Life cycle analysis of milking of microalgae for renewable hydrocarbon production

Botryococcus braunii is a unique microalga which can repeatedly produce the hydrocarbons after their non-destructive extraction - the process called milking. Botryococcus braunii hydrocarbons can be converted to high-quality fuel or used as other high-value products. In this study, we conduct the life cycle analysis of the milking process for renewable hydrocarbon production focusing on the GHG emissions, the fossil energy consumption, the freshwater consumption and the land use of the process. The total-CO2 emissions and the GHG emissions over 100-year time span for production of B. braunii hydrocarbons were estimated to be -0.39 kg CO2-eq/kg hydrocarbons and -0.90 kg CO2-eq/kg hydrocarbons, respectively. The fossil energy ratio of the process was found to be 1.04 MJ produced/MJ fossil energy consumed. The fresh water consumption of the process and the land use were estimated to be 1802 kg/kg hydrocarbons and 0.85m2/kg of hydrocarbons, respectively

Life cycle analysis of milking of microalgae for renewable hydrocarbon production

Botryococcus braunii is a unique microalga which can repeatedly produce the hydrocarbons after their non-destructive extraction - the process called milking. Botryococcus braunii hydrocarbons can be converted to high-quality fuel or used as other high-value products. In this study, we conduct the life cycle analysis of the milking process for renewable hydrocarbon production focusing on the GHG emissions, the fossil energy consumption, the freshwater consumption and the land use of the process. The total-CO2 emissions and the GHG emissions over 100-year time span for production of B. braunii hydrocarbons were estimated to be -0.39 kg CO2-eq/kg hydrocarbons and -0.90 kg CO2-eq/kg hydrocarbons, respectively. The fossil energy ratio of the process was found to be 1.04 MJ produced/MJ fossil energy consumed. The fresh water consumption of the process and the land use were estimated to be 1802 kg/kg hydrocarbons and 0.85m2/kg of hydrocarbons, respectively

A colonic splenic flexure tumour presenting as an empyema thoracis: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The case report describes the rare presentation of a 79-year-old patient with a locally perforated splenic flexure tumour of the colon presenting with an apparent empyema thoracis in the absence of abdominal signs or symptoms.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Initial presentation was with a non-productive cough, anorexia and general malaise. An admission chest X-ray and subsequent computed tomographic image of the thorax showed a loculated pleural effusion consistent with an empyema. The computed tomography also showed a thickened splenic flexure. Thoracotomy was performed and a defect in the diaphragm was revealed after the abscess had been evacuated. A laparotomy was carried out at which point a tumour of the splenic flexure of the colon was found to be invading the spleen and locally perforated with subsequent collection in communication with the thorax. The tumour and spleen were resected and a transverse end colostomy was fashioned.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>One must consider the diagnosis of pathology inferior to the diaphragm when an apparent empyema thoracis is encountered even in the absence of clinical signs or symptoms.</p

Epidemiological Characteristics of Poliomyelitis During the 21st Century (2000-2013)

Poliovirus is the pathogenic agent of paralytic poliomyelitis that belongs to the picornaviridae family. Poliomyelitis has an extended history dating over to the Egyptian eighteenth dynasty. It was recognized as distinct disease in the late nineteenth century when the world was ravaged by large number of outbreaks and epidemics in many countries. Paralytic Polio, the rarest but the most severe form of the disease, is characterized by acute flaccid paralysis of any or rarely both of the limbs. Increasing epidemics during the late 19th and 20th centuries lead to the initiation of a worldwide global effort for polio eradication in 1988, super headed by WHO and various other organizations. The launch of Global Polio Eradication Initiative together with the introduction of two polio vaccines resulted in 99% reduction of wild poliovirus cases worldwide while the total number of polio-endemic countries dropped from 24 countries in the year 2000 to only three countries in 2012; Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. This review will focus on the general biology of poliovirus, some historic and geographic epidemiological aspects of poliomyelitis eradication during the year 2000-2012 and also on the major failing factors associated with the efficiency of the vaccines to eradicate polio in Pakistan

PREVALENCE OF TRICHOMONIASIS IN DOMESTIC AND WILD PIGEONS AND ITS EFFECTS ON HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of trichomoniasis and its effect on some blood parameters in pigeons. A total of 100 samples from the pigeons (50 wild and 50 domestic) were collected during the months of March and April 2005. Higher prevalence (P<0.05) was recorded in wild pigeons (60%) than in domestic pigeon (26%). The overall prevalence recorded was 43%, being non significantly higher in April (56%) than in March (30%). In infected pigeons, there was significant (P<0.05) decrease in hemoglobin concentration number of monocytes packed cell volume, body weight, than healthy birds. Likewise, the values of total leukocyte count, lymphocytes and eosinophils were higher significantly (P<0.05) in infected pigeons than the healthy ones. While, no significant difference was observed for heterophils count when infected and healthy birds were compared. It was concluded that trichomonad infection is quite common in wild, as well as in domestic, pigeons under the prevailing cage system

Exploring the lived experience of parental infidelity

The current study explored the lived experience of parental infidelity; how individuals make sense of this experience and what its' implications are. Qualitative data were collected from individual, semi-structured interviews with six adult participants. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology was used and a critical realist epistemological stance was taken. Analyses revealed findings of four master themes: adultification, challenges in romantic relationships, the psychological experience and the pathway to healing. These master themes were sub-categorized into super-ordinate themes as follows: adultification – becoming an emotional carer and awareness of parental sexuality, challenges in romantic relationships – fear of abandonment and relationship breakdown, intergenerational transmission of infidelity and differentiation, the psychological experience – an everlasting pain, the sense of self and loss: detachment and disconnection, the pathway to healing – restoration through destruction, perspective: intellectualization and understanding and honesty and openness. Theoretical, research and clinical implications alongside limitations and ideas for future research are discussed

Ewald methods for inverse power-law interactions in tridimensional and quasi-two dimensional systems

In this paper, we derive the Ewald method for inverse power-law interactions in quasi-two dimensional systems. The derivation is done by using two different analytical methods. The first uses the Parry's limit, that considers the Ewald methods for quasi-two dimensional systems as a limit of the Ewald methods for tridimensional systems, the second uses Poisson-Jacobi identities for lattice sums. Taking into account the equivalence of both derivations, we obtain a new analytical Fourier transform intregral involving incomplete gamma function. Energies of the generalized restrictive primitive model of electrolytes ($\eta$-RPM) and of the generalized one component plasma model ($\eta$-OCP) are given for the tridimensional, quasi-two dimensional and monolayers systems. Few numerical results, using Monte-Carlo simulations, for $\eta$-RPM and $\eta$-OCP monolayers systems are reported.Comment: to be published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical (19 pages, 2 figures and 3 tables