suggest that the improved nanoporous adsorbent, evaluated under 100 mol % CO 2 at atmospheric pressure, has an equilibrium capacity of over 1.6 mmolCO 2 /g at 50°C, a two-fold increase from our previous study with a crystalline structure confirmed by XRD.10.13039/501100000266-Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK; 10.13039/100008475-Brunel University London, UK

Screening of anxiety and quality of life in people with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Up to 60% of people with epilepsy (PwE) have psychiatric comorbidity including anxiety. Anxiety remains under recognized in PwE. This study investigates if screening tools validated for depression could be used to detect anxiety disorders in PWE. Additionally it analyses the effect of anxiety on QoL. METHOD: 261 participants with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy were included. Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) and Emotional Thermometers (ET), both validated to screen for depression were used. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) with a cut off for moderate and severe anxiety was used as the reference standard. QoL was measured with EQ5-D. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and ROC analysis as well as multivariate regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: Patients with depression (n=46) were excluded as multivariate regression analysis showed that depression was the only significant determinant of having anxiety in the group. Against HADS-A, NDDI-E and ET-7 showed highest level of accuracy in recognizing anxiety with ET7 being the most effective tool. QoL was significantly reduced in PwE and anxiety. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that reliable screening for moderate to severe anxiety in PwE without co-morbid depression is feasible with screening tools for depression. The cut off values for anxiety are different from those for depression in ET7 but very similar in NDDI-E. ET7 can be applied to screen simultaneously for depression and "pure" anxiety. Anxiety reduces significantly QoL. We recommend screening as an initial first step to rule out patients who are unlikely to have anxiety

Activated Carbon Derived from Biomass Combustion Bottom Ash as Solid Sorbent for CO2 Adsorption

Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Climate change and global warming, caused mainly by the anthropogenic CO2 emissions, has been recognised to be the biggest threat to global ecosystems. Replacing fossil fuels with sustainable biomass for heat and power generation is a key tool in our fight against climate change. Such combustion, however, generates large quantities of ash which, unlike the coal counterparts, are yet to find major applications in industry. This leads to challenging waste management and thus, necessitating urgent measures to valorise this increasing waste stream. However, producing activated carbon from biomass combustion ash allows for not only effective waste valorisation into value-added products, but also to prepare a sorbent for post-combustion carbon capture from an abundant and cheap source that is readily available for in-situ application (hence, minimising overall costs). This work has focused on preparation and activation of industrial-grade biomass ash-derived porous carbon via an economical direct method, followed by an extensive characterisation of its textural properties as well as an evaluation of the CO2 uptake of both the virgin and the activated carbonaceous sorbents. The final sample was selected based on an extensive optimisation campaign aiming towards maximisation of yield and CO2 uptake. The optimum activated sample adsorbed 0.69 mmol/g, thus, nearly doubling the adsorption capacity of the virgin biomass combustion bottom ash-derived carbon.This work has been funded by the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (EP/W002841/1) through the flexible funded research programme “Investigation of Environmental and Operational Challenges of Adsorbents Synthesised from Industrial Grade Biomass Combustion Residues”. The UKCCSRC is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK, as part of the UKRI Energy Programme; EPSRC Impact Accelerator Award (2022); Experimental Techniques Centre (ETC) at Brunel University London; Drax Group UK

Comparison of ultrasonographic findings in cats with and without azotaemia

US findings in 238 cats with (serum creatinine >180 μmol/l) and 270 cats without azotaemia were compared in a retrospective case-control study. Cats with pre-renal azotaemia or urethral obstruction were excluded. Data extracted from the medical records included age, body weight and body condition score (BCS). Quantitative and subjective US findings were extracted from archived ultrasound images and contemporaneous reports

Petersen's Hernia after Mini (One Anastomosis) Gastric Bypass

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Unusual presentation of eosinophilic fasciitis: two case reports and a review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Eosinophilic fasciitis is an uncommon disorder with unknown etiology and a poorly understood pathogenesis. We present the cases of two patients with eosinophilic fasciitis with unusual presentation, and describe the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings related to them.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>The first case involves a 29-year-old Turkish man admitted with pain, edema and induration of his right-upper and left-lower limbs. Unilateral edema and stiffness with prominent pretibial edema was noted upon physical examination. A high eosinophil count was found on the peripheral smear. The second case involves a 63-year-old Turkish man who had pain, edema, erythema, and itching on his upper and lower extremities, which developed after strenuous physical activity. He had cervical lymphadenopathy and polyarthritis upon physical examination, and rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody upon laboratory examination.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Eosinophilic fasciitis can present with various symptoms. When patients exhibit eosinophilia, arthralgia and myalgia, eosinophilic fasciitis should be considered as a possible diagnosis.</p

