Elucidating the Significance of Copper and Nitrate Speciation in Cu-SSZ-13 for N₂O Formation during NH₃-SCR

Unwanted N2O formation is a problem that has been noted in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) where copper zeolite catalysts are utilized. With its immense global warming potential and long-term stability, elevated atmospheric N2O has already been identified as a future challenge in the war on climate change. This paper explores the phenomenon of N2O formation during NH3-SCR over Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts, which are currently commercialized in automotive emissions control systems, and proposes a link between N2O production and the local copper environment found within the zeolite. To achieve this, a comparison is made between two Cu-SSZ-13 samples with different copper co-ordinations produced via different synthesis methods. A combination of synchrotron X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, UV–vis, Raman, and density functional theory (DFT) is used to characterize the nature of copper species present within each sample. Synchrotron IR microspectroscopy is then used to compare their behavior during SCR under operando conditions and monitor the evolution of nitrate intermediates, which, along with further DFT, informs a mechanistic model for nitrate decomposition pathways. Increased N2O production is seen in the Cu-SSZ-13 sample postulated to contain a linear Cu species, providing an important correlation between the catalytic behavior of Cu-zeolites and the nature of their metal ion loading and speciation

Thermoelastic properties of magnesiowustite, (Mg1-xFex)O: determination of the Anderson-Gruneisen parameter by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction at simultaneous high pressures and temperatures

The ability to perform neutron diffraction studies at simultaneous high pressures and high temperatures is a relatively recent development. The suitability of this technique for determining P-V-T equations of state has been investigated by measuring the lattice parameters of Mg1-xFexO ( x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4), in the range P < 10.3 GPa and 300 < T < 986 K, by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction. Pressures were determined using metallic Fe as a marker and temperatures were measured by neutron absorption resonance radiography. Within the resolution of the experiment, no evidence was found for any change in the temperature derivative of the isothermal incompressibility, partial derivative K-T/partial derivative T, with composition. By assuming that the equation-of-state parameters either varied linearly or were invariant with composition, the 60 measured state points were fitted simultaneously to a P-V-T-x equation of state, leading to values of partial derivative K-T/partial derivative T = -0.024 (9) GPa K-1 and of the isothermal Anderson-Gruneisen parameter delta(T) = 4.0 (16) at 300 K. Two designs of simultaneous high-P/T cell were employed during this study. It appears that, by virtue of its extended pressure range, a design using toroidal gaskets is more suitable for equation-of-state studies than is the system described by Le Godec, Dove, Francis, Kohn, Marshall, Pawley, Price, Redfern, Rhodes, Ross, Schofield, Schooneveld, Syfosse, Tucker & Welch [Mineral. Mag. (2001), 65, 737-748]. (c) 2008 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved

Using fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) to diagnose steroid-responsive disease and guide asthma management in routine care

Acknowledgements We thank Robin Taylor for his informative thinking and publications on FeNO, which have helped to influence and direct the thinking of the authors. Funding Extraction of the real-life dataset was funded by Research in Real Life Limited, the analysis of the dataset and the writing of this manuscript were co-funded (50:50) by Research in Real Life Limited and Aerocrine.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Community singing, wellbeing and older people: implementing and evaluating an English singing tool for health intervention in Rome

Aim: The aim of this research was to explore the transferability and effectiveness of the English Silver Song Clubs model for older people in a different social and cultural context, i.e. in the capital city of Italy, Rome. Methods: A single condition, pre-test, post-test design was implemented. Participants completed two questionnaires: EQ-5D and York SF-12. Results: After the singing experience, participants showed a decrease in their levels of anxiety and depression. An improvement was also found from baseline to follow up in reported performance of usual activities. The English study showed a difference between the singing and non-singing groups at three and six months on mental health, and after three months on specific anxiety and depression measures. The current (Rome) study shows similar findings with an improvement on specific anxiety and depression items. Conclusions: Policy makers in different national contexts should consider social singing activities to promote the health and wellbeing of older adults as they are inexpensive to run and have been shown to be enjoyable and effective

Geospatial information infrastructures

Manual of Digital Earth / Editors: Huadong Guo, Michael F. Goodchild, Alessandro Annoni .- Springer, 2020 .- ISBN: 978-981-32-9915-3Geospatial information infrastructures (GIIs) provide the technological, semantic,organizationalandlegalstructurethatallowforthediscovery,sharing,and use of geospatial information (GI). In this chapter, we introduce the overall concept and surrounding notions such as geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial datainfrastructures(SDI).WeoutlinethehistoryofGIIsintermsoftheorganizational andtechnologicaldevelopmentsaswellasthecurrentstate-of-art,andreflectonsome of the central challenges and possible future trajectories. We focus on the tension betweenincreasedneedsforstandardizationandtheever-acceleratingtechnological changes. We conclude that GIIs evolved as a strong underpinning contribution to implementation of the Digital Earth vision. In the future, these infrastructures are challengedtobecomeflexibleandrobustenoughtoabsorbandembracetechnological transformationsandtheaccompanyingsocietalandorganizationalimplications.With this contribution, we present the reader a comprehensive overview of the field and a solid basis for reflections about future developments

