Carbon capture in the cement industry: technologies, progress, and retrofitting

Several different carbon-capture technologies have been proposed for use in the cement industry. This paper reviews their attributes, the progress that has been made toward their commercialization, and the major challenges facing their retrofitting to existing cement plants. A technology readiness level (TRL) scale for carbon capture in the cement industry is developed. For application at cement plants, partial oxy-fuel combustion, amine scrubbing, and calcium looping are the most developed (TRL 6 being the pilot system demonstrated in relevant environment), followed by direct capture (TRL 4–5 being the component and system validation at lab-scale in a relevant environment) and full oxy-fuel combustion (TRL 4 being the component and system validation at lab-scale in a lab environment). Our review suggests that advancing to TRL 7 (demonstration in plant environment) seems to be a challenge for the industry, representing a major step up from TRL 6. The important attributes that a cement plant must have to be “carbon-capture ready” for each capture technology selection is evaluated. Common requirements are space around the preheater and precalciner section, access to CO2 transport infrastructure, and a retrofittable preheater tower. Evidence from the electricity generation sector suggests that carbon capture readiness is not always cost-effective. The similar durations of cement-plant renovation and capture-plant construction suggests that synchronizing these two actions may save considerable time and money

Risperidone versus placebo for aggression following traumatic brain injury: a feasibility randomised controlled trial

Objectives: To conduct a feasibility randomised controlled trial of risperidone for the treatment of aggression in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Multicentre, parallel design, placebo controlled (1:1 ratio) double-blind feasibility trial with an embedded process evaluation. No statistical comparison was performed between the two study groups. Setting: Four neuropsychiatric and neurology outpatient clinics in London and Kent, UK. Participants: Our aim was to recruit 50 patients with TBI over 18 months. Follow-up participants at 12 weeks using a battery of assessment scales to measure changes in aggressive behaviour and irritability (Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS)-primary outcome, Irritability Questionnaire) as well as global functioning (Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, Clinical Global impression) and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L, SF-12), mental health (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and medication adverse effects (Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser). Results: Six participants were randomised to the active arm of the trial and eight to the placebo arm over a 10-month period (28% of our target). Two participants withdrew because of adverse events. Twelve out of 14 (85.7%) patients completed a follow-up assessment at 12 weeks. At follow-up, the scores of all outcome measures improved in both groups. Placebo group showed numerically better score change according to the primary outcome MOAS. No severe adverse events were reported. The overall rate of adverse events remained low. Data from the process evaluation suggest that existence of specialised TBI follow-up clinics, availability of a dedicated database of TBI patients’ clinical details, simple study procedures and regular support to participants would enhance recruitment and retention in the trial. Feedback from participants showed that once in the study, they did not find the trial procedure onerous. Conclusions: It was not feasible to conduct a successful randomised trial of risperidone versus placebo for post-TBI aggression using the methods we deployed in this study. It is not possible to draw any definitive conclusion about risperidone’s efficacy from such a small trial. Trial registration number: ISRCTN3019143

Accelerometer-based sedentary time, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from childhood with arterial stiffness and carotid IMT progression: A 13-year longitudinal study of 1339 children.

This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: The informed consent obtained from ALSPAC participants does not allow the data to be made freely available through any third- party maintained public repository. However, data used for this submission can be made available on request to the ALSPAC Executive. The ALSPAC data management plan describes in detail the policy regarding data sharing, which is through a system of man-aged open access. Full instructions for applying for data access can be found here: http:// www.bristol.ac. uk/alspac/researchers/access/ . The ALSPAC study website contains details of all the data that are available (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/our-data/ ).AIMS: We examined the longitudinal associations of sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) from childhood with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a measure of arterial stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). METHODS: We studied 1339 children, aged 11 years from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, UK, followed up for 13 years. Accelerometer-based ST, LPA, and MVPA were assessed at ages 11, 15, and 24 years clinic visits. cfPWV and cIMT were measured with Vicorder and ultrasound, respectively, at ages 17 and 24 years. RESULTS: Among 1339 [56.4% female] participants, mean ST increased from ages 11 through 24 years, while mean LPA and MVPA decreased. Persistently high ST tertile from childhood was associated with increased cfPWV progression, effect estimate 0.047 m/s; [(95% CI 0.005 to 0.090); p = 0.030], but not cIMT progression. Persistently high LPA tertile category was associated with decreased cfPWV progression in males -0.022 m/s; [(-0.028 to -0.017); p 3 h/day from childhood may attenuate progressively worsening vascular damage associated with increased ST in youth.Paavo Nurmen SäätiöPaulon SäätiöPohjois-Savon RahastoAarne Koskelon SäätiöJenny ja Antti Wihurin RahastoYrjö Jahnssonin SäätiöIda Montinin SäätiöAlfred Kordelinin SäätiöSydäntutkimussäätiöSuomen Kulttuurirahast

Discovery of TUG-770: a highly potent free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1/GPR40) agonist for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1 or GPR40) enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and currently attracts high interest as a new target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. We here report the discovery of a highly potent FFA1 agonist with favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The compound efficiently normalizes glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice, an effect that is fully sustained after 29 days of chronic dosing

Two-Dimensional Echocardiography Estimates of Fetal Ventricular Mass throughout Gestation.