Proceedings of the Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC) 2011

These proceedings bring together a selection of papers from the 2011 Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference(SPARC). It includes papers from PhD students in the arts and social sciences, business, computing, science and engineering, education, environment, built environment and health sciences. Contributions from Salford researchers are published here alongside papers from students at the Universities of Anglia Ruskin, Birmingham City, Chester,De Montfort, Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester

Endoscopic application of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate on esophagojejunal anastomotic leak: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>This case report describes an esophagojejunal anastomotic leak following total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The leak was treated successfully with endoscopic application of <it>n</it>-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. This is the first case report on the endoscopic application of cyanoacrylate alone for the treatment of an anastomotic leak.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>This report describes a case of a 68-year-old Caucasian man who underwent surgery for gastric cancer. He underwent total gastrectomy and esophagojejunal anastomosis with Roux-en-Y anastomosis plus transverse colectomy. An anastomotic leak was treated conservatively at first for a total of three weeks. However, the leak persisted; therefore, the decision was made to apply topical endoscopic <it>n</it>-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The endoscopic application of <it>n</it>-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate alone can be used successfully to treat esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage.</p

Current practice in Australia and New Zealand for defunctioning ileostomy after rectal cancer surgery with anastomosis: Analysis of the Bi-National Colorectal Cancer Audit (BCCA)

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the use of defunctioning stomas after rectal cancer surgery in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), as current practice is unknown. METHODS: From the Bi-National Colorectal Cancer Audit (BCCA) database, rectal cancer patients who underwent a resection between 2007 and 2019 with the formation of an anastomosis were extracted and analysed. Primary outcome was the rate of defunctioning stoma formation. Secondary outcomes were: anastomotic leakage (AL) rates and other postoperative complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), readmissions and 30-day mortality rates between stoma and no stoma groups. Propensity score-matching was performed to correct for differences in baseline characteristics between stoma and no-stoma groups. RESULTS: In total, 2,581 (89%) received a defunctioning stoma and 319 (11%) did not. There were more male patients in the stoma group (65.5 vs. 57.7% for the no-stoma group; p=0.006). The median age was 64 years in both groups. The stoma group underwent more ultra-low anterior resections (79.9 vs. 30.1%; p<0.0001), included more AJCC stage III patients (53.7 vs. 29.2%; p<0.0001) and received more neoadjuvant therapy (66.9 vs. 16.3%; p<0.0001). The AL rate was similar in both groups (5.1 vs. 6.0%; p=0.52). LOS was longer in the stoma group (8 vs. 6 days; p<0.0001) with higher 30-day readmission rates (14.9 vs. 8.3%; p=0.003). After propensity score-matching (n=208 in both groups), AL rates remained similar (2.9% for stoma vs. 5.8% for no stoma group; p=0.15), but stoma patients required less reoperations (0% vs. 8%; p=0.016). The stoma group had higher postoperative ileus rates and an increased LOS. CONCLUSION: In ANZ, most patients who underwent rectal cancer resections with the formation of an anastomosis received a defunctioning stoma. A defunctioning stoma does not prevent anastomotic leakage from occurring but is mostly associated with a lower reoperation rate. Patients with a defunctioning stoma experienced a higher postoperative ileus rate and had an increased length of hospital stay.Vera E. M. Grupa, Hidde M. Kroon, Izel Ozmen, Sergei Bedrikovetski, Nagendra N. Dudi-Venkata, Ronald A. Hunter, Tarik Sammou

Proton density fat fraction: magnetic resonance imaging applications beyond the liver

Magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) is an emerging quantitative imaging biomarker that accurately measures the fat fraction of tissue by correcting factors influencing magnetic resonance signal intensity. Beyond fat quantification, it also measures R2* which is a direct measure of iron concentration. The utilization of MRI-PDFF in liver diseases is well established. In the present review, we focused on applications of MRI-PDFF in different body areas including pancreas, bone, muscle, spleen, testis, visceral, and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Future studies can enable tracking of quantitative fat fraction changes in different organs simultaneously, which can be critical in understanding fat metabolism