Ecological implications of fine-scale fire patchiness and severity in tropical savannas of northern Australia

Research ArticleUnderstanding fine-scale fire patchiness has significant implications for ecological processes and biodiversity conservation. It can affect local extinction of and recolonisation by relatively immobile fauna and poorly seed-dispersed flora in fire-affected areas. This study assesses fine-scale fire patchiness and severity, and associated implications for biodiversity, in north Australian tropical savanna systems. We used line transects to sample burning patterns of ground layer vegetation in different seasons and vegetation structure types, within the perimeter of 35 fires that occurred between 2009 and 2011. We evaluated two main fire characteristics: patchiness (patch density and mean patch length) and severity (inferred from char and scorch heights, and char and ash proportions). The mean burned area of ground vegetation was 83 % in the early dry season (EDS: May to July) and 93 % in the late dry season (LDS: August to November). LDS fires were less patchy (smaller and fewer unburned patches), and had higher fire severity (higher mean char and scorch heights, and twice the proportion of ash) than EDS fires. Fire patchiness varied among vegetation types, declining under more open canopy structure. The relationship between burned area and fire severity depended on season, being strongly correlated in the EDS and uncorrelated in the LDS. Simulations performed to understand the implications of patchiness on the population dynamics of fire-interval sensitive plant species showed that small amounts of patchiness substantially enhance survival. Our results indicate that the ecological impacts of high frequency fires on firesensitive regional biodiversity elements are likely to be lower than has been predicted from remotely sensed studies that are based on assumptions of homogeneous burninginfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lithium and boron in calcified tissues of vicuna and its relation to the chronic exposure by water ingestion in the Andean lithium triangle

Vicuna is a wild, endangered species of Andean camelid living in the hyperarid Andean plateau. In the central part of the plateau, the Lithium Triangle defines a zone with lithium‐rich salt pans. Brine pools naturally form within the salt pans, and the adaptation strategy of vicuna consists of drinking from brine pools. Together with reporting the first chemical data on vicuna bones and teeth, we analyzed lithium, boron, and arsenic in water and brines, with the aim of assessing their relation to chronic exposure by water ingestion. We collected and analyzed bones of vicuna specimens lying in an Andean salt pan, together with brine and water samples. Brine and water samples are highly saline and contain large amounts of lithium, boron, and arsenic. Lithium (13.50–40 mg kg–1 ) and boron (40–46.80 mg kg–1 ), but not arsenic, were found in the vicuna bones and teeth. Based on our results and on previously reported data on human tissues in the Andes, we conducted statistical assessments of the relationships between lithium and boron in body tissues and water samples, and discuss their environmental significance in the context of the Lithium Triangle.Fil: López Steinmetz, Romina Lucrecia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Geología Minera; ArgentinaFil: Fong, Shao Bing. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Boyer, Emile. Universite de Rennes I; FranciaFil: López Steinmetz, Lorena Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Tejerina, Norberto Elio. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Geología Minera; ArgentinaFil: Meuric, Vincent. Universite de Rennes I; Franci

Suppression of HBV by Tenofovir in HBV/HIV coinfected patients : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Hepatitis B coinfection is common in HIV-positive individuals and as antiretroviral therapy has made death due to AIDS less common, hepatitis has become increasingly important. Several drugs are available to treat hepatitis B. The most potent and the one with the lowest risk of resistance appears to be tenofovir (TDF). However there are several questions that remain unanswered regarding the use of TDF, including the proportion of patients that achieves suppression of HBV viral load and over what time, whether suppression is durable and whether prior treatment with other HBV-active drugs such as lamivudine, compromises the efficacy of TDF due to possible selection of resistant HBV strains. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines and using multilevel mixed effects logistic regression, stratified by prior and/or concomitant use of lamivudine and/or emtricitabine. Results: Data was available from 23 studies including 550 HBV/HIV coinfected patients treated with TDF. Follow up was for up to seven years but to ensure sufficient power the data analyses were limited to three years. The overall proportion achieving suppression of HBV replication was 57.4%, 79.0% and 85.6% at one, two and three years, respectively. No effect of prior or concomitant 3TC/FTC was shown. Virological rebound on TDF treatment was rare. Interpretation: TDF suppresses HBV to undetectable levels in the majority of HBV/HIV coinfected patients with the proportion fully suppressed continuing to increase during continuous treatment. Prior treatment with 3TC/FTC does not compromise efficacy of TDF treatment. The use of combination treatment with 3TC/FTC offers no significant benefit over TDF alone