BACKGROUND: Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound quality has improved in recent years. Quantification of cardiac dimensions is important to screen and monitor certain fetal conditions. We assessed the feasibility and reproducibility of fetal ventricular measures using 2D echocardiography, reported normal ranges in our cohort, and compared estimates to other modalities. METHODS: Mass and end-diastolic volume were estimated by manual contouring in the four-chamber view using TomTec Image Arena 4.6 in end diastole. Nomograms were created from smoothed centiles of measures, constructed using fractional polynomials after log transformation. The results were compared to those of previous studies using other modalities. RESULTS: A total of 294 scans from 146 fetuses from 15+0 to 41+6 weeks of gestation were included. Seven percent of scans were unanalysable and intraobserver variability was good (intraclass correlation coefficients for left and right ventricular mass 0.97 [0.87-0.99] and 0.99 [0.95-1.0], respectively). Mass and volume increased exponentially, showing good agreement with 3D mass estimates up to 28 weeks of gestation, after which our measurements were in better agreement with neonatal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. There was good agreement with 4D volume estimates for the left ventricle. CONCLUSION: Current state-of-the-art 2D echocardiography platforms provide accurate, feasible, and reproducible fetal ventricular measures across gestation, and in certain circumstances may be the modality of choice

From Anti-equilibrium to The Socialist System and Beyond

This essay attempts to understand János Kornai’s works from a political economy perspective. It argues that Kornai has significantly contributed to the formation of a new paradigm of political economy. The main endeavor of Kornai has been the combination of analytical concepts of economics with the empirical description of real economies. After a certain period of theoretical experimentation János Kornai formulated his research program that can be called the shortage economy explanation of the socialist system. The Economics of Shortage and The Socialist System have created a new theoretical paradigm in a framework in which it has become possible to establish a connection between the analytical and empirical, universal and historical aspects of the theory studying the socialist system as a real economic entity. János Kornai has built his analysis of the socialist system on the primary role of politics in the creation of economic institutions. In his present work on capitalism he has extended this thesis to the capitalist system. This seems to be an important contribution of his to a new political economy paradigm that is just in the process of formation

Nonequilibrium spectral diffusion due to laser heating in stimulated photon echo spectroscopy of low temperature glasses

A quantitative theory is developed, which accounts for heating artifacts in three-pulse photon echo (3PE) experiments. The heat diffusion equation is solved and the average value of the temperature in the focal volume of the laser is determined as a function of the 3PE waiting time. This temperature is used in the framework of nonequilibrium spectral diffusion theory to calculate the effective homogeneous linewidth of an ensemble of probe molecules embedded in an amorphous host. The theory fits recently observed plateaus and bumps without introducing a gap in the distribution function of flip rates of the two-level systems or any other major modification of the standard tunneling model.Comment: 10 pages, Revtex, 6 eps-figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Large emergency-response exercises: qualitative characteristics - a survey

Exercises, drills, or simulations are widely used, by governments, agencies and commercial organizations, to simulate serious incidents and train staff how to respond to them. International cooperation has led to increasingly large-scale exercises, often involving hundreds or even thousands of participants in many locations. The difference between ‘large’ and ‘small’ exercises is more than one of size: (a) Large exercises are more ‘experiential’ and more likely to undermine any model of reality that single organizations may create; (b) they create a ‘play space’ in which organizations and individuals act out their own needs and identifications, and a ritual with strong social implications; (c) group-analytic psychotherapy suggests that the emotions aroused in a large group may be stronger and more difficult to control. Feelings are an unacknowledged major factor in the success or failure of exercises; (d) successful large exercises help improve the nature of trust between individuals and the organizations they represent, changing it from a situational trust to a personal trust; (e) it is more difficult to learn from large exercises or to apply the lessons identified; (f) however, large exercises can help develop organizations and individuals. Exercises (and simulation in general) need to be approached from a broader multidisciplinary direction if their full potential is to be realized

A Study of Cosmic Ray Composition in the Knee Region using Multiple Muon Events in the Soudan 2 Detector

Deep underground muon events recorded by the Soudan 2 detector, located at a depth of 2100 meters of water equivalent, have been used to infer the nuclear composition of cosmic rays in the "knee" region of the cosmic ray energy spectrum. The observed muon multiplicity distribution favors a composition model with a substantial proton content in the energy region 800,000 - 13,000,000 GeV/nucleus.Comment: 38 pages including 11 figures, Latex, submitted to Physical Review